Who is Redszone's #1 prospect?

[OnBaseMachine]

If you remember, a couple years ago we created polls and voted on the Reds top ten prospects. I don't think we did this last season, but I thought it was a lot of fun a couple years ago and would like to do it again. It doesn't just have to be the top ten, we can do top 20 or even 30. I'll go ahead and list the obvious candidates for #1. As we go along you guys can recommend prospects you want added to the poll.

Here is the original thread started by chicoruiz:

http://www.redszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53546

[OnBaseMachine]

I'll go with Yonder Alonso in a slight edge over Neftali Soto.

[nemesis]

I go with Soto over Alonso for the fact he's 19, Right handed and can play multipule postions. I think his growth as a hitter had tons of room for improvment (scary)vs Alonso might be a more finished product.

[*BaseClogger*]

It's easily Alonso IMO. Soto is raw, Frazier can't play good defense anywhere to make his polished bat valuable enough, and Stubbs/Valaika just aren't that good...

[AmarilloRed]

Originally Posted by OnBaseMachine

I don't think we did this last season, but I thought it was a lot of fun a couple years ago and would like to do it again.

Here is the original thread started by chicoruiz:

http://www.redszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53546

Doug did create a series of polls last November in the Minor League Forum that went to the Top 40. I think we should do it again. I will go with Alonso.

[dougdirt]

Yonder Alonso by a nose over Soto. His advanced bat at the higher levels gives him the edge currently.

[bucksfan2]

Soto - 2 minor league seasons.

Alonso - 6 games.

I realize that Alonso may have the pedigree and have been the 7th pick in the draft but he still has yet to prove anything to me. Until he picks up a wooden bat against professionals I wouldn't rank him above Soto, Stubbs, or Frazier.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

Soto - 2 minor league seasons.

Alonso - 6 games.

I realize that Alonso may have the pedigree and have been the 7th pick in the draft but he still has yet to prove anything to me. Until he picks up a wooden bat against professionals I wouldn't rank him above Soto, Stubbs, or Frazier.

Alonso is tearing it up in the Hawaiian Winter League right now to the tune of .280/.438/.560. Small sample size of course, but he comes from a school that has a list a mile long of good major leaguers and his scouting reports looks fantastic.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

Alonso is tearing it up in the Hawaiian Winter League right now to the tune of .280/.438/.560. Small sample size of course, but he comes from a school that has a list a mile long of good major leaguers and his scouting reports looks fantastic.

Brandon Larson came from a top program. His coach at LSU said he was better than Albert Belle when he coached him. There have been plenty of players with top notch pedigrees and have from great pedigrees that have failed. Im not saying that Alonso will be a failure but I don't rank him high until he proves it in the minors.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

Brandon Larson came from a top program. His coach at LSU said he was better than Albert Belle when he coached him. There have been plenty of players with top notch pedigrees and have from great pedigrees that have failed. Im not saying that Alonso will be a failure but I don't rank him high until he proves it in the minors.

I guess we just have very strong disagreements on how we view prospects. I look at them more as 'what will they do eventually', their current performance comes into play further down the checklist.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

I guess we just have very strong disagreements on how we view prospects. I look at them more as 'what will they do eventually', their current performance comes into play further down the checklist.

I don't know if it is that extreme. I look at prospects as "what they will do eventually" but they have to prove first that they can do something now. Im not saying that Alonso doesn't have all the physical tools to become a great hitter, it is that he has yet to show he can handle playing professional baseball with a wooden bat yet. Once he does that he will jump to the top of my list. There have been all kind of world class athletes that have had all the tools but have had the inability to put it all together. That is why I want to see Alonso hold his own in the minors before I jump on his bandwagon.

[camisadelgolf]

I'm going with Yonder Alonso, too, but my contradictory nature considered Juan Duran.

[medford]

I find it interesting that Homer isn't listed as an option (he wouldn't be my #1 fwiw) and nobody has said boo about at this point. My how far has his star fallen? I wonder if he'll be considered by the Reds #1 prospect by BA, etc... even though most of redszone wouldn't list him as #1.

I really liked what I saw out of Soto when I saw him earlier this year, so I'll go w/ him for now, however I like everything I've read and seen of Yonder to this point. Just not enough of it in professional ball for me to put him #1 yet.

[BRM]

Originally Posted by medford

I find it interesting that Homer isn't listed as an option (he wouldn't be my #1 fwiw) and nobody has said boo about at this point. My how far has his star fallen? I wonder if he'll be considered by the Reds #1 prospect by BA, etc... even though most of redszone wouldn't list him as #1.

I really liked what I saw out of Soto when I saw him earlier this year, so I'll go w/ him for now, however I like everything I've read and seen of Yonder to this point. Just not enough of it in professional ball for me to put him #1 yet.

Homer will be in their top 3-5 but I doubt anyone has him as the Reds #1 prospect.

Yonder and Soto 1-2 for me. I don't really care what order you put them.

[OnBaseMachine]

Originally Posted by medford

I find it interesting that Homer isn't listed as an option (he wouldn't be my #1 fwiw) and nobody has said boo about at this point. My how far has his star fallen? I wonder if he'll be considered by the Reds #1 prospect by BA, etc... even though most of redszone wouldn't list him as #1.

I really liked what I saw out of Soto when I saw him earlier this year, so I'll go w/ him for now, however I like everything I've read and seen of Yonder to this point. Just not enough of it in professional ball for me to put him #1 yet.

Homer Bailey no longer qualifies as a prospect due to him losing his rookie eligibility this season.