The Cincinnati Reds selected Tennessee shortstop signee Steele Hall with the ninth pick in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft Sunday night.
Hall ranks as the No. 20 player and No. 12 shortstop in the 2025 recruiting cycle according to Perfect Game. A standout at Hewitt-Trussville High School outside of Birmingham, Hall ranked as the No. 12 MLB draft prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
The 6-foot, 180-pound prospect dominated in his senior season with the Huskies, hitting .484 with eight home runs, five triples, 14 doubles and 35 RBIs in 37 games. He walked 20 times while striking out just 14 times. Hall committed to Tony Vitello and his staff on Nov. 12 after officially visiting earlier in the fall.
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While Hall could still come to Tennessee and play college baseball, it’s unlikely that the Reds would have drafted him in the first round if they weren’t prepared to match his asking price and sign him straight out of high school.
Hall is the first Tennessee signee off the board in what’s expeted to be a busy 2025 draft. Billy Carlson, Ethan Moore, Cameron Appenzeller and Kruz Schoolcraft are also threats to sign professionally and forego college baseball.
Shortstop and middle infield as a whole is a question for Tennessee baseball in 2026 with the Vols almost certainly losing Dean Curley and Gavin Kilen to the MLB Draft. Rising sophomore Manny Marin could move from third base to shortstop while shortstop Ariel Antigua is back for his junior year and is looking to break onto the scene.
Follow along at RockyTopInsider.com for complete coverage of Tennessee baseball related action in the 2026 MLB Draft.
