It's tough to call Isiah Gilliam a prospect as he's now been in the minor leagues since 2015. But the outfielder has put fantastic numbers at both Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville this season. Perhaps it's time for the Cincinnati Reds to give Gilliam a shot in the big leagues.
Gilliam was part of the New York Yankees organization for a long time. A 20th-round selection of New York back in 2015, Gilliam spent the first seven seasons of his professional career with the Yankees. Gilliam was signed as a free agent this past January.
The 26-year-old is a switch-hitting outfielder who has put up solid numbers at every stop throughout his minor league career. Gilliam hit .288/.376/.515 in 62 games at Double-A Chattanooga earlier this season before being elevated to join the Louisville Bats.
Outfielder Isiah Gilliam could be a sneaky-good addition to the Reds roster.
The Cincinnati Reds roster is teeming with outfielders, but it's time for the club to really evaluate what type of long term future players like Aristides Aquino, Stuart Fairchild, Ronnie Dawson, and Albert Almora Jr. really have.
If any of those four are unlikely to be part of the Reds outfield in 2023, then it's time for the Cincinnati front office to make some changes. This year's team is not chasing division titles, so September is the perfect time to see what some of the younger players can offer the organization beyond the 2022 season.
Aquino has a cannon for a right arm, but he striking out at an alarming rate. Almora Jr. is a fine defender, but through the arbitration process he'll likely be making upwards of $1.5M or more in 2023. Both are average major league players, but could be replaced by the likes of TJ Friedl or Jake Fraley. Or, in this case, Isiah Gilliam.
Gilliam is hitting .263/.354/.491 in 24 games at Triple-A Louisville. Gilliam has plus-power from both sides of the plate, but as is the case with many power hitters, there's some swing and miss to his game. However, Gilliam balances out his 30-plus percent strikeout-rate with a walk-rate above 10.0%.
We've already seen the Cincinnati Reds begin to initiate the youth movement by installing Jose Barrero at shortstop. As the team begins play in September and rosters expand, Isiah Gilliam is an under-the-radar name for Reds fans to keep an eye on.