MLB draft: Dual-threat prospects raise Reds’ chances of hitting another jackpot

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 28: High School baseball player Hunter Greene, from Stevenson Ranch, CA, the possible first overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft, meets Hall of Famer Don Newcombe during batting practice before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium on April 28, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea

Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 28: High School baseball player Hunter Greene, from Stevenson Ranch, CA, the possible first overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft, meets Hall of Famer Don Newcombe during batting practice before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium on April 28, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Sports
By
May 1, 2017
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If MLB.com is to be believed, the Cincinnati Reds are sitting pretty at No. 2 in the next month's MLB draft.

That's because after hitting what looks early like a home run in Nick Senzel at No. 2 last year, the top two candidates this year both have multiple paths to success in the big leagues.

The No. 1 prospect is Hunter Greene, a high school pitcher in California who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated last week.

RELATED: How fast could Nick Senzel rise through Reds’ system?

If Greene’s reported 102-MPH fastball can’t be harnessed, he could still work out as a shortstop.

Should the Minnesota Twins take Greene with the No. 1 overall pick, another dual-threat prospect being projected to go early is Brendan McKay, a left-handed pitcher and first baseman at Louisville.

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And if Minnesota passes on both to save money later in the draft, well, that would give the Reds a nice dilemma, wouldn’t it?

A team can never have enough pitching, but their system was badly in need in of a premium bat until Senzel arrived from Tennessee.

Now there should be no second thoughts about taking the best player available -- especially if that player has two different paths to the major leagues.

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Marcus Hartman has been a digital sports columnist and reporter at Cox's Ohio newspapers the Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News since 2016.