The Cincinnati Reds were looking to make a splash in the 2025 MLB Draft and did just that after selecting Steele Hall with the ninth-overall pick. This was one of Cincinnati's three selections on Day 1, though the Reds did trade away their Competitive Balance pick to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the deal for Gavin Lux this past offseason.
The Reds have made a habit in recent years of drafting college pitchers. In 2023, Cincinnati selected Rhett Lowder out of Wake Forest with the seventh-overall pick in the draft. Last year, the Reds doubled down on that same strategy and went with fellow Wake Forest alum Chase Burns at No.