The 2026 MLB Draft will take place on July 11th and 12th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Cincinnati Reds will pick 18th. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel recently asked if the Reds will use their first pick to help replenish the pitching depth in their farm system. "Many of the top arms the Reds have developed have graduated from prospect status, like Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder, who follow in the footsteps of other first-round arms Cincinnati has developed, like Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene," McDaniel wrote. "The Reds might be a floor for Cameron Flukey or Liam Peterson if they drop this far, then they'll get to pick through the top of the next tier of college arms, like Mason Edwards, Cole Carlon, Cade Townsend, Hunter Dietz, Taylor Rabe and Logan Reddemann. The Reds tend to prefer big fastball velocity, so Edwards and Reddemann make a bit less sense from that group." McDaniel is spot on. The Reds have had a lot of success drafting pitchers in the draft, especially in the first round. While it's never a great strategy to draft for need over the top available player, the Reds have a lot of needs on their current roster. They need a center fielder. They need a third baseman. They'll need to replace 3-4 relievers going into next season. They need starting pitching depth. But again, it's not usually a great strategy to draft for need in the draft. If that were the Case, the Reds likely would have drafted Charlie Condon over Chase Burns in the 2024 MLB Draft. Condon has yet to make his big league debut and Burns is on his way to the All-Star Game and has been one of the best players in baseball. Here's who various outlets are projecting the Reds to select at No. 18 overall.MLB Pipeline: Trevor Condon, High School Outfielder ESPN: Case Townsend, RHP, Ole Miss The Athletic: Ryder Helfrick, Catcher, Arkansas Baseball America: Cameron Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina Perfect Game: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida USA Today: Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida D1 Baseball: Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama It's an important month or so for the organization with the trade deadline and draft right around the corner. Sign Up For Our DAILY Newsletter for More Free Coverage of the Cincinnati Reds Delivered to YOU DirectlyFollow me on X at @RedsDaily4 for more. xMake sure you bookmark Cincinnati Reds Talk for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and daily coverage of the Cincinnati Reds! Follow Cincinnati Reds OnSI on Twitter/X: @RedsTalkSI. Like Our Cincinnati Reds On SI Facebook Page. Follow Cincinnati Reds On SI on Instagram.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow