Both pitched well in the College World Series, so considering the amount they pitched into the deepest part of the college season that could impact the amount the Reds let them pitch the remainder of the summer. Those decisions will also dictate whether either would have an opportunity to pitch for the Dayton Dragons this season.
Reds amateur scouting director Joe Katuska made no predictions after the draft about where the two pitchers will start. However, the expectation for both is that they could move quickly through the minors much like Nick Lodolo did as a first-round pick out of TCU in 2019. He made two starts in Dayton at the end of 2019.
“It’s a long performance track record, the stuff, the command and control and all of it lines up to be a major-league starting pitcher,” Katuska said of Lowder. “He should be on the move pretty quickly.”
Lowder’s fastball sits in the mid-90s, but it’s his mid-80s changeup that sets him apart on scouting reports. Floyd has a big fastball, mixes four pitches and is more athletic than most. Eight of the 13 college players are pitchers, including Hunter Hollan of Arkansas in the third round.
Drafting college players aids in getting them signed because they don’t have the leverage high school and junior college players have because they have college commitments to fall back on. But that’s not the only reason for drafting college heavy, Katuska says.
“You feel more much more comfortable slotting them into the system and getting their pro career started than you do with some of the high school guys that will take a little bit longer to get going,” he said.
The Reds, however, expect to sign their top high-school pick. Sammy Stafura, a 6-foot and 188-pound shortstop out of New York, said he will sign and not play college ball at Clemson. The Reds like his ability to remain in the middle infield and see power potential in his bat.
“Really self-made and we like what the future has for him when he gets professional instruction,” Katuska said. “We did not think he was still going to be on the board when we made that selection. So that was a real nice surprise that we got him.”
An interesting late-round pick at No. 498 overall in the 17th round was two-way player JeanPierre Ortiz after one year in the junior college ranks in Florida. The Reds scouted him in high school at IMG Academy and are hopeful he will sign. Ortiz is primarily a shortstop but has pitched some and well enough for that to be a possible outcome.
“He’s a really good defensive shortstop,” Katuska said. “The bat has progressed nicely in the last year, and we’ve seen him pitch a couple of times. He’s very natural on the mound for a guy who has not pitched much. He gets it really quickly. We hope that we can sign him. We would start him as an infielder. It’s always easier to catch up with a pitcher. To develop as a hitter, you really need to get those consistent at-bats. And if the game tells him at some point that pitching is going to be the better option, then I think he’s open to it. But we view him as a shortstop and he views himself as a shortstop.”
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