10. Jeter Downs, SS
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 7/27/1998 (19)
2017 teams/levels played for: advanced rookie Billings Mustangs
2017 Stats: .267/.370/.424, 209 PA, 6 HR, 8 SB, 27/32 BB/K
Info: A very athletic shortstop from the Miami area, the Cincinnati Reds drafted Downs in the 2nd round this past June. Downs had some helium during the summer as a late first round selection, and he lasted just a few picks into the 2nd round before the Reds nabbed him.
Downs has a very impressive bat with a chance to have a double-plus contact tool
Jeter is named after former Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, and his father played professionally in Columbia. He has a brother, Jerry Downs, who has been playing first base professionally as well, so baseball is fairly in his blood.
He showed natural instincts at shortstop being moved all the way up to advanced rookie in his draft season with good hands and good instincts at short with enough arm to handle short, though certainly not a plus arm by any means.
Downs has a very impressive bat with a chance to have a double-plus contact tool along with above average raw power. He shows an impressive eye already at the plate, and his base running instincts are sharp, which should allow him to be a guy who steals quite a few bases.
The Cincinnati Reds will allow Downs to continue working at shortstop at low-A top open 2018.
9. Tony Santillan, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 4/15/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Dayton Dragons
2017 Stats: 25 G, 24 GS, 128 IP, 3.38 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 10.5% BB, 24% K
Info: Drafted out of high school in the 2nd round in 2015, Santillan fits with the Cincinnati Reds style of drafting filled-out, big velocity high school arms.
His big time fastball tops triple digits and sits 96-98 with incredible movement. All of his stuff is hard, with a secondary set that starts with a low-90s slider with sharp bite and an upper 80s change that has impressive arm deception.
Santillan puts plenty of effort into every throw, so his control can waver quite a bit from start to start. That is his biggest hang up from rocketing up the system as he has the stuff and frame to be a mid-rotation starter right now with even more upside.
The Cincinnati Reds will open Santillan in high-A in 2018, but if he can get his delivery more consistent, he could jump up the system in a hurry.
Next: #7 and #8