As the first round started to unfurl, the Reds calculated Steele Hall might not be available as late as the No. 9 pick.
Steele Hall had committed the next step in his baseball career to the University of Tennessee's Southeastern Conference program, but he isn't going to make it to campus as a student-athlete.
Hall, a 17-year-old shortstop out of Hewitt-Trussville High School (Alabama), is very much still student-aged but baseball in Cincinnati became his vocation when he was selected by the Reds with the No. 9 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday, July 13.
Reds scout J.R. Reynolds led the organization's evaluation process for Hall, a player with plenty of confidence and no shortage of lofty expectations.
As the first round started to unfurl, the Reds calculated Hall might not be available as late as their No. 9 pick. But the Toronto Blue Jays' selection of high school shortstop JoJo Parker confirmed Hall would still on the draft board for them.
The Reds then made Hall their first high school hitter taken in the first round since outfielder Austin Hendricks in 2020 (12th overall).
"We thought he was in play in front of our pick," said Joe Katuska, the Reds' director of amateur scouting. "Like I said leading up to this process, it was a little bit jumbled from what we thought industry consensus was in front. So we're... I wouldn't say we're surprised that he got there, but we knew that there was a chance he didn't get there."
Hall said he was excited to join the Reds organization, and he sensed their interest in him during conversations with Reynolds.
“My first impressions were it (the team) was great," Hall said. "Just, like, all the talks. (Scout) J.R. (Reynolds) was the guy I had the most contact with and (I) loved him. He kept everything real, genuine and yeah, really just appreciated him for, like, keeping everything 100 and looking back, I thought this would be a pretty good place to play.
"I just thought it would be pretty cool to be picked by them and now it’s a dream.”
At 17, Hall would likely be looking at a longer runway through the Reds organization before making it to the Major League level. Age hasn't precluded Hall from lofty expectations and comparisons, though, and he embraces plenty of them.
During a Zoom call with reporters following his selection, Hall smiled widely and said he thought he was as fast as Reds All-Star Elly De La Cruz. Hall also asserted that he felt he was the fastest player in the 2025 draft.
If you're looking for a current Major Leaguer to compare Hall to, one name came up repeatedly on Sunday: Trea Turner, the Philadelphia Phillies shortstop currently on a nine-figure contract.
To suggest Hall is destined for that caliber of career and earnings isn't fair today, but even Katuska said there are elements of the comparison that make sense. The Turner "comp" even came up in the Reds' internal discussions about Hall.
"I think it's hard to put those sort of expectations on a player," Katuska said. "You're talking about a guy who signed a $300 million contract at the big-league level, but that was the 'comp' that got brought up in our room with our group. Dansby Swanson was one. Trea Turner was one.
"That type of player that is ultra-athletic, can run, can throw, can play defense and provides value with the bat, as well as a leadoff-type of guy. That's how we saw Steele and what ultimately lead us to be comfortable with the pick."
For now, the Reds are confident the shortstop component of those comparisons will hold firm. They project him to remain as a shortstop, Katuska said.
"He has the athleticism to play other places," Katuska said, "but he has every bit of a shortstop's ability with all the things he does on the field."
Katuska said the Reds found Hall to have a mild-mannered disposition, but that he showed fire on the field.
"A good kid," Katuska said.
In-keeping with that personality evaluation, Hall conveyed his and his family's gratitude for the Reds' confidence in him.
“It means a lot, thanking (the Reds) for taking a chance on a 17-year-old and it’s an honor," Hall said. "Going to the workout in Cincinnati, moving around and talking to everybody, I think that’s when I first knew they were pretty much on me."I think it was just a rush of emotions and, yeah, we're just happy. Happy to be a Cincinnati Red."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'It's a dream.' Why Steele Hall was happy to land with Reds in MLB Draft
Category: Baseball
