The Reds were one of several teams on January 23 to announce which prospects would be headed to 2026 Spring Training camp as non-roster invitees. Cincinnati’s NRI list is heavy on former Major Leaguers. However, former first-round pick Cam Collier will be with the big leaguers in Arizona yet again as a non-roster player.
The prospects
After Sal Stewart cracked through to the Majors in 2025, Cam Collier will try to do the same in 2026.
Collier, the son of former Phillie Lou Collier, was primed for a jump in stock after he hit 20 home runs with High-A Dayton two years ago. But this past year, Collier missed the first month and a half and didn’t get into Double-A action until June. Across 74 games with the Lookouts, Collier slashed .263/.377/.347 with 18 extra-base hits.
Only two of those were home runs.
Swing-and-miss is a concern with Collier, although it wasn’t that bad (29.5%) this past year in the Southern League. Not that much fly-ball contact this past season in Double-A. However, Collier did have one of the five highest line-drive rates (27.6%) in the circuit this past year.
Aside from Collier, the Reds are sending two catching prospects to big league camp: Michael Trautwein and Connor Burns.
Burns, a fifth-round pick from 2023, slashed .172/.272/.333 with 11 home runs and 22 extra-base hits over 84 games between High-A and Double-A. The 24-year-old has been adept at throwing at runners; he posted a 30% CS% last season.
However, the hit tool has been suspect. As we noted in our Midwest League numbers recap, Burns’ Whiff% in the MWL ranked in the bottom five of the circuit last season.
Other names
Former Phillies pitcher Yunior Marte, just signed by the Reds, will be a part of the group.
Marte, who has spent parts of three seasons in the Majors, is primarily a sinker/slider pitcher known to throw hard but also has his problems with keeping runners off base. In two of his three MLB seasons, Marte posted a BB% above 10%. He did not pitch in affiliated ball last year.
Left-hander Anthony Misiewicz has 136 career games of MLB experience under his belt. The 31-year-old pitched in five games with the Twins last season.
P.J. Higgins spent parts of two seasons in the Majors (2021 and 2022) with the Cubs. He’s spent the last two years in Triple-A Louisville. This past year, Higgins slashed .240/.300/.345 over 111 games.
Higgins, Marte, and Misiewicz will join a group of nine players who were announced as non-roster invites earlier this month. Tejay Antone, Will Banfield, Michael Chavis, Hagen Danner, Garrett Hampson, Lyon Richardson, Carson Spiers, Michael Toglia, and Joel Valdez are also headed to Arizona.
Check out more of our MLB coverage, including a look at who the Red Sox and Phillies invited to camp for this upcoming spring.