Grading the aspects of Red Sox first base prospect Tyreque Reed
The Boston Red Sox minor league system enjoyed a massive boost in 2021. They saw a few prospects climb high up the ranks – such as Nick Yorke. Meanwhile, they added big names like Marcelo Mayer. These additions have seen the Red Sox go from an organization that many considered near the bottom of the ranks in terms of prospects, to one of the top classes. It isn’t just the “big” names though – sometimes undervalued depth pieces can be diamonds in the rough. That might be what they have with Tyreque Reed.
Reed joined the Red Sox organization this year after spending his first three years in the Texas Rangers farm system. In his first year with the team he showed off a lot of promise. That being said, the first baseman did not get much recognition. That could be due to the heavy influx of new talent though. It’s easy for people to get lost in the shuffle when you’re casually adding a top-10 prospect in all of baseball in the draft (seriously, Mayer already sits at number nine). Add in the fact that a few other prospects flew up the rankings, and you can see the issue.
Well it’s a great issue for Boston to have. But it doesn’t negate the fact that Reed didn’t get the love he deserves for such a strong debut season in the organization. With that in mind, let’s grade the tools of his game and see if we can change that.
We’re going to grade out the tools in Reed’s game: hitting, running, fielding, power, arm, and overall. Just like MLB, we are going to give them grades from 20-80, with 20 being the worst it could possibly be and 80 being the best.
For this exercise, we’re looking at both the current skill set of Reed, as well as his potential. Sometimes things like “raw power” mean that a player has plenty of power potential, but isn’t hitting home runs at the moment. So while some numbers might not translate, you need to find a healthy medium ground between current talent and potential.
The first thing to look at is their overall numbers. Reed slashed a healthy .271/.375/.492 with 71 RBI and 60 runs scored in 92 games between High-A and Double-A. He slumped a bit when he was promoted to Double-A, but that should be expected from most prospect as they move up the ladder. Reed had surprising splits. The right-handed hitter fared much better against right-handed pitching (.290/.388/.544) than he did against lefties (.203/.329/.304). This is more encouraging than if the roles were reversed though. Mainly due to the fact that right-handed pitching is much more common. Good eye, but needs to cut back on the strikeouts a little bit. Overall, Reed is a very clutch-hitter who can drive in a ton of runs and should be able to hit .260-plus while drawing some walks. Really solid. Hit: 55
Like Adam Cole, Tyreque Reed is all about the BOOM! Get it? Do you … do you get it? Wrestling humor. I totally have a life. Power is the main-attraction for Reed though. In just 317 at-bats in 2021, the 24-year-old smashed 17 doubles, one triple, and 17 home runs. That was one off his career-high of 18 (which he did in 2018 and 2019), despite having 24 fewer at-bats than 2018 and 42 fewer than 2019. Reed has legitimate 30 double and 30 home run potential. He could absolutely be a first baseman that gets you 20-plus homers even on a down year. Power: 65
Now we’re on to speed. If I’m being honest, there isn’t much to say here. Reed isn’t the slowest player, especially for his position. But he also isn’t about to win many races on the field. Fast enough to rack up the doubles, and he isn’t going to hurt you too much with his lack-of-speed. It does help his case that he seems to be a smart baserunner. That boost the grade slightly. Run: 35
As a first baseman, you could argue that it’s really hard to measure someone’s arm strength. They aren’t usually seen as the ones throwing the ball around, they’re usually just catching it. However, Reed also spent some time in left field this year. While there he showed off the fact that he has a pretty decent arm. Strong enough and pretty accurate. More than good enough for first base. And it’s respectable if he is in a corner outfield slot. Arm: 50
Reed is not known for his defense. He isn’t very flashy and lacks much range. But at first base, you don’t really need those. Personally, I really like his defense. Reed makes the plays that he needs to make. In 499 innings between the two levels he had 399 chances at first base and made just three errors (.992 fielding percentage). That’s phenomenal, especially for a minor leaguer who isn’t fully developed defensively and has to deal with teammates that also aren’t fully developed defensively throwing him the ball all the time. Reed made some really nice plays at times too. He also spent a little time in the outfield, showing versatility. Nothing special there, but proved he could do it (also showing he isn’t as slow and unathletic as some may think). I honestly really love his ability at first base though. Field: 55
Tyreque Reed’s overall takes a slight hit due to his speed. The rest is really solid though. He’s a much better fielder than I believe he gets credit for. Having a consistent glove at first base is huge and I think he could do that. The offense is the big positive for Reed though. A good average with grown-man strength is a fun combination. Imagine Reed getting a chance to mash at Fenway Park. The Green Wall would get some new dents. The Red Sox added a really solid prospect in him this year. Overall: 55