We have reached the point of the offseason where prospect lists abound. We continue our top 10 prospects for every team with the Cincinnati Reds!
Our team top 10 prospect lists at Call to the Pen are spearheaded by Benjamin Chase. Today, he gives us the top ten prospects for the Cincinnati Reds.
This season, we will be going through teams by division, in order of 2017 record. The AL East will be first, followed by the AL Central and AL West. Then the focus will shift to the National League in the same order.
The format will be as it was last season for the same lists, with a system review, which will include last season’s list. The top 10 will follow in reverse order, two players per page in order to give adequate space to each player. Major trades or international signings will lead to an updated top 10!
Finally, don’t go away after #1 is revealed as each list will also contain a player either signed in the 2017 international free agent class or drafted in 2017 that isn’t part of the top 10 and should be tracked. Last season’s mentions in that area made over half of the top 10s this season, so this is a great way to get to know a player who could be making a big splash in the organization.
System overview
After back to back playoff appearances in 2012-2013, the Cincinnati Reds dove to 4th in the NL Central in 2014 and ended up choosing to buy in to a rebuild, trading off pieces of their previous playoff teams, losing 98, 94, and 94 games in the last three seasons.
The Reds have begun to start seeing the fruits of their rebuild, with excellent pitching showing up in 2017 and more of their top prospects likely to hit the majors in the next year.
One of the things the Cincinnati Reds have done very well is approach the Cuban market, and they continued to do that in 2017, making multiple seasons in a row that the Reds have added a high-impact Cuban player to their farm system.
Let’s take a look at that system….
Next: #9 and #10