Redszone Community Prospect Vote: #6

[dougdirt]

Vote for the player who you think is the Reds #6 prospect (the best prospect who is not yet on the list). We will go with this as far as you guys want to take it.

I will post a new list every 2 days with 10-15 options to vote on.

If you feel like making an argument on why a guy should be voted here, feel free to vote and state why you voted for that player.

If there is someone that is not currently listed as an option to vote on, vote for 'other' then just state who you want to vote for in the thread.

If there is anyone you would like to see as an option on the next poll, just say so and if they garner enough support, they will be placed on the next poll. Guys with the lowest amount of votes will usually be removed for the next few guys who were talked about in the previous thread.


Prospect 1 - Jay Bruce
Prospect 2 - Homer Bailey
Prospect 3 - Johnny Cueto
Prospect 4 - Joey Votto
Prospect 5 - Todd Frazier

[TOBTTReds]

Stubbs is up 2-1, should be a good race!

[Kc61]

I expect a battle between Stubbs and Maloney. Each raises some issues. Stubbs' bat. Maloney his fly ball tendencies. He allowed, if I recall, 19 homers at various stops last year. Still, both are top ten guys, wherever they may land.

I think Roenicke deserves consideration. He's a bit older since he stayed longer at college, and a reliever. But his K rate is excellent as is his ground ball rate. He is a potential closer, certainly a late inning guy, with a pitcher's frame. I may well vote for him.

I think this is a bit high for Travis Wood coming off last season, where he was hurt and didn't have great numbers. Next year is key for him, and he certainly was excellent earlier.

The other way to go here is with pure youth, Mesoraco or Lotzkar. There's a lot to say for Lotzkar who performed so well in his first attempt at pro ball.

[Benihana]

Kc, I appreciate the fact that you are definitely Roenicke's #1 advocate, but I just can't make myself vote for a reliever who is going to be 26 next season and has never pitched above AA. I hope he turns into a great closer for our ballclub, and his peripheral numbers look pretty good. But truly elite young closers have a way of bursting through systems (see Huston Street, Chad Cordero, K-Rod, Ryan Wagner, I mean, er...oops!) Roenicke is doing well but the fact of the matter remains he is going to be 26 in AA, and there really isn't that much differentiating him from other minor league relievers, such as Guevara, Medlock, Pelland, etc.

Meanwhile, I am very much on the fence in terms of the Reds #6 prospect. I really like Wood but he has to show that he can bounce back from this year. Maloney's numbers are good but I can't shake visions of Dumatrait. I can't bring myself to get fired up about Stubbs until he continues his "hot streak" this year. Lotzkar looked great but he is so young. In other words, I can't really bring myself to join one camp yet, so I'll see how the debate plays out...

[M2]

Roenicke's got evil stuff and looks to be a solid bet to be a plus major league pitcher. He may not have come in with a pedigree, but if he keeps up what he did last season, he'll be in the majors at some point in 2008.

Between Roenicke, Stubbs and Maloney, Roenicke seems to me to be the guy who most reasonably can have some positive impact in the majors in his career.

[Benihana]

Roenicke's got evil stuff and looks to be a solid bet to be a plus major league pitcher. He may not have come in with a pedigree, but if he keeps up what he did last season, he'll be in the majors at some point in 2008.

I certainly hope you are right (and I think you may turn out to be.) However, I wasn't just questioning the pedigree he came in with, but the pedigree he currently has (being a 26-year-old AA reliever.)

You don't have to be drafted in the first round to get shuttled quickly through the system if you are truly tearing it up. I just think if the Reds brass was as confident in Roenicke as you guys seem to be, he would be with the big club by now, especially given their bullpen woes.

[Kc61]

Kc, I appreciate the fact that you are definitely Roenicke's #1 advocate, but I just can't make myself vote for a reliever who is going to be 26 next season and has never pitched above AA. I hope he turns into a great closer for our ballclub, and his peripheral numbers look pretty good. But truly elite young closers have a way of bursting through systems (see Huston Street, Chad Cordero, K-Rod, Ryan Wagner, I mean, er...oops!) Roenicke is doing well but the fact of the matter remains he is going to be 26 in AA, and there really isn't that much differentiating him from other minor league relievers, such as Guevara, Medlock, Pelland, etc.

