Buddy Reed considered Oakland A’s most athletic prospect

Typically, when a person is a three sport star, they would need to be fairly athletic in order to excel in those areas. Such is the case with Oakland A’s outfield prospect Buddy Reed.

MLB.com recently took a look at the most athletic prospect in each team’s farm system. Reed was the easy choice for the A’s given his background and impressive speed.

Buddy Reed considered Oakland A’s most athletic prospect

It is easy to see why when Reed is on the bases or in center. His blazing speed makes him a weapon in both instances, allowing him to steal bases or track down long drives in the gaps. That speed allows him to play center at a level that makes one imagine that he could be another Gold Glove caliber prospect in the A’s system.

The problem has been that Reed is inconsistent at best offensively. He produced a .247/.354/.351 batting line in his 115 plate appearances at Triple-A, hitting five doubles and a homer while stealing three bases.

That has been the issue with Reed throughout his career. He has shown the potential to be a five tool player, someone with the power and speed to make an impact when he is locked in at the plate. But those times have been too few and far between at this point in his career.

As Reed will be 27 years old at the start of the 2022 season, time is running out for him to show the consistency needed to be a major league asset. His defense and speed could get him a look as a fourth outfielder, but Reed has the potential to be so much more if he can put everything together.

Buddy Reed has been named as the Oakland A’s most athletic prospect currently in their system. It is time to get those tools to translate to production.