1 underrated Reds prospect at each minor league level who'll excel in 2023

Reds prospects: Sam Benschoter could excel at Double-A Chattanooga

Sam Benschoter spent the end of last year with the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League. The right-hander will begin his 2023 season at Double-A Chattanooga, but already 25 years old, don't be shocked if Benschoter makes a run at the big league roster later this season.

Benschoter actually pitched at three different levels last season. After a 14-game stay in Low-A Daytona, Benschoter was promoted to High-A Dayton. Nearly 17 innings with the Dragons was obviously enough to earn Benschoter a quick, one-game promotion at the end of the season and he threw four innings for the Lookouts to close out 2023.

Obviously one game at Double-A wasn't enough to earn Benschoter a promotion to Triple-A to begin the season, but after six games in the AFL, Cincinnati is hoping the Michigan State alum can find some traction early on in 2023.

Benschoter owned a K-rate of 35.1-percent in 2022 while only walking 9.2-percent of the batters he faced. According to FanGraphs, the right-hander's FIP was 3.30. That's solid for a pitcher who started 17 games last season.

Will Sam Benschoter remain a starter as he progresses through the minor leagues? Based on what we've seen recently from players like Graham Ashcraft, Joe Boyle, and others, the Cincinnati Reds are quite content to let these fringe-starters pitch their way out of a starter role rather than immediately assign to the bullpen.