Latos safest bet for consistent success in rotation

The Reds got an important opening series win by the score of 2-0 yesterday in Chicago behind the dominant arm of Mat Latos, the workhorse stud of the Reds' deep pitching staff. All Latos has done since he arrived in Cincinnati last season is win. Latos mixed all of his pitches, including two seem
fastballs with sliders and a 95 MPH four seem fastball. Latos is at his best when he is relaxed and focused on the hill.

The 6'6 twenty-five year old hard thrower is now 12-2 on the year and well on pace to surpass his career high win mark of fourteen set last season. Latos is also 4-0 with a 1.32 ERA since the All Star Break. Latos has been widely regarded as a second half pitcher throughout his career, so don't be surprised if he ends up with fifteen to seventeen wins on the year, which would make him one of baseball's elite pitchers.

There is no doubt that if the playoffs started today, Latos would be facing the St. Louis Cardinals in the one game playoff. He is the team's most talented pitcher, and the only other considerable option for starting that game would be Bronson Arroyo due to his veteran prowess in the playoffs.

The Reds relied heavily on Johnny Cueto during last season's run to the playoffs. Without Cueto, Latos has become the most notable option for Bryan Price and Dusty Baker. Latos, unlike Cueto, brings a little bit of attitude to the hill, intimidating hitters that haven't had success off of his pitches. The Reds took a gamble by trading top prospects Yasmani Grandal and Yonder Alonso along with an established starter in Edinson Volquez to acquire the young Latos, but the trade worked out extremely well for Cincinnati with Volquez continuing to show inconsistency and Grandal unable to stay on the field because of suspension.

Latos blamed the Reds' final disappointment of the season, a playoff loss to the Giants, on himself for not pitching as well as he has when he's at his best. If Latos gets another opportunity as the primary option to start games in the playoffs, he will use last season's disappointments as fuel to turn his playoff luck around.

After last night's victory, Latos also brought his ERA down to 3.04 with eight shutout innings of baseball along with nine strikeouts. Latos also threw less than one hundred pitches in the effort, setting himself up for plenty of rest and less fatigue for his next start against Milwaukee. Latos' 154 strikeouts lead all pitchers on the Reds. His 1.24 shows a better control over his location as his evolution as a pitcher continues under the tutelage of Price.

The sky is the limit for Latos over the next few years. That is why Walt Jocketty took a chance on the trade two years ago. Latos was a streaky pitcher as a kid with the Padres. He even let his temper get the best of him sometimes, which is probably why San Diego let him go. Now, Latos is more mature in his mid-twenties and is eyeing players like Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander to rival in the coming years. His pitching stuff is that good. If Latos finishes strong in the postseason, he will begin to get the national attention he deserves.

Reds' division chances slipping away

The Reds finished a disappointing opening series of the home stand by losing two out of three games to the St. Louis Cardinals. Losing two out of three wasn't the primary disappointment in the series. The shocker was how the Reds lost those games. The team gave up thirteen runs in game one and fifteen in the series finale. Mike Leake, who has been a money pitcher for the Reds all season, got shelled and couldn't even last six innings against the Redbirds.

As the Pirates and Cardinals continue to climb over twenty games above the .500 mark, the Reds slip to a bottom of the Wild Card battle with the likes of Arizona and Washington. This team would have no chance at the playoffs if this situation had presented itself last season. The Reds are lucky to be playing ten games above .500 and still have a comfortable lead in the chance at a one game playoff with a division rival. The weaknesses of this team are starting to stick out and haunt the Reds in games.

The Reds are missing four of their top players in Ryan Ludwick, Johnny Cueto, Jonathan Broxton, and Sean Marshall. No doubt if the Reds were playing with these four, they would be closer to the division lead. The main issue with these injuries is that there is no end in sight for a couple of the players. Ludwick and Broxton are encouragingly coming along and may both be ready for a return in the next week. Broxton will revert to his eighth inning role in the bullpen and Ludwick will eventually bat cleanup in the lineup. This will help the Reds re-familiarize with the core of last season's NL Central Championship team, but how much will two players really help?

Marshall and Cueto are by the looks of it from a spectator's eye out for the season. This is purely speculation and there are no reports that back this up, but Marshall suffered a setback during one of his last throwing sessions and Cueto hasn't picked up a baseball since his injury. Cueto has been on and off the DL throughout the season so much that the Reds may just concentrate on getting him fully healthy for 2014. If Marshall and Cueto are expected to be back at some point this year, I wouldn't count on either to be activated on the roster until late September.

