Cincinnati Reds: Should Tyler Mahle be called up in September?

The Cincinnati Reds are in the midst of a rebuild

The Cincinnati Reds have been in teardown mode. They have traded off veterans in order to supply young talent for the future. This club has dealt the likes of fan favorites such as Todd Frazier, Aroldis Chapman, Brandon Phillips, and Jay Bruce. Those were tough losses at the time, but they will pay dividends in the near future.

The Reds are sporting one of the worst records in the MLB, but they have hope for the future. The club is a power house on the offensive side of things. This franchise is ranked sixth in the National League with the bats. They have mashed 184 home runs, which is good for third in the NL. Some of the young hitters are breaking out, such as Scott Schebler’s great year, after a slow start.

But the pitching is the problem. The historic franchise ranks dead last in that department. Specifically, their ERA is at an alarming 5.44. That’s not surprising given the rotation situation they have been in all season. They have been auditioning a plethora of unproven young starters in order to find arms for the future. In that respect, they have one minor league arm that deserves a promotion in right hander Tyler Mahle.

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Steady righty – Cincinnati Reds’ prospect Tyler Mahle

Right hander Tyler Mahle was the 225th overall pick in the 2013 Amateur Draft. He is 6’3″ and 210 pounds. He has the ability to command the fastball when he is on. Mahle normally has the heater sit in the low 90’s. There isn’t as much tailing on the pitch, but he is better off utilizing it as a contact inducing ball. His off speed is a different story, as they are less utilized. But in the same aspect, he is accurate with all his offerings.

As for the soft stuff, his curveball is a good pitch to throw as a strike as well as a chase pitch. The Uncle Charlie is a 12-6 breaker. The changeup is a pitch with tailing action that has the potential for swing and miss stuff. The slider is an average pitch that has room for improvement. He throws it most of the time when he is ahead in the count.

An expert’s take

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This is what Doug Gray of RedsMinorLeagues.com has on Mahle: “Nothing sticks out in terms of pure stuff where he’s solid across board, but doesn’t have that one pitch that sticks out. His control allows his stuff to play up as he can generally locate all of his pitches well. He can’t afford to miss his spots though. If he can find the velocity he showed in 2015, it would be a step in the right direction. At 88-92 there’s very little room for error, while when he was working 91-94 and touching 96 he had more wiggle room.”

“He projects as a possible middle of the rotation arm, but seems more likely to be a 4th or 5th starter in the long run if he continues to throw strikes. His struggles in Double-A could be telling that his stuff may not play well enough as it is, but he may just be in need of making an adjustment or slightly better execution.”

The verdict

This season the right hander is tossing a 2.73 ERA at Louisville in 59.1 innings. He is showing that he is capable of big league innings. The right hander has shown he can pitch in big innings and is due for a promotion. The Reds should bring him up as early as September, as there is no reason not to.

They have been auditioning several young starters and are still in fluctuation. Why not keep trying guys on the hill? This season is another year of development, so growing pains are normal. Hopefully, the Reds make the right move and bring up the much deserved prospect.

Next: Should Jesse Winker be sent back to Louisville?

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