Cincinnati Reds send top prospects throughout minor league system

The Cincinnati Reds have great balance in their minor league talent among top thirty prospects.

When the Cincinnati Reds decided to keep Phil Ervin and Tyler Mahle on their major league roster to start the season, they took two of their top thirty prospects out of the minors.  The Reds kept Mahle up out of necessity, even though he had a strong spring.  Ervin, meanwhile, had overcome all of his weaknesses in the minors, save inconsistent power and would be platooning if Hamilton wasn’t around.

Louisville had infielders Nick Senzel and Alex Blandino until the injury to third baseman Eugenio Suarez.  Now, Blandino is with the big league club.  Pitchers Jimmy Herget, Jose Lopez, and Tanner Rainey began at Louisville, but Rainey also is in Cincinnati now.

Eight of the Reds’ top thirty prospects are in Double-A.  Three of the batters closest to everyday MLB are there in second baseman Shed Long, outfielder Aristides Aquino and injured outfielder Jose Siri.  So are third baseman Gavin Lavalley, shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez, and first baseman Nick Longhi.

Two of the Reds’ highest profile starting pitching prospects are also in Double-A.  Keury Mella and Vladimir Gutierrez are both in the rotation there.  Mella is only there because Triple-A ran out of spots in their rotation.

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Part of the reason that Louisville has a full rotation is Brandon Finnegan.  He is not a prospect.  He is, however, taking up a rotation spot that may belong to Cody Reed or one of the guys in Double-A.

More from Reds Prospects

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• Reds prospects: Bryce Bonnin excelling at every minor league level
• 3 Reds prospects who should not be added when rosters expand

The Cincinnati Reds are also stack with talent in the low minors.

There are six of the top thirty at High-A in Daytona Beach.  The third ranked prospect, Taylor Trammell, is in Daytona.  So are fast rising outfielder TJ Friedl and catchers Tyler Stephenson and Chris Okey.

The Tortugas also have two pitching prospects in Scott Moss and Tony Santillan.  Santillan is the fifth ranked prospect in the organization and ranked fifth in both ERA and strikeouts across the organization last season.

Moss, meanwhile, already had Tommy John surgery and is slowly rounding into form.

Of course, the top pitching prospect is right up the road in Dayton, OH.  Hunter Greene topped 100 MPH in his first game this season.  The seventh best prospect is Jeter Downs.  He is the top shortstop prospect and is also in Dayton.

Next: Reds get off to slow start in 2018

All levels throughout the Reds’ organization have talent across the roster.  The prospects at Triple-A should arrive soon.  Each should play in Cincinnati sometime this season.  The rest of the prospects will join them. It will happen shortly enough as they continue to develop.