This Reds Prospect Turned Heads With His Bat In 2025

Editor’s note: Advanced metrics are from low-A performance in a limited sample size (80 PA). Lewis had 144 PA during his full tenure in low-A .

Cincinnati's pipeline is loaded with talent, featuring an abundance of young players developing toward major league playing time. Already, highly touted prospects Chase Burns and Sal Stewart have made the jump, with more impressive players waiting in the wings. Among the talent, one particular Reds top prospect stole the spotlight throughout the 2025 season: Tyson Lewis.

Drafted out of Millard West High School in Nebraska, Lewis was selected with the Reds' second-round draft pick in 2024, and was swayed away from a college career at Arkansas with a $3.05m signing bonus. Just 19 years old, he boasts an athletic frame at 6’2”/195, with plenty of time to continue building strength. After showcasing his toolsy approach in the minors, Lewis appears poised to be a big part of the Reds' future plans.

Let’s take a look at how Lewis stacked up during his first pro season, and why the lefty-hitting shortstop turned heads in 2025.  

MiLB Performance

After starting his season in rookie ball (ACL Reds)—where he spent just 46 games—Lewis was eventually promoted to the Daytona Tortugas, the Reds’ low-A affiliate. While splitting his time between the two levels, Lewis slashed .311/.376/.486 through 81 games, while blasting nine homers and also swiping eight bags. His performance was enough to establish him as the Reds’ No. 3 prospect, after starting 2025 as the No. 9 in Cincinnati.

Tyson Lewis Prospect Savant page (80 PA sample size)

One of the most encouraging aspects of Lewis’s performance was his power potential. During his tenure in low-A, he boasted elite EV numbers and fell in the 93rd percentile with an average EV of 92.4 MPH. His 50% hard-hit rate placed him in the 91st percentile, while his 7.9% barrel rate landed in the 78th percentile. Scouts have Lewis’ raw power at 45/60 (current/future projection, 50 being MLB average tool) on the 20-80 scale, while in-game power is ranked lower at 25/50.

Tyson Lewis solo home run (August 13, 2025)

​The most concerning aspect of Lewis’ game in his first pro season was his contact abilities. Scouts have placed Lewis' hit tool at 20/40, as he struggled with maintaining consistent contact and plate discipline. In 2025, Lewis struck out 29.1% of the time across both levels, while his strikeout rate in low-A climbed to 33.5%.

There was a notable dip in Lewis’ offensive performance after promotion to low-A, where he slashed .268/.347/.417 compared to .340/.396/.532 in the ACL. His performance was still above average, as he boasted a 115 wRC+, but there were evident signs of struggle against more developed arms.

Future Outlook

The contact struggles are a legitimate concern, but Lewis is still young and has plenty of time to continue developing. While future success isn’t a sure thing, Lewis is definitely a bat the Reds will want to keep an eye on.

If he can improve his swing decisions and tighten the contact profile, Lewis’ power foundation gives him a legitimate chance to develop into an impact middle-of-the-order shortstop. He’ll have a lengthy offseason to continue developing a strong foundation, and can cash in on a monster 2026 with the right adjustments. The potential is there; all that’s left is unlocking it.

(Statistics found in: mlb.com, milb.com, baseball-reference.com, fangraphs.com, prospectsavant.com, texasleaguers.com)

Cover photo: Daytona Tortugas via X