Surging Reds prospect suddenly making a September call-up feel very realistic

Cincinnati Reds v San Diego Padres | Jeff Dean/GettyImagesAfter a season and a half as a high-leverage reliever in Triple-A, Zach Maxwell is forcing the Cincinnati Reds to take notice. He has long been seen as a potential big-league closer but has struggled with a high walk rate. This season, though, has seen him unleash his potential and climb into the conversation about September call-ups.

Maxwell, known as Big Sugar, has a plus-fastball and plus-slider that blow away opposing batters. Unfortunately, the power stuff hasn’t always landed in the zone, resulting in a walk rate that climbed to 16.2% in his first taste of Triple-A in 2024.

In his second go-round, Maxwell has cut that rate down…