DREW DAVIES SIGNS WITH CINCINNATI REDS

Woodcroft teen joins MLB's Cincinnati Reds

Drew Davies hopes to follow in the footsteps to the Major Leagues of fellow South Australian Curtis Mead, when he begins his baseball dream in the US.

The 18-year-old outfielder was signed this week by Major League club Cincinnati Reds, becoming the fourth active South Australian playing in America.

He'll report to minor league training camp and start to work his way up the Reds' system in March 2024 following the local season with the Adelaide Giants and Southern Districts Baseball Club.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," says Davies. "It's been a dream of mine for a long-time."

Davies says a shift in mindset after he was one of the last cuts on Australia's 2022 U18 World Cup team helped fuel him.

"That showed me where I needed to be, where I wanted to go, and how I had to work harder to get there," says Davies. "Baseball became a lot more serious for me. I started to train like I was already a professional. I tried to train as much as I can, work around school, and get in as many reps as I possibly could."

The hard work paid off. Davies caught the eye of Cincinnati Reds scout and former MLB-player Donald Lutz at the 2023 Australian U18 National Championships. Davies led South Australia with a blistering tournament, where he drove in 16 runs in nine games.

"I really liked his swing," says a smiling Lutz. "It looked really good. I liked his aggression. He's got a good body. He's the tools to be a really good baseball player. When it comes down to it, I think he's got what it takes."

Davies joins Curtis Mead (Tampa Bay Rays), Jack O'Loughlin (Oakland Athletics) and Riley Yeatman (San Diego Padres) in the US professional baseball system.

His goal will be to make it to the major leagues, where Curtis Mead currently plays.

"I think it will become more real when I'm on that plane in March, reporting to camp," he says. "But yeah - this is a really cool moment. I'm excited to keep working."

Written by Eric Balnar