Minor League Prospect Note: Ryan Wright, 2B, Cincinnati Reds
**Keep an eye on Cincinnati Reds second base prospect Ryan Wright. He's been very hot lately for Low-A Dayton in the Midwest League, hitting .368/.400/.711 with three homers in his last 10 games, leading to an overall line of .309/.358/.459 on the season. He's also stolen 14 bases in 15 attempts, and while he's not a walk machine (24 free passes), he doesn't strike out very often (39 in 314 at-bats).
Wright was drafted in 2011, a fifth round pick from the University of Louisville. Scouts aren't wild about his physical tools, rating his speed, power, arm strength, and range as fringy to average at best. However, he was a very successful player in college due to his outstanding instincts, and so far he's been quite successful as a pro as well, a career .306/.355/.487 hitter through 497 minor league at-bats, with 38 doubles, 12 homers, and 21 steals in 25 attempts. His arm limits him to second base, but he is very reliable at the position. At 22, he's older than ideal for the Midwest League, but he's clearly earned a promotion. He profiles as a sleeper on both scouting and sabermetric grounds.
The video linked above has a good slow-motion view of his swing about 50 seconds in.