Cincinnati Reds Top 5 Prospects
At the beginning of the year, the Reds certainly ranked among the best farm systems in baseball. The system is still quite respectable, as you’ll see, but it no longer has the same luster as it had at the beginning of the season. Oh well, I guess that’s the kind of thing you expect to happen when you have four top 40 prospects graduate to the majors.
1. 1B Yonder Alonso
Who?: A leading member of a very memorable class of sluggers in this year’s draft. You could certainly argue that Alonso possessed the best bat of anybody in this draft, although I prefer Smoak. Alonso’s tremendous BB totals in college certainly suggest that he has the best discipline of any hitter in this draft. He’ll also mix in the good power and bad defense that were the hallmarks of the 2008 draft.
Projection: A huge OBP type guy with good power, perhaps somewhere between Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi.
2. INF Todd Frazier
Who?: After beating up on lower-level competition for a while, Frazier has hit a slight snag at High-A. Nothing terrible, but not great either. Frazier’s not going to be a guy who’ll even put up a .900 OPS (in all likelihood), but he’s got a solid bat. He makes ok contact, has decent patience, and pretty good power. The biggest question is his defense, and even moreso, what position he’ll be defending. He’s actually spent the majority of his time at SS, but don’t get your hopes up on that, he is NOT a shortstop. Frazier as a 3B is a pretty good prospect; Frazier as a 1B or LF is kind of borderline.
Projection: Probably something like a .270/.350/.450 type. 3. SS Chris Valaika
Who?: Another ‘don’t get your hopes up about that whole shortstop thing’ type. He profiles as a corner-something, as he could theoretically be placed at any of the four corners. What’s certain is that Valaika can hit. He won’t walk very much, but he makes good contact and has shown some newfound legitimate power this year - 18 HR and 47 total XBH.
Projection: An average bat at whatever corner he plays. Ronnie Coleman steroids.
4. RHSP Daryl Thompson
Who?: A control-type pitcher with pretty good stuff. He throws a low-90s FB with a couple of good secondary pitches in his change and curve. He’ll get by by keeping the ball in the zone, as he has 30 BB but only 94 K in 120.2 IP.
Projection: A #4-#5.
5. CF Chris Heisey
Who?: Heisey’s a guy who does everything pretty well. His only real plus tool would be his speed. (8 3B and 31/33 in SB). He has some gap power (51 XBH in 493 AB, but only 8 HR), good patience (60 BB in 575 PA), and makes decent contact (82 K) and plays pretty good CF defense. These numbers would be pretty impressive except for the fact that the majority were put up as a 23-year-old in High-A.
Projection: In keeping with the theme, he could be a decent starting CF or a very good 4th OF.
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