Growing up in Palos Verdes, on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Simon Reid grew up a diehard Dodger fan. He remembers spending birthdays at Dodger Stadium, and, as he puts it, Dodger Blue runs through the Reid family veins.

Now, after years of resilience, hard work, and putting his best foot forward when it mattered most, he’s a Dodger himself. 

How Cool is That!

Background

Reid has a story made for Hollywood, because, despite what one might assume about a professional that looks like he does now, he hasn’t always been the biggest, or the most noticed. But he has always been the most determined, the smartest, the toughest, the hardest working, the most positive and most resilient. 

He simply has let nothing get in his way, which is a lesson for us all to learn and a great example to follow.

From Sea to the Shining Big D

As a first instance of Reid’s grind, it’s worthy to note that he entered High School at 5’2 at Palos Verdes, which, at the very minimum, had to be at least a little uncomfortable. He then finished his High School career at McKinney Boyd, a school in the DFW Metroplex that has close to 3000 students in it.

The DFW Metroplex is an awesome place, as he grew to find, but was certainly a culture shock for someone who grew up on the beach. So, it took a minute for the SoCal native to get adjusted, but not much longer than that thanks to the Texas sized welcome he was given.

He was welcomed in with open arms by the Boyd baseball coach, Brooke Court, and he eventually grew very close to the group of guys that became his teammates at Boyd. 

In fact, he stays in contact with them to this day.

It’s hard to explain how close a run through the playoffs brings a team, especially when it was as improbable as the one Reid’s team went on his Senior year when they made the State Semifinals. And, if you’re familiar with Texas, any part of it, but especially the DFW metroplex, you know how vast and incredibly elite the competition is.

McKinney did have a D1 commit in Jack Hagan, who returned for the playoffs, but, other than that, had just a Juco commit, then Reid who would eventually land at the NAIA level and without a scholarship. So, when they plowed through the #8, #7, #2 and then the #1 team that had 2 first round draft picks, it created a moment in time that will never be forgotten.

It was also a time in which Reid thinks back on in great favor. 

That was some of the best baseball you’ll ever see, said Reid, and it was so fun. The playoffs were best out of 3, which was great for us, because we always lost the first game. 

Reid continued about how improbable the Broncos run was to the Semifinals and how fun it was.

Luckily we had Jack Hagan come back, who is was a D1 commit, and he would always throw game 2. He was out the whole year, but he came back for the playoffs, and he would go out there and just compete and win Game 2. Then, in Game 3, we would roll out my friend Chase Peterson, who was our starting 3rd baseman, and he would flip it up there 78-81 and somehow we’d end up winning.

Reid then talked about the great players on the other teams that they beat.

That year we played against Jordan Lawler who just cracked the Bigs, First Rounder Drew Romo and the Cy Ranch team we beat, their #1 and #2 starters were the #36 and 45th pick overall. It was just a magical run with a great group of guys, and, obviously, I’ll never forget it, and I’m still connected to that team to this day. 

Beyond the play on the field in High School, Reid also had ambitions to further his career in College. Although he was a great player on a great team, he was fairly lightly recruited and recalls the recruiting process left him with one clear option.

Definitely moving states during the recruiting process is difficult, and I ended up moving back to California after my Junior year during the summer to try and get recruited. To be honest, I didn’t hit my growth spurt until after my Junior Year. Freshman year I was 5’2 and weighed maybe a buck 20. Then Sophomore year I think I was 5’5, then Junior Year I was 5’9 or 5’10, then as a Senior I grew into the height I am now.

So I didn’t get too many looks. 

I had a small D3 college in Illinois, Wheaton, some Jucos and then Westmont gave me a non scholarship offer. 

Reid’s brother, Bailey, who is in professional baseball as well, was at Westmont, so making a return to Southern California became a fairly easy decision for the young backstop. 

Westmont was a great fit more me. Obviously, my brother being there was great, and, to be honest, I didn’t have a ton of other offers, but choosing to be a Westmont Warrior was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Reid had a sensational career as a Warrior posting a career where he threw out 33% of would be base stealers and finishing as a Top 10 hitter in the programs history. 

On opening day I got the start, and it was super special because my whole family was there and my Brother Bailey ended up coming in and closing the game. It got really dark and he came in pumping 94-95 and we got the win. 

Reid continued about how things weren’t always perfect

I actually started my Westmont career 1-17, so it started slow, but then after that I started to see the ball really well and started tearing it up, then we got shut down for Covid.

