Mississippi State signee Austin Hendrick drafted in first round of MLB Draft

Mississippi State baseball signee Austin Hendrick is now a first-round Major League Baseball Draft pick.

Hendrick, the outfielder from West Allegheny High School in Pennsylvania, was chosen by the Cincinnati Reds with the 12th overall selection on Wednesday night. The slot value for the 12th overall pick is $4,366,400. Hendrick will have until August 1 to work out a deal with the Reds.

Also on Wednesday, MSU second baseman Justin Foscue was picked 14th overall by the Texas Rangers, while shortstop Jordan Westburg was chosen 30th overall by the Baltimore Orioles.

READ MORE ON WESTBURG BY CLICKING HERE

As for Hendrick, assuming he indeed signs with the Reds, here is what Cincinnati is getting via his MLB Pipeline Scouting report:

See Hendrick, the Pittsburgh-area high school standout, on one day, and a scout might walk away thinking they just saw the best hitter in the 2020 Draft class. See him on another, and that scout might walk away worrying about the prep outfielder's swing. He stood out at the start of Major League Baseball's PDP League and was the only hitter to homer more than once, but he struggled down the stretch there and with Team USA in international competition.There is no question about Hendrick's raw power and he's tapped into it at times on big stages over the past two summers. He has incredibly quick hands and bat speed, along with leverage and loft, to generate that pop from the left side of the plate, but he tinkered with his setup this past summer and there was some concern with the uptick in swing and miss to his game. A very good athlete, Hendrick runs well enough to play center field, but he might profile best in right field, and has the arm strength to fit there as well.While there might be some risk in terms of strikeouts with Hendrick, there isn't a high school hitter in the country with more upside. The Mississippi State recruit has the chance to be a middle-of-the-lineup run producer with tons of power and plenty of scouts still believe in him reaching that ceiling.

For more on Hendrick from MLB Pipeline, CLICK HERE.