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Cincinnati Reds: Three prospects looking to impress during spring camp

By Drew Koch

BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 24: Hats and gloves of the Cincinnati Reds sit in the dugout between innings of the Reds game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 24, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 24: Hats and gloves of the Cincinnati Reds sit in the dugout between innings of the Reds game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 24, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Cincinnati Reds
27 Jun 1998: A general view of the catchers mask for the San Diego Padres sitting on the bench during an interleague game against the Anaheim Angels at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The Padres defeated the Angels 5-1Mandatory Credit: Todd Wa /

1. Tyler Stephenson, Catcher

If either Curt Casali or Tucker Barnhart succumb to injury during spring training, you’ll hear a lot of debate about the possibility of Tyler Stephenson breaking camp with the Cincinnati Reds. Though the 23-year-old has yet to play above Double-A, his skillset improved so much from 2018 to 2019 that a lot of scouts foresee Stephenson making the leap to the bigs this coming season.

Stephenson is one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball. While not finding his name among the Top 10 according to MLB Pipeline, a fantastic 2019 minor league season, coupled with a surprising outburst while playing in the Arizona Fall League, has Stephenson perched atop the best prospects within the Reds farm league system.

Injuries have slowed Stephenson’s progression, but a healthy 2019 season showed what the Georgia native was capable of. Stephenson slashed .285/.372/.410 with 44 RBIs. In 13 games with the Glendale Desert Dogs, Stephenson hit .347 with 7 doubles and a .908 OPS. The Reds would love to be able to discover that type of offensive production from the catcher’s position.

It’s highly doubtful that Tyler Stephenson breaks camp with the Reds, especially with Kyle Farmer‘s ability to take reps at the backstop. However, a solid showing this spring would setup Stephenson quite nicely for a run through Triple-A with a possible promotion on the horizon. Don’t be shocked if Stephenson makes his big league debut sometime in 2020.

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