A Minor Review of 2013: Reds

There is always a bit of a lull between the end of the minor league playoffs in September and the start of the annual top prospects lists in early November. Because of that gap, I’m breathing new life into an old feature that I wrote for the site in FanGraphs’ infancy back in 2008 and 2009.

The series ‘A Minor Review of 2013? will look back on some of the major happenings in each MLB organization since the beginning of April as a primer for the upcoming FanGraphs Top 10+5 prospects lists. This series will run throughout September and October. I hope you enjoy the series and are eagerly anticipating the start of ‘Prospect List Season.’

The player listed in the sleeper section was featured in a pre-season series that looked at one fringe prospect in each organization that was expected to take a big step forward during 2013, chosen by myself, a scout or a front office talent evaluator.

The Graduate: Tony Cingrani, LHP: The rookie southpaw played a key role in the Reds’ strong season. He spent the majority of his time in the starting rotation (18 starts) but also made five relief appearances. His command and control both need work but it’s tough for hitters to pick up the ball out of his hand, as witnessed by his strikeout rate and hits-to-innings-pitched rate. It remains to be seen, though, how long he can survive as a big league starter by relying on his heater more than 80% of the time.

The Riser: Jesse Winker, OF: I ranked Winker as the ninth best prospect in the system during the offseason and he took a big step forward in 2013. A contact I spoke with in the offseason said the young outfielder had an advanced approach and a plus bat. Well, Winker proved that contact right with a strong season in Low-A ball and will look to repeat his success in 2014; he could move quickly for a prep draftee.

The Tumbler: Daniel Corcino, RHP: Corcino suffered a complete meltdown in 2013 at the Triple-A level. The right-hander carried an ERA of more than 7.00 into June when he when both his command and control deserted him. The 23-year-old will no doubt return to Triple-A in 2014 and is likely another poor month or two away from revisiting his previous role as a reliever.

The 2013 Draft Pick: Ben Lively, RHP: Lively carved up hitters in short-season ball and earned a late-season promotion to Low-A ball. The right-hander isn’t flashy but he commands a four-pitch repertoire and his heater works in the low-90s. He doesn’t have a huge ceiling but the Florida native could develop into a durable No. 4 starter.

The Sleeper: Seth Mejias-Brean, 3B: One of my favorite sleeper picks from last off-season, Mejias-Brean hit more than .300 for the second straight season while showing intriguing gap power. He doesn’t possess eye-popping power but he does enough things well that he could eventually find himself starting at the hot corner at the big league level and the Reds’ current third baseman Todd Frazier is by no means irreplaceable.