What the Reds really need right now is more production out of left field and third base. Xavier Paul, Chris Heisey, and Derrick Robinson are just average players starting in the two hole in Dusty Baker's lineup. No doubt these three deserve to be on an MLB roster, but none of them can be expected to win the Reds games with their bats. Ludwick will help defray some of the pressure Baker's lineup is being put under with a less than ideal two hole hitter, but that might take some time. The good thing about the Reds' hitters right now is that Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips seem to be finding the gaps again.

Todd Frazier has been the biggest disappointment of the entire season for Cincinnati. He is undoubtedly a great clubhouse teammate and one of the most promising prospects on the team after a prominent rookie season, but his .235 average and 0/28 hitting slump have really put a damper on one of the players the Reds expected to drive in runs. In all seriousness, if Scott Rolen is in playing shape and wants to take on the challenge of playing in the majors again, I think it would be a good idea to bring one of the greatest leaders in Reds history back and try a proven bat and glove at third base to at least platoon with the young Frazier like in 2012. When Rolen was with the Reds, the Reds won more times than not. That should count for something. I have no idea whether Rolen is enjoying his retirement or if he is itching to play again in the MLB, but it would be worth giving him a call.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Bottom part of Reds' order heating up

When the Reds are able to get hitting out of the bottom of their order, they tend to dominate games. This phenomenon has been on display over the past few games with the 6-8 spots in the order being able to make solid contact and find the gaps off of the opposing pitchers.

In game one of yesterday's doubleheader, with the Reds' regulars on the field against former Moeller pitcher Eric Surkamp, Todd Frazier, Zack Cozart, and Devin Mesoraco were each able to get at least two hits. Frazier looks like he is swinging the bat very well recently. He is now nine for his last twenty-one with six RBI's and four doubles. Frazier has had a hit in eight of the last nine games, and has multi-hit games in the last three outings, including three hits in game two of the doubleheader with Cozart and Mesoraco starting the game on the bench.

Devin Mesoraco is the hottest hitter on the team since the All Star Break. He is hitting .474 in his last nineteen at bats with two homers and six RBI's. Mesoraco is getting more of an opportunity to play with Ryan Hanigan on the shelf with a wrist injury. Mesoraco certainly is on track to become an everyday catcher at the Major League level, and he may have earned some of Dusty Baker's trust by raising his batting average to .258 and still handling solid pitching performances by Bronson Arroyo and Tony Cingrani. There aren't many catchers in the game who can hit like Mesoraco. Joe Mauer and Buster Posey are the exceptions to the rule that catchers aren't usually able to excel at hitting. Mesoraco can join that elite club of top hitting catchers if he becomes the normal starter.

Zack Cozart may finally be getting out of his slump and feeling more comfortable batting lower in the order. Cozart always is consistent in the field, but now he is stringing together some impressive hitting performances and is a big reason the Reds have scored so many runs against the Giants. Cozart is hitting .350 in his last twenty at bats, and was 4/4 with a homer yesterday in the early matchup. Cozart will get less and less grief from the fans if he can raise his batting average up to where it was in the .250-.260 range last season. The Reds don't need as much production from the seventh spot in the order with a good glove like Cozart, but if a player like Cozart continues to get hits, it is a bonus that can lift an entire team up to playing at an advanced level.

The Reds have averaged 5.83 runs per game in the six they have played since the All Star Break. These runs have come off of some notable pitchers on successful teams in
Pittsburgh and San Francisco. Yes, Joey Votto and Shin-Soo Choo are finding their strokes and returning to their elite form, but young players with bright futures such as Frazier, Cozart, and Mesoraco are really giving a boost to Dusty Baker's lineup.

Baker botches Reds' chance for sweep

The Cincinnati Reds had a tremendous opportunity over the weekend to earn a three game sweep over the Pittsburgh Pirates, one of two teams ahead of the Reds in the division standings. Cincinnati took care of business over the first two games of the series after standout performances by Chris Heisey and Brandon Phillips in five run outbursts by the offense in each game. Game three was totally in reach to pull out a victory for the Reds, but the pitchers duel between Pirates ace Jeff Locke and Homer Bailey went south in the seventh inning with the game tied at one.

