With their sixth-round selection in the 2021 MLB Draft, the Reds selected Justice Thompson, an outfielder from North Carolina.
Thompson is originally from Tampa, Florida where he committed to a junior college out of high school. After spending two seasons at Northwest Florida, Thompson transferred to North Carolina, where he made an impact immediately. Thompson was an impact player for the Tar Heels, where he put up an impressive stat line in his only season there.
The first thing that jumps off the paper about Justice Thompson is his impressive size. He stands at 6’4 and is 205 pounds in weight. He truly is a physical specimen.
The next thing, that may be even more impressive about him, is his speed. He is an extraordinary athlete who shows plus speed on the bases and in the outfield. These traits are what makes him confident that he will be a center fielder at the professional level as well. Some scouts have already suggested him moving to a corner outfield spot, but Justice doesn’t agree.
On the offensive side, he is a threat to steal a base at any time. In his one season at North Carolina, he stole 15 bases and legged out 8 doubles. He was even a threat to steal when he was at Northwest Florida, where he stole 7 bases in his short time there.
If Thompson was asked to select his best trait, he would say it was his glove. He believes that he can make an impact at the next level on the defensive side of the ball immediately.
“My biggest strength in my game right now is my defensive ability,” Thompson said. “I take pride in that the most. I guess me being able to play the intense level of defense that I do makes the game easier.”
Thompson made spectacular plays all season by utilizing his above-average speed, arm, and glove in center field.
While Thompson is a defensive-minded player, his offensive numbers are also rather impressive. He has always shown a good amount of raw power. To go with that, he has shown the fact that he will swing and miss a ton as well. He slugged 7 home runs, with a few of them being some impressive tape-measure shots. He also struck out 67 times in 241 at-bats.
The potential at the plate is definitely present. The big right-handed prospect has shown that potential in spurts. If he can clean up his approach and make a few minor adjustments to his swing, Thompson could become a household name among the Cincinnati Reds farm system.
Justice Thompson has as high of a ceiling as almost anybody that the Reds selected this year. The Reds will need to take the correct steps in order to help him reach it. Thompson has a lot of natural abilities, along with being a high character prospect. The Reds need to do their part to make sure Thompson turns into the player that everybody knows he can be.
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