Updated Reds Top 25 - redsminorleagues.com

[RiverRat13]

Link: http://redsminorleagues.com/2018/07/09/2018-cincinnati-reds-top-25-prospect-list-update/

One question I have about Santillan - the increase in control has been outstanding, but his K rate has taken a dip along with it. Is that any cause of concern?

[Z-Fly]

Nice List. Thanks Doug.

[Benihana]

Nice list, mostly agree. I’d have Friedl higher, even though I think he’s a 4th OF in the bigs.

[Kingspoint]

Nice list, mostly agree. I’d have Friedl higher, even though I think he’s a 4th OF in the bigs.

I love how he's put on the after-burners since his promotion. 11 Steals in what, 60 games before his promotion, and now 7 in about 14? That's triple the pace. He's doing this against pitchers he's never seen. Wonder if he's getting video beforehand on their moves, or if he's learning on the fly?

[kaldaniels]

I'd slide Tony down to number 7 or number 8...that would be my major change.

I read/make these lists with "who would you rather have in the system" as the factor of ranking one guy over the next.

If I had to release one of India/TySteve/Shed/Tony from the system it would probably be Tony.

I'm not fighting the #4 rank of Tony, just intrigued.

[WrongVerb]

I'd slide Tony down to number 7 or number 8...that would be my major change.

I read/make these lists with "who would you rather have in the system" as the factor of ranking one guy over the next.

If I had to release one of India/TySteve/Shed/Tony from the system it would probably be Tony.

I'm not fighting the #4 rank of Tony, just intrigued.

My rank would be Long, TySteve, India, Santillan. I think the latter has the ceiling of an ace.

[Chainz20]

My rank would be Long, TySteve, India, Santillan. I think the latter has the ceiling of an ace.

With Santillan's strike out numbers decreasing from 9 per 9 to around 7.6 per 9 this year I am starting to see him as more of a high 3 low 2. Hopefully he can get this corrected because then I agree he has ace potential but he needs to get his strikeout numbers back to the 9 per 9 range to be considered an ace in my book.

[klw]

From the comments:
Doug Gray
July 9, 2018

I didn’t rank guys beyond the top 25 – so I’m not entirely certain who would be the next five. But off of the top of my head here are some of the guys that were left on the outside, but still on the spreadsheet I was using to list possible guys: Cash Case, Reniel Ozuna, Jacob Heatherly, James Marinan, Alexis Diaz, Jimmy Herget, Tanner Rainey, Scott Moss, Joel Kuhnel.

This answers whether this was including the Dodger trade return.

[WrongVerb]

With Santillan's strike out numbers decreasing from 9 per 9 to around 7.6 per 9 this year I am starting to see him as more of a high 3 low 2. Hopefully he can get this corrected because then I agree he has ace potential but he needs to get his strikeout numbers back to the 9 per 9 range to be considered an ace in my book.

Fair.

[REDREAD]

With Santillan's strike out numbers decreasing from 9 per 9 to around 7.6 per 9 this year I am starting to see him as more of a high 3 low 2. Hopefully he can get this corrected because then I agree he has ace potential but he needs to get his strikeout numbers back to the 9 per 9 range to be considered an ace in my book.

I would take that with a grain of salt. We do know that part of the Reds' pitching philosophy is to trade strikeouts for weak contact (at least in certain situations, like bases empty) People got alarmed when Cueto's K/9 decreased, but he explained he was going after weaker contact.

I understand that K/9 correlates statistically with "better stuff" and better major league success, but we know that Santillan has great stuff already. We know he is still a work in progress and has made great strides with his control (compared to how he was when drafted).

Of Long, TySteve, India, Santillan... Shed Long would definitely be the first to give up. Santillan would probably be the last guy I give up, simply because of organizational need (not a slight on Tyler Stephenson or India)

[Sea Ray]

I would take that with a grain of salt. We do know that part of the Reds' pitching philosophy is to trade strikeouts for weak contact (at least in certain situations, like bases empty) People got alarmed when Cueto's K/9 decreased, but he explained he was going after weaker contact.

