Reds prospect (not named Sal Stewart) drawing superstar praise from Eugenio Suárez

Shortstop Elly De La Cruz is a superstar, but Eugenio Suárez sees that type of potential in another young Cincinnati Reds infielder as well. Top prospect Edwin Arroyo was added to the Reds 40-man roster this past winter, and Suárez believes the 22-year-old "will be a superstar" one day.

That's high praise coming from a veteran player who was once a top prospect in his own right. Suárez came up through the Detroit Tigers farm system over 10 years ago. Much like Arroyo, Suárez was a switch-hitter early in his career. Early scouting reports doubted Geno's ability to hit at the Major League level and assumed he'd "serve as a useful utilityman." Two All-Star appearances and 325 home runs later, Suárez has become one of the top sluggers in the sport today.

Eugenio Suárez has high praise for Reds prospect Edwin Arroyo

Arroyo's profile at this point in his career isn't all that different from where Suárez was back in 2014. In fact, Arroyo might be a superior fielder at this stage of the game. Following shoulder surgery in 2024, Arroyo missed a year's worth of development. He returned last year, but it wasn't until the second-half of the season that he began to showcase his true ability.

During the first-half of the season, Arroyo hit .271/.332/.335 with a 93 wRC+, but after the calendar flipped to July, he went on an absolute tear. Arroyo posted a .296/.357/.403 slash line from July 1 through the end of the season. Moreover, he struck out in less than 13% of his plate appearances and posted an 8.5% walk-rate and 119 wRC+.

Speaking with Cincinnati reporter Charlie Goldsmith, Arroyo said that he expects to hit for more power in 2026. “I made some adjustments to put the ball more in the air. I had a lot of hits last year. I’d like to have had more doubles, triples and homers. It’s coming. I won’t force it. It’ll happen if I put the ball in the air," Arroyo said.

If Arroyo taps into that power — and his track record suggests he should — then Suárez's superstar projection could become a reality. Arroyo will head to the World Baseball Classic next month and likely begin the year at Triple-A. If he plays up to his potential, fans shouldn't be surprised to see Arroyo make his Major League debut sometime later this season.