Josh Smith makes our list at 24, meaning there's one spot left. We'll have a vote between the remaining 5 guys, and then later on in the week we'll be voting on who makes our list as an honorable mention. We're doing that a little different this year, so listen up.
If you have a name you want to add to the honorable mention poll, mention it in the comments below. The top 5 vote-getters in the poll will win an honorable mention in this year's rankings? Why is this important? Last year, guys like David Vidal and Didi Gregorius made that spot. They're usually guys with big upside who can be poised to have a breakout year, and guys like Juan Duran, Daniel Corcino, and Sam LeCure made the lists of nyc and myself last year.
Junior Arias takes the 23rd spot on the list in one of the tighter races we've had, beating Josh Smith by only 5 votes. Still going on potential with him, but if all goes well, he'll be seeing the bright lights of Dayton for a good chunk of this year.
I think this was the right pick here. Last year's 2nd round pick seemed like a great one, as scouts really liked his approach at the plate. He played 3B all of last year, but is still a ways away from the big league roster.
Who? The guy we got for Jonny Gomes, that's who! He was seriously lights out in Bakersfield last year. Right now, he's basically what Boxberger was but doesn't throw as hard. I'll be interested to see how he does as Pensacola's closer.
Ryan LaMarre impressively wins his first trip onto the ballot. I'm wondering, it must be just name recognition at this point, right? Not much has been made about his impressive base-stealing year, but a prolonged slump in April and a huge BABIP swing in May (.403) make me not too thrilled with that season, in that run environment, from someone who should be so far ahead of his peers there. Let's hope he makes major improvements in Pensacola next season.
Amir Garrett wins the latest round of voting, and for good reason, because the sky is the limit for this guy. He's got natural athleticism (which is the thing you can't teach), and if he gets the proper coaching he could be really, scary good. It won't happen overnight though. The next step for him is to see where he pitches this season (if he does), but if I was a betting man, I'd guess he'll be in rookie ball around the time their seasons open up, until school starts back up for him.
With the odd mix of players this year, I'm going to do something we don't normally do and add a whole mess of players to the poll. There are a lot of players at this point that have some potential but question marks, so the ones the community likes best will round out the top 25.
Donald Lutz sneaks into the top 20 after a really solid season on that stacked Dayton team in 2011. If you don't know his story by now, he was born in Germany and didn't start playing baseball until he was 15, got discovered in the European junior championships, and the Reds signed him from there. He'll likely take his .850 OPS to Bakersfield in 2012.
Just a recap of where we're at so far, with 7 spots to go:
Tucker Barnhart makes the list at #17, and I'm still reeling to figure out why. His plate discipline and makeup are far beyond his years, he's done a good job improving at each level, and was the best defensive catcher in the minors last year according to people who keep track of minor league catcher defense. Still with quite a bit to prove with the bat as he goes up the ladder, but he's set himself up well to be a big leaguer.
Be sure to follow Tucker on twitter at @Tucker_Barnhart, as he's one of the best Reds minor league tweeters out there. Also, he'll be on the Reds Caravan which kicks off today, so go out and see him if you're going to be in Huntington (WV) today, Bowling Green (KY) on Saturday, or Lexington on Sunday.
A few new names to add to the list, and the rest of the guys have been so close the past few days I have no idea who'll come out on top. Vote!
Juan Duran is the 16th prospect on the list. It's been exciting to follow him since he signed with his huge bonus at age 16, and to see what he's evolved into. If he can corral those strikeouts, this is a special hitter, folks. If.
David Vidal is the 15th ranked prospect on the list. Some say this is probably a little later than most expected, but for me it's right on the money. There are still a lot of questions surrounding him, but as long as he can shore up his plate discipline, I think there's a solid major leaguer there. Maybe working with Rolen a bit will help out that process? I also think he's poised for a huge breakout year with the bat in the Bako bandbox and will be ending the year in Pensacola if all goes well.
Kyle Lotzkar is interesting to me. Doesn't it seem like he should be 26 or 27 by now? Oddly enough, he's only 22, and assuming he starts the year in Bakersfield, will be pretty much right on for his level. Command numbers are promising, but I'm wondering if he hasn't lost that strikeout edge that made him a strong prospect to begin with. After a strong end to the year in Billings in 2010 (14.8 K/9), he posted his lowest strikeout ratio ever in Dayton last year at 9.7 K/9. Is it a change in philosophy, or better hitters? Is he still recovering, two years after the TJ surgery? This year will be a big one for him to see what the kid is made of.
