MLB Pipeline released their Top 100 prospects list on Friday night on MLB Network and published the list on their website shortly after the show was completed.
The Cincinnati Reds landed five players in the Top 100 prospects list, matching the same number of prospects that they landed on the Baseball Prospectus Top 101 list earlier this week. The order, however, is a little bit different.
Outfielder Jesse Winker is on top of this list for the Reds, coming in at #34 overall. The scouting report starts out with this excellent point on the left handed hitter:
It’s often said that adversity can be the best teacher. Winker enrolled in a master class during the first half of 2015 in Double-A. How he finished the year shows just how well the outfielder can make adjustments.
He’s followed on the list by Robert Stephenson, who ranked directly behind him as the #35 prospect overall. The scouting report for the right handed pitcher sounds familiar to ones we’ve seen other places, with this being the key:
More than anything, it comes down to fastball command for Stephenson. When he hits his spots, he still looks like a future frontline starter with three plus pitches at his disposal.
Left handed pitcher Cody Reed is the next Red to crack the list, coming in at #66 overall on the Top 100. His write up starts out by talking about the strides he took in 2015:
Thought to be a high-ceiling lefty ever since the Royals drafted him out of the junior college ranks in 2013, Reed did as much, if not more, than any left-handed pitching prospect to take a step toward fulfilling that potential during an eventful 2015 season.
Another left hander, Amir Garrett, was the next on the list. The pitcher came in at #69 overall on the list. The upside is high here, as the final sentence of his scouting report says:
At the very least, it looks like Garrett will be a solid Major League starter capable of beating anyone on any given day. If he can continue to improve his consistency, he could reach his ceiling as a frontline starter.
The last Red to make the list is shortstop Jose Peraza who finds himself at #71 on the list. While there isn’t an immediate place to play right now he looks like a strong second baseman according to their scouting report:
Peraza is ready for a longer look in the big leagues after his 2015 debut was cut short by a hamstring injury. What his ultimate role is remains to be seen, but Cincinnati feels he has the upside of a big league regular at second base.