A.J Puk showed last night why the Cincinnati Reds would use the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming MLB draft to select him.
Puk came out of the gate throwing 98 mph against LSU in SEC tournament action. In the eighth inning, his 117th pitch popped at 95 mph.
Armed with a sweeping slider in the mid-80’s and a hot four-seam fastball, Puk is ready to jump into the majors in short order. He could use a better change-up and slow curve, but even with just his two pitches, the 6-foot-7 lefty is a force on any mound.
The Reds really don’t need another starting pitcher despite the woes the team has had in 2016 keeping starters healthy. The Reds’ 2017 rotation could be one of the better ones in all of baseball with Homer Bailey, Raisel Iglesias, Robert Stephenson, Cody Reed and a fifth starter that could be Brandon Finnegan, Amir Garrett, Anthony DeSclafani or Dan Straily.
The allure of Puk’s floor will make him hard for the Reds to pass up if the Philadelphia Phillies do decide to pass on Puk with the first overall pick. Perhaps the only reason the Phillies would pass on Puk and his can’t-miss floor would be the tremendous ceiling of prep pitcher Jason Groome from the Philadelphia area.
The Reds are going to be tempted to take either Puk or Groome with the second pick of the draft. The team needs can’t-miss positional players more than starting pitchers at this point. But a can’t-miss positional player might not be available to the Reds in this year’s draft with the second pick.
After 2017 and perhaps even before pending trades, the Reds will be without Brandon Phillips, Zack Cozart and Jay Bruce. Replacing the quality of bat and glove that that trio has provided for the Reds over the years won’t be easy.
But if the Reds are looking at Puk still there when their turn to pick comes, it’s hard to imagine that the team won’t take him.
Robb Hoff writes about the Cincinnati Reds for OutsidePitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
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