The Reds’ farm system is looking a little different these days, and ESPN’s latest prospect update makes that plain. With several key names already out of the pipeline and into the majors, Cincinnati’s top 10 now has a fresh look, featuring three new draft picks near the top and a system that’s still searching for more depth.
Kiley McDaniel’s rankings reflect the turnover. He pointed out that Sal Stewart, Rhett Lowder, Edwin Arroyo and Chase Petty have all graduated, which has thinned out the group compared with where it stood earlier in the season. Even so, there are still some promising young players climbing through the organization.
The biggest new name is shortstop Justin Lebron, whom the Reds selected 18th overall in the 2026 MLB Draft out of the University of Alabama. Lebron appeared in 61 games for the Tide in 2026 and hit .277/.386/.534 with 29 extra-base hits and 42 stolen bases. The upside is obvious, but there are questions about how steady he was in SEC play.
“He has exceptional range at short, a high-caliber arm, lightning-quick hands, good power for a middle infielder and elite instincts on the basepaths,” MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince wrote.
Cincinnati is betting on the ceiling here. Just a year ago, some scouts viewed Lebron as a player with top-three-pick talent, which tells you the kind of swing the Reds were willing to take.
Another fresh face is Eric Becker, the No. 58 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft from the University of Virginia. Becker put together a strong year in college, slashing .317/.427/.533 with 24 extra-base hits and seven home runs for the Cavaliers in 2026. The Reds have already pushed him aggressively, sending him to High-A Dayton, where he’s 3-for-16 with a home run through four games.
“Becker is a fundamentally sound shortstop and lefthanded hitter who has been the engine for Virginia’s lineup since his freshman year,” Baseball America's scouting report read on Becker. “He hit over .300 in all three seasons and finished his career with a .348/.448/.600 slash line, 24 home runs and 46 doubles.
At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Becker has a loose and easy operation at the plate. He has a clean lefthanded swing that goes directly to the ball and leads to line-drive contact all over the field.
Becker has above-average contact skills and has never punched out at a worrying clip, but he’s also a touch aggressive and has a modest 9.3% career walk rate.”
The third newcomer is Mulivai Levu, Cincinnati’s second-round pick from UCLA. Levu split time between first base and third base in college and hit .340/.441/.622 with 31 extra-base hits in 59 games in 2026.
“Levu can drive the baseball to all parts of the yard, but his highest quality of contact comes to the pull side, where he has comfortably above-average power,” Baseball America wrote. “Levu has average bat-to-ball skills, though he has the tendency to expand the zone up or away against fastballs and away against secondaries.”
For now, the message is pretty clear: the Reds’ system needed a reset, and these three draft picks are a big part of the attempt to get it pointed back in the right direction.
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