Redzone Minor League Prospect Ranking #13

[RedlegJake]

Carlos Contreras slots in as the #12 prospect.

1. Robert Stephenson 20 RHP
2. Billy Hamilton 23 Cf-Switch
3. Phillip Ervin 21 Cf-R
4. Jesse Winker 20 LF-L
5. Yorman Rodriguez 21 RF-R
6. Michael Lorenzen 22 RHP
7. David Holmberg 22 LHP
8. Nick Travieso 20 RHP
9. Seth Mejias-Brean 23 3B-R
10. Ben Lively 22 RHP
11. Jon Moscot 22 RHP
12. Carlos Contreras 23 RHP

[Kc61]

I will go with Corcino. One bad year shouldn't destroy a guy's status.

[mth123]

My top 12 and Redszone's top 12 contain all the same names, but in a different order. I think the order now is probably more jumbled than before and I've deviated in the order since number 1. Going with Sharky here, but acknowledge that he could be as low as the mid 20s.

[mdccclxix]

Rogers again, then Barnhart, annnnd....idunno.

[RedlegJake]

At the point now where a lot of different guys could get votes. Rogers and Barnhart for being near ready. Rosa or Arias for tools. Constante or Medina for potential. Kivel or Boyles for their excellent early showing in the AZL. Rachal for plate discipline. Thompson for being a hopeful at the critical and weak SS position. Ortiz should be getting some support very soon, too. Plus Armstrong and Weiss who didn't have much chance to show but were drafted 3rd and 6th last year.

[mace]

Jake -- I didn't want to pollute the Results thread, but I do want to say that it's compelling and appreciated. Also, I love the way you've moved these polls along. It gives them some energy, and keeps us coming back to make sure we stay abreast. Great job.

[REDREAD]

I'm probably going with Barnhart until he makes the list.
I realize there will probably be 3-4 more pitchers that the poll selects before Barnhart, but I think we are at the point in the voting, where most of the remaining pitching prospects just aren't going to make it.
But I can understand that based on upside, they are more attractive than Barnhart.

I really wished Garrett would've given up Basketball. Or at least not transferred and lost yet another year. He's going to have 5 years in college, I think. Since Minor Leaguers can become free agents if they don't make the team in 6 years, I just don't see how he's going to give the Reds any return on their investment

[Edd Roush]

I went with Rogers here. He has moved through the system without many hiccups, but did hit a proverbial wall in Louisville this year. I have Barnhart rated similarly, but if it is close, I generally go with a starting pitcher.

[mth123]

My order for the next group is Rogers here, Ortiz, Barnhart, Kivel, Corcino and Arias. After that there is a drop to my next group that would include Cisco, Romano, Garrett, Soto, Constante, Waldrop, Washington and my sleeper who seems forgotten Juan Silva.

I've listed those groups in the order I have them,. but the order of each group might be pretty interchangeable.

[RedlegJake]

7 different prospects have votes on this poll. I don't have a problem with any of them at this point, either. I think it points out the weakness in the Reds system - no depth in candidates at the higher levels. There are plenty of exciting guys in the lower tiers but they are hard to differentiate because they are mostly all young, unproven potential at this point. There is something about those jumps to AA and AAA that is critical to accurate evaluation and just a dozen prospects in and there is only a couple AA/AAA guys who merit much consideration. And 8 of the first 12 haven't hit AA yet or just got there the last half of 2013. I feel like the lower levels are stacked pretty well, especially with pitching talent, but it just shows how weak the upper level really is that only 4 of those guys crack the top 12 who spent the whole year at AA or above.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Just curious, from people who have seen him...I know Tucker's glove is rock solid, but what does his bat look like? Does he project as a possible starter, or a solid backup? I know the glove will translate. I saw enough of that in the lower minors, but I haven't watched him at all in a year or two.

[RedlegJake]

Charles - personally I think he is a lot like Hanigan as a hitter except he switch hits. He seems to get on base fairly well, though without much power. I wonder if he'll keep switch hitting because his numbers from the left side are drastically better. So much better I wonder if he wouldn't do just as well or better just swinging from the left side. I see him as a really, really good backup who could start on a club that didn't need/have a really good bat at C. I think he could back up Mes right now and not miss a beat, but another year tuning up his bat may help in the long run. He seemed to make good strides at the plate last year, at least as a lefty hitter.

[_Sir_Charles_]

That's somewhat what I saw early on but I didn't follow his numbers this past year. Some guys develop the bat later on. Regardless, thanks for the heads up.

For the first time ever, I'm going to spring training (my brother's getting married in March and he lives about 2 or 3 miles from camp) so Tucker is one of the guys I'm most interested in seeing. He and Phillip Ervin.