Do you like control? You'll love Reds prospect Tyler Mahle

If you like pitchers who throw strikes (and don't we all?), pay close attention to this name: Tyler Mahle, a right-handed pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds system. Through 22 games (21 starts) for the Dayton Dragons in the Low-A Midwest League, Mahle is 11-6, 2.53 ERA with a 115/18 K/BB in 128 innings, allowing 120 hits with a 1.53 GO/AO.

Okay, so who is this guy?

Mahle was drafted by the Reds in the seventh round in 2013 from high school in Westminster, California. He could have gone a few rounds earlier but had a UC-Santa Barbara commitment; that cost the Reds $250,000 to over-ride. That could very well be a bargain.

As you'd imagine from the numbers, Mahle has a high level of pitchability and command, especially for a pitcher in his age cohort. He's not a huge guy, listed at 6-2, 175, but he's been durable so far. He throws four pitches for strikes: a fastball in the 89-93 range, along with a curve, slider, and change-up. His breaking pitches were rated as below average by most sources pre-season. However, he's reportedly made substantial progress refining the secondaries this season, reports which the numbers back up.

Mahle rated as a Grade C+ prospect for me entering 2015. He's at least a Grade B- now. Keep an eye on him.