The Reds have effectively replenished their farm system after a wave of graduations in the past two years. Hunter Greene and Elly De La Cruz headlined Cincinnati’s farm system in 2022, and both have grown into franchise cornerstones in Southwest Ohio. Matt McLain, Nick Lodolo, Spencer Steer, and several others have also locked down consistent roles since being ranked in the Reds’ top 10 prospects before their call-ups.
Since then, Cincinnati has utilized the draft to restock their farm. Their first-round picks from 2022-2024 all seem to have been “hits” so far. Their later-round picks have been success stories too, with players drafted in Rounds 2-5 making appearances on this list. The Reds are looking to jump into contention in the NL Central. They will need some of the names on this list to make the leap to the major leagues to assist the youth core already in place at Great American Ball Park.
This article is part of a series focusing on each MLB team’s top 20 prospects for fantasy baseball heading into the 2025 season. Stay tuned for prospect breakdowns for all 30 teams throughout January here at Pitcher List, and head over to the Pitcher List dynasty page to check out the rest of the farm system rankings!
Top Reds Prospects
The Top Tier
1) Chase Burns – SP, 21 YO
MiLB Stats: N/A
The Reds landed one of the top pitching prospects in recent years when they were slotted into the No. 2 pick in the 2024 Draft. In a class loaded with superstar hitters, Cincinnati opted to take a potential ace. Chase Burns has been considered one of the game’s most exciting pitching prospects since bursting onto the scene with Tennessee in 2022. As a 19-year-old freshman, he struck out 103 batters in 80 innings en route to a 2.91 ERA. While his 2023 season wasn’t as impressive, Burns returned to top form after transferring to Wake Forest.
The stat line Burns put up looks like something you’d see in a video game. He struck out 191 batters in 100 innings, registering 10 wins and a 2.70 ERA for the 38-22 Demon Deacons. 48% of hitters that Burns faced in 2024 were retired via the strikeout (Paul Skenes‘ mark in 2023 with LSU was 45%). He reached the double-digit strikeout mark in 12 of 16 games, including 16 against Clemson and a 15-K shutout against UNC. His accolades included being named the ACC pitcher of the year, and reaching the semi-finals of the Golden Spikes race.
It’s easy to see why Burns was so dominant. He possesses one of the most electric fastballs in all of baseball. At 101 miles an hour, he will be lighting up radar guns around the country in the minors next season. His supplemental offerings are solid as well. His slider generated a 60% whiff rate between ’23 and ’24, and his curveball and slider could both become solid offerings as well. Burns is still at least a year away from the majors, and the Reds are not going to be forced to rush him. When he does get to Great American Ballpark, he has the chance to be a true ace for the Reds.
2) Rhett Lowder – SP, 22 YO
MiLB Stats (Level): 108.2 IP / 3.64 ERA / 1.15 WHIP / 113 SO
MLB Stats: 30.2 IP / 1.17 ERA / 1.27 WHIP / 22 SO
Make no mistake, Rhett Lowder is going to be a stud at the major league level for a long time. He would be the No. 1 on many other organizations’ top prospects list and only misses out here due to the immense talent that Burns possesses. The second Wake Forest alumni on this list dazzled as a Demon Deacon, and the Reds wasted no time selecting him at pick No. 7 in 2023.
The 22-year-old flew through the minor leagues in 2024. He made just five starts at High-A Dayton before being promoted to Chattanooga, where he spent the majority of the season. His stats don’t jump off the page (4.31 ERA, 1.26 WHIP), but his final seven starts do. He pitched to a 1.88 ERA in 38.1 innings before being sent to Louisville. His time in Kentucky was short-lived, as he made one start before being promoted to the Reds’ big league roster. He continued to impress in Cincinnati, registering a 1.17 ERA in six starts in the show.
Six games isn’t a large enough sample size to say for sure that Lowder will continue to succeed, but the underlying data indicates that his dominance was not a fluke. He held hitters to a 3.3% barrel rate, which would have ranked first among MLB pitchers over a full season. Additionally, three of his four pitches registered a positive run value (FB: 2, SL: 2, SI: 6) and held hitters to a SLG under .300. Lowder has plenty of competition for a rotation spot, especially after the addition of Brady Singer, but he has the potential to stick at the top of the rotation in the near future.
