Email a copy of 'Cincinnati Reds: Top 5 Bright Spots Of 2016' to a friend
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By Jason Martinez | at
Email a copy of 'Cincinnati Reds: Top 5 Bright Spots Of 2016' to a friend
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ryanferron
Another bright spot (though not as bright as the others mention) was Scott Schebler. He took control from the departure of Jay Bruce, and began to make an impact immediately. He has shown a very promising 6-spot bat in the long-term, and his .326/.396/.430 split in September is very promising. He will need to work against lefties in the spring much more, but it is hard to complain about if you are the Reds.
gmflores27
Senzel and Descalifani
dust44
Not sure a guy who finished in A ball can b considered a bright spot no matter how good he looked or may b
redsfanman
Jose Peraza is another. He is hitting .324 with a .352 OBP in 219 ABs on the season, while providing respectable defense at SS. He’s only 22 but has the makings of a high-average, okay defensively, base stealing shortstop. Reviews of Peraza were mixed when he was acquired, ranging from a utility player to a potential batting champion and strong defensive shortstop. His performance has far more closely resembled the later predictions.
Brandon Finnegan leads the league in BBs and HRs, but is nevertheless a top bright spot for the team. He’s proven that he can be a starting pitcher, and continued to show improvement as the season progressed, as a 23 year old. He ends the season with a 3.98 ERA, 24 points above Straily, but as much more upside. Finnegan still has much to work on – improving his control, increasing his pitch-efficiency, decreasing homeruns – but he’s already blown past expectations of many who wanted him sent to the bullpen.
As Gmflores said, DeSclafani has been a big success. He missed some time with a minor injury, but has built and improved upon his breakout 2015 season. He’s probably become the safe bet for 2017 opening day starter (an opportunity he missed in 2016 only due to injury).
Lastly, Scott Schebler, as Ryanferron said. He’s hitting .266 with a .330 OBP with a 102 OBP+, but that doesn’t tell the story. He made the team out of spring training, but hit terribly, and dug himself into a big hole. He was sent to AAA for a bit, and things turned around. He won Player of the Month in the International League and then was recalled – and has hit .293 with a .357 OBP with 8 HRs in 207 PAs since then. His numbers have improved every month. He’s often been playing CF in Billy Hamilton’s absence. He has struggled some against LHPs, but I think that’s largely due to a .226 BABIP in 39 ABs. Like Peraza, Schebler (acquired in the same trade) has shown every sign of being a useful everyday player, and has resembled only the most optimistic of scouting reports at his acquisition.