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    Yassel Pino (Photo: Aldrin Capulong/Daytona Tortugas)
    Photo: Aldrin Capulong/Daytona Tortugas

    Reds prospects Yassel Pino, Ariel Almonte named Players of the Week

    Doug Gray 13

    The Cincinnati Reds had two players in their farm system win their respective league’s Player of the Week award for their performance last week. Down in the Florida State League it was the Daytona Tortuga’s Yassel Pino bringing home some hardware (I don’t believe they actually give them a physical award, but they should) for his performance. Out in Arizona it was Ariel Almonte being named the player of the week in the Arizona Complex League for his hot hitting.

    Earlier today I actually wrote about how Yassel Pino had been on a tear over the last two weeks in the Reds MiLB Notebook. This past week has been even better. In the six game series against the Clearwater Threshers Pino clubbed three home runs – one in each of the final three games of the series – while hitting .438/.571/1.000. He walked as often as he struck out during the week with four walks and strikeouts, was hit by a pitch, and he scored seven runs.

    Ariel Almonte only had 16 plate appearances last week, but he made them count. He went 5-11 with five walks, two doubles, three home runs, and he drove in eight. Overall for the week he hit .455/.625/1.455 – that’s an OPS of 2.080.

    One of the top international signings by the Reds back in 2021, the 18-year-old is having a strong season out in the complex league, helping lead the team to a division title and the playoffs (which will begin Thursday and continue through the weekend if the Reds advanced to the 3-game championship series). After his huge week, Almonte is now hitting .297/.408/.516 on the season with 16 extra-base hits, 21 walks, and 43 strikeouts in 152 plate appearances in his 40 games played.

    There have been eight other players that have been named as player of the week for their league this season:

    • Matt McLain – Southern League Player of the Week – April 11-17
    • Sam Benschoter – Florida State League Pitcher of the Week – May 2-8
    • Joe Boyle – Midwest League Pitcher of the Week – May 23-29
    • Ruben Ibarra – Florida State League Player of the Week – June 6-12
    • Leonardo Balcazar – Arizona Complex League Player of the Week – June 27-July3
    • Elly De La Cruz – Midwest League Player of the Week – July 4-10
    • Robert Dugger – International League Pitcher of the Week – July 25-31
    • Spencer Stockton – Southern League Pitcher of the Week – July 25-31

    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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    13 Responses

    2. IMO, one of the benefits to loading up talent on these minor league teams is that it gives some guys the opportunity to just relax and play, as opposed to feeling the pressure of expectations to produce when there are only a few players with the type of talent we are seeing. I think this is a complement to, not the opposite of, the competition between guys in the system, which is also good.

    3. What were the numbers of EDLC in the week? I think he had a chance to win the award too maybe was close to make it…
      Yassel Pino is an unranked prospect so far… Could he be considered as one of the lottery tickets that exist in the farm system?

      1. Elly hit .476/.539/.905 with 3 doubles, 2 home runs, 4 walks, and 7 RBI.
        The guy who won the award played in the same series and hit .438/.591/.938 with 2 doubles 2 home runs, 6 walks, and 6 RBI.

        3. 27 year old in double A ball shouldn’t count (Ryan Aguillar). I would have given it to Logan O’Hoppe – who I still can’t believe the Phillies traded for Brandon Marsh straight up.

    4. Pino could be a sleeper. He’s got some size and has had a fairly consistent BB/K rate, showing the ability to improve with experience. A strong finish would be great.

      1. Pino’s history is interesting. Courtesy of Doug’s 2019 draft tracker, drafted in round 29(!) in 2019 as a shortstop out of high school in Miami. Signed for $125,000 which I believe was the slot for the pick back then. He is now playing first base/DH exclusively after a trial at 2nd, short, and 3rd. He is 20 years old playing in low A now. Could become a really rare success story from the 29th round (which is essentially undrafted free agent nowadays) if he continues.

        1. I mean technically there’s no “slot value” after the 10th round, just an amount of money anyone can sign for before any overage counts towards the bonus pool.

    6. Can someone give me the Reds’ top 3 candidates to play 1B after Votto? I’m assuming Stephenson is #1?

      1. Christian Encarnacion-Strand should be at the top of the list. Stephenson is a catcher, he wants to remain a catcher, and he should remain a catcher for a while longer at the very least.

        1. But can he stay healthy? Early, but appears very prone to injury. Which I guess was the prophetic point of the question. If he’s out significant time next year, at his age, he should be at 1B in ’24. Maybe BU catcher. Wouldn’t hurt to draft a catcher early in the ’23 draft just in case. Otherwise pitching, pitching, and more pitching. Still have only a future outline of a rotation and bullpen. Need 2-3 X the prospects as spots open. No more IF prospects PLEASE! BB
          PS: Still raw over Naquin and Drury. Offense crippled for what, more teenagers years away? Between them, hope they hit 60 HR next season.

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