To begin today’s column, we’re going to take a peek at some of the top prospects currently in the Cincinnati Reds farm system.
Rankings posted on MLB.com are subjective, but as of right now, these are the players with the best chance of helping the big league club down the road on each of the Reds’ top four minor league franchises.
Shortstop Edwin Arroyo, considered the team’s No. 2-ranked prospect behind pitcher Rhett Lowder, is sitting out the entire season after needing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. Arroyo, who won’t turn 21 until August, opened a lot of eyes with his performance with the big club in the spring. He has always been highly regarded for his outstanding glove work and speed on the base paths, and the switch-hitter has made tremendous strides at the plate as well.
Arroyo could be the Reds’ starting shortstop by the beginning of the 2026 season, precipitating a move to the outfield for Elly De La Cruz. Some of you will disagree, but just imagine EDLC utilizing his speed and rocket arm patrolling center field, while robbing would-be home runs with regularity. Elly’s improved his defensive play at shortstop, but he could easily become the best defensive center fielder in baseball.
More prospects will soon be on the way, with the 2024 MLB Draft taking place on July 14-16. At this point, it’s merely speculation on who the Reds will target with the second overall pick, and we’ll discuss that in more detail in next Saturday’s column. My personal choice would be Georgia slugger Charlie Condon, if he isn’t picked by the Cleveland Guardians with the top selection.
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BATS FEATURE MIX OF VETS AND PROSPECTS – The distance on Google maps between Great American Ball Park and Louisville Slugger Field is 99.1 miles.
The difference in being a solid major league baseball player for the parent club and a Triple-A player in Louisville is a considerably larger gap. Traditionally, more than a few Bats players are shuffled back and forth on I-71 throughout the long season, usually due to injury. The primary reason is the Louisville roster has players with big league experience that can be recalled quickly to fill a need, but there are several prospects in the Derby City as well.
At the top of the prospects list are outfielders Blake Dunn, Rece Hinds and Jacob Hurtubise, and infielder-outfielder Levi Jordan.
The speedy Dunn had a cup of coffee with the Reds a few weeks ago, while Hinds is yet to make his big league debut; Hurtubise showed promise in his stint with the Reds, and Jordan is currently on the major league roster but that will likely end whenever TJ Friedl returns from the injured list.
Dunn, 25, has battled injuries off and on this season and is currently hitting .228 and leads the Bats with 11 stolen bases. The lanky Hinds, 23, is Louisville’s top power producer, with 12
home runs, 12 doubles and 38 RBI but he is also hitting a disappointing .209.
Hurtubise, the 26-year-old West Point graduate, has a similar type of game as Friedl, but his numbers are not great at this time. He’s at .217 after hitting .185 for the Reds in 54 at-bats. Jordan remains an intriguing prospect despite being 28 years old, and making his big-league debut after a long minor league career. While playing second base for the Bats, he led the team with a .302 batting average. He’s had just 10 at-bats for the Reds with one hit, and he’s been a backup outfielder in Cincy.
Louisville has not been impressive on the mound this season.
Right-hander Connor Phillips was expected to be the ace of the Bats’ staff, but he has struggled mightily and recently was sent to the Arizona Instructional League to find his command. Phillips began the season 2-6 with a 10.11 ERA, and surrendered 15 home runs in 57 innings. It appears the 23-year-old may turn out to be more of a suspect than a prospect.
Another pitching prospect still trying to find his way is 24-year-old righty Lyon Richardson. He is currently 1-5 with a 4.42 ERA.
The most likely call-up to the Reds for bullpen assistance would be 27-year-old Tony Santillan, who has followed up an impressive spring with a solid season in the Bats’ pen. The right-hander, not really considered a “prospect” since he pitched for the Reds from 2021-2023, leads Louisville with 15 saves and has 51 strikeouts in 37 innings to go with a 2.68 ERA.
Another reliever who could get promoted is 30-year-old veteran Brooks Kriske, who is 5-0 with a 3.25 ERA.
