Chad Rogers

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #15 prospect in 2014
  Bitten by a shark while surfing off the coast of Galveston, Texas, just before he was supposed to sign his contract with the Reds, Rogers has paid back the organization's decision to sign him while he recovered from the 60-stitch wound to his foot. Much like fellow Texas righthander Sam LeCure before him, Rogers has steadily climbed the ladder with solid but unspectacular stuff and plus command. Like LeCure, Rogers' ultimate destination likely is low-leverage relief, in part because his stuff will play up in shorter stints but also because he lacks a quality changeup. He pitches at 88-92 mph, sitting 91 with an average fastball that he can sink, cut or run. He also can manipulate an average slider, throwing it harder or softer depending on the situation. Rogers' changeup clearly is his third-best pitch, a below-average offering he doesn't trust, which makes him vulnerable to lefthanders. Rogers will return to Triple-A Louisville to begin 2014, but he ought to make his big league debut at some point during the season.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #28 prospect in 2013
  Unless he has a lengthy big league career or cures cancer, the first line of Rogers' bio will likely always include the words "bitten by a shark." Rogers was surfing in waters off Galveston, Texas, when a shark took a bite out of his foot. The injury occurred after Cincinnati drafted him but before he signed a contract, and he was happy the club still wanted to sign him after he demonstrated that despite 60 stitches, he had no permanent damage. To his credit, he has started to do enough as a prospect to prove he's more than just a human interest story. Another of the Reds' short righthanders, Rogers has thrived with average stuff. His fastball is effective despite its 88-92 mph velocity because it has plenty of sink. His slider is a hard pitch that can almost be confused for a cutter. If he's going to remain a starter, Rogers will need to improve his below-average changeup, which is too firm to get proper separation from his fastball. His assortment may work better out of the bullpen long-term, where his velocity could gain a tick--he has touched 94 mph in short stretches. Rogers has repaid Cincinnati's faith in him by showing more success than the average late-round pick. After an impressive finish in Double-A last year, he could make it to Triple-A at some point in 2013.