3) Cam Collier – 3B, 20 YO
MiLB Stats (A+): .248 AVG / .355 OBP / .443 SLG / 20 HR / 2 SB / 25 K% / 13 BB%
This 20-year-old corner infielder took one of the most unique paths to the professional ranks in recent history. Collier reclassified to the 2022 Draft Class after finishing high school early and enrolling at Chipola College. As a 17-year-old, he slashed .333/.419/.537 with eight home runs. He continued to impress in the Cape Cod League, registering five hits and an OBP of .379 as one of the youngest players in league history. The Reds snapped him up with the 18th overall pick that summer, and he continued to perform in his first taste of pro ball (203 wRC+ in ’22).
His first full season went pretty well considering that he was more than three years younger than the average age of the Single-A Florida State League. Collier finished with a .705 OPS and 98 wRC+ in 111 games with Daytona. He was rewarded with a promotion to High-A Dayton, where he broke out, demonstrating why he’s a top-10 prospect at his position. Collier posted a 129 wRC+, which ranked fourth among hitters his age or younger with more than 500 PAs. He added 20 long balls and a walk rate of 13%, showcasing plus power and discipline to build on in his age-20 season.
Collier is likely more than three years away from making his debut, but he has two full years of pro ball under his belt now. If he’s able to learn from his experience and build another stellar season, he could find himself among the top 25 prospects in baseball before long.
4) Edwin Arroyo – SS, 21 YO
MiLB Stats: N/A – Injury
2024 was a wash for Arroyo after a torn labrum in spring training ended his season before it began. Before going into camp, the 21-year-old had built up a ton of momentum. Arroyo put together a strong campaign with High-A Dayton, slashing .248/.321/.427 with 13 home runs and 28 steals in 119 games. He was rewarded for his performance with a brief run of games in Double-A where he continued to hit. Arroyo went 6-for-20 with three extra-base hits in limited time with Chattanooga.
The 21-year-old returned to game action in the Arizona Fall League. He smashed five extra-base hits and seven steals in 18 games with Glendale, despite being, on average, two years younger than his competition. Arroyo’s balanced swing, in tandem with the loft that the swing generates, will allow him to tap into plus power for his position. That pop, plus the speed and base-stealing capability, makes Arroyo one of the most intriguing prospects in the system entering 2025. His ceiling is an everyday player who can generate 20+ homers and steals on a yearly basis, and if he’s healthy he could be on his way back to Double-A by midseason.
5) Chase Petty – SP, 21 YO
MiLB Stats (AA, AAA): 137.0 IP / 4.20 ERA / 1.34 WHIP / 130 SO
Petty burst onto the scene more than four years ago after his 100+ mile per hour heater propelled him into the first-round conversation. Today, he finds himself on the brink of a major league debut after 2.5 outstanding years in the Reds farm system. After being traded to Cincinnati in exchange for Sonny Gray, Petty posted a 3.48 ERA in 25 games in 2022. He was even better in 2023. Petty’s 1.72 ERA was the second-best among all minor league pitchers (min. 60 IP), allowing just 13 runs in 18 starts.
It looked as if he had regressed slightly in 2024. He posted a 5.40 ERA in 14 first-half starts in Double-A, with a sky-high WHIP of 1.48. However, he returned to form in September, posting a 1.88 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in four starts to end the season. While he’s moved away from his 100 mph+ heater, he’s reinvented himself with a four-pitch arsenal that features a 95 mph sinker and wipeout slider. The two pitches interact with each other masterfully, as the sinker dives into Petty’s arm side, while the slider violently sweeps to the glove side. Hitters managed to hit just .211 (79.0 EV) off the breaker, generating a 42% whiff rate. If he continues to fluster hitters with that combo, he could be called up sometime early in 2025.
6) Tyson Lewis – SS, 18 YO
MiLB Stats: N/A – 2024 Draft
One of the most intriguing high school bats in last year’s draft class fell outside of the first round before being selected. The Reds took Lewis in the second round of the 2024 Draft out of Millard West High School in Nebraska, bypassing a scholarship to Arkansas to make the jump to the pros. He hit .496 with eight home runs in his senior season with a 1.491 OPS, adding 31 stolen bases. That track record, plus some impressive showcase numbers, made Lewis too good to pass up on at pick No. 51 last year.
Lewis reportedly hit exit velocities as high as 108 and ran a 6.4 60-yard dash. Both of those measurements would be impressive for some major league players. At eighteen, they’re indicative of a possible superstar developing in Cincinnati’s system. He’s still yet to play a professional competitive game, but he’s shown the tools to succeed in his early career. At 6’2″, Lewis has the frame to stick at shortstop as long as his glove remains stellar in the minors. The Reds can afford to be patient with Lewis, but he’s a player to keep an eye on in the coming years.
