While we’ve known since late June that Redsfest would be returning in January of 2026 after a hiatus as the Cincinnati Convention Center was being remodeled, we now know exactly when. Friday January 16th and Saturday January 17th will see the event return for the first time in two years.
Event Times
- Friday January 16, 2026: 3pm ET – 10:30pm ET
- Saturday January 17, 2026: 11am ET – 6:30pm ET
Prices
For the second time in the last three Redsfests, prices are going up. In 2019 it was $25 for a 2-day pass for an adult or $17 for a 1-day pass for adults. When the event returned in 2021 that price jumped up to $25 for a 1-day pass for adults and $35 for a 2-day pass for adults. When it returned in two months the prices are up once again.
- Adults: 1-day pass, $30. 2-day pass $40.
- Children 12 and younger: 1-day pass, $20. 2-day pass, $30.
For those who aren’t as into math as others – prices are now 60% higher than they were in 2019 for an adult 2-day pass.
2026 Cincinnati Reds Prospect List
Over at RedsMinorLeagues.com we are unveiling the 2026 Top 25 Prospect List this week. Each day we’re going to have five players list as we go through the entire list. Today we began things with the players ranked 21-25. So if you are interested in what could be coming up over the next few years from the minor leagues you should probably go check it out.
Carlos Jorge makes an incredible catch
The Reds don’t have many players that are active in the winter leagues around the world right now. Prospect Carlos Jorge has been the only player from the organization that is playing regularly anywhere right now, though some other minor leaguers are getting into games here and there in the Dominican and Mexican Winter Leagues.
Jorge, a center fielder, has been playing for the Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican and he’s hitting .273/.415/.394 and has gone 5-for-5 in steals through 11 games played as one of the youngest players in the league. He’s already made several highlight reel plays in the outfield for the Gigantes, and on Sunday evening he was doing it again as he played in left field.
Cam Collier shows off in the AFL
On Sunday night the Arizona Fall League played their annual Fall Stars game. It’s not exactly an All-Star game, but it’s more of a showcase and All-Star game hybrid. Some guys do get rewarded for playing well in the AFL, but other guys who haven’t played well but are well known prospects were also on the team.
The Reds had four players on the team, but Rhett Lowder was the only pitcher and he was not going to pitch in the game. Catcher Alfredo Duno and infielders Leo Balcazar and Cam Collier were also on the team and they all came off of the bench in the game.
Collier was the only one of the three to pick up a hit. The first baseman and every so often third baseman picked up a single in the top of the 8th inning. It also happened to be the hardest hit ball of the game as it came off of his bat at 113.1 MPH.
Including the Fall Stars game, Cam Collier has three of the 12 hardest hit balls in the Arizona Fall League this year. He had a 115.3 MPH double on October 21st that is the 3rd hardest hit ball, his single last night would be tied for 10th, and he singled at 112.6 MPH on October 25th that is the 12th hardest hit ball in the league thus far.
Very nice over-the-shoulder catch by young Carlos Jorge. He does seem to have the chops to play an excellent center field. Hopefully his hitting keeps up so he can move up the minor league system.
Cam Collier is a very strong human being. But he has not really made a lot of contact this fall in the AFL. At least his hand seems to be ok now.
And he has slimmed down.
Seems to fluctuate a lot especially from butt down.
Yes, does look slimmer. Much needed.
I thought for sure there was a Redsfest the year before last. I remember seeing Bubba Thompson was there.
Bubba Thompson could have been at Redsfest in 2023. He joined the Reds in October and remained with them until early January when he then went to New York, then Minnesota, before then rejioining the Reds in February.
The math got me, sort of. There was no Redsfest in 2024 and technically not in 2025, either. I’ve edited the article to state two years instead of three.
Thanks Doug. I guess you are right it would be three calendar years. Time flies.
Kurtz and Baldwin win ROY for 2025. The Reds should have 3 players in Stewart, Burns and Lowder in the running for 2026. As Lowder will probably have an innings or pitch count limit, he should start the year in the bullpen and build up his innings as the season progresses. To me, it would be a waste for him to pitch in Louisville as the innings there would count towards his total for the season. Increases the chances for a PPI in the following draft.
Burns is no longer a rookie, so unless he gets the Edinson Volquez treatment (people vote for someone not eligible), he won’t be a factor.
I get you may not want to discuss this topic today, but if you do, how do you think the new Prospect Promotion Incentive picks are working? Burns and Kurtz were promoted in their first full season of professional baseball, but not early enough in the season to secure a pick. Kurtz just got a full year of service time, too. In short, the A’s (and Reds) promoted top prospects too early.
