Cincinnati Reds Top 25 Prospect List: 1-5

It’s that time of year again. Prospect ranking time. Every day this week we are going to unveil five more spots on the list as we work our way through the Cincinnati Reds Top 25 Prospect List for the 2016 season. You can see the entire list (once it’s published in it’s entirety) here.

Subscribers will get to see the top ranking tool for each player. All ages listed are as of June 30th of the past season and is the official “age” of a player during the 2015 season.

On Friday afternoon there will be an All Questions Answered thread to take on any questions about the list.

*To be eligible for the list a player must have 2015 Rookie of the Year eligibility (Fewer than 130 at bats in the big leagues, fewer than 50 innings pitches or more than 45 days on the active MLB roster that doesn’t include September)*

1. Robert Stephenson | RHP | Age: 22

2015 Teams: Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Louisville Bats | Acquired 1st round, 2011 Draft | Height: 6′ 2″ | Weight: 200 lbs

The season didn’t get out to a great start for Robert Stephenson, but in May he found his groove and began to run through the Southern League and earned a promotion to Triple-A Louisville. The righty had some ups and downs with the Bats, but flashed dominant stuff at times throughout the year.

2. Jesse Winker | OF | Age: 21

2015 Team: Pensacola Blue Wahoos | Acquired: 1st round (supplemental), 2012 Draft | Height: 6′ 3″ | Weight: 210 lbs

After a slow start to the season with Pensacola, Jesse Winker really turned things up a notch from June through the end of the season, hitting over .300 with an OPS over .900. The first two months of the season saw him hit .229 with a .656 OPS, keeping his season numbers a bit lower than expected.

3. Nick Travieso | RHP | Age: 21

2015 Team: Daytona Tortugas | Acquired: 1st Round, 2012 Draft | Height: 6′ 2″ | Weight: 225 lbs

Nick Travieso was on a roll before being hit by a comebacker in June, posting the lowest walk rate of his career and easily the best strikeout rate of his career. He wound up missing seven weeks before returning in August. He struggled some with his control upon his return, but seems to have put that behind him with a strong Arizona Fall League thus far.

4. Amir Garrett | LHP | Age: 23

2015 Team: Daytona Tortugas | Acquired: 22nd round, 2011 Draft | Height: 6′ 5″ | Weight: 210 lbs

The 2014 season saw Amir Garrett take a big step forward and he took another step forward in 2015. His peripherals remained nearly identical to the year before, but he saw his stuff take a step forward as well as his knowledge on the mound as he got his second full season of starting under his belt.

5. Cody Reed | LHP | Age: 22

2015 Teams: Wilmington (KC), Northwest Arkansas (KC), Pensacola Blue Wahoos | Acquired: Trade (Cueto), originally drafted in the 2nd Round, 2013 draft (KC) | Height: 6′ 5″ | Weight: 220 lbs

When the season began for Cody Reed he was playing in the Kansas City organization, but he joined the Reds in July as a part of the Johnny Cueto trade and was downright dominant after joining the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. The lefty posted a 2.41 ERA over the course of the season with three different teams. He may not have been the biggest name in the trade, but he may very well have the most potential from the group.

Top Tools

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Robert Stephenson | While his overall velocity was down this year in an effort to have better control, he still had the 99-100 MPH fastball when he wanted to break it out.

Jesse Winker | Despite his slow start, Winker was able to show off the best tool in his arsenal as he hit .310 over the final three months of the year.

Nick Travieso | While he hasn’t hit triple digits since high school, he will still tough 98 MPH every so often with his fastball.

Amir Garrett | The left hander topped out at 98 MPH with his fastball.

Cody Reed | Another lefty that topped out in the upper 90’s, Reed hit 97 MPH during the season.

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