Reds' fireballer & rehabbing slugger excel while others falter in Arizona Fall League

The Cincinnati Reds sent a fleet of players to join the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League over the past month. From top prospects to rehabbing regulars, these players all had one goal: make strides toward big league ball. Unfortunately, just one of the Reds’ representatives had a true breakout performance while most others fell short of expectations.

Let’s start with the good. Luis Mey dominated the AFL, notching six saves in eight scoreless appearances. He allowed just one hit and finished with a 0.346 WHIP. Until now, Mey, who reached Double-A this year, hasn’t been considered a top prospect in the Reds’ system, but now the team will have to decide whether to protect him in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.

Reds prospect Luis Mey stood out in the Arizona Fall League this year, but others struggled

Of more immediate relevance to the Reds was Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s solid performance. Although he only appeared in seven games — four of those at DH — Encarnacion-Strand gave the Reds a reason to hope for a bounce-back season in 2025. Of particular note was his patience at the plate; CES walked as many times in 32 plate appearances in the AFL as he did in 123 plate appearances in the majors during the 2024 season.

On the flip side, Encarnacion-Strand’s prodigious power was not on display with Glendale. His only extra-base hits were a pair of doubles. Since he is coming off wrist surgery, the Reds will be keeping an eye out for any lingering effects in his swing. His AFL playing time was minimal, so there’s no need to be concerned quite yet.

A pair of Reds pitchers — a long-shot and a former top prospect — fell far short of expectations with Glendale. Connor Phillips’ AFL stint mirrored his fairly inconsistent pro career. He finished the fall season with a 4.15 ERA despite multiple scoreless appearances. This was partially due to the fact that he allowed eight runs in his second fall start. As always, when he’s good, he’s good, but when he’s bad, he’s terrible. Phillips is currently the No. 15 prospect in the Reds’ farm system according to MLB.com, but his status has been in free fall. After this AFL performance, he may be on the outs.

Arij Fransen, a relatively unheralded reliever who jumped (unsuccessfully) from High-A to Triple-A this season, had an ugly experience in the desert. In eight appearances, he allowed 13 runs. Control has long been Fransen’s Achilles heel, and this bore out in Arizona. He walked seven in 11 ⅓ innings. With these poor results, Fransen could be reaching the end of the line.

Other Reds players and prospects who participated in the Arizona Fall League included Matt McLain, Tyler Callihan, and Jose Acuña. The Reds are hopeful to see McLain back to his old self in 2025, and the other two prospects could be added to Cincinnati's 40-man roster this week.

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