ESPN Top 100 Major league prospects
The following are just the Reds players in the Top 100 as rated by Keith Law:
15 Aroldis Chapman
Age: 23 (DOB: Feb. 28, 1988)
Bats: Left Throws: Left
Position: Pitcher Organization: Cincinnati Reds
Top '10 Level: Majors
2010 ranking: 16
Aroldis Chapman
2010 MLB STATS
* GM15
* IP13.1
* W2
* L2
* ERA2.03
* SO19
* BB5
* H9
* HR0
* BAA.196
So, can he start? Chapman showed he can pitch out of the pen very effectively -- as long as he's on at least a day of rest. In those outings, Chapman could really air it out, hitting 104 on my gun once in a late-September outing at San Diego and sitting around 98-101 with a slider at 90 mph that is unhittable to any batter geared up for triple digits. But on back-to-back days Chapman's velocity would drop a little and his stuff was less crisp -- still better than most relievers can manage, but perhaps a sign about the effort required to run the fastball past the century mark.
He has three pitches, is a tremendous athlete and gets very high marks from the Reds for his baseball aptitude. If he's willing to dial it down and pitch around 94-95 he could still be a No. 1 starter, although having a left-hander like this in the pen may be too much to resist.
31 Devin Mesoraco
Age: 22 (DOB: June 19, 1988)
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Position: C Organization: Cincinnati Reds
Top '10 Level: AAA (Louisville)
2010 ranking: UR
Devin Mesoraco
2010 MINORS STATS
* GM113
* AB397
* HR26
* RBI75
* SB3
* SO80
* BB43
* AVG.302
* OBP.377
* SLG.587
Mesoraco went into 2010 as a busted first-round pick, with a composite .240/.311/.368 (BA/OBP/SLG) line across 2½ minor league seasons without ever being especially young for his level. That's out the window now after he mashed through two levels, repeating one from 2009, and ended the year with two weeks in Triple-A despite playing much of the second half with a badly bruised index finger.
Mesoraco has above-average to plus power already, with strong hands and good hip rotation despite a slight hip drift before his hands get started. Behind the plate, Mesoraco struggled late in the year with receiving, although that might have been because of the finger issue -- he doesn't like to wear a glove or padding inside his catcher's mitt, so his left index finger took a beating -- while his arm strength is good enough to make up for a slow release.
He profiles as an offensive catcher but one who clearly stays behind the plate even with fringy defense. He easily could see the big leagues by the end of the summer.
51 Billy Hamilton
Age: 20 (DOB: Sept. 9, 1990)
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Position: Shortstop Organization: Cincinnati Reds
Top '10 Level: Rookie (Billings)
2010 ranking: UR
Billy Hamilton
2010 MINORS STATS
* GM69
* AB283
* HR2
* RBI24
* SB58
* SO56
* BB28
* AVG.318
* OBP.383
* SLG.456
The Reds like Hamilton so much that they brought him over to major league camp a few times last spring, even though he was just 19 and just starting to develop physically.
Hamilton is a 70 or better runner with a plus arm (although he had some arm soreness early in 2010 that faded by the time he got into games) who has good instincts on the bases and is showing aptitude for hitting even though he comes out of the raw high school baseball environment of Mississippi. He's going to end up a four-tool player, lacking only power, but understands that his game will be slap-and-run, putting the ball on the ground, working the count to get on base, bunting to hits and putting his great speed to use.
In the field, he can play shortstop but played some second in 2010 because of that arm issue. If the glove and bat develop as expected, he has a chance to be an All-Star at short, because players at that position who contribute on both sides of the ball are rare.
59 Yasmani Grandal
Age: 22 (DOB: Nov. 8, 1988)
Bats: Switch Throws: Right
Position: Catcher Organization: Cincinnati Reds
Top '10 Level: Rookie (AZL Reds)
2010 ranking: IE
Yasmani Grandal
2010 MINORS STATS
* GM28
* AB28
* HR0
* RBI1
* SB0
* SO4
* BB4
* AVG.286
* OBP.394
* SLG.321
Grandal was one of the steals of the first round of the 2010 draft, as an advanced defensive catcher who rakes from the left side and could develop into a legitimate switch-hitter.
Grandal is plus across the board behind the plate, receiving well, throwing well and accurately (with sub-1.9 pop times) and calling his own games since high school. His left-handed swing is noticeably better than his right; left-handed, he transfers his weight more consistently, rotates his hips well, and has great follow-through. Right-handed, he's more linear, cuts off any loft by turning his wrists over and doesn't have the same bat speed.
Even if he never hits left-handed pitching well, he has more than enough going for him with his glove and his left-handed swing to be an everyday catcher in the big leagues, and he's only a year or so away.
65 Yonder Alonso
Age: 23 (DOB: Apr. 8, 1987)
Bats: Left Throws: Right
Position: First base Organization: Cincinnati Reds
Top '10 Level: Majors
2010 ranking: 76
Yonder Alonso
2010 MINORS STATS
* GM132
* AB507
* HR15
* RBI69
* SB13
* SO92
* BB56
* AVG.290
* OBP.362
* SLG.458
Alonso broke his hamate bone in June of 2009, and sure enough, through the first three months of 2010 between Double-A and Triple-A he hit for almost no power -- on July 1, he had just six home runs and a slugging percentage of .361. During the next two months, until his recall on Sept. 1, Alonso hit .347 with nine homers and slugged .592, all against Triple-A pitching.
He's a patient hitter who has above-average pull power and could develop plus power as he ages; his offensive weakness remains left-handed pitching, although he was slightly better in that regard in 2010. He's limited to first base, where he'll be adequate but probably won't win any fielding awards.
Now that he has his strength back, however, he's primed to step in for someone in the big leagues -- although the presence of the reigning NL MVP makes it appear that it won't be for Cincinnati.
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ESPN Top 100 Major league prospects
