Can Reds prospect Allan Cerda turn terrific spring into successful 2023 season?

Allan Cerda's time in big league camp has come and gone, but that doesn't mean it's the last we've seen of the power-hitting outfield prospect.

The Cincinnati Reds made some adjustments to the team's major league spring training roster on Tuesday. Cerda, along with Andrew Abbott and Connor Phillips were among those players reassigned to minor league camp.

That doesn't necessarily mean Reds fans won't see Cerda in another Cactus League game this spring, but his chances of making the roster out of camp are virtually gone. But perhaps this will set him on a path toward a terrific 2023 campaign that could land him on the active roster later this season.

Can Allan Cerda turn terrific spring into successful 2023 season?

Yes, it's a very small sample size, but Allan Cerda hit .429/.600/1.286 in the six games he's played so far this spring. An OPS of 1.886 is quite impressive, but keep in mind that Cerda has only taken seven at-bats in the Cactus League so far.

But if you follow the Reds, you know full-well that Cerda was one of the team's top prospects a year ago. In fact, he was added to Cincinnati's 40-man roster prior to the 2022 season. It was mildly surprising to see his name among those players non-tendered back in November.

But that's what happens when you strikeout 168 times in 124 minor league games. The punch outs were Cerda's undoing in 2022, but he still had a high walk-rate and a .444 slugging percentage with 24 home runs isn't too shabby.

In all likelihood, Allan Cerda will be assigned to Triple-A Louisville after spring training, and with so much uncertainty in the Cincinnati Reds outfield, there's a great opportunity for the 23-year-old to make his MLB debut in 2023 with a solid showing during the first couple of months in the minors.

Cerda has tremendous pop in his bat and can play all three outfield positions. If he can cut down on those strikeouts, Cerda will work his way back into the goo graces of the Reds front office and find himself on a major league field later this season.