2010 Cincinnati Reds Top 20 Pre-Season Prospects in Review

by John Sickels on Aug 17, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

2010 Cincinnati Reds Top 20 Prospects in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 Reds prospect list, originally published January 14, 2026. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Aroldis Chapman, LHP, Grade A-: Hype has died down, but this isn't a bad year at all: 3.74 ERA, 116/52 K/BB in 91 innings, 75 hits for Triple-A Louisville. The walks are high, but the K/IP and H/IP are terrific and reflect his plus/plus stuff. Has been used in relief since mid-June, has a 1.10 ERA with a 25/5 K/BB in his last 16 innings.

2) Todd Frazier, INF-OF, Grade B+: Hit .197 in April and May for Louisville, but has been back to previous levels of performance since. Overall hitting .252/.323/.439 with 15 homers, 11 steals. Contact and plate discipline have been sketchy this year, but he fought back from the slow start and is still an interesting prospect, although at age 24 he needs to establish himself quickly.

3) Yonder Alonso, 1B, Grade B+: .289/.362/.445 in 117 games between Double-A Carolina and Louisville, 50 walks, 81 strikeouts in 447 at-bats. Hitting .354/.443/.556 in the second half.

4) Mike Leake, RHP, Grade B: 3.78 ERA, 86/47 K/BB in 136 major league innings, 147 hits. The grade was conservative since he hadn't pitched professionally yet. Hard to knock his rookie performance.

5) Chris Heisey, OF, Grade B: .277/.375/.509 in 112 major league at-bats. Although sample is small, I don't think this is a huge fluke; he's a solid player.

6) Juan Francisco, 3B, Grade B-:   .286/.326/.569 in 269 at-bats for Louisville, 7-for-22 (.318) in the majors. Plate discipline a problem but you have to like the power production.

7) Brad Boxberger, RHP, Grade B-: Very effective as a starter for High-A Lynchburg: 3.19 ERA, 70/20 K/BB in 62 innings, 57 hits. Horrible as a reliever for Double-A Carolina, 9.58 ERA, 27/17 K/BB in 21 innings, 26 hits. I have no idea how I will grade him; will have to see what end-of-year reports are like.

8) Travis Wood, LHP, Grade C+: 3.06 ERA, 99/24 K/BB in 100 innings for Louisville, followed by 2.65 ERA with 40/13 K/BB in 51 innings in the majors. Very strong year.

9) Matt Maloney, LHP, Grade C+:   10-6, 3.43 with a 90/25 K/BB in 118 innings for Louisville, 112 hits. Has given up four runs in 11.2 major league innings. I still think this guy will be a surprise eventually.

10) Zack Cozart, SS, Grade C+:   .262/.321/.432 for Louisville, 16 homers, 29 steals. Have to like the power/speed production from a shortstop, although batting average and OBP are mediocre.

11) Donnie Joseph, LHP, Grade C+: 1.58 ERA with 96/22 K/BB in 57 innings between Low-A Dayton and Lynchburg, 33 hits, 22 saves. K/IP and H/IP are outstanding, and he has good stuff.

12) Billy Hamilton, SS, Grade C+: .322/.386/.475 with 27 steals for Billings in the Pioneer League, 18/38 BB/K in 202 at-bats. He's doing well.

13) Josh Fellhauer, OF, Grade C+:   .246/.304/.342 for Lynchburg. Not much power, just seven steals, poor OBP skills. I thought he was a sleeper but he is still slumbering.

14) Chris Valaika, SS, Grade C+: .307/.334/.414 for Louisville. The batting average is pretty, but OBP skills are weak and power unimpressive. Still, it is better than last year when he was hurt.

15) Neftali Soto, 3B, Grade C: .255/.300/.440 for Lynchburg, 18 homers, 23 walks, 90 strikeouts in 443 at-bats. Like the power, plate discipline needs a lot of work.

16) Yorman Rodriguez, OF, Grade C: .340/.340/.468 in 94 at-bats for Billings in the Pioneer League, one walk, 17 strikeouts. Great tools and just turned 18 yesterday, but extreme lack of patience is an issue.

17) Juan Silva, OF, Grade C: .231/.320/.369 in 160 at-bats for AZL Reds, 20 walks, 43 strikeouts, four steals. Good tools, still figuring out how to play.

18) Juan Duran, OF, Grade C: .264/.331/.428 with 16 walks, 52 strikeouts in 159 at-bats for Billings in the Pioneer League. Good tools, doesn't know what he's doing yet.

19) Juan Carlos Sulbaran, RHP, Grade C:   4.99 ERA, 83/49 K/BB in 79 innings for Dayton, 78 hits. Good strikeout rate but hampered by wobbly command. Currently on the DL.

