Prized Reds prospects omitted from Baseball America's top 100 reveals worrisome issue

Baseball America released their top 100 prospects ahead of the upcoming season. While there were three young Cincinnati Reds players among the group, it was the trio of players who were left out that was somewhat surprising.

Among those included in the top 100 were Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, and Chase Petty. Burns and Lowder represent the Reds' top two draft picks over the past two years, and Petty is former first-rounder in his own right who came over from the Minnesota Twins as part of the Sonny Gray trade in 2022.

But strangely absent from the list are Cam Collier, Sal Stewart, and Alfredo Duno. Collier and Stewart were top picks in the 2022 MLB Draft, and Duno was rated as one of the best international signings two years ago.

Prized Reds prospects like Cam Collier and Sal Stewart omitted from Baseball America's top 100 reveals worrisome issue

The most worrisome issue is the fact that none of the Reds' young position players are ranked among the top 100 according to Baseball America. While you can never have enough pitching, and there's a possibility that all three of Burns, Lowder, and Petty see some time in the big leagues this season, the lack of Reds' position players among the best prospects in baseball is somewhat disturbing.

MLB Pipeline has a more favorable view of the young Reds' position players. While Burns and Lowder are among the top 100, Petty is not. Joining the Reds' top two pitching prospects are Collier, Stewart, and Edwin Arroyo. Baseball America's adverse outlook for the Reds' position players may stem from the injury-riddled campaigns endured by Stewart, Duno, and Arroyo in 2024.

Different scouts are looking for different things, so assessments of young players can be subjective depending on who the evaluator is. And while these scouts may be splitting hairs deciding on who are the best 100 prospects in the sport, the most concerning matter facing the Reds' farm system is the lack of an outfielder among their top young talent. Most evaluators view Hector Rodriguez as Cincinnati's best outfield prospect, but he's just 20 years old and hovering around the top 10 organizationally.

The Reds have high hopes for their former top prospects like Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Nick Lodolo. All three are seen as key players heading into the 2025 season. But the Reds must continue to develop their young talent in the minor leagues as well in order to keep pace with the rising farm systems in the NL Central.

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