A few new names to add to the list today including one you might not expect, so keep voting!
Denis Phipps is the 13th ranked prospect on RR this year, and that's really strange to be saying. Last year, he was barely even a non-prospect, and looked to be rounding the corner to being useless organizational filler. One year later, and we hear an interview yesterday that David Bell did with McAlister, where he's getting these kind of reviews:
Bell on OF Dennis Phipps: Struggled. Turned corner. Clicked. Sky limit. Could be superstar. ML sooner than later.
Obviously it's twitter shortened, but you get the idea. They're saying that about Phipps! Either way, he's on the 40-man roster, and as long as he starts 2012 as hot as he ended it, could very likely be the first outfielder called up.
I'm not too surprised to see J.C. Sulbaran get his due to make 12th on our list. Despite his pedestrian-looking numbers, you have to take into account that it happened in the Cal League, and I'd expect those numbers to improve as he makes the move to Pensacola this year (yep, still not used to that).
Tony Cingrani wins the 11th spot on our list, and I think it's well deserved after the strong year he had last year. As he's an older prospect, I expect him to jump multiple levels next year, and if his numbers keep up with last year's, it's possible we'll see him in AA or AAA by September. Whether that's as a starter or a reliever remains to be seen, but someone who throws strikes like he does should move quickly.
Two new names on the list, as we add two key components of that strong Dayton team from last year. Vote now.
Rounding out the top 10 is another infielder, Mariekson Gregorius, although you probably know him as Didi. Personally, I like him slightly better than the player directly above him on the list, mostly because of his defense, but Gregorius is going to be one to watch this year strong contact skills. He's a free swinger, but puts the bat on the ball so he doesn't strike out a lot, and has the athletic build to be able to stick at shortstop.
For those wondering where his nickname came from, turns out it's his father's name, who was a honkballer from Curacao playing in Amsterdam when Didi was born. That's neat.
Henry Rodriguez makes the 9th spot on your list. He should finally be tested in a higher level this year, and it'll be interesting to see how he responds. In my book, he's still slightly behind Gregorius, but if he shores up his plate discipline and defense, there's a really nice prospect there.
Three new names on the list to start the week, all hitters. Vote now and if I'm forgetting anyone, say so in the comments.
With a whopping 44% of the vote, Todd Frazier wins the #8 spot. Another interesting case of the RR contingent preferring a polished bat that's ready to help right away over higher ceiling guys with less experience. To me, Frazier seems like a guy who will be valuable for the big club to keep around all year. He seems like a good clubhouse presence, and can play both 3B and LF reasonably well, especially considering the instability at those two positions right now (possible injuries to Rolen and possible suckitude to Heisey/Ludwick/Ankiel/Pierre/some other schlubski).
One thing that nobody ever brings up with Frazier is if he's really getting a fair shake here. Based on what we've seen from him, isn't it completely possible that he becomes a solid 6-7 hitter in a decent lineup, good for .270 and 20 dingers a year with about average defense? Hell, I might like him better than Heisey after the years that both of them had.
We're sure to get younger from here on out, so this should be an interesting vote. Interesting enough that I'll keep it open through Sunday morning. Vote now!
In a close vote, Yorman Rodriguez edged Todd Frazier for the 7th spot on this list. His numbers from last year don't jump out at you, but you have to consider that it was his first full season and that he's still a very raw and young product. I'm expecting to see an improvement as he gets more confidence in his swing and (hopefully) moves to the turbo-charged run environment in Bakersfield.
Two more pitchers to add to the list today, in two very different points in their career. Vote now, and let us know if there's anyone else you want to see on this list. With the system the way it is right now, there are plenty of guys that some people like more than others, so let me know.
This year's first round pick Robert Stephenson is 6th on your list, and he's as intriguing of an arm as we've seen in a long time. Due to the deep draft this year, many scouts said that Stephenson would have been a top 10 pick in most years. It seems like most of the ingredients are there: good size, velocity, secondary pitches, and the makeup to put it all together. The only thing to be decided now is if he goes to Dayton to start the year, or goes to extended spring training and pitches later on in the summer in rookie ball.