20) Eneiro Del Rosario, RHP, Grade C: 3.13 ERA, 29/14 K/BB in 55 innings for Louisville, has allowed four runs in 8.2 major league innings. Gets lots of grounders, could be decent middle man.

I think the Reds farm system has had a pretty nice year. The large group of young power-hitting corner players from Latin America with questionable plate discipline has produced mixed results, but Leake, Heisey, and Wood have all done well as rookies, Chapman's enormous potential still stands out, and Cozart, Frazier, Alonso, and Maloney could contribute next year. I'm also a big fan of Donnie Joseph.

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Read More: Todd Frazier (3B - CIN), Mike Leake (P - CIN), Chris Heisey (LF - CIN), Matt Maloney (P - MIN), Travis Wood (P - CHC), Donnie Joseph (P - KCR), Juan Francisco (3B - ATL), Josh Fellhauer (CF - CIN), Chris Valaika (SS - CIN), Neftali Soto (3B - CIN), Yonder Alonso (1B - SDP), Zack Cozart (SS - CIN), Aroldis Chapman (P - CIN), Yorman Rodriguez (CF - ), Cincinnati Reds

Comments

Mesoraco

Has any prospect come along further this year?

by jc3 on Aug 17, 2025 3:38 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

It would have to be a pretty short list

by FI2 on Aug 17, 2025 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions

definitely a short list

Beachy, Singleton..

by PrincetonCubs on Aug 19, 2025 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm not sure either of them have come further than Mesoraco actually

Singleton got a C+ grade from John, Mesoraco a C and Beachy didn’t make the Braves list in the book(but he’d still be a C in that case). I realize early on this season some people were putting Singleton inside their top 50 but that always seemed silly to me. Mesoraco just missed my midseason top 50 and is now certainly in the top 50 at least. Singleton might make the latter half of a top 100 and Beachy is probably in the 101-150 range. I’d say Mesoraco has made a bigger leap than any of those guys by a good bit.

http://bullpenbanter.com

by gatling on Aug 19, 2025 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions

True

I thought Mesoraco was relatively underrated before the season started, would have had him as a C+, considering he had performed decently with the bat while battling injuries, and always seemed to be a plus defender. So the jump, for me at least, isn’t quite as dramatic as it would be for others. I agree with you on Singleton, but it definitely seems in some people’s eyes he’s gone from marginal to top 50, which is pretty significant. Beachy, however, I don’t think I’d even heard of before this season, and he’d be at the end of my top 100. For me, he’d be the winner of the “most improved status” contest, but Mesoraco’s close.

by PrincetonCubs on Aug 19, 2025 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, you should have at least mentioned him John in your concluding paragraph.

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by RedHopeful on Aug 18, 2025 1:50 AM EDT up reply actions

Over half

of this list looks like they can contribute at the major league level. I like the top twelve guys here pretty well, and Sappelt and Mesoraco add a couple more interesting bats at premium positions to the mix for the next list.

by blackoutyears on Aug 17, 2025 3:44 PM EDT reply actions

A nice mix of players

The Reds had a nice mix of players from about every position except catcher in the pre-season top 20 list, several have performed well, and for 2011 will be adding two catchers in Mesoraco (who hasn’t seen Sickels top 20 since 2008) and Grandal.

It’s worth noting a couple of Grade C prospects who fell outside the top 20, but contributed to the Reds this year: Sam LeCure and Logan Ondrusek. LeCure more than held his own in a couple of spot starts earlier this year, and Ondrusek has been very solid during his second (current) period with the major league team.

Redleg Nation

by GregD on Aug 17, 2025 5:04 PM EDT reply actions

+1 on Ondrusek and LeCure

They’ve been very good, and Ondrusek has shown set-up potential.

by blackoutyears on Aug 17, 2025 10:33 PM EDT up reply actions

25-man/AAA

I’m sure I’ll miss a name trying to make this list off the top of my head, but here’s the young players at each position for the Reds either already called up to the majors or playing at AAA.

