Forgotten Reds prospect finally finding success following promotion to Triple-A

The Cincinnati Reds have had a number of success stories this season when it comes to some of the organization's top prospects. Pitchers like Rhett Lowder, Julian Aguiar, and Carson Spiers have all found some measure of success this season.

And who could forget how quickly Rece Hinds broke onto the scene. A former second-round draft pick of the Reds back in 2019, Hinds a record-breaking, power-packed debut with Cincinnati earlier this summer. While he's cooled off of late, there's still plenty of hope that Hinds can be a contributor to the Reds heading into next season.

A former teammate of Hinds and one of Reds prospects selected in the same draft class is Ivan Johnson. The infielder was taken in Round 4 of the 2019 MLB Draft and was, at one time, a top-20 prospect in the Reds farm system according to MLB Pipeline.

Forgotten Reds prospect Ivan Johnson finally finding success following promotion to Triple-A

But Johnson got somewhat stuck in the mud after the 2021 season. Obviously his development was hampered due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 — the minor league season was cancelled that year. But in 2022, Johnson hit .261/.325/.428 and appeared in just 50 games at Double-A Chattanooga after undergoing hamate surgery prior to the season. Last year, Johnson was back at Double-A again, but the numbers looked about the same.

Unfortunately for Johnson, it was back to southeastern Tennessee once again this season. Johnson opened the year with the Chattanooga Lookouts, but finally made it to Triple-A in late-July. Johnson's sub-.700 OPS in July raised some eyebrows, but there was little more for the Atlanta native to prove at that level.

Since being promoted to Triple-A, Johnson has shined. In 37 games for the Louisville Bats, Johnson is hitting .294/.356/.538 with 16 extra-base hits, including five round-trippers. A bump to the majors probably isn't in the cards for Johnson this season, but if he remains in the Reds organization, he could be fighting for a spot on the Opening Day roster next spring. It'll be a mighty tall task, however, as Johnson is pretty much pigeon holed at second base, though he has seen time in left field since being called up to Louisville.

There's nothing wrong with being a late bloomer, and it's good to finally see Johnson finding success in the upper levels of the minor leagues.

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