Cincinnati Reds: 3 prospects who could debut before end of 2020 season

Which three prospects may debut for the Reds before the end of the season?

The Cincinnati Reds are not out of the hunt for a spot in the postseason, but if the offense doesn’t get going this week, their chances of overtaking the St. Louis Cardinals or Chicago Cubs seem quite unlikely. If the Reds fall out of contention, which three prospects are most likely to make their big league debut in 2020?

So far, we’ve already seen José García, Tyler Stephenson, Mark Payton, Shogo Akiyama and Tejay Antone make their major league debuts this season for the Reds. Of those five, it’s hard to argue that anyone has played better or made a greeter impact than Tejay Antone. The right-hander has a wide array of pitches, hits his spots and could be a contender for the starting rotation in 2021.

Akiyama has certainly been a disappointment to Reds fans in 2020. One of Cincinnati’s prize free agent signees has failed to impress thus far. Hitting below the Mendoza line, Shogo is not the leadoff hitter Cincinnati had hoped to add to their roster, but the adjustment to major league hitting may come next season.

Stephenson has had little more than a cup of coffee at the major league level, but he’s likely to be in the mix to be the team’s starting backstop in 2021. García has supplanted Freddy Galvis as the Reds everyday shortstop, though the veteran is still drawing several starts at second base. So, who else might join the fray as the end of the 2020 season is quickly approaching?

2. R-Y-A-N spells relief for Reds bullpen.

Ryan Hendrix has some electric stuff. It’s unfortunate that the coronavirus pandemic shutdown minor league baseball, as we’d have likely seen Hendrix make his major league debut before September. There’s still a possibility that Hendrix may stay at Prasco Park through the end of the season, but the Reds should see what they’ve got in the right-hander.

As we touched on earlier, the Cincinnati Reds bullpen has been atrocious. The collective ERA of 5.08 for the Cincinnati bullpen ranks 27th in all of Major League Baseball, and only National League team trails the Reds; the Colorado Rockies. This bullpen needs a boost.

While Dick Williams and Nick Krall swung a trade to bring Archie Bradley to Cincinnati, one player isn’t going to make a difference. We’ve already seen the front office drop Pedro Strop, Brooks Raley and Cody Reed, They’ve also brought along a cadre of veterans to no avail. Nate Jones and Tyler Thornburg have not been overly impressive thus far.

The 25-year-old Hendrix was a fifth-round pick of the Reds back in 2016 and has yet to play above Double-A. Both catching prospects Tyler Stephenson and Chris Okey were quoted by Baseball America, saying that Hendrix has a “backwards” curveball.

Unlike the aforementioned Tony Santillan, Ryan Hendrix was drafted as a reliever and he’s expect to stay a reliever. Given the current state of the Cincinnati bullpen, it seems unwise to not give Hendrix a shot toward the end of the 2020 season.

3. The Reds may want to showcase Jonathan India’s talents.

I have a hard time seeing Jonathan India making an impact at the major league level for the Cincinnati Reds. Not because he’s not talented, but the Reds have their third baseman under contract for several more years. Eugenio Suárez is an All-Star level third baseman, in the prime of his career, on a sweet long-term deal. India could easily be traded in the offseason.

If there was ever a reason to give Jonathan India a chance to play, it would be to let other teams see what he can do. India is a former first-round draft pick, though early in his career, the former Florida Gator has yet to live up to his lofty draft status. Other players taken after India in the draft (Jarred Kelenic, Grayson Rodriguez and Logan Gilbert) rank higher according to MLB Pipeline.

India was an advanced college bat when the Reds selected him with the No. 5 overall pick in 2018, but he hasn’t yet reached the potential that many thought he would. India’s two minor league seasons have resulted in a slash line of .254/.369/.410. An OPS of .779 is solid, but India’s showing in the Arizona Fall League (.587 OPS) left a lot to be desired.

Not only does Suárez have third base on lockdown, but Cincinnati has do-everything utility man Kyle Farmer on standby. The Reds also have Alex Blandino at the team’s alternate site, and Mike Moustakas can slide over to play third base as well. In short, India is blocked at virtually every starting infield position and as a bench player as well.

If the Cincinnati Reds fall out of contention, the front office could decide to allow India a chance to showcase his talents. However, there is something to be said for keeping that a mystery as well. Perhaps India’s performance would underwhelm and drive down his value as part of a trade.