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View Poll Results: Who is the #23 prospect?

Voters
25. You may not vote on this poll
  • Bryce Hubbart

    0 0%
  • Logan Tanner

    0 0%
  • Allan Cerda

    1 4.00%
  • Javi Rivera

    1 4.00%
  • Victor Acosta

    3 12.00%
  • Matheu Nelson

    0 0%
  • Carlos Sanchez

    0 0%
  • Tyler Callihan

    0 0%
  • Alex McGarry

    2 8.00%
  • Ariel Almonte

    5 20.00%
  • Hector Rodriguez

    0 0%
  • Steve Hajjar

    0 0%
  • Jose Acuna

    4 16.00%
  • Justin Boyd

    0 0%
  • Ivan Johnson

    0 0%
  • Bryce Bonnin

    4 16.00%
  • Jose Torres

    0 0%
  • Julian Aguiar

    2 8.00%
  • Leonardo Balcazar

    1 4.00%
  • Yerlin Confidan

    2 8.00%
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Redszone 2023 Top 40 prospects Poll: #23

  1. #1
    Member podgejeff_'s Avatar
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    Redszone 2023 Top 40 prospects Poll: #23

    Carlos Jorge makes it on the list by 1 vote. Another Carlos replaces him in Carlos Sanchez. 18 more spots to go.

    01. Elly De La Cruz SS/3B AA 20
    02. Noelvi Marte SS A+ 21
    03. Cam Collier 3B ROK 17
    04. Edwin Arroyo SS A 19
    05. Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B/3B AA 22
    06. Matt McLain SS AA 23
    07. Chase Petty RHP A+ 19
    08. Spencer Steer INF MLB 24
    09. Brandon Williamson LHP AAA 24
    10. Connor Phillips RHP AA 21
    11. Sal Stewart 3B ROK 18
    12. Andrew Abbott LHP AA 23
    13. Joe Boyle RHP AA 23
    14. Levi Stoudt RHP MLB 24
    15. Jay Allen II OF A+ 20
    16. Michael Siani OF MLB 23
    17. Austin Hendrick OF A+ 21
    18. Rece Hinds OF AA 22
    19. Ricardo Cabrera SS ROK 18
    20. Christian Roa RHP AA 23
    21. Lyon Richardson RHP A+ 22
    22. Carlos Jorge 2B ROK 19


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  3. #2
    Member Mitri's Avatar
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    Re: Redszone 2023 Top 40 prospects Poll: #23

    Julian Aguiar has a rotation workhorse build. Good k% and gb%, commands his three pitches very well.

    He’s not flashy but could end the year in AA with an eye on a rotation spot or long relief in 2024.

  4. #3
    Member Bourgeois Zee's Avatar
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    Re: Redszone 2023 Top 40 prospects Poll: #23

    This is tough.

    Leonardo Balcazar is similar to Carlos Jorge, who deserves his top 25 ranking. Balcazar plays middle infield and looks interesting enough to be a top prospect as early as next season. A .294/ .383/ .502/ .885 line works out to a 144 wRC+ this season after a 135 wRC+. As a SS? Sign me up for that. That said, Balzazar has only finished Complex Ball. He has a long, long way to go, and the road to superstardom is littered with Rookie Ball phenoms.

    Ariel Almonte has the classic slugger peripherals-- high K rate, good patience, good OBP, decent BA. His wRC+ is really good, and his pedigree is top-notch. As a RF, there's clear need too- he might well be one of the few who's aggressively moved. Daytona this year with Collier, Stewart, Jorge, Ascanio, Balcazar, and Confidan could make that group really fun. He just turned 19, so there's some time.

    Johnny Ascanio is another in the same vein, though he's slightly older and already had a taste of low A ball. In 300 PAs, he's gone .314/ .419/ .396/ .814. The OBP is really nice, but the slugging percentage is a bit low, and the K rate climbed precipitously in Daytona. It'll be interesting to see how he responds this year. A 144 wRC+ in Complex ball augers well-- a 66 wRC+ in Daytona does not. He too plays middle infield (and 3B).

    Yerlin Confidan was That Guy last year. He won the MVP for Complex Ball. He only had 100 PAs last year and definitely deserves a second look. MVP-level performances-- even in the lower levels don't come along all the time. Having a guy like that available at 23? Pretty impressive depth. He's not even 20 yet, so time is on his side. He'll play in Daytona this year again, I'd guess.

