Reds prospect Levi Stoudt draws Opening Day start for Triple-A Louisville Bats

The Louisville Bats, Cincinnati's Triple-A affiliate, begin their 2023 season on the road in Music City on Saturday night. One of the Cincinnati Reds top pitching prospects, Levi Stoudt, will be the Louisville Bats Opening Day starter.

Stoudt had a fine showing this spring and was in competition to secure a spot on the 26-man roster. But during Stoudt's final start of the spring, the 25-year-old was roughed pretty good and later re-assigned to minor-league camp.

Stoudt will be joined by a few other top prospects in the Cincinnati farm system, all of whom will have their sights set on making it to The Show in 2023.

Reds prospect Levi Stoudt draws Opening Day start for Triple-A Louisville Bats.

Levi Stoudt arrived in the Cincinnati Reds organization via trade last summer. Along with infielders Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo and fellow pitcher Andrew Moore, Stoudt was part of the return for former ace Luis Castillo.

Stoudt began his Reds career at Double-A Chattanooga but was quickly promoted to Triple-A Louisville where he finished the 2022 season. In six starts with the Louisville Bats, Stoudt went 0-2 with a 3.32 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 19 innings of work.

Stoudt is currently ranked as the 15th-best prospect in the Reds farm system according to MLB Pipeline while FanGraphs ranks the right-hander No. 22. Both outlets tout Stoudt's slider as his best pitch.

Another young pitching prospect Reds fans are sure to see at Triple-A Louisville this season is Brandon Williamson. The lefty was optioned to the minors shortly after his last outing of the spring.

Both Stoudt and Williamson will be trying to make a good first impression in 2023. The top three pitchers in the Cincinnati Reds rotation are set, but those final two spots are not set in stone. Stoudt's performance at Triple-A to begin the season will go a long way toward receiving a call-up later this year.