4 Cincinnati Reds prospects who will exceed expectations in 2022

2. Christian Roa, Reds RHP prospect

The 2020 MLB Draft came with a lot of intrigue following Major League Baseball's reduction from 40 rounds to just five. In the second round of that year's draft, the Cincinnati Reds selected right-handed pitcher Christian Roa.

Roa, a three-year standout at Texas A&M, was only able to toe the rubber four times in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, in those four outings, Roa posted an uninspiring 5.85 ERA over 20 innings. But, Roa struck out 35 of the 89 batters he faced during the abbreviated college season.

Roa has a four-pitch mix and he's unafraid to go to any of his pitches. A fastball that sits in the mid-90s, coupled with an above-average curveball and changeup, give the right-hander a good chance to find his way into the Cincinnati starting rotation eventually. Roa also has a slider that he'll turn to on occasion.

The key for Christian Roa heading into next season is reps. After recovering from sports hernia surgery following the 2020 MLB Draft, Roa was able to make 13 appearances, including 12 starts last season. Roa had a terrific 10.28 K/9 and 26.9 strikeout-rate, but the 22-year-old will need to focus on reducing that 3.99 BB/9.

Roa spent time at both Low-A Daytona and High-A Dayton in 2021, and it's a good bet he'll begin the 2022 season with the Dragons. But, if Roa can piece together a few solid starts, we'll likely see the Houston native make his Double-A debut in 2022.