Reds Beat: Reds Draft Justin Lebron In First Round, Add 3 Infielders, 2 Pitchers On Day 1

CINCINNATI — The Reds are banking on a dramatic upside on Justin Lebron.

The club believed that they got the best player left on the board when they drafted the 6-foot-2 shortstop out of Alabama with the 18th overall pick Saturday in the first of five selections made on the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft.

The 21-year-old Lebron, who bats and throws right, was recognized as a Second Team All-American by both Perfect Game and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) after slashing .277/.386/.534 with 16 homers, 13 doubles, 42 stolen bases, and 48 RBI across 61 games this past season. Lebron’s 42 steals led the SEC and were tied for third-most in a single season in program history.

“We felt Justin was the most talented player available to us,” Reds Director of Amateur Scouting Joe Katuska said. “His physical ability is tremendous; he can impact the game in so many different ways, and he pairs real power with top-end speed. Above all, he’s a great kid. We believe strongly in the athlete he is and the player he’s going to become.”

Lebron finished his collegiate career with 69 stolen bases across 3 seasons with the Crimson Tide, second-most by any player in school history. As a sophomore in 2025, he was recognized as an All-SEC Second Team selection and a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy.

Lebron was rated the ninth-best player in the draft by MLB.com and the 19th-best draft prospect by Baseball America.

The Reds then took two more infielders, in Eric Becker out of Virginia and Mulivai Levu out of UCLA. The Reds finished up Day 1 with a pair of pitchers, selecting right-hander Tyner Horn from Nebraska and lefty Ethan Norby from East Carolina.

Here are thumbnails on all 5:

JUSTIN LEBRON | SHORTSTOP ROUND 1 (NO. 18 OVERALL)
HEIGHT: 6’2″ WEIGHT: 165 BATS / THROWS: RIGHT / RIGHT SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

Recognized as a Second Team All-American by both Perfect Game and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association
(NCBWA) after slashing .277/.386/.534 with 16 homers, 13 doubles, 42 stolen bases, and 48 RBI in 61 games this past
season…prior to 2026, was a Preseason All-SEC First Team selection and named to the Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List.
His 42 stolen bases this past season led the SEC and were tied for third-most in a single season in program history…finished
his collegiate career with 69 stolen bases across 3 seasons with the Crimson Tide, second-most by any player in school history.
As the 18th-overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, became the Crimson Tide’s highest-selected player since Joe Vitiello (7th
overall) in 1991…also became the seventh 1st-round selection in program history (last: Riley Quick, 2025).
As a sophomore in 2025, was recognized as an All-SEC Second Team selection and a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes
Award and Dick Howser Trophy…also earned All-SEC First Team honors as a freshman in 2024.
Was rated the ninth-best player in the draft by MLB.com and the 19th-best draft prospect by Baseball America.
Attended Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School (FL), the same school that produced former Red and 2-time National
League All-Star outfielder Nick Castellanos, as well as 2011 American League All-Star catcher Alex Avila.

ERIC BECKER | SHORTSTOP ROUND 2 (NO. 58 OVERALL)
HEIGHT: 6’3″ WEIGHT: 190 BATS / THROWS: LEFT / RIGHT SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

Earned All-ACC Third Team honors after posting a .317/.427/.533 slash line with 7 homers, 16 doubles, and 52 runs scored
across 46 games as a junior at the University of Virginia this past season…missed 13 games due to an upper-body injury.
Also named to the All-ACC Third Team following his sophomore campaign in 2025…that year, ranked among Atlantic Coast
Conference leaders in doubles (21, 3rd), batting average (.368, 8th), and OPS (1.070, 9th).
Was a member of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in 2025…that summer, also played for the Cape Cod League’s
Harwich Mariners…spent the summer following the 2024 campaign with the Northwoods League’s Kalamazoo Growlers.
His father, Jeff, was selected by the Guardians in the 46th round of the 1999 MLB Draft and played in parts of 2 seasons in their
system…his younger brother, Nick, was selected by the Athletics in the 2nd round last year.
Was rated the 41st-best player in the draft by MLB.com and the 50th-best draft prospect by Baseball America.
Attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School (NJ), the same school that produced many notable alumni, including second-
overall 2025 NBA Draft pick and current Spurs guard Dylan Harper, as well as former Reds infielder Jason Vosler.

