Which top prospects will be at Reds spring training?

Spring training is almost here, Reds Country. Pitchers and catcher will be reporting to Goodyear, Arizona in a week and the rest of the roster will soon follow.

The Cincinnati Reds are in the midst of a rebuild, While Joey Votto is still on the roster, the focus of the franchise is on the young talent coming up through the minor leagues.

Cincinnati offloaded a bunch of veterans last spring and doubled down at last year's trade deadline by dealing Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle along with Tommy Pham and Brandon Drury. The upcoming season is all about the young Reds prospects.

Which top Reds prospects will be at spring training?

When the Cincinnati Reds arrive in spring training next week, there will be a lot of players who haven't even had a cup of coffee in the major leagues. While that's not a prerequisite to be part of the Reds Opening Day lineup, it sure wouldn't hurt.

But, those prospects who have zero big league experience under their belt will gain a vast amount familiarity with the coaching staff and future teammates by being part of major league camp this spring. So which top prospects should fans expect to see this year?

Obviously, the talented Elly De La Cruz will be at Reds spring training this year. While it's unlikely that the club's top prospect will break camp with the team, De La Cruz can use the time in the desert to ready himself for another explosive season in the minors. Don't be shocked if De La Cruz puts on a show during spring training and makes his way to the bigs before the All-Star break,.

Noelvi Marte, who like Elly De La Cruz was added to the 40-man roster this past fall, will also be part of Reds spring training. A shortstop in the Seattle Mariners organization, the Reds are looking to convert Marte into a third base. However, he, like De La Cruz, is unlikely to make the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster.

But, there are a handful of top prospects who will be in the mix for the Reds Opening Day roster. Among them are starting pitchers Brandon Williamson and Levi Stoudt. Both pitchers were formerly of the Mariners organization. Williamson came to Cincinnati last spring and Stoudt was acquired at the trade deadline.

Spencer Steer and Michael Siani are the two position players who are most likely to make a run at the Reds Opening Day roster. Infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand will be a non-roster invitee, as will pitchers Andrew Abbott and Connor Phillips.

The youth movement is in full swing this spring for the Cincinnati Reds. And while not every single prospect who received an invite to camp will debut on March 30th against the Pittsburgh Pirates, most of these Reds prospects will find their way to the major leagues by the end of the 2023 season.