Terry Francona has accomplished something important in 2025 with the Cincinnati Reds — he’s made the team undeniably competitive. If you zoom out and look at the entire franchise, you'll see that its farm system features many competitive battles of its own between prospects looking to break through in 2026.
One player who's rising rapidly through the minors is gifted outfielder Héctor Rodríguez, whom the Reds acquired from the Mets in 2022. The 21-year-old was so good in 2025 — 19 home runs combined in Triple-A and Double-A — that Cincy had to resist the temptation to fast-track him.