'I just want an opportunity': Dalton Reeves talks draft prep, what's next for him in baseball

Every player dreams of it. One way or another, they dream of hearing their name called and knowing they are wanted.

For many college baseball players this week, they will be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. Some will be in attendance in Arlington, Texas to walk on stage and shake the commissioner’s hand. Others will be back home and have draft parties as they await the phone call.

But for Dalton Reeves, he’ll be going about his life as normal as he can. He’ll be at the beach enjoying as much time as he can with his family. Make no mistake, though, he’ll be waiting on that phone call.

“I’ve had a little bit of contact. I have a couple of teams that have reached out to me, and I’ve been submitted by a couple of those teams, as well. And so I’m on some boards,” Reeves told GamecockCentral. “I’ve kind of heard later rounds or free agent deal, so I’m not really expecting much. I just want an opportunity. I know I’m not going to get a lot of money, but I just want to be able to say I’m going to play pro ball somewhere. And I just need an opportunity.”

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You won’t find Reeves on many early draft boards or top prospect rankings. He’s aware of the fact that if he gets a call, it’ll be in the late rounds. There’s also a possibility he goes undrafted. All he wants is a shot. From there, it will be up to him to determine what’s next. And that’s all he can ask for.

“I feel like I’m a guy that what you see is what you get. I’m a hard worker, I’m very disciplined. I like to feel like I’m a pretty natural leader. I get along with guys really well, I’ve tried my best. I’ve been brought up to be as good a teammate and as good a man as I can,” Reeves said.

“I feel like my numbers kind of speak for themselves. It was kind of a small sample size, but I mean, 11 homers, 34 RBIs, 119 at-bats, I feel like those are pretty solid numbers. I didn’t have any passed balls this year. I felt like I caught at a really high level, threw some guys out. I can showcase my arm a little bit as well as my framing and receiving. I mean, I feel like that’s one of my stronger suits in catching. I feel like I have really good hands. When you get me, you’re getting a guy that wants to come in and work and win and have a good time while we’re doing it.”

In his lone season at South Carolina, the fifth-year catcher put up respectable numbers in limited playing time. He burst onto the scene after a two-homer game versus his old team, Presbyterian, on March 26. After that, he became a regular in the starting lineup, splitting time at DH and behind the plate. In 35 games, he hit .294/.370/.597 with 11 homers and 34 RBI. He also finished with a .967 OPS, third-best behind Cole Messina and Ethan Petry.

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Behind the dish, he caught in 14 games with Messina making majority of the starts in 2024. But when he did play, he did a fine job, making two errors and owning a .983 fielding percentage.

In his talks with pro teams, Reeves said they like him as a catcher that can certainly hit. But there’s always the possibility he could play at other positions, which is something he would be fully onboard with doing.

“They also see me as potentially a guy who could play first or even a corner outfield spot, just so they can try to get the bat in the lineup,” he said. “At this point, I’ll learn whatever I need to. You throw me in the outfield, I might look stupid, but I’ll do my best to make every play. I just want an opportunity and a chance to play everyday.”

If he doesn’t sign a deal with a big league club, Reeves has heard from independent baseball league teams with potential offers, which would be his next move.

If all else fails, he does have a fallback plan. When he was at South Carolina, he earned a Master’s degree in coaching education. Since the season ended, he’s been working with the next generation of players, giving out lessons at BodyShop Athletics in Lexington.

“As I’ve started doing lessons some more, I’ve developed a passion for coaching. But going into last year when I chose that as my Master’s, I knew I wanted to go into coaching in some degree,” Reeves said. “I want to stay in baseball more than anything. I’ve always like the coaching job and the ability to impact the next generation and still be in baseball and around baseball. To be able to get a coaching education master’s in mental performance, I feel like that will not only help me in my coaching job but also as I was playing as well.”

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