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    Reds MiLB Notebook: Prospect Rankings and Home Runs

    Doug Gray 18

    We’ve got a whole lot of new prospect rankings to talk about and some impressive home runs to look at. Baseball America, ESPN, and MLB Pipeline each released updates lists and prospect rankings, both for individual players and with Baseball America and ESPN also ranking the farm systems as a whole.

    Cincinnati Reds Farm System Rankings

    ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel was the first to put out post trade deadline rankings, doing so 10 days ago. Coming into the season he had the farm system rated 20th overall (this ranking did not include Jose Barrero). After the trade deadline the system was ranked 9th overall ($$ Link). Keep in mind that the preseason farm system included the likes of Hunter Greene and Graham Ashcraft, but this ranking did not. This new ranking, though, still included Nick Lodolo, who graduated his prospect list eligibility a few days ago and won’t be eligible or included in any futures lists.

    Baseball America released their updated farm system rankings today and they have the Reds coming in at #5 at “midseason” point. That is the highest ranking the organization has had since 2008 when they were ranked 3rd and had Jay Bruce, Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, and Joey Votto all about to join the team in the big leagues for good. The caveat here is that the current #5 rankings is a “midseason” rankings while the #3 ranking in 2008 was a postseason (post 2007 season) ranking. They had Cincinnati ranked 7th in the preseason (included Jose Barrero).

    Cincinnati Reds Prospect Rankings

    MLB Pipeline updated their Top 100 list, as well as their team Top 30 prospect lists this week. In their Top 100 list they have five Cincinnati Reds prospects on the list: Elly De La Cruz comes in at #15 and is followed by Noelvi Marte inside the top 20. Edwin Arroyo, Cam Collier, and Matt McLain round out the Reds on the list and fall in the back half of the list.

    The new Top 30 prospect list, obviously, begins with those five players above. It’s flush with players acquired since the start of spring training, featuring 14 players who were not in the organization on March 1st this season.

    Big time home runs

    Isiah Gilliam has one of the furthest home runs this season on the Cincinnati Reds farm system this year. Last night he didn’t quite match the 477-foot home run he hit earlier this season, but he obliterated a 440-foot walk off home run for the Louisville Bats. Ronnie Dawson, who was the runner on second, also knew that it was gone the second it left the bat.

    The switch-hitting Gilliam has put together a strong season in 2022. He began the year in Double-A with Chattanooga and played 62 games there before being promoted to Triple-A Louisville at the very end of June. In the 86 games he’s played between the two stops he’s hitting .283/.373/.511 with 18 doubles, a triple, 15 home runs, and 12 steals in 13 attempts.

    Matt McLain showed off to a national audience on Wednesday night as the Chattanooga Lookouts were the featured minor league game on MLBtv. McLain went 3-5 with a single, double, and a home run on the night.

    Doug Gray
    Doug Gray is the owner and operator of this website and has been running it since 2006 in one variation or another.

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    18 Responses

    2. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but shouldn’t Isaiah Gilliam get more playing time.m? Switch-hitter, multi position, and serious power. I’m sure the Louisville staff knows what they’re doing though.

      1. It’s not just you. It’s a question several of us have had in the last few weeks since he’s been playing less than “almost every day” since his promotion.

    4. With the AAA schedule running through September is there a chance we will see some of the AA guys up then?

    5. I was fortunate enough to see McLain’s blast on MLB’s free game of the night. That couldn’t have been much further less than Gilliam’s. Matt hit it out of the entire park for Pete’s sake lol

      1. A few problems here – first, McLain’s HR didn’t leave the park. It bounced on the concourse then over the fence. Second, it was pulled down the line. Using google’s distance tool, McLain’s homer went 370 feet. Gilliam’s was much further. They both may have cleared the wall by about the same distance, but the wall was a lot further away to the part of the ballpark Gilliam hit his.

    6. Could McLain reach the big leagues after the 2023 spring training (guessing he will be invited) making the team? McLain could be another Jonathan India…Of course currently is very hard to do because the presence of the same India , Spencer Steer and even Jose Barrero settling step by step… Could he moved to the OF?

      1. I would think he’d have to absolutely blow the front office away in the spring. He hasn’t played a game at AAA yet and doesn’t have to be added to the 40-man next year. I’d guess late next season if he is having a solid season in AAA. Injuries will open up spots on the 40 man and they could get him some action then

      2. EDLC, CES, McGarry, Gilliam and Quintana will all be there too. It will be the most competitive ST this org. has seen for a long, long time, and Aquino and Barrero won’t be able to afford swinging at every single pitch come March

      3. I mean, could he? Sure. He could. But not much he’s shown this year suggests it’s something that anyone should expect to be realistic. He’s hitting like .235 in AA. That’s not really indicative of a “he’s ready to step into the big leagues next year”. It’s not quite like India, who we didn’t really get to see play in 2020 but was being raved about for what he was doing at Prasco behind closed gates.

        1. India to LF or heck 3B since that’s his original position would be good.
          If McCloud though progress even faster next year maybe he goes to LF. And finally Farmer can be the super sub we all deserve.

    7. Gilliam has had a really nice breakout season. I’d say he may still be a sleeper, given the talent in the system, but I’d also say he is a sleeper to see the ML’s next year or 23.

      Getting to watch McLain, I can now see what others have described as him not being the most athletic guy. He’s a skilled guy, but looks like he gets the most out his ability. Reminds me of Ron Cey, The Penguin

    8. In the MLB Top 30 write up, it was noted Ariel Almonte is now 6’4″, 215 lbs. I’m not sure I’d seen that reported this year. That’s a big, strong strapping kid who has RF written all over him

    10. At 17 years old, Collier is the youngest in MLB’s top 100.

      It is not a reach to say the best amatuer baseball is played in Latin America. Yet, the Reds draft Collier with the 18th pick in the draft, and he comes in 63rd in all of baseball.

      Cabrera is older than Collier, ranked #3 internationally and comes in the 20s in Reds rankings. Even Arias for the Yankees can’t crack their top 10 in his 1st ranking. Doesn’t add up to me.

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