Cincinnati Reds prospects report: Andrew Abbott continues to dominate

The Louisville Bats have gotten off to a rough start. The Cincinnati Reds Triple-A affiliate finally ended a nine-game losing streak this past Saturday. Matt McLain, Chuckie Robinson, and Alex McGarry all homered to help the Bats to their first win in over a week.

The Dayton Dragons (3-6) have struggled out of the gate as well, but the Chattanooga Lookouts (6-3) and Daytona Tortugas (5-4) have started the season with winning records. The Lookouts had at least five runs in four of their six games this past week.

Reds prospects at Triple-A Louisville

One of the Cincinnati Reds top infield prospects Matt McLain had himself a week at Triple-A Louisville. The former first-round pick went 8-for-21 with two doubles and two home runs. McLain is swinging a hot bat, and if it continues, Reds fans may see him sooner than they may have initially thought.

On the pitching side of things, Ryan Nutof continues to put up solid numbers. In two relief outings this past week, Nutof allowed one run on three hits while striking out two. The 27-year-old owns a 1.80 ERA in six appearances out of the Louisville Bats bullpen.

Reds prospects at Double-A Chattanooga

At this point, it seems like it a broken record, but Andrew Abbott is doing things that normal prospects just don't do. The former second-round pick had his second scoreless outing in as many games and looked just as dominant as he did during his previous start.

On the season, Abbott has logged 10.2 innings, allowed just two hits, and struck out 25 batters while walking just one. As far as Cincinnati Reds prospects go, Andrew Abbott may not be receiving the same love as Elly De La Cruz and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, but he could be just as crucial to the long-term success of the this franchise.

Reds prospects at High-A Dayton

There is a lack of top-tier catching prospects in the Cincinnati Reds farm system. The hope is that players like Logan Tanner, Daniel Vellojin, and Alfredo Duno eventually develop. But don't sleep on Mat Nelson who went 4-for-17 this past week with two home runs. Nelson's .938 OPS was the best among all Dayton Dragons hitters.

If you've not yet heard of Vin Timpanelli, you're missing out. Timpanelli made two relief appearances over the past week and racked up three scoreless innings while walking just one and striking out three. Timpanelli recorded 79 punch outs in 47.2 innings of work last season between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga.

Reds prospects at Low-A Daytona

Three players to keep an eye on at Low-A Daytona are Sal Stewart, Victor Acosta, and Carlos Jorge. The trio went a collective 17-for-51 (.333) with five extra-base hits including two home runs. Stewart alone also recorded six walks and posted a 1.210 OPS.

And hats off to Jacob Heatherly. The former third-round draft pick has been absolutely decimated by injuries throughout his career. But through the first three games this season, the southpaw has struck out eight batters in 2.1 innings. Let's hope the 24-year-old finally stays helathy in 2023 and pitches up to his potential.