Robert Manuel

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #27 prospect in 2009
  When scouts watch Manuel pitch, they just shake their heads. He rears back and throws 88-90 mph fastballs at hitters who are looking for fastballs. Yet time after time, they walk back to the dugout disappointed. Scouts can't explain it, but they can't quibble with the results. Manuel was a high school and junior college shortstop who didn't take up pitching until he got to Sam Houston State. He went undrafted but signed with the Mets as a free agent, and the Reds picked him up less than a year later in a swap for Dave Williams. Manuel's delivery is compact and he manages to hide the ball for a long time. Most important, his fastball seems to have a little hop to it at the plate, even if he lacks above-average velocity. Because he can spot it to all four quadrants of the plate, Manuel gets away with throwing fastball after fastball, mixing in a fringy slider or changeup infrequently. In the past, Manuel struggled because he spent time miscast as a starter. Once the Reds put him in the bullpen for good in 2008, he took off, having success in high Class A, Double-A and in the Arizona Fall League. The Reds added him to the 40-man roster after the season, fearing someone would take him in the Rule 5 draft if they didn't. Manuel will head to Triple-A needing to prove that he can continue to thrive with pedestrian stuff.