This was kind of a shock win, honestly. In years past, we've seen lists contain a good mix of high floor guys and high ceiling guys, but this one is trending clearly to the former. Most of you would prefer what's close to a finished product, even over guys on this list who have the possibility to develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter and into a 5-tool stud outfielder. That being said, I tend to like Soto more than most, and he's still relatively young enough to make improvements in the part of his game that's lacking right now, namely his plate discipline. Another interesting thing to point out with Soto is that if you're a diligent reader of Farmers Only, you'll remember a period of time where Neftali hit most of his home runs within the span of about a month, including a week or two when he went off. The question we'll have to answer is if he just suddenly figured something out or if he was just on a hot streak. He's likely headed to Louisville.
Another piece of news to pass along, John Sickels of SBN's excellent Minor League Ball site posted his Reds top prospect list. You can read about them here. I've also added Sickels' rankings to the choices too.
Two more choices added to the list today, vote accordingly.
We're back at it to start the week, and Daniel Corcino is the #4 ranked prospect. He's been nothing but positive so far, but is still enough of a lottery ticket that there's some risk to him too. This season will go a long way to figure out if he can sustain that dominance in higher levels, especially if he goes back to the bandbox that is Bakersfield.
Same choices today, so have at it. And if there are anyone that you want to vote for but haven't yet, let me know in the comments.
In a turn of events that should surprise no one, Billy Hamilton is the RR 3rd ranked prospect. Personally, I had him at #2, due to his blazing speed and switch hitting ability. He's still essentially a lottery ticket at this point, but if he gets it together, isn't he a less powerful Jose Reyes? I think I'd take that.
I'm expecting a tighter race today to close out the week. No new choices today, go and get it done!
With a staggering 72% of the vote, Devin "Snacks" Mesoraco is the number 1 prospect for our list. It's well deserved, I'd say. He was the best player in the organization last year, and looks to be the catcher of the future for the big league club, starting as early as next season.
In my opinion, the list gets pretty murky from here on out. In years past, we've had a lot of guys to go in a pretty logical progression, but after Mes, the guys on this year's list could be ranked in almost any order. This is likely due to the "closer to the big leagues" guys getting traded, leaving the "still a few years away with oodles of potential" guys at the top. WIth that in mind, we're adding two more names to this list.
Vote early, vote often. Poll stays open until 10 tonight.
Ken Rosenthal reporting that the Reds have acquired pitcher Mat Latos from the Padres. Yonder Alonso is reportedly in the deal. More on this as it develops.
Well, it's that time of year again. The time of year where we're reminded of what we love the most. The time of year to come together with friends and loved ones and celebrate. The time where we get all kinds of cool stuff. Yes, it's Redsfest.
When I originally had the idea for this article, I was surprised that we hadn't done it sooner here at RR. I mean, who's more qualified in Reds-related good times than we are? What we've decided to do is a "do's and don'ts" format list to help you get the most out of your Redsfest experience. Being one of the RRs most familiar with the area, FordhamRam is providing the suggestions of stuff to do downtown, while Redsfest veterans 'tHan, obc/Ewok, and myself want to make sure you have a great time and avoid rookie Redsfest mistakes.
DO:
Make sure you're up with the Reds social networking sites. Now, more than ever, because they've announced that they'll be announcing where players are signing on their twitter feed (@Reds). If you can keep up with it throughout the day, you're likely to get to autograph lines faster, which is especially important since they're introducing a cap of 225 autographs per session this year. (BK)
DON'T:
Overpay for parking. If you’re from out of town or a serial suburbanite, parking downtown near the Duke Convention Center may appear a bit intimidating. This does not have to be the case. Metered parking can be found downtown until 6 PM on Friday and Saturday (and after 6 PM, it’s free). Many of these meters give you the opportunity to pay by credit card. If parking garages are more your thing, your best bet for a deal will involve a bit of a walk. Parking for as low as a $1.00 an hour may be had at the Garfield Garage (Enter from Ninth between Vine and Race Streets)
or the Gramercy Garage (Enter from Seventh between Elm & Race Streets) on Friday. If you’re willing to pay a bit of a premium, you can find closer parking to Duke at Fountain Square or one of the privately-owned lots, but prepare to pay a premium. Obviously, parking will likely be cheaper and more plentiful on Saturday. (FordhamRam) ('tHan mentions carpooling if you're able to, which I think is a good idea)
Bakersfieldlost 5-2 to San Jose. Devin Lohman was 2-for-4 with a homer, and Mark Serrano gave up 5 runs in 7 innings of work. Up next: The Blaze take on High Desert at 10:30.
