Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (7) | 2011 (6) | 2010 (17) | 2009 (14) | 2008 (3)
2012 Affiliate Records
MLB: [97-65] NL Central
AAA: [51-93] International League – Louisville
AA: [68-70] Southern League – Pensacola
A+: [72-68] California League – Bakersfield
A: [60-78] Midwest League – Dayton
Graduated Prospects
Zack Cozart (SS); Devin Mesoraco (C)
The Run Down
Cincinnati is coming off of a 97-win season, and while it’s tough to expect that kind of success on a year-to-year basis, I really don’t see much regression out of the Reds this season, or for the next few seasons either. The pitching depth that Cincy has accumulated in their farm system is outstanding — there are high-impact arms at every level, and there’s plenty of fantasy intrigue given that most of these young pitchers are of the lots-o-whiffs variety. The bats of this system are a little less appealing, but not completely lacking. Jesse Winker is a young player with a huge ceiling at the plate, and Henry Rodriguez is ready to make an impact in the fantasy game at 2B as soon as there’s an opportunity for him. Oh, and there’s also this Hamilton dude. He’s a big time slugger, or something.
Top Ten Prospects
1. Billy Hamilton, OF: Hamilton has unprecedented speed, and with it, he’ll undoubtedly have an impact on the fantasy game. But before the Reds can feel comfortable using him, he needs to log more time in CF (only 17 pro appearances thus far), and he also needs to prove that his hit tool is adequate versus Triple-A arms — AAA repertoires are deeper and pitchers are more savvy with sequencing than what Hamilton faced last year. Lots of folks are anticipating a mid-season arrival for the 22-year-old, but I doubt we see him before September. More thoughts on Hamilton in my Top 50 Prospects for 2013 post, where he ranked #45. ETA: Late 2013
2. Robert Stephenson, RHP: The 2011 first-rounder was quite impressive in his first year of pro ball, posting a 3.18 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and a 10.0 K/9 in 65 IP between rookie ball and Low-A. It’s early in his development, but Stephenson features a plus-plus fastball along with two secondary offerings (curve, change) that project above average. That sort of arsenal has him looking like a front-end guy. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles a bigger workload in 2013. ETA: 2015
3. Tony Cingrani, LHP: Cingrani was thoroughly impressive in 25 starts between High- and Double-A: 1.73 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 10.6 K/9. The 23-year-old lefty rode that success to a late-season call-up, during which he whiffed 9 big league hitters in just 5 IP out of the ‘pen. For now, he’s primarily a fastball-changeup kind of guy, but his curveball is coming around. A deeper arsenal would be better for his long-term projection, but in any case, Cingrani’s stuff as-is should suffice to rack up plenty of K’s. More on him in my Top 50 for 2013 post, where he ranked #32. ETA: 2013
4. Daniel Corcino, RHP: Thanks to his Dominican descent and smallish frame, Corcino draws a ton of comps to Johnny Cueto. In a full season at Double-A, the 22-year-old posted a 3.01 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and a K/9 at 7.9. His arsenal is deep, and scouts are thinking he’s ready for a look in the bigs. Any immediate opportunity would come in the bullpen, though, so if the Reds are content to continue Corcino’s development as a starter, expect to see him in the Louisville rotation to begin the year. ETA: 2013
5. Jesse Winker, OF: After being drafted 49th overall last June, Winker was assigned to short-season Billings in the rookie-level Pioneer League. There, he hit an impressive .338/.443/.500. Winker is primed to step up to full-season ball in 2013 at age 19. If the success at the plate continues, expect quite a bit more notoriety. ETA: 2016
6. Nick Travieso, RHP: Drafted out of high school at #14 overall last June, Travieso is yet to pitch outside of the complex league as a pro. Scouting reports are very high on the 19-year-old, and many see front-of-the-rotation potential. There’s a long way to go here, though. Expect Travieso to reach Low-A by year’s end. ETA: 2016
7. Dan Langfield, RHP: Drafted out of college in the third round last June, Langfield was given a modest assignment to rookie-level Billings, as the Reds tweaked some things mechanically. Subsequent dominant numbers (2.68 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 13.1 K/9) weren’t necessarily surprising considering the low-level competition. Still, the 22-year-old features a mid-90s heater, and he counters with two nice breaking ball offerings (slider, curve). He should be on a faster track in 2013. ETA: 2015
8. Kyle Lotzkar, RHP: The 23-year-old has posted impressive K figures at every stop (career 10.6 K/9), but lost command of his stuff at Double-A down the stretch last year. He’ll return to Pensacola this April, and if he can find consistency, he won’t be long for the minors. Yet another SP with mid-rotation potential, and fantasy allure thanks to whiffs. ETA: 2014
9. Henry Rodriguez, 2B: Rodriguez is a bat-first 2B, and he’s ready for a look in the bigs. Unfortunately, there’s not much of an opportunity for him with these Reds. The 23-year-old surfaced briefly in Cincy last season, but he’ll likely have to wait in Triple-A for an opportunity to begin 2013. With regular playing time, Rodriguez could offer positive contributions in AVG and OBP categories. ETA: 2013
10. J.J. Hoover, RHP: Hoover appeared in 28 games out of the bullpen for the Reds last year, amassing some nice numbers: 2.08 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 9.1 K/9. The 25-year-old will likely rejoin the ‘pen for the 2013 season, and if he continues to impress, there’s always the potential to earn save opportunities. ETA: 2013
