Reds Breakout Prospect Making Waves, Tabbed 2026 Prospect of the Year

The Reds didn't have much success at the big league level, but they had some success in the minor leagues.

Reds prospect Carter Graham played part of the 2025 season for the Daytona Tortugas. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Reds had a down year this season. They didn't make the postseason and finished well below .500 this season after making the postseason a year ago. It's a season with Elly De La Cruz in his prime that the Reds completely wasted. Sal Stewart and Chase Burns were both incredible, but none of it mattered because the team finished well out of postseason contention.

But they have some exciting players to follow in the minor leagues. Players like Alfredo Duno, Steele Hall, and Justin Lebron are well known among Reds fans, but there are some under-the-radar prospects making waves, too.

Thomas Nestico of TJStats recently listed prospect Carter Graham as the Reds' 2026 prospect of the year, even going as far as to place Graham in his top 100 prospects list.

Carter Graham Was Spectacular in the Minor Leagues This Year

Cincinnati Reds Cactus League spring training hat for the 2026 season at the Cincinnati Reds player development complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"Carter Graham was well on his way to being unprotected in the 2026 Rule 5 Draft prior to this year. His pro career has been marred by underwhelming results and repeated stints in the lower minors — all of which produced below-average offensive results," Nestico wrote. "That all changed this season where he drastically slashed his chase rate while illustrating significant improvement in his raw power. His quality of contact metrics ranked near the top of MiLB and yielded exceptional results. On the year, he posted a .986 OPS with 29 HR without many glaring flaws in his profile.

"This development catapulted Graham into my Top 100 prospect rankings following the draft and he has remained a steady force with Chattanooga in AA. This outlandish decision was certainly a unique one, but he showed enough promise this season that he was deserving of the spotlight. He has seen his underlying metrics steadily decline in the upper minors, but they still rank well-above league average."

Graham was incredible this season. He slashed .300/.421/.565 with 29 home runs and 31 doubles across two levels of the minor leagues. Before this season, he had 18 home runs across three years in the minor leagues with an OPS below .700. He was on the borderline of being unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft and eventually lost to another team, but his turnaround in 2026 has made him a prospect to watch going forward.

The Reds haven't seen him past the Double-A level, but with his production this season, he's a candidate to make waves on the big-league roster. Graham is a name to watch over the offseason. If he can have a productive winter, he could be an impact maker next year.