3 Reds prospects who are flying under the radar heading into 2023

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The Cincinnati Reds have chosen to rebuild. While that's not as necessary music to the ears of the fanbase, it's the reality of where the organization is at the moment.

Rather than building their team from the outside with free agent signings, the Reds are looking to their prospects in order to transform the club from the inside out. It's a tried and true strategy, so long as the talent evaluators know what they're looking for.

In other words, prospects will be key to the Cincinnati Reds success in the future. While Elly De La Cruz and Noelvi Marte have dominated the headlines, let's look at three Reds prospects who appear to be flying under the radar?

1. Reds OF prospect Justice Thompson is flying under the radar.

The Cincinnati Reds outfield has been a topic of conversation all offseason. While it appears as though the Reds are content to go into the 2023 season with Jake Fraley, TJ Friedl, and Nick Senzel as the starting trio, that doesn't seem to excite the fanbase very much. Nick Solak, Stuart Fairchild, and Michael Siani are also in the mix.

When you look into the minor league ranks, there's not a lot of exciting prospects there either. Sure, Jay Allen II has received a fair amount of praise, and the Reds have a few big bats (Rece Hinds and Austin Hendrick), but there are concerns about whether or not some will ever reach the major leagues due to their high strikeout-rate.

Outfield prospect Justice Thompson seems to be flying under the radar a bit as he begins to prepare for his third professional season with the Cincinnati organization. Yes, Thompson has a lot of swings and misses as well (34.8% K-rate), but he offsets it with a good eye at the plate and high walk-rate (13.8%). Thompson posted an on-base percentage of .361 last season.

Thompson was a sixth-round pick of the Reds back in 2021 and has terrific speed. Thompson is one of the most athletically gifted players in the entire Cincinnati Reds organization. If the 22-year-old can cut down on his strikeouts and tap into a little more power at the dish, Thompson has a chance to really rise up through the ranks of the farm system in 2023.

2. Reds IF prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand is flying under the radar.

The Cincinnati Reds will not be able to keep Christian Encarnacion-Strand a secret for much longer. In fact, there are many throughout the Reds fanbase that see him as the most important prospect within the pipeline outside of Elly De La Cruz.

Encarncion-Strand hasn't yet received much mainstream media attention. One of the biggest reasons for that is that he doesn't play a premium position. The Oklahoma State product spent time at both first and third base in 2022.

Moving forward, it would seem as though the Reds have laid out a plan for Noelvi Marte to become the team's third baseman. Cincinnati also has the likes of Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, and Spencer Steer, all of whom could potentially play third base at the next level.

But, with Joey Votto entering the final guaranteed year of his contract with the Reds, the club will be looking for a successor at first base. Encarnacion-Strand fits that bill rather well, and his timeline to the major leagues couldn't be more perfect.

In his first two seasons as a pro, Christian Encarnacion-Strand slashed .317/.376/.588 and has 35 home runs. The former fourth-round pick was part of the Cincinnati Reds return for Tyler Mahle at last year's trade deadline. If Nick Krall has found Votto's successor, that trade will be viewed as a huge win for the Cincinnati franchise.

3. Reds RHP prospect Joe Boyle is flying under the radar.

It's hard for a pitcher than throws over 100 mph to fly under the radar, but that's exactly what Joe Boyle's been doing since being drafted out of the University of Notre Dame in 2020. While his command is certainly an issue, all the other metrics are eye-popping.

Boyle was the Reds final draft pick in the abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft and the 23-year-old has been absolutely dominant at times throughout his minor league career. Last season, while pitching at High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga, Boyle owned a 2.86 ERA in 23 appearances.

Furthermore, Boyle posted a ridiculous 13.68 K/9 and 36.5% strikeout-rate. Unfortunately, Boyle also posted a ridiculous 7.51 BB/9 and 20.0% walk-rate. But Boyle only allowed six home runs in 100.2 innings of work (0.54 HR/9).

There's a lot to unpack with Joe Boyle, and anymore, one cannot just hurl the ball up to the dish at 100 mph and expect not to get hit. More over, command and control are key once a pitcher arrives at the major league level. Reds fans saw how mightily Hunter Greene struggled early in the year after too walks and a penchant for surrendering homers saw his ERA skyrocket.

The Cincinnati Reds are still, wisely, stretching Boyle out to be a starter. The added experience will only help him once the right-hander finally makes the jump to the majors. But, look for Boyle to eventually transition into a reliever at the major league level. Boyle's stuff, in short stints, could turn out to be un-hittable.

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