Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Indiana State might best be known for producing NBA great Larry Bird, but there have also been more than 20 big leaguers to come from the school, most recently left-hander Sean Manaea. Hayden hopes to be the next after the Reds took him in the eighth round of the 2024 Draft. He started his college career at Indiana before transferring to start for the Sycamores, where he had his real success, albeit with command issues. He made four relief outings for full-season Daytona after signing.

Hayden’s best offerings are his fastball-slider combination. While he sat in the low-90s as a starter during his junior season, he’s already shown he can push his fastball up to 98 mph. His mid-80s slider is actually better than the heater, a pitch that elicited a 45 percent miss rate during his junior season, according to Synergy. He does have a firm changeup up into the upper 80s, but it’s a distant third pitch he doesn’t rely on.

The Reds may let Hayden develop as a starter for now so he can work on his entire repertoire and try to refine his command after his 5.4 walk per nine rate in 2024 was an improvement from his first two seasons of college ball. He profiles best as a reliever and he could see his stuff tick up while moving quickly through the system, if and when he gets shortened up.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Hayden was the best high school pitcher in Indiana in 2021, then headed to Indiana University for college ball. Pitching mostly in relief over his first two years, he posted a 7.01 ERA and then transferred to Indiana State. He got a chance to start there, with better results, finishing with a 3.81 ERA and 10.5 K/9 rate, though he still struggled to find the strike zone. The Reds saw enough potential to take him in the eighth round of the 2024 Draft, signing him for a touch below slot value. He had a very brief, but impressive, pro debut this past summer with Single-A Daytona.

At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Hayden doesn’t offer much physical projection, but he does have a potential four-pitch mix. The Reds saw a very good fastball-slider combination, with a heater he throws in the 92-97 mph range and an 88-92 mph slider that can miss bats. He also can fold in a slower 83-85 mph curve and an upper 80s changeup, though those two offerings are behind the first two.

The Reds plan on sending Hayden out as a starter in 2025, because they feel he can get to at least average or better command and control of his repertoire. That remains to be seen, as he posted a 6.3 BB/9 rate over three years of college -- 5.4 with the Sycamores in 2024. If starting doesn’t work out, his stuff should play up in shorter relief stints, where his command wouldn’t be as much of an issue.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	09/10/2025	RHP Luke Hayden assigned to Peoria Javelinas.
	04/01/2025	RHP Luke Hayden assigned to Dayton Dragons from Daytona Tortugas.
	03/06/2025	activated RHP Luke Hayden.
	08/20/2024	RHP Luke Hayden assigned to Daytona Tortugas.
	07/19/2024	Cincinnati Reds signed RHP Luke Hayden.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated RHP Luke Hayden.
	06/15/2020	RHP Luke Hayden assigned to PG National 2 - Cardinal.
	06/15/2020	RHP Luke Hayden assigned to PG National 2 - Cardinal.