The Cincinnati Reds are off to a disappointing start to the season, but it’s not all negative in the Queen City. Several players in their farm leagues are carving out future MLB roster spots for themselves and could even stick around in the long term. Here’s a look at 7 prospects who could shape the Reds’ future.
Chase Burns, the 22-year-old pitcher lighting up the Reds’ farm system, is the most obvious candidate to be part of the future of this team. Through his first nine games, he’s accrued 65 strikeouts, 26 hits, eight walks, and five home runs with a 2.21 ERA and an opponents’ batting average of .182.
Despite the limited sample size, Burns is dominating each time he steps onto the field, rapidly rising through the prospect rankings. He’s currently the top-ranked prospect in the Reds organization and the 11th in the MLB.
Already having some major league experience under his belt, Rhett Lowder is one of the more exciting pitching prospects of the last few years. In the six games he played with the Reds last season, he tallied 25 hits, 14 walks, and no homers with a 1.17 ERA and a .219 opponents batting average.
He’s only played in four games this season before getting injured, and is now recovering from forearm surgery and a strained oblique. In those few outings, he gave up 13 hits, two home runs, and three walks with an opponent’s batting average of .361.
Despite the early injury trouble, Lowder is living up to his seventh overall pick status and carving out a path towards the starting rotation. He’s the second-rated prospect in the Reds organization, and the 31st in the MLB.
Sal Stewart, the 21-year-old shortstop for the Chattanooga Lookouts, is having a monster season. Through his first 44 games (169 at-bats) he’s tallied 56 hits, three homers, 23 RBI, 11 walks and 28 strikeouts with a .331 average. He also has ten stolen bases, which is already as many as his last season’s total.
The Reds don’t need another middle infielder, but they do need a reliable bat. Stewart could easily find his way onto the team as early as this season if Cincinnati finds themselves dealing with injury issues. He ranks as the third-best prospect with the Reds and the 70th overall.
Cam Collier is another player who, despite dealing with injuries, has a bright future with the Reds. The fourth-year third baseman is recovering from thumb surgery and has only played in six games this season. In that time, he’s tallied six hits (two doubles), three strikeouts and six walks with a .316 batting average.
Collier brings some power to the lineup, but his defense is his strong suit, primarily his cannon arm. He’s ranked fourth among Reds prospects and 75th overall.
Edwin Arroyo is another prospect whose defense stands out. Currently shortstop for the Lookouts, he has 36 hits, nine RBI, 13 walks, and 33 strikeouts through 32 games with a .283 average. Through his career, he had 312 hits, 163 RBI, 118 walks, and 300 strikeouts.
While he consistently gets on base, he doesn’t particularly hit for power, hitting a total of 29 homers in the minors (none of which have come this season). He’s also active while on base, totaling 62 steals in his career. Arroyo is the fifth-ranked prospect with the Reds and 76th in the MLB.
Chase Petty, although having recently been called up to the MLB, is still considered a prospect and has the potential to be very valuable to this team. In his time in the minors, he averaged a 3.42 ERA and a .237 opponents batting average and gave up 300 hits, 22 homers, 120 walks, and 336 strikeouts.
Although he hasn’t been too impressive in the big leagues so far, he hasn’t had much time, playing in only two games to this point. In those games, he’s given up 13 hits, three home runs, and eight walks with an ERA of 21.94 and an opponent’s batting average of .464.
This is a pitcher who struck out more batters than have gotten hits off of him while giving up a minuscule amount of home runs. All signs point to him turning it around and becoming an efficient big league pitcher. Petty is ranked sixth in the Reds organization and 90th in the MLB.
Although much further down the prospect rankings than any of the aforementioned players, Leo Balcazar is having a stellar season. Currently SS for the Dayton Dragons, Balcazar has 44 hits, four home runs, 18 RBI, 21 walks, and has struck out 36 times with a .257 batting average.
He’s on pace to improve in almost every single regard behind the plate, and seems to be having a breakout season. Balcazar is ranked 25th amongst Reds prospects, and is not ranked in MLB’s top 100.
The Reds have one of the best farm systems in the MLB, and as a small-market team, this is crucial if they want a chance at real contention. With the abundance of legitimate talent currently flowing through the veins of the organization, the Reds could have the future of their franchise already in the building.
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