Cincinnati Reds: 2018 Minor League Awards
The Cincinnati Reds again struggled at the big league level in 2018, but there were signs that things could be turning around very soon in their minor league system.
As part of our continuing coverage at Call to the Pen of the minor leagues, we will be covering each organization’s top players for 2018. The coverage will go in reverse order of record. Today, we will look at the Cincinnati Reds.
We are going to review the system’s leaders for each organization statistically, then choose one hitter and one pitcher to honor for every team. This will be primarily based on statistical performance, though some “age relative to level” could come into play, so a very impressive season from a 28-year-old in AA will rank below a nearly as impressive season from a 20-year-old at the same level.
After we review each organization’s hitter and pitcher of the year, we will close out October with Call To The Pen’s Minor League team of the year. That will lead into November starting our team top 10 prospect lists. In other words, there will be plenty of minor league content on the way at CTTP, so keep coming back for more each day this offseason!!
Cincinnati Reds minor leagues
The Cincinnati Reds have averaged 93 losses per season over the last five years, all but one of which has been spent in the National League Central division cellar. The high draft picks associated with those poor records are beginning to finally take stock, however, which could lead to brighter days on the horizon.
While injuries slowed the progress of some of the premium guys in the Reds system, there was plenty to like about how players developed throughout the system on the year as a Cincinnati Reds fan, including the work at the major leagues of a number of rookies. The 2019 season could see a similar positive influx of young players as the team begins its upward trajectory.
Before we offer up awards on the season, let’s take a look at the system’s statistical leaders:
Organization Leaders (min. 150 PA, 50 IP)
BA: Brandon Dixon .346
OBP: Fidel Castro .407
SLG: Brandon Dixon .570
OPS: Brandon Dixon .958
R: TJ Friedl 87
H: Gabriel Guerrero 147
2B: Josh VanMeter 35
3B: Jose Siri 11
HR: Ibandel Isabel 35
RBI: Gabriel Guerrero 81
SB: Jeter Downs 37
TB: Gabriel Guerrero 238
W: Scott Moss 15
G: Jimmy Herget 50
GS: Packy Naughton and Daniel Wright 28
IP: Packy Naughton 154
SV: Kevin Quackenbush 25
K: Vladimir Gutierrez 145
ERA: Jose Salvador 1.18
WHIP: Josiah Gray 0.88
K/9: Ryan Hendrix 13.9
K/BB: Kevin Canelon 6.00
Cincinnati Reds Minor League Hitter of the Year: Gabriel Guerrero
Level(s): AA Pensacola, AAA Louisville, MLB Reds
Stats: Minors: .293/.328/.474/.802, 136 G, 539 PA, 19 HR, 81 RBI, 30/123 BB/K; Majors: .167/167/.333/.500, 14 G, 18 PA, 1 HR, 0/8 BB/K
An 8-year journey over 3 organizations finally culminated in reaching the ultimate goal for Gabriel Guerrero as he finally reached the major leagues in his second season in the Cincinnati Reds organization. Guerrero had solid showings previously, but none as balanced as his 2018 performance across both upper levels for the Reds.
Guerrero showed why he’s likely going to be a bench outfielder at best with his struggle to control the strike zone at the major league level, but with the work he’s done to improve himself as a player over the years, it’s hard to put any doubt in his ability to eventually succeed in the major leagues as well.
Runners-up
One of the most unique draft stories in recent draft history, the Cincinnati Reds signed TJ Friedl as an undrafted free agent in 2016 to a significant bonus after it was found the Nevada-Reno outfielder was draft-eligible but had slipped under the radar of most organizations due to some redshirt issues.
He’s produced ever since coming into the Reds organization and looks primed to knock on the major league door in 2019 after spending over half of his season in AA in 2018, hitting .284/.381/.384 with 20 doubles, 7 triples, 5 homers, and 30 steals.
Setting home run records this season, Ibandel Isabel was an early-season acquisition from the Dodgers organization and played the season for Daytona, where the 6’4″, 220+ pound righty-swinging masher simply crushed baseballs in the Florida State League, an environment where that doesn’t typically happen. Overall, with the week he spent with the Dodgers org, he hit .257/.332/.562 with 36home runs on the season.
The Cincinnati Reds second pick of the first round in 2017, Jeter Downs had a very good first full season in the organization, spending the full season with Dayton in the Midwest League, hitting .257/.351/.402 with 23 doubles, 13 home runs, and 37 stolen bases while splitting time between shortstop and second base.