Reds may have their new 'core four' ready to make some noise in the minors

Back in 2023, the 'core four' of Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand were supposed to lead the Cincinnati Reds to the promised land. The talented quartet had all made their mark in the minor leagues the year prior, and all four made their big league debuts in 2023.

Unfortunately, outside of De La Cruz, there's been little for Reds fans to get excited about. McLain's sophomore season was done in by injury and he's never been the same since. Marte was moved from third base to right field, and he's now sharing playing time with upstart rookie Héctor Rodríguez. Encarnacion-Strand is no longer with the organization after being DFA'd earlier this year.

Do the Reds have a new 'core four' ready to emerge?

But maybe there's a new fantastic four on the horizon. The Reds' 2026 first-round pick Justin Lebron made his professional debut on Tuesday with the Dayton Dragons and went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored.

Lebron played alongside Eric Becker — another one of Cincinnati's selections from July's draft. A standout at the University of Virginia, Becker was in the Dragons' lineup as well after making his pro debut last week. The infielder has three hits in his first five games, including a home run.

Tyson Lewis has been part of the Reds' organization for a couple of years now after being selected in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft. A shortstop by trade, Lewis is making the transition to third base, and since making the jump from Low-A to High-A, he's hitting .279/.321/.465 with six home runs and 14 RBI.

Finally, another one of the Reds' top picks from the 2026 MLB Draft made his professional debut for the Daytona Tortugas on Tuesday night. Former UCLA Bruins slugger Mulivai Levu crushed a two-run homer during his pro game and helped push the Tortugas to a 7-6 win over the Palm Beach Cardinals.

Of course, it's much too early to proclaim that this group of youngsters will all become contributors at the big-league level. Talented as each one may be, they have a long, long way to go and a lot of flaws to overcome. But it's always fun to dream on the possibility of what could happen, right?

There's no reason to doubt the notion that infield of Levu (1B), Becker (2B), Lebron (SS), and Lewis (3B) could be taking the field at Great American Ball Park sometime in the near future. Throw in Alfredo Duno behind the plate, and the Reds might have some special brewing in the minor leagues.

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