Cincinnati Reds Draft Former Big Ten Quarterback in 2026 MLB Draft

The Cincinnati Reds added an interesting name late in the 2026 MLB Draft, selecting Northwestern dual-sport athlete Jack Lausch in the 17th round.

Lausch is best known by many for his time on the football field, as he served as Northwestern's starting quarterback during the 2024 season. However, he also played two seasons of baseball for the Wildcats and put together a huge 2026 season.

The 6-foot-2 outfielder hit .312 with a 1.047 OPS, 16 home runs and 41 RBI, showing off some impressive power in his second season with Northwestern.

You don't see many multi-sport athletes at the collegiate ranks these days, but it's cool to see Lausch make it work.

Reds Confident in Day One Picks

Cincinnati Reds General Manager Nick Krall answer questions during Redsfest, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, at Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati. Cincinnati Redsfest Dec 2 1754 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Reds drafted shortstop Justin Lebron out of Alabama with their first-round draft pick on Saturday. After day one of the draft came to a close, Reds amateur scouting director Joe Katuska spoke with the media about their overall strategy and how happy they are with their selections.

“Every scouting department is going to tell you they crushed it, but we feel really good about what we did -- the work we did coming into it, how we had the board lined up and what ended up happening today," Katuska told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "We’re really happy with how it played out.”

In the second round, the Reds drafted Virginia shortstop Eric Becker. Becker hit .348 with a 1.048 OPS over three college seasons.

"He’s a very well-rounded baseball player," Katuska said. "I think people sleep on some of his tools a little bit because of how even it is across the board, but he can really hit.”

Elly De La Cruz Continues to Make History

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) throws to first for an out in the first inning between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Sunday, July 12, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Elly De La Cruz continues to put himself in rare company. Through his first 495 career games, De La Cruz has recorded at least 75 home runs and 150 stolen bases, becoming just the second player in MLB history to reach both marks within his first 500 games. The only other player to do it was Reds Hall of Famer Eric Davis, who had 107 home runs and 190 stolen bases through his first 500 games.

De La Cruz also entered Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs just one extra-base hit away from 200 for his career.

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