Dusty Baker elected to leave Homer Bailey in the game after six solid innings where he consistently reached 95-99 MPH on the radar gun. The only problem with leaving Bailey in to face the Pirates in the seventh was that Bailey had already thrown about one hundred pitches for the game. Bailey went up against the bottom part of the Pirates' order and clearly was laboring after getting Garrett Jones to strike out swinging. He gave up a double and a couple singles to make the score 3-1, putting the onus on the Reds' offense to make up a large deficit in just a few innings.

Baker really should have just taken Bailey out after Michael McKenry's double. McKenry is one of the worst hitters in the Pirates' lineup, and for him to hit the ball sharply in that situation showed that Bailey needed to be relieved. Plus, the way the bullpen has been pitching lately from top to bottom has taken a lot of pressure off of a previous issue on the team. The Reds aren't even worried about getting Jonathan Broxton and Sean Marshall back anymore. After McKenry's double, Bailey was at the 110 pitch mark and did not need to throw any more in his start. Baker claimed that he was trying to get Bailey the win in the game, but one win for a pitcher doesn't warrant a possibility of a tired arm or blowing a tie game due to a starter's fatigue, which is exactly what happened. I don't blame Bailey for the loss; I blame the manager who had JJ Hoover ready to go in the bullpen and could see the trouble brewing. Bailey is now set back for a start because he threw over 120 pitches in the game. Bailey will have to throw less pitches in his next start just a week and a half after the All Star Break because of Baker's blunder.

Dusty Baker has the reputation of leaving pitchers in game about an inning too long. Baker's reputation held true in Sunday's game. A manager should be the reason a team wins, not the reason a team loses. The manager's job is to monitor his players and know when enough is enough. Bailey had thrown a great game up to that point in the seventh, but sometimes, a standout performance doesn't always net a victory. Baker should have been content with six dazzling innings in which Bailey displayed his best stuff on the mound.

There is nothing wrong with going to the bullpen in the latter part of a game. That's why those pitchers are on the team. The Reds ended up putting one more run on the board in the eighth inning, but fell back in the standings once again with a 3-2 loss. The team is five games back of St. Louis again and three back of the Pirates. Who knows what could have happened if Baker took Bailey out of the game before the seventh or after that double with one out. The Reds could have limited the damage to no runs or just one run, and it could have resulted in a pivotal sweep. A sweep would have meant the Reds would be within a game of the Pirates and a manageable four back from the Cards. Baker should be respected as a top notch manager and one of the winningest of all time, but he made a key mistake yesterday that cost the Reds a big game.

Top Reds at the break

The Reds have had a 2013 season to remember. Cincinnati is now used to the Reds' winning culture that the Dusty Baker and Joey Votto era has cultivated for the first time in decades. The team is positioned in a decent spot eleven games over .500 and five games back from the first place Pirates. There are still many doubters as to whether the Pirates can maintain consistent winning and capture a division title. The Reds and Cardinals are the more proven teams, and with the Cardinals and Reds about to get healthier before the pennant race, it could come down to the last few weeks of the season for the MLB's most competitive division. The Reds have many contributors all across the infield, outfield, on the bench and in the bullpen, and on the mound, but there are five players that have stood out above the rest this season.

5. Aroldis Chapman-The closer has been lights out almost all season long. With the exception of a couple negative games, Chapman has been dominant in the closer role once again in 2013. He can still fire fastballs 103 MPH, and he has built upon his success with the slider this season. There have been reports recently that the Reds should trade Chapman. I don't care who the Reds could get in return, including Miami left fielder Giancarlo Stanton; Chapman should be untouchable this season in Walt Jocketty's mind. He is too valuable when the game is on the line and when something isn't broken on a team, don't try to fix it. I think the Reds organization is much more comfortable with Chapman in the ninth inning than with Francisco Cordero in 2010 when the Reds made the playoffs.
Stat Line: 3-3 2.79 ERA, 21 saves in 24 opportunities, 64 strikeouts, 1.12 WHIP, .175 opponent batting average

