Two Cincinnati Reds' Prospects Continue To Showcase Their Power

On Tuesday, Ibarra hit his seventh home run over his last eight games. He now has 13 home runs on the season, playing in Double-A Chattanooga. The 27-year-old is currently in his second full season in Double-A.

This season, he's slashing .237/.344/.447 with 24 extra-base hits and 43 RBI. He recorded multiple home runs in two of his last eight games and had a six-RBI game on June 24. Ibarra probably doesn't factor into the Reds' future plans at the Major League level, but it never hurts to keep players with his kind of power in the system. Over his minor league career, he has 79 home runs and a .773 OPS.

Carter Graham Has Strong Double-A Debut

Carter Graham was one of five players called up from High-A Dayton to Chattanooga on Tuesday. Alfredo Duno, Kien Vu, Carlos Sanchez, and Jose Montero were the other four players promoted. Graham grounded out in his first at-bat, walked in his second, and hit his first Double-A home run in his third at-bat. The game was suspended in the fifth inning due to a weather delay and will resume on Wednesday as part of a doubleheader.

Graham has been a standout player in the Reds' organization this season. The Reds' eighth-round pick in 2023 is slashing .322/.450/.614 this season, all career-highs, with 17 home runs, 17 doubles, 60 RBI, and seven stolen bases. He slashed .333/.460/.586 with five home runs in May and carried that over into an even better June. He slashed .354/.490/.829 with 11 home runs, six doubles, and 27 RBI last month. 

"Carter Graham has had a substantial leap in production this season with a 1.064 OPS and 17 HR. While this looks great on the surface, his underlying numbers fully back up his results. He is making contact at an above average clip while showcasing plus power metrics and stable patience," Nestico of TJStats wrote. "I would be a lot more excited about these gains if it was not for the fact that this is Graham’s 3rd Hi-A stint of his career. Graham is punching below his weight class right now, but the tools seem to have improved dramatically and should be put to the test in AA soon."

So far, in just one game, he's already picking up where he left off and will certainly be a player to watch going forward.

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