Cincinnati Reds: Ranking the rookie performances of the 2020 season

4. José García, Reds shortstop

I don’t think anyone expected to see José García make his major league debut this season. He’d yet to play above Advanced-A Daytona and likely would have began the 2020 season at Double-A Chattanooga with an eye towards a mid-summer call-up in 2021. However, after getting little to nothing from Freddy Galvis, the Reds front office inserted García into the lineup.

García has all the tools to be an elite-level defensive shortstop. However, the 22-year-old still has a lot to work on in terms of hitting at the big league level. García hit just .194/.206/.194 in 67 at-bats. While Reds fans love the potential of their young shortstop, it would behoove the organization to begin García in the minors to begin the 2021 season.

That may sound silly after watching the rookie make some phenomenal defensive plays, but the inexperience of García showed at the plate. He’d constantly chase balls out of the strike zone and showed little to no patience, as evidence by his .206 on-base percentage. García is not ready for The Show.

But, he’s not far off. In terms of defense, José García could start over almost any free agent shortstop the Reds would bring in this offseason. I’m sure Cincinnati fans are hoping the Baltimore Orioles decline the option on José Iglesias, otherwise the Reds may have to plug in Kyle Farmer, Alex Blandino at shortstop in 2021.

3. Shogo Akiyama, Reds outfielder

It’s quite disappointing to see Shogo Akiyama ranked third among Reds rookies, as much was expected from the Japanese outfielder in 2020. Akiyama was expected to set the table for Cincinnati’s big boppers this past season, but that didn’t happen. Akiyama struggled out of the gate and perhaps no one was effected more by the sudden halt of spring training than Shogo.

It’s a bit odd talking about a 32-year-old rookie, but Akiyama had spent his previous time playing baseball overseas in Japan. As a member of the Seibu Lions, Akiyama’s bat shined with an on-base percentage over .385 for the past five seasons and three consecutive seasons of 20-plus home runs. However, those numbers didn’t translate to his year in the bigs.

Shogo Akiyama slashed .245/.357/.297, but to begin the 2020 season, he hit just .196/.282/.250. But, once the calendar flipper to September, the player that we’d all hoped to see emerged, as Akiyama hit .317/.456/.365 and was inserted as the Cincinnati Reds leadoff hitter over the final stretch of the season.

David Bell’s consistent tinkering with Cincinnati’s lineup could have been part of Akiyama’s downfall. Bell showed a lot of hesitation putting Akiyama in the lineup against left-handed pitchers. Hopefully, with his rookie season behind him, Akiyama will get more consistent opportunities against both left and right-handed pitchers.

2. Tyler Stephenson, Reds catcher

There might not be a more exciting prospect in the Cincinnati Reds farm system, outside of Hunter Greene, than Tyler Stephenson. The Georgia-native made a huge impact in limited opportunities this past season, and the Reds front office may have found their answer to the offensive struggles behind the plate.

Though it was in limited at-bats, Stephenson slashed .294/.400/.647 with two home runs and six RBIs. Stephenson’s very first hit was a home run against the Chicago Cubs and his pinch-hit, walk-off homer against the Pittsburgh Pirates may have been the catalyst for Cincinnati’s late-season surge that saw the Reds in the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

I honestly struggled to put Stephenson ahead of Akiyama, mainly because of the disparity in playing time. But the impact that Stephenson had in limited at-bats was outstanding. Given the Reds struggles in terms of offense from the catcher’s spot, David Bell’s going to be hard-pressed to keep Stephenson out of thee starting lineup on a regular basis.

The Cincinnati Reds have two solid starting catchers in Tucker Barnhart and Curt Casali. Barnhart is a Gold Glove caliber defender behind the dish and Casali is well liked by the pitching staff and throughout the clubhouse. However, the offensive potential of Tyler Stephenson cannot be undervalued and he’s likely to be in the mix as the starting catcher heading into 2021.

1. Tejay Antone, Reds pitcher

There may not have been a bigger surprise for the Cincinnati Reds in 2020 than the emergence of Tejay Antone as a potential cog in the starting rotation. While failing to earn a win in 2020, the 26-year-old owned a 2.80 ERA in 13 games including four starts. Antone has a real chance to grab the final spot in the Cincinnati rotation next season.

Antone was added to the 40-man roster this past offseason, so it’s obvious the Reds valued him and wanted to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. However, I don’t think in their wildest dreams they expected Antone to be one of the better options as either a spot starter or out of the bullpen. But that’s exactly what Antone was in 2020.

Tejay Antone works quickly and efficiently. There’s little wasted time when he comes set and little wasted energy when he delivers a pitch, which is usually a combination of his fastball or slider. But, according to FanGraphs, Antone went with his curveball 16.9% of the time.

What does the future hold for Antone? That’s unclear, but you can write his name in ink to be one of the 26 players on next year’s Opening Day roster. Trevor Bauer’s future with the Reds will certainly affect whether or not Antone is in the rotation. However, if the likely Cy Young Award winner leaves via free agency, Antone has the inside track for the No. 5 starter in 2021.

The four Reds rookies certainly made an impact in 2020, and they all look to have a chance to expand their roles next season as well. The moves that Cincinnati’s front office makes this winter will greatly determine each player’s role with the team going into 2021.