C - Mesoraco (AAA)
1B - Votto
1B - Alonso (AAA)
2B - Valaika (AAA)
SS - Cozart (AAA)
3B - Francisco (AAA)
OF - Heisey
CF - Stubbs
CF - Sappelt (AAA)
RF - Bruce
IF/OF - Frazier (AAA)

SP
Cueto
Bailey
Leake
Volquez
Wood (AAA)
Chapman (AAA)
LeCure (AAA)
Maloney (AAA)

RP
Ondrusek
Smith
Fisher
Burton (AAA)
Del Rosario (AAA)
Valiquette (AAA)

Redleg Nation

by GregD on Aug 17, 2025 5:14 PM EDT reply actions

I still like Todd Frazier. Maybe he won’t be a star, but he can easily a righty-only version of Wilson Betemit.

by limozeen on Aug 17, 2025 5:31 PM EDT reply actions

Juan Duran showing growth

Check out Duran’s splits for each month. He has shown clear growth and watching him in person I have been impressed that the growth is truly visible to the inexperienced observer.

by mbushskbum on Aug 17, 2025 6:23 PM EDT reply actions

Heisey

If he performs similarly next season, would like to see him given a legitimate chance at starting. In limited time this season in the bigs, he’s really impressed me with some clutch play - the pinch hits and some stellar defensive plays.

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by RedHopeful on Aug 18, 2025 1:52 AM EDT reply actions

I would like to see him given a legitimate chance at starting right now

by sharks2 on Aug 18, 2025 5:33 AM EDT up reply actions

Ideally

we would see an OF of Heisey/Stubbs/Bruce next season, with Nix on the bench. That would also open up a bench spot for Sappelt in theory. It’s a tough call on Gomes, though, and I could see the Reds rewarding his play this year and keeping him around again. In that event we have the same carousel next year as this while Sappelt hones his craft in Louisville.

by blackoutyears on Aug 18, 2025 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions

Dusty

likely won’t look to shake up the team like this with all the success they’ve enjoyed with rotating in fresh OF’s.

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by RedHopeful on Aug 18, 2025 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions

It may

come down to money. Gomes has been great this year, but he’s also been error prone (clearly the worst defender of anyone we’ve named) and has lapsed into some bad habits in recent ABs. If he’s cold down the stretch and in (cross your fingers) the post-season, then it’s easier to let him go in the name of developing younger players. He’s only signed for this year, right?

by blackoutyears on Aug 18, 2025 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah

just the one year contract. He definitely has slumped of late but I think Dusty will stick by him as he should bounce back some. His K/BB ratio this month is favorable and it’s not like Gomes has hit for an average all season (just May).

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by RedHopeful on Aug 18, 2025 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't expect

any changes this year, and I’d stick with Gomes in Dusty’s cleats, but per the contract status below (thanks, Greg!), they may or may not decide that he’s worth the option if Heisey becomes an increasingly viable play. More than the bat, I think Gomes’ glove may be a deciding factor for a team that has fully bought into the ‘defense wins’ strategy. If they feel Heisey can be a comparable hitter, then Heisey’s clear advantage as a fielder may (should?) carry the day.

by blackoutyears on Aug 18, 2025 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions

thats the thing

is he’s only been good for one month this season. that would indicate that his may numbers were probably a major outlier, so his production is likely to be in line with his other months. He’s been pretty awful for awhile now at the plate, and his defense was never good. it’s time they replaced him and stopped using the rose-colored glasses while looking at his RISP and RBI totals.

by sharks2 on Aug 19, 2025 8:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Reds hold an option

There is a club option on Gomes contract for $1.75 million in 2011 with a $200,000 buyout.

Redleg Nation

by GregD on Aug 18, 2025 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks, Greg

Really enjoy Redleg Nation btw.

by blackoutyears on Aug 18, 2025 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions

I really enjoyed Chris last year with the Mudcats. Good guy, good player, solid all around player, though not spectacular at anything he also has never done anything where I wonder the heck he was thinking either.

by Cormican on Aug 19, 2025 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Henry Rodriguez

Anything you can tell us about this 2B prospect? Looks like he has great gap power judging by his high doubles totals.

by mattp31 on Aug 18, 2025 7:55 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

I love the mix of talent in this system.

Chapman looks like a great bet to be, at worst, a shutdown reliever, and there’s no reason to think he can’t become a dominant starter instead of that.

Alonso is fully healthy and raking lately, and looks like he has a good shot to be a Billy Butler type bat at 1B, albeit not for the Reds. He should make great trade bait for the Reds this offseason or before the deadline next year.

Mesoraco was a high school catcher from a cold weather state so his development being slow makes sense, but his year has been beyond ridiculous. He’s doing everything a catcher prospect can do, but with his track record it’s almost hard to believe. Looks like a good bet to be at least a solid major league starting catcher and there’s some superstar ability in there. Very excited to see him going forward.

Billy Hamilton, Yorman Rodriguez, and Juan Duran are all showing great tools, and they all have the chance to be special. Billy Hamilton is a Dee Gordon type athlete with more power potential, while Rodriguez has five tool ability if he can learn to take a walk. I’m skeptical that Juan Duran can keep the strikeouts under control enough to ever make it to the majors (he was listed at 6-5 when he signed and I’ve heard he’s more like 6-7 nowadays), but he’s got tremendous power potential.

