Cincinnati Reds take four-star Kentucky QB commit Matt Ponatoski in MLB draft
The wait to learn whether four-star Kentucky quarterback signee Matt Ponatoski will attend college or start a professional baseball career continues.
The Cincinnati Reds picked Ponatoski in the 18th round of the 2026 MLB draft Sunday. Due to the format of the draft essentially forcing teams to know if their picks in the first 10 rounds will sign, it would have been close to a lock that Ponatoski would sign with the Reds had he been picked in that range. However, it is far more common for picks after the 10th round to choose not to sign.
Prior to the draft, ESPN reported the Reds had targeted Ponatoski in the third or fourth round for a likely over-slot deal, but the Reds waited until almost the end of the 20-round draft to pick the Cincinnati native. Now, Ponatoski’s signing decision will depend on how much money the Reds have left from their bonus pool after signing their picks in the first 10 rounds. Any bonus over $150,000 for Ponatoski would count against the Reds’ bonus pool.
Last year, six high school players drafted after the 10th round received signing bonuses of at least $500,000. Only one received a seven-figure bonus. Ponatoski has until 5 p.m on July 27 to sign a baseball contract.
Ponatoski committed to play football and baseball at UK when Mark Stoops was still football coach, but he signed with the Wildcats shortly after Will Stein was hired to replace Stoops. Stein also recruited Ponatoski to Oregon as offensive coordinator there.
For most of his senior year at Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ponatoski was adamant he wanted to play both sports in college, but his public tone shifted after the new football staff landed a commitment from class of 2028 quarterback Jake Nawrot, a consensus top-five quarterback in that class.
“I want to be a professional baseball player as fast as possible,” he said on a podcast interview with OverslotBaseball.com in June. “That’s where my heart’s been, and it’s always been.”
If Ponatoski does sign, the UK football team will lose an option for the backup spot behind projected starter Kenny Minchey this fall. It would have been a stretch for Ponatoski to win that competition since he missed summer workouts while preparing for the baseball draft, but he would have been the most hyped recruit of the options on the roster.
The staff did add another option in the competition in late June with a transfer commitment from Canadian college star Callum Wither. He will compete with returner Brennen Ward, Marshall transfer JacQai Long and Florida Atlantic transfer Carson Cruver for backup snaps.
There was more good new for the UK baseball program Sunday.
Trinity High School pitcher Grayson Willoughby, who has signed with Kentucky, and Wildcats center fielder Jayce Tharnish will both play for Kentucky next season, according to Bat Cats Central.
This story was originally published July 12, 2026 at 6:36 PM.