Originally Posted by
Bourgeois Zee
Thought it might prove interesting to chart the top Red prospects over the course of the season as to their production, helium, et al, as it relates to their relative rankings on the list. I'll provide a consensus ranking of the prospects not on the Red major league roster from a variety of sources (Fangraphs, BA, Doug Gray, MLB, et al.) and we can argue the relative production they've put up over a period of time. Let's start with an Opening Day top 10 list. Those graduated to the majors/ not to be ranked include Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Jose Barrero, and Tony Santillan.
1. Elly De La Cruz
Most prognosticators had De La Cruz either third or fourth in the Reds' top 10. His massive upside and power/ speed potential at a premium defensive position made him the early talk of the Red backlots and generated Dayton buzz not seen in a long time.
2. Brandon Williamson
The top prospect brought over in the Winker/ Suarez deal, Williamson was largely seen as a back of the top 100 starting pitching prospect with good stuff, a solid clue as to how to pitch, and a good bet to begin the season in the upper minors. The future looked bright.
3. Matt McLain
McLain was largely seen as an honorable mention guy amongst most top 100 lists. There were questions about his toolset and whether he had carrying tools or was merely a second division starter. Fangraphs was particularly down on him, grading him as a 45 FV infielder and 7th in the Red system. (Already, Fangraphs' list looks super suspect.)
4. Jay Allen
This is where the rankings begin to really differ. Allen was largely ranked just behind McLain in most lists. Fangraphs ranked him 12th. (Again, that Fangraphs' list? Ugh.)
5. Graham Ashcraft
Again, most prospect evaluators really liked him, but Fangraphs did not. 17th on their list, while the others had him well inside the top 10 (with a couple inside the top five).
6. Chase Petty
Some of the sites had already published when Petty was acquired, but for most, he ranked right around Ashcraft. The added risk of a young hurler in the low levels slid him to 6th in our list.
7. Austin Hendrick
Based here nearly completely on the potential for thunder in his bat, Hendrick had worries about his K rate and the holes in his swing.
8. Rece Hinds
Based on short PAs in Daytona and Arizona wherein he mashed, Hinds was viewed as a power guy with similar tools to Hendrick, but a troubling penchant for getting hurt. A move to RF hurt his value a bit, but the hope was that he'd remain healthy enough to show off that power.
9. Daniel Vellojin
Based almost entirely on Fangraphs' view of him as a top prospect, Vellojin ranked 9th overall. Solid defender with a great eye at the plate and some power he hadn't yet proven, the hope was that he'd blossom in Daytona or Dayton.
10. Tyler Callihan
The 10th spot on the list could belonged to the oft-injured Callihan. A plus hit tool and lots of hurts, dings, and surgeries kept him off the field and on the mind of talent evaluators.
Honorable Mention:
- Bryce Bonnin
- Christian Roa
- Mat Nelson
- Andrew Abbott
- Jose Torres