Ranking the 4 Most Underrated Cincinnati Reds Prospects Heading into 2015

Spring training is finally here, and a new season is set to begin.

So, to shake off the cobwebs that winter has been so gracious to bless us with (sigh), we're gonna talk Cincinnati Reds' prospects.

Specifically, we're going to look at four prospects who are a bit underrated. Only two of these four prospects can be found in current, mainstream top-10 rankings, and even those guys are slightly underrated given their performance and skill set.

Keep in mind, most of these players won't see the big leagues for at least a year or so, and projecting their futures is not easy, but I'm gonna call it like I see it.

First up is a right-hander out of the Texas prep ranks.

4. Jeremy Kivel (RHP)

Jeremy Kivel has a ways to go before he's pitching at the big league level, but at times, he tends to get overlooked. The 21-year-old righty has logged just 91.1 innings as a professional, and his ERA sits at a respectable but not great mark of 4.53.

Kivel has the athleticism to be a consistent mid-rotation option at the big league level, and his high-ceiling fastball gives him a potential plus pitch.

He also mixes in a slider and changeup, both of which have chances to be solidly average.

The problem right now is that he isn't polished in his mechanics or feel for pitching. The Texas prep product tends to overthrow all of his pitches, and that's evidenced by his career average of 4.3 BB/9.

As he refines his control and command, Kivel, at 6'1", 200 pounds, should have the frame to work as a No. 3 or 4 starter with the Reds. If he fails to meet his otherwise lofty potential, he could also become a valuable bullpen option where he can really let his fastball loose.

The Reds will likely send Kivel to full-season ball this year after he spent the last two seasons with the team's rookie league affiliates in Arizona and Montana.

3. Taylor Sparks (3B)

Last year, in the second round of the MLB Amateur Draft, the Reds selected Taylor Sparks out of UC Irvine.

Sparks is full of raw power, and the 21-year-old put that on full display in the Pioneer League, smacking 10 home runs, seven doubles and seven triples in just 240 plate appearances en route to a .490 slugging percentage. 

Sparks flashed power that you need to see in a potential third baseman, but he strikes out...a lot. In his 240 plate appearances, he struck out at a whopping 35 percent clip. He did, however, flash some decent plate discipline, logging a 12.9 percent walk rate in that same time.

His strikeout rate isn't from a lack of discipline or command over the hitting zone, but more just from his being a free swinger. As he continues to refine his swing and improve upon his already impressive bat speed, Sparks will have little trouble adjusting to professional pitching.

Defensively, he is a solid option at the hot corner. His athleticism helps him make all the routine plays and even a few out of the fielding zone. His arm isn't great, but his transfer speed is, and he has enough arm strength to stick at third.

Sparks is a methodical player and knows how to pick his spots on the basepaths. In the Pioneer League he stole 14 bases compared to just one attempt where he was caught stealing.

Sparks has all the tools to be a Todd Frazier-esque third baseman with just slightly less defense and a less awkward (but equally efficient) swing. 

2. Alex Blandino (2B/SS/3B)

Alex Blandino, is going to be a good every-day player—this much I'm confident of. What I'm not so confident in is putting a position next to his name, so I went with three in the slide title.

Blandino can hit, and as my dad always told me when I was playing, if you hit, a team will find a position for you. This will likely prove true of Blandino as well.

The Reds selected him out of Stanford University with the 29th overall pick in the 2014 MLB draft and promptly dropped him into the Pioneer League (rookie level) with a plan to accelerate his movement through the system.

Blandino spent just 29 games with Billings—the team's affiliate in the Pioneer League—but he raked. In 131 plate appearances, the then-21-year-old slashed .309/.412/.527 with four home runs, 10 doubles, 16 RBI, 20 runs scored and an 18-16 K/BB ratio.

Blandino was promptly promoted to Single-A Dayton, where he went on to post a .261/.329/.440 batting line with 10 doubles, four home runs, 16 RBI, 20 runs scored and a 42-13 K/BB ratio.

Though he regressed a bit while moving up the ranks, the 22-year-old showed a lot of promise at the plate.

In the field, Blandino is less of a sure thing. The California native spent most of his time at third base, but the Reds gave him an opportunity to work professionally as a shortstop.

According to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon, the front office is pleased with Blandino's transition.

Jeff Graupe, the team's player development director, told Sheldon that Blandino is "an extremely intelligent and instinctual player. I think his transition back to shortstop was pretty seamless."

Graupe continued to heap praise on the young infielder: "I thought he handled it all well. He's got a mindset that he'll be ready to come in and compete more in 2015."

Blandino might stick at short, but he might not too. In 268 chances last year, he logged 15 errors en route to a .944 fielding percentage.

If he sticks at short, his bat will make him a great every-day option. At third, he may be a bit less valuable as his power potential doesn't quite fit the profile at the hot corner.

Blandino's ultimate future may be at second base, filling in for Brandon Phillips when his contract expires following the 2017 season.

1. Aristides Aquino (OF)

Aristides Aquino is one of the most underrated prospects in baseball, let alone in the Reds farm system.

The 20-year-old began his trek toward top-prospect status back in 2011, but it was during his 2013 campaign that Aquino had his first breakout. In said season, he managed a .262/.301/.458 batting line with 48 RBI, 50 runs scored, seven home runs, seven triples, 16 doubles and a 62-12 K/BB ratio.

Last season, Aquino returned to the Pioneer League (where he finished the 2013 season) and took another big step forward, posting a .292/.342/.577 slash line with 64 RBI, 48 runs scored, 16 home runs, five triples, 23 doubles and a 66-15 K/BB ratio.

His 2014 season featured just 24 more plate appearances than his 2013 season. With those extra 24 plate appearances, however, Aquino managed an additional nine home runs, seven doubles and 16 RBI, as well as improved strikeout and walk ratios.

His skill set is that of a boom-or-bust prospect (a la Drew Stubbs). The Dominican Republic native is a toolsy yet somewhat raw outfielder who possesses a solid feel for the strike zone and very little in the way of pitch-identification skills.

At 6'4" and nearly 200 pounds, Aquino possesses an ideal build to carry his above-average speed to the big league level, but he'll need to improve upon his fringy pitch-recognition skills in order for his hit and in-game power tools to reach their potential.

Defensively, he profiles well as a corner outfielder with a strong arm and the ability to cover plenty of ground.

Should he reach his potential, Aquino has the skills to be a 20-20 guy at the major league level, yet he failed to make it into Jonathan Mayo's organizational top 20 on MLB.com and Mike Rosenbaum's top 10 on Bleacher Report. He did get some recognition in the form of a top-10 ranking in Baseball America's preseason organizational rankings, but another solid season will go a long way toward furthering Aquino's notoriety.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise stated.