It’s perfectly OK if the most recent thing you remember about Julian Aguiar’s career advancement as a professional baseball pitcher was getting shelled for 7 ER by the Atlanta Braves in late September of 2024. That is, after all, the last time he threw a pitch in an actual professional game, after all.
Then 23, Aguiar was making the last of his seven big league appearances that season, but UCL damage required Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter and his subsequent recovery meant he missed the entirety of pro ball during calendar year 2025.
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However…
He’s still just 24 years old right now. He’s a guy who turned a corner at the minor league level with AA Chattanooga, in particular, in 2024 before his call-up. He’s a guy who has touched 100 mph with his heater before who, at times, commands a pretty effective four-pitch mix with his dual breaking balls and an effective change. And as no reports have indicated any significant setbacks from his TJ surgery, he’s slated to begin 2026 at 100% after a long time away and ready to step right back into the top-tier of the pitching ranks for the Reds as soon as possible.
Odds are that’s with AAA Louisville, stretching out gradually. He’ll be a starter there as he works his way back, though it’s probably pretty clear to the Reds what he could potentially add as a reliever or swingman sooner, if need be.
All of that was good enough for Aguiar to land at #17 on this year’s Community Prospect Rankings, a pretty solid endorsement for a guy who we’ve not seen pitch in a year and a half.
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