Reds Former First-Round Draft Pick Is Heating Up After Breakout Game

After a slow start to the season, Cam Collier is heating up in Double-A with the Chattanooga Lookouts. On Thursday night, the 21-year-old went 3-3 with a double and a triple, with three RBIs and two walks. The Lookouts won 6-4 over the Knoxville Smokies, the Chicago Cubs’ Double-A affiliate.

Redemption Season

Last season did not go the way the Reds or Collier had hoped. Near the end of camp, Collier suffered a torn ligament in his thumb that ultimately required surgery. He did not return to game action until May 19 on a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League. He played 10 games there before going to High-A in Dayton for 11 games. In Dayton, he slashed .293/.370/.415 with just three extra-base hits. He was promoted to Double-A on June 17 and played the final 74 games with Chattanooga. Unfortunately, the power never materialized for Collier last season; he hit just four home runs across all three levels, with 21 doubles. He posted the lowest OPS since his first full professional season in 2023 at just .775.

This season, he is looking a lot more like the player the organization got excited about in 2024, a season that saw him hit 20 home runs with a .798 OPS and .279 batting average. He is currently slashing .265/.363/.485 with three home runs, four doubles and a triple. Over his last 51 plate appearances, he's slashing .296/.373/.614.

He still has a lot of offensive potential. He has a smooth left-handed swing that takes the ball to all fields with gap power.

Box Score Recap

Chattanooga won this game 6-4 in Knoxville. Cam Collier wasn't the only Lookout to have a big game. Jay Allen went 2-5 with a double and a run scored. Carlos Jorge went 2-4 with a run scored out of the leadoff spot. Austin Hendrick provided the power on Thursday night. He went 2-4 with a three-run home run and a walk. Hendrick is having a career season early in 2026. He is slashing .338/.386/.538 with three home runs. While he is still striking out at a good rate, he has cut that down in each of the last three seasons. He is currently below 30 percent for the first time in his career.

Jose Montero struggled early for the Lookouts. He pitched 2 2/3 innings and walked four, allowing a run with a strikeout. Jared Lyons pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief with three earned runs and three strikeouts, earning the win. Taylor Floyd earns a three-inning save, throwing three perfect innings with five strikeouts.

Around The Minors

Daytona lost to Jupiter 7-9. Edgar Colon pitched just 1 2/3 innings with six earned runs allowed on six hits. Tyson Lewis went 1-4, Bernard Moon went 1-4 with two RBIs. Drew Davies went 1-4 with a triple. Kyle Henley and Rafhlmil Torres were the two Tortugas with a multi-hit effort. Henley was 3-4 with three RBIs and stole his 16th base of the year. Torres went 2-4 with a walk and a stolen base, with a run scored.

Dayton lost 10-4 to South Bend. Kien Vu was hit in the head but remained in the game. Ryan McCrystal was hit in the hand and remained in the game. Vu was 0-3 with a walk, and McCrystal was 0-1 with three walks. Alfredo Alcantara hit his first home run of the season; he was 1-3 with three RBIs and two walks. Alfredo Duno continues to struggle early in the season in High-A. The Reds' number-one prospect went 0-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. He is hitting just .208 with a .689 OPS. Yerlin Confidan went 0-5 with four strikeouts.

Luke Hayden left the game early with an apparent injury. He pitched two innings without allowing a hit, and he walked four with three earned runs.

Louisville defeated the Iowa Cubs 1-0 on a gritty start from Chase Petty, who was activated from the injured list on Thursday. He allowed two hits with three strikeouts. Trevor Kuncl earned his first save at the Triple-A level on nine pitches in the ninth, seven of which were strikes. JJ Bleday went 2-3 with a triple and a walk, Hector Rodriguez was 3-4, and Francisco Urbaez drove in the only run of the game; he was 1-4.

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