4. Brandon Phillips-This spot is really a toss up between Phillips and Jay Bruce, but I went with Phillips because of his quick adjustment to batting cleanup and his off the charts fielding ability. Phillips  is the ultimate adaptor to any lineup Dusty Baker puts out, and he has adjusted to the fourth spot perfectly by leading the Reds in RBI's and being near the top of the NL in that category. Phillips is on pace to easily set a career high in RBI's. Phillips has also embraced the city of Cincinnati and played the game with pure joy and enthusiasm. Phillips is a clutch hitter and playmaker in the field who has molded his game to rival what Joe Morgan did for the franchise in the 70's.
Stat Line: .266 AVG, .320 OBP, 12 home runs, 74 RBI's, 44 double plays turned

3. Mike Leake-It's surprising to see Leake as the top performer in the Reds' rotation, especially after a mediocre 2012 when his ERA was in the mid fours. Leake is tied for the team lead in wins, and is second on the team in ERA by pitcher who has pitched in more than eleven games right behind Sam LeCure. Leake has resurrected his reputation as a rising young arm in the game. Many have compared his savvy baseball mind and ability to hit the correct spots while pitching to Greg Maddux. Leake is well on his way to making All Star appearances and becoming at least a third pitcher in the rotation.
Stat Line: 8-4, 2.69 ERA, 117 innings pitched, 26 walks

2. Shin-Soo Choo-Choo is the best leadoff hitter Dusty Baker has ever had, and he has helped the top half of the batting order tremendously. Choo is one of the best all around players the Reds have in terms of fielding, running, hitting for average and power, and getting on base. Choo is a five tool player and his addition to the club along with the trade for Mat Latos last season has led to the Reds' resurgence to a playoff caliber team. Choo gets on base almost as much as Joey Votto, and his transition to center field has been virtually seamless with his cannon for an arm and above average tracking range for fly balls. Choo may be playing his final half of baseball for the Reds, but even if that's true, fans should just enjoy the remainder of his time in a Cincinnati uniform.
Stat Line: .287 AVG, .425 OBP, 13 home runs, 31 RBI's, 64 walks, 11 stolen bases

1. Joey Votto-Votto has returned to All Star and MVP form after being thrown off his rhythm with a knee injury in 2012. Votto has been the best in the big leagues at getting on base, and when he is locked in and seeing the ball well, no pitcher can get him out. Votto hit .388 in the month of May and it wouldn't be surprising if he was able to pick his average back up in August when the games really begin to decide who remains in the playoff race. Votto leads the Reds in average, on base percentage, and walks. He is seventh in the NL in batting average this season.
Stat Line: .318 AVG, .434 OBP, 15 home runs, 42 RBI's, 71 walks

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Cincy Sports Spot Awards: Part 1

The ESPY Awards show takes place tonight on ESPN heralding the best players, teams, and moments of the past year. Although there are no players from any of the Cincinnati sports teams nominated to receive awards on tonight's show, there are plenty of deserving players on professional and collegiate teams in the local area. Many players have risen to stardom and teams in the city like the Bengals and Reds have accomplished more than in the past twenty years with back to back playoff appearances and almost one hundred victories respectively. Now, Part 1 of Cincy Sports Spot's first annual awards for Cincinnati teams and players.

Best Athlete: Geno Atkins-Atkins collected 12.5 sacks to lead defensive tackles this past season, and could have easily been the Defensive Player of the Year if it wasn't for the amazing year JJ Watt had for the Texans. Atkins is already probably the best nose tackle the Bengals have ever had. Yes, that includes Tim Krumrie. He brings a rare skill set with his speed rushing and unbelievable leg strength. Atkins is almost impossible to block for an entire game.

Best Upset: Cincinnati over Marquette 71-69 (OT)-The Bearcats needed a signature win in mid January to make March Madness, and a victory over twenty-fifth ranked Marquette fit that bill. Sean Kilpatrick hit the game winning shot in that game with less than five seconds left during a dynamic scoring performance of thirty-six points. Kilpatrick hit five three pointers in the game for Cincinnati, who went on to make the tournament and lose to Creighton in the first round.

Best Male College Athlete: Semaj Christon-Christon was largely left to lead the rebuilding Xavier Musketeers in 2012-2013. The Musketeers had to play two walk-ons throughout the season, and Top 100 recruit Semaj Christon was the standout as a freshman. Christon almost single handedly willed his team to victory against ranked teams Memphis and St. Louis with thirteen and twenty points respectively. Christon became the nation's second best point guard heading into the offseason right behind Marcus Smart after he averaged 15.2 points, almost three rebounds, and 4.6 assists. Christon can easily play his way into the top ten in next year's NBA draft.