7) Sal Stewart – 3B, 21 YO
MiLB Stats (A+): .279 AVG /.391 OBP /.454 SLG / 8 HR / 10 SB / 16.9 K% / 14.8 BB%
Oh look, the Reds have another exciting infield prospect. The 2022 first-round pick was off to a stellar start to life in High-A Dayton before being forced out of action with a wrist injury in July. Stewart’s 144 wRC+ was the best in the organization (min. 300 PAs), and his AVG and OPS both were among the top 5. Oh, his walk and strikeout rates were both in the top 5 among Reds hitters too. This is nothing new for Stewart though. Over the last two seasons, 20 hitters have a walk rate above 12%, a strikeout rate lower than 20%, and an OPS higher than .800 (min. 800 PAs). Among them, Stewart ranks second in wRC+ of 134.
It’s easy to see why the former Vanderbilt commit puts up such good numbers. His swing is a work of art. With a pronounced load step and lots of rotation, Stewart is able to generate easy power, which has resulted in 30 career minor league home runs. The 21-year-old possesses a rare combination of elite plate discipline, plus power and solid speed (10 SBs in 2024). While his defensive home is still a question mark, his bat should force him into the Reds’ plans within the next two years.
Prospects Dynasty Managers Should Know
8) Sammy Stafura – SS, 20 YO
MiLB Stats (A+): .270 AVG / .387 OBP / .412 SLG / 8 HR / 31 SB / 24.7 K% / 15.2 BB%
The Reds have a superstar in Elly De La Cruz at shortstop, but the Reds have no shortage of exciting prospects behind him. Stafura impressed in his first full season of professional baseball after being drafted in the second round of the 2023 Draft out of high school. In 15 games in the complex league, he hit .345 with a 156 wRC+. As a 19-year-old in High-A, he stole 27 bases and hit six home runs in 77 games with Dayton. His 127 wRC+ over the course of 2024 ranked fifth in the organization (just two behind Cam Collier). Stafura is a ways away from the big leagues, but he’s a player to watch in the coming years as the Reds competitive window opens.
9) Alfredo Duno – C, 19 YO
MiLB Stats (A): .267 AVG /.367 OBP /.422 SLG / 3 HR / 2 SB / 28.8 K% / 12.9 BB%
Catchers with legitimate 20+ home run power come at a premium in fantasy baseball, especially in two-catcher leagues. Just seven hitters at the position in MLB reached that plateau last season. While he’s still years away from the majors, Duno could be the next backstop to join that group. The 18-year-old has nine home runs and 27 extra-base hits in 77 career games in the Reds organization. He made his first appearance in Single-A in 2024, where he registered a 127 wRC+ in 32 games despite being significantly younger than most of his competition. While a broken rib ended his season prematurely, he demonstrated that he’s able to handle older competition and will be tested again in 2025. Duno will need to address the near 30% strikeout rate next season, but he should be afforded plenty of opportunities to do so.
10) Luke Holman – SP, 22 YO
MiLB Stats: N/A – 2024 Draft
Holman is another 2024 draft pick who has yet to get a taste of professional baseball. The 21-year-old right-hander and former Alabama starter joined the LSU Tigers for his final collegiate season and was downright dominant. Holman struck out 127 batters in 91.2 innings en route to a 2.75 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. He possesses pro-level velocity on his fastball (91-94), but his best pitch is his slider, which is a tight gyro offering with impressive vertical action. Holman will spend significant time in the minors, and the Reds have no shortage of exciting arms to cover innings. That said, Holman could be on the fringes of a call-up sometime in 2026 if he starts his professional career well.
11) Adam Serwinowski – SP, 20 YO
MiLB Stats (A): 85.2 IP / 3.57 ERA / 1.27 WHIP / 106 SO
Anytime a 6’5″ lefty puts up good numbers in the minors with plus velocity, they should be considered a name to remember. Serwinowski fits this bill about as well as anyone could. The former 15th-round pick has a career 3.55 ERA in 37 minor league appearances, striking out 150 in 114 innings. His fastball/curveball combination is his bread and butter. The mid-to-high 90s heater plays at the top of the zone, while the sharp curve gives hitters trouble in or below the zone. Serwinowski is far from a finished product. He needs another serviceable pitch or two before he can be considered a top prospect. That said, he has the build and velocity to grow into a potential ace in Cincinnati.