MULIVAI LEVU | THIRD BASEMAN ROUND CB-B (NO. 70 OVERALL)
HEIGHT: 6’0″ WEIGHT: 215 BATS / THROWS: LEFT / RIGHT SCHOOL: UCLA

Was an All-Big Ten First Team selection and earned Second Team All-American honors from ABCA/Rawlings and the National
Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) after slashing .340/.441/.622 with 18 homers and 63 RBI this past season.
Named to the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I Gold Glove Team as the nation’s top first baseman in each of the last 2 years…
was the only player in program history to ever win multiple ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Awards.
During the 2026 season, ranked among Big Ten Conference leaders in total bases (150, T1st), RBI (63, 4th), runs scored (61,
6th), hits (82, T6th), home runs (18, 7th), OPS (1.063, 8th), and slugging percentage (.622, T10th).
Named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2026 Big Ten Tournament after hitting a walkoff, 3-run homer in the semifinals
against USC and a game-winning sacrifice fly in the quarterfinals against Purdue.
Was rated the 62nd-best player in the draft by MLB.com and the 79th-best draft prospect by Baseball America…attended Ocean
View High School (CA)…beginning at the age of 9, started performing “Siva Afi” (fire-knifing), a traditional Samoan dance in
which participants twirl and perform acrobatic stunts with machete-like blades wrapped in ignited cloth.

TYNER HORN | RIGHT-HANDED PITCHER ROUND 3 (NO. 94 OVERALL)
HEIGHT: 6’1″ WEIGHT: 187 BATS / THROWS: LEFT / RIGHT SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Pitched to a 3-3 record with a 4.03 ERA across 22 appearances (12 starts) as a junior at the University of Nebraska this past
season…named to the College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Award Watch List.
Made 17 starts for the Cornhuskers during the 2025 campaign, tied for third-most in a season in school history…pitched 8.0
scoreless innings in that year’s Big Ten Championship game against UCLA, helping Nebraska to its second conference title.
Was rated as the 234th-best draft prospect by MLB.com and as the 290th-best player in the draft by Baseball America.
In the summer following his freshman campaign in 2024, pitched for the West Coast League’s Corvallis Knights, posting a 2.20
ERA with 39 strikeouts across 9 appearances (7 starts).
Attended Eisenhower High School (KS), where as a senior in 2023 produced a 6-0 record with a perfect 0.00 ERA…for his
efforts, was recognized by Kansas in Sports as the Class-5A PItcher of the Year.

ETHAN NORBY | LEFT-HANDED PITCHER ROUND 4 (NO. 122 OVERALL)
HEIGHT: 5’10” WEIGHT: 200 BATS / THROWS: RIGHT / LEFT SCHOOL: EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

Named to the All-American Athletic Conference First Team for the second straight year for his efforts during the 2026 campaign…
pitched to a 7-3 record with a 4.08 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 18 appearances (14 starts) as a junior at East Carolina University.
His 131 strikeouts this past season were third-most by any Pirates pitcher in a single season in program history, behind only
current Blue Jays hurler Trey Yesavage (145, 2024) and Jake Agnos (145, 2019).
During the 2026 season, led the American Athletic Conference in innings pitched (90.1) and strikeouts (131), while also ranking
among conference leaders in both wins (7, T3rd) and starts (14, T7th).
Is the younger brother of Connor Norby, who was selected by the Orioles in the 2nd round of the 2021 MLB Draft and is currently
in the Miami Marlins organization.
Was rated by Baseball America as the 136th-best draft prospect and by MLB.com as the 167th-best player in the draft.

The 2026 MLB Draft concludes on Sunday in Philadelphia, site of the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday.