One Reds Pitching Prospect Is Quietly Dominating Right Now

Apr 11, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of an official Cincinnati Reds hat on the dugout steps during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

One Reds Pitching Prospect Is Quietly Dominating Right Now

Originally posted on Cincinnati Reds on SI
By Greg Kuffner | Last updated Apr 26, 2026 1:17 PM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Each year, a player pops up that isn't on any top prospect lists and raises eyebrows. This year, that player is right-handed pitcher Hunter Parks.

Parks pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen on Saturday for Double-A Chattanooga. In six games this season and 10 innings pitched, Parks has yet to allow a run. He's also turned himself into a strikeout pitcher, striking out 19 batters in those 10 innings.

The 24-year-old was drafted by the Reds in the 8th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Florence-Darlington Technical College.

The Reds started him as a starting pitcher, but he struggled with his command. Last season, the Reds converted him to a reliever and he started to see more success.

Before the Reds converted him to a reliever, FanGraphs suggested they do just that back in 2024.

"Parks has only ever started in pro ball, but he’s walked 15% of hitters combined the last two seasons and, now in his 40-man platform year, the Reds should consider moving him to relief," they wrote. "He sat 95 mph last season and has a plus-plus two-plane breaking ball with huge wipe. Pitch metrics also like his changeup, but he has lacked any modicum of feel for it during my in-person looks. Especially if he can throw a little harder in relief, he should be a dynamic reliever, but he’ll probably need to improve his command somewhat to consistently be on a roster."

It's good to see Parks finally having success and he is a prospect to keep an eye on the rest of the season.

Around the Minor Leagues

Noelvi Marte continues to dominate in Triple-A Louisville, going 2-3 with a walk and a stolen base on Saturday. Marte is hitting .417 with a 1.197 OPS since being demoted. Michael Toglia went 2-4. He's hitting .279 with an OPS of .915. Luis Mey struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief. He has a 4.91 ERA in Louisville this season.

In Double-A Chattanooga, Alexander Vargas continues to play well. He went 2-5 on Saturday and is hitting .346 on the season. Austin Hendrick went 0-2 but drew two walks. He is hitting .324 with an OPS of .899.

In High-A Dayton, Carlos Sanchez continues to hit the ball. He went 1-4 on Saturday with a double. He's hitting .348 with an OPS of .897 this season. Alfredo Duno went 0-3 with a walk and is hitting just .200 with an OPS of .655.

In Low-A Daytona, Kyle Henley continues to play well. He went 2-5 with a triple and is hitting .307 this season. Catcher Jacob Friend is impressing offensively for Daytona. He went 3-5 with his fourth home run of the season on Saturday and is hitting .309 with an OPS of 1.144.

This article first appeared on Cincinnati Reds on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: