Third base for the Cincinnati Reds took a big step forward in the 2017 season. At the Major League level it was Eugenio Suarez had a breakout year at age 25. He hit .260/.367/.461 with 26 home runs. On the farm it also took a step forward as #2 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Nick Senzel, put together a very strong season in his first full year as a professional. The Reds have stated that Suarez is the third baseman moving forward, which puts the current crop of players in a difficult position moving forward over the next few years.
In Louisville it was Brandon Dixon who spent a majority of the time at third base. He played 93 games at the spot, but struggled defensively, making 24 errors. 15 of those were fielding errors with the remaining nine being of the throwing variety. As I wrote yesterday, Dixon brings more of his value on the offensive side. There’s legit power in his bat and he’s got speed that he can use on the bases. He’ll be 26-years-old this season, so he likely fits in more as a utility player than a future starting player.
In Double-A Josh VanMeter spent most of the first half as the starter after Taylor Sparks went down with an injury in April. For the season with Pensacola he hit .255/.326/.352 with 53 walks and 100 strikeouts. He also stole 15 bases in 18 attempts. He will be 23-years-old this season, so there’s time for him to continue to improve at the plate, where he will need to show more power if he’s going to be in the conversation beyond a utility player. VanMeter will also need to improve things defensively at third, where he posted a .922 fielding percentage in 48 games played.
The second half for Pensacola saw Nick Senzel come up from Daytona. He picked up where he left off and then some. Between the two stops the former 1st rounder hit .321/.391/.514, eventually taking home the Chief Bender Award for Reds minor league Player of the Year at Redsfest. The top prospect in the entire organization is above-average across the board. He can hit for average and power, he’s fast and brings value on the bases, and he’s a strong defender at third base. The Reds have him working on second base and corner outfield spots this offseason, preparing him for a potential move to another spot to get him into the Major League lineup.
Taylor Sparks began the year in Double-A Pensacola, but was hit by a pitch at the end of April and didn’t play again for nearly three months. After a short stay on rehab with the Arizona League Reds the third baseman was sent to Dayton for the final five weeks of the season. Between his three stops he struggled to hit for average, with a .199/.307/.398 line. Strikeouts were, and have been a problem for Sparks, as he struck out 31% of the time he stepped to the plate in 2017. There’s big power potential in his bat, he’s got some speed despite not stealing a base in 2017, and he’s athletic with the ability to make all of the plays on defense. While the raw tools are there, the skills still need work.
After Nick Senzel was promoted from Daytona, the spot was taken over by Luis Gonzalez for the most part. But, he’s more of a shortstop who was playing out of position and I will talk about him with that group next week.
The Dayton Dragons saw most of the time at third base covered by John Sansone during the 2017 campaign. What stands out for Sansone is his power. There’s some pop in his bat, hitting 22 doubles and 13 home runs in just 375 at-bats. He also showed a good walk rate, earning a free pass 11% of the time. But, he struggled to hit for average – posting a .216/.322/.384 line during the year. That was partially due to the fact that he struck out 29% of the time he went to the plate. He will need to cut down on that moving forward if he’s going to improve his average, and more contact would likely benefit his power, too. Defensively he will need to cut down on his errors, which were split almost evenly over his 13 errors in 87 games (.934 fielding percentage).
Leandro Santana saw a majority of the time at third base in Billings. The 20-year-old had 60 games at third for the Mustangs. Defensively he struggled, making 19 errors with an .888 fielding percentage. 11 of those errors were fielding, with the other eight being throwing. That will need to improve moving forward. Offensively, things went much better for Santana. He hit .280/.347/.455 in 271 plate appearances. It was the power that stood out as he hit 11 home runs to go with six more doubles and two triples. His walk rate was solid, but his strikeout rate of 26% was a little bit higher than you would prefer.
Most of the time at third base for the Arizona League Reds went to 18-year-old Juan Martinez. Like Santana, he struggled in the field. Martinez made 10 errors and posted an .895 fielding percentage. Seven of his ten errors were of the fielding variety. He’s still incredibly young and should improve with more experience. Offensively he hit .220/.323/.305 on the season. He was hit by nine pitches in just 40 games, which is kind of incredible. Martinez showed a good walk rate, particularly for his age, but his strikeout rate of 26% was a tad higher than you want to see.
In this series we haven’t covered any players from the Dominican Summer League yet. That’s going to change today. Debby Santana was the only 16-year-old on the DSL Reds in 2017 and he hit .302/.356/.448. That included an impressive 17 doubles, a triple and two home runs. Defensively is where he will need to improve. We need to remember that he was just 16 last season, but he made 14 errors in 31 games and posted an .821 fielding percentage.
The third baseman for the DSL Rojos was Jeison Rijo. He was 17-years-old and was one of the top signings from the 2016 international class for the Reds. He hit .310/.390/.465 in 42 games played. That included 14 doubles and two home runs. Like Santana, he struggled in the field. In 21 games played at third he made six errors, posting an .882 fielding percentage. At 17-years-old there’s plenty of time to keep improving.
Overview
Third base is a very interesting position for the Reds on the farm. Their top prospect plays the spot, though he may wind up somewhere else to start his big league career. Among the guys that played in full-season ball, though, it was only Nick Senzel that looked like a potential starter. It’s the guys in rookie ball, though, that show some interesting potential. Leandro Santana really tantalizes with his power potential. The same can be said for youngster Debby Santana. Jeison Rijo and Juan Martinez has a well rounded set of tools and are still just teenagers with some good performance in the Dominican Summer League under their belts.
Grade
With the top prospect in the system, and one of the top prospects in all of baseball leading the way, the lack of depth in full-season ball at the position as far as possible other starters doesn’t hurt much. The rookie ball depth provides some long term hope at the position, too. Let’s call third base a strong B.
Top Tools
Hit Tool | Nick Senzel
Power | Brandon Dixon
Running | Nick Senzel
Arm | Nick Senzel
Fielding | Nick Senzel