The 2025 Minor League Baseball season may be in the books, but the Cincinnati Reds organization is still making headlines—both on the field and off. As the Reds chase their first playoff appearance in five years, fans in the Queen City have plenty to cheer about, from promising arms in the farm system to cutting-edge fan experiences at Great American Ball Park.
Let’s start with the action on the mound. The Reds’ minor league affiliates wrapped up their campaign by September 24, 2025, and while there wasn’t a single pitcher who absolutely dominated, several names made their mark. Jose Franco stood out among the starting pitchers, leading the organization in ERA, wins, and fewest hits allowed per nine innings. He just missed cracking the top three in innings pitched, but his consistency was a bright spot in what many described as a down year for starters. T.J. Sikkema’s name popped up four times on the leaderboards, though he didn’t top any one category, showing solid versatility but not quite the breakout performance fans might have hoped for.
Jose Montero quietly continued his specialty, leading all starting pitchers in groundball rate for the second straight season. That kind of consistency doesn’t always make headlines, but it’s the sort of reliability that gets noticed by coaches and scouts. Meanwhile, Adam Serwinowski, who was traded away from the Reds (first to Tampa Bay and then to Los Angeles in quick succession), led the system in strikeout rate for the second consecutive year. His departure leaves a hole in the Reds’ pipeline of power arms—a fact not lost on those tracking the team’s future rotation.
One notable stat: not a single pitcher in the Reds’ farm system logged 125 innings this year. That’s a significant drop from 2024, when two pitchers surpassed that mark. Whether that’s a product of injuries, cautious management of young arms, or simply the way the season unfolded, it’s a trend worth watching as the organization looks to develop durable starters for the big leagues.
The relief corps, however, offered its own set of standouts. Trevor Kuncl emerged as a leader, topping the farm system in saves, ERA, and WHIP among relievers. His efforts didn’t go unnoticed—he was named to the Southern League’s Postseason All-Star team, a testament to his reliability in high-leverage situations. “Those are three good spots if you’re going to pick them,” as one observer put it, and Kuncl’s performance could have him knocking on the door of the majors sooner rather than later.
Yosver Zulueta also made waves, appearing four times on the leaderboards thanks to an intriguing mix of high strikeout numbers and impressive groundball rates. That combination makes him a versatile weapon out of the bullpen, and his development will be closely monitored as the Reds continue to build bullpen depth.
But it wasn’t all sunshine and strikeouts. When comparing 2025 to the previous year, it’s clear that the top performers in key categories like WHIP, ERA, strikeout rate, and strikeout-to-walk ratio posted numbers that wouldn’t have cracked the top three in 2024. Whether that signals a temporary dip or a longer-term concern is anyone’s guess, but it’s a reminder that player development rarely follows a straight line.
Down at the complex league level—the DSL and ACL squads—the picture was even more complex. Starters didn’t always start, and when they did, outings were often limited to three or four innings due to shorter seasons and developmental priorities. Sample sizes were small, but a few pitchers managed to turn heads with their performances, even if the data is a bit tough to compare directly to their full-season counterparts.
While the Reds’ farm system works to develop the next wave of major leaguers, the big club is making moves of its own—not just in the standings, but in the world of fan engagement. With the franchise still in the thick of the playoff hunt, Reds fans have found a new reason to visit Great American Ball Park: a state-of-the-art holographic wall that’s the first of its kind in Major League Baseball.
Installed along the third-base concourse, the 30-foot-tall by 15-foot-wide wall is the product of a partnership between the Reds, immersive-display technology company Holovisn, and sponsor Coca-Cola. The wall’s unveiling was initially slated for Opening Day 2025, but delays for additional testing meant it didn’t make its public debut until after the MLB All-Star break in July. According to Brian Keys, the Reds’ SVP of technology, “We’re always looking for some innovative things to put in the park and enhance fan engagement.”
The technology itself is a marvel: 32 fans move in perfect unison, controlled by 12 minicomputers connected via fiber, all orchestrated by Holovisn’s cloud-based software. The Reds’ live-events team can curate a playlist—16 videos ran throughout the summer—including sponsor content, highlights featuring the team mascot Mr. Red, and player spotlights like second baseman Matt McLain. If a new sponsor wants in or an existing sponsor wants to update their message, the crew simply drags and drops the file into the playlist. It’s a seamless process that keeps the content fresh and relevant for every game.
Of course, no innovation comes without challenges. Environmental factors like wind, rain, and even pigeons posed unique obstacles, but the Reds’ crew got creative. They experimented with plexiglass to protect the display, but vibrations and glare proved problematic. The solution? Netting—the same kind installed in all 30 MLB parks in recent years. “We still get a very nice visual [even with the netting],” Keys said. “The netting disappears when you’re looking at the image.”
Looking ahead, the Reds have big plans for the holographic wall. Beyond sponsor messages and mascot antics, the team intends to use the display for starting lineup introductions, live in-game stats, and animated player features. “Our plan moving forward is to show players as the lineup is announced as well as live stats as the game goes on,” Keys explained. “We’re definitely going to get our game-presentation team involved with player animations. We’re already planning on how we can achieve that during Spring Training next year.”
All of this comes at a pivotal moment for the franchise. The Reds are not only vying for a postseason berth—just their second since 2013—but also working to create a ballpark experience that stands out in a crowded sports landscape. As digital signage and immersive technology become the norm, the Reds’ willingness to take risks with new ideas could pay off both on and off the field.
With the minor league season wrapped and the big league club still fighting for October glory, Cincinnati’s baseball faithful have plenty to keep their eyes on. Whether it’s the next breakout pitcher or the next jaw-dropping fan experience, the Reds are determined to keep pushing forward—one pitch, one innovation, and one game at a time.
