Arroyo was one of the youngest players in the 2021 Draft class when he was the best player coming out of Puerto Rico and selected by the Mariners in the second round. He was having a solid first full season of pro ball at age 18 when he was part of the prospect package sent to the Reds for Luis Castillo at the 2022 Trade Deadline. Arroyo made a nice step up in 2023, reaching Double-A briefly, but then was derailed by a torn left labrum that cost him his 2024 season. He turned in a full 2025 campaign, and though reduced impact at the plate has led to some questions about his ultimate ceiling, he was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason.
The Reds view the fact that Arroyo played 120 games at Double-A in 2025 as a win coming off that injury, then he added some more productive at-bats playing winter ball in Puerto Rico. He’s a switch-hitter who can make a ton of contact from both sides of the plate. It looked like added strength was contributing to more power, which didn’t reappear in 2025, perhaps because of the injury. He’s an aggressive hitter who is prone to chase too much and can struggle with softer stuff, but he also didn’t elevate the ball nearly as consistently last year compared with his pre-injury performances.
One thing that has never been questioned is his defense and he still very much has the chops to play shortstop, with the actions and arm to stay there for a long time. He did get introduced to second base last year and he’ll continue to focus on both sides of the bag, giving the Reds options should they need help in Cincinnati now that he’s on the roster.
Because Arroyo was just 17 years old when the Mariners drafted him in 2021, the native of Puerto Rico has always been very young for every level he's reached so far. So even after two full seasons in 2022 and 2023, the latter of which including getting dealt to the Reds in the Luis Castillo deal, and a missed 2024 season because of a torn left labrum suffered in Spring Training, he'll still be only 21 years old for the bulk of the 2025 season. Arroyo had touched Double-A in 2023 with a big up arrow next to his name, and he was able to shake off the rust from the layoff by holding his own in the Arizona Fall League in 2024.
Arroyo’s time in the AFL was more about him starting to get his timing back at the plate while proving to himself that he put the injury behind him, so even though his offensive numbers were modest, those missions were accomplished. The switch-hitter swings the bat well from both sides with a contact-first approach that allows him to send line drives to all fields. Before the injury, his power started to show up more consistently and there should be more of that in the tank to come. A very aggressive baserunner with above-average speed, Arroyo likes to steal bags and take extra bases.
The one thing that wasn’t rusty at all during his Fall League stint was Arroyo’s glovework. He’s a smooth defender with excellent body control, showing the ability to make all the plays and throws from all angles, with evaluators thinking he could play shortstop defensively in the big leagues right now. For now, though, he’ll get to focus on playing a full healthy year at the upper levels.
One of the youngest members of the 2021 Draft class, Arroyo got more exposure to scouts when he relocated from Puerto Rico to Florida for his senior year of high school. Drafted at age 17, he went in the second round to the Mariners and was having a solid first full season of pro ball when he was sent to the Reds in the Deadline deal for Luis Castillo. He struggled initially after the trade and had just a .576 OPS through the end of May 2023, after which he righted the ship. He slashed .276/.356/.474 the rest of the way, including a bump up to Double-A to close out the season. That momentum came to a halt when he needed surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder in March, ending his 2024 season before it began.
Before the injury, the Reds felt everything was trending up for the switch-hitting shortstop, who was set to play at age 20 for almost all of the 2024 season. He has a good swing from both sides of the plate, with a line-drive approach that produces hard contact to all fields. He started really coming into some "man strength" as the 2023 season progressed, and he started tapping into his extra-base authority more consistently, with some thinking he’s going to have at least average power eventually. After his rough start, he tightened up his approach and cut his strikeout rate considerably, all while raising his walk rate.
Arroyo has swiped 56 bases over his first two full seasons of pro ball and should be a threat to steal as he continues to the upper levels of the Reds' system. He’s worked very hard on his defense at short, especially on balls to his glove side, exhibiting impressive body control and leaving no doubt about his ability to play the premium position. The Reds were impressed with his emotional maturity as much as his physical growth, leaving some thinking he’s primed for a breakout season once he’s fully returned from the shoulder injury.
Arroyo was just 17 when the 2021 Draft rolled around and after impressing on the summer showcase circuit, the Puerto Rican infielder relocated to Florida for his senior year of high school for more exposure. The Mariners liked what they saw and took him in the second round of that summer’s Draft, and he was giving an early return on investment with a strong first full season in the Single-A California League when he was sent to the Reds in the Luis Castillo deal.
