4 Reds players who'll start in the minors, but will be key contributors in 2025

There are only so many spots on an Opening Day roster. But that doesn't mean the crop of 26 players who leave Goodyear with the ticket for Cincinnati will be part of the active roster all season. It never works out that way.

Depth is important in Major League Baseball, and the Cincinnati Reds found that out the hard way last season. While the Reds' depth in 2024 wasn't awful, the team incurred so many injuries that players like Bubba Thompson, Mike Ford, and Amed Rosario all logged a meaningful number of games last season.

But just because a player starts the season in the minor leagues doesn't mean that he can't have an impact as the season progresses. In fact, the Reds are likely hoping that a handful of players who don't break camp with the big league club actually become key contributors in 2025.

4 Reds players who'll start in the minors, but still be key contributors in 2025

Noelvi Marte, Reds infielder

Marte's failures in 2024 have been well documented. An 80-game suspension due to performance-enhancing drug use coupled with a paltry showing at the plate and horrific defense put Marte in the doghouse. Unsurprisingly, Marte will begin the 2025 season at Triple-A.

But third base is still wide open. Despite a spring training competition between Gavin Lux, Jeimer Candelario, and Santiago Espinal, no one has really seized the bull by the horns. Marte needs to get back to the 2023 version of himself in order to return to the active roster. Marte's raw talent is undeniable, and fans should look for the former top prospects to make tremendous strides and (hopefully) return to the big leagues later this year.

Will Benson, Reds outfielder

Benson was expected to be a big-time contributor last season. MLB Network was high on the Reds outfielder before the season, and then-manager David Bell even gave Benson the opportunity to take his hacks against left-handed pitching. That didn't go well.

Perhaps more than any other outfielder on the Reds roster, Benson has the ability to be an everyday player. He possesses outstanding speed and an above-average glove while also owning the ability to mash 20-plus homers in a season. But Benson has to fix that massive hole in his swing. If he can cut down on the strikeouts, Benson could become a key contributor in 2025.

Chase Petty, Reds pitcher

There's been a lot of focus in spring training on last year's first-round pick Chase Burns, but Petty may have the inside track. Burns has yet to pitch in a minor-league contest, while Petty has been honing his craft for the past few seasons.

The right-hander has been impressive this spring and is ticketed to begin the year at Triple-A Louisville. If Petty continues the streak of dominance he displayed last season, he'll be in the big league before you know it. Petty's ever-expanding pitch repertoire is unmatched by almost any player in the Reds pipeline.

Zach Maxwell, Reds pitcher

Speaking of pitchers in the Reds pipeline, Maxwell might be the first prospect called up to the big leagues this season. "Big Sugar" as he's affectionately called, has been lighting up the radar gun this spring, and if he can maintain his control and command, it won't be long before Maxwell makes his way to The Show.

Maxwell is a hard-thrower, and with some turnover in the Reds bullpen, Cincinnati may need the right-hander to give them some quality innings as the season progresses. The 24-year-old was thought to have a chance to make the Opening Day roster, but he's almost certainly headed for the Derby City at the outset of the 2025 season.

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