Reds add college catcher with championship pedigree; A breakdown of Day 2 draft picks

Every time Mississippi State faced elimination during the school’s run to a College World Series title in 2021, catcher Logan Tanner delivered a big moment.

There was a three-run homer in the Super Regional clincher. A game-tying double to beat Texas in the first game of the College World Series. An RBI single and a solo homer in the title clincher.

One year after Tanner helped Mississippi State to a championship, he was celebrating his own achievement. The Cincinnati Reds picked him in the second round (No. 55 overall) in the 2022 MLB Draft.

“Being at Mississippi State, you play in front of big crowds every weekend, so I think just being a part of that whole situation was huge for me in helping me become the player I am and how to handle the pressure that comes with playing with games on the line,” Tanner said. “I think it was huge for me.”

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For all the offensive highlights Tanner accumulated during the 2021 title run, he probably stands out more of his defense.

“You can have some fun looking on Twitter for some of his highlight throws there,” Reds amateur scouting director Joe Katuska said.

Tanner was a two-way prospect in high school, reaching 95 mph on the mound, so his arm is a big factor behind the plate. He has a unique ability to throw from any angle behind the plate, unafraid to sling sidearm like he’s Patrick Mahomes escaping a pass rush.

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Teams scouted Tanner as a pitcher when he was in high school, so why did he become a catcher?

“I'd rather play every day than every fifth day,” he said. “That's how I've felt about it. I had a chance to go out of high school as a pitcher and I didn't really want to do that, so I went to college and took my chance to be a position player and all the hard work paid off. I'm fired up about it and I think I made the right choice. If all else fails, I guess I can hop back on the mound, but I don't plan on doing that anytime soon.”

The Reds were drawn to Tanner because of his “advanced defensive profile with power,” Katuska said. He guided a pitching staff to a national title in college and he’s caught with Team USA.

He will have to improve his hit tool, hitting for average, to progress through the minor leagues, and continue to shore up his defense. But that’s the next step. Hearing his name called Sunday with friends and family at home was a time to celebrate.

“It was an awesome experience, one I’ll never forget,” Tanner said. “It’s something I’ve worked for my whole life, so I can’t complain.”

CINCINNATI REDS 2022 DAY TWO DRAFT PICKS

Round 3 (No. 94 overall): Bryce Hubbart, LHP, Florida State

Summary: The 6-foot-1, 180-pound lefty doesn’t light up the radar gun, throwing a low-90s fastball, but it features enough movement to generate a lot of strikeouts. Hubbart, who has a high spin curveball and slider, had a 3.32 ERA this season with 96 strikeouts and 21 walks in 76 innings.

Rankings: No. 79 (Baseball America), No. 72 (MLB.com), honorable mention (FanGraphs).

Quote: “He had a little bit of ups and downs this spring, but he’s a guy that the scouts and also all the metrics really agree on has some upside,” Katuska said. “He has a swing-and-miss fastball even though it’s not the biggest velocity. Really, we’re getting support from the scouting side and the analytics side on that one.”

Round 4 (123): Kenya Huggins, RHP, Chipola (Florida) Junior College

Summary: A junior college teammate of Cam Collier, the Reds’ first round pick, he flashed a 98-mph fastball at the MLB Draft Combine with a sharp slider. He totaled 97 strikeouts and 32 walks in 73 innings this year with a 2.96 ERA.

Rankings: No. 206 (BA), No. 181 (MLB), No. 99 (FG).

Quote: “He just pretty much keeps getting better every time out,” Katuska said. “We’re excited about the ceiling there. It’s going to take a little bit of time to develop him, but we have that time given his age and relative level of inexperience.”

Round 5 (153): Cade Hunter, C, Virginia Tech

Summary: He dealt with a hamate injury during the 2021 season, but he bounced back at the plate and posted high exit velocities. He hit .330 with 17 homers, 14 doubles and 66 RBI in 58 games this year. The son of Seattle Mariners amateur scouting director Scott Hunter, he does have room to grow defensively.

Rankings: No. 93 (BA), No. 145 (MLB), No. 40 (FG).

Quote: “Every time we went and saw that team – they had a first-round pick and second-round pick – he was someone that stood out,” Katuska said. “He has the athleticism to play multiple spots on the field, so he’s not just locked in behind the plate. We really liked the swing and offensive approach.”

Round 6 (183): Zach Maxwell, RHP, Georgia Tech

Summary: Listed at 6-foot-6, 275 pounds, it’s no surprise Maxwell has a big arm. His fastball can reach 99 mph and he features a power breaking ball, with high spin rates on both pitches.

Rankings: No. 161 (BA), No. 200 (MLB), unranked (FG).

Quote: “He’s probably a closer comp to a Joel Kuhnel, somewhere in that range,” Katuska said. “Big, physical guys, big arms, power sliders. Similar look to what Joel was doing at (Texas Arlington).”

Round 7 (213): Trey Faltine, SS, Texas

Summary: One of the best collegiate defensive shortstops in the draft class showed some extra pop in his bat this year. He struck out 104 times in 241 at-bats this year, so he’ll need to fix his offensive approach.

Rankings: No. 124 (BA), No. 162 (MLB), HM (FG).

Quote: “It is a higher strikeout rate, but he has power, he can play defense, he’s athletic,” Katuska said. “He’s the type of guy we identified that we think can make some adjustments at the plate that are going to help him out long term.”

Round 8 (243): Chris McElvain, RHP, Vanderbilt

Summary: Vanderbilt’s Friday night starter this season, McElvain’s fastball sits in the low-90s with good carry. He throws a slider and a cutter, totaling 100 strikeouts and 44 walks in 86 1/3 innings this year, but he doesn’t have an elite pitch compared to top-ranked pitchers in the draft class.

Rankings: No. 169 (BA), No. 231 (MLB), No. 108 (FG).

Quote: “McElvain is a bulldog,” Katuska said. “Can really pitch, three-pitch mix, has had some success. He is really the type of pitcher we think can develop a little bit more velocity. Our pitching development group has been very good at that.”

Round 9 (273): Rob Hensey, LHP, Monmouth University

Summary: The MAAC Pitcher of the Year in 2021, the 6-foot-4 Hensey had a 3.87 ERA with 102 strikeouts and 13 walks across 81 1/3 innings during his senior season.

Rankings: Unranked (BA, MLB, FG).

Quote: “Big-bodied lefty that throws a ton of strikes,” Katuska said. “Really good command and control, three-pitch mix. Doesn’t wow you with the fastball but can really pitch.”

Round 10 (303): Brody Jessee, RHP, Gonzaga

Summary: An Alaska native, Jessee was a multi-inning reliever for Gonzaga. With a mid-90s fastball and an above-average slider, the 6-foot-4 redshirt sophomore had a 4.58 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 19 walks in 35 1/3 innings.

Rankings: No. 306 (BA), unranked (MLB, FG).

Quote: “We saw them a lot with the higher round arms that they had there,” Katuska said. “(Area scout) Brandon Marr did a great job getting to know that whole staff. (Jessee) was really a gut feel for Brandon. He’s 96-99 mph from a different slot with the wide sweeping slider.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds mlb draft day 2 2022: Logan Tanner, Day 2 picks