Yonder Alonso is not your typical corner outfielder, heck, he isn’t truly an outfielder at all. But, the Reds do plan on using him as an outfielder for the time being so he leads the group of corner outfielders. Defensively, he leaves a lot to be desired. Alonso is not a guy who is ever going to run well because of a thick lower half. Given his inexperience in left field, he still takes questionable routes from time to time. With that said, if you have only seen him play defense with the Reds, then you probably think he is worse than he actually is. In no way is he a good outfielder, but he isn’t as bad as it seemed he was with the Reds either. On offense, Alonso is going to be a top end producer. He is going to hit for a strong average, walk plenty and hit for some power as well. His bat profiles for first base, so it should be well above average in a corner outfield spot.
Yorman Rodriguez may have the highest ceiling of any player in the system. Defensively, he has the tools to play center field at a high level right now (though he could eventually outgrow his current speed). In the corner, his plus arm plays well. Offensively, he has a ways to go, though he will just be 19 years old in the 2011 season. He has the tools to be a star, but still needs to work on his plate discipline and keep improving the rest of his game. He had a solid season for Dayton according to the numbers when compared against other players of his age in the leagues history.
Dave Sappelt, like Alonso, is not your typical corner outfielder. Sappelt is a natural center fielder and his bat does profile more like a center fielder due to a lack of “corner power”. With that said, because of Sappelt’s ability to play center he profiles as a plus defender in left field where his arm won’t be a larger issue like it would in right. At the plate, he should hit for a good average and make plenty of contact while providing enough pop to have 50-60 extra-base hits.
Juan Duran is a long way from being able to help out the Major League team, but you can dream on his tools. Offensively, he still struggles to make contact and strikes out at a very high rate. Part of that is due to a large strikezone and part is due to a longer swing. His best tool though is his power, which as a teenager he is already showing to be very impressive to all fields. On the raw side of things, it may be the best power of everyone in the Reds organization (including the Major Leagues). Defensively, Duran has the tools to be a solid outfielder with solid speed and plus arm strength. However he doesn’t seem comfortable reading the ball at this point in time and often takes poor routes to the ball. He is the epitome of high ceiling/low floor type of player.
Kyle Waldrop showed good power for the Billings Mustangs in 2011 with 22 doubles, 9 triples and 5 HR’s in just 68 games. He did struggle with his plate discipline though, drawing just 10 walks and striking out 65 strikeouts. Waldrop has some speed for a corner outfielder and defensively he can provide plenty of value. His biggest concern is the plate discipline, where he will need to make strides forward to allow the rest of his tools to play.
Denis Phipps is coming off of a huge season where he hit .346/.397/.527 between Carolina and Louisville. While that line is nothing we should expect moving forward (due to a average on balls in play about 50% higher than should be expected), he does profile as a guy who could be a solid extra outfielder due to outstanding defense and what is one of the best arms in all of the minor leagues. He doesn’t have “corner power” and his contact rate is a bit of a concern when it comes to how much average he will hit for. Most of his value in the future likely lies with his excellent defense.
Overall Thoughts
The position is surprisingly thin in my opinion. For a spot that is usually considered to be “easily fillable”, the Reds don’t really have a sure fire type of guy to jump in. While I like Alonso and Sappelt plenty, both profile better at other positions. There is upside with both Yorman Rodriguez and Juan Duran, but both are still quite a bit away from even being considered as helpful for the big league team unless its via a trade. When you consider that three of my top 10 prospects are in this positional group, you would think that a grade better than a B- would be handed out. But in terms of pure prospect ratings, Yorman Rodriguez is the best among this group as a corner outfielder (best prospect), while both Sappelt and Alonso have diminished value at the position because of how they profile at other spots.