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    Cincinnati Reds #13 Prospect: Tyson Lewis – Shortstop

    Doug Gray 15

    When 2024 began, Tyson Lewis was a senior at Millard West High School in Nebraska. By the end of May he had been named as the Player of the Year in the state and helped lead his team to a state championship. All of that led to the Cincinnati Reds selecting him with the 51st overall pick in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft in July.

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    With the way that the decision makers in baseball treat things now, there is next to no time for high school players to participate in rookie ball. The draft takes place in the middle of July and the rookie ball season ends about two weeks later. That meant that as far as games that people could follow along with and keep track of stats go, there were none for Tyson Lewis.

    Organizations, though, ran an unofficial “bridge” league that continued after the regular season and that’s where many draft picks played in August. He reportedly looked good during that time, but we don’t have any stats or individual game performances to really look back at.

    Tyson Lewis Scouting Report

    Position: Shortstop | B/T: L/R

    Height: 6′ 2″ | Weight: 195 lbs. | Acquired: 2nd Round (2024 Draft) | Born: January 10, 2006

    Tyson Lewis added strength during his senior year and made some mechanical changes at the plate and that along with a quick bat has allowed him to hit for more in-game power. There are some questions about his pitch recognition, but he’s got the upside for an average big league hit tool to go with slightly above-average raw power.

    Speed is the best tool for Lewis and while he’s not a top of the scale speed guy, he’s a plus runner who should stand out on the bases. Defensively he’s got a solid-average arm that can play at shortstop.

    Some scouts believe he will outgrow the position in the long run and will need to slide over to third base or move into the outfield where his speed could allow for him to play center if needed. He’s got the athleticism that would profile well at third or even second base if he were to remain on the dirt if he moved off of shortstop. While speed is his only truly above-average tool, he’s a potential 5-tool player.

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    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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    15 Responses

    2. “The draft takes place in the middle of July and the rookie ball season ends about two weeks later.”

      Seems like MLB needs to shift the timing of the rookie ball league to better align with their shifted timing for the draft?

      1. They actually did. By moving it forward and ending it earlier. This way more guys get to play all year. Guys who otherwise would be released in the season get more chances to play and maybe save their job, while the draft picks then get to play in the “bridge season” and instructs. The only issue here is that the fans don’t really get to follow the bridge season and instructs.

        1. I actually prefer the early start to rookie ball. I can’t imagine having 17 and 18 year olds hanging around in extended spring training for April, May and half of June. OK, not ‘hanging around,’ but you know.

          We’ve discussed previously my wish that the bridge season become a full, formal season, labeled however it needs to be, ie instructional. I\And I believe you’ve said there is some thought to doing that. It just makes too much sense, as the infrastructure is all in place from the rookies leagues. The facilities, the umps, the staff, the coaches, everything is ready to go.

    3. He’s definitely a guy I’d transition to the OF. I don’t get the point of trying to beat a square peg into a round hole. If he doesn’t have a better than average chance of sticking at SS, put him on a position that he can stick at ASAP.

      55 Arm, 60 Run has the makings of a good CF or a very good LF.

      1. I think you drastically underestimate the value of a guy who can actually play shortstop in the big leagues from a defensive perspective.

        1. I don’t disagree with the fact that SS is the most important position on the field.

          “Picking the best athletes (paraphrasing what Krall said) because they can play everywhere”

          Here’s my problem with not converting him or others who fit this mold. If we are going to draft SS and SP routinely in round 1, 2, and comp picks then we are going to have a deficit of talent in other areas.

          If we wait until AA, or AAA to convert players then they are either going to take longer to develop because they need reps at their new position, or they are not going to be good fielders (see Marte) at their new position.

          I would not move a guy like Staffura because he doesn’t have the same questions about his ability to play SS at the MLB level.

          ” He’s an easily plus runner, and he showed off very impressive defensive skills in the ACL and instructional league play.”

          In your write up on Lewis, and what I read previously on MLB’s prospect report is different scenario.

          “He has inconsistent hands and actions on defense, and he doesn’t always cut throws loose and make the most of his solid arm strength.”

          I wouldn’t characterize my stance as underestimating the value of a SS, but prioritizing quicker, and more likely development paths.

          1. There’s not a quicker development path by moving him to left field today versus doing it in three years if he proves without a shadow of a doubt that he can’t play anywhere on the infield. But you immediately kill all kinds of value by making that move today.

            Make that move when you have no choice.

        2. It’s a funny thing. On the other site, there is some occasional clamor to trade from the surplus of our many short stops. Thing is, that surplus doesn’t really exist any more. Marte, 3B. McLain, 2B. Jorge, CF. Acosta, 2B. Cabrera, 3B. Lin, 3B. And HRod was a 2B.

          I get your point about not waiting to the last second, ie Senzel or Barrero. But Marte, for example, was begun to be moved in the fall after his trade acquisition, even if partly in deference to Elly. Seems like we have time with Lewis.

          Defensively, we have Arroyo, Balcazar, Stafura and Lewis. Possibly Sanchez.

          Offensively, we have Arroyo, Stafura and, hopefully, Lewis.

        3. MBS one thing you need to consider is they are more concerned with developing their bats and the transition to wood early on. If they prove not to be able to hit it really doesn’t make any difference what kind of defense they play.

        4. @Dave, Marte was moved fairly quickly after he traded to the Reds, but they let him finish his 22 season as a SS, giving him 19 – 22 as a SS. He made it to the Reds with (if you include fall ball from 22) with 75 games as a 3B.

          I don’t think the Reds did anything wrong with their development of Marte. I just was using him as an example of the potential problems of having too little reps at a new position by the time you make it to the majors.

          @Doug, yes you can move a player along just as quickly if they happen to take to the new position very quickly, but if they need more reps to develop to MLB quality then it will take time. That or you deal with underperforming defenders.

        5. @MK, Sure if they think that the player can’t do both at the same time, you could certainly use that reasoning. Everyone has different mental makeups, just like they have different physical makeups.

        6. I remember when Dragons were Low A having a long conversation with the Manager Delino DeShields about bunting and why they didn’t do much of it. His answer was they want them swining the bat and concentrating on that alone at that level. As far as baserunning they wanted them aggressive, pushing the enveope to se what they were capable of. After Marte arrived Cam Bonifay came to Dayton to watc. I talked to him and I said I thought Marte was tentative defensively. his comment was new organization he will get better as he moves up. At that point it was about offense.

    4. Catchers are catchers. Big slow guys are 1b men, possibly 3b if they have very good hands. Almost everyone else should play SS as long as possible unless their bat forces early promotions to available spots, which is uncommon. Focus on hitting, since there is plenty of time in AA/AAA to move around defensively.

    5. Heard from both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline that there was some serious buzz about how Lewis looked in fall instructionals. Outside of maybe Burns, Lewis is the guy I’m most excited to see make his debut in 2025. I assume he’ll be manning SS in Daytona.

      1. That’s good to hear. The Reds aren’t bashful about drafting high school players from the northern part of the country. They frequently haven’t faced the competition that a guy from Harvard-Westlake HS in SoCal, but that doesn’t mean they can’t develop quickly.

        Stafura fits that mold, too.

        And, yes, keep him at SS as long as possible. If he’s a legit prospect at any position, playing a lot of SS in MiLB will eventually help him anywhere he ends up playing.

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