Fresh out of high school, Jeter Downs found himself in ecstasy, as his lifelong dream of playing professional baseball became well-founded.
Downs, a recent graduate of Monsignor Pace High, was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round (32nd overall pick) in the 2017 Major League Baseball draft last month.
Downs said he was overcome with emotions after his childhood dream came true.
“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was 10 years old,” the shortstop told reporters. “It has finally come and it still feels so surreal. I don’t even know what to say right now. I’m usually the one that has something to say when people come to me for help. Right now I can’t find the words.”
As a shortstop, Downs, who turns 19 this month, recorded a superb performance in 2017, batted .422, belted 12 home runs and 35 RBI and led the Spartans to the regional final.
He led Pace to the state championship game in 2016.
For his performance in 2017, he was named a finalist for the 6A-1A male athlete of the year and named to The Miami Herald All-Dade First Team.
A native of San Andreas in the Carribean, Downs moved to Florida at a young age and has since stuck as one of the lauded prep infielders in the draft class, joining the likes of Nick Pratto, Nick Allen and Matt Seise.
Downs is committed to play his college ball for the Miami Hurricanes, should he fall back on his pledge. According to the Reds’ scouting report, Downs has had a very good spring in the Miami area to raise his profile quite a bit. He’s a solid defensive shortstop with good range and a tick above-average arm.
Scouts love the way he swings the bat, consistently barreling up balls, and he has very good power, especially given his size, according to the scouting report. He should grow into more over-the-fence power and his base running acumen will allow him to pick up extra bases when he hits the gaps. While he’s just a slightly above-average runner, Downs is very aggressive on the base paths and likes to steal bases.