1 area Reds prospect Allan Cerda must improve in order to accelerate his path to the majors
Allan Cerda, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer's Bobby Nightengale, is being promoted from High-A Dayton to Double-Chattanooga. Cerda was added to the Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster last winter.
This is a huge step in the right direction for the 22-year-old. Cerda had played in 62 games for the Dayton Dragons this season after closing out his 2021 season at High-A last season.
When Cerda connects with a baseball, it's going to go a long, long way. The follow-through on his swing is something to behold, and Cerda has 13 round trippers on the season.
Allan Cerda is easily one of the most exciting Reds prospects outside of now-former Dragons teammate Elly De La Cruz. Cerda provides plenty of power from the right side of the dish, and if you question his defensive abilities, go check out this catch he made late last month,
Reds OF prospect Allan Cerda needs to cut down on the strikeouts.
While I think Allan Cerda is the real deal and expect him to make the leap to the big leagues next season, one thing will greatly accelerate his path to the majors. Cerda needs to cut down on the number of strikeouts.
Cerda has 91 strikeouts on the season. That leads the Dayton Dragons and trails only Joe Gray Jr. of the Wisconsin Rattlers for the most punch outs in the Midwest League. According to FanGraphs, Cerda has struck out 36.5% of the time.
That big-time power, of course, comes with the potential to swing and miss. Oddly enough, however, Cerda has such a good eye at the plate, that he's able to maintain a walk-rate of 16.9%. Despite hitting just .219, Cerda has an on-base percentage of .369.
Allan Cerda has the ability to play both center and right field. With question marks galore in the Cincinnati Reds outfield, it's great to see Cerda receiving a bump to Double-A this early in the season.
During the month of June, Cerda's walk-rate was nearly 20% and he posted a slugging percentage of .556 with an OPS of .938. Cerda has the ability to be an impact bat in the middle of the Reds lineup for years to come, but he must get those strikeouts under control. If he can, Cerda has superstar potential.