Cincinnati Reds prospect Mariel Bautista is out to a very good start in the United States. In 2016 the then 18-year-old hit .333 for the DSL Rojos over the span of 62 games. This year he’s played in 22 games for the Arizona League Reds and he’s performed quite well.
In 94 plate appearances this season with the Reds out in Goodyear the right handed hitter has hit .356, going 32 for 90. That’s come along with five doubles. The 19-year-old has walked just twice this season, an area that he needs to improve on moving forward. His strikeout rate has been solid this year, with just 15 strikeouts (16%).
Mariel Bautista has hit both lefties and righties this year. While the sample size is small for both he’s hit .348 against left-handed pitchers and .358 against right-handed pitchers. He’s also stolen five bases on the year while only being caught one time.
Randy Ventura impresses early
The former Atlanta Braves prospect has only played in two games since joining the Reds organization, but Randy Ventura has not disappointed. The outfielder is 3-9 with a double, walk and two steals with the Dayton Dragons in two games. His double was where he really showed off his speed, taking an extra base on what looked like a sure single on Sunday.
The 20-year-old from the Dominican Republic in intriguing. While I only saw him take batting practice and have five trips to the plate on Monday night, Randy Ventura showed off some bat speed and speed on the bases. There’s not going to be much power there, but I believe there’s more than he has shown to this point in his career, too.