Jose Peraza isn't the next Billy Hamilton. He's better. I doubt he'll ever steal as many bases as Billy - last I checked he never stole 155 bases in a season, but then again who has? He can provide some things that Billy the Kid can't, however, namely a consistently high batting average and consistent defense. He is already gaining steam as a streaming option for deep league owners, but is he good enough to be a top fantasy prospect for next season or even keeper-worthy?

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Speed has been Peraza's greatest asset and he is carrying it with him to the Majors. Peraza swiped 64 bags in 2013 with the Braves' Single-A squad and followed it up with 60 in 2014. His production slipped a little the next year, with just 26 SB versus seven CS in 96 games for Triple-A Gwinnett. He was then moved at the trade deadline to the Dodgers in the deal for Hector Olivera, which ultimately proved to be a huge failure for Atlanta. A cup of coffee in L.A. didn't bring much success, but in the six times he reached base over 25 plate appearances, he did steal three bases. To start the season he surprisingly struggled with a 10/7 SB/CS rate in Triple-A with the Reds organization. Since his latest call-up, however, he is running with confidence and has cut down on the failed attempts. Peraza is up to 12 SB in 117 PA and has only been caught twice.

Speed helps in a variety of ways aside from steals alone. Peraza has scored 15 runs in 38 MLB games this season. Of course, runs are a product of a team's offense more so than individual talent. In that respect, things look very promising for the Reds. They lead the majors in hitting since the All-Star break with a .275 team average and are fifth in runs scored. With young stars like Peraza, Adam Duvall and Eugenio Suarez in the lineup, there is reason to believe Cincinnati is a team on the rise.

Take my word for it - he started on first base.

Peraza's recent hitting surge since being called up on August 20th has raised his batting average to .295, which almost mirrors his .299 career average in the minors and his .326 BABIP is definitely sustainable. Strangely, as his plate discipline has decreased, it has served him better in terms of logging base hits. His highest BB/K rates actually came at the beginning of his career. In 2011, he carried a 0.56 BB/K and finished with a .281 AVG in Rookie ball. The following year, he had a 0.54 BB/K and .299 AVG, and then a 0.53 BB/K came in 2013, a year in which he hit .288. This year in Major League action, he has dropped to a 0.13 BB/K rate, yet his average has climbed to .295. Peraza has an elevated 39.1% O-Swing% and 73.4% O-Contact% which has resulted in more hits, but less free passes. He needs to improve his eye if he's ever going to see his OBP jump accordingly. A speedster like Peraza belongs at the top of the lineup, but the same lack of discipline that has held Hamilton back at times may haunt Peraza as well if he hacks away too often.

Although it doesn't factor into fantasy value, when evaluating a player's ability to contribute in the future, most teams actually care if you can handle a glove. Peraza hasn't had a ton of chances in 2016, but he has just one error so far and has shown good range. In the minors, he had a solid 4.29 RF/G as a 2B and a 4.44 RF/G as a SS, which would rank among the league leaders. For comparison, Marcus Semien led the way with a 4.65 RF/G last season among shortstops. His future most likely lies as an infielder with the Reds, so this is another encouraging sign.

One day I'll devise an algorithm to convert plays like that into fantasy points. Yeah, right.

Peraza profiles as a high-average, base-stealing threat in the middle of the infield for a young, up-and-coming team. His eligibility at 2B/SS/OF don't hurt his value either. His September production will determine his 2017 value in re-draft leagues, but dynasty league owners should already have a keen eye on this prospect.

To close, I will show you a gif of Peraza hitting his second Major League homer. Not to show he has power or anything, but I took the time to make this gif so you may as well see it. After all, a home run is like a fireworks show - it doesn't matter how many times you see one, you never get tired of it.

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