Reds sign first-round pick Justin Lebron for $5M

Lebron is one of the most fascinating -- and one of the more volatile -- prospects in this year’s draft class. The positives are obvious, he’s a shortstop with considerable power in his right-handed bat, and that along with his 70-grade speed (on the 20-80 scouting scale) helped him hit 16 homers while stealing a whopping 42 bases in 43 attempts in 2026. He also hit just .277, which is a number that is not terribly impressive with metal bats at the college level for a top prospect -- and he struck out 177 times in as many games in his three seasons with the Crimson Tide. The good news is that there’s no real concern about the defense, and there’s no reason to think he can’t stick at shortstop, although he’d likely make an excellent center fielder if a team wanted to give him a shot. The upside for Lebron is huge -- not the first time that sentence has been typed -- but there’s a wide variety of outcomes for the 21-year-old.