Neftali Soto next Chris Davis?

Chris Davis has surged to an astounding first half of the MLB season with thirty-seven homers and almost one hundred RBI's. Most hitters would be pleased with those numbers by the end of a season, but it is only July 15, the official end of the first half of the 2013 season. Davis' rise to the top of the hitting world has been remarkable and very surprising. Davis has been in the majors since 2008, when he came up with Texas and hit seventeen home runs that year and twenty-one in the following season. Davis bottomed out to single digits in the home runs category until 2012 when he hit over thirty with Baltimore.

Reds Triple A first baseman Neftali Soto has the potential to provide the team with a Davis-like impact in the next several seasons. Soto has been with Louisville for the past two seasons, and one of his greatest attributes is his power hitting ability. Davis consistently was able to collect over twenty homers three times in the minor leagues, and Soto is well on his way to accomplishing that same mark this season.

The twenty-four year old is the best hitter at Louisville right now, and his 6'1, 215 pound frame still has room to add on more muscle weight. Soto hit thirty-one home runs in 2011 between Carolina and Louisville, and his average has never dropped below .245. He currently hits .278 with eleven homers and forty-five RBI's after knocking fourteen homers out into the bleachers last season. Soto even played in two games with the Reds this year, and is 0/1 in his only at bat.

The top twenty prospect on the Reds has many of the same tools as the star first baseman on the Orioles. Who knows if Soto can ever put those tools together fully and showcase his immense power potential at the major league level. Soto is close to earning a job with the Reds, but he may have to eventually move to the outfield to truly make an impact. Much like Yonder Alonso, Soto is just too strong a hitter to keep off the field once he reaches Cincinnati. Every team has a player that it thinks could turn into a Chris Davis or Jose Bautista after some coaching, but Soto, unlike many prospects, is a talent that has succeeded at every level thus far.

Reds fans have known about Soto for a while now, and it is getting close to the time when Soto will be ready to leave the minors and receive the opportunity to earn a spot with the regulars with the Reds. If he succeeds in impressing the Reds front office and bench coaches either in September call-ups or in Spring Training next year, he could be a fourth hitter in left field or at third base next season. Maybe fans will even see Soto in the All Star Game and Home Run Derby next year or in 2015.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot