Top evaluator fuels growing hype around this Reds prospect

Cincinnati Reds prospect Tyson Lewis has a big fan over at The Athletic. Top prospect evaluator Keith Law recently published a column titled "Biggest risers and fallers from the newest MLB top-50 prospect ranking" (subscription required) and offered a glowing review of the young Reds shortstop.

In the piece, Law shined the spotlight on six prospects — three whose arrow is pointing up and three whose arrow is pointing down. Lewis' arrow is pointing up, way up. Law recently released an update to his top-50 prospects and revealed that Lewis almost made the cut. Right-handed pitcher Chase Burns was the only Reds prospect list among Law's top-50.

Lewis may be a rather obscure name to some Reds fans, as he was only drafted just last summer. A second-round pick out of Millard West High School in Omaha, Nebraska, Lewis did not play professionally in 2024. Instead, he opened this season with the Reds affiliate in the Arizona Complex League.

Top evaluator fuels growing hype around Reds prospect Tyson Lewis

Lewis is just 19 years old and only has 13 games at the ACL under his belt. The young infielder's bat speed is incredible and he's been lacing line drives all over Arizona this spring. In 60 plate appearances, Lewis is hitting .358/.417/.528 with a home run and three triples. Lewis has some wheels too, as evidenced by his eight stolen bases.

The final game of the ACL season is in late-July, meaning that Lewis' time in the desert will be short-lived. Even if the Reds keep Lewis in the ACL through the entire season, he's likely to be promoted to Low-A Daytona sometime in late-July or early-August. The Daytona Tortugas' season runs through the first week of September, meaning he'll likely end his 2025 campaign on the Florida coast.

Law applauded the Reds' use of the ACL as a starting point for Lewis, noting that few other organizations allow top young draft picks to get their feet wet in Arizona first. The Reds have taken a slower approach with a number to top prospects lately — choosing to keep both Burns and Rhett Lowder off the mound until the year after they were drafted.

The Reds may have abundance of shortstops, both in the major and minor leagues, but Lewis could be a fast-riser just like Elly De La Cruz. Reds fans should keep an eye on this young phenom. He may be surging up prospect lists over the next year.

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