From a rebuilding team’s perspective, the way the PPI works, the A’s should have delayed Kurtz’s promotion until mid-August, when he would have maintained eligibility to garner them a PPI next season. Instead, they not only lost a PPI pick, but they also lost a full season of team control for promoting a player when he was fully ready.
Moreover, in sharp contrast to the scores of articles that pop up if a journalist believes teams have engaged in “service time manipulation,” I haven’t seen a single writer bring up how the PPI may actually be a disincentive.
@BK, I wasn’t even aware that a player could be in the top 100, win ROY and get a personal incentive (full year service time) but the club doesn’t get the PPI incentive. That’s horrendous.
Love Duno, but wasn’t a fan of sending him to the AFL. It looked like a long season finally caught up with him in the FSL playoffs.
Agree
It feels like we’ve been hearing about Cam Collier for a long time now, although the Reds only drafted him in 2022.
I checked his stats, and was surprised to see he only hit 4 HR in 95 games this past season. His BA was a decent .279 and his OBP was an elite .391, but what happened to his power? I thought that was his main calling card.
He hurt his hand in Spring Training, and was out for weeks after surgery. He re-habbed at Low A ball, then went up to AA level.
Yes, he did not hit with much power this year. I think his hand was still healing, which was why the Reds sent him to the AFL.
Collier was 17 when the Reds drafted him in 2022. He left High School early and went to a community college where he could improve his game and be more eligible for the draft. I think he is just 20 now.
Ah, ok. Thanks for the info.
And yes, he’s still just 20, but he already smacked 20 HR in Dayton last year. That’s why I was wondering about the sudden drop-off.
If he hit 20 homers last year, and had 3 of the top 12 hardest-hit balls in the AFL this year, I don’t think they have any long-term concerns with his power. He turns 21 next week.
He has some bad platoon splits. His OPS against LHP has over the past 2 seasons been about .280 lower than against RHP. Part of that is the number of PAs. He had 96 PAs last season against LHP, and 127 in 2024. He’ll need to improve that.
I’m impressed with his physical condition. He’s much leaner than he’s been since the Reds signed him. I know Collier’s thought to be as slow as Joey Votto, but he ought to be shagging some flies in LF this off-season. He may not ever be good enough in LF, but if he’s slimmed down and gotten a bit faster, he will have a much better than average arm for a LFer. He may as well give it a shot. It isn’t like the Reds are playing Carl Yastrzemski or Rickey Henderson in LF now.
The Reds have really struggled to draft and develop good lefty hitters. Lefties who can hit lefties are rare birds but to get away from the handedness platoon outfield rotations, Reds need to prioritize young lefty hitters who have plate discipline and give a quality at bat regardless of the handedness of the pitcher. Francona acknowledged the other day that the cost of FA pitching is too much for the Reds so they have to develop it themselves. The cost of good lefty hitters is much the same. Soto/Freeman/Tucker/Harper/Schwarber and Votto back in his prime.
Rodriguez and Collier are very young still and hopefully one, if not both, turns into a quality big league hitter and for the Reds.
Great take. ++
I think we need to prioritize hitters period. The trend seems to be 1st or 2nd round pitcher, shortstop. I’m good with 1st or 2nd round going to a pitcher, but I’m a bit burnt out on SS being paired with the pitcher.
I get the SS is typically the best athlete, but not all of the best hitters are the best athletes. Some guys just hit, and we don’t draft them in the 1st two rounds.
Agree MBS but it only takes to hit on 1 and get a second contract. Bruce, Votto, Sean Casey. Suarez and Phillips were great 2nd contract guys too recently, even though BP went off the guardrails to get his last year added to that contract. Those are the 8-9 year franchise type guys we need to start hitting on since we arent signing 9 figure FA SP or hitters anytime soon. I think Marte and Stewart should get very long looks in RF and wherever makes sense for SS and I wouldn’t trade any good lefty hitters in the upper minors – ie Rodriguez and Collier.
Jorge converted to OF full-time in 2024, and his glove will play in MLB. He’s doing fine in the DWL, slashing .273/.415/.394 and 5 SBs, with a small sample-size alert of 42 PAs.
He got off to a slow start last season, but from May 14 onward, he slashed .275/.350/.381, and went 34-40 on SB attempts. He’ll be playing AA at age 22 next season, and he still has a chance.
No 2026 Caravan because of not enough time and the Reds dislike of out of town fans, lol.
It would be great if Carlos Jorge can turn things around like Leo Balcazar did this year.