Baseball Prospectus has unveiled their list of the Reds Top 11 Prospects:
System In 20 Words Or Less: It’s a system with plenty of star power up front, but depth falls away quickly after that.
Five-Star Prospects
1. Aroldis Chapman, LHP
Four-Star Prospects
2. Devin Mesoraco, C
3. Billy Hamilton, 2B/SS
4. Yasmani Grandal, CThree-Star Prospects
5. Yorman Rodriguez, OF
6. Yonder Alonso, 1B
7. Zack Cozart, SSTwo-Star Prospects
8. Juan Francisco, 3B/1B
9. Kyle Lotzkar, RHP
10. Ismael Guillon, LHP
11. Junior Arias, SS
Is there more or less pressure on Devin Mesoraco this year, after the year he had last year?
If what numerous analysts are saying ends up being correct, those of us that attend Dragons games should enjoy watching Billy Hamilton and Yorman Rodriguez, among others.
The next group:
12. Donnie Joseph, LHP: A southpaw reliever who dominated at lower levels, he’s limited to a set-up man’s ceiling.
13. Ryan LaMarre, OF: He possesses solid tools across the board, highlighted by plus speed, but he lacks star power.
14. Brad Boxberger, RHP: Scouts are mixed as to whether he should start or relieve, but either way, he lacks a high ceiling.
15. Todd Frazier, UT: The former top prospect still doesn’t have a defensive home, and the bat has quieted down significantly.
16. Chris Valaika, INF: If scouts thought he could play on the left side, he’d rank higher.
17. Didi Gregorious, SS: A shortstop with tools and upside, but he has a long way to go.
18. Drew Cisco, RHP: Armed with far more polish than stuff, Cisco could move up more quickly than most teenage arms.
19. Ronald Torreyes, SS: An unrefined teenager, Torreyes has already shown speed and contact ability.
20. Kyle Waldrop, OF: This over-slot 12th-rounder has plenty of raw power, but will he hit?
I’m not as quick to write off Frazier as some others. The fact that he doesn’t have a defensive home means to me that he’s versatile, which is good, not bad. Valaika played well for the Reds when he got his chance last year; is he the heir apparent at 2B if the Reds decide to move Phillips?
What do you think about these ratings? Good ? Bad ? Some of each?