Juan Francisco seems like a guy who will struggle once the book is out on him, but his power is tremendous and he has the ability to hit the ball with authority to all fields. I don’t think he’s likely to become a special player due to his discipline and poor defense at 3B, but there’s a chance he busts out offensively as an impact type bat.

Travis Wood looks like a very good starter at the major league level going forward. He allows a lot of flyballs, but he has pretty good strikeout stuff and good control, along with a pretty solid feel for pitching.

Heisey looks like a starting major league OF, Donnie Joseph’s numbers are absolutely insane, Cozart plays good defense to go along with his power and speed at SS, Frazier and Valaika should both be major league utility guys, with Frazier having the potential to be more than that, Maloney and LeCure look like decent rotation fillers, Boxberger looked fantastic early in the year before he moved to relief to keep his innings down, and they’ve got some other solid looking bullpen arms.

I like Grandal, Cisco, and Waldrop from the draft, and of course the major league team already has a ton of cost-controlled young talent in Votto, Bruce, Stubbs, Cueto, Bailey, Leake, and Volquez, along with some good young major league pen arms.

There’s talent at all levels and Walt Jocketty knows what he’s doing putting a team together. The Reds look like they’re set up far better than anybody else in the NL Central going into the next decade and there’s a chance they could have a really fantastic team in a couple of years.

by Geki on Aug 18, 2025 8:28 PM EDT reply actions

Nice run down.

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by RedHopeful on Aug 19, 2025 2:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Your cost controlled MLB roster is all close to arbitration. Jocko has some odd moves as well, like a lot of the people who have played CF since he’s arrived.

And you’re projecting a decade?

by JetSam on Aug 19, 2025 9:24 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm not projecting a decade, you're just not very good at reading.

I said nothing more than that the Reds appear to have considerably more young talent than anybody else in their division heading into the next decade. I don’t really see a whole lot of debate on that point.

Arbitration is still a form of cost control, and the Reds don’t have any long-term contracts to players right now that would keep them from being able to easily afford their arbitration talent.

And I won’t defend the Willy Taveras signing, but Jocketty’s overall body of work is more than enough to suggest to me he knows what he’s doing in putting together a major league roster and evaluating talent. Not picking a fantastic placeholder for half a season until Stubbs was ready isn’t my biggest concern.

by Geki on Aug 20, 2025 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions

I see debate on that point

Both the Pirates and the Brewers have better systems IMO.

Did old Jocko pick Corey Patterson too? How about Orlando Cabrera? Is Lance Nyx or however he spells his name still on the team?

by JetSam on Aug 20, 2025 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions

You either continue to misrepresent my point intentionally or have the reading comprehension ability of a third grader.

The Pirates and Brewers may have better minor league systems. I don’t personally think that’s the case, especially with the Brewers’ very mediocre system, but either way, it’s not what I said. The Reds, along with their solid minor league system, possess a good, young, and talented major league team. The Brewers and Pirates have sorry-ass major league teams to go along with unexceptional at best minor league systems.

And no, Corey Patterson was signed under Wayne Krivsky’s tenure. Cabrera, while mediocre, has been worth his contract so far this year and more importantly gave the Reds a second major league SS in the organization besides Janish. And Laynce Nix was worth a win last year and has been worth 1.2 so far this year, both times on a minor league deal.

You can keep trying, but you’re just gonna keep looking like a butthurt fan of some other, crappier NL Central team.

by Geki on Aug 20, 2025 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey, here is another possibility

You have poor writing skills. You also sound like a kool-aid drunk Reds fan that imagines a World Series run and a dynasty. I suspect you don’t know much about the Pirates or Brewers systems based on your comments. Actually the Cubs system is improving as well.

Your concept of cost controlled is unique as well. Having all your good players going into arbitration means their pay is rising and unknown.

by JetSam on Aug 22, 2025 9:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Actually the Reds are in pretty good shape

They can save $10 million next year by declining Harang’s option(something I wouldn’t be surprised to see happen). That money alone could cover(or nearly cover) the arbitration amounts for Volquez/Votto/Cueto(factor in the $2.7 million they are paying Aaron Miles this year, and they could cover arb). Hernandez’s option doesn’t appear that it will vest, so they free up another $3 million there. If they decline OCab’s option and don’t bring back Rhodes and Lincoln there is another $7.5 million free. That would cover all raises guaranteed right now and the rest of arbitration figures as well. That’s just next year, and without increasing payroll at all.

