The Cincinnati Reds selected 22 players in the 2021 MLB Draft, three of which were first round selections. They selected 21 college baseball players. They took a chance on just one high school stud. That high schooler is Jay Allen, the 6-foot-3 phenom from John Carroll Catholic High School.
At just 18 years old, Allen has a tremendous amount of upside and was graded as a perfect 10 by Perfect Game. The former Florida commit recently signed with the Reds, signing for $2.4 million, which is about the slot value for the pick that he was selected.
Allen was selected with the 30th pick in the draft, a compensation pick given to the Reds for their loss of Trevor Bauer. Allen was the second of three picks that the Reds made in the first round.
Like all MLB prospects, Allen was dominant in high school. The young stud was named to six different Perfect Game All-Tournament teams. He was a preseason All-American and ranked the number 1 outfielder in the state of Florida. He showcased a 91 MPH OF velo and an 88 MPH mound velo in his Perfect Game showcases.
Across his 3.5 years of high school, he slashed .365/.495/.492. He battled through a shortened junior season due to Covid-19. Allen never flashed any serious home run power numbers, but his near .500 OBP was enough to make him one of the best high school baseball players in the country.
To go along with this, Allen was a standout on the football field and basketball court as well. On the basketball court, Allen averaged 13 points, three assists and five rebounds over his four seasons on the Varsity squad. On the football field, he threw for 61 touchdowns and threw for over 6000 yards in his three seasons as the starting quarterback. In addition, he ran for 26 touchdowns in his career.
Allen is a physical specimen. His athleticism might be his best attribute. He is a rare breed of size, speed and pure athleticism. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, he is no slouch when it comes to size. When it comes to speed, Allen stole 51 bases in high school, while rarely being thrown out. He was also an eleven(11!!!) time letter winner in high school(four years of baseball, four years of basketball and three years of football). There is no question what this kid brings to the table physically, which only makes his potential higher than it was to begin with.
The Reds made a high risk, high reward pick when they selected Jay Allen with the 30th pick of the draft. They were able to make this risky pick because they made two other first round selections. High school selections are always a bit of a risk. But, some of the best players in the MLB came right out of high school. Allen could be the next big star.
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