Cincinnati Reds: Ranking the rookie performances of the 2020 season

Which Reds rookie had the best performance in 2020?

Evaluating the Cincinnati Reds rookie class in a pandemic-shortened season will not be an easy task, but we’ll try it anyway. It’s debatable if we would have even seen the likes of José García and Tyler Stephenson had we had the normal slate of 162 games. But, with the season shortened to just 60 games, a greater emphasis was placed on winning now rather than exercising patience.

The Reds had four rookies make their debut in 2020. In addition to Stephenson, the team’s top catching prospect and the shortstop García, right-handed pitcher Tejay Antone and Japanese outfielder Shogo Akiyama made their big league debuts in 2020.

Antone was somewhat of a surprise addition to this year’s Reds team, but with the consistent absence of Cincinnati starters Wade Miley and Anthony DeSclafani due to injury, the right-hander was quite valuable.

While much was expected of Akiyama after many successful seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball league, the halt to spring training really hampered his transition to the major leagues. It took Akiyama until the final few weeks of the season to really match the expectations of Reds Country.

So, as we head into the offseason, it’s safe to assume that all four rookies will play a prominent role on next year’s team. Will Stephenson suit up behind the plate on Opening Day? Will García be given the starting shortstop gig in spring training? Will Antone grab the final spot in the Reds starting rotation. We’ll hold off on answering those questions for now, but let’s see how this year’s rookies ranked.

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.