Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2024 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival
1. SS Noelvi Marte | 22 | MLB | 2023
Just in time for the holiday season, here we have another Noelvi Marte blurb a few days after Grey gave you his Noelvi Marte, 2024 Fantasy Outlook. Click that link to get a nice look at the man himself in three revealing videos. Marte, not Grey. Gotta join his only fans for that, I think. Grey’s not Marte’s. Anyway, the team needed Marte to hit right away, and that’s what he did, slashing .316/.366/.456 with three homers and six steals in 35 games. On the season, he went 14/24 in 124 games across three levels, maintaining an impressive strikeout rate every step of the way.
2. SS Edwin Arroyo | 20 | AA | 2025
A six-foot switch hitter, Arroyo made it to Double-A at 20 and hit .353 in four games there after slashing .248/.321/.427 with 13 homes and 28 steals in 119 games at High-A. His all-around game would be a nice fit for the ballpark, where he wouldn’t have to generate huge power to create great outcomes, but Cincinnati has enough infield options that Arroyo’s role in the organization might be as a midseason trade chip.
3. RHP Chase Petty | 20 | AA | 2024
The 26th overall pick in 2021, Petty enjoyed a breakout season in 2023, recording a 1.73 ERA in 68 innings across two levels where he was younger than his competitors by 3.1 years and 4.3 years on average. At 6 ‘1” 190 lbs, Petty features a wipeout slider and demonstrates an aptitude for spin that portends well for his year over year development.
4. RHP Rhett Lowder | 22 | NCAA | 2024
A decorated career at Wake Forest pushed Lowder up draft boards and landed him in Cincinnati at 7th overall. He’s an interesting fit. He’s an interesting fit in an unforgiving ballpark, where his plus control and command should help keep the damage mostly limited to solo home runs. We could nitpick at his fastball efficacy or ultimate topside, but he’s gone 26-and-3 in his last two seasons, covering 219.2 innings with a 1.05 WHIP.
5. OF Rece Hinds | 23 | AA | 2024
A move to the outfield appears to have paved the way for Hinds to turn his considerable talents into gameday outcomes. The organization cited health as the main motivator for the position change, and they’ve been proven right so far. Hinds went 23/20 in his 109 Double-A games, and while he struck out 32.8 percent of the time, he improved throughout the season as he settled into his new role, reducing that rate to 25 percent and slashing .324/.398/.671 over his final 58 games. I have him this high for the ceiling, recognizing that there’s no safety here.
6. 3B Cam Collier | 19 | A | 2026
The 18th overall pick in 2022, Collier hasn’t produced the statistical outcomes we might expect from a polished high school hitter, but he was young for that class and three years younger than the average player in Low-A, which puts his .246/.349/.356 slash line and 98 wRC+ into a more favorable context. A powerfully built lefty at 6’2” 210 lbs, Collier should be able to increase his slugging percentage year over year.
7. 3B Sal Stewart | 20 | A+ | 2025
The 32nd overall pick in 2022, Stewart enjoyed a solid debut season, slashing .275/.396/.416 with 12 homers and 15 steals in 117 games across two levels. The steals are a surprise, especially that he bagged five in 29 High-A games without getting caught. He might lose speed as he grows into his frame at 6’3” 215 lbs, but he’s a savvy runner who attempted 20 thefts in his first season. I think the public-facing speed grades might prove pessimistic here.
8. 2B Carlos Jorge | 20 | A+ | 2025
Car-George graduated Low-A after slashing .295/.400/.483 with nine home runs and 31 steals in 86 games. He didn’t fare as well for the 23 games he spent in High-A (.239/.277/.398), but he was young for the level, and we were all young once. As I said about Edwin Arroyo, Jorge might find himself on the trade block if the Reds get off to a good start.
9. RHP Connor Phillips | 22 | MLB | 2023
Phillips covered 125.2 innings across three levels this year and should push for a rotation spot in Spring. His five major league starts led to a 6.97 ERA, but he did record 26 strikeouts in 20.2 innings, so it wasn’t without bright spots. It’s fair to say he was rushed into action due to the playoff push, given that his 1.51 WHIP across 40.1 innings at Triple-A didn’t exactly scream “promote me!” If he can hone his command, Phillips has a dynamic fastball/curveball combination and four-pitch mix that could screw with even his most talented opponents.
10. SS Ricardo Cabrera | 19 | A | 2026
A gifted athlete at 5’11” 178 lbs, Cabrera was an exciting signing out of Venezuela, particularly for his hands in the batter’s box. That plus hit tool shined through in 2023. Cabrera slashed .346/.475/.531 in 39 complex league games before hitting .316 for five games in Low-A. He’ll probably head back there to open the season but looks like a quick mover at the moment.
Thanks for reading!
