The Cincinnati Reds are sitting at 43-52 and more than 15 games back in the National League Central, which makes the second half feel like a stretch where the front office could be leaning toward selling. If that happens, it could also open the door for a few prospects to get their first look in the majors.
Three names stand out as the most likely candidates to get the call.
Hector Rodriguez looks like the safest bet of the group. Short of an injury changing the picture, it feels like only a matter of time before he makes his big league debut. Rodriguez came over from the New York Mets in the Tyler Naquin deal years ago, and he has spent the time since then doing exactly what you want from a bat-first prospect: hit.
In 89 games, Rodriguez is slashing .284/.364/.546 with 42 extra-base hits. The swing decisions still need work - he chased more than 46% of the time in Triple-A last season - but that number has come down to 34% this year.
It’s still too high, but the trend is heading in the right direction. If he keeps cleaning that up, he gives the Reds a real chance to get production from him in the second half.
Hunter Parks may not show up on a lot of major prospect rankings, but his season has been hard to ignore. He opened the year in Double-A Chattanooga and didn’t allow an earned run in 11 appearances covering 15 innings.
Since moving up to Triple-A, the results have been rougher. In just over 17 innings with the Bats, he has allowed 12 earned runs on 20 hits.
Even so, Parks remains a name to watch. He’s a converted starter, and the Reds selected him in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. With a number of Cincinnati relievers on expiring contracts likely to be moved at the deadline, Parks could be one of the arms who gets a shot later this season.
Carter Graham is the least likely of the three to arrive soon, mostly because he’s still at Double-A. But his season has forced people to pay attention.
Before this year, Graham had struggled offensively for much of his minor league career. That has changed in a big way.
He started at High-A Dayton and hit .322/.450/.614 with 34 extra-base hits in 43 games, earning a promotion to Chattanooga.
He has kept rolling there, too, batting .370/.463/.630 with six extra-base hits in 12 games for the Lookouts. MLB Pipeline noted that Graham had long been a hitter with some swing-and-miss issues around his approach, saying, "While Graham has never carried huge strikeout rates, the big right-handed hitter had scuffled over the first couple of years of his career with his overall approach," MLB Pipeline wrote.
"He'd always been a bit of an aggressive hitter, but he was chasing too much, especially against breaking stuff. That improved markedly in 2026 and that, along with an ability to loft the ball more consistently, allowed him to get to his considerable raw power, especially to his pull side."
Graham is still a step away from the majors, but if he keeps raking and with him turning 25 later this year, the Reds could decide to move quickly and give him an opportunity.
In Other News...
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What makes the pick so intriguing is the profile attached to it: a player with enough athleticism, power and defensive ability to dream on a rare all-around contributor, but with enough contact questions to keep the debate going. Keith Law framed the selection as the kind of high-risk, high-reward gamble that can look brilliant if the bat comes around, and frustrating if the swing-and-miss issues never fully clear. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Be Eyeing Another Wake Forest Ace For A Reason
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Chris Levonas is the latest Wake Forest right-hander drawing attention, and the fit is easy to understand from Cincinnatis side. Baseball America sees enough in his profile to put him on the Reds radar for 2027, which says plenty about how the organization views that program and the kind of arms it has been willing to bet on. The question now is whether the Reds keep leaning into a familiar source of pitching or decide to go in a different direction when that draft arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Hunter Greene Gets The Finale As Reds Fans Size Up Chase Burns Deal
After getting blown out in the middle game of the series, the Reds head into the finale against Colorado looking to steady themselves and avoid leaving another winnable set on the table. Hunter Greene gets the ball for Cincinnati, and the matchup comes with a familiar sense of importance for a club that has spent plenty of time trying to turn strong starting pitching into a more consistent week-to-week result.
Greenes recent work has already shown both ends of his range this season, which is part of what makes every one of his turns worth watching. On the other side, Ryan Feltner brings his own recent questions after missing time and then working back into form, so the final game has the feel of a clean pitching test as much as a series decider. It also comes against the backdrop of Chase Burns new long-term deal, a reminder that the Reds are trying to build around arms they believe can anchor the staff for years to come. [Read more 🡒]