Héctor Rodríguez got to the majors earlier this week against the Athletics, but he may not be the last Reds prospect to break through before 2026 is over.
Rodríguez became the sixth player in the organization to make his MLB debut this season, following Edwin Arroyo, Zach McCambley, José Franco, Julian Garcia, and Ivan Johnson. With only a handful of Cincinnati’s better prospects currently at Triple-A, the September 1 roster expansion could open the door for a few more names to get a look.
One of the more intriguing possibilities is Jose Acuña, a pitcher who came to the Reds in the same 2022 deal that brought Rodríguez over from the New York Mets. Acuña and Rodríguez were both part of the package Cincinnati sent out in exchange for former outfielder Tyler Naquin.
Acuña started the year in Double-A Chattanooga and has since moved up to Triple-A Louisville, where the competition has been tougher. He’s sitting on a 4.68 ERA for the season, and if the Reds are out of the playoff picture down the stretch, he could be in line for a start or two in September.
Carlos Jorge is another name worth watching. He’s been in the organization for a while now, though he changed roles along the way, moving from second base to the outfield a few years ago.
Like Acuña, he earned a midseason promotion to Louisville and is now trying to adjust to Triple-A pitching. Jorge isn’t built around power; he wins with contact, and his combined batting average over the last two seasons is .278.
He’s a strong athlete and a plus defender, but the bat may not be loud enough to keep him in the majors for long. Even so, an audition later this summer would not be a surprise.
Not every prospect is trending toward a 2026 debut, though. Leo Balcazar looks like the one who’ll need more time.
Cincinnati added him to the 40-man roster in the offseason, and he started the year on a hot streak, but the season has made the gap clearer. At Double-A Chattanooga, he hit just .241/.328/.364, and the Reds have now sent him to Triple-A Louisville for the final two months.
If he was already challenged at the lower level, Triple-A may be even less forgiving. For now, Balcazar doesn’t look like a candidate to reach the active roster this season.
In Other News...
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For a farm system always looking for the next everyday option in the middle of the diamond, the assignment says plenty about how the Reds view his timeline. The move also came as the organization elevated top-30 pitching prospect Edgar Colon to High-A Dayton, another sign that the club is sorting through some intriguing young talent while it waits to see which arms and bats can handle the next test. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Williamson Just Raised A Tough Reds Rotation Question
Brandon Williamsons path back to the Reds took another shaky turn this week, and it comes at a time when the rotation picture is already getting crowded. Williamson last appeared in a major league game on April 29 before landing on the injured list with left-shoulder fatigue, and his latest step in Triple-A Louisville was supposed to move him closer to Cincinnati. Instead, it left the club with even more to think about as Nick Lodolo nears a return and the staff keeps one eye on how to manage Chase Burns.
The bigger issue is no longer just whether Williamson is healthy enough to help, but how the Reds fit him in if he is. Cincinnati has enough moving parts in the rotation that Williamsons next stop could depend as much on roster math as on his arm, and that makes his comeback an uneasy one to sort out. The club also has some recent momentum at the plate, with four top hitters, including JJ Bleday, going deep in a recent game, but the pitching side now has a decision that could shape the next stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]