    On the pitching side, Julian Aguiar got a taste of Dayton last year after successfully navigating the Florida State League last year. He's ticketed for Dayton this year, I imagine, and should be among the more interesting arms in what looks like a really fun rotation. (Not much helium yet, but it could end up being super productive.) Aguiar's peripherals are more than acceptable. Time was, that would have gotten him into the bottom half of the top 10. Like the mix of youth and peripherals there.

    Bryce Hubbart was a 3rd round draft pick last year and should move relatively quickly. He's a cypher at this point, but his scouting report sounds pretty good. MLB has him well ahead of this ranking, fwiw (17th), with two 55 pitches and two 50 pitches. A four-pitch average or better repetoire seems like it deserves a spot in the top 25.

    Javy Rivera is similar to Aguiar. He's 22. Not quite as many hits, less walks, good K rate. He'll almost assuredly be in the Dragon rotation with Hubbart and Aguiar. He'll have to watch his HR tendencies. Still, in the back end of the top 25, he's not the typical Red pitching prospect. I expect both he and Aguiar to get some real interest next season on prospect lists if they can stay healthy and keep their stuff as they ramp up their innings.

    Jose Acuna is the last of those I'm considering here. He turned in an excellent age-19 season across three teams and two levels, with an overall 0.938 WHiP, 3.32 ERA, 11.5 K/9, 3.0 K/9 line. He's barely pitched-- only 65 innings last year-- but when he has pitched, it's been pretty solid. I'm guessing he'll be a half-season in Daytona, then bumped to Dayton with good numbers, reports, and health. He's not done anything yet to see the warts-- like nearly all those on this list.

    Those eight should round out my next few picks, along with Bryce Bonnin (like those here, he's been successful when he's pitched-- unlike these guys, he can't seem to stay healthy) and Victor Acosta (great scouting reports, not much production last year). Hector Rodriguez (who put up video game numbers in the ACL before playing pretty well in the FSL in cups of coffee all around) belongs on there somewhere too, even if half his season's going to get cut short due to a pretty big injury. That's a metric ton of very interesting, mostly young prospects being churned out in the lower levels. (Add Carlos Sanchez and Yesmith Pineda from the DSL to the list as well.)

    The depth of interesting guys is what separates this group-- there are so many who deserve deeper dives, PAs, innings, and development. We could go 50 deep in the forum and still have prospects worthy of a discussion and inclusion in a nominal top 25 list. It's a nice problem to have, for sure.

    I went with Almonte, though it's a coin flip at this point.
    Last edited by Bourgeois Zee; 12-11-2022 at 10:47 AM.

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    marcshoe (12-11-2022),podgejeff_ (12-11-2022),RED VAN HOT (12-11-2022)

  6. #4
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    Re: Redszone 2023 Top 40 prospects Poll: #23

    I have a Reds Minor league Facebook group and have been sharing scouting reports on the top 100-110 prospects. Would it be OK with you if I save your breakdown to share when I get to these players?

  7. Likes:

    Bourgeois Zee (12-11-2022)

  8. #5
    Member Bourgeois Zee's Avatar
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    Re: Redszone 2023 Top 40 prospects Poll: #23

    Quote Originally Posted by krazzy View Post
    I have a Reds Minor league Facebook group and have been sharing scouting reports on the top 100-110 prospects. Would it be OK with you if I save your breakdown to share when I get to these players?
    If you're talking to me, sure. Once it's out on the interwebs, it's fair game.

  9. #6
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    Re: Redszone 2023 Top 40 prospects Poll: #23

    Thanks. I don’t share without asking.

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    Bourgeois Zee (12-11-2022),camisadelgolf (12-13-2022),dfs (12-12-2022)

  11. #7
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    Re: Redszone 2023 Top 40 prospects Poll: #23

    Bryce Bonnin again. I see him as a late inning reliever with a 2024 debut.

  12. #8
    Member camisadelgolf's Avatar
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    Re: Redszone 2023 Top 40 prospects Poll: #23

    The stats are nice, too, but I'm going with Aguiar based on the eye test. He's my pick for breakout player next year.

    To add to that, his fastball gets up to 95 and has decent tailing action. I wouldn't say his off-speed stuff is particularly special, but at least he has shown an ability to throw strikes. You don't see that out of every 6'3" pitcher at 21 years old.
    Last edited by camisadelgolf; 12-13-2022 at 08:33 AM.


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