Cincinnati Reds Prospect Recognized After Hot Start In Triple-A

The Minor League season began on March 31 for the Louisville Bats. Rece Hinds has been recognized for his incredible start to the season.

The 25-year-old was named the International League Player of the Week for the week of March 31-April 5. In nine games to begin the season, Hinds is batting .382 with four home runs and 14 RBIs. More importantly for his development, his strikeouts are down, and he is boasting a .476 on-base percentage.

Time For Promotion?

May 17, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Rece Hinds (57) catches a pop up hit by Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (not pictured) in the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Is it time to bring him up to the big league club right now? The Reds are not utilizing Noelvi Marte in the outfield with much consistency, and his bat isn't quite performing like anyone had hoped to start the season. In 12 at-bats, Marte has just one hit with two walks and six strikeouts. TJ Friedl is struggling mightily in his first nine games of 2026, and that leads to asking if regression is finally hitting the 30-year-old outfielder. He's just 3-30 with 11 strikeouts, and defensively, he is noticeably slower, and his arm strength is far less than it has been in the past.

Hinds has showcased a solid arm from the outfield and has good speed. In a short sample size in 2025, he was in the 98th percentile in sprint speed and was a positive in arm value. In 2024, Hinds was in the 92nd percentile in sprint speed and plus one in Outs Above Average.

The issue with Hinds is inconsistency. Last season, he played in just 15 games at the big league level. When he had everyday playing time, he put together a 20/20 season in Triple-A and was named the team's Most Valuable Player.

TJ Friedl Struggles

Friedl has really struggled to start the season in every way compared to his previous seasons. He had a great spring, slashing .326/.396/.435 with three extra-base hits. It's his advanced stats that have me concerned. In 2025, he was above league average in batting run value, base running run value, and fielding run value; this season, he is far below league average in batting and fielding value.

His hitting stats are also in decline. In 2025, his squared-up percentage was in the 88th percentile, and his hard hit percentage was at 32 percent. This season, he's at 14 percent for squared-up percentage, which is in the seventh percentile, and his hard hit percentage is in the one percentile at 15.8 percent.

Defensively, he's in the 29th percentile in outs above average, and his arm value is in the 18th percentile. There was a throw he made that was five miles per hour slower than league average for left fielders and seven miles per hour slower than the center field average.

What's Next?

Mar 31, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Noelvi Marte (4) runs the bases on a single hit by third baseman Ke'bryan Hayes (not pictured) in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Reds have a tough decision to make with Hinds. He deserves a fair shot at everyday playing time with how he performed last season in Triple-A, this spring, and his short stint in Louisville this season. The Reds will have a tough call to make when it comes to Marte, only having 12 at-bats this season. That seems like the most likely move to make and give him everyday playing time in the outfield in Louisville. Marte has some kinks to work on at the plate, and being a relatively new outfielder, it may be best to let him work on that in Triple-A to get the hot bat up.