In the first somewhat surprise of the 2026 Community Prospect Rankings, outfielder Hector Rodriguez has claimed the #4 spot in one of the tightest votes I can remember. In fact, I let it run a few hours longer than originally intended since on three separate occasions this morning I checked the results only to find a different Cincinnati Reds prospect actually in the lead.
Here are the results when I officially called time, and you can see just how tightly packed this bunch was.
Hector is certainly well qualified here, even if he entered the 2025 season with significantly less fanfare than the rest of the names he was up against here. At just 21 years of age last season, he mashed AA Southern League pitching to the tune of .298/.357/.481 with 12 homers in 345 games, and that earned him a promotion up to AAA Louisville for the remainder of the regular season. He hit just .260/.304/.405 with the Bats, but that was dented heavily by a .540 OPS in 17 September games in a year that saw him play in more games than he’d ever played in before.
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He’s got a plus hit tool and elite plate coverage, his contact rate (and lack of strikeouts) absolutely his calling card. And with the Reds reluctant to add clear roadblocks to his path to the big league outfield, there’s a very real chance he hits his way right into the heart of the Cincinnati lineup early in 2026.
All that from the New York Mets for what remained of Tyler Naquin. We’ll take it!