The Reds eye contention with a promising blend of talent.
Coming off a season where they made it to the playoffs as a Wild Card team, the Cincinnati Reds find themselves sitting right in the middle of the pack when it comes to minor league talent.
ESPN prospect analyst Kiley McDaniel released his 2026 farm system rankings on Wednesday, and Cincinnati landed at No. 15 with an estimated value of $198 million and three prospects in the top 100.
Stewart Leads the Way
The Reds' top-ranked prospect is third baseman Sal Stewart, who comes in at No. 17 overall in the top 100.
McDaniel had high praise for Stewart's development, saying that he was too low on the infielder at draft time but jumped on board early in pro ball and was rewarded for doing so.
Stewart's bat has been his calling card throughout his rise in the minors, and he showed flashes of that during his September call-up in 2025 when he hit .255 with a .545 slugging percentage in 18 regular season games while also driving in runs during both playoff games against the Dodgers.
If he can improve his third-base defense in 2026, McDaniel believes he could be an All-Star-level talent.
Beyond Stewart, McDaniel highlighted catching prospect Alfredo Duno as someone with huge potential and the tools to stick behind the plate with 30-homer upside, so long as he can stay healthy.
Infielders Tyson Lewis and Steele Hall are also mentioned as arrow-up candidates for 2026 if their bat speed can help improve their contact rates.
Looking at 2026
The Reds finished the 2025 regular season with an 83-79 record, good enough for third place in the NL Central and a spot in the playoffs as the third Wild Card team before being swept by the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cincinnati's young core of Elly De La Cruz, Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo gives the team a foundation to build around, and the front office is facing big questions about whether to push toward contention or take a different approach.
With Terry Francona now at the helm and prospects like Stewart ready to contribute at the big league level, the farm system doesn't need to carry as much weight as it would for a rebuilding team.
The Reds are also continuing to invest in international talent, recently signing shortstop prospect Angel Nuñez for $3 million as the centerpiece of their 2026 international class.
Where Things Stand
The ranking shows a slight drop from last year when Cincinnati sat at No. 13 with $210 million in estimated value.
Some of that decline can be traced to top pitching prospects like Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder either graduating or getting closer to the big leagues.
The good news for Reds fans is that Stewart, Duno, and the rest of the next wave are knocking on the door and could make real contributions to a team that is clearly trying to win now rather than later.
McDaniel's system values prospects who rank high in the top 100 over having a bunch of lower-ranked players, which explains why the Brewers took the top spot in this year's rankings with eight top-100 prospects and $349 million in estimated value.
For Cincinnati, having three impact-level prospects at the top of the system along with solid depth behind them puts them in a reasonable position as they look to build on last year's playoff appearance and make some noise in the NL Central.