Cincinnati Reds’ top prospect Nick Senzel adjusts well to Double-A

The Cincinnati Reds keep promoting top prospect Nick Senzel and he keeps hitting the cover off of the ball.

Nick Senzel started the season playing for the Cincinnati Reds’ high A-ball club in Daytona Beach.  He played his first 62 games of the season there.  Then Senzel got the call to Double-A.

In Daytona Beach this season Senzel batted .305 with an OBP of .371.  During that time he hit only 4 home runs, but had a respectable slugging percentage of .476.  That helped him maintain a nice .847 OPS.

In Daytona Senzel averaged more than a hit per game.  He also scored 2 runs for every three games.  That means if he could maintain that through his progression to the big leagues, he could collect 175 hits and over 100 runs in a season.

Senzel also walked 23 times, while striking out 54.  Those are acceptable, but not great numbers.  If Senzel isn’t going to hit for power, then he needs to strikeout less frequently.

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He does have a somewhat balanced approach.  He has 31 RBIs to go with 9 steals.  Those would all be great numbers if he only hit a few more home runs.

The Reds project him as a third baseman defensively.  Right now he looks more like Miami Marlin Martin Prado than the Reds’ Eugenio Suarez, let alone All-Star Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies.  This is disappointing considering he is supposed to be a franchise changing talent.

More from Reds Prospects

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• Reds: Joe Boyle has an absurd strikeout-rate after punching out 10 batters
• Reds prospect: Rece Hinds finding his power after prolonged stint on IL
• Reds prospects: Bryce Bonnin excelling at every minor league level
• 3 Reds prospects who should not be added when rosters expand

Now Nick Senzel is playing for the Cincinnati Reds’ Double-A team, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

Senzel is batting .325 with an OBP of .393 in Pensacola.  He has only 2 home runs and 12 RBIs in 22 games.  Most nights Senzel bats third in front of a trio of sluggers.

He does more than get on base, though. His .463 slugging percentage is close to his number in Daytona.  With a better OBP, Senzel’s OPS is better than it was in A-Ball.

Senzel is scoring runs at an even higher clip in Pensacola than he did at Daytona Beach.  He already has 14 in 22 games.  That works out close to 120 if he played a full MLB schedule.  He is doing well there, as he even had a walk-off on Sunday.

The Reds have an issue in that Senzel is too much like former top prospect Jesse Winker.  They both get on base without hitting home runs.  They are also playing defense at offensive power positions.

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The Reds need Senzel to find more power or maybe a new position.  It will be difficult to play Senzel and Winker in the same line-up at Great American Ballpark.  Then again, maybe they should just move the fences back and let the Reds’ hitters hit more doubles.