Reds prospect running out of time amid crowded shortstop race

If there's one thing that's true about the Cincinnati Reds' scouting department, it's that they love their shortstops. Over the past few years, they've used every means at their disposal to flood their minor league system with shortstops from far and wide.

In a way, targeting young shortstops makes a lot of sense. Not only is it the most valuable defensive position on the diamond, but players who play short are typically the best athletes around. That athleticism means that they can typically translate to other positions, either to free up logjams or to find a defensive home that better matches their skills.

However, the further down the defensive spectrum you move, the more imperative it is that you can hit. That's especially true for those young shortstops who might not have the defensive chops to stick at the position long-term.

Ricky Cabrera is staring down the barrel of getting lost in the shuffle. The 21-year-old faces several barriers in the form of more advanced shortstop prospects as he progresses to the upper levels of the minors, as well as pressure for younger players down below.

That has brought him to make-or-break territory entering the 2026 season, and how he responds could determine his future.

Reds prospect Ricky Cabrera is running out of time to distinguish himself

Cabrera entered 2025 with some scouts optimistic about his offensive ceiling, hoping he'd develop more power as he grows, and pairing it with an above-average hit tool. That was, and still is, going to be important as there have been questions about his ability to stick at shortstop long term.

In fact, Cabrera played almost exclusively at third base last season, a position with a greater offensive burden. His year was cut short after just 21 games due to injury, but his showing at High-A Dayton left a lot to be desired.

The Venezuelan native hit just .187/.276/.240 with no homers. That was after a 2024 campaign where he slashed a decent .252/.331/.399 in Single-A Daytona, which in turn was a step back from his 2023 stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League.

Cabrera will need to get back on track with the bat in 2026 in order to begin securing his future in Cincinnati's crowded sea of prospects, and he can start by taking a page out of fellow shortstop and countryman Leo Balcazar's book.

Balcazar is a different type of hitter than Cabrera, but he made offensive strides nonetheless. Earlier in his professional career, Balcazar struggled with strikeouts, posting rates in the mid-20% range, while not hitting for the requisite power needed to run a high K-rate.

However, last season, Balcazar cut his strikeout rate down to a combined 13.4% between Dayton and Chattanooga while also hitting a career-high 12 homers. He carried over some of that success to the Arizona Fall League, hitting .277 with a .340 OBP in the autumn showcase.

Cabrera saw his strikeouts climb to 28.1% in his brief stint in Dayton last year, and posted a 22.1% rate in 2024 at Daytona. He'll need to reverse the trend in 2026 at the minimum, and will be even better served if he can find the power that scouts believe he has.

Doing so will keep him alive in the battle, but if he falters, he'll quickly become an afterthought blocked by the near MLB-ready prospects and passed by once the younger ones advance.