Reds prospects whose stock plummeted this season

Do you remember Alfredo Rodriguez? The highly-regarded shortstop prospect was signed to a huge contract during the 2016 international free agent signing period and was considered one of the top players in the Cincinnati Reds farm system. But, things never panned out and Rodriguez's professional career came to a close in 2022 after posting a career .620 OPS in the minor leagues.

Rodriguez is just one of a litany of those types of young players who failed to make it work. Eventually, Rodriguez went from a top-10 organizational prospect to out of baseball completely in less than five years. Sometimes, these highly-rated prospects just don't pan out.

The Reds are hoping that the same does not happen to a number of their top prospects who struggled in 2024. But if these young players don't right the ship, their major league dreams might go up in smoke. Which Reds prospects saw their stock plummet this past season?

Victor Acosta, Reds prospect

Victor Acosta was sent to the Reds during the 2022 MLB trade deadline. The Reds' concluded their fire sale by trading Brandon Drury to the San Diego Padres, and in return, received one of their top young talents.

Acosta had a productive first season in the Reds organization, but saw his numbers drop off rather significantly this season. Acosta's OPS fell nearly 150 points and there were very few bright spots during his 2024 campaign. Acosta is just 20 years old, so there's time for him to recover, but he's got a long list of players who leapfrogged him this season.

Connor Phillips, Reds prospect

What more can be said about Connor Phillips' awful, terrible, no good, very bad season? Phillips went from competing for a spot on the Reds Opening Day roster to being shipped out to Arizona during the middle of the season. And it wasn't because he was injured and undergoing rehab. Phillips' could not have endured a worse minor league season than he did in 2024.

The talent is there. But the command isn't. Phillips issued far too many walks, and despite the raw tools, he may very well be non-tendered later this fall. Based on the potential he still has — and could offer as a reliever — that seems unlikely. But Phillips' 40-man roster spot during the offseason and heading into spring training is far from guaranteed.

Austin Hendrick, Reds prospect

It's probably time for the Reds to pull the plug on the failed Austin Hendrick experiment. Hendrick was the Reds' first-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, and he's shown little to nothing since joining the organization. Hendrick's selection was a major whiff on the part of the Reds' scouting and front office.

When Hendrick makes contact, the ball might leave the stadium. But in 121 games at Double-A this season, Hendrick has 173 strikeouts. The Reds outfield prospect led the entire Southern League in strikeouts this season with 23 more than his nearest competitor. Hendrick will never advanced past the minor leagues until he gets that issue under control.

Ariel Almonte, Reds prospect

The Reds paid big money to bring Ariel Almonte to the Queen City, and at the moment, it's fair to say that Cincinnati spent it unwisely. Almonte has failed to develop, and after four full seasons in the Reds farm system, he's still stuck at the Low-A level.

Almonte was an international free agent signing in 2021. The outfielder's first year in the Reds' organization was rather fruitful. Almonte hit .278/.398/.438 and looked like the real deal. But since coming states-side, Almonte has barely hit over the Mendoza line. The power is there, as evidenced by his 20 home runs this season. But Almonte strikes out far too much and looks like a three true outcomes-type of prospect.

All four prospects will likely remain in the Reds' farm system heading into next season, but they'll need to show major improvements during spring training in order to remain in the organization.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors