Exclusive Interview with Cincinnati Reds 2025 Draft Pick

We had the pleasure of sitting down with the Cincinnati Reds' ninth-round draft pick, Kien Vu, on Wednesday. We talked about some of his favorite baseball memories, Cincinnati chili, the process of getting drafted, and more. Here are some highlights from that interview.

Question: "What is your favorite or earliest baseball memory?"

Vu: “I would say the earliest baseball memory I have, and it's more recent than like five and six years old, but the earliest and most favorable baseball memory would be a home run that I hit. I was probably 11 years old, where it was the week of, maybe two weeks prior, that my dad had said he would get me, I think at the time, a PS4 if I hit a homer.” 

"I was a tiny kid," Vu added. "I think he had made that bet knowing that there was a very small chance that I'd actually get one out. I ran into one and it barely snuck over the fence to the pull-side. As soon as I hit it off the bat, I watched it for a little and once I realized it was over the fence. I don't think I ever ran the bases faster in my life. As soon as I touched home, I pointed and looked at my dad. That's a memory that stands out for sure."

Question: "Did you have any certain players you tried to model your game after growing up?"

Vu: “I grew up watching Ichiro a lot. I think like just him being an outfielder."  Vu said. “I wouldn't say I tried to copy his game because that's a pretty unique swing. But he has a hose from the outfield and he made some like, I mean, I remember that play he made in San Francisco, I think, where he was like tracking a ball and then turned his back to like kind of deke the runner and then played it off the wall.”

“Just little things like that, that kind of helped me understand how much like IQ, I guess, goes into the game. And players like him who really grinded out the game and had a lot of success at that level. Someone that I admired and I watched and then, I guess, modeling my game after not so much.”

Question: "Going to Cincinnati, have you tried any Cincinnati foods yet? Like Cincinnati chili or anything else?" I explained to him what a three-way, four-way, and five-way is. 

Vu: "I have not. I didn't know Cincinnati Chili was even a thing. That sounds amazing. I'm going to have to try it."

Kien Vu won Player of the Week with the Daytona Tortugas in just his second week of professional baseball after starting his career 0-10 and only reaching base one time via a hit-by-pitch. He slashed .273/.371/.532 with eight doubles, four home runs, and seven stolen bases. 

"We like that bat and we like the athlete,"Reds Director of Amateur Scouting Joe Katuska told The Enquirer's Pat Brennan. "We think he can play all three outfield spots," Katuska said. "The entire outfield for Arizona State got drafted this year. (Brandon) Compton, (Isaiah) Jackson and Vu. We liked all three of those guys. We thought there was tremendous value. We thought that Kien would go off the board faster than he ended up going off. We're pretty excited. He's definitely a guy I'd highlight there.And yeah, even in a so-called down year, he still performed and we think there's some untapped upside there and he's a guy we're excited about getting."

You can watch or listen the interview here: