Cincinnati Reds: Taylor Trammell shows signs of a future All-Star

Cincinnati Reds prospect Taylor Trammell showcased his skills during the MLB Futures Game and took home MVP trophy.

The Larry Doby Award is given out annually to the MVP of the MLB Futures Game. This year Taylor Trammell, the talented Cincinnati Reds prospect, took home the trophy. While the award is not indicative of the recipient becoming an All-Star caliber player, Trammell showcased a bevy of talents that prove why he’s capable of such feats.

Former All-Stars Alfonso Soriano, Grady Sizemore, and Jose Reyes took home the Larry Doby Trophy for their performances in past MLB Futures Games. Trammell hopes to follow in their footsteps as the next great MVP from that contest.

Trammell came off the bench in the top of the fifth inning, replacing Seattle Mariners’ prospect Kyle Lewis in left field. He hit a towering shot in the bottom of the sixth inning that gave the US team a 6-5 lead over the World team.

To start off the bottom of the eighth, Trammell sent what he thought was his second homer of the game over the center field wall in Nationals Park. It was not to be, however, as the ball caromed off the wall. Trammell had to hustle around the bases to get to third.

Trammell thought he got every bit of that ball, but it was not to be. As he trotted down the first base line, he looked towards the dugout with two fingers extended towards his teammates in an effort to signal he’d cracked his second homer during the game. He then looked up, saw the center fielder chasing the ball down and hustled around the diamond. Trammell would later score on a sacrifice fly.

Trammell is playing at Class-A Advanced Daytona this season. During his season with the Tortugas, Trammell’s hit .295 with 6 home runs and 29 RBIs. With 42 walks on the season, Trammell’s on-base percentage is .394. Trammell is the No. 3 rated player in the Cincinnati Reds’ farm system and No. 34 in Major League Baseball’s Top 100 prospects.

The Reds have seen Trammell’s strikeouts steadily decrease, while his walks have steadily increased. Having a player with his speed on the base paths can be a nightmare for opponents. He’s not a fast as Billy Hamilton, but he has 16 steals on the year.

He’s currently playing center field for Daytona, but his athleticism allows him to play all over the outfield. The left-hander could see a promotion to Double-A Pensacola before the season is out. He is almost assured to start next season with the Blue Wahoos.

Another top prospect for the Cincinnati Reds, Hunter Greene, was displaying his skills during the game. The 18-year old pitcher, currently at Class-A Dayton, lit up the radar gun with every single fastball registering at least 100 MPH.

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With Nick Senzel, the Reds top prospect who’s shelved for the season, Greene and Trammell, Cincinnati seems poised to contend very soon. Trammell was able to give a glimpse of what the Reds have waiting for the rest of league in the near future.