Former Reds First Round Pick Opens Up About Draft Day Surprise

The Cincinnati Reds drafted outfielder Jay Allen II with the 30th overall pick of the 2021 MLB June Amateur Draft out of John Carroll Catholic HS in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Allen II is currently Cincinnati's No 29-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

Draft day was a hectic day for Allen. He recently shared a story about how he thought he was actually going to be picked by a different team.

"Honestly, I didn't know," Allen told me on the Queen City Reds podcast. "I thought I was going to be a Tampa Bay Ray at 28. They called, they were on the phone with my agent. My agent called me, we were talking about it and the numbers weren't really aligned for what we were looking for."

"They picked at 28, then 29 comes up. My agent called me and said, 'Hey, they have the pick at 33 as well. They're looking at you for 33. How does this sound?' I said, 'Okay, that sounds great. Let's do that.' Then, as we were about to hang up, he goes, 'Wait, the Reds are about to pick at 30. Watch the TV.'"

The rest is history and that is how Allen II became a Cincinnati Red.

Allen II Knows What He Needs to Improve On

Red — Chattanooga's Jay Allen II (14) is tagged out a home plate by Knoxville Smokies catcher Casey Opitz (16) during the first Knoxville Smokies baseball game at Covenant Health Park on April 15, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Allen is known for his athleticism. Because of that, he is a fantastic defender and can steal a bag at any time. However, his bat needs improvement and he knows that. But he's taken a big step this season. After having an OPS of .718 in Dayton in 2024 and an OPS of just .651 with Chattanooga last year, Allen is slashing .269/.360/.444 with 27 extra-base hits and 15 stolen bases this season.

"Last year, yeah, I really didn't play up to my standards...We made a couple of adjustments towards the end of the year last year, where I started kind of getting hot in July and August. I just kind of stood a little bit taller, freed myself up a lot."

Allen shared that the Reds told him his bat is the main thing that needs to improve.

"It's been pretty expressed to me and I have a pretty good understanding that I have to handle the stick a little bit better," Allen said. "That is mainly where most of my focus goes to. It's not like I am disregarding all the other tools that I have. I like to think I play pretty good defense. I run the bases really well. I have speed. I am able to do the other aspects of the game, but I am still developing as a hitter."

Allen II is still just 23 years old and he is a prospect to keep an eye out for in the second half of the season.

Watch the full interview below:

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