No. 12 DREW STUBBS, CF, REDS
Team: Triple-A Louisville (International)
Age: 24
Why He's Here: .423/.516/.692 (11-for-26), 7 2Bs, 2 RBIs, 5 BB, 8 SO, 3-for-3SB
The Scoop: Facing Wade Davis and the Rays on Wednesday night, Stubbs gave a perfect summation of his strengths and weaknesses. He struck out on three straight fastballs his first time up, then struck out on a Davis curveball in the fifth. But facing a potential 0-for-4 night, Stubbs managed to fist a bloop hit into short right field. Then by flying out of the box, he turned what looked like a single into a double, giving him a streak of seven straight games with a double. Stubbs may not be hitting the homers that were expected out of him, but he's getting on-base (.400 OBP) and his 13 doubles lead the IL, which suggests that eventually the home runs may come.
MATT FAIREL, LHP, REDS
Team: low Class A Dayton (Midwest)
Age: 21
Why He's Here: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 13 SO
The Scoop: As a draft-eligible sophomore, Fairel didn't get drafted until the 35th round last year, but that was more because of concerns about signability than anything else. He ended up signing for $250,000 and may prove to be the second-best pitching prospect in the Reds' '08 draft class.
For a lefty who normally sits between 86-89 mph, topping out at 90, Fairel sure performs like a power pitcher. He struck out 13 West Michigan batters on Wednesday night, one off the Dayton team record. It wasn't a fluke, as Fairel now has recorded 10 or more strikeouts in three of his past five starts and now leads the MWL with 49. His breaking ball is a plus pitch, which has proven to be too much for the inexperienced hitters he faces in low Class A.
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