Cincinnati Reds Top Prospect Report - Nick Senzel
How did the Cincinnati Reds’ top prospects do during the 2016 season?
While the Cincinnati Reds struggled to a 68-94 record, there is plenty of reason for hope in the future. The team is loaded with talented prospects across all of their minor-league teams, and many of those players started off with promising starts in their careers.
Let’s take a look at how the Reds’ top 10 prospects (per MLB Pipeline at the end of the season) performed as we head into the new year. This is a special look at those prospect that were not on the top ten list to start the season, but were there at the end of it.
Nick Senzel (3B)
2016 Stats (Single-A/Rookie):
Dayton: .329/.415/.567, 23 2B, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 32 BB, 49 K, 15 SB
Billings: .152/.293/.182, 1 2B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 6 BB, 5 K, 3 SB
Nick Senzel was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds with the second overall pick in the 2016 draft from the University of Tennessee. Senzel started his career in Knoxville primarily as a DH, making most teams concerned about where his defensive future lies. As a freshman in 2014, though, he started 53 of 54 games for the Volunteers.
Originally, Senzel had committed to the University of Georgia, but changed when Georgia fired their coach. Senzel played three seasons in Knoxville. He hit over .300 each season, but only netted 13 home runs total over three years.
Nick Senzel showed the Cincinnati Reds that what he did in the Cape Cod League with a wooden bat was no fluke.
Between his sophomore and junior years in college Senzel was the Cape Cod League MVP. He batted .364 with four home runs. Those numbers mean something different than those in college because they have the same rules regarding bats as MLB does.
After drafting him second overall, the Reds sent Senzel to Billings for 10 games before a roster spot opened up for him in Dayton. His numbers in Dayton closely resemble those he posted in college. By consistently batting above .300, Senzel is going against the trend of highly fluctuating BABIP.
For Reds’ fans Senzel will remind many of Todd Frazier. Right now Senzel is a better base stealer than home run hitter. He is a much better base stealer than Frazier, but his OBP and projected power resembles Frazier’s early career.
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Senzel, however, may end up at first or in the outfield. He started in college at second before moving to third as a sophomore. Wherever he plays on the field, he looks like a sure bet to get on base with a high frequency comparable to current Red and perennial MVP candidate, Joey Votto.
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