The Cincinnati Reds have traded international cap space to the Miami Marlins for right handed pitcher Ryan Lillie. He was a 5th round selection out of UC Riverside by the Marlins in the 2017 draft. The Reds are limited in what they can spend internationally at this point. The Marlins are not, and are zeroing in on Victor Victor Mesa, the top prospect eligible to be signed.
The 22-year-old spent his 2018 season between Low-A with Greensboro and Advanced-A with Jupiter. He also made one injury rehab start in the Gulf Coast League. Between his three stops he posted a 3.44 ERA in 117.2 innings with just 24 walks and he struck out 110 batters. His walk rate went up, though stayed strong, and his strikeout rate dropped off when he was promoted to Advanced-A.
When the 2018 season began Ryan Lillie was not one of the Top 30 prospects in the system for the Miami Marlins. As a 5th rounder and just completing his first season, that’s not unexpected. With that said, even after a strong season in 2018, he was not among the Marlins Top 30 prospects at MLB Pipeline, either. The Baseball America rankings won’t come out until February.
Ryan Lillie Quick Scouting Report
As a newly acquired prospect, Ryan Lillie is not someone that I’ve seen in person before. I sent out a few text messages when I saw the announcement of the move and thus far I’ve gotten back one response from someone who saw him pitch this season.
He’s a three pitch guy who throws a fastball, slider, change up. The fastball generally works 90-92 MPH but will touch a little bit higher on occasion. Good movement. The slider is an average offering in the future at the Major League level, but is still inconsistent at times. Works in the low 80’s. Below-average change up in the mid-80’s. Will need to make work with the change up to remain a starter long term, but looks more like a reliever who works fastball/slider.
Ryan Lillie Career Stats