Best Coach/Manager-Dusty Baker-As much as fans like to give Baker grief for some of his decisions in regards to lineups and pitching changes, not many people can argue with the results of a manager who has become one of the winningest managers in the history of baseball. The Reds finished with 97 wins in 2012, making the playoffs and winning the first two games before losing the next three to the World Series Champions. Baker currently has the Reds in a Wild Card spot with the Reds sitting pretty comfortably in third in the NL Central eleven games over the .500 mark.

Best Moment: Bengals defeat Steelers 13-10 in Week 16-Just before Christmas, the Bengals got an early present by clinching a playoff spot with a win over the Steelers. The game decided a Wild Card spot and clinched the Bengals' second straight playoff appearance for the first time since 1981-82. The game was extremely ugly and low scoring as the Bengals rushed for just fourteen yards, but Andy Dalton hit AJ Green near the sidelines at the right time with under a minute left in the game to set up a game winning field goal by kicker Josh Brown. What an exciting victory for a historically playoff starved Cincinnati Bengals franchise.

Best Comeback-Leon Hall-Hall suffered a season ending Achilles injury after playing in nine games in 2011, and made it back after a commendable rehab period to play in fourteen games in 2012. Hall collected two interceptions, including one for a touchdown against the Steelers, and also earned a pick against the Texans in the playoffs. Hall has become a marquee cornerback in the league, and he does it the right way by being a consummate professional. Look for Hall to only improve after a full year back from the injury.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Reds weekend observations

The Reds fell back in their quest to gain control of the NL Central this weekend by dropping two of three to the lowly Seattle Mariners, a team in second to last place in the AL West and ten games under .500. As the All Star break approaches and the halfway mark in the season just completed, here are some observations on the progress of the team at this juncture.

-At just over the half way point, the Reds are still in good shape in terms of overall record. The team was nine games over .500 at the break last year and in second place, a game behind Pittsburgh. This year, the Reds are behind both St. Louis and Pittsburgh with some ground to make up. The Reds went on a long winning streak after the break last year in mid to late July, so as long as they keep pace and don't get over five games behind the first place Pirates, they should be fine going forward.

-The bullpen and starting pitching can't be blamed for the Reds' troubles right now. The offense has been flopping over the past four series. The Reds have struggled picking up AL pitching, as the team is now 6-9 on the year against AL opponents. Zack Cozart is two for his last nineteen, and Brandon Phillips is five for his last twenty-one. The top of the lineup needs to start hitting and getting on base so the Reds can generate more runs. Luckily for the Reds, they have only one series left against the AL against Oakland on August 6-7.

-A sweep of the last place Brewers could go a long way for this team. If the Reds can win three in Milwaukee, that puts them at fifteen games over .500 heading into a clash with the first place Braves. The Reds would then hope to take two of four in that series, and head into the break with one of the best records in the majors.

-The Reds will have two starters in the All Star Game for the NL roster in Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips. Phillips is getting his first start in his third appearance, and I could see him batting second on Bruce Bochy's lineup card. Votto is an experienced starter in the All Star Game, but he is hitless in his seven prior at bats in the game. Aroldis Chapman will make the team in back to back seasons and should be a nice weapon for the NL to use late in the game. Shin-Soo Choo and Jay Bruce could be considered snubs because they weren't elected to represent the Reds in the game, but with Choo's recent dip in batting average and Bruce's inconsistency at the plate, an appearance just wasn't in the cards. According to Bochy, Homer Bailey and Mat Latos were under heavy consideration for spots on the team as well.

-The second hitter in the lineup is costing the Reds a great deal of runs. Zack Cozart has found himself in a lot of favorable scoring opportunities throughout the season and hasn't been able to capitalize and extend those opportunities by getting on base or driving in runs. He has just nine RBI's and is hitting .216 in the last thirty days. The easiest solution is to move Votto up a spot in the order and shift Phillips to the third spot and Bruce to cleanup in the order. However, it is highly unlikely for Baker to move Votto, the best hitter on the roster, out of the third spot. Xavier Paul and Derrick Robinson are solid contact hitters with OBP's above .330, so another possibility is to platoon the two left fielders in the two hole.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Should Votto bat second?