Our Team was really good that  year and I think we definitely could have made a run at the World Series.

More on how he went from being lightly recruited to becoming a Draft Pick.

Then came my Sophomore year, and, team wise, we weren’t as strong. We ended up making a Regional, but we lost to the Gwinnett Grizzlies who ended up winning the whole thing.

Reid posted elite numbers as a Sophomore hitting .373 with an OPS over 1.000, but he wasn’t satisfied. Instead of playing Summer ball, he, instead, chose to go to Driveline in Seattle to learn more about his swing.

It was there that he learned that he needed to hit the ball in the air more and it’s something he learned how to do. He brought all of that back with him to Westmont for his Junior year, then turned heads during the schools pro day, which is when it started sinking in that Pro ball might be a “thing” for him.

Reid then went on to post a .378 average his Junior year as a Warrior, and he also increased his power and hit 12 “pumps” as he calls them. Although Scouts were hit and miss in terms of when they came to watch him, he got drafted in the 10th Round by the Dodgers in the 2022 Draft. 

It’s hard to just know that scouts are there to watch you, and kind of solely for you, because, at the NAIA level, there’s not a lot of guys that have the pro talent. We played LC State and I had my best game as a Warrior going 4 for 5 with a Homer, which was probably the farthest ball I’ve ever hit. 

Reid thinks back to what event or set of events happened that led to him getting drafted. For so many, it’s all about timing and being in the right place at the right time, then having your best performances with the right people watching you. 

That is definitely the case for Reid.

Thinking back about how I got drafted, it was probably the game I had on opening day, and pro day is probably what got me drafted because I did well at the right time.

Reid continued on what it was like trying to juggle impressing Scouts, while also winning games and being a good teammate.

It was super hard mentally because there were ups and downs in terms of Scouts coming to see me. There were some times when I was struggling, and I had some really good talks with my coach and my dad and I realized it wasn’t really in my hands. It was in God’s hands and it didn’t matter what I did on the field, I just needed to be a good teammate and keep working hard every single day and I knew the results would come. 

Draft years are always very stressful periods of time, because there is so much on the line. Of course, helping your team win is and always is goal #1, but trying to impress scouts is an individual pressure that eats a lot of young players up.

That’s because no one can help them with it.

Coaches can relieve pressure when it comes to the team element, because they can define and re-define roles to make their players comfortable. But, the pressure of impressing scouts is one that is yours and yours alone, so, for guys that are trained to think “team” that aspect of the draft process is very difficult.

Fortunately for Reid, he put his best foot forward when it mattered the most.

We ended up making the World Series that year, which was the first time in program history, 

It was a great 3 years and it was super fun and I’ll cherish it forever.

Draft Day

Reid was drafted in the 10th Round of the 2022 draft resulting in one of the most emotional and memorable days of his life. He was fortunate enough to have his family and one of his close buddies by his side, and when his name was called, they all got to share the moment together. 

Plus, the person in the Dodgers organization that made the phone call was Rob Hill, the Dodgers Minor League Coordinator of pitching, and Hill had also gone to Westmont and was roommates of Reid’s older brother Bailey. 

Draft day was a day he’ll never forget.

My brother, Bailey, was going to get drafted his Junior year, but he tore his lat. And, he also was one of the Senior signs in the 2020 draft that was only 5 rounds, so, although he didn’t get drafted, he was given an amazing opportunity.

Reid went on to talk more about his draft experience and what it was like for him.

But I saw Bailey sitting on the couch waiting for that phone call and it was heart breaking to watch so seeing that, going into draft week I had no expectations. Being an NAIA guy, you have to kind of think, “if it happens it happens, but if it doesn’t, it doesn’t”. So you don’t really have much leverage.

Reid had to wait until the 2nd day of the draft, so it got very suspenseful, but it was certainly worth the wait. Draft Day was a day that was very special.

It was the 2nd day of the draft and I woke up to 2 missed calls from Tom Myers, and I was like “Oh Crap”. So I called him back immediately and he told me to keep my phone handy in the 8-10 round range. 

I was like, okay, then I went about my day, went to the cages, then my mom called and was like, Simon, you need to get back here right now because we don’t wanna miss this.

Reid hurried home, got his group of friends and family together, and waited for the big moment.

