Here are the Reds' 2026 Top 30 prospects
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If you like young hitters, then the Reds farm system might be the one for you.
It’s not a shocking new development: Since team rankings began on this site in 2011, making this the 16th edition of a Reds top prospect list, a hitter has now been at No. 1 a total of nine times.
Sal Stewart is the latest to rise to the top spot, but it goes far beyond his bat. The Reds have three Top 100 hitters leading the list, and the top would be even more hitter-heavy if Rhett Lowder hadn't gotten hurt and had graduated off the list as expected in 2025. Seven of the top eight are position players, with the Draft being a key acquisition tool. Five of that seven came via the Draft, while No. 6 Héctor Rodríguez coming via the trade market and No. 2 Alfredo Duno an international signing.
There's quite a bit of international flavor on this list overall. Duno is one of 13 players on the list to have been acquired as an international free agent. That's tied for the second highest total on any Top 30 list this year and gives the Reds list a more global feel than any of their previous Top 30 rankings.
Here's a look at the Reds top prospects:
1. Sal Stewart, INF (MLB No. 22)
2. Alfredo Duno, C (MLB No. 38)
3. Steele Hall, SS (MLB No. 83)
4. Rhett Lowder, RHP (MLB No. 86)
5. Tyson Lewis, SS
Complete Top 30 list »
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2025 preseason list to the 2026 preseason list:
Jump: Jose Franco, RHP (2025: NR | 2026: 12)
Signed for just $10,000 back in 2018, it took a while for Franco to make much headway in the Reds system. He spent 2021 and 2022 with Single-A Daytona, then missed 2023 with Tommy John surgery. Last year, things started to click at the upper levels, as he reached Triple-A and topped 100 innings for the first time, finishing with a 3.11 ERA and 9.7 K/9 rate. He's now on the 40-man roster.
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Fall: Ricardo Cabrera, 3B/2B (2025: 10 | 2026: 25)
A very highly regarded prospect from the 2022 international signing class, Cabrera got a $2.7 million bonus to join the Reds. He was outstanding in his first time in the States in 2023, then held his own -- but wasn't explosive -- in full-season ball in 2024. His 2025 season was cut short after just 21 games because of a knee injury. He'll need to show a better overall approach to find success as he tries to move up the ladder.
Best tools
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is plus and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.
Hit: 60 -- Sal Stewart
Power: 60 -- Mason Neville
Run: 70 -- Steele Hall
Arm: 60 -- Alfredo Duno (Cam Collier, Edwin Arroyo, Ricardo Cabrera)
Defense: 65 -- Liberts Aponte
Fastball: 70 -- Zach Maxwell
Curveball: 50 -- Luke Holman (Stharlin Torres)
Slider: 60 -- Zach Maxwell (Luke Holman)
Changeup: 65 -- Mason Morris
Control: 65 -- Rhett Lowder
How they were built
Draft: 13 | International: 13 | Trade: 4
Breakdown by ETA
2026: 9 | 2027: 3 | 2028: 9 | 2029: 6 | 2030: 2 | 2031: 1
Breakdown by position
C: 2 | 1B: 2 | 2B: 1 | 3B: 2 | SS: 5 | OF: 6 | RHP: 12