As a Reds fan, this season has really been a struggle to watch, but there has been some upside. Raisel Iglesias, Anthony DeSclafani, and John Lamb have all shown flashes of dominance that gives Reds fans like me hope for the future.

Next year won’t be the year for the Reds either, but 2017 they could be a decent team... hopefully.

Editor’s Note: to read about even more MLB prospects, rookies and potential call-ups, be sure to check out our MLB prospects for fantasy baseball homepage which has lots of great weekly analysis.

Alex Reyes (SP, STL, Double-A)

Stats: 96.0 IP, 2.53 ERA, 1.90 FIP, 13.69 K/9, 4.31 BB/9, 0.09 HR/9

The Cardinals signed Alex Reyes as an international free agent back in 2012 and he is starting to look like the steal of the year. Reyes went from being a relative unknown to the top Cardinals prospect and one of the top pitching prospects.

Reyes has a very complete repertoire of pitches. He has an electric fastball that ranges from 93-95 mph, but can occasionally gas it up to 100. His secondary pitches are both very strong as well. His curveball has great 12-6 action with some power behind it and his changeup can eventually develop to be a plus-plus pitch. His command needs some improving before he gets called up, but he has been steadily getting better.

Alex Reyes won’t likely see much time until the second half of 2016, but he may still have some value as a late waiver-wire pickup or dynasty stash. Reyes’ command is the biggest obstacle and they will likely prefer for him to pitch in Triple-A before seeing anytime in the majors. His strikeouts make him definitely fantasy relevant for the future though.

Amir Garrett (SP, CIN, High-A)

134.1 IP, 2.41 ERA, 2.81 FIP, 8.78 K/9, 3.62 BB/9, 0.20 HR/9

Amir Garrett has taken a long time develop having spent four years in their system without reaching a higher level than High-A ball. Nonetheless, Garrett is still considered to be one of the top pitching prospects in the minors (ranking eighth overall on the top left-handed pitching prospects list by MLB.com).

Garrett has a great fastball for a lefty that sits in the mid-90s. It doesn’t have much movement on it, but he has great control over it. His slider looks like a great pitch that could be a potential plus-plus pitch. His changeup is not quite as good and has a peak value of an average pitch. He has a great delivery and has really improved his command over this past season.

The Reds may have to wait a little bit longer, but Amir Garrett could likely be starting at Double-A next year. He would have to completely dominate the minors next season in order to have any chance of pitching for the Reds next year, but there is a chance he has an opportunity to pitch for them in 2017. He has mid-rotation upside if he can ever find some consistency.

Kyle Crick (SP, SF, Double-A)

Stats: 60.2 IP, 2.97 ERA, 4.80 FIP, 10.38 K/9, 9.35 BB/9, 0.30 HR/9<

Kyle Crick was taken with the 49th overall pick back in 2011 and (much like Amir Garrett) has yet to reach his full potential. Once an infielder in high school and having not made the full transition to pitching until signing, Crick struggles a lot with command and still needs a lot of polishing before he is ready to pitch in the bigs.

Crick’s fastball is great. He can throw as high as 99, but typically sits in the mid to upper 90s. His slider too is a great pitch with excellent movement and velocity (86-89 mph). His changeup has upside and could develop into a decent pitch, but it will never be a great pitch. His control is very shaky. He has never pitched a season in which he walked fewer than five batters per nine innings.

The Giants right-hander is at Double-A, but that doesn’t mean that he is going to be in the majors anytime soon. He is now exclusively a bullpen guy in the hopes that his command will sometime improve. His pitches make him a potential elite bullpen arm and has an upside of a closer, but he still needs to improve on his command before he gets a glimpse of the majors.

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-12" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]