3 Reds prospects who are comparable to Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Graham Ashcraft

The Cincinnati Reds have some talented, young pitchers on their staff. Nick Lodolo, Hunter Greene, and Graham Ashcraft all look to be part of the core of the Cincinnati starting rotation going forward.

Lodolo, Greene, and Ashcraft were once either highly-touted prospects or first-round draft selections. Their dominance in the minor leagues led to their promotion, and now the trio is turning heads at the major league level.

Good teams, however, always keep one eye on the present and one eye toward the future. With that in mind, let's look ahead to three top pitching prospects who could be comparable to the Reds three rookie starters.

1. Reds prospect Joe Boyle is comparable to Graham Ashcraft.

Joe Boyle is one of the Cincinnati Reds top pitching prospects. While some may think he compares to Hunter Greene because of fastball that hits triple digits on the radar gun, Boyle is a bit more in line with Graham Ashcraft for a couple of reasons.

Boyle, much like Ashcraft, has been pegged as a late-inning reliever in the major leagues. While that may well be where the 23-year-old eventually lands, the Reds are giving Boyle every chance to become a starting pitcher. The organization did the same with Ashcraft, and it seemed to work out just fine.

Boyle also lacks command and control. You could've said the same thing about Ashcraft when he was in the minor leagues. Ashcraft's K-BB% in the minor leagues last season was 20.3% according to FanGraphs. Boyle's K-BB% this season is 16.4%. Prior to his recent promotion to Double-A, Boyle's K-BB% was 21.0%.

In order for Joe Boyle to make the leap from the minor leagues to the big leagues, he'll need to continue to improve on his control and command. The raw talent is there, but his development between now and next summer will likely dictate whether or Boyle is a starter or a reliever. Graham Ashcraft found a way to make it work, so there's hope for Boyle.

2. Reds prospect Andrew Abbott is comparable to Nick Lodolo.

Nick Lodolo was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. The tall, lanky left-hander was the first pitcher taken that year and Lodolo has had tremendous success in his rookie season with the Cincinnati Reds. Andrew Abbott will looking to take a similar path to the major leagues.

Much like Lodolo, Abbott is a very polished pitcher. He's not going to overpower opposing hitters with his fastball like Hunter Greene, nor is the southpaw going to pitch to contact like Graham Ashcraft. That said, the competitive streak that fans see from Ashcraft is certainly part of Abbott's game.

The University of Virginia product has spent time at both High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga this season. While the left-hander dominated the opposition in seven games for the Dayton Dragons, success has become a little more difficult since making the jump to pitch for the Lookouts.

Andrew Abbott could reach the major leagues rather quickly if he continues to improve. Throwing strikes is not the issue for Abbott, but he'll need to cut down on the walks before making the ascension to the big leagues.

While some fans may feel as though Nick Lodolo's Texas Christian teammate Brandon Williamson is a better comp for the current Reds starter, Williamson's inability to find the strike zone this season may be raising some concerns among the Cincinnati brass. After posting a 37.4% strikeout-rate last season, Williamson's K-rate has dipped to 21.9% this season.