3 Reds prospects who are poised for 2024 breakouts

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The Cincinnati Reds saw so many young prospects, not only arrive in the major leagues last season, but have success. While the hype surrounding young players like Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand was palpable heading into last season, it's fair to say that very few Reds fans assumed that Andrew Abbott would have the success that he did in 2023.

The Reds have done a nice job of stockpiling young talent over the past few years. Blockbuster trades, wise investments in the international market, and a keen eye for talent during the draft have seen Cincinnati earn high marks among scouts and talent evaluators.

After seeing so many prospects breakout, either onto the major league stage or in the minors, Reds fans are eager to see which young players will take that next step during the upcoming season. These three Reds prospects are poised to breakout in 2024.

1. Leonardo Balcazar

Though you may not have heard his name quite yet, by the end of the 2024 season, everyone throughout Reds Country will know who Leonardo Balcazar is. An unfortunate injury sidelined the young shortstop for the majority of last season, but if he's fully recovered, Balcazar will be one of the Reds' top prospects by the end of the summer.

Balcazar got off to a red-hot start with the Daytona Tortugas. Through the first 18 games of the 2023 season, the talented shortstop was hitting .324/.427/.471 with a wRC+ of 147 according to FanGraphs. Furthermore, Balcazar showed tremendous patience at the plate with a walk-rate of almost 16-percent.

But Balcazar's season was cut short due to a torn ACL. With the injury occurring in early-May last season and typical rehab from such an surgery stretching to about a year, it's questionable as to whether or not the 19-year-old will be on the field during spring training or not.

But, if healthy, once Leonardo Balcazar returns to the field, look for the shortstop to pick up where he left off in 2023. Balcazar has the athleticism and arm strength to stick at shortstop, and if the power develops, the young infielder could be one of the most exciting prospects in the Reds' farm system next season.

2. Sal Stewart

Cam Collier got all the hoopla after the Reds were fortunate enough to select him in Round 1 of the 2023, but Sal Stewart might be the better of the two corner infielders at this stage of their minor league careers. Both Stewart and Collier rank among the Reds Top 10 prospects according to MLB Pipeline.

While Collier showed flashes during his first full season playing professional baseball, Stewart dominated the opposition. Stewart, who was taken with the 32nd-overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, got his 2023 season started at Low-Daytona.

Stewart's patience approach was evident during his time in the Arizona Complex League back in 2022, but the youngster's plate discipline shined even brighter last season. In 88 games for the Daytona Tortugas, Stewart walked more than he struck out. In a day when young players are obsessed with power and exit velo, it was refreshing to see Stewart display patience beyond his years.

That approach saw Stewart get a late-season promotion to High-A Dayton. Despite the step up in competition, Stewart stayed true to himself. In 29 games with the Dayton Dragons, Stewart struck out 18 times, but drew the same number of walks.

And don't let the patient approach fool you, Sal Stewart can still hit. Collectively, between both Low-A and High-A, the 20-year-old slashed .275/.369/.415 with 24 doubles and 12 round-trippers. Stewart even swiped 15 bags. While Stewart doesn't play a premium position, it's his bat that will see him ascend to the top of the Reds' pipeline in 2024.

3. Julian Aguiar

Everyone throughout Reds Country is excited to see Chase Petty and Connor Phillips; as they should be. There are even members of the Cincinnati fanbase who believe that last year's first-round draft pick, Rhett Lowder, will make his major league debut in 2024. And, they may be correct. But don't sleep on Julian Aguiar taking a big step forward during the upcoming season.

When it comes to top prospects, Aguiar took the road less travelled. The 22-year-old was a 12th-round draft choice in the 2021 MLB Draft after playing for Cypress Junior College. In 2022, the right-hander appeared in 25 minor league games and showed that he had the ability to get swings and misses.

Aguiar proved that his success that season wasn't a fluke after putting up terrific numbers in 2023 while splitting time between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga. Aguiar made 25 starts last season and posted a combined ERA of 2.95 while punching out nearly 27-percent of the batters he faced.

Aguiar also did a nice job of keeping the ball in the ballpark. In 125 innings pitched, Aguiar only served up eight gopher balls. Once he made the jump from High-A to Double-A, opposing batters were able to touch him up a bit more, but Aguiar was still able to get plenty of Ks and even saw his walk-rate go down.

The Cincinnati Reds have a plethora of good, young arms in their farm system. And while Petty, Phillips, and Lowder all received an invite to major league camp this spring, Aguiar will be part of that group too. A strong showing during spring training could catapult the right-hander into great things heading into the 2024

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