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5 most highly-anticipated Reds prospects in team history

By Zach Pressnell |
Cincinnati Reds prospects Jay Bruce
Cincinnati Reds prospects Jay Bruce / Robert Laberge/GettyImages
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Every great major league player was, at one time, just a prospect. Some prospects were incredible, causing some serious attention to surround them long before their big league debut. Others flew under the radar.

There may not be a more exciting group of young talent than the once currently in the Cincinnati Reds farm system.

Over the years, the Reds have had some incredibly exciting, and highly-rated prospects; most notably over the last 20 to 30 years. Some of these prospects have panned out while others have sputtered out and failed. Let's look at five examples of some of the most anticipated prospects in Reds history.

1. Homer Bailey was one of the Reds most anticipated prospects.

In 2004, the Cincinnati Reds used their seventh-overall pick on a lanky pitching prospect from Texas. Few Cincinnati pitching prospects in recent memory have drawn more attention than Homer Bailey.

Bailey tossed a pair of no-hitters during his Reds career before spiraling into one of the most confusing and sudden career collapses in team history. The Reds finally parted ways with Bailey in 2018 after trading him to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Before it all came crumbling down, Bailey spent his entire career in the Cincinnati farm system as one of their highest-rated prospects. Most outlets revered Bailey as a top 50 prospect for the majority of his minor league career, even cracking the Top 3 in 2007 according to MLB.com.

This had Reds fans drooling, and for good reason. The young Bailey was 6-foot-4, projectable, and had a fastball that sat in the mid 90s. Coming out of high school, what more could you ask for? Bailey proceeded to rack up over 10 K/9 in 2005 and 2006, with his biggest minor league success coming in 2006 at the Double-A level.

Homer Bailey started 13 games and allow just 12 earned runs that year in Chattanooga. Most importantly, his 10+ K/9 showed that he still had his swing-and-miss ability as he climbed the minor league ladder.

2. Nick Senzel was one of the Reds most anticipated prospects.

This name will be quite familiar to every Cincinnati Reds fan, as Nick Senzel is still a big part of the team in 2023. Senzel was the second overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. With such a high draft slot, the polished University of Tennessee product jumped straight to the head of the class in the Reds farm system.

The year after he was drafted, Senzel was in the same conversation as perennial All-Stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Aaron Judge. This praise came with good reason, as Senzel had just finished three years at the University of Tennessee and posted a slash line of .332/.426/.509.

The hype around Senzel would just continue to grow as he flew up the prospect rankings following his first season of professional baseball in 2017. The infielder began 2018 as MLB Pipeline's No. 7-ranked prospect.

Senzel lived up to the hype in 2018, hitting over .310 in High-A and Double-A combined.Senzel's success, plus the absence of longtime centerfielder Billy Hamilton, resulted in a change of position. Senzel was moved from third base to the outfield in an effort to get his bat to the big leagues.

At the time, Nick Senzel was blocked at third base by Eugenio Suarez who had just signed a contract extension. Senzel has battled injuries throughout both his minor league and major league careers, but the former first-round pick was one of the most highly-anticipated Reds prospects in recent memory.

3. Aroldis Chapman was one of the Reds most anticipated prospects.

In early 2010, there was a buzz around baseball. There was a left-handed pitcher from Cuba who could throw fastballs upwards of 100 mph, and do so with regularity.

When the Cincinnati Reds signed Aroldis Chapman in January of 2010, there were a few concerns. Was Chapman able to maintain command and control with such an explosive heater? And how did he fit in the current Cincinnati rotation that featured Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, and Johny Cueto?

But these concerns were over shadowed by his electric fastball. After signing with Cincinnati, the Reds management made the decision to move Chapman to the bullpen. His command concerns were on full display, walking over five batters per nine inning during his first stint at Triple-A.

After making a brief appearance in the majors in 2010, coming into 2011, Chapman was a top 10 prospect in the sport. Chapman began the 2011 season in the minor leagues again, but after only 13 innings at Triple-A Louisville, the Cuban Missile got the call to the big leagues.

Aroldis Chapman proceeded to dominate for six years in Cincinnati, striking out over 500 batters on his way to 146 saves as the Reds closer. The anticipation and hype surrounding Chapman was incredible, but very much warranted.

4. Elly De La Cruz is one of the Reds most anticipated prospects.

It seems as if every day, Reds fans find a way to get Elly De La Cruz's name trending on social media. Yet to make his major league debut, the anticipation is seemingly growing larger with each achievement that De La Cruz adds to his unbelievable run through the minor leagues.

Some days De La Cruz will score from first base on a single. Other days he will throw a ball harder than any infielder in baseball. But most days it seems like the phenom is adding another 115-mph exit velocity missile to his name.

Reds fans are eager to see De La Cruz make his way to the bigs and have been calling for his name basically since spring training. And it's not just the Cincinnati faithful that are waiting to see De La Cruz debut. The national media is chomping at the bit as well.

As a consensus top five prospect in all of baseball, it's hard to match the anticipation that Elly De La Cruz has brought to Reds Country. With the advent of social media and the internet, De La Cruz's name is mentioned more than any other prospect in baseball today.

The anticipation to see Elly De La Cruz in a Cincinnati Reds uniform will soon come to an end, but if the 21-year-old lives up to the hype, the excitement around him will continue for as long as he plays baseball. De La Cruz truly is an electric prospect.

5. Jay Bruce was one of the Reds most anticipated prospects.


Jay Bruce was once the consensus best prospect in all of baseball. The former first-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds began his professional career in 2005. Following his first full season in 2006, Bruce along with the aforementioned Homer Bailey, came into 2007 ranked as a top 10 prospect.

That season is when the otherworldly hype and excitement grew. Bruce began his 2007 season at High-A, playing 67 games and totaling 45 extra-base hits before the Reds decided the competition wasn't enough for the 20-year-old.

But even after moving to Double-A, it took Bruce just 16 games before proving yet again that he was too good for that league. In one year, Bruce made the leap from High-A all the way to the top of the minor leagues.

By the time the 2008 season rolled around, Cincinnati Reds fans everywhere were buzzing with excitement about the power-hitting outfielder. Baseball fans throughout the Queen City knew Bruce was a special talent, and was the consensus best prospect in baseball at just over 20 years old.

After about 50 games at Triple-A Louisville in 2008, the highly-anticipated prospect received the call and made his Cincinnati Reds debut on May 27th. Jay Bruce wasted no time living up to the hype, going 3-for-3 in his first major league game with two runs scored, two RBIs, two walks, a double, and a stolen base.

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