Ranking Cincinnati Reds Top Prospects: Nos. 1-5

On Sunday, Roger Straz and I gave our end-of-season top-30 Cincinnati Reds prospect rankings on the Red Hot Reds podcast. Here is part three of that list, ranking prospects one through five.

5. Edwin Arroyo - Shortstop - Double-A Chattanooga

Edwin Arroyo could have been fighting for a chance to be promoted to Cincinnati at some point in 2025, had he not missed the entirety of the 2024 season due to an injury to his left shoulder that required surgery. He is above average defensively; some scouts think his glove is Major League-ready right now. His hitting is what needs more refinement. 2025 saw an improvement in the batting average category, but his power took a step back. In 2023, he slashed .252/.324/.433 with 52 extra-base hits and 29 stolen bases. That number dropped to 30 extra-base hits, but his batting average climbed up to .284. The Reds added the 22-year-old to the 40-man roster this offseason, protecting him from the Rule 5 draft and giving the Reds a backup plan at shortstop if Elly De La Cruz has another subpar year defensively in 2026.

4. Tyson Lewis - Shortstop - Single-A Daytona

The Reds drafted Tyson Lewis with their second-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of high school and made his professional debut in 2025. In his debut, he hit the hardest ball in the Statcast era by any player in the Cincinnati Reds organization for his second single of the day. The 19-year-old had an incredible debut season in the Arizona Complex League, slashing .340/.396/.532 with eight doubles, five triples, six home runs, and 19 stolen bases in 46 games. He cooled down a bit once he was promoted to Single-A, but he had some impressive moments. He hit a home run and a double in his Daytona debut, going 2-6, but he also struck out three times. The young shortstop is an electric talent; for him to take the next step in his development, he will need to improve his plate discipline. 

3. Chase Petty - RHP - Triple-A Louisville

2025 was a disappointing season all around for the 22-year-old. Petty had a solid season in 2024, getting promoted to Triple-A in September. In two starts in Louisville, he went 1-0 with seven strikeouts, three walks, and a 1.80 ERA, gaining serious traction to see a promotion to Cincinnati at some point in 2025. He began the season with Louisville, going 0-2 with a 3.52 ERA, 27 strikeouts, nine walks, and a 1.30 WHIP. The Reds promoted Petty to Cincinnati to start game two of a doubleheader against St.Louis, and it did not go well. He pitched just 2 1/3 innings, allowing nine earned runs, two home runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. He pitched in two more games with the Reds, going 0-3 with a 19.50 ERA in six innings, walking eight and striking out seven. Overall, he went 6-13 in Triple-A with a 6.39 ERA. Batters hit .271 against him, and he walked 58 in 112 1/3 innings pitched. Petty has really good stuff; if he can command his pitches, he can become a solid starter; otherwise, he could see a similar trajectory as Connor Phillips and move to a bullpen role. 

2. Alfredo Duno - Catcher - Single-A Daytona

Alfredo Duno dominated in 2025. The 19-year-old led the Florida State League in runs, doubles, home runs, RBI, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS, walks, extra-base hits, and total bases. He finished second in batting average and hits. He also set a Tortugas record for walks, RBI, on-base percentage, and OPS in a season. All of this happened in his first full season behind the plate. Duno was relegated to a designated hitter role in 2023 due to an elbow injury, and he missed the majority of the 2024 season due to a fractured rib in May. Duno began the season outside MLB Pipeline's top 100; now he sits at 48th. Duno slashed .287/.430/.948 with 18 home runs, 32 doubles, 81 RBIs, and more impressively, walked more than he struck out. Duno has a great eye and plate discipline for such a young hitter. In the Arizona Fall League semi-finals, he hit three home runs to propel the Javelinas into the Championship final. He is projected to start 2026 in High-A Dayton.

1. Sal Stewart - First Base/Third Base - MLB

If I had to give one word to describe Sal Stewart's season in 2025, it would be "exceptional". The 21-year-old began the season in Double-A, where he dominated, slashing .306/.377/.473 with 10 home runs, 19 doubles, and earned a spot on the Futures Game roster at the All-Star break. He was promoted to Triple-A on July 18 and found a way to get better. In 38 games with the Bats, Stewart slashed .315/.394/.629 with 10 home runs and 15 doubles. On September 1, he got the call to be promoted to Cincinnati to make his MLB debut against the Toronto Blue Jays, going 1-3 with a run scored. He played in just 18 games with the Reds, but he provided a much-needed power presence. He slashed .255/.293/.545 with five home runs. In the playoffs, he became the youngest Cincinnati Red to have a hit in a postseason game. With the Reds trading for Ke'Bryan Hayes, third base won't be an option for him unless it is in a backup role. He learned first base on the fly, in hopes of locking up the position long term. He could be a serious threat to win the Rookie of the Year Award in 2026.

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