This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CINCINNATI -- An 82-win season and nearly making the playoffs in the first full year of a rebuild wasn't just a positive feeling for the Reds at the Major League level. It was a huge success story for their player development system. 

Cincinnati had 16 players make their Major League debuts in 2023, including prospects such as Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Andrew Abbott and Noelvi Marte. 

The organization, which acquired numerous elite prospects from the trades of 2022, has more talent expected to be churning toward the big leagues in the near future. In August, MLB Pipeline ranked the Reds as having the No. 5 farm system in baseball.

Here's a look at how some of the Reds prospects in the system fared in 2023:

3 players who forced their way onto the radar this year ...

OF Blake Dunn

Ranked No. 22 in the organization and the Reds' 15th-round pick in 2021, Dunn was limited by injuries and played only 48 games over his first two pro seasons. In 2023, the 25-year-old showed what he could do when healthy. 

The right-handed Dunn became a rare "20-50" Minor League player with 23 home runs and 54 stolen bases combined at High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga. He hit .312 with a .947 OPS in 124 games. He could have been promoted to Double-A sooner than June and deserved to finish the season at Triple-A but the organization's depth made that difficult. 

“We had a number of other guys in Double-A, and we wanted to make sure Blake got a lot of at-bats. Then we moved him up," Reds vice president of player development Shawn Pender said. “Dunn would have gone to Triple-A like [Jacob] Hurtubise because he deserved that opportunity. It was about playing time and not ability or what they had earned. It was just more important for them to play than where they played.”

OF Jacob Hurtubise

Signed as a free agent in July 2020 after he played college baseball for Army, the lefty-hitting Hurtubise batted .330 with a .961 OPS, seven homers, 46 RBIs and 45 steals over 119 games combined at Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. 

RHP Chase Petty

Acquired in the 2022 Spring Training trade that sent Sonny Gray to the Twins, Petty had his pitch counts and innings limited because of a right elbow strain suffered near the end of the '22 season. 

Petty posted a 1.72 ERA in 18 starts for Dayton and Chattanooga. The Reds' No. 6 prospect struck out 66, walked 15 and did not allow a home run in 68 innings.

2 possible breakout players to watch in 2024 …

SS Edwin Arroyo

Ranked No. 3 in the organization and No. 57 overall, Arroyo hit 13 home runs with 60 RBIs and 29 steals with Dayton and Chattanooga and also played well defensively. He came to the Reds with Marte and Levi Stoudt in the July 30, 2022, trade with the Mariners for Luis Castillo.

“He played the whole season as a 19-year-old minus [September]. To see what he’s done there, in particular, at shortstop where he’s made all the plays and continuing to develop and grow there," Pender said. "He’s an exciting kid.”

RHP Rhett Lowder

The No. 2 prospect in the organization and No. 41 overall, Lowder did not play professionally this season after he was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 Draft. Considered a polished pitcher with strong command and control, the righty was considered to have one of the best changeups in college baseball.

1 big question for next season …

Who's next?

After having several players break through into the big leagues, it will be on player development to keep the prospects flowing. A few made their debuts late in the 2023 season -- such as pitchers Connor Phillips, Lyon Richardson and Carson Spiers. They will be pushing to stay in '24, and others -- such as Dunn, Hurtubise and outfielder Rece Hinds -- will seek to make their arrivals.