Three years into his pro career, first baseman Carter Graham was a .228 hitter in the minors and barely on the radar for the Reds list of top 30 prospects, but one season with a new plan at the plate turned him into one of the best bats in the system.
Graham Gives Credit to His Hitting Coach
Graham was an eighth-round pick out of Stanford in 2023, and he went back to High-A Dayton to start this season, where he worked with hitting coach Troy Gingrich.
It paid off right away, as Graham hit .322 with a .614 slugging percentage in 66 games for Dayton before moving up to Double-A Chattanooga.
At Fall League media day earlier this month, Graham looked back on how his approach changed and named Gingrich as the reason.
"Early in my career, I was just a multi-sport athlete who rolled out to the baseball field and just swung at everything I could," Graham said. "This year, Troy really taught me an approach. He changed my career for sure, so I gotta give him a lot of credit."
Graham also told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that nothing about his swing changed, and that swinging at better pitches let him drive the ball more often.
He finished with a .300 average, 29 home runs, 93 RBIs and a .986 OPS across 126 games, and according to MLB.com, he led the Reds farm system in homers, RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases.
The Fall League Is His Next Test
Graham is now playing for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League, and he has started slow with three hits in 23 at-bats over seven games, plus two doubles and five walks.
He did not play in Peoria's 2-1 loss to Scottsdale on Saturday.
I would not read much into seven games, especially since Graham has spent most of his Fall League time at third base and left field.
He played first, third and left this year, and a 25-year-old who can hit for power and move around the field has an easier path to Cincinnati, so I would put him right in the mix with the other prospects who could debut next year.
Why the Reds Should Protect Graham
Graham is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this offseason, and teams have until Nov. 17 to add players like him to the 40-man roster, according to MLB Pipeline.
If the Reds leave him off, another club could take a chance on him.
I would add him without much debate.
Cincinnati finished 75-87 and in last place in the National League Central, and the farm system had only one name on the final Top 100 list, so the club cannot afford to lose a bat like this.
Sheldon also noted that the upper levels of the system are not full of players close to the big leagues.
If the Reds look for help at second or third base this winter and come up short, Graham could be a cheap backup plan.
I want to see him start 2027 at Triple-A Louisville with a shot at a call-up, because a hitter who figured himself out this fast has earned it.