The best Reds prospect you've never heard of is on his way to Triple-A

After Jacob Hurtubise graduated from the United States Military Academy, his baseball future seemed to be over. The coronavirus pandemic had shortened his final college season to just five games, leaving Hurtubise with almost no options to continue playing baseball past the age of 22.

But Hurtubise overcame this setback and received an invite to a workout with the Cincinnati Reds in Arizona. Hurtubise's raw talent was enough to earn a contract offer from the Reds.

The Army graduate has proven time and time again that Cincinnati made the right decision, and at 25 years old, Hurtubise is on his way to the highest-level of minor league baseball. Hurtubise may soon be knocking on the major league door.

Jacob Hurtubise is the best Reds prospect you've never heard of.

Jacob Hurtubise came with has flaws, including questionable power and, of course, the level of competition. Hurtubise only tallied 12 doubles during his entire college career, but failed to put one into seats.

But what Hurtubise lacked in power, he made up with speed and aggressiveness on the base paths. Hurtubise stood out with his incredible ability to read the pitchers, book it down the first base line, and steal bases.

As he has transitioned to professional baseball, Hurtubise has also transformed into a much-improved hitter. Not only is he hitting better than expected, but he is also hitting with more power.

In 2023, Hurtubise already has five home runs and four doubles in less than 40 games at Double-A Chattanooga. He's currently hitting .271/.413/.469. His .882 OPS is the highest of his professional career.

Jacob Hurtubise has truly came out of nowhere. The outfielder isn't ranked among the Reds top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, but he is sure playing like it.

With so much talent on the current Cincinnati Reds roster, it would be a bit of surprise to see Hurtubise make it all the way to the bigs this season. However, Hurtubise's early-season success has earned him a promotion to Triple-A, and there's an outside chance he could earn a September call-up if he has success in Louisville over the second-half of the 2023 season.