Hearing the footsteps of the Reds' top prospects, Kyle Farmer has excelled since switching positions

Cincinnati Reds infielder Kyle Farmer was upset after learning that Jose Barrero would supplant him at shortstop. Manager David Bell decided to move Farmer from shortstop to third base.

It was obvious that the decision did not sit well with Farmer who'd been the Reds shortstop since last summer. But with the organization in the midst of a rebuild, Cincinnati needed to give Barrero the opportunity to prove whether or not he can hit at the major league level.

Since moving from shortstop to third base, Farmer has turned it up a notch. The month of July saw Farmer hit just .164/.271/.260. But it's obvious that Farmer has heard the footsteps of the other top infield prospects and is bound and determined to hold onto his spot in the starting lineup for as long as he can.

Reds third baseman Kyle Farmer has excelled since switching positions.

Kyle Farmer became the Cincinnati Reds full-time third baseman after the team traded Brandon Drury to the San Diego Padres on August 2nd. Since that time, Farmer has slashed .417/.462/.444 and posted a wRC+ of 156 according to FanGraphs. The soon-to-be 32-year-old is doing this while hitting in the No. 3 hole.

Farmer is a grinder, which is why he so beloved by the Cincinnati fanbase. The former catcher gets the absolute most out of his abilities, and he'll need to keep that chip on his shoulder throughout the rest of the season and into next year's spring training.

The infield talent that the Cincinnati Reds have in their farm system is incredible. Noelvi Marte, Elly De La Cruz, Tyler Callihan, Ivan Johnson, Spencer Steer, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand will all be looking to break into the big leagues next season. Essentially, Kyle Farmer has a target on his back.

In the end, the young talent will win out. But until that time comes, Farmer needs to control what he can control. He doesn't fill out the lineup card and he doesn't construct the roster. But if he continues to play at the same level we've seen for the last two weeks, he's going to force the front office to make difficult decisions.