The future success of every Major League team lies in its Minor League system. With that in mind, each preseason, MLB.com takes a top-to-bottom look at all 30 organizations, from top prospects to recent draft picks. Few farm systems can boast a stronger "Fab Four" than the Reds' nearly-ready-for-primetime quartet of center fielder Jay Bruce, first baseman Joey Votto and right-handers Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto. Cincinnati is, however, far from just a four-trick pony. Its farm system has steadily improved thanks to impressive depth, in both quality and quantity, across the board. Despite the parent club's 72-90 finish in 2007 and a 12-year playoff drought, don't rule the Reds out in this year's wide-open NL Central. They will need big seasons from their prospects, but it isn't out of the question.
10 Spot
Ten prospects to watch out for in 2008:
Jay Bruce, OF MiLB.com's top-ranked prospect, the 2005 first-rounder (12th overall) is a legitimate five-tool player who brings the work ethic of a guy who needs to fight to get to every level. The left-handed Bruce, who will turn 21 on Minor League Opening Day (April 3), combined to bat .319 with 26 homers and 89 RBIs along with 46 doubles in a 2007 season split between Class A Advanced Sarasota, Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville, where he homered in his first at-bat and blasted 11 home runs in just 187 at-bats.
"He just needs to go in and do all the things he's done so far in his career," said Reds farm director Terry Reynolds on Bruce's chances of breaking camp as the big league center fielder. "His ability will dictate where he plays, but the other part is there has to be opportunity and that's up to the manager."
Johnny Cueto, RHP While not generating the same buzz as Homer Bailey, the 5-foot-10 Cueto has roared up the prospect charts in the two years since emerging as the system's first true prospect from its Dominican Republic operation. He ranks 47th on MiLB.com's Top Prospects list.
Throwing a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s and a great slider, both with excellent control, Cueto will likely start the season as the ace at Louisville. In 2007, he started the year at Sarasota, posting a 3.33 ERA in 78 innings, improved to 3.10 at Chattanooga and finished up with a 2.05 in four starts with the Bats, walking two while striking out 21 in 22 innings. Overall he fanned 170 in 161 1/3 innings.
Chris Dickerson, OF #ques_include {width:300px;float:right;margin-left:5px;} #ques_content {border-top:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;padding-left:5px;} .ques_schedule {margin-top:5px;font-size:11px;} .ques_dates {font-size:11px;font-style:italic;color:#999;} 
He led the organization in 2007 with 30 steals at Chattanooga and Louisville, adding 14 homers. The main knock on him has been his high strikeout rate.
"He's on the 40-man roster and will get a good look in camp," said Reynolds. "He's done everything to put himself in position to win a big league job."
Juan Francisco, 3B The club will be looking for him to improve his eye and restrain his free-swinging ways just a bit, but they know that comes with the territory with a power hitter.
"He's a free swinger to the point of swinging at some real bad balls, and so that's the thing he has to work on -- to not swing at balls out of the strike zone," Reynolds said. "He had a great year at Dayton and there's no reason to think that won't continue."
Todd Frazier, SS As the top prospect in the Pioneer League last year, he hit .319 with five homers and 25 RBIs with Billings before moving up to Dayton, where he batted .318 with two homers and five RBIs in a week's play. The spotlight is not new to the 22-year-old, who starred for the Toms River Little League team that won the 1998 Little League World Series. Even then he showed the plus raw power that has made him such a hot commodity, homering in the last three games of that tournament.
"He is exactly what the scouts told us he'd be, a tough hard-nosed great-makeup player who plays with a smile and loves being out there," Reynolds said. "He should move up fairly rapidly."
Matt Maloney, LHP
He started 2007 by skipping a level to Double-A Reading before being dealt to Cincinnati, which sent him to Chattanooga before he finished the year at Louisville. In his two stops with the Reds, he struck out 62 batters in 45 innings over seven starts with a 2.80 ERA. He throws a fastball that just touches 90, a plus changeup and solid slider.