Daytonlost to Bowling Green 7-5. Billy Hamilton was 2-for-5 with a homer (!) and Donald Lutz had 3 hits. Daniel Corcino got lit up, giving up 7 runs without getting out of the 5th. Tucker Barnhart had 2 hits and 2 runs batted in. Up next: Josh Smith takes on BG at 8:05.
Billingswon 7-4 against Helena. Tony Cingrani started and gave up 3 runs in 5 innings (which is more than you'd expect) but still got the win. Robert Maddox went 3-for-5 and Bryson Smith hit his 5th homer. Up next: Great Falls at 9:05.
Carolinabeat Montgomery 7-3. Eric Campbell homered and drove in 3 runs. Curtis Partch gave up 3 runs in 6 2/3 innings, with 7 strikeouts. Up next: Off day.
Bakersfieldbeat San Jose 11-6. Tim Crabbe started and pitched 7 shutout innings with only 1 hit, 1 walk, and 8 strikeouts. Brodie Greene and Devin Lohman both homered. Up next: Matt Fairel takes on San Jose at 10:30.
Daytonbeat West Michigan 3-2. Kyle Lotzkar gave up 2 runs in 5 innings of work, and Donald Lutz hit 2 home runs, including the walk-off bomb in the 10th inning. Ronald Torreyes also had 3 hits. Up next: Tanner Robles gets the start in Bowling Green at 7:35.
Billingslost 6-4 to Helena. Kyle Waldrop and Robert Maddox homered, and Wes Mugarian gave up 5 runs in 6 innings, though they were all unearned. Also, they're currently tied for the lead in their division with 9 games left, so keep an eye on them going forward. Up next: Helena at 9:05.
The AZL Reds had a playoff game and lost 9-3 to the AZL Giants. Justice French didn't pitch well. Since this is only a 1-game series, they're our first team to end this year.
Yesterday afternoon, MBP and I had the privilege of heading up to Dayton on a nice Sunday afternoon to watch the Dragons take on the West Michigan Whitecaps. Little did we know going into the game that their magic number was one at the time, and that upon winning the game, would be crowned 2nd half champions in the Midwest League East. In fact, we didn't even know until the final out, when David Vidal made a tough play to throw out a runner at first, he hugged pitcher Daniel Wolford and the team rallied around the mound and jumped around. It was then when we figured out that they weren't just really, really, ridiculously happy to beat West Michigan, but had clinched a playoff spot with a 43-19 record so far. Here are some observations about the game:
Dayton's a pretty nice place to watch a ballgame. Nice stadium, easy to see from everywhere around the concourse, and a good crowd on hand. A far cry from the half-empty stadiums a lot of minor leaguers are used to playing in, I'm sure.
Josh Smith got the start, and was pretty damn impressive. He's a bigger guy, and we couldn't see a stadium gun but it looked like his fastball was pretty sharp. He mixed in a lot of off-speed stuff, too. He was dominant, only giving up 3 hits in the 6 innings he pitched, with 6 strikeouts to extend his league lead.
Billy Hamilton didn't steal any bases, but really didn't have much of a chance. He got on base a couple times (one beating out a grounder that he had no business beating out), and I can see why scouts rave about his speed. He got picked off his first time on base and didn't steal the other time. Oh well.
One thing that really struck me about this team is how short they are. Ronald Torreyes is DRH short, Tucker Barnhart looks like a normal guy you'd see out at the bar, and David Vidal is listed at 5'11", but is actually probably about 5'9". That said, all three of those guys can absolutely rake.
Juan Duran honestly impressed me. He was 2 for 4 on the day with a single up the middle and a homer that just about his the foul pole in LF (but cleared the wall by about 30 feet). He's so strong that he almost went opposite field and narrowly missed a homer down the RF line too, barely foul.
