2025 Cincinnati Reds Top 30 Prospects June Update
When the Reds were spending significant draft capital year after year on pitching, this was what they dreamed would happen. Between Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo, the club has developed front-line starters through the draft. And they’ve done it while pitching at a home-run happy ballpark.
But the Reds remain under .500 in early June because their homegrown hitters haven’t kept up with their arms. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz and center fielder TJ Friedl are solid, but for the third year in a row, the Reds’ outfield is punchless. Spencer Steer and Matt McLain, two of the bright spots on the 2024 team, are struggling to find their strokes.
Cincinnati is hovering on the edge, where they could be sellers or buyers at the trade deadline. With Chase Burns and Chase Petty knocking on the door and Rhett Lowder set to join them whenever he gets healthy, the Reds should have an excellent rotation for years to come. But the answers to the team’s struggling offense are a bit harder to find in the minors, even if some young prospects like Alfredo Duno and Tyson Lewis are standing out.
Baseball America subscribers can see the complete updated Reds Top 30 here.
Read on below for prospect graduates, risers, fallers, new additions and injury updates below. Top 30 updates for all 30 teams can be found here.
Graduates
None
Risers
Sal Stewart, 2B: Stewart emphasizes his hitting ability to the detriment of his power potential, but it’s hard to argue with the results. He’s a very polished hitter who keeps working to prove he can be playable at an infield spot.
Hector Rodriguez, OF: Rodriguez has steadily improved his patience, going from being the most aggressive hitter in the minors a couple of years ago to being just an aggressive hitter now. He has a real knack for squaring up baseballs.
Lyon Richardson, RHP: Richardson has carved out a role in the Reds’ bullpen, relying more heavily on his changeup and sinker to generate ground balls and avoid the sweet spot of the bat.
Fallers
Zach Maxwell, RHP: Maxwell left last season in a battle with Luis Mey and Lyon Richardson to be the next Reds’ prospect to join the big league bullpen. Since then, Richardson has settled in with the big league club, and Mey has gotten a call up. Maxwell is going to have to throw more strikes more consistently to join them.
Luke Holman, RHP: Holman is yet another of what has been a run of recent high-round college pitchers who have struggled to stay healthy almost immediately. He joins Hunter Holland and Ty Floyd on that list. A 2024 draftee, Holman will enter 2026 with less than 10 innings of pro experience.
Injuries
Hunter Hollan, RHP: Hollan has yet to pitch this year because of a left knee injury.
Ty Floyd, RHP: Floyd is on the injured list with a forearm strain.
Rhett Lowder, RHP: Lowder has yet to pitch in a game this year, as he has had a setback in his recovery from a forearm/oblique strain.
Luke Holman, RHP: Holman made two starts at Low-A Daytona before going on the full-season injury list.
Cam Collier, 1B: Collier has been playing in the Arizona Complex League on a rehab assignment as he returns from a thumb injury he suffered in spring training.
Peyton Stovall, 2B: Stovall has been on the 7-day IL since mid May with a right wrist sprain.
Julian Aguiar, RHP: Aguiar is expected to miss the entire season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
Tyler Callihan, OF: Callihan fractured his left forearm in a frightening collision with the left field wall in just his fourth MLB game. He had surgery to insert a plate to stabilize the bones. He is on the 60-day injured list and is not eligible to return until early July, although the recovery may take longer than that.
Additions
Rece Hinds, OF: Hinds was the team’s 2020 second-round pick as the Reds was enamored by his massive power potential. He soon moved from third base to right field, and he’s hit tape-measure homers wherever he’s played. But he’s also produced outlandish strikeout rates. Hinds’ 29% strikeout rate this year is actually a significant improvement. The Reds have done a good job of picking spots where Hinds can succeed for brief big league promotions, which explains how he has seven home runs in 71 MLB plate appearances.
