Kyle Waldrop

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #21 prospect in 2016
  Feel for hitting is not a yes or no proposition, and it's not always a linear progression for those who answer yes. In 2014, Waldrop began to show an improved, more advanced approach to hitting when he began laying off pitches out of the zone and started using the whole field instead of using the pull-heavy approach he had used in the past. It looked to be a strong step forward, but Waldrop relapsed in 2015, seeming to forget everything he learned, especially when he hit .185 in 55 games at Triple-A Louisville. Tellingly, all six of the lefthanded-hitting Waldrop's home runs were pulled to right field. His timing seemed off, and he began pressing as his season fell apart. The Reds have to hope that Waldrop can flush 2015 and get back to the all-field approach that worked before. He's a fringe-average left fielder with a below-average arm who can also play a fringe-average first base. Waldrop has some strength and athleticism and is an average runner. He has shown glimpses of being an above-average hitter with average power, but as he returns to Louisville in 2016, he's farther away than he was a year ago.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #13 prospect in 2015
  The Reds' most pleasant surprise in 2014 was the development of Waldrop at Double-A Pensacola. A former high school football player who had flashed potential in the past, sandwiched around a number of injuries, Waldrop dominated the high Class A California League and, more importantly, did the same thing after a midseason promotion to the Southern League and then in the Arizona Fall League. Waldrop has to hit because he's a fringe-average defensive left fielder without the speed (he's an average runner) or arm strength (a 40 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale) to handle another outfield spot. In the past, Waldrop had been a pull hitter who would succumb to good pitching but destroyed mistakes, but in 2014 he started using the whole field much better and stopped chasing as much. A bit of Waldrop's power melted away in the process, but it was a solid trade-off, for he now shows the potential to become an above-average hitter with still solid-average power. He and Jesse Winker are competing for the same spot in the Reds' future lineup because neither fits in right field. Added to the 40-man roster in November, Waldrop could make himself a candidate for Triple-A Louisville in 2015 with a strong spring.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #22 prospect in 2013
  When Joey Votto came to Dayton for an injury rehab assignment last August, he joined Waldrop's batting practice group. With a big crowd gathered to see Votto, Waldrop put on a show, hitting long homer after long homer. That power doesn't always show up in games much yet, but it's a reason the Reds have high hopes for the former South Florida football commitment. He hit eight homers in 2012 but projects to have above-average power once he figures out how to translate it into game production. He generally has a fluid swing, though he will get caught sometimes trying too hard to muscle the ball out of the park. He hit .301 the second half of the season and projects to be a solid hitter. His below-average arm will limit him to left field, but as with many former football players, it has improved as he has focused on baseball. He's a solid defender, though he's a below-average runner who likely will slow down. He needs to improve his baserunning. Waldrop will head to high Class A in 2013. As a bat-first left fielder, he knows he'll have to keep hitting to get to the big leagues.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #22 prospect in 2012
  Like Amir Garrett, Waldrop is another high-ceiling talent who fell in the draft because of his potential commitment to another sport. While Garrett was one of the top basketball recruits in his class, Waldrop always had more potential on the diamond than the gridiron. He was a standout safety and wide receiver who committed to play baseball and football at South Florida until the Reds paid him $500,000 as a 12th-round pick in 2010. Waldrop has a natural lefthanded stroke that helped him to a fine showing as a 19- year-old against older Pioneer League competition. He has average power and speed, with the chance to be a reliable offensive performer once he learns to manage the strike zone. Like many football players who turn to baseball, Waldrop has a below-average arm but can improve it through drills and repetition. He played mostly right field in 2011 and will have to add more arm strength to stick there at higher levels. Waldrop has the potential for solid tools across the board, and he'll work on refining them this year in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pioneer League #19 prospect in 2011
  The Reds signed 12th-rounder Waldrop away from a South Florida commitment last year for $500,000, the equivalent of late second-round money. He also intended to play football for the Bulls, and didn't focus solely on baseball until he turned pro in August 2010. Unlike many ex-footballers, Waldrop has a quick swing that he repeats. He has just enough loft in his stroke to project solid-average power down the line, and he showed present ability by ranking second in the Pioneer League with nine triples and third with 22 doubles. After batting .233 in the first half, Waldrop began using the opposite field in the second and batted .310/.324/.545 in his final 35 games. Waldrop lacks the speed to handle center field, and his fringe-average arm may not play in right, where he spent most of 2011. He conceivably could add arm strength as his body grows more accustomed to baseball.

• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  The Reds' most pleasant surprise in 2014 was the development of Waldrop at Double-A Pensacola. A former high school football player who had flashed potential in the past, sandwiched around a number of injuries, Waldrop dominated the high Class A California League and, more importantly, did the same thing after a midseason promotion to the Southern League and then in the Arizona Fall League. Waldrop has to hit because he's a fringe-average defensive left fielder without the speed (he's an average runner) or arm strength (a 40 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale) to handle another outfield spot. In the past, Waldrop had been a pull hitter who would succumb to good pitching but destroyed mistakes, but in 2014 he started using the whole field much better and stopped chasing as much. A bit of Waldrop's power melted away in the process, but it was a solid trade-off, for he now shows the potential to become an above-average hitter with still solid-average power. He and Jesse Winker are competing for the same spot in the Reds' future lineup because neither fits in right field. Added to the 40-man roster in November, Waldrop could make himself a candidate for Triple-A Louisville in 2015 with a strong spring.