Can Reds prospect Corcino bounce back in 2014?
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Photo: Pat Pfister[/caption]
To describe Daniel Corcino’s 2013 season in Louisville as a roller coaster ride may be a disservice to just how bumpy the road was for the young righthander last year. He rode into the season as one of the most highly touted prospects in the Reds’ organization after a strong year with Double-A Pensacola in 2012. Baseball America called his slider the best in the system, and MLB.com rated him as the fourth-best prospect in the Cincinnati chain. After the considerable hype that preceded him, what followed seemed to fall well short of expectations.
Corcino’s first start lasted only 3.2 innings and would be one of his shortest outings of the season. He allowed five earned runs in the start against the Columbus Clippers and threw 70 pitches. Unfortunately, a large part of the season reflected that poor beginning for the Reds prospect. In the months of April and May, he posted ERAs over seven and a combined record of 2–7.
For the remainder of 2013, Corcino struggled to keep his ERA below five, with a 4.55 July ERA marking his only month with an average below five. In total, he set the single-season franchise record with 14 losses, which tied for an International League low.
Even through rose-colored glasses, it’s difficult to find a part of Corcino’s 2013 campaign that could be considered a success, and criticism of a precipitous drop in numbers is fair. But last year doesn’t paint the whole picture for the 23-year-old product of the Dominican Republic. In 2012, he posted a 3.01 ERA in 26 starts for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. That impressive showing came on the heels of a 2011 season that saw him win 11 games and strike out 156 batters for the Class-A Dayton Dragons.
There’s no doubt that Corcino still has the stuff to be an above-average starting pitcher, something that is more fully documented in MLB.com’s prospect watch. The scouting report on the Dominican still speaks highly of his ability to mix pitches, saying that it isn’t out of the realm of possibility for him to bring three above average pitches to the Major Leagues one day. Scouts say that his slider is coming along to compliment an already good fastball and changeup, and command of those three pitches would surely make for better success in Louisville this season.
He finished the 2013 season as an option for Jim Riggleman out of the Bats’ bullpen, but Corcino still has the ingredients that many believe can keep him in a starting rotation. His body type immediately lends him to comparisons to fellow Dominican and Reds star pitcher Johnny Cueto, who is the same height and nearly identical in weight.
Cueto and Corcino share similarities on the mound as well. As would be expected, Cueto’s arsenal is a bit more developed and more of a finished product, but it still consists of four basic pitches. According to FanGraphs, Cueto uses some variation of a fastball (four-seam or two-seam) 46% percent of the time, followed by a cutter (19.8%), changeup (18.4%) and slider (15.6%). While Corcino’s pitches are yet to be finalized, he is certainly shaping his game in a way that is similar to the 28-year-old Cueto.
When the Bats arrive at Louisville Slugger Field this spring, Corcino is expected to be on the roster again for his second full season with the team. Pitching coach Ted Power will also be back with the club this season and has a proven track record of turning pitchers around under his tutelage. Last season, Greg Reynolds flourished under the guidance of Power, finishing as one of the best pitchers in the International League and earning a late call-up to Cincinnati. While Reynolds is older than Corcino, he too had fallen on hard times in his career before getting to work with Power. Considering the youth variable, year two in Louisville could be Corcino’s time to take to Power’s teaching and prosper.
If the young Corcino can demonstrate more consistency and show the spark that made him a top prospect in the Reds’ organization just a year ago, it would be possible to see him in Cincinnati for a spot start or a late call up in 2014. Of the starting pitchers that are expected to be on the Bats’ roster on Opening Day, only three are currently on the 40-man roster. While it wouldn’t be surprising to see non-roster signees Chien-Ming Wang or Jeff Francis get the first call should injuries arise, such a move would require the Reds to make space on the 40-man roster. Other probable Bats on the 40-man roster include promising lefty David Holmberg and right-hander Chad Rogers.
The hope for 2014 is that Corcino’s 2013 season is simply an outlier. His previous numbers in the minor leagues would suggest that it’s a strong possibility, and even last season showed some flashes of what the Reds want him to be. There’s no guarantee that the lessons learned from a rough Triple-A debut will carry over to success this season, but Corcino has proven that he can deliver in the past. Will he do it again?
For now, the youngster deserves the benefit of the doubt.
