Red Reposter - Cam Collier named MLB Futures Game MVP, MLB Draft tonight

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Major League Baseball rarely does the bare minimum to hype it’s annual Futures Game. They place it mid-day on a Saturday, don’t broadcast it anywhere outside of their own MLB proprietary streams, and advertise it less than they do about gambling.

Those frustrations aside, it’s annually a game featuring an amazing array of talented prospects, and yesterday’s game was no different. For the Cincinnati Reds, it became extra special, as 2022 1st round pick Cam Collier crushed a 409 foot homer in the 3rd inning and eventually took home the game’s MVP award.

As the picture above shows, Collier got a handshake from Cincinnati Reds legend (and fellow sweet-swinging lefty) Ken Griffey, Jr. as part of his ceremony.

Collier’s homer featured an impressive exit velocity of over 105 mph, and would have been a homer in 29 of 30 big league parks.

Fellow former 1st rounder (and top pitching prospect in the Reds system) Rhett Lowder also participated yesterday, picking up a hold for his efforts while firing a scoreless inning that featured a hit and a K.

In other news, the 2024 MLB Draft begins this evening, and the Reds hold the coveted #2 overall pick. There’s been plenty of scuttlebutt that the Cleveland Guardians - who hold the top overall pick - are working to draft and sign West Virginia’s JJ Wetherholt in a move that would potentially come in under-slot with the signing bonus, a move that would then leave both Oregon State’s Travis Bazzana and Georgia’s Charlie Condon as options for the Reds at #2.

Bazzana and Condon have been pretty universally ranked as the top pair of prospects, and a move like that by Cleveland would, in theory, provide the Reds with a bit of a gift scenario. Whether the Reds choose to benefit from that move remains to be seen, however, as there’s always the chance they get cheeky and attempt a similar under-slot move with someone else.

As of now, though, the folks at MLB Pipeline have the Reds choosing Condon in their latest, greatest Mock Draft.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Draft, including how to watch it beginning at 7 PM ET tonight.

Here’s another reminder that ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel continues to hear that the Reds are leaning towards toolsy Florida OF/LHP Jac Caglianone at #2.

Regardless of how tonight’s draft shakes out, the Reds will be adding an elite talent to their system. Don’t screw this up again, Reds!