Cincinnati Reds select Arkansas SS commit Tyson Lewis in 2024 MLB Draft

Arkansas shortstop commit Tyson Lewis was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds with the No. 51 pick in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Lewis played his high school baseball at Millard West in Nebraska. He was the 2024 Prep Baseball Nebraska Player of the Year.

In 152 plate appearances, Lewis hit .496/.579/.912 with eight home runs, seven triples and 14 doubles for the Wildcats. He scored 53 runs and drove in 41 runs while stealing 31 bases.

His head coach Steve Frey spoke about what made Lewis such a special player.

“Tyson was a spark plug for us the whole year,” Frey said. “It always felt that when he came up to bat something great or something special was going to happen. Many times it did and it would get the rest of the team going especially when it happened leading off the game.

“Tyson’s energy was infectious each day and that will be one of the things I remember from his time at Millard West. He would always say the right thing and make it about the team and not about himself especially when we had all the scouts at our practices and BP sessions.”

Tyson Lewis drafted in 2024 MLB Draft

Going into the pros, he could be a very talented player to rise the ranks if he doesn’t go to college. Lewis’ scouting report, via MLB.com, can be seen below.

“Lewis has a quick left-handed stroke and is driving the ball harder and more consistently than he has in the past,” Lewis’ report read. “He can get overly pull-happy as he looks to tap into more power and comes with some swing-and-miss concerns. He tends to tinker with his batting stance, but if everything comes together, he could develop into a .260 hitter with 20 homers per season.

“Lewis’ 60-yard time translates more into solid-to-plus speed on the diamond, where he’s aggressive on the bases and rangy at shortstop. The Arkansas recruit has inconsistent hands and actions on defense, and he doesn’t always cut throws loose and make the most of his solid arm strength. If he can’t stick at short, he would profile well at second or third base.”