It’s that time of year again where we take a look at the Cincinnati Reds Top 25 Prospects. Each day this week we will unveil five new spots on the list as we work our way through the Top 25 Prospects heading into the 2022 season. If you were supporting the site on Patreon you would have gotten the entire Top 25 list last week and had early access to this, and all other scouting related articles that show up on the site. Click here to see what all you can get for helping keep the site alive and kicking via support through Patreon.
These write ups will not feature scouting reports. Those will be included with the Season Reviews, which will start next week – first working my way through the Top 25 prospects before then branching out into another 50-75 interesting prospects through the remainder of the offseason. For the entire list you can click here (each day it will be updated as the next piece comes out).
*To be eligible for the list a player must have 2022 Rookie of the Year eligibility (Fewer than 130 at bats in the big leagues, fewer than 50 innings pitched, or less than 45 days on the active MLB roster that doesn’t include September)*
16. Dauri Moreta | RHP | Age: 25
2021 Team: Chattanooga/Louisville/Cincinnati | Acquired: International FA 2015 | Height: 6′ 2″ | Weight: 185 lbs
Coming off of a 2019 season in which Dauri Moreta posted a 2.35 ERA in Advanced-A Daytona (who is now the Low-A affiliate), it was tough to foresee an improvement in 2021, but that’s just what happened. The right-handed reliever allowed six earned runs all season long while throwing 56.2 innings while allowing just 33 hits and walking 10 batters between Double-A Chattanooga, Triple-A Louisville, and in the Major Leagues with Cincinnati.
Biggest Strength: Control. While his command isn’t on par with his control, Moreta does pound the strikezone. He’s walked just 19 batters in 114.0 innings over the last two seasons.
Biggest Weakness: Certainly nitpicking here, but he’s been a very high fly ball rate pitcher in his career.
2021 Season Stats
17. Andrew Abbott | LHP | Age: 22
2021 Team: ACL Reds/Daytona | Acquired: 2nd Round (2021) | Height: 6′ 0″ | Weight: 180 lbs
After his senior season at Virginia where he threw 106.2 innings with a 2.87 ERA at Virginia in his first year as a starting pitcher the Cincinnati Reds selected him in the 2nd round of the draft. After a long season in college he didn’t spend much time on the mound post-draft, throwing just 13.0 innings in six appearances between the complex league and Low-A Daytona where he struck out 22 batters with just four walks.
Biggest Strength: The Curveball. It’s his best pitch and an above-average offering that helped him rack up the strikeouts in his pro debut.
Biggest Weakness: He’s only started one season since he left high school five years ago. He held up just fine in 2021 as a starter, but it’s worth keeping an eye on given the background as a reliever.
2021 Season Stats
18. Jose Torres | SS | Age: 22
2021 Teams: ACL Reds/Daytona | Acquired: 3rd Round (2021) | Height: 6′ 0″ | Weight: 171 lbs
The Cincinnati Reds took Jose Torres in the 3rd round of the most recent draft and in doing so picked up the player deemed the best defensive shortstop available. What was on the other side of the scouting report, though, were some questions about his bat. While it was just over 100 at-bats, Torres did all that he could to silence that as he hit .333/.387/.590 – mostly at Low-A Daytona where he had 11 extra-base hits in just 25 games played.
Biggest Strength: Defense. He’s a plus defender at shortstop.
Biggest Weakness: Even with the improvements he showed in 2021 both in college and in his pro debut there are still some who wonder if he will hit enough to be more than a quality utility-man.
2021 Season Stats
19. Ivan Johnson | SS | Age: 23
2021 Teams: Daytona/Dayton | Acquired: 4th Round (2019) | Height: 6′ 0″ | Weight: 190 lbs
After a solid debut season in 2019, Ivan Johnson put up better numbers across the board at two different levels in 2021. He only played in 79 games after missing a month from mid-May to mid-June with an injury. Johnson hit .264/.367/.451 between Low-A Daytona and High-A Dayton, showing a little more power in his time in Dayton. He also stole 11 bases.
Biggest Strength: Power. Johnson has at least average game power now and a little bit more to tap into.
Biggest Weakness: Contact. This season Johnson struck out in 30% of his plate appearances, including a 34% strikeout rate in his time in Dayton.
2021 Season Stats
20. Allan Cerda | OF | Age: 21
2021 Teams: Daytona/Dayton | Acquired: International FA 2017 | Height: 6′ 3″ | Weight: 203 lbs
The 2021 season was a step forward, maybe even two for Allan Cerda compared to what he did in 2019 when he was in Greeneville. He cut down on his strikeout rate, though it’s still a bit higher than you’d ideally like to see. His already high power output was even better in his time between Daytona and Dayton. In his 87 games he had 22 doubles, 5 triples, and 17 home runs.