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LOOKOUTS LED BY PITCHING PROSPECTS – The Reds’ Double-A affiliate in Chattanooga has several pitchers with major league potential, led by the organization’s No. 1 prospect. Rhett Lowder, who was picked by the Reds with the seventh overall pick in last year’s draft, has had mixed results early in his professional career.
The 22-year-old out of Wake Forest was promoted to the Lookouts after an impressive showing at High-A Dayton, where he went 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA in five games. He has found the going a lot tougher in Chattanooga. In nine starts, Lowder is 1-4 with a 6.69 ERA and given up 53 hits in 39 innings. It is likely just a matter of time and maturing for Lowder to show why he was the team’s top pick a year ago.
Another top pitching prospect, Chase Petty, has also struggled. The 21-year-old acquired from Minnesota in the Sonny Gray trade is 6-2 but has a 5.16 ERA in 15 starts.
Zach Maxwell, 23, has been the most pleasant surprise on the Lookouts’ staff in the first half of the season. The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder was 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA to go with 27 strikeouts in just 14 2/3 innings before getting promoted to Louisville.
Chattanooga is not loaded with hitting prospects, but a native of Mason, Ohio is leading the team with 16 home runs and 38 RBI. Nicholas Northcut, 25, is primarily a third baseman but has played first base this year for the Lookouts.
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DRAGONS FEATURE TOP PROSPECTS – The Reds’ High-A affiliate in Dayton has some of the most impressive collection of prospects in the organization.
They’re led by 19-year-old third baseman Cam Collier, the No.3- ranked prospect in the organization. He’s joined by Sal Stewart, Carlos Jorge, Hector Rodriquez, and Jay Allen II.
Collier has enjoyed a breakout season, despite his batting average dropping in recent weeks. He leads the Lookouts with 13 homers and 47 RBI, and the lefthanded hitter is still considered the Reds third baseman of the future, perhaps as early as 2026.
Stewart, a 20-year-old who has played both second and third base, is hitting .275 after being promoted from Daytona. Jorge, a 20-year-old outfielder, has struggled at the plate (.213) but is still considered the club’s seventh-ranked prospect.
Rodriquez is putting together a solid season. The 20-year-old right fielder is hitting .295 with seven home runs and 31 RBI. Allen, 21, leads the Dragons with 20 steals and is hitting .237.
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YOUNG TORTUGAS LED BY INFIELDERS, CATCHER – The Daytona Tortugas, the Reds; Single-A club in the Florida State League, are led by several youngsters, including third baseman Ricardo Cabrera, shortstops Dominic Pitelli and Sammy Stafura, and catcher Alfredo Duno.
Cabrera, 20, ranked as the Reds’ No. 8 prospect, is hitting at a .264 clip with 10 homers and 40 RBI. Pitelli, 22, has steadily improved after being drafted in the seventh round out of Miami last year. He’s hitting .267 and has swiped 24 bases. Stafura, 19, was picked in the second round last year, and the No. 14 prospect in the system, has a reputation as an impressive defensive player. Duno, 18, is listed as the Reds’ No. 9 prospect, and is expected to be a big league regular behind the dish. He
got off to a hot start this year before being sidelined with a fractured rib.
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CAN 2024 REDS CONTEND? — The primary concern among the Cincinnati fanbase pertains to how well the club will perform in the second half of the season.
Although it remains improbable at best that the club can catch the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, they’re in the logjam of teams still bidding for a Wild Card spot.
Consider me skeptical, simply because the Reds need to put together a second half run where they play much better baseball than they have shown in the first half.
Sure, it’s still possible, but they need to go on a run where they win nearly every series the rest of the season, which has been a struggle during the first half of the campaign. That, along with winning one-run games, staying mentally ready, getting consistent pitching, and executing proper fundamentals on the bases and defensively, will ultimately tell the tale of the rest of the Reds’ season.
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“It’s possible to spend money anywhere in the world if you put your mind to it, something I proved conclusively by running up huge debts in Cincinnati.” – Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher
***** “We are all inconsistent. We are offended and resent it when people do not respect us; and yet in his private heart no man much respects himself.” — Mark Twain
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