Jesse Winker

[Superdude]

Originally Posted by TOBTTReds

I just watched #2 overall pick Byron Buxton play today in a GCL game. He's lost. He's 1-27. Saw him K 3 times. Amazing seeing what a HS draft pick is doing in Billings compared to another in GCL, especially as the #2 overall.

Him and Raiher are both starting off great. Obviously these guys are no where near polished at this stage, but if one persisting problem shows up early, it has to be pitch recognition and contact ability. Love seeing both of them displaying some patience and hitting ability early on.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by TOBTTReds

I just watched #2 overall pick Byron Buxton play today in a GCL game. He's lost. He's 1-27. Saw him K 3 times. Amazing seeing what a HS draft pick is doing in Billings compared to another in GCL, especially as the #2 overall.

Way to be a jinx! He was 1-24 with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts before you showed up. In one day you doubled his strikeouts.

[mace]

Winker's career OBP is now .554.

[texasdave]

Originally Posted by mace

Winker's career OBP is now .554.

He needs to renegotiate his signing bonus.

[TOBTTReds]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

Way to be a jinx! He was 1-24 with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts before you showed up. In one day you doubled his strikeouts.

Didn't know it was just 3 k, would have guessed 12+ from what I saw.

[Edd Roush]

Jesse Winker is off to a solid start of the Dayton Dragons this year. He is currently hitting .291/.397/.466 which translates to a .401 wOBA in his first 121 PAs. He still has a very strong 14% BB rate, and has cut his K rate from 18.2% last year to 16.5% this year. He has maintained a solid ISO of .170 this year compared to .162 last year.

At first glance, some posters may be discouraged that Jesse Winker is not hitting .338/.443/.500 as he did last year in 275 PAs. What one must taken into consideration when viewing those stats is that Winker had an unsustainable .414 BABIP last year. This year his great line is based upon a more reasonable .338 BABIP.

Jesse Winker is producing very well for a 19-year old in the Midwest League. Let's hope he can keep it up through the rest of this year and if he can, perhaps he can be a candidate to skip Bakersfield and try Pensacola in 2014.

[dougdirt]

Slow start for Winker has been wiped away. In his last 17 games: .397/.493/.638 with 10 walks and 10 strikeouts.

And some video:

[Vottomatic]

Yeah. We need some legit hitters coming through our system.

Screw all this pitching.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Vottomatic

Yeah. We need some legit hitters coming through our system.

Screw all this pitching.

I was with you.... until that last line

[TOBTTReds]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

Slow start for Winker has been wiped away. In his last 17 games: .397/.493/.638 with 10 walks and 10 strikeouts.

And some video:

And looking back at this thread, Buxton's slow start last season has not only been wiped away, but completely forgotten and would seem outlandish that he ever did something like that.

[NeilHamburger]

Is Winker the best reds hitting prospect since Jay Bruce?

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by NeilHamburger

Is Winker the best reds hitting prospect since Jay Bruce?

From a solely hitting perspective, yes. I think Mesoraco as an overall prospect when considering his bat for the position you could argue was better and probably win that argument (at least for now). But when not accounting at all for position, I would say that yes, Winker is probably the best hitter since Bruce.

[Benihana]

Don't forget Votto either. At this time, Winker is probably on par with what Votto was as a prospect (which was less than Bruce).

As good as Winker has been, Gelalich has been just as bad: .691 OPS through almost 300 plate appearances in Rookie and A ball for a sandwich round big college corner outfielder? That's pretty bad.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Benihana

Don't forget Votto either. At this time, Winker is probably on par with what Votto was as a prospect (which was less than Bruce).

As good as Winker has been, Gelalich has been just as bad: .691 OPS through almost 300 plate appearances in Rookie and A ball for a sandwich round big college corner outfielder? That's pretty bad.

I know plenty of us were confused by his pick that high and he hasn't performed much to show otherwise. The plate discipline is MUCH better this year, so at least it is a step in the right direction.

[Benihana]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

I know plenty of us were confused by his pick that high and he hasn't performed much to show otherwise. The plate discipline is MUCH better this year, so at least it is a step in the right direction.

I agree. Gelalich and LaMarre are perfect examples of why I hate drafting "polished" college hitters with good all around game but no exceptional tools early. Add to that guys like Devin Lohman and Brodie Greene, and I really hope the Reds stop this trend in this year's draft.

Don't get me wrong- there is some value to those types of players especially as organizational filler and occasionally they can turn into a serviceable big leaguer. But they'll almost never be stars, and I want to reserve my first few picks for players who could become stars or at least impact players. Draft the polished, solid guys later.

If there is one kind of polished college player I wouldn't mind the Reds going after in the top 4 or 5 rounds (but not the top 2), it's a SS- much like they did with Cozart back in '07.