3 Cincinnati Reds prospects bound for a different position in the major leagues

The Cincinnati Reds have several talented players in the team's farm system, but not all of them may be playing the same position in the big leagues that they're currently occupying at the minor league level. Which prospects, currently in the Reds farm system, are bound for a different position in the major leagues?

Let's not pretend like we haven't seen this before. While some position changes have worked out brilliantly, others have been complete flops. Billy Hamilton was drafted as a shortstop, but became once of the best defensive outfielders in the game. Then there's Nick Senzel, who still doesn't look comfortable in center field after being moved off the infield dirt.

Last year, we saw Jonathan India, who'd spent the majority of his college and minor league career at the hot corner, make a seamless transition to the keystone and looks to be the Cincinnati Reds second baseman for the foreseeable future. So, which prospect should we expect to see switch positions before making their big league debut?

1. Elly De La Cruz, Reds SS prospect

Elly De La Cruz burst onto the scene in 2021 and vaulted into the Cincinnati Reds Top 10 prospects per MLB Pipeline. De La Cruz is currently viewed as one of the team's top shortstop prospects, but fans should brace for the 20-year-old's move to third base.

De La Cruz was a bit of unknown heading into last season. Having spent his first season in the organization in the Dominican Summer League, De La Cruz's second season of professional baseball was bumped to the 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of the 2020 minor league baseball season.

Elly De La Cruz hit .296/.336/.539 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs. That power might see De La Cruz move from shortstop to third base by the time he debuts in the bigs. In fact, De La Cruz saw more starts at the hot corner (35 games) than he did at shortstop (22 games) in 2021.

De La Cruz is still several years away from making his major league debut. By the time Eugenio Suárez's expires, the skilled infielder should be ready for The Show. The Reds have a bevy of shortstops in the farm system, so a couple will likely switch positions.