Biggest Strength: Power. There’s some real pop in Cerda’s bat and he’s got above-average to plus power potential to go with already good in-game power.
Biggest Weakness: Contact. While his contact rates did improve in 2021, he struck out in 29% of his plate appearances in 2021.
2021 Season Stats
*All listed ages as as of the date published, not necessarily the age of the player during the 2021 season*
If this is Jose Torres not hitting enough to be a regular, I’d like to see him round into form. A 568 slug and 952 OPS in typically pitching friendly Daytona bodes well. Hopefully he continues to impress.
I agree Matt. I love how much he improved. Both him and Matt McLain had a great final month. I think Torres moves into the top 10 next year. It is not to often that a players ISO (.297 in the last 18 games) is more than twice his K% (13.5% in the same period). I looked up a lot of players to see who produce an ISO more than twice as high as their K% in A ball. The only two I found were Juan Soto and Wander Franco. Both of these two were at one point the #1 prospect in baseball.
Those guys also did it as teenagers for full seasons….. There’s an enormous difference there.
These are some really good prospects. I love Torres. He was one of several great picks in the 2021 draft for the Reds. He showed good power (especially for an extreme pitcher’s league). He kept strikeouts to a minimum. Most importantly he got better as the season progressed.
His last 18 games he had an OPS of 1.163. His ISO was .297. His BB% was 9.5% and his K% was 13.5%. His BB% was good. His OPS, ISO and K% was excellent.
With the expected departures of many of the Reds relievers, Moreta will likely take on an expanded role out of necessity. A great opportunity for him.
I’m surprised to see Cerda here already. I saw him on a top 100 prospect list too. He’s hit at every level so far, and I’m excited to see what he’s capable of. I do agree he K’s a little more than we would like.
Yeah I saw cerda at like #97 on one prospect list. Shocked me.
Who made the list?
Doug, the list we’re talking about can be found here:
https://www.justbaseball.com/prospects/2021-mlb-top-100-prospects/
The author is Aram Leighton. I’m not sure how good of a scout he is, but he has a nice podcast where he talks about prospects and will bring some on for interviews.
Johnson’s statistics from Daytona to Dayton are remarkably consistent. I see him as a potential third baseman of the future.
I didn’t know that Johnson has enough arm to play third base ?
If he has the arm for shortstop he has the arm for third.
Yerlin Confidan might make a good 1B. He’s got the ideal body for 1B, at 6 foot 3. He’s also a true lefty (bat/arm). Confidan is only 18, so he won’t’ step on Votto’s toes, as Votto will likely be gone after 2 seasons.
I guess Hinds or Callihan might also be in the running for future 1B. If all 3 manage to make it, maybe two can hold the 1B and DH spots, with one nice bench piece.
Man, I hate to take that athleticism out of RF. He’s a prototype RF as well. We have so many infield prospects, one will slide over to 1B.
I hear you. Doug was talking down his defense, so 1B could be an alternative solution for him. We have such a slow team with Votto, Barnhart, Moustakes, Winker, and Suarez. It would be nice to have speed at 1B.
Unless Johnson can go to the outfield, I don’t see how he can stay in the infield with all the competition in the system – but we need outfielders badly.
I feel like Abbott was an overdraft – 6 feet 180 lb left handed starters usually don’t last – meaning he will eventually be moved to relief. There is value in that but felt we should have aimed higher in the 2nd round.
Really like Cerda. Lots of projectability and he didn’t miss a beat when he went to high A ball – not an easy thing to do.
Torres is looking like a steal and is showing he could definitely make an MLB roster one day.
I am with you on all the guys you mentioned and said about them Redsvol.
I see Johnson as a 2b or LF in the future , but it’s hard for me to se him as a Red and he needs to hit more.
Abbot, I also agree . I don’t like it when they draft a small lefty. I have seen so many times small lefty’s lose it before they have a chance to make it to the big leagues.
Cerda, all the tools are there. Athletic, power. Again he also needs to hit more. We have seen a lot of guys from the Dominican have athletic, power, and speed , but not make it to the big leagues because they can’t hit enough. In the Reds organization anyway.
Torres is a hustler and gamer with good D ,but no power and can he hit enough . Will a team have him in the starting ss for his D ?
My crystal ball prediction is that all 4 of these guys are throw in’s in a trade in the future somewhere .
Or in the Reds case .
Not traded while their value is decent and eventually seeking free agency.
Johnson could really surprise, particularly given his athleticism. Right now he probably projects to back up Barrero and India. Post Suarez, he may elevate to a starter.
McClain has OF experience. De la Cruz could move to 3B or CF, and Torres is a pure SS. If Rece Hinds’ bat takes off, I look for a shift to RF given his arm.