Anyone that grows up playing baseball has the dream of playing at the highest-level one day. For Buddy Reed, that dream became reality on Thursday night when the San Diego Padres selected the junior outfielder from the University of Florida with the 48th overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft.
Reed has been a staple in one of the most impressive classes in Florida history. The speedster’s career at Florida has been filled with clutch hits, stolen bases and highlight catches.
During Reed’s tenure at Florida, he has shown the ability to bat in any part of the lineup, and be a ball-hawk in the outfield. Buddy’s flamboyant style and raw talent is no doubt what San Diego is excited about when they selected him with the 48th pick.
Player Evaluation: Buddy Reed is a switch-hitting outfielder that can steal bases and hit for average. The 6-3 junior from Rhode Island prides himself on being great in every facet of the game.
Reed is a do it all playmaker that can cover a lot of ground in the outfield and is not afraid to make a leaping catch over the wall, or lay out horizontally to the ground and snag a ball that would be a hit against almost anyone else.
At the plate, Reed is a tough out for any pitcher and his ability to hit from both sides creates an issue for opposition. Reed is better from the right side of the plate but has been forced to hit from the left side a lot due to the amount of right-handed pitchers in the SEC. A part of his game that is not talked about enough is his work ethic. Reed puts in the extra hours at the field to perfect his craft in every aspect of the game.
Career at Florida: Reed came to Florida and immediately saw playing time as a freshman. In his first year, Reed struggled a bit at the plate having just 41 hits in 168 at bats. His second year started off sluggishly from the plate but Reed went on a tear to end the year and close with a batting average of .305.
Reed’s junior season has had its ups and downs but his mentality has not changed. In the outfield a hit must be perfectly placed or it will be hawked down by Buddy.
In his career at Florida, Reed has 47 stolen bases total and 85 RBI’s with a career average of .273.