John Riedling

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #9 prospect in 2001
  After he was put on the 40-man roster, released and re-signed by the Reds after the 1998 season, Riedling's career was revived by a move from the rotation to the bullpen in 1999. In 2000, the only question was why he wasn't called up earlier. He was called to Cincinnati on Aug. 28 when Scott Williamson went on the disabled list, and Riedling was breezed through his first big league stint. When he joined the Reds, catcher Jason LaRue compared his stuff to that of closer Danny Graves. Skeptics scoffed, then quickly agreed once they saw Riedling pitch. He has a quick, darting fastball that indeed rivals Graves', and a sharp breaking ball. Riedling's makeup also thrills Cincinnati. He needs no help with his pitches but could benefit from more consistent command in the strike zone. He'll need to cut down on his walks to maintain his effectiveness. It's a virtual certainty that Riedling will open the season in Cincinnati's bullpen. His late-season effectiveness seeded trade rumors involving Scott Sullivan, the workhorse set-up artist whose arbitration-eligible status might make him too expensive for the Reds.