Jul 22, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; General view of Cincinnati Reds hat during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Reds No. 6 Prospect Shines In AFL Debut After Injury-Plagued Season

Originally posted on Minor League Baseball on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 12:25 PM ET

The Cincinnati Reds reached the postseason as the third National League Wild Card team, but were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round and eliminated.

Now, the Reds will assess what went wrong and turn their focus to the 2026 season. But they can also pay a lot of attention to what is happening in the Arizona Fall League which began on Monday.

Their No. 6 prospect, infielder Cam Collier is taking part in the AFL this year after an injury-plagued season. He made his AFL debut on Monday night and put together a very strong performance.

Reds No.6 Prospect Shines in AFL

Collier picked up a two-run single for the Peoria Javelinas as they defeated the Scottsdale Scorpions on Monday. He also made two solid defensive plays, one of which turned into a double play.

He missed a lot of time after tearing a ligament in his thumb in spring training, but ultimately has a second chance in the AFL to show the Reds what he can do and to make up for his lost time.

"It was very frustrating but it's part of baseball. I also know that every failure eventually ends with a success. The thumb bothered me at the beginning, and it was Double-A and an adjustment period getting used to the older arms. At the end of the day, I got better," Collier said of his struggles in 2025.

Collier was limited to just 95 games this season and got off to a slow start. However, he made it all the way up to Double-A Chattanooga and finished the year hitting .279/.391/.384 with four home runs, 48 RBI and a .776 OPS.

If he can stay healthy, he can be a force for the Reds sometime in the future. He hit 20 home runs in 2024 with High-A Dayton, so there is power in his bat, and he has quickly risen through the Reds system since being drafted 18th overall in 2022.

The 20-year-old can play first base, third base, and be used as a designated hitter. He has a bright future ahead of him if he can stay healthy, and perhaps soon, he could find himself making the jump to Triple-A, maybe as early as 2026.

It will be interesting to see how he fares throughout the AFL, but he got off to a good start.

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This article first appeared on Minor League Baseball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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