It has been a busy day for the Cincinnati Reds. Things got started when they signed JJ Bleday to a 1-year contract. Then later in the day they picked up another outfielder by trading for Dane Myers. Cincinnati sent outfield prospect Ethan O’Donnell to the Miami Marlins to complete the deal.
The Reds selected Ethan O’Donnell out of Virginia in the 6th round of the 2023 draft. After a brief stop in Arizona the Reds moved him up to Single-A Daytona that year where he played the final month of the season and hit .350/.447/.600 as he crushed the ball in the Florida State League.
In 2024 the club moved him up to High-A Dayton and things didn’t go nearly as well. O’Donnell dealt with some injuries throughout the season but played through them. He really struggled to hit for much of the season, but crushed the ball over the final five weeks to bring his line to .269/.358/.416 on the season. The outfielder also stole 31 bases in 36 tries with the Dragons.
That late season production helped get him promoted up to Double-A in 2025. He would spend the entire season with Chattanooga, playing in 125 games. His production dropped off as he hit just .236/.327/.325 for the Lookouts. His walk rate was up slightly over where it was with Dayton and his strikeout rate was nearly identical, but his power output went from mediocre-ish to poor. He also only stole 20 bases in 2025 despite playing more.
Ethan O’Donnell’s offense has gotten worse at each level he’s played. That said, there are still things to like. He has solid power potential even if he hasn’t been able to get to is with any regularity to this point in his career. He is fast and he’s a good defender, too. He’s not going to be on any top prospects lists at this point in his career, but there’s a chance he can be a big leaguer down the line who is probably more speed/defense over the bat.
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