Tyler Mahle makes case to join Reds in 2017

Tyler Mahle has been laboring far from the bright lights of the Major Leagues, but that may soon changes. He's been mowing down AA Southern League hitters at a pace so staggering a pace that the big righthander may not be a Pensacola Blue Wahoo much longer.

Credit: Getty Images

Credit: Getty Images

Tyler Mahle has been laboring far from the bright lights of the Major Leagues, but that may soon changes. He's been mowing down AA Southern League hitters at a pace so staggering a pace that the big righthander may not be a Pensacola Blue Wahoo much longer.

The Reds rotation has been a seemingly endless rearranging of chairs. Luis Castillo, the young gun, has perhaps been the lone bright spot.

So why not add one more in Tyler Mahle? The Reds’ No. 3 prospect has been shining in Triple-A Louisville. His latest outing – five innings of one-run ball – was just another day.

Mahle is 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA and holding opponents to a .138 average in his past five starts, as pointed out by Baseball America. His velocity has hovered in the low-90s (though he topped at 95 mph in his last outing), but his fastball control is the key.

The 22-year-old has two no-hitters in his minor league career, including one this season on April 22. He still hasn’t maximized his repertoire, which contributed to a rough start in Louisville (5.02 ERA in his first three starts).

Cincinnati could promote Mahle in a bullpen capacity, giving him a short look at the majors while keeping his innings down. There’s no indication the Reds are considering that formerly common method, however.

Mahle’s changup and slider are still a work in progress. Their development is what will determine his ceiling.

"His off-speed pitches still need to be better," Louisville pitching coach Jeff Fassero said. "They're not outstanding yet. They're maybe average, maybe a little bit below. His fastball is above-average with the way he uses it pitch for pitch, and that's big. You have to have a fastball, command and control to pitch in the big leagues and be a good pitcher in the big leagues."

But given his recent outings, Mahle could get a taste of big league baseball in September. The Reds have used 14 starting pitchers this season.

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