Otto Hess is the only player in major league history to have been born in Switzerland. The Cincinnati Reds are hoping that he will have company in the somewhat near future.
According to reports, the Reds have signed 17 year old Swiss left hander Dominic Scheffler as part of the international signing period. He has become the 15th player that they have added thus far in the current signing period.
Cincinnati Reds add intriguing prospect in Dominic Scheffler
Scheffler has already had an interesting baseball odyssey. He had established himself as one of the best young players in Switzerland, being named the best pitcher of 2020 while pitching for the Zurich Barracudas in the second Swiss baseball division. From there, he spent a year in Japan as part of an exchange program before heading to Regensburg Academy in Germany in November 2021.
He had been a part of the Swiss U-18 and U-23 teams in international competition and was part of their World Baseball Classic qualifying team. Scheffler had also been set to head stateside to continue his baseball journey as he was expected to enroll at Seattle University.
It is easy to see why Scheffler is such an intriguing prospect aside from his travels within the game. He already stands 6’4″ tall at 17 years old. His fastball sits in the low 90s and has been clocked as high as 94 MPH. As he adds strength and fills out, it is possible that he can add even more velocity in the future.
Nonetheless, Scheffler is already someone to dream on. A young lefty with that type of velocity is going to draw attention. If his breaking pitches continue to develop and he adds a few more miles per hour to the fastball, he could be a part of the Reds future.
The Cincinnati Reds have reportedly signed Swiss left handed pitching prospect Dominic Scheffler. He is someone that could be a part of their future.