Christian Encarnacion-Strand

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #5 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: Encarnacion-Strand's 2022 season was a wild ride. He was one of the hottest hitters in the minors in April, batting .410/.459/.679, but he slumped to post a lower OPS in May (.659) than his April slugging mark. He then returned to being one of the best bats in the minors in June and July, made the jump to Double-A and was traded to the Reds with Spencer Steer for righthander Tyler Mahle. Encarnacion-Strand finished second in the minors in RBIs (114) and top 10 in home runs (32), slugging (.587), extra-base hits (68) and total bases (284).
  
  Scouting Report: Wherever Encarnacion-Strand has ever played, he's hit. Dating back to 2019, he has hit over .300 and slugged over .500 at every stop, including two seasons at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, a season at Oklahoma State and his first two years of pro ball. He manages to do so despite an extremely aggressive approach that leads to plenty of swings and misses out of the zone. He's a streaky hitter, but if he's on time, he has the bat control to do damage. He also has plus-plus raw power that projects to be at least plus productive power, and he can drive the ball to the opposite field. Encarnacion-Strand's plus-plus arm gives him more time than the average third baseman to make plays on balls to his backhand or ones he knocks down. He has a quick first step despite below-average speed. Despite his impressive tools, the game often gets too fast for him at third, and he too often then rushes plays and commits errors.
  
  The Future: Encarnacion-Strand's range of outcomes span from that of an all-star third baseman to a first baseman with contact issues. With the Reds' surplus of shortstops and third base prospects, he is going to have to sharpen his defense quickly to avoid a move down the defensive spectrum. Few Reds hitting prospects can match his hitting upside.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Run: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 70

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #92 prospect in 2021 draft
  Wherever Encarnacion-Strand has played, he’s hit. He hit .430/.505/.907 in a coronavirus-shortened 2020 season at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC and .402/.473/.828 as a freshman in 2019, with 33 home runs for Yavapai in just 81 games over two seasons. When that wasn’t enough to get him drafted, he headed to Oklahoma State, where he immediately became the team’s best hitter. He was among the top five in the Big 12 Conference in batting average (.362), home runs (15) and slugging percentage (.665). Encarnacion-Strand loves to drive balls low in the zone, with pull power as he uses his impressive strength in his swing. Velocity doesn’t really bother him, as he has enough bat speed to catch up to quality fastballs. He’s reasonably proficient at staying in the strike zone as well and does a solid job of recognizing spin. He has the ability to be an average hitter with above-average power in pro ball, and he’s an average runner. Where he’s going to fit defensively is a little more of a question. Encarnacion-Strand has an above-average and accurate arm. His arm, solid hands and a good ability to come in on the ball make him a playable, fringe-average defender at third, but his side-to-side range is limited and does not fit all that well for teams that like to play their third baseman as a pseudo-shortstop on shifts.
• Ranked #463 prospect in 2019 draft
  Encarnacion-Strand was not well-known to area scouts upon arrival at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, but his .303/.469/.838 slash line that included 21 home runs and 66 RBIs in 53 games put the Bay Area high school product squarely on the scouting radar. He has plenty of raw power with a strong frame and above-average bat speed, but there are holes in his swing. His hands work well through the pitch, although he's sometimes late getting his swing started. An adequate defender at third base, scouts are mixed as to whether Encarnacion-Strand has the agility to stay at the hot corner. The answer to that question will more likely depend on how his body grows, and he's already a bigger-set individual at age 18.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: Encarnacion-Strand's 2022 season was a wild ride. He was one of the hottest hitters in the minors in April, batting .410/.459/.679, but he slumped to post a lower OPS in May (.659) than his April slugging mark. He then returned to being one of the best bats in the minors in June and July, made the jump to Double-A and was traded to the Reds with Spencer Steer for righthander Tyler Mahle. Encarnacion-Strand finished second in the minors in RBIs (114) and top 10 in home runs (32), slugging (.587), extra-base hits (68) and total bases (284).
  
  Scouting Report: Wherever Encarnacion-Strand has ever played, he's hit. Dating back to 2019, he has hit over .300 and slugged over .500 at every stop, including two seasons at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, a season at Oklahoma State and his first two years of pro ball. He manages to do so despite an extremely aggressive approach that leads to plenty of swings and misses out of the zone. He's a streaky hitter, but if he's on time, he has the bat control to do damage. He also has plus-plus raw power that projects to be at least plus productive power, and he can drive the ball to the opposite field. Encarnacion-Strand's plus-plus arm gives him more time than the average third baseman to make plays on balls to his backhand or ones he knocks down. He has a quick first step despite below-average speed. Despite his impressive tools, the game often gets too fast for him at third, and he too often then rushes plays and commits errors.
  
  The Future: Encarnacion-Strand's range of outcomes span from that of an all-star third baseman to a first baseman with contact issues. With the Reds' surplus of shortstops and third base prospects, he is going to have to sharpen his defense quickly to avoid a move down the defensive spectrum. Few Reds hitting prospects can match his hitting upside.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Run: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 70
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Very High
  
  Track Record: Encarnacion-Strand's 2022 season was a wild ride. He was one of the hottest hitters in the minors in April, batting .410/.459/.679, but he slumped to post a lower OPS in May (.659) than his April slugging mark. He then returned to being one of the best bats in the minors in June and July, made the jump to Double-A and was traded to the Reds with Spencer Steer for righthander Tyler Mahle. Encarnacion-Strand finished second in the minors in RBIs (114) and top 10 in home runs (32), slugging (.587), extra-base hits (68) and total bases (284).
  
  Scouting Report: Wherever Encarnacion-Strand has ever played, he's hit. Dating back to 2019, he has hit over .300 and slugged over .500 at every stop, including two seasons at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, a season at Oklahoma State and his first two years of pro ball. He manages to do so despite an extremely aggressive approach that leads to plenty of swings and misses out of the zone. He's a streaky hitter, but if he's on time, he has the bat control to do damage. He also has plus-plus raw power that projects to be at least plus productive power, and he can drive the ball to the opposite field. Encarnacion-Strand's plus-plus arm gives him more time than the average third baseman to make plays on balls to his backhand or ones he knocks down. He has a quick first step despite below-average speed. Despite his impressive tools, the game often gets too fast for him at third, and he too often then rushes plays and commits errors.
  
  The Future: Encarnacion-Strand's range of outcomes span from that of an all-star third baseman to a first baseman with contact issues. With the Reds' surplus of shortstops and third base prospects, he is going to have to sharpen his defense quickly to avoid a move down the defensive spectrum. Few Reds hitting prospects can match his hitting upside.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 40. Power: 70. Run: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 70
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme.
  
  August Update: Encarnacion-Strand was traded to the Reds in the deal that sent Tyler Mahle to Minnesota. He&#39s continued to demonstrate plus power, and has handled the jump to Double-A without any issues. He&#39s among the minors most productive sluggers in 2022.
  
  May Update: Encarnacion-Strand was one of the better power hitters in college baseball in 2021. He&#39s shown the same combination of plate discipline and power in the Midwest League this year.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Encarnacion-Strand was not well-known to area scouts upon arrival at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, but his .303/.469/.838 slash line that included 21 home runs and 66 RBIs in 53 games put the Bay Area high school product squarely on the scouting radar. He has plenty of raw power with a strong frame and above-average bat speed, but there are holes in his swing. His hands work well through the pitch, although he's sometimes late getting his swing started. An adequate defender at third base, scouts are mixed as to whether Encarnacion-Strand has the agility to stay at the hot corner. The answer to that question will more likely depend on how his body grows, and he's already a bigger-set individual at age 18.