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Reds: 3 prospects who should debut in 2021, but probably won’t

By Drew Koch

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo (40) throws a pitch in the second inning of the MLB Cactus League Spring Training game. Los Angeles Angels At Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo (40) throws a pitch in the second inning of the MLB Cactus League Spring Training game. Los Angeles Angels At Cincinnati Reds /
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NCAA baseball. Reds prospect Graham Ashcraft played for Mississippi State.
CARY, NC – FEBRUARY 23: NCAA baseball. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images) /

3. Graham Ashcraft, Reds right-handed pitcher

If you haven’t heard of Graham Ashcraft, you’re not alone. The former Mississippi State right-hander underwent two surgeries during his time in Starkville before transferring to UAB where he found success pitching for the Blazers. The Cincinnati Reds took a flyer on Ashcraft in the 2019 MLB Draft, and it may pay off quite nicely.

Ashcraft is currently at Advanced-A Dayton, so it’s quite a stretch to assume that the Reds organization would quickly promote the right-hander through the farm system. However, Ashcraft possesses the tools to be an effective reliever in the big leagues, and that’s an area of Cincinnati’s major league roster that needs immediate attention.

Ashcraft is 23-years old, so his maturity is of no concern. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound hurler has a fastball/ slider combination that could be lethal at the major league level. Currently, Ashcraft is a starting pitcher for the Dayton Dragons, but there’s legitimate concern about his ability to go the distance consistently enough to remain in the rotation.

With a plethora of talented pitchers in the farm system, the Reds front office should scrap the idea of developing Graham Ashcraft into a marginal starter, and focus on him becoming an effective reliever. Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are future starters, and so is Lyon Richardson. But, Ashcraft has reliever written all over him.

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The right-hander is likely to get passes over by more advanced arms, such as Riley O’Brien and may be even Tony Santillan. However, if Ashcraft proves that he’s able to get those swings and misses that everyone likes to see, then the Alabama native may be ready for relief work sooner than people think. Ashcraft has a 30.5% strikeout-rate according to FanGraphs.

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