Who is Redszone's #17 prospect?

[OnBaseMachine]

Redszone's Top Prospects

Prospect #1 - Yonder Alonso
Prospect #2 - Todd Frazier
Prospect #3 - Neftali Soto
Prospect #4 - Drew Stubbs
Prospect #5 - Chris Valaika
Prospect #6 - Kyle Lotzkar
Prospect #7 - Daryl Thompson
Prospect #8 - Juan Francisco
Prospect #9 - Juan Duran
Prospect #10 - Chris Dickerson
Prospect #11 - Devin Mesoraco
Prospect #12 - Danny Dorn
Prospect #13 - Yorman Rodriguez
Prospect #14 - Zach Stewart
Prospect #15 - Josh Roenicke
Prospect #16 - Ramon Ramirez

[dougdirt]

Carlos Fisher again. Big tall pitcher, fastball up to 95 MPH, good breaking ball, gets 61% groundballs and strikes out plenty of guys.

[OnBaseMachine]

I went with Carlos Fisher. He's got a big durable frame and possesses the stuff to be a very good major league reliever. He could break camp with the Reds if he has a solid spring training, but more realistically he begins in Triple-A Louisville and gets called up to Cincy sometime during the summer. Fisher, Roenicke, and Stewart could form one heck of a bullpen by 2010. Plus we have Bray, Burton, and Cordero already in the majors. Viola could be apart of that if the Reds decide his future is in the bullpen.

[BigRed07]

I'm going with a prospect who has done nothing but produce on the field every year. He has a better career batting avg than #5 prospect Valaika.
He has put up better numbers in the AFL this year. If Valaika stats put him in the Top 5, Turners stats should put him in the Top 20 and I'm voting for him again at #17.
His career stats are:
Code:

Avg OBP SLG OPS
.310 .377 .445 .822 (Turner)
.306 .357 .467 .824 (Valaika)

[dougdirt]

I'm going with a prospect who has done nothing but produce on the field every year. He has a better career batting avg than #5 prospect Valaika.
He has put up better numbers in the AFL this year. If Valaika stats put him in the Top 5, Turners stats should put him in the Top 20 and I'm voting for him again at #17.
His career stats are:
Code:

Avg OBP SLG OPS
.310 .377 .445 .822 (Turner)
.306 .357 .467 .824 (Valaika)

Thats the thing, its not Valaika's stats that put him there, its his stats, position and projection at the major league level that put him there.

[Kc61]

Cozart. A shortstop with his defense and potentially reasonable bat should be off the board at this
point.

Surprised Lecure isn't getting any votes. He was sensational for two stretches last year, with an injury in between. Really emerged at AA last year, should be at AAA next year. May turn out better than back of the rotation.

Jordan Smith and Sean Watson should please be added next time. Thanks.

[OnBaseMachine]

I'll add Smith and Watson to the next poll. I actually re-read the last thread just before I started this one to see if I missed any new names that needed to be added and somehow I looked over your post. I also plan on adding Ismael Guillon and Junior Arias sometime in the near future.

[Kc61]

I'll add Smith and Watson to the next poll. I actually re-read the last thread just before I started this one to see if I missed any new names that needed to be added and somehow I looked over your post. I also plan on adding Ismael Guillon and Junior Arias sometime in the near future.

Thanks. Not sure I know much about Guillon or Arias. Are they new to the system?

[OnBaseMachine]

Thanks. Not sure I know much about Guillon or Arias. Are they new to the system?

Guillon is a 16 year old LHP who was recently signed out of Venezuela in late October for $625,000. He throws a 88-92 mph fastball and has an advanced changeup for his age. Saber scouting rated him as the 13th best prospect in the 2008 International class. Arias was signed out of the Dominican Republic in July for $330,000. He's a slick fielding shortstop with great athleticism and good potential with the bat. An elbow injury prevented him from receiving a higher signing bonus, but he's healthy now.

Here's more on Guillon from BA:

Posted Oct. 29, 2008 12:29 pm by J.J. Cooper
Filed under: International

After making a big splash by signing outfielders Yorman Rodriguez and Juan Duran, the Reds have added an intriguing international arm by signing lefthander Ismael Guillon.

Guillon was one of the last high profile prospects Premium from this year’s crop who had not signed around the July 2 international signing date.

Guillon, 16, has played first base and pitched for scouts, but the Reds interest came from his work on the mound. The 6-foot-3 lefthander has been clocked at between 88-92 mph. He also has an advanced changeup considering his age. Some scouts from other teams had concerns about his arm action and his delivery, which was described as funky, but the Reds believe he’s a relatively polished pitcher for a teenager who still has some projection left despite a relatively developed frame.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=1763

More on Junior Arias:

The Reds signed Dominican shortstop Junior Arias, a strong-arm athlete with significant upside.

“He’s a good-looking kid,” one scout told Baseball America. “He’s got good hands, he’s a good athlete and he’s got good body control. He’s a line-drive hitter with a short stroke to the ball.”

http://baseballdeworld.com/2008/07/2...gning-bonuses/

[Kc61]

Thanks for the info.

[BigRed07]

Thats the thing, its not Valaika's stats that put him there, its his stats, position and projection at the major league level that put him there.

I agree and that's why Chris is #5. I'm not one of those guy's who gets all hyped up on how a player projects. You can use projections to rate a 1st year player. After 2 or 3 years of minor league ball, stats need to weigh more into the equation than how a player projects. I don't understand how Stubbs is rated above Valaika. If Stubbs was a 5th round pick, would he be a better prospect than Valaika today? Based on the first three years in the minors, the numbers say no. I want the guy in my line up that is going to produce on the field, not the one that looks good on paper but continues to put up sub par numbers. I think Turner's on the field performance puts him in the top 20 IMO.

[AmarilloRed]

Carlos Fisher for me. He did really well after being promoted to Louisville.

[JayBruceFan]

Chris Heisey

[*BaseClogger*]

Ryan Hanigan. IMO Everybody else on the list projects as a bench player, long shot BOR starter, or non-impact relief pitcher...

[OnBaseMachine]

Ryan Hanigan. IMO Everybody else on the list projects as a bench player, long shot BOR starter, or non-impact relief pitcher...

I disagree somewhat with that. Carlos Fisher has the stuff to be an impact reliever IMO. Juan Carlos Sulbaran is very young but possesses three pitches that are already average or better. Dallas Buck has a chance to be a #2/3 starter if he regains his velocity post TJ surgery. Buchholz looks like a sleeper and Hildenbrandt has a nice fastball/curveball combo. I really like what I've read and seen from Sulbaran and Dallas Buck is very intriguing IMO.