I understand that K/9 correlates statistically with "better stuff" and better major league success, but we know that Santillan has great stuff already. We know he is still a work in progress and has made great strides with his control (compared to how he was when drafted).

Of Long, TySteve, India, Santillan... Shed Long would definitely be the first to give up. Santillan would probably be the last guy I give up, simply because of organizational need (not a slight on Tyler Stephenson or India)

I agree. As a starter I don't need him striking out tons. Doing this just drives the pitch count up. I'd much rather see nice, late movement resulting in weak contact. I'm encouraged by a drop in strike outs accompanied by continued good numbers in other areas. 7.6k/9inn is plenty

[corkedbat]

24. Jonathan Willems, 2B/3B, Rookie Greeneville Reds - Tonight: 4-5, 3 R, HR, 3B, 1B, 2B (Cycle), 3 RBI, saying you might have to be making some room a little higher up the ladder there. :D

[dougdirt]

24. Jonathan Willems, 2B/3B, Rookie Greeneville Reds - Tonight: 4-5, 3 R, HR, 3B, 1B, 2B (Cycle), 3 RBI, saying you might have to be making some room a little higher up the ladder there. :D

I wanted to rank him higher, honestly. But his complete lack of production in the past just wouldn't let me do it. Now please let me sell you on why you, and everyone else, should support me on Patreon: Here's what I wrote about Willems over there when discussing the rankings, and Willems in particular:

Jonathan Willems jumped up onto the list at #24. He was very impressive in my time in Greeneville and Johnson City. There were three scouts that I spoke with while in Tennessee, and if I had listened to them in terms of where he stood in terms of prospects on the team, he'd be ranked quite a bit higher on my list. But, while he certainly looks the part on the field, and his numbers this year are outstanding - he has never really hit before. Granted, he's just 19-years-old this season, so that doesn't mean a whole lot - but before jumping all aboard that train, I'd like to see more than two weeks of him hitting the ball very well, too. He's the guy I'd say to really keep an eye on as someone who could fly up the list out of nowhere, though.
/end Patreon writing

[texasdave]

Jonathan Willems is already a record holder in Curacao. He holds the record for base ball trow (sic) for Males 13-U. As an 11-year-old, Willems heaved the horsehide an astonishing 63.77 meters. That works out to 209.2 feet. Everything else will be gravy.

http://www.curacaoatletiekbond.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Records_Summary_20170724_M-1.pdf

[WrongVerb]

I wanted to rank him higher, honestly. But his complete lack of production in the past just wouldn't let me do it. Now please let me sell you on why you, and everyone else, should support me on Patreon: Here's what I wrote about Willems over there when discussing the rankings, and Willems in particular:

Jonathan Willems jumped up onto the list at #24. He was very impressive in my time in Greeneville and Johnson City. There were three scouts that I spoke with while in Tennessee, and if I had listened to them in terms of where he stood in terms of prospects on the team, he'd be ranked quite a bit higher on my list. But, while he certainly looks the part on the field, and his numbers this year are outstanding - he has never really hit before. Granted, he's just 19-years-old this season, so that doesn't mean a whole lot - but before jumping all aboard that train, I'd like to see more than two weeks of him hitting the ball very well, too. He's the guy I'd say to really keep an eye on as someone who could fly up the list out of nowhere, though.
/end Patreon writing

Well, everyone else. I have been supporting you on Patreon for awhile. It's easy to set up and only a few bucks each month.

[dougdirt]

This is why you're the best. And seriously, I appreciate it.

[SoTxRedsFan]

Well, everyone else. I have been supporting you on Patreon for awhile. It's easy to set up and only a few bucks each month.

Indeed, and well worth whatever sum you can afford to support with.