Carter Graham just gave Reds another reason to move Sal Stewart to third base

Sal Stewart. Chase Burns. Alfredo Duno. Elly De La Cruz. The Cincinnati Reds’ top prospects have often been household names well before they made their way onto the field at Great American Ball Park.

But a new wave of young stars is rising through the system and taking fans by surprise. After a breakout year, Carter Graham is turning heads and has recently been named the Reds’ offensive prospect of the year by MLB Pipeline.

At the beginning of the year, the smart money would have picked Duno to take home system-wide honors. After all, he is the heir apparent to the Reds’ catching position and is the sole Cincinnati representative on most Top 100 prospect lists.

But a monster season by Graham, in which he took several significant steps forward, has stolen some of the spotlight from Duno. If he can duplicate this success in 2027, the Reds will become a much deeper and more dangerous team.

Carter Graham’s breakout season could solve several problems for the Reds

Since being drafted out of Stanford in 2023, Graham couldn’t break free from High-A. The first baseman had an astronomically high strikeout rate and wasn’t making consistent contact. Something flipped in 2026, though.

Suddenly, Graham had an elite eye, doubling his walk rate from 7.1% in 2025 to 14.5% this year. His power materialized alongside his patience, and he clubbed 29 home runs, more than he had hit in the rest of his pro career combined. These improvements prompted a promotion to Double-A Chattanooga, where he maintained his strong play.

Now, Graham is getting further experience in the Arizona Fall League. His time with Peoria will give Graham a chance to face more stout competition and hone his skills in the field. He has spent much of his time in the minors manning first base, but he also has made appearances at third and in the outfield.

First base, though, is Graham’s best position and arguably the most valuable for the Reds. If he comes out strong at Triple-A in 2027, he could slot in at first and move Sal Stewart to third.

Stewart is significantly better at third base than he is at first, and the Reds have struggled to get offensive production from that position for the past several seasons. The emergence of Graham, then, could be one of the most fortunate surprises for the Reds moving forward.

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