Cincinnati Reds Top Prospect Report – Tony Santillan

How did the Cincinnati Reds’ top prospects do during the 2017 season?

While the Cincinnati Reds struggled to a 58-79 record so far this season, there is plenty of reason for hope in the future. The team is loaded with talented prospects across all of their minor-league teams, and many of those players started off with promising starts in their careers.

Let’s take a look at how some of the Reds’ top 30 prospects (per MLB Pipeline at the end of the minor league regular season) performed as we head into the off-season.

Tony Santillan  (RHP)

2016 Stats (Single-A):

Dayton: 9-8, 3.38 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 128 IP, 128 K, 56 BB

The 2018 season for Tony Santillan resembles the seasons of so many minor league starting pitchers recently that it is scary.  He isn’t staying in games long enough to get a ton of decisions, but he is throwing a good number of pitches.

184 batters have either struck out or walked against Santillan.  That means those batters all saw at least three pitches.  If the walks weren’t as high, the strikeouts wouldn’t be an issue.

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The bright spots for the Reds is that Santillan doesn’t give up home runs.  He has only surrendered nine in 24 starts.  That would be more than welcome on the big league roster.

The progression of Tony Santillan for the Cincinnati Reds is right on track for the former second round pick.

More from Reds Prospects

• 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
• Reds: Outfield prospect Michael Siani has failed to make the leap in 2021

Santillan joins the ranks of other high picks that came from high school via the draft.  He was the second round pick in 2015.  Much like this year’s first round pick, Santillan could have played in the field but ultimately ended up a pitcher.

Santillan has plus stuff with a fastball pushing triple digits.  He also possesses a plus slider and a show-me change.  Once that change progresses to average, Santillan could reach another level of production.

As with most dual threat baseball players, he needed work on the repetition of his wind-up.

Continuing to refine that is vitally important for his development, especially given that he spent time on the DL earlier this season.  At 6’3″, 240, Santillan is more of a Dave Stewart hard thrower, than a Doc Gooden master of deception.

Santillan projects better than current Reds Sal Romano and Tyler Mahle did when they first arrived in Dayton.  Santillan, however, is in more danger of burning under the pressure of facing more skilled batters.  His stuff has taken him this far, but he must continue to develop.

Next: Bryan Price is coming back in 2018

Santillan projects as a middle of the rotation starter with great upside.  His floor appears to be a back end starter.  Of course, the floors of some of the other prospects ended up being lower than anticipated.