And the Arms

My last installment in looking at some potential future Reds will see us looking at four pitchers. If you didn’t catch my look at the infielders or outfielders, you can look into those by clicking on the appropriate link.

Infielders
Outfielders

Again, I want to emphasize this. Just because I may not have listed a particular prospect does not mean that I or any other staff member here is not high on that player. We’re beginning to scratch the surface here regarding the prospects, so please bear with us.

That said, let’s go throw…

The first pitcher that caught my eye was Ismael Guillon, a 19 year old from Venezuela. He’s only been in the Reds system for one season, but it was productive. While his 3-3 record may not impress, his 3.32 ERA is very reasonable. The three stats that grab you are his WHIP (1.088), his SO/9 (11.5) and his SO/BB (3.17).

There is another bonus with Guillon. His fastball is good and his changeup is better. And there are only two negatives you can attach the BA’s #16 rated Reds prospect, his curve is subpar. That will only come from work. The other negative isn’t necessarily tied to him. It merely a point of getting some innings. That will build up his arm and permit him to go a bit deeper into games.

Next up is Jonathan Correa. He was BA’s #26 Reds prospect. Correa is also a starter with 2011 being his fourth in the organization. The 20 year old Dominican spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League before coming stateside in 2010 and splitting time between the summer league in Arizona and rookie ball Billings. The results were almost as impressive as Guillon’s. Correa went 8-6 with a 2.46 ERA and 1.182 WHIP. He also posted a nice SO/9 of 10.3 and a SO/BB of 3.34.

A couple of things going forward for Correa. His chageup needs developing. He possesses a good curveball and developing that changeup will only expand his stable of pitches. Correa has been brought along at a decent pace and that can help build confidence if he takes it as such.

What is is about Matt Klinker that makes people overlook him? I can’t put my finger on it. Could it be that he will be 26 during the season? Maybe. Could it be that he was not taken until the 15th round in 2007? Maybe. Could it be that he will be entering his fifth season in the organization? Maybe. All I know is that all he does is pitch. But that may be the deal here.

It’s no longer a secret that the Reds are pitching rich at the big league level now especially with starters (wasn’t always that way). That serves as a potential roadblock for Klinker. He’s primarily a starter (73 starts in 88 minor league games). But check this out. Klinker has never had a winning percentage below .500. Never. The down side to that is his career record is 28-24.

Klinker’s SO/BB for his career is also nice, 3.09. His ERA is reasonable, 3.90. But last season saw Klinker struggle a tad with control in hitting 16 batters. He also walked his carrer high of 45, but he did post the most innings he ever had. Kind of a trade off, I know.

In the grand scheme of things, we may never see Klinker as a starter. Bullpen? Long relief, but there is also fierce competition for the upcoming season there as well. Like Danny Dorn, you just wonder if he will ever get the chance to don a Reds uni in a game.

The final guy here is Jordan Hotchkiss. He was the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year, and he was selected as the Reds Minor League Pitcher of the Year. And he did so by starting the season as a reliever and transitioned into a starters role. I know what you’re thinking there about Hotchkiss being a starter.

Like the previous two guys I listed, Hotchkiss has been brought along slowly. There’s not a thing wrong with that either. Sometimes fans get to caught up in bringing up the “next big thing” and it can hinder their growth and maturity. Two words to bring us back to earth on that…Homer Bailey. Brought up before the time was actually right in my opinion. I do not foresee the Reds pulling that here.

Keep this in your back pocket. Hotchkiss was left exposed for the Rule 5 draft and no one took him. That shocked me a bit. All he did last season was go 10-5 with a 2.43 ERA, both career bests. Toss in a 1.064 WHIP and it appears that Hotchkiss is progressing nicely. But like Klinker at Triple-A, with the logjam at starter, can he progress more?

He can. Hotchkiss has a delivery that can confuse hitters as he has a low arm slot. That type of delivery is more associated with relievers, but can that can be an asset down the line as a starter as well. In other words, he has a future in either role. That’s also a good thing.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little (it was little, trust me) look into other Reds prospects. On down the line, we’ll take a look at a few more.