Cincinnati Reds draft pick convicted on sexual assault charge, acquitted of rape charges

The Cincinnati Reds' spring training complex is in Goodyear, Arizona.
The Cincinnati Reds' spring training complex is in Goodyear, Arizona.

Mackenzie Wainwright, the Cincinnati Reds’ fourth-round pick in the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft, was found guilty of sexual assault in Cuyahoga County last Thursday.

Wainwright, 19, was convicted of gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony, records state. He was acquitted of two rape charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14.

He faces a maximum of 18 months in prison, according to Cleveland.com, and he’s also eligible for probation. He will have to register as a sex offender for 15 years as a part of his conviction, Cleveland.com reported.

The Reds placed Wainwright on administrative leave after he was indicted on two counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition in Nov. 2020. The judge dismissed one gross sexual imposition charge.

"Mac Wainwright remains on Administrative Leave while MLB is conducting an investigation of the matter," an MLB spokesman said.

Wainwright, who signed for $512,400, was drafted out of St. Edward High School, which is just outside of Cleveland. He never played in a minor-league game with the Reds because the 2020 minor-league season was canceled, but he was rated as the 22nd-best player in the farm system by MLB.com before the start of the 2021 season.

Records state the incident happened on Aug. 27, 2020, which was a little more than two months after he was drafted.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds prospect Mackenzie Wainwright convicted on sexual assault charge