The Cincinnati Reds have selected outfielder Stuart Fairchild with their 2nd round pick, #38 overall. The outfielder is 21-years-old out of Wake Forest University.
Stuart Fairchild Scouting Report
The right handed hitter crushed the ball for Wake Forest in 2017, hitting .359/.438/.645 on the season with 18 doubles and 17 home runs to go along with 20 steals.
He’s a potential 5-tool guy, showing average or better tools across the board with above-average to plus speed being the best of the bunch. He should be able to remain in center field in the long run where his range and arm play well.
At the plate there’s some swing-and-miss/plate discipline concerns. Statistically he had 29 walks and 49 strikeouts as a junior, though he was better as a sophomore in this area at 39 walks and 42 strikeouts, which does inspire a bit more confidence from my standpoint. Still, controlling the strikezone was something that scouts noted as a weakness.
As a center fielder the offensive bar is a bit lower and the power could play quite well at the position, especially if the step forward he showed in that area was real.
College Stats
| Year | PA | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 2015 | 228 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 41 | 12 | 18 | 40 | .349 | .429 | .497 |
| 2016 | 283 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 47 | 14 | 39 | 42 | .293 | .403 | .470 |
| 2017 | 289 | 18 | 1 | 17 | 67 | 20 | 29 | 49 | .359 | .438 | .645 |
Initial thoughts on Stuart Fairchild
Stuart Fairchild has mid-1st round tools and there’s a lot to like athletically here. He’s listed at 6′ 0″ and 205. He’s a strong guy who can really run and can play in center. The Reds really like this type of player, who can play up the middle and has tools. His plate discipline leaves some concern, as does his struggles hitting with wooden bats in the Cape Cod League in 2016 where he hit .232/.323/.330 with just seven walks and 29 strikeouts in 34 games. With that said, there were different reports coming out that eased up some of those concerns this spring.
As mentioned above, his 39 walks and 42 strikeouts as a sophomore do give me a little more confidence than his 29 and 49 as a junior. It will be an area to keep an eye as he develops over the next year years. The junior season was easily his best, though he hit quite well as a freshman, too.
This was the Reds second pick of the day with a toolsy up the middle player. There’s some risk here, but there’s plenty of reward here, too.
Frankie Piliere seems to like this pick and has some good things to say about Stuart Fairchild.
#Reds take Stuart Fairchild. Loud tools for a college guy and the power really took off. Really like this pick out of @WakeBaseball
— Frankie Piliere (@FPiliereD1) June 13, 2017
Here’s a highlight reel catch that was passed along to me just now from the 2016 season.
The Reds on Stuart Fairchild
General Manager Dick Williams on Stuart Fairchild:
An advanced college player who does a tremendous job defensively.
Chris Buckley had this to say about Stuart Fairchild:
A very talented center fielder with a chance to be a 5-tool player. He runs and throws very well. He has power, he hit 17 home runs this past year.
For information on all of the other Cincinnati Reds 2017 Major League Baseball Draft Picks, click here.