With their 3rd round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, the Cincinnati Reds selected Jose Torres, a defensive wizard from NC State. Torres is a 21 year old shortstop prospect originally from Baltimore, Maryland.
Jose Torres made his Low-A debut for the Daytona Tortugas on August 18th. Torres started at shortstop and was hitting in the sixth spot in the lineup. He blasted a solo home run in his third at bat in his debut.
Torres is a 6 foot tall, 170 pound prospect that has put together a successful career at NC State. He had previously been drafted in the 24th round, but declined the contract and picked to attend college instead. This decision mightily paid off in the long run, as he signed for $622,500 this year.
The shortstop of a baseball team, more often than not, is the most athletic infielder. They are usually the best defensive infielder as well. These two attributes apply to Jose Torres as well. He has almost always been the best defender on his team and many see him as one of the best defensive prospects in the entire draft.
Torres showcases a tremendous arm, great range, and natural instincts, among other traits. His projection as a shortstop is expected to stick as he rises up through the minor leagues. Unlike 1st round pick Matt McLain, Torres isn’t expected to play multiple positions and potentially experience a position change.
“My defense is my biggest strength right now,” Torres said. “I have always excelled at defense. I work at it every day and take great pride in it.”
Torres has never been a tremendous hitter. But, that doesn’t mean he isn’t a good hitter. He has posted some respectable slash lines through his college career. In his two seasons at NC State, he slashed .300/.349/.533. Along with that, he tallied an impressive 10 home runs, 3 triples, and 12 doubles in just 52 games in his sophomore season. Extra base hits accounted for 25 of his 57 hits during his last season in college.
His main weakness at the plate has been his alarming walk to strikeout rate. He doesn’t really strikeout at a scary high rate either. The problem has been that he walks very rarely and has not shown great maturity at the plate. In his college career he has struck out 59 times and only drawn 16 walks. Obviously, this is an alarming ratio, but it is nothing to be too concerned about. Plate discipline is typically improved with maturity and experience.
“At the plate is the most important area I want to improve,” Torres said. “I want to have a better approach. I want to find different ways I can help the team, whether that’s bunting the ball or taking more pitchers or increasing my average compared to last year’s. Overall, I just want to learn how to be a better player at the plate.”
Some draft experts see Torres as the steal of the draft. He was projected to be selected in the mid to late second round but the Reds selected him in the mid third. Torres is a very high upside prospect that provides the Reds with depth in the farm system at the most crucial position on the field. At just 21 years old, Torres has the potential to be a stud for the Reds for years to come.
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