Cincinnati Reds: 5 prospects ready to make a big leap in 2019

4. Alfredo Rodriguez, Shortstop

Get ready to see a lot of Alfredo Rodriguez this spring. The 24-year-old Cuban is a non-roster invitee to this year’s Spring Training with the Cincinnati Reds and he has shot up through the farm system over the past two years. He has the ability to make a giant step forward this coming season, and an invite to Spring Training should be the first clue that this guy is really good.

Rodriguez was all over the Reds Minor Leagues last season. He spent time in Daytona, Pensacola, and Arizona, however, a lot of that moving around was due to injury. The shortstop prospect spend two separate stints on the DL in 2018.

The Reds snagged Rodriguez at the start of the 2016 signing period with a signing bonus of $7 million. Throughout his Minor League career, Rodriguez has spent time in the Dominican Summer League, the Florida State League, the Arizona League, and the Southern League.

Defensively, Rodriguez is a star. This young man can make all the plays and the throws. He has a plus-arm and plus-speed, both of which are incredibly useful and necessary to play the shortstop position. Where Rodriguez struggles is at the plate.

In 46 games last season, spanning stops in Daytona, Pensacola, and Arizona, Rodriguez hit only .241 with an on-base percentage below .300. That’s not going to cut it and it’s a big reason why the young man could have difficulty making it to the big leagues. However, if he’s able to figure it out at the dish, his elite level defense will help him to stick at the Major League level.

One would expect Rodriguez to start the season at Double-A Chattanooga, however, since he’s coming off an injury-riddled season, the Reds may start him at Advanced-A Daytona. If he does being the 2019 season there, don’t expect him to stay there long provided he’s healthy. If Rodriguez can stay on the field and improve his hitting, he could end the season in Double-A if not higher.

Jonathan India, Third baseman

Jonathan India was the Cincinnati Reds first-round pick in last summer’s MLB Draft. The No. 5 overall pick is already among the Top 100 players in all of the Minor Leagues and is ranked as the No. 6 third base prospect in all of baseball.

India is going to be fast-tracked to the Major Leagues, much in the same way we’ve seen Nick Senzel. India played his college ball for SEC powerhouse Florida and has above-average tools in every category. The Reds skipped India directly to the Pioneer League and he did not disappoint.

India got his feet wet in Greenville, before moving up to Billings after 14 games. He spent 3 games in the Pioneer League before finishing the 2018 season with the Dayton Dragons, the Reds Single-A affiliate. With the Dragons, India saw action in 27 games, racking up 22 hits, including 7 doubles and 3 home runs.

The Reds may experiment with different positions for their talented infielder in 2019. India primarily played third base last season, but did find his way over to shortstop during 9 games.  Look for Jonathan India, just like Senzel before him, to be moved around the diamond in an effort to increase his value for an organization that appears to be looking for versatility.

Jonathan India was a bit of a surprise to some fans when the Reds took him in the first round, but once they get to see his production, they’ll likely change their tune. Yes, the organization has a plethora of talented infielders, from Senzel, to Shed Long, to Jose Israel Garcia. The club also has a lot of infield talent at the Major League level in Eugenio Suárez, José Peraza, and Scooter Gennett.

However, India’s talent is undeniable, and his time at Florida will do nothing but help accelerate his ascension through the Cincinnati Reds farm system. India’s power cannot be overlooked and may be his biggest asset. Look for India to perhaps start 2019 in Dayton, but he won’t stay there for long. By season’s end, India will likely be playing for the Reds’ Double-A affiliate, the Chattanooga Lookouts.

2. Tony Santillan, Pitcher

This name might be a bit more familiar to fans of the Cincinnati Reds. Tony Santillan‘s name has popped up from time to time in trade rumors, but the Reds appear unwilling to move on from the hard-throwing Texan, and for good reason. Santillan is currently ranked No.5 in Reds Pipeline and maybe on his way to the big leagues later this year.

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They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and at 6’3″, 240-pounds, Tony Santillan is walking proof of that. The second-round pick of the Reds in 2015 has slowly ascended towards the top of the team’s farm system. Tough he’s not as highly touted as No. 3 overall Hunter Greene, Santillan is more MLB-ready and could make his debut in 2019.

Santillan spent his entire 2017 season at Single-A Dayton, but last year saw the flame-throwing righty spend half his season in Advanced-A Daytona before making the leap to Double-A Pensacola. In 26 combined starts, Santillan went 10-7 with a 3.08 ERA and struck out 134 batters.

Santillan’s best pitch is his fastball, which touches the upper-90’s consistently. His work on his changeup is constantly improving, and he has a slider as part of his repertoire as well. Santillan’s biggest improvement will need to be his control and command, both of which the Reds hope to see when he takes the field in 2019.

Santillan, like Alfredo Rodriguez, received a non-roster invite to Spring Training as well. It’s incredibly unlikely that he makes the team out of Spring Training, but Santillan could easily start the year at Triple-A Louisville. If he does, and has success for the Bats in 2019, a September call-up could be in his future next season.

1. Taylor Trammell, Outfielder

Taylor Trammell is the real deal and a future star for the Cincinnati Reds. We’ve heard his name involved in trade rumors a few different times this offseason, but the Reds have yet to budge on moving Trammell, and it’s highly unlikely they will. This young man has all the talent and drive to be great at the next level, and I don’t see the Reds trading him away, even for a star pitcher.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to read C. Trent Rosecrans piece from The Athletic, you owe it to yourself to take a look. In it, Trammell talks about getting some advice from the NL MVP Christian Yelich. He also discusses becoming more of a leader on the field and opens up about what drives him to be the best player he can be.

“That’s all you really have, your effort, the time you have, the time you put into anything. I say, why not? Why not be the best you can be? There’s only a limited amount of time that you can play baseball. Why not be the best you can be at baseball?”

Once Senzel promotes to the Major Leagues, which we all assume will be next season, Trammell will be the No. 1 prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization with Hunter Greene nipping at his heels. Trammell, who was also invited to this year’s Spring Training, will likely start the 2019 season at Double-A Chattanooga.

However, I wouldn’t expect to see Trammell there for too long. He slashed .277/.375/.406 for the Daytona Tortugas last season. If Trammell puts those types of numbers early on in 2019, he could wind up in Triple-A Louisville by the middle of the season.

Most people expect to see Trammell in Major Leagues sometime in 2020. I think that’s a very realistic timeline, and for what it’s worth, I think he’ll make the Opening Day roster and be staring in the outfield when the Reds kick off the 2020 season. Cincinnati has a lot of talented prospects that the organization hopes to see make the big leagues someday. These five could make sooner rather than later.