Reds end shocking draft slide with 4th-round steal of star outfielder

Mason Neville was expected to beryllium disconnected nan MLB Draft committee connected nighttime one.

The Oregon outfielder was classed nan No. 35 imaginable successful nan people by MLB.com.

In nan end, nan Cincinnati Reds picked him No. 114 connected Monday. For each intents and purposes, it looks for illustration a steal.

Here's really MLB.com describes Neville:

Neville was a well-regarded toolsy outfield imaginable successful nan Las Vegas precocious schoolhouse ranks arsenic nan 2022 Draft approached. The erstwhile two-way subordinate was conscionable extracurricular nan Top 100 of MLB Pipeline's Top 250 that summer, but headed to Arkansas alternatively than see nan Reds, who had taken him successful Round 18. He transferred to Oregon for his sophomore play successful 2024, playing each 3 outfield spots and showing disconnected his earthy power, and sizeable swing-and-miss. He's taken immoderate very bully steps guardant this spring, catapulting him backmost up onto nan early-round Draft radar. Neville has agelong intrigued scouts pinch his wide athleticism and violative imaginable from nan near broadside of nan plate, reminding immoderate from his precocious schoolhouse days of a young Cody Bellinger.

The earthy powerfulness is very real, and a twelvemonth aft hitting 16 homers pinch a 33.5 percent strikeout rate, Neville has jumped up boards by greatly cutting down his swing-and-miss, enabling him to get to that popular moreover much consistently. He tin thrust nan shot gap-to-gap pinch plentifulness of propulsion power. He punishes fastballs and still struggles against softer stuff, but scouts are overmuch much bullish wide that nan bat will play astatine nan adjacent level. The truth that violative floor plan comes successful a subordinate who looks for illustration he tin instrumentality successful halfway section makes Neville moreover much exciting. A twelvemonth aft playing each 3 spots, he's parented halfway exclusively this year, utilizing his above-average velocity and bully reads, not to mention a beardown arm, to look for illustration a early up-the-middle subordinate who could spell successful nan apical fewer rounds.

MORE: Why Nationals chose Eli Willits complete Ethan Holliday astatine No. 1 wide pick

Given that Neville has already been productive astatine nan assemblage level, he should person a chance to move up nan insignificant convention ladder beautiful quickly.

And if he tin instrumentality successful centerfield pinch a powerfulness bat, each nan better.

The Reds decidedly were happy pinch nan chance to get Neville successful this spot.

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