4 Cincinnati Reds prospects who will exceed expectations in 2022

3. Joe Boyle, Reds RHP prospect

Joe Boyle is one of the most exciting prospects in the Cincinnati Reds farm system. Standing 6-foot-7, Boyle is an intimidating presence on the mound. Oh yeah, he also routinely hits triple-digits on the radar gun.

Boyle, who was drafted in 2020, finally got to make his professional debut in 2021. After four outings at the team's training complex in Arizona showed that Boyle can get strikeouts (54.2% K-rate), the Reds sent the right-hander to Low-A Daytona to begin his pro career.

Boyle didn't disappoint and struck out five batters over three innings. Unfortunately, he also hit a batter and walked four more. Boyle's first outing for the Dragons saw him face 13 batters and allow two earned runs despite not allowing a single hit.

Over his final three appearances in 2021, Joe Boyle went 9.2 innings and struck out 23 of the 44 batters he faced, including a 10-strikeout performance during his final outing of the season. Boyle's final line for the 2021 season at Low-A Dayton saw the right-hander finish with a 3.55 ERA and 28 punch outs over 12.2 innings.

Boyle's 49.1% strikeout-rate is insane, but so is his 22.8% walk-rate. If Boyle can maintain anything close to his K-rate from 2021 while reducing his BB-rate by just one-third, it'd be a step in the right direction. Boyle has the opportunity, if he can find control, to be a weapon at the end of games.