​If not for the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the resulting scarcity of opportunities for athletes to compete and for scouts to evaluate them, Don Bosco Prep baseball coach Mike Rooney believes Eric Becker might have been drafted straight out of high school three years ago. “He was just a little bit under-scouted,” Rooney said. “There wasn’t enough data on him. He fell through the cracks.” Yet on July 11, no one seemed to be dwelling on that. Delays or not, the celebration was real.
Becker, a Thiells native, heard his name called Saturday as the Cincinnati Reds’ second pick in this year’s draft. The 21-year-old just finished his junior year at the University of Virginia and was selected in the second round, the overall 58th pick. In the first round, Cincinnati also chose a shortstop, Justin Lebron from the University of Alabama. Whether either newcomer will be asked to shift positions remains to be seen, but Becker’s track record suggests he brings notable versatility. Although he spent most of the last two seasons at shortstop for Virginia, he has also played at second and third base and even logged some time in the outfield in college. He was a regular at shortstop and also contributed at third base for the 2025 USA National Collegiate Team.
Becker’s selection continues a family tradition in pro ball. He is following his younger brother Nick, now 19, into professional baseball. Nick, who is also a shortstop, had committed to Virginia before the Seattle Mariners drafted him out of Don Bosco Prep last year, also in the second round but one spot higher than Eric, at No. 57 overall. So Nick, currently in rookie ball and posting an OPS well over .900, may have some immediate bragging rights—at least for now. “I’m sure he’ll have something to say about that,” Eric laughed, noting the closeness of their bond and that Nick had supported him from afar as he watched the draft at home in Thiells.
The next steps for Becker aren’t set in stone, but he anticipates that after signing, he’ll head to the Reds’ spring training complex in Arizona within the next several days. From there, it’s likely a short stay before moving to a level of A-ball. Becker said the Reds’ complex is roughly an hour from where Nick is playing, which should make it easier for the brothers to connect when possible.
Analysts had expected Becker to climb higher in the draft, but injuries were cited as a factor in him slipping a few places. A hand injury sidelined him for 13 games this spring, but he still produced a .317 batting average with six home runs, led his team with 16 doubles, and also hit six homers. Those numbers helped attract attention from more than 10 MLB clubs in the run-up to the draft.
Becker’s road to pro ball has been shaped by a mix of resilience, adaptability, and family support. While his exact path forward remains to be determined, the plan appears straightforward: join the Reds, report to spring training, and begin the climb through the minors, with the hope that his diverse skill set and proven hitting ability will translate to continued success at higher levels.