Since a lot of the talk at the big-league level was about defense, it's worth mentioning that Duran was pretty solid in this game, to the point where it looks like he'll be able to stick in LF. The most impressive infielder for me was Vidal, who made a couple of sliding catches and nice spin moves to throw out runners from 3B. Torreyes was okay too. On the other hand...
Unfortunately, Billy Hamilton's defense. He had 4 ground balls hit to him (in my recollection), and bobbled two of them. He made both of the plays where he had to move to his left, and completely shit on the ones where he had to go to the right. No errors due to a generous scorekeeper, but I'm considerably less optimistic on his future as a SS after seeing him play in person. Then again, he did make a great catch where he ended up in the spot where the LF usually plays, but his range on ground balls and his throwing arm are suspect. Why hasn't there been any talk about trying him out in CF?
The bullpen was solid, as Pat Doyle pitched 2 shutout innings and Daniel Wolford pitched a scoreless 9th. By the way, there isn't an anonymous Reds prospect having a better under-the-radar year than Wolford right now. 34 1/3 scoreless innings in a row, and he hasn't given up an earned run since JUNE. That's crazy.
Anyway, let's look at the fresh prospects this week...
Edinson Volquez
He's had quality starts in 7 of his last 8 starts. His control is better too, only issuing 27 walks in 80 innings. I think we may see him again in September, whether we like it or not.
Neftali Soto
29 homers so far this year, leading all of the Reds teams and is now 2nd in the Southern League. Raise your hand if you expected a breakout power year here? We didn't either, but could he be ready for a big league role next year?
Billy Hamilton
Yeah, you know about the stolen bases (94 and counting), but he's OPSing .989 in his last 10 games. A .500 OBP in that span for a leadoff hitter is pretty good too.
Tony Cingrani
As impressive a rookie ball debut as we've seen in some time. 66 strikeouts, 5 walks, in 40 2/3 innings. A 1.56 ERA in 11 starts.
This is long enough, so no stale prospects this week. To the games after the jump...
Louisvillebeat Toledo 10-3 behind a fantastic night for Devin Mesoraco. He was 4-for-4 with 5 RBI, and hit a home run in the 5th inning of this game that traveled 471 feet. That's farther than any Reds player has hit a homer this year, and only 6 in the entire big leagues this year went farther than that. He followed that up with another homer, his 15th of the year. Get him up here, Walt. Scott Carroll started and went 5 2/3 innings, giving up 3 runs, and Daniel Dorn and Mike Costanzo homered as well. Up next: Daryl Thompson takes on Lehigh Valley at 7:05.
Carolinabeat Jacksonville 5-2. Neftali Soto jacked his 27th homer of the year, and Justin Lehr gave up 1 ER in 7 innings to get the win. Up next: Pedro Villarreal takes on the Suns at 7:15.
Bakersfieldlost 4-2 to Rancho Cucamonga. J.C. Sulbaran only went 5 innings, giving up 2 runs with 5 strikeouts. Chris Manno had another scoreless inning (that's 12 1/3 now), and Chris Richburg and Jorge Jimenez had 2 hits each. Up next: Dan Renken takes the mound against the topically-named Quakes at 10:05.
Daytonbeat Lansing 6-1. Billy Hamilton was 4-for-5 with a RBI and his 90th and 91st stolen bases of the year. He's getting there, folks. Josh Smith had another good start, going 6 innings and giving up 1 run and striking out 8. Up next: Mitch Clarke takes on Great Lakes at 7:05.
Billingsbeat Idaho Falls 5-3. Juan Perez and Ryan Wright homered and Kyle Waldrop was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Ismael Guillon got the start, and gave up 2 runs in 5 2/3 innings before El'Hajj Muhammad came in and did work, giving up no runs in his 2 innings. Up next: Kyle McMyne takes on Idaho Falls at 9:05.
The AZL Redskilled the AZL Padres 14-6. Joel Bender had an up and down start, going 6 2/3 innings, but giving up 12 hits and 6 runs (but only 3 of them earned) with 6 strikeouts. 5 A-Reds had 2 hit games, with Carlos Sanchez leading the way with 4 RBI. Up next: AZL Dodgers at 2.
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