The Cincinnati Reds' Top Hitting Prospects and Their MLB Comparisons

The bulk of the Cincinnati Reds' current roster is largely comprised of former pipeline prospects. Joey Votto, Zack Cozart, Todd Frazier, Devin Mesoraco, Jay Bruce, Billy Hamilton—in any given game, 78 percent of the Reds' starting lineup is made of former prospects who were developed within the organization. 

The Reds market demands this approach of growing and developing talent from within because it lacks the kind of payroll necessary to build a lineup any other way. Since 2010, it's been largely successful. And considering current prospects, the trend should continue.

Several young and up-and-coming hitters are making their way through the Reds organization and may not be far from joining the roster. Here is a short list comprised of three of the Reds' top hitting prospects, as well as their MLB comparison.

Jesse Winker, OF

Perhaps more popular than any other top hitting prospect within the Reds organization, Winker is a 6'3", 210-pound left-handed slugger who has experienced success in virtually every level of baseball he's played. 

Winker has three years within the organization and has impressed in each. After three years, he's slashing .297/.401/.489. He's hit 36 home runs and driven in 168 runs in that time span. 

Baseball America rated Winker as the Best Hitter for Average in the Reds system after the 2012 season. 

Winker killed it in the Arizona Fall League. He finished the short season leading the league in batting average and slashed .338/.440/.559. He drove in 18 runs in just 19 games.

ESPN.com's Keith Law offered the following about Winker via the Cincinnati Enquirer's C. Trent Rosecrans:

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"Winker is one of the most advanced pure hitters in the minors, considering swing, hand-eye coordination, approach and ability to make contact, and he'd rank higher if he had any place to play other than left field."

Law also has high marks for Winker's defense, something that is often knocked. He calls him an "18-22 homer guy with a .400 OBP" in the major leagues.

"

MLB Comparison: Christian Yelich, OF

There is a considerable amount of parallels between the two, ranging from physical build to performance metrics. Like Winker, Christian Yelich is listed at 6'3" and 200 pounds. Both are left-handed sluggers who can hit for power and average, and both have remarkable OBPs, mainly because both can hit and neither is afraid to draw a walk.

Yelich's 70 walks last year alone would have been a distant first place on the Reds in 2014. Frazier finished with a team-high 52.

Last year, Yelich slashed .284/.362/.402. He hit nine home runs and drove in 54 runs. If the Reds can expect to plug that kind of OBP into their lineup, it's going to change the dynamics of their offense considerably. 

For his brief two-year career, Yelich is slashing .285/.365/.400. If you were to translate Winker's slash line of .297/.401/.489 to the majors right now, it might look something similar to Yelich's.

Yelich was a first-round draft pick with high expectations. Yelich boasted an .872 OPS in five minor league seasons within the Miami Marlins organization. After three seasons in the Reds system, Winker's OPS is .890.

Kyle Waldrop, 1B/OF

Drafted by the Reds in the 12th round of the 2010 MLB amateur draft, this young slugger has lived in the shadow of Winker and has done nothing but perform since joining the organization. Like Winker, the highest level Waldrop has played professionally is Double-A. 

In five minor league seasons within the organization, Waldrop is slashing .289/.337/.466. In that span, he's hit 48 home runs and driven in 201 runs. 

It wouldn't be totally fair to just compare Waldrop and Winker's 2014 season in Double-A—Winker only played 21 games before suffering a season-ending injury, while Waldrop played 66 games. But comparing the two, Winker slashed .208/.326/.351 to Waldrop's .315/.359/.517.

Waldrop was added to the 40-man roster back in November. At 23 years old, this is definitely a prospect to keep an eye on.

MLB Comparison: Nick Markakis, OF

Waldrop is listed at 6'2" and 216 pounds, while Markakis comes in at 6'1", 190 pounds. But if you compare their stats, you'll see several similarities. 

Markakis is slashing .290/.358/.435 through nine MLB seasons, a line that's not too different from Waldrop's after five minor league seasons (.289./.337/.466).

I think Waldrop mimics the pop of Markakis. Markakis averages just over 15 home runs per season, while Waldrop averages just under 10 in the minors in much less games played.

Like Markakis, Waldrop can swipe a bag. Granted, Markakis isn't stealing many bases anymore; he's 31 years old. But he had three years of double-digit steals, and that's the ability Waldrop is demonstrating right now. Waldrop swiped double-digit bases in three straight years from 2012-14.

Both of these players are useful for-average hitters who offer some pop. 

Yorman Rodriguez, OF

Baseball America has ranked Yorman Rodriguez as the Reds' No. 10 prospect in the organization for 2015. This young, right-handed-slugging right fielder already made an appearance at the major league level last season. In 11 games—which just isn't enough to analyze seriously—Rodriguez slashed .222/.276/.222.

In six minor league seasons, Rodriguez is slashing .260/.315/.395. The 40 home runs and 255 RBI he amassed in that time are most enticing about this prospect. He spent the bulk of last year at Double-A, where he totaled 118 hits in 119 games; however, he also had 117 strikeouts.

Baseball America rated Rodriguez as the organization's best outfield arm after the 2012 season, so he's definitely capable from the outfield, too. 

MLB Comparison: Austin Jackson, OF

Another right-handed slugger, Jackson checks in at 6'1" and 185 pounds, not very different from Rodriguez, who boasts just a slightly taller 6'3", 195-pound frame.

Like Jackson, Rodriguez offers some power and suffers via the strikeout. In five years of MLB experience, Jackson is slashing .274/.336/.402. He's hit 46 home runs in that span and has driven in 248 runners, but he is averaging well over 100 strikeouts per year. 

In six minor league seasons, Rodriguez has the 40 home runs to boast. Like Jackson, Rodriguez can steal a base—he has 78 stolen bags in six seasons, including 12 last year. 

But consider the two bodies of work: In six minor league seasons, Rodriguez is slashing .260/.315/.395. After three MLB seasons, Jackson is slashing.274/.336/.402. Both players will hit for decent average with a decent OBP, and like Jackson, Rodriguez should see a good number of extra-base hits in the majors because of his speed.

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