Reds prospect is building a case that FanSided top-100 snub may not age well

FanSided's prospect evaluator Eric Cole recently released a new top-100 prospect ranking, and the Cincinnati Reds were well-represented. Recently graduated prospects Sal Stewart and Rhett Lowder made the list, as did last year's first-round pick Steele Hall and top catching prospect Alfredo Duno.

But one Reds' prospect was absent from FanSided's rankings (every other outlet's for that matter) and he's off to a blazing start at Triple-A Louisville. Outfielder Héctor Rodríguez is hitting .280/.384/.484 with four home runs and 12 RBI through his first 22 games for the Louisville Bats this season.

Reds prospect Héctor Rodríguez could be turning heads this season

Rodríguez came to the Reds organization in 2022 as part of a deal with the New York Mets that sent former outfielder Tyler Naquin to Queens. Pitching prospect Jose Acuña — who's currently part of the Chattanooga Lookouts starting rotation — was also involved in the trade as well.

Rodríguez didn't come with much fanfare, but he quickly showed promise during his brief stint with the Daytona Tortugas following the trade. He hit .289/.319/.467 in 13 games in 2022 and returned to the Florida State League the following spring.

Since 2023, Rodríguez shown tremendous improvement with his approach (15.7% strikeout rate) and has a .283/.333/.455 slash line with a 116 wRC+ across 399 minor league games. Much like his former teammate Sal Stewart, he's seen an uptick in power since the start of the 2025 season. He's slugging .455 with 23 home runs over the last 159 games.

Rodríguez is still just 22 years old, and while the Reds would probably love to add his bat to help bolster their below-average lineup, the outfield is somewhat crowded. Fans are already begging for JJ Bleday to receive a call-up to the big leagues, and the success of the aforementioned Stewart has forced Spencer Steer — a Gold Glove finalist at first base in 2025 — into more of a full-time role in left field.

Rodríguez will surely get his chance, and it may come as soon as this season. But Cincinnati only added him to the 40-man roster this past winter, so they have plenty of runway to get him up to the big leagues before he's out of minor-league options.

Rodríguez is an aggressive hitter, and is prone to chase, but when he connects, the ball is going to go a long way. Rodríguez is just biding his time in the minors, waiting for his opportunity. If he produces like the Reds' top scouts believe he can, Rodríguez is about to make several top talent evaluators look very foolish.

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