Arroyo falls off after next year(or after this year if they are confident in the young arms) saving $11 million. Bruce, Bailey, Burton, and Masset appear to be the next group of arb eligible players, after next season ends. By the time guys like Leake, Wood, Stubbs etc reach arbitration Rolen’s deal will be up and possibly Phillips deal too.

Beyond that, Castellini has shown a willingness to increase payroll(up $14 million+ since he bought the team). Making the playoffs would increase revenue and likely result in another payroll increase. Even if it doesn’t, Cincy has plenty of upper level and ready or near ready talent in Heisey, Francisco, Frazier, Maloney, Mesoraco, Alonso, Cozart, and Valaika that can fill in as they need them(or as trade bait).

Cincy is in a great position with plenty of young talent at the MLB level, plenty on the cusp, and more further down the chain. They have a better young core at the MLB level than probably every team in the Central, more ready or near ready talent waiting in the wings, and a solid core in the lower minors. I’d rather have their setup than any other team in the division for the next 5 years, though much further out than that is too hard to predict for anyone.

http://bullpenbanter.com

by gatling on Aug 23, 2025 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Nice rundown

The position talent at Louavull alone ensures that we have better replacement pieces than most other teams in our division. I like the other minor league systems in the Central but they don’t have that high minors talent on tap, and the Reds have some very interesting guys from Dayton on down, so there’s young, raw talent as well, though I think PIT and STL have us beat there. STL in particular could have several breakout Latin kids within the next two years and Taillon/Allie trumps any team in the division for young pitching.

by blackoutyears on Aug 26, 2025 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions

That's some serious gymnastics to make them out to be "cost controlled"

Those players you are casting off are all contributors and have to be replaced. Maybe you think Valaika and Francisco are future solid MLBers and the young pitching will all come up roses, but I think that’s a debatable position. Votto is a contender for the MVP this year. Cueto and Volquez have some gaudy things to take into their arb hearings if it goes that far.

You also danced around the number of players that will be in arb by saying that some contracts are expiring. That’s true of every team.

by JetSam on Aug 31, 2025 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Valaika could play every day imo

His bat is solid, especially for a 2B. I don’t think he’d be anything better than replacement level, but you could do worse. Francisco has some questions to answer. Truly enigmatic at this point, with quite a range of possible outcomes.

by blackoutyears on Sep 1, 2025 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions

The beauty part is

those two don’t even have to pan out for Cincy. With Phillips at 2B and Cozart able to play(and possibly Frazier), Valaika could end up a luxury for them. Same with Francisco since Heisey and Frazier can handle LF.

http://bullpenbanter.com

by gatling on Sep 2, 2025 1:39 AM EDT up reply actions

Which contributors?

OCab? Paul Janish has posted nearly an identical WAR in 40% of the playing time OCab has received. I’d take my chances on the 28 year old over the 36 year old there. Hernandez? He’s been pretty good this year in part time work but I think they could spend that $3 million better elsewhere. Besides, Hernandez could have played himself into a better deal somewhere else. Maybe Dayton Moore wants to give him a 2 year deal too. Harang hasn’t been good and I wouldn’t pay him $10 million next year hoping he is. I could see him coming back on a lesser deal after the option is declined, but the Reds have four starters who have been more valuable this year in Arroyo/Cueto/Wood/Leake/Bailey with Volquez, Maloney, and Chapman as other options for the 5th spot. Rhodes and Lincoln are guys I could easily see back next year, but relievers are volatile so that one could go either way.

I also didn’t dance around anything either. I outlined one possible path the Reds could take this offseason that allows them to cover the costs of raises and arbitration awards without having to raise payroll. As I mentioned, Castellini hasn’t been averse to increasing payroll and a playoff run and the additional revenues that brings could easily allow him to do so again.

I’m not sure if you’re confusing me for Geki who you were originally arguing with or not. I never said anything about cost controlled players. I think Geki should have used “team controlled” not cost controlled, though he is sort of right that arbitration is a type of cost control since teams aren’t paying full market value for those players. The insane amount of upper level depth(Alonso, Francisco, Frazier, Mesoraco, Heisey, Valaika, Cozart) not only gives them options but allows for some failures along the way.

I’m no more a Cincy fan than I am a Brewers or Pirates fan or a Padres or Rockies fan. I do believe that Cincinnati has a strong core at the MLB level with more ready to near ready talent waiting in the wings than any other team in the division. It’s hard to count out the Cards with the talent they have, but I love the way Cincy is positioned for the next 5 years.

http://bullpenbanter.com

by gatling on Sep 2, 2025 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions