The Cincinnati Reds jumped at the chance to draft 6’5” right-hander Aaron Watson in the 2nd round of the 2025 MLB Draft, and threw him an over-slot $2.7 million signing bonus to persuade him to eschew his commitment to the University of Florida and turn pro for good.
Watson, whom you just voted as the #16 ranked player in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings, was ranked as the #27 overall player in the country coming out of high school last year, as well as the #1 player in the state of Florida by Perfect Game. He reportedly possesses plus command of three pitches already and works in and around the zone with aplomb for a player his size and age, the kind of already-polished pitcher that should, in theory, move quickly through the Reds system should they so choose.
The Jacksonville, FL native still hasn’t thrown an in-game pitch as a pro yet, however, and that mystery is probably the lone reason why he didn’t end up higher on this year’s CPR. Where he begins in 2026 is all that’s left to determine, though I’d be surprised if it’s anywhere other than with Daytona in the Florida State League.
Congrats to Aaron, who took home a pretty easy victory on the biggest, most crowded ballot yet.
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