Cincinnati Reds' Sleeper Prospects to Watch in Spring Training

 The Cincinnati Reds have a crop of prospects with a lot of upside. The system's upside resides in numerous power arms that have the potential to serve in high-leverage situations out of the bullpen and mid-to-front-end rotation work (e.g. Robert Stephenson and Michael Lorenzen) and a few high-ceiling outfielders to boot (e.g. Jesse Winker and Yorman Rodriguez).

The group is heralded for its high-upside pitching though, and that billing fits the two prospects we'll look at in this piece.

One pitcher, Jon Moscot, has the potential to work as a fourth or fifth starter as soon as Opening Day, and the other, Keyvius Sampson, could serve as a great power arm out of the bullpen depending on the path his development takes this season.

Let's start with the big righty, Moscot.

Jon Moscot (RHP)

Moscot is a big, 6'4", 205-pound right-hander out of Pepperdine University. Moscot utilizes a three-pitch arsenal, which includes a fastball, changeup and slider.

None of his pitches really stand out from one another—all of them grade out at average (maybe slightly above average given his outstanding control) by my count—but all three are serviceable and can be used efficiently at any point in an at-bat. Where Moscot really draws high marks is in his durability and control.

Moscot has made 28 starts in each of his last two seasons—he couldn't do this in 2012 given his assignment to the Pioneer and Arizona rookie leagues. More impressive is the fact that Moscot logged 166.2 innings last season in just his third professional season.

Moscot is a workhorse, and while a lot of that can be attributed to his sturdy build, it also comes from his impressive control.

Moscot is able to log a high number of innings due in part to his control. The 23-year-old displays smooth, repeatable mechanics and a 3/4 arm slot. This helps Moscot locate his pitches effectively, allowing him to post BB/9 figures of 3.6, 2.9 and 2.7 in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Despite the fact that he's seen an increased workload in each of his first three professional seasons, Moscot has still shown improvement in his walk rates over each successive season.

Because of his displayed ability to log a high number of innings (166.2 in 2014), as well as his ability to stay in or around the strike zone, Moscot is a candidate to fill out the Reds' starting rotation right out of spring training.

That idea may come as a bit of a surprise to some, as Moscot isn't the biggest name in the Reds' system—he ranks as just the 16th-best prospect in the Reds' system, according to MLB.com—but Moscot is a polished pitcher with very little left to prove at the minor league levels. Should he shine in spring training, Moscot is a legitimate option for the fourth or fifth starting spot.

Keyvius Sampson (RHP)

Sampson is a former San Diego Padres prospect who the Reds, very astutely, picked up off waivers.

Sampson spent much of his time with the Padres as starter and has made just 28 relief appearances to this point in his professional career. However, my money is on the Reds utilizing him in a relief role and accelerating his path to the big league level. 

Sampson struggles with his command, and look no further than his 6.9 and 6.7 BB/9 against experienced Triple-A hitters in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

He does, however, generate high strikeout totals, averaging 9.6 K/9 over the course of his professional career.

While Sampson's control presents the Reds' staff with an obstacle no matter what role they push him toward, its impact can be limited in a relief role. Beyond that, though, Sampson's arsenal lends itself well to a power-relief role.

The 24-year-old boasts a low-to-mid-90s fastball, and he pairs it with an average changeup and slider. Sampson, a product of Ocala, Florida, can really let his fastball fly in a relief role, and his velocity should play up a few ticks in that setting. 

Sampson has made 28 career relief appearances (24 last season) all coming at the Double- or Triple-A levels. In those appearances, Sampson has totaled a rather unimpressive stat line, including a 6.53 ERA.

Sampson's perceived struggles in the bullpen come mostly as a result of a disturbingly poor 2014 season in which he allowed a 6.68 ERA over 38 appearances. Sampson was extremely young for the Triple-A level, though, and was approximately four years younger than his rivals, per Baseball-Reference.com.

Sampson is an unlikely candidate to secure a spot out of the bullpen during spring training, but he could operate in a fashion similar to Jumbo Diaz and make a big run in the minors, en-route to a late-June call-up.

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