Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 70 | Arm: 55 | Field: 60 | Overall: 55

Hall's decision to reclassify for the 2025 Draft last November keeps looking better and better. He has added 15-20 pounds of strength during his third year of high school while improving both offensively and defensively. He won't turn 18 until 11 days after the Draft and should become the first Alabama prep middle infielder to go in the first round since Condredge Holloway went fourth overall in 1971.

A twitchy athlete, Hall has at least plus-plus speed and earns top-of-the-scale 80 grades from some evaluators. He's a lock to stay at shortstop with good actions, range to both sides and the ability to make throws from a variety of angles. He's at least a solid defender with arm strength to match, with some scouts projecting him as plus in both categories.

Hall's quick right-handed swing looks better in batting practice -- where he focuses on driving the ball from gap to gap -- than it does in games, where it gets longer as he looks to lift and pull pitches for power. The Tennessee recruit is a bit of a free swinger who struggles to recognize secondary pitches. He still has room to add more strength and should become at least an average hitter with 15-homer pop, and perhaps more, if he can moderate his approach.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 70 | Arm: 55 | Field: 60 | Overall: 55

Hall was one of several high schoolers who reclassified for the 2025 Draft, and he was still 17 years old when the Reds took him No. 9 overall and signed him for $5.75 million. Part of a very deep high school shortstop crop, Hall was one of five prep players at the premium position taken in the top 10 picks, and he became the first Alabama prep middle infielder to go in the first round in more than a half century.

The right-handed-hitting Hall had already added 15-20 pounds of strength during his final year of high school, which helped him improve considerably on both sides of the ball. He gets top-of-the-scale grades on his speed from some evaluators, a tool that helps him on the basepaths and defensively. He’s going to play shortstop for a long time thanks to outstanding range in either direction, good actions and the ability to make throws from multiple angles with arm strength. He has a chance to be a plus defender with a plus arm to match.

While Hall’s swing can get a little long at times in games, he’s shown in batting practice that he has the ability to be quick to the ball and to drive it gap-to-gap. He’s a free swinger who will need to refine his approach, particularly in terms of recognizing secondary stuff. There’s still projection in his frame, which could help him be an average hitter with at least fringe-average power, if not more. It will be interesting to see how the Reds allow him to progress after slow-playing prep shortstops like Sammy Stafura and Tyson Lewis out of the gate in recent years.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 70 | Arm: 55 | Field: 60 | Overall: 55

Hall's decision to reclassify for the 2025 Draft last November seems to have been a sound one. He added 15-20 pounds of strength during his third year of high school while improving both offensively and defensively. When the Reds took him No. 9 overall, signing him for $5.75 million -- about $750K under slot -- he became the first Alabama prep middle infielder to go in the first round since Condredge Holloway went fourth overall in 1971, and he didn’t turn 18 until 11 days after the Draft.

A twitchy athlete, Hall has at least plus-plus speed and earns top-of-the-scale 80 grades from some evaluators. He's a lock to stay at shortstop with good actions, range to both sides and the ability to make throws from a variety of angles. He's at least a solid defender with arm strength to match, with some scouts projecting him as plus in both categories.

Hall's quick right-handed swing looks better in batting practice -- where he focuses on driving the ball from gap to gap -- than it does in games, where it gets longer as he looks to lift and pull pitches for power. He can be a bit of a free swinger who struggles to recognize secondary pitches. He still has room to add more strength and should become at least an average hitter with 15-homer pop, and perhaps more, if he can moderate his approach.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	02/28/2026	SS Steele Hall assigned to Cincinnati Reds.
	08/04/2025	SS Steele Hall assigned to ACL Reds.
	07/21/2025	Cincinnati Reds signed SS Steele Hall.
	05/26/2025	College Workout activated SS Steele Hall.
	05/13/2025	SS Steele Hall assigned to College Workout.