A snapshot of the Reds shortstop prospects in the minor leagues

In case you haven't heard, the Cincinnati Reds have a lot of young prospects and about 107 of them are shortstops. All joking aside, the Reds have a plethora of shortstop prospects in their minor league system.

Kyle Farmer moved from shortstop to third base last season in order to make room for Jose Barrero. The young shortstop did not fare well in his first extended major league action, and there's a good chance that Barrero begins the 2023 season back in the minors.

It appears as though the Reds have also made the decision to move Noelvi Marte from shortstop to third base. That declutter the position a little bit, but there's still a lot of young middle infield prospects in the Cincinnati pipeline.

A snapshot of the Reds shortstop prospects in the minor leagues.

Let's start with the obvious; top prospect Elly De La Cruz. There's always the chance that the Cincinnati Reds could move De La Cruz off shortstop to be a position like second base or center field, but that seems unlikely.

De La Cruz has superstar potential, but his 30.0% strikeout-rate last season would suggest that 20-year-old could use some more time in the minors before next season. Look for De La Cruz o begin next season a Triple-A, but he won't stay there for long.

The other top shortstop prospect in the Reds farm system is Matt McLain. The former first-round pick has shown all the tools necessary to play the position at the major league level and is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League. Don't be shocked if McLain outplays Jose Barrero and finds a spot on the Cincinnati Reds 2023 Opening Day roster.

While Reds fans are drooling over Elly De La Cruz, and rightfully so, Edwin Arroyo could have the same impact as he progresses throughout the minor leagues. Acquired in the trade that sent Luis Castillo, Arroyo posted an OPS of .845 with 14 home runs.

Yan Contreras, Victor Acosta, and Ricardo Cabrera are all in Low-A or Rookie-Ball. These three prospects are all 21 years old or younger and have a chance to make an impact at the major league level, but don't expect to see them in The Show until 2025 or later.