Newcomers to Reds Top 20 prospect list
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Raisel Iglesias (via MLB)[/caption]
On Wednesday I wrote about the bottom third of the Reds top 30 prospect list from Baseball America and the new players on the list. Today, I will reveal the newcomers from the top 20. A little bit of a longer list, but it will be worth it to read about some of the new players the Reds have soaring through the system. Each player will have analysis that comes from the Baseball America Prospect Handbook.
At #18 is Taylor Sparks. Sparks is a third baseman out of UC Irvine who was drafted in the second round of this past years draft. He is already in the top 20 because of the raw skills he has. The best thing about his game is his athletic ability and plus defense. His range is excellent and it goes well with his quick first step at the hot corner.
Out of all the players the Reds drafted in 2014, Baseball America tabs Sparks as the best power hitter of the group. He swings and misses quite a bit, but when he connects, he has the raw power to make the ball travel. The only downfall is his strikeout numbers. In 55 games and 198 at-bats, he struck out 84 times, to just 31 walks.
Just ahead of Sparks at #17 is Gavin LaValley. LaValley is also a third baseman but can also play across the infield at first base. He was also taken in the 2014 draft, but as a high school player. He just turned 20 in December and has above-average hitting ability according to BA. He has the ability to hit to all fields and shows quick hands, but on the defensive end he struggles. He plays a lot of third base now, but scouts see him moving to first base because of his lack of range at third.
Coming in at #16 is a player the Reds got this winter in a trade with the Detroit Tigers. Jonathon Crawford is a first round draft pick from 2013 out of the University of Florida. He has a plus fastball that sits 92–94 and can touch 96. He has a biting slider that is his out pitch, but the one downfall is if his slider isn’t working hitters can sit on his fastball. His fastball shows downward movement as well. He can possibly make the jump to Double-A Pensacola this season.
The next player at number #13 is a player that if you follow the minor leagues at all you will know his name. Kyle Waldrop had struggled to make a big jump because of his decent outfield fielding ability and pull heavy hitting arsenal. In 2014 he became a more complete hitter, using all fields and knocking around 55 extra-base hits. He shows gap to gap power and not necessarily home run power. It will be key to see if he continues on this new path in 2015.
Alex Blandino comes in at #11 and he is also a 2014 draftee, a first round pick out of Stanford. He made the rare move from third to short out of college into his first pro ball experience. He had some mishaps as expected because of his lack of range, but he can make up for it with an above-average arm. He is a pull-heavy hitter, opening up when he swings and leaves the outside part of the plate wide open. BA sees him being above average hitter, with average power.
We now jump into the top 10, where you will only see two new names, both of them pitchers. The first is Anthony DeSclafani at #6. He came over to the Reds in the trade with Miami for Mat Latos. DeSclafani will fight for a spot in the Opening Day rotation after seeing innings with the Marlins last season. He isn’t an overpowering arm as he sits at about 92–94 with a slider that gets outs. He go to pitch for a ground ball is his two-seam that sits in the low 90’s. He has tried bringing back his curve and working on his changeup. If he can get either one of them to be an even average pitch that he can throw for strikes consistently, he will be a four-pitch pitcher.
The final newcomer to the Reds top 30 prospects by Baseball America is international signee Raisel Iglesias at #2. Iglesias signed a seven-year deal with the Reds starting with the 2015 season. BA sees him in the bullpen to begin to gain arm strength and innings since he didn’t pitch much in 2014. He did throw seven innings in the Arizona Fall League allowing an opponent average of .045. He sits 92–95 and has the ability to throw four pitches for a strike.
Just like Aroldis Chapman his best secondary pitch is his hard slider that he can turn into a curve with a different arm slot early in the count for a get-me-over strike. He, like many Cuban pitchers, changes his arm slot and that is what worries scouts because of his lack of strike-throwing at times.
That wraps up the newcomers into the Baseball America Top 30 prospects for the Reds. I hope you enjoyed learning about these players as much as I did and I recommend the Prospect Handbook for any minor league fan.
