Hard-throwing right-hander joins Reds Top 30 prospects

Last week, it was Matt McLain would officially graduated from prospect to major leaguer. This week, Brandon Williamson did the same, at least according to MLB Pipeline.

Williamson has now started eight games for the Cincinnati Reds during his rookie season and logged nearly 40 innings pitched. The left-hander is 1-1 with a 5.82 ERA and 29 punch outs on the season.

But with Williamson no longer mentioned alongside the likes of Levi Stoudt, Chase Petty, and Lyon Richardson, another hurler has entered the conversation as one of the Reds Top 30 prospects.

Hard-throwing right-hander Joe Boyle joins Reds Top 30 prospects.

Joe Boyle, the Cincinnati Reds fifth-round draft choice back in 2020, is now back among the team's Top 30 prospects. The right-hander can light up the radar gun, but his wildly erratic delivery can also send opposing batters looking for shelter.

Boyle is currently at Double-A Chattanooga and through 14 starts has recorded 89 strikeouts. According to FanGraphs, the 23-year-old has a strikeout-rate north of 32-percent and his strikeouts per nine innings is currently sitting a 13.65.

However, Boyle lacks command, and that's putting it mildly. The right-handed flamethrower is sitting on a 21.2-percent walk-rate and is allowing nearly nine free passes per nine innings pitched. That's unsustainable and an area of Boyle's game that needs to be brought into focus.

Joe Boyle has been brought along as a starter, but the reality is that he'll likely end up as a reliever if and when he actually makes it to the big leagues. There's a lot to like about his ability to get swings and misses, but his lack of control is scary.

Boyle has hit five batters this season and has thrown eight wild pitches; all of this while pitching in the Southern League which is using baseballs that are said to have enhanced grip. One wonders how the Norte Dame alum might perform without the aid of added tack on baseballs.

Seeing as how Joe Boyle logged nearly 90 innings at Double-A over the past two seasons and will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft during the upcoming winter, don't be surprised if the Cincinnati Reds promote him to Triple-A later this season.

Boyle has the type of arm that scouts dream about, but his lack of command and control can be the type things that gives the coaching staff nightmares. It'll be interesting to see how the Reds proceed with Boyle's development.