In his last start for the Kane County Cougars, Cody Reed threw a complete-game, 3-hit shutout. Overall he struck out 9 and walked 1 hitter, picking up the highest game score total from any pitcher in the organization at 95. That start got him noticed by the pundits, who put him on their Team of the Week as the LHP of the week. Reed currently ranks as the #19 prospect on MLB Pipeline and #18 overall in my own rankings.
#Dbacks No. 19 prospect Cody Reed (@KCCougars) is 1st pitcher to repeat on Team of the Week in 2017 after 3-hitter: https://t.co/qqbGhwHPA7 pic.twitter.com/0Hwj9XTu2W
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 22, 2017
The Diamondbacks drafted Reed in the 2nd round of the 2014 draft, signing his first professional contract just days after his 18th birthday. Reed is still very young, turning 21 next month and could be challenged at Visalia before too long. Reed is 3-1 in 7 starts, with a 1.08/2.07/3.03 ERA/FIP/xFIP. His ground ball rate is at 41.2% the largest number he’s had in full season ball and his swinging strike rate has jumped to 13.5%, higher than his total in Kane County a year ago. Other than his walk rate, which is still a solid 5% and a strikeout rate that dipped 5% from last year, Reed has proven that he can handle the Midwest League fine and is healthy. I think he’ll be part of the next wave of promotions along with Jon Duplantier and Marcus Wilson going up to Visalia.