Comps for top Reds prospects?

[RedsManRick]

One way I find it very helpful to get a feel for a given player's skill set is to find a few good comps. I'm not looking for a statistical twin necessarily. Rather, I want a scouting comp. Who does things similarly to this guy?

I was listening to the radio last night and the name Ian Snell came up. They described his mid 90's fastball, good slider, and passable change. They said the Pirates were always worried about his height and slight frame and feared he'd break down. Then I looked at his numbers and saw a guy missing a good number of bats and keeping his K/BB north of 3.5. Boom -- Johnny Cueto comp pops in my head.

Snell will be 26 in 2008 and has 448 IP in the majors. He's improved each year and last year was essentially a #2 starter.

How does that sit as a comp for Cueto? Other good ones for him? How about for other prospects?

Bruce: Larry Walker?
Bailey: Kerry Wood?
Votto: Raul Ibanez?

Obviously it doesn't mean a guy is going to have his comps career, but perhaps it can give us some insight in to the range of reasonable outcomes as we talk about upsides.

[Patrick Bateman]

I think the Snell/Cueto comp is pretty apt.

[dougdirt]

Bailey: Josh Beckett

Thats the one I have heard since he was drafted and it still makes sense today.

[Triples]

Bailey: Josh Beckett

Thats the one I have heard since he was drafted and it still makes sense today.

Boy I sure hope you're right. I can't think of anyone I'd rather have on the mound in a crucial game than Beckett. His stuff is nasty and his temperment is perfect. Just the right amount of mental toughness and emotional control combined with a little bit a bad a** attitude.

[RedsManRick]

How about further down in the system?

Danny Dorn: Trot Nixon?
Drew Stubbs: Mike Cameron?
Juan Fransisco: Wily Mo Pena?
Todd Frazier: Jeff Kent?
Matt Maloney: ?
Devin Moreseco: ?
Travis Wood: ?

[dougdirt]

I don't see the Francisco - WMP one. WMP is still an absolute physical freak of nature. Francisco has some crazy power, but I have yet to see anyone with the raw power that WMP displayed.

[Superdude]

That's wierd. I was thinking the exact same thing about Cueto a couple days ago. If his stuff is as advertised, he's basically the stocky version of Ian Snell. Cueto's changeup is probably a little better, but they're almost identical.

[Redman15]

Dorn = Mark Kotsay
Turner = Craig Biggio
Francisco = David Ortiz
Valaika = Adam Everett
Stubbs = Reed Johnson

[Benihana]

How about instead of the same old Mike Cameron comps,
Drew Stubbs: Steve Finley?

[Benihana]

Turner = Craig Biggio
Francisco = David Ortiz

Mesoraco = Johnny Bench
Lotzkar = Sandy Koufax
Waring = Babe Ruth

[dougdirt]

Dorn = Mark Kotsay
Turner = Craig Biggio
Francisco = David Ortiz
Valaika = Adam Everett
Stubbs = Reed Johnson

[Patrick Bateman]

Mesoraco has some very similar traits to Russell Martin.

[Heath]

Mesoraco has some very similar traits to Russell Martin.

Let's hope he never shows similar traits to Ricky Martin.

Now if he can sing, dance, and catch.......

[Redman15]

Here are the comp stats for Ortiz/Francisco at A ball.

Batting Statistics Ortiz vs Francisco
Year Team Lg Age Org. Level G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO HBP IBB SH SF DP AVG
1996Wisc Midw 20 Sea A 129 485 89 156 34 2 18 93 3 4 52 108 5 8 2 4 5 .322
2007 Day Midw 20 Cin A 135 534 69 143 21 4 25 90 12 6 23 161 3 6 0 2 14 .268

[dougdirt]

Here are the comp stats for Ortiz/Francisco at A ball.

Batting Statistics Ortiz vs Francisco
Year Team Lg Age Org. Level G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO HBP IBB SH SF DP AVG
1996Wisc Midw 20 Sea A 129 485 89 156 34 2 18 93 3 4 52 108 5 8 2 4 5 .322
2007 Day Midw 20 Cin A 135 534 69 143 21 4 25 90 12 6 23 161 3 6 0 2 14 .268

I don't see it. Ortiz knew how to take a walk, hit for a higher average and had a higher isolated slugging percentage as well. They also have different body types.