Edwin Arroyo faces one major hurdle that could sink his Reds future

The Cincinnati Reds have six top-100 prospects according the MLB Pipeline's most recent update. Edwin Arroyo is one of three infielders within that group and brings a lot to the table that Reds fans should be excited about.

Although he was one of the younger players selected in the 2021 draft class, Arroyo established himself pretty early on as a player that was a lot better than his youth suggested. Arroyo's calling card was his speed and defensive prowess, but he still had a lot of time to grow into his frame and add power which would make him a legitimate five-tool threat at the next level.

Unfortunately, Arroyo's ascension through Cincinnati's system had to be put on hold for a year following a shoulder injury he sustained during spring training in 2024. Those types of injuries are among the toughest to recover from, and it has shown up in Arroyo's game thus far in 2025.

Edwin Arroyo faces one major hurdle that could sink his Reds future

With the injury being to his left shoulder, it fortunately won't take away from his 60 grade arm which is one of the best from the left side of the infield in the minors. However, it has taken away from his play-making ability. The left hand is typically the lead hand when diving into a base (which is of course how he injured it) and it's also the hand making plays when diving for a ball in the field. He has only stolen two bases this year in his 54 games played, so there has obviously been a change of course in his game that can likely be attributed to the shoulder.

The tough news is that Arroyo's offensive production has taken quite the hit at the plate as well. Granted, Double-A pitching has typically been the biggest obstacle for hitting prospects to overcome, but the decline in his output can be attributed to his lack of power. His contact and strikeout rates as well as his plate discipline numbers are in line with his career averages, but his production has plummeted.

In 229 plate appearances at Chattanooga this year, he has hit only one home run with a .333 slugging percentage and a .069 isolated power. That ISO mark is down 112 points from last year. His wRC+ is also below 100 (91) for the first time since his first Low-A stint with the Reds back in 2022.

Could the struggles be attributed to the common Double-A adjustment period plenty of prospects go through? Of course, but it's also hard not to point to the shoulder injury. The bat for Arroyo was going to be the difference in him being potentially the next Francisco Lindor or a late-game defensive replacement/platoon bat in the big leagues. His glove and speed are certainly MLB-ready tools, but you would like to see the power continue to shine through if you're a Reds fan.

Arroyo doesn't turn 22 until August, so he's still ahead of schedule in terms of development. With that being said, he still has time to figure things out. He did miss an entire season of baseball, so patience is important for this kid.

The upside is still there for Arroyo to be one of the game's top shortstop prospects, but this is a hurdle he will have to get over, or else he is going to be stuck in Double-A for quite a while.

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