Exclusive Interview With Cincinnati Reds 2025 Draft Pick

We had nan pleasance of sitting down pinch nan Cincinnati Reds' ninth-round draught pick, Kien Vu, connected Wednesday. We talked astir immoderate of his favourite shot memories, Cincinnati chili, nan process of getting drafted, and more. Here are immoderate highlights from that interview.

Question: "What is your favourite aliases earliest shot memory?"

Vu: “I would opportunity nan earliest shot representation I have, and it's much caller than for illustration 5 and six years old, but nan earliest and astir favorable shot representation would beryllium a location tally that I hit. I was astir apt 11 years old, wherever it was nan week of, possibly 2 weeks prior, that my dada had said he would get me, I deliberation astatine nan time, a PS4 if I deed a homer.” 

"I was a mini kid," Vu added. "I deliberation he had made that stake knowing that location was a very mini chance that I'd really get 1 out. I ran into 1 and it hardly snuck complete nan obstruction to nan pull-side. As soon arsenic I deed it disconnected nan bat, I watched it for a small and erstwhile I realized it was complete nan fence. I don't deliberation I ever ran nan bases faster successful my life. As soon arsenic I touched home, I pointed and looked astatine my dad. That's a representation that stands retired for sure."

Question: "Did you person immoderate definite players you tried to exemplary your crippled aft increasing up?"

Vu: “I grew up watching Ichiro a lot. I deliberation for illustration conscionable him being an outfielder."  Vu said. “I wouldn't opportunity I tried to transcript his crippled because that's a beautiful unsocial swing. But he has a hose from nan outfield and he made immoderate like, I mean, I retrieve that play he made successful San Francisco, I think, wherever he was for illustration search a shot and past turned his backmost to for illustration benignant of deke nan runner and past played it disconnected nan wall.”

“Just small things for illustration that, that benignant of helped maine understand really overmuch for illustration IQ, I guess, goes into nan game. And players for illustration him who really grinded retired nan crippled and had a batch of occurrence astatine that level. Someone that I admired and I watched and then, I guess, modeling my crippled aft not truthful much.”

Question: "Going to Cincinnati, person you tried immoderate Cincinnati foods yet? Like Cincinnati chili aliases thing else?" I explained to him what a three-way, four-way, and five-way is. 

Vu: "I person not. I didn't cognize Cincinnati Chili was moreover a thing. That sounds amazing. I'm going to person to effort it."

Kien Vu won Player of nan Week pinch nan Daytona Tortugas successful conscionable his 2nd week of master shot aft starting his profession 0-10 and only reaching guidelines 1 clip via a hit-by-pitch. He slashed .273/.371/.532 pinch 8 doubles, 4 location runs, and 7 stolen bases. 

"We for illustration that bat and we for illustration nan athlete,"Reds Director of Amateur Scouting Joe Katuska told The Enquirer's Pat Brennan. "We deliberation he tin play each 3 outfield spots," Katuska said. "The full outfield for Arizona State sewage drafted this year. (Brandon) Compton, (Isaiah) Jackson and Vu. We liked each 3 of those guys. We thought location was tremendous value. We thought that Kien would spell disconnected nan committee faster than he ended up going off. We're beautiful excited. He's decidedly a feline I'd item there.And yeah, moreover successful a alleged down year, he still performed and we deliberation there's immoderate untapped upside location and he's a feline we're excited astir getting."

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