Reds take high-school catcher with first-round pick

CINCINNATI - Cincinnati Reds Senior Director of Amateur Scouting Chris Buckley tonight announced the selection of C Tyler Stephenson (6-4, 220) from Kennesaw Mountain High School in Marietta, GA with the team's first pick (11th overall) of the 2015 first-year player draft.

Later tonight, the Reds will select their second and third players with overall picks 49 and 71 (in Competitive Balance Round B).

Stephenson, 18, was rated by Baseball America and MLB.com the best catcher in this year's draft, the 15th-best prospect overall. This spring he hit .415 with 8 HR and 25 RBI for KMHS.

Stephenson is the fifth catcher taken by the Reds in the draft's first round, joining Dan LaMar (20th pick in 1979), Dan Wilson (7th in 1990), Devin Mesoraco (15th in 2007) and Yasmani Grandal (12th in 2010).

(Cincinnati Reds press release)