Baseball America Gives Reds Farm System a D, but the Grade Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story

The Cincinnati Reds farm system received an unfortunate grade from a highly touted publication called Baseball America. The grade does not tell the whole story.

Rough Grade

Earlier this week, Baseball America gave the Cincinnati Reds minor league system a grade of a D. Not good. Moreover, they have ranked their system 28th out of 30. With the major league team struggling and having a historically bad season in many ways, this news is not helping keep fans positive.

To pour more salt into this wound, the rest of the division received higher grades than the Reds. The Cubs got a C, the Pirates got a B, and the Brewers and Cardinals received A's. This does not bode well for the future of the Reds. Every other team in the division is set up better than the Redlegs going forward, but that isn't the whole story.

More to the Story

Sep 1, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Hector Rodriguez (43) high fives third baseman Edwin Arroyo (2) after the victory over the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The graduation of top prospects like Sal Stewart and moving pitchers like Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder through the system more quickly than normal were rationales for Baseball America to rank the Reds' system so low. Some organizations might hold young players back and 'prospect-hoard' to keep their farm system fully stocked. Here's the kicker: the ranking might get worse before it gets better.

The Cincinnati Reds' top 10 prospects right now include Carlos Jorge and Hector Rodriguez. Both of those players will probably graduate off the list sooner rather than later. So the Reds' grade going into early parts of 2027 could actually go down, but there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

2027 and Beyond

A good majority of the talent in the Reds Minor Leagues is in the lower levels. The Reds' 2025 first-round pick, Steele Hall, has had a great first professional season, where he hit .288 with 10 home runs and an OPS of .904 in 58 games in the Arizona Complex League. This earned him a promotion to Low-A Daytona. Another first-round pick, Justin Lebron, also shined in High-A Dayton after he was drafted this past July. Those are just two of several guys excelling in the lower levels of the Reds system.

More top prospects in the Reds Organization that are in the lower levels include Tyson Lewis (A+), Aaron Watson (A), Eric Becker (A+), Jirvin Morillo (A), and Mulivai Levu (A). Also, Drew Davies and Ichiro Cano were both named to the Florida State League All-Star Team recently, and they are both in Low-A with hopes of playing in Dayton in 2027. The immediate future might not look bright, but down the road, the Reds farm system will be better.

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