Reds Farm Report

A fifth-round selection by Cleveland in 2016, outfielder Conner Capel paced the Bats offense in April during his first season with the Reds organization. In 24 games, Capel hit seven home runs with 15 RBIs, seven doubles and 15 walks. He led or tied for the team lead in each of those categories while sporting a .390 on-base percentage. The Reds added Capel to the big league roster on Tuesday. Third baseman Levi Jordan was a hitting machine in the first month, logging a .404 average with a .483 OBP. He hit safely in 13 of his 15 April games, which included a 10-game hitting streak, and was only slowed down by a brief stint on the injured list.

Reds No. 14 prospect Lyon Richardson posted a 3.50 ERA in five April starts. He especially found his groove during the middle of the month, allowing only two earned runs in his final three April starts while striking out 20 batters. Tony Santillan has been a workhorse out of Bats’ bullpen, and an effective one at that. He didn’t surrender an earned run in 11 of his 12 April appearances and allowed a hit in just two of those games. Through the first week of May, Santillan led all International League pitchers with 15 games.

Second baseman Ivan Johnson has been the primary offensive threat for the Lookouts in the early going. The 25-year-old hit .269 with three doubles, two homers, six RBIs and a nearly .400 on-base percentage in April. Outfielder Jack Rogers matched Johnson with 14 hits and added a team-high 10 RBIs. Austin Hendrick’s 15 hits in April were tops among Chattanooga hitters and his five stolen bases only trailed the six by Tyler Callihan.

While it doesn’t show in the win column, pitcher Sam Benschoter was the Lookouts’ best starter In April. He had a 3.47 ERA in five starts along with 29 strikeouts, matching the Southern League lead in that category. Through the first week of May, reliever Zach Maxwell was still boasting a clean sheet for the season. The Reds’ No. 27 prospect was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in seven April games with 17 punchouts and added two more scoreless appearances to start off the new month.

It doesn’t take more than a quick glance at the Dragons' stat sheet for April to see where the bulk of the offense came from. No. 7 prospect Cam Collier hit just shy of .300 and mashed seven long balls with 25 RBIs, earning him Reds Minor League Player of the Month honors. But he received plenty of help with four of his teammates adding three homers of their own, giving Dayton the second-most home runs in the league for the first month. Outfielder Hector Rodriguez was one of those players, and the No. 13 prospect hit .325 with 16 RBIs. Third baseman Sal Stewart and outfielder Jay Allen II also reached the .300 plateau and both reached base at over a .420 clip.

Entering the season, all eyes were on the Reds’ top pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Rhett Lowder. The pitcher was selected seventh overall and has not disappointed in his first professional season. Lowder made four starts in April and finished the month 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA and 20 K’s in 19.1 innings of work. He was promoted to Double-A on May 8. Ryan Cardona started two games and pitched out of the ‘pen twice, totaling a 3.06 ERA with 18 strikeouts. Cardona has recorded a sub-3.50 ERA in each of his first three professional seasons.

Outfielder Ariel Almonte has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Reds’ Single-A affiliate. Almonte blasted a Florida State League-high seven home runs in April and had raised that total to nine through the first weekend of May. No other player in the league had more than four homers in that span. Shortstop Dominic Pitelli had a strong start as well with a .333 average, .378 on-base percentage and 23 hits with seven doubles, all of which led the Dragons in April. Pitelli also added seven steals and 10 RBIs.

There was no shortage of sensational pitchers for Daytona in April. At just 19 years old, Adam Serwinowski made four starts (4 IP in each) and didn’t allow a single run in any of them. He was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Month. In five starts covering 22.2 IP, Brian Edgington recorded a 1.99 ERA with 27 strikeouts. Including his first start of May, Edgington allowed one earned run or fewer in five of his six starts. Another starter, Jose Franco, ended April with a 1.84 ERA and 22 strikeouts. From the bullpen, Nestor Lorant and Anyer Laureano combined to allow just two earned runs in 25.1 innings of relief.