There is an interesting column in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated making the case for MLB teams' best hitter, and specifically Joey Votto, to bat second on the lineup card. The article argues that by hitting second in the order, Votto would create more runs for the Reds because he wouldn't be behind Zack Cozart, an easier out. By Votto following Shin-Soo Choo in the order, the Reds would have more opportunities for the middle of the order to drive in runs with fewer outs and better base path situations. The article also argues that Votto would see a few more plate appearances each month, and hitting at the plate in more intense situations late in games.

I actually agree with this new age strategy for the batting order. Of course, Dusty Baker almost assuredly will not change his current lineup, which has remained in tact since Ryan Ludwick went down, so this suggestion is probably not even worth discussing. Hypothetically, if Votto moved to second in the order after Shin-Soo Choo, here is what the new batting order could look like:

Shin-Soo Choo

Joey Votto

Brandon Phillips 

Jay Bruce 

Todd Frazier

Xavier Paul

Zack Cozart 

Ryan Hanigan/Devin Mesoraco

Pitcher

This lineup does seem more appealing in terms of run production. There is no easy out in the top half of this Reds batting order, and the lower half has some formidable hitters as well. The lineup would put less pressure on Cozart to produce consistently with his above average hitting ability. This batting order just balances out the Reds' strengths better, and when Ryan Ludwick returns, he could be inserted into either the fourth or sixth spot in the order, moving Bruce and Frazier down a spot, or not changing the hitting positions at all. If I was the manager of this team, I would try this batting order out for a few games. What is there to lose? The Reds aren't hitting too well lately, scoring more than 4 runs zero times since May 31. Cincinnati needs a solution to its hitting woes if it seeks to keep up with baseball's powerhouse, the St. Louis Cardinals. Moving Joey Votto to second in the order could fix a lot of problems.

Mesoraco's potential dwindling?

When Devin Mesoraco first came up to the Reds late in 2011, most fans expected the catcher to be an All Star catcher very quickly. Mesoraco was a first round pick out of high school in Pennsylvania, and after some struggles at the plate as a teenager, he tore up the Reds' minor league system. Mesoraco, a 6'1, 230 pound player, spanned all three levels of the minors in 2010, hitting .302 with 26 home runs. He also hit .289 with 15 homers in Triple A Louisville in 2011. Now, at 24 years old, Mesoraco is at a crossroads in his second season in the majors.

Mesoraco has been partly mishandled by Reds manager Dusty Baker. Baker has put his full trust in Ryan Hanigan, and therefore gives the longtime veteran a majority of the starts. Hanigan is your quintessential underrated player. He won't put up flashy numbers like Mesoraco can, but Hanigan handles the pitching staff with great ease. Mesoraco has typically been given two starts a week when Mat Latos and Mike Leake are pitching. That gives Mesoraco a slim 8 at bats per week give or take a couple, not nearly enough for the catcher to fully lock in at the plate on a consistent basis. Mesoraco has dramatically improved defensively. Latos and Leake are having career years pitching thus far, which has a great deal to do with Mesoraco's signs as the backstop.

Devin Mesoraco has been consistently average at the plate in Cincinnati. The young catcher has the power swing to hit over 20 home runs a year. He also can make enough contact at the plate to stay consistently above the .250 mark in batting average. However, he hit only .212 in 165 plate appearances with 5 home runs and 33 strike outs in 2012. This season, Mesoraco is hitting .229 in 83 at bats. He has 2 home runs and 12 RBI's. There have been flashes of brilliance in his bat. Mesoraco hit the game tying home run in a comeback effort in the 9th inning of a 5-4 victory over Atlanta and closer Craig Kimbrel. Baker has considered switching his rotation to give more playing time to his future at the position. If the Reds want Mesoraco to develop into a consistent hitter, he should be integrated into catching for some of the other pitchers in the rotation. The goal for the Reds should be to have Mesoraco start in the All Star game when Cincinnati hosts All Star weekend in 2015. By that time, Mesoraco should become an everyday major leaguer. I think Mesoraco compares well to Russell Martin of the Pirates. Martin hit 21 homers with the Yankees last season. Mesoraco cannot continue to develop at a snails pace or it could really hurt his chances of becoming the player the Reds drafted him to develop into
.