Every year, a handful of players ranked outside the top 10 in their respective farm systems take meaningful steps forward to improve their stock and vault up prospect rankings. Part of the fun is trying to identify those breakouts before it happens. So today, we’re identifying Reds prospects who have the potential to make a jump in 2026.

To qualify, a player must rank outside the organization’s preseason Top 10 prospects. All scouting reports are from Baseball America’s 2026 Prospect handbook, which you can purchase here.

You can find Top 30 prospect rankings for all teams here and all breakout candidates here.

Breakout Prospects

Adolfo Sanchez, OF

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: The Reds signed Sanchez for $2.7 million in January 2024, but in his first taste of pro ball, he was overmatched by Dominican Summer League pitchers. Sanchez struck out 33.8% of the time in 2024, but in a return to the DSL, he showed massive improvements, hitting .339/.474/.505 with a 13.6% strikeout rate. A minor knee injury ended his season early.

Scouting Report: Pro ball quickly taught Sanchez that some of his pre-swing movements had to be cleaned up. In his first season, he laid his bat on his shoulder to start his setup, and then brought his hands down with an extended waggle. He cleaned that up for 2025, beginning with a much simpler setup and more conventional load with quieter hands. That allowed him to be more direct and quicker to the ball. The results were dramatic. While he hasn’t shown in-game power, he has well above-average exit velocities, but now he marries that with above-average contact skills as well. Sanchez now looks much more like the polished hitter the Reds scouted as an amateur. Defensively, he splits his time between center and right. His above-average arm plays in either spot.

The Future: It used to be that repeating the Dominican Summer League was a near kiss of death for a hitter, but with strict roster limits and no short-season leagues, it’s becoming more common for hitters to figure out issues before coming to the States. Sanchez will make his U.S. debut in 2026. He projects as a well-rounded, productive outfielder.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55

Mason Morris, RHP

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: Morris emerged as Ole Miss’s fireman out of the bullpen in 2025 after two middling seasons in the Rebels’ bullpen. While he was a reliever, he wasn’t a closer—he averaged nearly three innings an outing. He generally worked one lengthy relief outing per weekend, including an eight-strikeout, five scoreless inning relief outing against Tennessee. The Reds watched him get better and better as the season progressed, and made him one of the few college relievers in recent years to be taken with a top-100 pick.

Scouting Report: Morris is now a full-time pitcher, but there’s a little more tread on his tires than there is for most power pitchers because he arrived in college as a first baseman/third baseman who also pitched. At his best, he shows feel for two swing-and-miss secondaries to go with a powerful 96-98 mph above-average fastball, a mid-90s cutter and a high-80s slider. His fastball sets the other two pitches up, because it is a bit true. He’s used a fringy changeup in the past. Morris had struggled to throw strikes in the past, but showed average control in 2025.

The Future: The Reds expect to see if Morris can transition to a starting role in pro ball. It shouldn’t be a dramatic adjustment, as he was already throwing up to 75 pitches in relief outings. With his power stuff and recent improvements, he could emerge as a third-round steal.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Cutter: 55 | Control: 50

Eli Pitts, OF

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 30

Track Record: Pitts was long viewed as a player to watch in the 2025 class—he was receiving scholarship offers before he entered high school. But in his draft year, he battled a hamstring injury that largely kept him from being at his best. The South Florida signee signed with the Reds for $572,500.

Scouting Report: Pitts may not have gotten many chances to show his plus-plus speed in the lead-up to the draft, but it’s a key part of his game as it makes him a potentially above-average defender in center and a threat on the basepaths. But Pitts is not just a speedster. His swing is straightforward, with a short stroke that still generates plenty of bat speed and power potential. In some ways, his hamstring injury allowed the Reds to bear down on the other aspects of his game, as he has power and hitting ability in addition to his speed.

The Future: The Reds often take it slow with high school draftees, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Pitts head to the Arizona Complex League to make his debut. He has a much higher ceiling than most fifth round picks as a power-speed center fielder.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 70 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50