4 Prospects Who Could Make the Cincinnati Reds' 2015 Roster

The Cincinnati Reds' farm system has produced some solid players over the years, and 2015 should be no different. Among the system's top 20 prospects reside roughly 10 prospects who could impact the team at some point during the 2015 season.

More importantly, however, the team boasts four prospects who could have an even bigger impact by making the Opening Day roster. Though it's not a guarantee that these four players all break camp with the team, there's a case to be made for each of them.

There are several other prospects who could figure into the Reds' plans for Opening Day, those being Tucker Barnhart, David Holmberg and Chad Rogers. Those guys aren't quite as interesting as the four in this piece, however, so we're not going to focus on them.

We'll kick things off with a right-handed starter whose relative success as a reliever might have helped him accelerate his timeline to a permanent spot at the MLB level.

Daniel Corcino

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Daniel Corcino has some potential as a pitcher in this league. However, it's highly unlikely that the 24-year-old will ever have the opportunity to actualize that potential as an everyday starter at the MLB level.

The young right-hander has some viable tools, including a slightly above-average fastball-changeup combo as well as an average slider.

At times, Corcino has a tendency to pitch scared, and it's shown in his unsightly walk rates—4.1, 5.1 and 4.5 walks per nine innings in the last three seasons, respectively. Because of that, Corcino's best work is likely to come as a reliever.

Fortunately for the Dominican Republic native, his easiest path to the majors is as a reliever.

The Reds bullpen ranked as one of the worst in the National League last year. Over a combined 422.1 innings pitched—fewest among NL relief units—Reds relievers averaged 2.18 strikeouts per walk while allowing a 4.11 ERA and .713 OPS, good for 15th, 14th and 13th, respectively.

Corcino has the raw tools to stick as a reliever, as his pitches play up a grade when he feels free to rear back and fire strikes. With vacancies in the bullpen, Corcino has a legitimate chance to break camp with the club next spring.

Yorman Rodriguez

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The Reds need some legitimate bench depth.

In 2014, Reds' bench players with 50 or more at-bats combined for some paltry metrics, including a batting line of .234/.292/.345 with 24 home runs, 70 doubles, 111 RBI, 126 runs scored and a 279-106 K/BB ratio over 1357 total at-bats.

Though some of the players who helped account for that stat line grew into everyday roles with the team over various portions of time—e.g., Brayan Pena, Chris Heisey and Skip Schumaker—the numbers put up by the bench were deplorable.

Enter Yorman Rodriguez.

Rodriguez has everyday potential, but he could use a little more big league experience before being thrust into action. As a bench player, the young outfielder could bring the Reds a source of serious raw power—something they've lacked off the bench—and the skills necessary to operate as a late-inning defensive replacement.

The one flaw in Rodriguez's game is his tendency to strike out—23.3 percent in the minors last year and 41.4 percent over 29 big league plate appearances.

His walk rate showed improvement last season, however—9.4 percent, up from his 6.6 career mark (excluding 2014)—suggesting that the Venezuela native is finally developing the pitch-recognition skills necessary to become the five-tool player his potential suggests he can be.

A worst-case scenario has Rodriguez starting the year in the minors. A best-case scenario has him as the starting left fielder for the Reds when they break camp.

The most likely scenario, however, has the 22-year-old entering the 2014 season as a viable bench player capable of filling in on a long-term basis sometime toward the middle of the year.

Robert Stephenson

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Robert Stephenson is going to be an ace someday. Though that day won't be April 6, when the Reds open the 2015 season against the Pittsburgh Pirates, there's a good possibility that the 21-year-old could be in the starting rotation when they do.

Stephenson has prototypical size for a pitcher—6'3", 195 pounds—and a solid level of athleticism that makes his smooth delivery repeatable. Because of this, the young right-hander has sound command over all of his pitches and possesses the ability to locate them to all corners of the strike zone.

Stephenson's repertoire consists of three pitches, those being a plus fastball, a plus curveball and a developing changeup.

Stephenson's fastball and curve are easily his best offerings. His heater, a 94-97 mph offering—often scraping triple digits—makes for a great setup offering to pair with his 12-6 curve capable of generating numerous swings and misses at the big league level.

Though his changeup lags behind the other two offerings, the pitch is improving and features some decent fading action. Given the Reds' ability to improve changeups in developing pitchers' repertoires, it's fair to assume that the pitch should be at least big league average by maturity.

Stephenson's control took a bit of a hit this year, as evidenced by his full-season worst 4.9 BB/9. Fortunately, the California prep product managed to strike out just over a batter per inning while allowing just 7.2 hits per nine against significantly older competition—the average Southern League player was 24.5 years old last year.

The jump in Stephenson's walk rate could set his arrival date back a little bit, but depending on what the Reds do with their rotation—the option of trading one or more of Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Mat Latos and Alfredo Simon is a oft-discussed topic—there could be room and a need for a top-flight prospect like Stephenson in the Reds' starting five.

Jesse Winker

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Robert Stephenson is the Reds' best prospect. However, a case can be made for Jesse Winker being the team's most intriguing farmhand.

Winker is young—he just turned 21 back in August—and has just three years of minor league play under his belt, but what he lacks in experience, he makes up for in raw ability. Winker possesses preternatural bat-to-ball skills, and his smooth, leveraged stroke suggests the potential for 20-plus home run seasons at the big league level.

Winker's abilities were on full display in 2014, as he put together his best all-around season as a professional. Over 74 games played, the Olympia High School product batted .287/.399/.518 with 15 home runs, 20 doubles, 57 RBI, 57 runs scored and a 68-54 K/BB ratio.

If not for a late-season injury sapping him of some precious at-bats, Winker would have a leg up on the competition looking to break camp as the team's starting left fielder. The possibility remains, however, as the Reds' only real options to fill the void welcome hole left by Ryan Ludwick are low-level free agents and possible trade packages for a starting pitcher.

Should the team decide to stay the course in the rotation, it's unlikely that they'll sink big money into a suitable option for everyday use in the outfield. If this less-than-desirable situation comes to fruition, Winker could slot in as the team's starting left fielder come Opening Day.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.