While the Cincinnati Reds' farm system has not been as highly ranked as in years past, ranking as low as 25th with some publications, the team has some prospects that may be considered late bloomers that are now beginning to show some positive signs in their development.

One prospect that has shown significant improvement throughout the 2026 season has been Yerlin Confidan. 

Confidan Is A Prospect To Watch After Winning Arizona Fall League All-Star Game MVP

This year's Arizona Fall League was a breakout the Reds were hoping to see from the 6’4” outfielder. This fall, he slashed .323/.330/585 with five doubles, three triples, two home runs, and 14 RBI. During the regular season, he reached the Double-A level midway through the season and hit the ball at a career-high level. 

In the Fall Stars Game, the Arizona Fall League All-Star game, he went 1-for-1 with a hard-hit double at 97.9 miles per hour and a bases-loaded walk. He went on to win the Fall Stars MVP award. Some notable top-100 prospects that played in the Fall Stars game include Ike Irish (Orioles), Nathan Flewelling (Rays), Dax Kilby (Yankees), Angeibel Gomez (Royals), Zion Rose (Royals), Arjun Nimmala (Angels), Sebastian Walcott (Rangers), Tate Southisene (Braves), Jarlin Susana (Nationals) and Aidan Miller (Phillies). 

A Prospect To Keep An Eye on Next Season

In 54 games with Double-A Chattanooga, he slashed .260/.322/.438 with eight doubles, eight home runs, a triple, and 28 RBI. Defensively, he has great arm strength and has good enough speed to play all three outfield positions at an average to above-average level, but his arm translates into a prototypical right fielder. 

Confidan signed with the Reds in 2019 for $200,000. Unfortunately for him, there was no minor league season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so he did not make his professional debut until 2021. Prior to the 2025 season, injuries had limited the time spent on the field for him. He played in just 31 games in 2022, 74 games in 2023, and 91 games in 2023. In 2025, he played the most games in his career at 112, all in High-A. 

With his semi-breakout season in 2026 and still a fairly young prospect at 23 years old, Confidan is a prospect to keep an eye on going into next season. If he can continue to show improvement, he could see time in Triple-A fairly early on in 2027 and be an outfield option at the Major League level towards the end of the season or in Spring Training 2028.