Cincinnati Reds: Hayden Shenefield’s unique path to affiliated ball

The Cincinnati Reds signing Hayden Shenefield to a minor league contract was not a move that generated much attention. He was a 26 year old pitcher who had spent the previous two years pitching in independent ball, posting a combined 5.38 ERA and a 1.412 WHiP in 73 innings, striking out 76 batters with 20 walks. But those numbers belied an impressive 2020 campaign, one where Shenefield showed a lot of promise.

However, it is easy to get lost in the independent leagues. When Kyle Boddy, the Reds Minor League Director of Pitching Initiatives/Pitching Coordinator and founder of DriveLine, did an Ask Me Anything on Reddit. Shenefield decided to use that opportunity to shoot his shot, responding with his pitching data, with Boddy asking for more information to be e-mailed to him.

Cincinnati Reds hope they found a diamond in the rough with Hayden Shenefield

Shenefield was certainly impressive in his 2020 campaign. Although the season was shortened due to the pandemic, he posted a stellar 1.71 ERA and a 0.714 WHiP over his 21 innings, striking out 33 batters with just two walks. Those numbers would seemingly be enough to generate interest.

But Shenefield had still been toiling in obscurity. While he may have been a desired arm in the independent leagues, especially after that performance, he had not generated any interest amongst major league teams. All he needed was a chance.

And Shenefield took one that was out there. For Boddy and the Reds, his few hours on Reddit were expected to be a chance to give a bit of a glance at the inner workings of their pitching development, and discuss various arms in the organization. Absolutely nothing overly exciting, but a chance to interact with baseball fans.

Instead, they came away with an interesting arm for their system. Shenefield’s path to affiliated ball is almost like a movie; he was unable to make the team at San Diego State as a walk-on, finally getting his chance at Cal State Northridge. He pitched for three different independent teams in two seasons, and has now become one of the more unlikely players to find themselves in affiliated ball.

Hayden Shenefield took his shot when the opportunity presented itself. Because of that, he has become the newest member of the Cincinnati Reds organization.