Devin Mesoraco, C Just 19, he is a good-hitting catcher whose arm seems fully recovered from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in 2006. He hit just .219 in 137 at-bats in the Gulf Coast League in his debut but the Reds feel confident that that was not indicative of his talent. "He was pretty beat up and I've got to give him credit, he just hung in there and played hurt the whole season," Reynolds said. "He went home, rested and had a great instructional league. He has great makeup and all the tools for the position."
Josh Roenicke, RHP His 24 saves led the organization, and he posted a 3.25 ERA at Sarasota and a 0.95 at Double-A Chattanooga, combining for 56 strikeouts in 47 innings. He throws a fastball consistently in the mid 90s with late life and a good cutter. At age 25, the Reds don't have to baby him, and he has good mechanics though he's still learning about pitching fundamentals.
"He's been as pleasant a surprise as anyone in the system in the last four years," said Reynolds. "He jumped in and dominated at closer at every level."
Drew Stubbs, OF
A 23-year-old with College World Series experience, Stubbs could move up quickly if he remains healthy. He has plus power and a strong arm that was good for 15 outfield assists at Dayton in '07, where he hit .270 with 12 homers and 43 RBIs. Despite the injury, his 23 steals were third most in the Reds organization.
Pedro Viola, LHP
"A lefty like that with a good arm isn't easy to find and he did well at every level," Reynolds said. "I don't think there is an issue to rush him but we're all excited about him."
Under the Radar
Daniel Dorn, OF Dorn should start back with the Lookouts but could easily see time at Louisville this year. Coming off an operation on his non-throwing shoulder, Dorn played hurt virtually all of '07.
"He's swung the bat well since the day we got him," Reynolds said. "So we'll keep moving him until he doesn't do that and so far it hasn't happened."
Carlos Fisher, RHP His bread-and-butter pitch, a heavy sinker, should be more effective in the late innings and that's where the 2005 11th-rounder should see the most time, either at Chattanooga or Louisville.
"He's a good guy with good makeup and good stuff and we feel he's gotten the innings he needed as a young pitcher, so now is the time for the move to the pen," said Reynolds. "With his stuff he could be a real good relief pitcher."
Chris Heisey, OF
"He's probably as good a pick as you could make for a guy 'under the radar,'" Reynolds said. "He has tremendous tools, plays the game the right way and will find a way to play in the big leagues sooner rather than later."
Daryl Thompson, RHP
The 22-year-old Thompson combined to go 14-5 with a 3.18 ERA at Dayton (5-0, 0.96 in five starts) and Sarasota (9-5, 3.77). His fastball is not back to its pre-surgery blaze, but it was still sitting in the low 90s and helping him lead the Reds organization in wins, finish second in ERA and fifth in strikeouts.
2007 Draft Recap RHP Kyle Lotzkar (1S), a high school draftee from Canada, posted a 3.86 ERA in seven starts in the Gulf Coast League, striking out 24 in 21 innings. ... SS Zack Cozart (2) out of Mississippi was considered the top defensive college shortstop in the draft and went straight to Dayton, where he hit .239 with two homers and 18 RBIs in 53 games. ... SS Neftali Soto (3) was drafted out of high school in Puerto Rico and batted .303 with 28 RBIs in the Gulf Coast League. ... 3B Brandon Waring (7), out of Wofford College, was one of the Reds' most pleasant surprises, showing big time power. He added 20 homers at Billings to his 27 college bombs in 2007 and also hit .311 with a .614 slugging percentage. ... Another sleeper pick was 3B Brett Bartles (30) whose .322 average at Billings led the organization.
Predictions
Organizational Player of the Year: Todd Frazier
Organizational Pitcher of the Year: Josh Roenicke
Comeback Player of the Year: Paul Janish
Top Candidate for NL Rookie of the Year: Jay Bruce
Quotable "For me, [Joey Votto] proved in September that he's ready to play there and now it's the manager's decision whether he thinks he's the right guy to do the job. His bat appears ready, he's improved defensively and he got some time in left field so he has that versatility. To me, he doesn't have much left to prove at Triple-A." -- Terry Reynolds on prospect Joey Votto's chances of winning the first-base job over veteran Scott Hatteberg. Lisa Winston is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs. | ||||||||||||||||
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