Meanwhile, I am very much on the fence in terms of the Reds #6 prospect. I really like Wood but he has to show that he can bounce back from this year. Maloney's numbers are good but I can't shake visions of Dumatrait. I can't bring myself to get fired up about Stubbs until he continues his "hot streak" this year. Lotzkar looked great but he is so young. In other words, I can't really bring myself to join one camp yet, so I'll see how the debate plays out...

As head of the Roenicke fan club, your comments are well taken and acknowledged. Also, everyone should keep in mind that I was a strong Dumatrait advocate as well.

[dougdirt]

I am going with Drew Stubbs.

From July forward he hit .303/.399/.517 over a span of 246 plate appearances.

He has all the tools and began to put some of them together over the second half of the season. Plenty enough reason for me.

[dougdirt]

Roenicke's got evil stuff and looks to be a solid bet to be a plus major league pitcher. He may not have come in with a pedigree, but if he keeps up what he did last season, he'll be in the majors at some point in 2008.

Between Roenicke, Stubbs and Maloney, Roenicke seems to me to be the guy who most reasonably can have some positive impact in the majors in his career.

I am pretty sure that his father was a major leaguer..... Thats a fairly good pedigree.

He probably starts in AAA next season and should be in Cincinnati soon enough.

[Benihana]

I am pretty sure that his father was a major leaguer..... Thats a fairly good pedigree.

He probably starts in AAA next season and should be in Cincinnati soon enough.

I think Ron Roenicke was his uncle, but I think what M2 was referring to (and I was responding) was the fact that he was not a highly touted guy coming in as a 10th round pick (and college senior.)

But I agree, hopefully he will be in Cincinnati at some point this year. I do look forward to it.

[M2]

I certainly hope you are right (and I think you may turn out to be.) However, I wasn't just questioning the pedigree he came in with, but the pedigree he currently has (being a 26-year-old AA reliever.)

You don't have to be drafted in the first round to get shuttled quickly through the system if you are truly tearing it up. I just think if the Reds brass was as confident in Roenicke as you guys seem to be, he would be with the big club by now, especially given their bullpen woes.

He only got drafted in 2006, which is the year he started pitching. So he's gone from a college position player two years ago to a AA closer. He's already vaulted five levels in pro ball.

If he had progressed all the way to the majors, it would be something out of a dime store novel. If he could pitch his way into the majors in 2008, it still would be a spectacular achievement. He's actually on a career arc awfully similar to Trevor Hoffman.

BTW, he's 25, not 26, not that it makes any major sort of difference.

[dougdirt]

I certainly hope you are right (and I think you may turn out to be.) However, I wasn't just questioning the pedigree he came in with, but the pedigree he currently has (being a 26-year-old AA reliever.)

You don't have to be drafted in the first round to get shuttled quickly through the system if you are truly tearing it up. I just think if the Reds brass was as confident in Roenicke as you guys seem to be, he would be with the big club by now, especially given their bullpen woes.

Roenicke won't be 26 until August 2008..... As for where he is at, he was drafted in 2006. He went from Billings to AA from one season to the next, thats about as big of a jump as you will see guys make in 1 season.

[TOBTTReds]

Roenicke's age is tough to look at bc he was 23 when drafted. He has moved through levels relatively quick for a player in our org. I have him in the 8-10 range though.

[dougdirt]

I think Ron Roenicke was his uncle, but I think what M2 was referring to (and I was responding) was the fact that he was not a highly touted guy coming in as a 10th round pick (and college senior.)

His dad was Gary Roenicke, played for 12 MLB seasons. Ron was his uncle. You were probably right with what M2 was saying... I didn't read into that too well.

[Redman15]

I'm going with Dorn before Stubbs. You can project all you want, but I'm going with results. Dorn won the 2006 Pioneer batting title with a .354 avg. Stubbs hit .252. Dorn skipped Low A and went to Sarasota were he hit 12 HR's. He led the team in RBI's with 66 in only 92 games. He was promoted to AA where he hit .311 with 8 HR's and a OSP of 1.089 in 26 games. I think the numbers speak for themselves.