Unowned

Austin Hendrick, OF

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Scouting report

The Reds have taken several old-for-the-class high schoolers over the last few years and the most recent (and most talented) is Hendrick. It is somewhat concerning that Hendrick was not only older than most of his elite high school peers on the 2020 Draft showcase circuit but that he was older and still swung and missed a lot during that stretch. This, combined with his corner outfield defensive projection, makes him a prospect of extreme variance and risk since he'll need to really rake to be an everyday player. But he also tinkered with his swing during that pre-draft summer and at times it had ridiculous length and noise it's unlikely to once he has received pro instruction for a while. Plus, he was coming from Western Pennsylvania varsity ball, which is not nearly as good as that in the Southeast, Texas or California, which is where most of his opponents were from during the 2020 process. Let's also not lose sight of Hendrick's ability. He was the most explosive rotator in the entire 2020 class (and it really wasn't close) regardless of demographic, and carried among the biggest raw power projections because of his big, square-shouldered frame. He needs reps against good pitching, and time to adjust to what will likely be some initial failure. He got his first exposure to it during instructs and responded pretty well. He'll stay in the 45+ FV tier along with similar high-variance and high-risk prospects until he builds a statistical foundation in pro ball. (Fall Instructional League)