Cincinnati Reds: Jose Barrero’s horrendous 2022 season
By David Hill
The Cincinnati Reds may have a Jose Barrero problem.
It was not that long ago that Barrero was considered one of the top prospects in the game. Baseball America had rated him as a top 100 prospect prior to the 2021 and 2022 seasons, with Barrero slotted as the 33rd best prospect in the game heading into this year. While there may have been some questions about his bat, his defense was strong enough where there was the belief that he could handle the majors after spending the 2019 campaign in High-A.
2023 make or break year for Cincinnati Reds shortstop Jose Barrero
Those questions about his bat were not loud enough. Barrero had a disappointing showing in 2021, posting a .200/.286/.320 batting line with four doubles and a triple in his 56 plate appearances. And yet, that performance is, to this point, his high water mark in the majors.
Barrero ended up being the worst player offensively in the majors last season. His OPS+ of 10 was not just the lowest of any player with at least 150 plate appearances in the majors last season, but it was the lowest by a wide margin. Ernie Clement was the second worst player on that list, his 33 OPS+ looking absolutely Ruthian by comparison. Add in his 76 strikeouts with just nine walks over 176 plate appearances, and it would not be an understatement to say that Barrero was a trainwreck.
Time is not necessarily on Barrero’s side. Noelvi Marte is not just one of the top shortstop prospects in the minors, but he is one of the top prospects in the game – a consensus top 20 prospect entering the season. Although he is not yet ready for the majors, that time is coming soon.
The 2023 season may be Barrero’s last chance to prove himself. He needs to show some of that potential from the minors and at least be close to becoming at least an average major league option. Otherwise, his time could be over long before anyone would have expected it.
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Jose Barrero was supposed to be a key part of the Cincinnati Reds future. Instead, he is facing a make or break campaign in 2023.