3 Reds prospects strangely absent from Chattanooga Lookouts roster

The Cincinnati Reds assigned 28 players to Double-A Chattanooga on Saturday. Among them were former first-round picks Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene. José García will also start his 2021 campaign with the Chattanooga Lookouts as well.

But, there are a few names that were surprisingly absent from the Lookouts Opening Day roster. The omissions would seem to indicate that the Reds front office feels as though these young prospects would be better served beginning the 2021 season at Advanced-A Dayton. Who were the most surprising prospects to be left off Chattanooga’s roster?

1. Jacob Heatherly, Reds left-handed pitching prospect

I’m very surprised to see Jacob Heatherly’s name missing from the Chattanooga Lookouts Opening Day roster. While injuries limited the left-hander to just four starts in 2019, Heatherly was the Cincinnati Reds third-round selection in the 2017 MLB Draft. With Hunter Greene having advanced to Double-A despite undergoing Tommy John surgery, you’d expect Heatherly to join him.

Heatherly, unlike Greene, does not possess an elite-level fastball. The Reds No. 17 prospect in 2020 according to MLB Pipeline, has fallen out of favor with the scouts and now finds himself not even among the Top 30 prospect in the Reds farm system.

The Reds thought highly enough of Heatherly coming out of high school that they offered thee third-round pick second-round money to sign. Now just 22-years old, it would seem that Heatherly is likely to begin the 2021 season at Advanced-A Dayton.

If Jacob Heatherly reaches his true potential, the left-hander could be a middle-of-the-rotation starter down the line. Unfortunately for Heatherly, back-to-back lost seasons will force the lefty to earn his keep and showcase his talents for the Dayton Dragons during the early-part of the 2021 season. A strong showing for Advanced-A Dayton could see him called up to Double-A sooner rather than later.