This Reds prospect is excelling in the Arizona Fall League

The Arizona Fall League is where a lot of young major league prospects cut their teeth. The Cincinnati Reds sent seven players to the AFL this year, but one player has stuck out above the rest thus far.

The Glendale Desert Dogs are the Cincinnati Reds' AFL affiliate this year. Top infield prospects Matt McLain and Noelvi Marte have seen extensive playing time in the league, and the Reds also sent pitching prospect Christian Roa to the AFL as well.

But it's been Rece Hinds who's excelled thus far. The former second-round pick suffered a hamate injury earlier this season and has been slowed by injuries since being drafted in 2019, but the Reds are hoping that his time in the Arizona Fall League will yield positive results for one of their top outfield prospects.

Reds prospect Rece Hinds is excelling in the Arizona Fall League.

Rece Hinds was originally drafted in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft to play third base. The Cincinnati Reds were enamored with the youngster's power and saw Hinds as a potential middle-of-the-order bat.

But this past season, hinds made the transition from the infield dirt to the outfield grass. Cincinnati deployed Hinds in both left and right field during the 2022 season and he's played both corner outfield spots in the AFL as well.

Hinds, who's currently ranked as the team's 18th-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has a plus-arm that will profile well in right field. The 22-year-old also has the type of power that makes GMs drool and could be good for 30-plus home runs once he ascends to the big leagues.

It all boils down to two things for Hinds; pitch recognition and health. The first area has seen some improvements, but he still has to decrease the amount of swings and misses. The second area of improvement is one that will be closely followed. The Reds moved Hinds to the outfield in order to take some of the wear and tear off his lower body. We'll have to see if that move pays dividends.

For now, Rece Hinds performance in the Arizona Fall League has been everything that the Reds' brass could have hoped for. After lacing a double and going 1-for-3 during Friday's contest, Hinds' slash line through eight games is sitting at .257/.316/.543. Hinds has six extra-base hits in those eight games including a pair of round trippers.