
1. José García, Reds shortstop
One player who’ll surely be looking to make an impact during Reds spring training will be shortstop prospect José García. Last season, García was called up to the big leagues having not even played Double-A ball during his minor league career. García looked overmatched against major league pitching and will be looking to rectify that during his time in Goodyear.
Some have advocated, and I’m not completely opposed to the idea myself, that the Cincinnati Reds should just roll with José García as the team’s starting shortstop out of camp. Given the choices, it’s not the worst idea. However, it would probably be more beneficial to García’s development if he began the 2021 season at the Double or Triple-A level.
García’s defense is not in question. The 22-year-old has all the tools to be a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop in the big leagues. The problem is, outside of his 67 at-bats last season, García has yet to face a high-level of pitching. García hit just .194 in 24 games with 26 strikeouts. Those numbers have to improve.
With uncertainty surrounding the shortstop position, José García is bound to get umpteen different opportunities during Reds spring training to showcase his talents. While it likely won’t be enough to land him a spot on the Opening Day roster, it could certainly fast-track the young infielder to the majors by the middle of summer.