Who steps up?

[RedlegJake]

Jay Bruce, Bailey, Cueto, probably Roenicke before the Year ends, Votto, likely Maloney - all probably end up with the Reds. So who, in your opinion, steps up and takes their places as the next crop of "top" prospects? Is there anyone likely to come close to the same level? Is there a darkhorse Cueto type out there who could emerge from seemingly nowhere? Or has the ship sailed on blue chip prospects for awhile? Is the system down to decent but not great prospects?


Who is most likely to be a premier prospect?
Most likely to flop who is currently rated pretty highly?
And who will seem to come from nowhere to explode on the radar?

My answers:

1. a) Pedro Viola - reliever but he could be a really good one and ready soon. b) Devin Mesorasco - this year he puts himself on the hotsheet for results not just hype.
2. Juan Francisco - until he proves he can hit the offspeed stuff he'll see more and more often as he advances and he learns some selectivity at the plate I'm a doubting Tomas.
3. Josh Ravin - this kid could be great but he's as raw as a March turnip. I'm not including the new DR kid because he won't play this season but he could be next year's choice. The caveat being he really isn't coming from out of nowhere with all the attention paid his signing.

[dougdirt]

Drew Stubbs, Todd Frazier, Kyle Lotzkar, Travis Wood, Devin Mesoraco and Juan Duran. Those will be our top 6 prospects at the start of next year, but probably not in that order.

The guy most likely to be the premiere prospect is either Stubbs or Frazier, but Lotzkar blowing up on the scene wouldn't surprise me at all.

The player that I see that will come from nowhere and showing up on peoples radar is going to be Efrain Rodriguez. Last year he really was intriguing as a 17 year old in the GCL. I don't think he will exactly 'explode' onto the scene, but he will make some people keep tabs on him.

I like your Josh Ravin call. He has a big arm and solid mechanics. He could really turn some heads if he can get some control.

[podgejeff_]

What about a Danny Dorn? He seems to have all the hitting tools and looks like he's moving pretty quickly through the system?

[OnBaseMachine]

I'm predicting big things from Todd Frazier and Kyle Lotzkar this season. Frazier will reach Double-A sometime this season and probably be ranked as the Reds #1 hitting prospect at this time next season unless Juan Duran steals that from him.

Lotzkar is a guy with a huge ceiling. He's the next Reds pitching prospect in the category of Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto. He throws his fastball comfortably in the 91-94 range and can touch 95. He also throws a hard downer curveball and his changeup has a chance to be a plus pitch down the road. He was very impressive in his pro debut between the GCL and Billings.

Devin Mesoraco, Josh Ravin, and Pedro Viola are all good picks too. I really like Pedro Viola, he could reach the majors sometime this season and provide a boost to the Reds bullpen.

[princeton]

Reds will be looking most closely at the reliever, catcher, and OF situation, with Jr/Dunn possibly replaced by Stubbs and Dorn, maybe even by a Dorn/Rosales platoon. Frazier or Francisco could get OF time just to see if their bats could be accelerated. Stubbs should start at AA because it hits well.

guys should begin to get shifted from rotation to relief, to see if we can accelerate them as well. Sean Watson is an example, as is Carlos Fisher. Perhaps Watson can really develop quickly in the pen.

if Mesoraco hits, they won't have to draft a catcher number one. If he falls flat, things could change.

[RedsManRick]

Danny Dorn, Todd Frazier, Tyler Pelland, Pedro Viola

The latter two could both get cups of coffee this year. The other two will just keep hitting.

[lollipopcurve]

OK, some guys with an opportunity to step up to major league relevance:

Bruce (I'm not convinced he's as ready as is being assumed)

Janish, Jose Castro, Rosales (I think they'd prefer to use Kepp all over the diamond)

Tatum (the position remains essentially vacant)

Viola, Roenicke (lotta age in the pen)


Personally, I'd love to see Rosales put up big numbers and give the Reds something to think about at 3B.

[OnBaseMachine]

I agree princeton. I'd like to see the Reds begin turning some failed starters with good stuff into relievers. It's already been reported that Carlos Fisher has been coverted to the bullpen. He's not a failed starter but his ceiling as a starter is probably only a #4 starter whereas in the bullpen he profiles as a setup man type. James Avery and Camilo Vazquez are two others that need to switch to the bullpen this season. Avery throws a fastball in the low 90's and a split finger, which is better suited for the pen anyways. Camilo Vazquez is a 24-year old Cuban lefty with a nice minor league K rate (8.18) but he simply doesn't have the command to be a starter.

Logan Ondrusek (6-8 RHP) is another guy to move to the pen. He began last season as a reliever and for some reason or another the Reds moved him to rotation where he struggled. Rafael Gonzalez also fits in the category of failed starter. His stuff was considered just a tick below Homer Bailey's coming out of high school but he has battled weight problems and control issues. A move to the pen wouldn't hurt.

[New Fever]

The Reds #1 prospect next year will be the guy they take with the 7th pick in the draft. On the last BA podcast, they talked about how this year's draft will have about 8 prospects in consideration for the Top 10 prospects in baseball. I know all of them won't be ranked in the Top 10 but they will be ranked prettty high. If someone like (Tim Beckham, Justin Smoak, Brian Matusz or Yonder Alonso) falls to the Reds he will be #1 on the Reds list next year.

[goldengreek33]

I like Stubbs to break out big this year after he showed some signs of promise towards the end of last year. He choked up on the bat, giving him better bat control and it showed- only 2 K's in his first 42 AB's after the switch and hit .366 with 4 HR in 24 games. He's incredibly gifted, and even as a Red Sox fan, I'd love to see what he's capable of.

[krm1580]

Who is most likely to be a premier prospect?
Drew Stubbs - He has a very as high an upside as pretty much anyone in the organization and seemed to be figuring things out at the end of last season

Most likely to flop who is currently rated pretty highly?
Kyle Lotzkar - I hope this is not the case but his pitching motion scares me and I just see him as an arm injury waiting to happen.

And who will seem to come from nowhere to explode on the radar?
Josh Ravin - Mid 90 heat that touched 98-99, with good movement, above average curveball and a very clean repeatable delivery. If his control problems get resolved, he moves way up this year.

[Kc61]

For me, this minor league season is about two things:

1. At AAA, it's about Bruce and, if there, Bailey getting ready to be big time major league players. They need to do well.

2. At the lower levels, it is about Drew Stubbs. The Reds obviously see Bruce as a right fielder. Even if Corey Patterson does well, the Reds need a future centerfielder. Stubbs was drafted for that role. His performance in 2008 will tell us a lot.

[icehole3]

Brandon Waring I feel will put up Adam Dunn type numbers in Dayton.

[pahster]

Brandon Waring I feel will put up Adam Dunn type numbers in Dayton.

Waring would just about have to double his isolated discipline for that to happen.

[Redman15]

I think Valaika,Turner and Heisey will continue their solid play and once again put up decent numbers. Phipps is still my sleeper.