There will be plenty of talented Cincinnati Reds prospects on display once spring training kicks off in Goodyear, Arizona. The vast majority will be competing for the fifth starter role, with Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, and Chase Petty, among others squarely in the mix.

But beneath the shimmer of these top arms competing for a roster spot, some other promising youngsters will be on the scene, looking to make an impact and announce their arrivals to the world. Three in particular stand out.

These Reds prospects angling for a breakout in spring trainingCam Collier, Reds infield prospect

With such lofty credentials, it might seem strange to call Cam Collier overlooked. It’s true, talent evaluators have recognized the potential within the youngster. However, he’s coming off a year where he underwent a strange power outage, hitting just four homers and posting a combined .384 SLG in 2025.

But Collier isn’t top of mind for anyone anymore. Sal Stewart has eclipsed him, and since the start of last season, the Reds have added Ke’Bryan Hayes and, now, Eugenio Suarez to block his path at the infield corners. With that said, if the 21-year-old can flip the power switch back on this spring, he’ll change the narrative and have folks scrambling to figure out how he can fit in the crowded fray in the near future.

Jose Franco, Reds pitching prospect

Whether or not Jose Franco is under the radar depends on who you ask. MLB Pipeline considers him fringy, ranking him 24th on the Reds’ top-30 list. FanGraphs sees him as one of the club’s most prized arms, ranking him as Cincinnati’s sixth-best prospect overall.

What we know is that the right-hander finally put together a healthy season in 2025 and made his way all the way up to Louisville. If he can show that he can pair his high-octane heater and slippery slider with an improved change-up and tighten up his command during the spring, he could soon find himself leap-frogging some others, like Petty, in the competition for the fifth starter. He’s a long shot to win the job, but he has a chance to make enough of an impression to get the call should someone get hurt or falter.

Leo Balcazar, Reds infield prospect

With Edwin Arroyo set to represent Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, an influx of shortstop reps will flow onto Leo Balcazar. The Reds’ No. 22 prospect, Balcazar is known for his smooth glove work, but he also showed some life with the bat while splitting time between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga.

The 21-year-old cut his strikeout rate from a 24.4% mark in 2024 to a combined 13.4% last season. While not a big home run threat, he also showed more power while in Daytona, hitting nine of his 12 total homers and putting up a .413 SLG at the lower level.

If he can take advantage of the extra opportunities, prove that he can slash line drives around the field, and maintain decent plate discipline, he could get himself into the utility infielder role conversation. It might not happen right away, but a strong performance could punch his ticket for a big league role sooner rather than later.