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GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Many of the Reds’ inaugural Spring Breakout participants have made strong impressions early this spring, generating plenty of praise from manager David Bell and their peers in both Minor League and Major League camp.
But none has stood out quite like Edwin Arroyo has.
“He’s exactly what you want to see from a young player,” Bell said. “He’s talented and really hard-working. He’s really serious. He’s determined to get to the big leagues as quickly as he can. But he has good perspective on where he is and he knows he has to continue to improve.
“He showed his talent in a good way.”
Although the 20-year-old shortstop was one of the 12 players Cincinnati reassigned to Minor League camp on Thursday as part of its first round of cuts this spring, Arroyo might’ve been the biggest standout from Reds camp through the first half of Spring Training.
The switch-hitter swung the bat well, hitting .333 with a pair of doubles in 15 at-bats, showcasing a solid foundation to build upon with his plate approach. He also made a handful of impressive defensive plays, displaying his lauded fielding abilities that many evaluators believe will translate smoothly at the next level.
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Now, he gets a chance to show it all off next week during Spring Breakout, when the Reds -- the only Cactus League team playing two games in the event -- face Rangers prospects on March 14 at 6:05 p.m. ET/3:05 p.m. MST at Surprise Stadium and Guardians prospects on March 16 at 7:05 p.m. ET/4:05 p.m. MST at Goodyear Ballpark.
“I know that the vibes over there are going to be awesome,” Arroyo said. “A lot of competition. I will personally do my best, and it’s going to be fun to face other prospects.”
The opportunity allows Arroyo, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Reds’ No. 3 prospect and the No. 67 prospect overall, to play with an infield contingent that, including himself, features four of the club’s Top 10 prospects: Sal Stewart (No. 6), Cam Collier (No. 7) and Carlos Jorge (No. 8).
It’s a talent-rich group that mirrors the Reds’ young infield led by Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte (Cincinnati’s No. 1 prospect who was recently suspended for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance) and Matt McLain, whom Arroyo seems to have learned a lot from during his time in big league camp.
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“It’s really cool,” Arroyo said. “I met Noelvi when we were in Seattle, we’ve been together for a long time. I met Elly right away when I got here, which was pretty cool. Just being around them here in the big league clubhouse is awesome, learning everything from them.”
It’s easy to be excited about Cincinnati’s future with all the talent that exists throughout its organization, and with the emergence of Arroyo this spring, it appears there is even more reason for optimism.
“I feel like I worked pretty [hard] in the offseason,” Arroyo said. “Mostly, the thing I was working on was mentally relaxing, and the approach and everything. So I feel like it’s been working. I still can get better at it, though, so I will just keep going.”
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LOWDER READY TO SHOWCASE STUFF
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Also expected to participate in Spring Breakout? Rhett Lowder.
The Reds’ top pitching prospect -- and No. 34 overall -- has already managed to impress the club this spring after being selected in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Lowder didn’t pitch last summer, having hit his innings limit during his final season at Wake Forest, so he’s eager to showcase his stuff against other top prospects.
“I don’t have much experience in pro ball, so just another outing is going to be awesome,” Lowder said.
Above-average control and a plus changeup make Lowder one of the top right-handed pitching prospects in MLB, but he also boasts a mid-90s fastball and a mid-80s slider to complement his highest-graded offering.
“It should be fun, it’s going to be a good group of guys,” Lowder said. “We’ve got a good group going. I think it should be a lot of fun facing off with a lot of other prospects that are looking to make a name for themselves. So it should be a good time.”
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“I think any experience is good. You’re playing against other good [prospects]. Any time you can put yourself into a new situation, an uncomfortable situation, I think it’s a good thing. It’s the first time we’ve ever done it. We have two games, which is a little bit different than the other teams, but it should be a good experience. We have it all planned out, guys need to be playing anyway. I’m excited to see how it goes.” -- Bell, on the opportunity Spring Breakout provides for Reds prospects
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