The Reds already have a pretty good shortstop playing for them, if you didn’t know that already. But for as much as Elly De La Cruz has impressed, the general thinking is that once his contract ends in 2029, he might opt to leave the Queen City for a big payday in somewhere like New York or Los Angeles. While that will be a sad day for Cincinnati baseball, it might be a small comfort that his potential replacement is sure looking good during the early stages of his major league development.
With the ninth overall pick in 2025 the Reds drafted shortstop Steele Hall out of Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, Alabama. In high school he was was named Alabama’s Mr. Baseball after putting up dominant numbers (.484 batting average, 8 home runs, and 33 stolen bases). He was just 17 years old after reclassifying so that he could be drafted early. If he’d delayed another year, many suspected he would have been the first overall pick. And he’s wasted no time showing why he was so highly regarded even at such a young age.
So far in the Arizona Complex League, in just 49 games, Hall has 28 extra base hits including 10 home runs. His speed has also been on display as he’s swiped 22 bases. Hall is performing exactly as one would expect for such a high pick, slashing .305/.404/.568 with a .972 OPS.
Hall is currently the second-ranked prospect in the entire Reds minor league system. And although many questioned his power when he was drafted, Hall is proving those critics wrong as he is second in the Complex League in home runs, seventh in slugging, and he even leads the league in doubles.
Though it’s not clear when his promotion will be coming, there is no doubt that he’s proved about all he can in Arizona. Hall has an extremely long way to go to reach the major leagues but all of the positive early signs are something special to see, especially alongside the rise of other young Reds players like Alfredo Duno (slashing .324/.425/.647 with a 1.072 OPS in Chattanooga) and Hector Rodriguez (slashing .290/.370/.557 in Louisville).
