Let the voting begin. This poll will close on Tuesday evening.
Redszone's Top Prospects:
Prospect #1 - Yonder Alonso
Prospect #2 - Todd Frazier
Neftali Soto
Drew Stubbs
Juan Duran
Yorman Rodriguez
Chris Valaika
Kyle Lotzkar
Devin Mesoraco
Danny Dorn
Zach Stewart
Juan Francisco
Daryl Thompson
Carlos Fisher
Josh Roenicke
Ramon Ramirez
Chris Dickerson
Zach Cozart
Let the voting begin. This poll will close on Tuesday evening.
Redszone's Top Prospects:
Prospect #1 - Yonder Alonso
Prospect #2 - Todd Frazier
I vote based on ceiling. While Lotzkar and Soto were very impressive at age 18 and 19 and will be my next choices, both had an issue with walks.
So I have to go Duran who seems to be our top 16 year old signee, capable of being a megastar.
Last edited by JaxRed; 10-19-2008 at 06:50 PM.
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I'll again vote for Neftali Soto. Still raw as a hitter but still managed to hit .340 with a .920 OPS as a 19 year old.
I'm also going with Duran. He could realistically fulfill his potential, which looks like it was made for a video game.
Soto clearly.
All my posts are my opinion - just like yours are. If I forget to state it and you're too dense to see the obvious, look here!
Stubbs. There's no DH in the National League.
Once Stubbs hit so well in AA and AAA, he rocketed up my list.
Soto is a better hitting prospect. All around, I give the edge to Stubbs.
Of course not.
It means that, particularly for an NL parent team, defense is important.
Perhaps Soto can be competent defensively, but I haven't read that he has any special defensive skills.
Stubbs is reputedly a superb centerfielder. Given his good hitting at advanced levels, he edges out Soto for me in the number three spot. If Stubbs hits for an .800 OPS at AAA next year, he becomes a viable candidate -- along with Alonso -- for the Reds top overall prospect.
"When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail"
I agree 100% that defense is important. I've been one of the biggest advocates of improving the Reds defense. I also agree that Stubbs would make a strong bid for the Reds #1 prospect if he can OPS north of .800 next season. As for Soto, while he doesn't have any special defensive skills, he's not a liability either. Most expect him to have average range at third base to go along with his strong arm. That's fine, not too many teams, if any, have plus defenders at every position.
It's still Dorn, with serious consideration to Valaika. Why? They both are closer to getting the call than so many on the list, and, have shown the ability at high enough level to be able to play with the Big Boys sometime soon.
Soto was #2 for me. Since he can't hold that spot, #3 should be a given. The Reds' development staff needs to hit on the right positions for Soto, Frazier and Valaika, because they are all going to be quality ML hitters.
I too am an advocate for defense, it's simply necc. to not have any glaring weaknesses and preferably several plus defenders. That said if you cannot do enough offensively it really doesn't matter how good you are defensively. Soto is a kid with a very good offensive game and no defensive deficiencies to speak of. Stubbs OTOH is still questionable offensively with sterling defense. Stubbs is also alot closer and plays a premium defensive position, so I can see why someone would vote him ahead of Soto.
But it's not gonna be me, Soto can be special offensively which is something that you just don't overlook or undervalue. As horrible as Manny Ramirez's defense is and how big a cancer he can be he has made a ton of money off the fact that he is a special offensive player. Now imagine a guy who isn't even the force Manny is, say Jason Bay but plays a fair 3B and isn't a cancer? Is that more valuable than a Mike Cameron at best player or less? Ughh, gimme that slugging 3B and that CF but if I can only have one I'll take the 3B by a nose & a half.
"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."
--Woody Hayes
As the post-season reports from the various publications come out, let's see what they say about Soto's defensive prowess. Should be interesting.
I've read that the jury is still out on his defense and that he isn't fast. (Have not read that he's a terrible liability or anything.) Maybe, on balance, he will grade out well. We'll have to see.
Last edited by Kc61; 10-19-2008 at 09:14 PM.
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