12) Ricardo Cabrera – SS, 20 YO
MiLB Stats (A): .252 AVG / .331 OBP / .399 SLG / 11 HR / 19 SB / 22.1 K%/ 6.8 BB%
The 19-year-old infielder is another name on this list who performed admirably among the much older competition in Single-A with Daytona last season. Cabrera mashed 11 home runs and stole 19 bases in just over 100 games in 2024. His 111 wRC+ ranked 15th among minor leaguers his age with at least 450 plate appearances. His glove may limit his ceiling going forward, as 19 errors between third and short in over 600 innings of work leaves some to be desired. However, his offensive success at such a young age, in tandem with his plus power and speed tools, is a good foundation for Cabrera to build on in 2025.
13) Julian Aguiar – SP, 23 YO
MiLB Stats (AA, AAA): 116.1 IP / 3.79 ERA / 1.21 WHIP /95 SO
MLB Stats: 31.2 IP / 6.25 ERA / 1.33 WHIP / 19 SO
It’s not every day a 12th-round pick out of a junior college makes his major league debut within three seasons, but that is the story behind the success of Aguiar. Hailing from Cypress College, he made 77 minor league appearances before making his major league debut with the Reds against Toronto on August 19. Aguiar’s brief, seven-start stint in the majors drew mixed results. He was tagged for six earned runs on 10 hits against the A’s but also shut out the Mets over 4.2 innings just two starts later. The 23-year-old would have entered 2025 fighting for a spot in the Reds’ revamped rotation, but it was announced that he will need Tommy John surgery in October, causing him to miss the entire season. It’s a long road back to the majors after an operation like that, but he would not be the first to come back from Tommy John as a completely different pitcher. Expect Aguiar to be back in the rotation conversation for the 2026 season.
14) Ty Floyd – SP, 23 YO
MiLB Stats: N/A
The former second-round pick has not pitched in a competitive baseball game since the 2023 College World Series. Floyd was a part of the LSU team that took home the National Championship and joined the Reds organization soon after. Since then, he was shut down for the rest of 2023 and was forced into shoulder surgery before the 2024 season. Floyd’s value is highly dependent on his performance post-surgery. However, if he’s able to return to his collegiate form (11.8 K/9) and limit the control issues that gave him trouble in Baton Rouge (3.8 BB/9), he could fly through the Reds system.
15) Hector Rodriguez – OF, 20 YO
MiLB Stats (A+): .274 AVG / .309 OBP / .420 SLG / 12 HR / 12 SB / 13.3 K% / 4.8 BB%
Offensively, Rodriguez has one of the more interesting profiles in the Reds system. The 21-year-old outfielder had a .274 AVG and .729 OPS in High-A Dayton last season. He also added 12 HRs and 12 SBs in 125 games. Rodriguez has made major strides at the plate, cutting his strikeout rate significantly between ’23 (18%) and ’24 (13%), with his walk rate consistently sitting around 5.0%. The next step for him will be finding consistency with his power at the plate, but Rodriguez could be on the verge of a call-up by the end of 2025.
The Next Five
Although these prospects do not crack the top 15, dynasty managers should keep their eye on these five players.
Carlos Jorge – 21 YO – 21-year-old infielder with 10 HR/20 SB potential. Regressed heavily between ’23 and ’24, with wRC+ dropping over 30 points. Will need to improve on a 30% strikeout rate and low walk rate to succeed at the next level.
Zach Maxwell – 23 YO – 6’6″ right-hander with solid fastball/slider combination. Struck out 14.2 batters per nine innings last season in 54 innings of work. Needs to cut back on walks (6.33 BB/9) and add another pitch to take the next step. High reliever risk but could make the transition to the rotation in the future.
Sheng-En Lin – 19 YO – 120 wRC+ with a 16% walk rate and 12 steals as an 18-year-old in the Complex League. Swing-and-misses are a concern going forward (42% career strikeout rate in minors), but a .837 OPS in his first prolonged stint in pro ball is something to build on next year.
Peyton Stovall – 21 YO – Sweet-swinging lefty with plus defense at second base. Injuries limited his final season at Arkansas before being drafted in the fourth round in 2024. Posted a 104 wRC+ in his first 16 games at Single-A. Could end up being a utility infielder but has the potential to stick at second every day in the future.
Ethan O’Donnell – 22 YO – 10 home runs, 31 steals with High-A Dayton in 2024. Played all three outfield positions well, only making five errors in 83 games. Walk rate has been consistently around 10% for his two years in the minors, but will need to rebound from a 6.0% increase in strikeout rate.