So I got home, turned on the TV as they were starting Round 8 and Tom called and told me he wasn’t sure what was going to happen but to stay ready. I was like, okay, sounds good.

Round 9 rolled around, then Rob Hill calls me and asked if I was sure I wanted to do this and told me to stay ready. 

The drama was built to the peak, and then it finally happened. Reid found out just seconds before it was announced on TV, and when his Mom and Dad saw his name, it was very emotional.

Then the Dodgers pick came up in the 10th Round and I look down at my phone at a text from Rob with 3 purple hearts, and it says “Welcome to the Family.” I’m racing on the inside, but I don’t want to spoil it for my Mom and Dad, so I put my phone down, then look at the next pick, then they call my name and it was crazy.

It’s my first post on my Instagram. My mom was in shock hearing her youngest boys name and my dad and I are instantly in tears. It was probably the top moment of my life, it was so special and my best friend Adam from Westmont, my roommate, was there too, and it was so amazing.

Reid as a Dodger

After getting drafted, Reid finished his short season in 2022 at the complex, then entered this past season, 2023, ready for affiliated ball. But he had to wait a little longer than he wanted when he broke his hand, an injury that kept him out until June 6th.

Once healed he got some reps in extended Spring Training and some games in Arizona, then got the call to move up to Rancho in June. 

Getting the call to Rancho was very cool on several layers. First, getting moved to an Affiliate is a milestone in and of itself, but, then, also, Reid was heading back to California where he has so much family and so many friends. 

Matt McGrath, one of the Dodgers player coordinators, brought me in his office and told me I was getting sent to Rancho. I was like “dude, let’s go, that’s awesome!” I was super excited because I have so many connections in California. 

I ended up getting out there and the first game I was nervous and the 1st guy I faced was Robbie Snelling who is a top 100 prospect. I definitely had the jitters going and I think I struck out my next 6 at bats.

With a Simon Reid laid back smile and full perspective, he continued

My parents were there and I was like “oh wow, this is a lot”, and then I ended up figuring it out after that. But it was a super fun time playing at Rancho and it was so special because I have so many friends and family from Palos Verdes and Westmont that came and watched me play. 

Reid indeed settled in and hit .292 in July, his 2nd month at Rancho, then finished his season getting 3 hits in his last 7 at bats.

Feature Cut

Reid throws right, but hits left, so he has the best of all worlds. When watching him hit, the first thing that impresses is how he uses his lower half to get on plane. In the video above, notice how tall his backside is on the high pitch, but then how much lower it is on the the pitch down in the zone. 

This aspect of his swing allows him to cover both the top and bottom of the zone very naturally.

The uniqueness of his swing is, in my opinion, how well he uses his lower half, but then, also, how free he is with his hands. He has what I call “magic hands” because they don’t have to be totally connected to his body to get the barrel to the ball. Hitters that have this kind of freedom tend to make better contact when their timing isn’t perfect and/or on pitches that aren’t perfect.

So, he has a setup up that will allow him to make a ton of contact, but then, also, hit tanks on the occasions where his hands are connected and in sync.

After all, hitting isn’t about “perfect” timing, because hitters almost never have “perfect” timing. Hitting is about how hard of contact a hitter can make when their timing isn’t “perfect” and Reid’s setup gives him a head start in this aspect.

Defensively, Reid threw out 33% of the would-be runners while he was at Westmont, so he can really throw the ball to 2nd base. He also takes great pride in his preparation for game plans, calling pitches, and handling the staff, so defense is and should continue to be a strength of his.

In terms of intangibles, he’s always been the hardest worker, smartest player, had the most positive personality, and been an elite teammate. He is also super confident, and extremely talented, but is even more humble, all of which, quite frankly, is the Dodgers way.

The Dodgers invest a ton in their “culture” and they find guys like Reid who fit the mold. Considering the elite instruction he will keep getting in the organization, and combining that with his work process and talent, look for him to maximize his skill set.

That part of it is “can’t miss”. 

In closing, I would like to thank Simon for coming on for an interview. Reid is super busy and just finished a grinder of a season with Rancho, so to take time on a Sunday to interview is super kind of him. It was a pleasure speaking with him, and I can say, I was in a better mood after talking with him than I was before. That’s the type of infectious positivity he has, and if was infectious over a Zoom call, surely it is as well to his teammates that are all in close proximity over 6 months. 

I would like to wish Simon the best of luck, Dodgers Daily will be rooting for him all along his way.