1 over-hyped Reds prospect at each minor league level who'll disappoint in 2023

Reds prospects: Jay Allen could disappoint at High-A Dayton

Now, as we begin to talk about prospects at High-A Dayton and Low-A Daytona, the margin for error is much greater. So while it's not time to hit the panic button, Reds outfield prospect Jay Allen has fallen short of expectations thus far.

Allen is only 20 years old, so there's plenty of room for improvement. Allen, unlike the aforementioned Rece Hinds, has some tools that will play at the big league level. Allen has an above-average arm and plus-speed. Both those tools will travel.

So the question becomes, can he hit? Furthermore, can he hit for power. To date, the answer has been a resounding no. Allen slashed .225/.347/.324 while playing for both Low-A Daytona and High-A Dayton last season.

Seeing Allen's on-base percentage sitting close to a 35-percent clip despite a batting average below .250 is encouraging. According to FanGraphs, Allen posted a walk-rate of 11.5-percent. That'll play. But not with a wRC+ of 99.

It's a bit concerning that Jay Allen hasn't found that pop in his bat. Allen was a three-sport athlete in high school, so one might assume that with his full focus now on baseball, perhaps he can tap into that potential that made him a first-round draft pick in 2021.