Still only 19 years old for nearly all of the 2023 season, Arroyo has the chance to be a dynamic up-the-middle player. He swings the bat well from both sides of the plate and was productive each way, showing the ability to make hard contact with a line-drive approach. He’s added a good amount of strength to his wiry build already, and that led to more power than anticipated out of the gate, though he’s still more of a hit-over-power type. He could become even more of an impact hitter as he tightens up his approach, something that got away from him post-trade as he was likely pressing too much.
If he continues to hit at all, Arroyo could be an elite-level player because there’s no doubt he’s going to be able to play shortstop for a long time. He has excellent hands and actions at the premium position, with more than enough arm to make throws from all over the infield. Assuming he gets his bearings with his new organization, he should continue to prove he has the tools to be an everyday shortstop in the big leagues.
One of the younger players in the 2021 Draft class, at age 17, Arroyo quickly established himself as the best player from Puerto Rico on the showcase circuit the summer prior. The potential shortstop got the chance to be evaluated more closely last spring after coming to Florida to attend Central Pointe Christian Academy for his senior season, which led to the Mariners taking him in the second round in 2021 and signing him for $1.65 million. He was having a stellar first full season, sitting in the Top 10 among California League hitters in a host of offensive categories when he was sent to the Reds as part of the package for Luis Castillo.
Arroyo has an intriguing package of athleticism, defense and offensive potential, and he was making a quicker-than-expected transition to full-season ball in 2022. A switch-hitter who is a bit better from the right side, Arroyo has good contact skills and is a solid line-drive hitter. While he entered pro ball lacking strength, Arroyo has been praised for his sneaky wiry-strong build, and he was already starting to grow into some extra-base pop, with potentially more to come. Defensively, Arroyo has every chance to stick at shortstop, with plenty of arm strength, good hands and easy actions at the premium position. Arroyo can actually throw with both hands and has pitched left-handed, though that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll do so professionally.
Arroyo certainly had a wake-up call with his first taste of pro ball in the Arizona Complex League in 2021, hitting .211/.337/.324 (.661 OPS) with a 30.2% strikeout rate in 21 games, and used that lesson to work on his offensive game. If the bat continues to come along, he has the chance to eventually be an everyday shortstop in the big leagues.
One of the younger players in the 2021 Draft class, Arroyo quickly established himself as the best player from Puerto Rico on the showcase circuit last summer, including picking up a pair of hits at the Perfect Game All-American Classic. The potential up-the-middle player got the chance to be evaluated more closely last spring after coming to Florida to attend Central Pointe Christian Academy for his senior season, which led to the Mariners taking him in the second round of the 2021 Draft and signing him for $1.65 million.
Arroyo offers an intriguing package of athleticism, defense and offensive potential, though he has a ways to go to get there. A switch-hitter, who is a bit better from the right side of the plate, Arroyo has good contact skills, and while he lacks current strength, he does have the chance to grow into some extra-base pop. Defensively, Arroyo has every chance to stick at shortstop, with plenty of arm strength, good hands and easy actions at the premium position.
Arroyo can actually throw with both hands and has pitched left-handed. That doesn’t necessarily impact his Draft stock, but does point to some intriguing athleticism. If the bat comes along, he has the chance to eventually be an everyday shortstop at the big league level.
One of the younger players in the 2021 Draft class, Arroyo quickly established himself as the best player from Puerto Rico on the summer showcase circuit, including picking up a pair of hits at the Perfect Game All-American Classic. The potential up-the-middle player is getting the chance to be evaluated more closely this spring after coming to Florida to attend Central Pointe Christian Academy for his senior season.
Arroyo offers an intriguing package of athleticism, defense and offensive potential, though he has a ways to go to get there. A switch-hitter, who is a bit better from the right side of the plate, Arroyo has good contact skills, and while he lacks current strength, he does have the chance to grow into some extra-base pop. Defensively, Arroyo has every chance to stick at shortstop, with plenty of arm strength, good hands and easy actions at the premium position.
Arroyo can actually throw with both hands and has pitched left-handed. That doesn’t necessarily impact his Draft stock, but does point to some intriguing athleticism in the Florida State recruit. Performing well against better competition in Florida as the spring unfolds could help his stock could soar.
These run values are leveraged, meaning the base/out situation at the time of the event does impact the run value (thus introducing context outside the batter's own contribution).
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
