Cincinnati Reds: Five players likely to make their big league debut in 2020

2. Ryan Hendrix, Right-handed pitcher

Ryan Hendrix was added to the 40-man roster this past offseason. The right-hander ranks No. 26 in the Reds system according to MLB Pipeline, which is second only to Joel Kuhnel among relievers in the minors. Hendrix saw 16 games at Double-A Chattanooga last season, posing a 2.33 ERA in 19.1 innings of work.

Hendrix was protected from the Rule 5 Draft when the Reds added to him to the 40-man roster, so obviously Cincinnati’s front office thinks very highly of the 25-year-old. Hendrix was originally drafted by the Reds in the fifth-round of the 2016 MLB Draft.

Hendrix strikeout-rate the past two seasons, according to FanGraphs, has been very impressive. The right-hander spent time in Advanced-A Daytona during he 2018 season, putting up a strikeout-rate of 13.94. Last season, after recovering from an elbow injury, Hendrix posted a 14.40 strikeout-rate the Arizona League and 10.71 strikeout-rate at Double-A Chattanooga.

Hendrix walk-rate, however, could be a problem going forward. Though he saw an improvement from 2018 to 2019, Hendrix still finished his 19.1 innings at Double-A Chattanooga with a walk-rate of 3.72. That number will have to improve in 2020 if Hendrix is hoping to find a home in the big leagues.

Ryan Hendrix will likely begin the 2020 season with the Chattanooga Lookouts, but could quickly ascend to Triple-A Louisville if he dominates the competition at Double-A. Don’t rule out an appearance on the major league roster if Hendrix fixes his control issues during his time in the minors this season.