X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Aristides Aquino - Man or Myth?

Cincinnati Reds rookie outfielder Aristides Aquino has been on fire, setting home run records upon his call-up in 2019. Nicklaus Gaut profiles this OF prospect to see what his long-term dynasty value will be for fantasy baseball leagues.

You may not know how to pronounce his name but it would be near-impossible to have not heard of him by now:

ARR -i-STY-Deez. A-KEE-noh. SMASH-er of BAYS-bawlz.

Saying that Cincinnati rookie Aristides Aquino has kind of been on fire, is like saying that Jon Hamm is kind of handsome... A statement that is technically true but falls well short in describing the overall magnitude. Since being called up on August 1, Aquino has seemingly transcended his human form, becoming fire itself. A human torch who now uses a fully open stance to better see the poor pitcher who is about to serve him up another fat meatball. But is this for real? Not as in continuing this impossible pace but rather does his start justify leveling Aquino up in terms of what is now considered possible for this year and beyond?

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Origin Story

In terms of awesomeness, the numbers speak for themselves; in his first 63 plate-appearances, Aquino has gone into full videogame-mode, hitting 11 home runs in his first 17 games, eclipsing Rhys Hoskin's 2017 record for the fewest amount of games to reach that mark. Aquino also needed the second-fewest plate appearances ever (58) to reach 11 HR, with only Mike Schmidt's 56 PA being faster. Since arriving in Cincinnati his 1.327 OPS is third-best in baseball and his .930 SLG is first. En. Fuego.

For those that follow prospects, Aristides isn't an unknown. The six-foot-four outfielder has been considered one of Cincinnati's top-10 prospects for a few years, even winning the player of the year award in the Florida State League in 2016. Aristides could always hit the ball a so-called country-mile but as it often is with sluggers in the low levels of the minors, that big power came with big holes in his swing that more advanced pitchers took advantage of after the Reds sent Aquino to Double-A in 2017. In 504 plate-appearances that year, Aquino only hit 17 home runs with a .219 AVG and while 2018 was better, he still only posted a .240 AVG with a 25.2% K-rate as a 24-year old repeating the level. So after two uninspiring seasons at Double-A, our hero was subsequentially dropped to his lowest depths when the Reds non-tendered him in November in a roster reshuffling before quickly re-signing him to a minor-league contract the next day.

Cincinnati may have still been interested in Aquino but he nevertheless entered this spring a career crossroads, because at 25-years old it was time for Aquino to either put up or shut up and melt away into the fog of minor league mediocrity. But sometimes all a superhero-to-be needs is a muse to help him find his way.  Enter, Donnie Ecker. An assistant hitting coach for the Reds, Ecker had first seen Aquino in 2016 when he was working in the St. Louis organization, including a game where he smashed two home runs against Ecker's Palm Beach Cardinals. And so when he started working with him in spring, Ecker told Aquino what he had first thought about him in 2016; that Aquino was special, with game-changing potential in his bat...They just needed to figure out how to unlock it. To find the key to transforming him into a hitter worthy of the nickname first bestowed on him by his older brother when Aquino was just a 12-year old kid in the Dominican Republic.

 

The Punisher

Aquino and Ecker got to work all through spring, completely reworking the beginning of the slugger's stance. In year's past, Aquino had a traditional closed stance, only utilizing a toe-tap at the beginning. But with an eye on getting him able to see the pitcher as best as he could, Aquino and Ecker eventually cracked his stance wide open, with his back foot slanted at a 45-degree angle towards the plate, while his front foot starts all the way in the back-left corner of the batter's box. Once the pitch is thrown, Aquino does a high leg-kick as he transitions into a more traditional stance. Aquino now felt more comfortable with how he saw the pitcher, and good results swiftly followed.

The dramatic change took complete hold during spring, so Aquino wisely took it with him to his Triple-A assignment, continuing to work on its mechanics with many members of the Red's minor-league staff over the course of the season. But the real proof of his work was in the pudding, as Aquino lit his new level on fire with prodigious power, hitting 28 home runs in 323 plate appearances, with a .636 SLG and .337 ISO. With Aquino absolutely crushing lasers, it was an obvious move to see what he could do on the big stage once the Reds traded away Yasiel Puig at the deadline.

That question was quickly answered: punish.

 

But Will the Sequel Disappoint?

Putting his aforementioned rookie-records aside, Aquino's first 67 plate-appearances have been remarkable, with 11 of his 19 hits leaving the yard. After back-to-back 0-4 games, he's dropped to a .319 AVG with a 23.9% K-rate but is also running a little low on luck, running a .242 BABIP. And don't let his mundane 86.5 MPH average exit-velocity fool you, because what really stands out is how Aquino seems to treat baseballs like they owe him money, over and over punching them square in the mouth.

44 batted-ball events on the season don't qualify him for any Statcast Leaderboards, but his 14.9% barrel/PA would lead the league over known smashers of baseballs, Nelson Cruz and Gary Sanchez, while his 22.7% Brl/BBE rate would be second only to Joey Gallo. So while his .567 ISO and .496 wOBA are both ridiculous numbers, they're at least understandable considering Aquino's ability to square the ball up so far in this small sample. And this isn't just a case of a rookie feasting on fastballs either, as Aquino has seen fewer and fewer of those, thus far composing only 40% of the total pitches he's seen.

There are few decisions to be made for owners in redraft leagues where the trade deadline has passed. If he stays hot, then many of his owners may ride him to titles. If he dramatically cools off, then it will be easy to bench a guy who likely wasn't on your team three weeks ago. But dynasty owners will have more interesting decisions to make because - barring a complete fall of the cliff - Aquino will likely be a hot commodity in the offseason. But should you sell high before the bubble bursts, or watch him grow into a bull who runs through the market?

It won't be like it's been, he will slow down quite a bit. But regardless of the next six weeks, it cannot be denied that a dramatic swing change has coincided with a dramatic change in his results, first in 323 plate-appearances in Triple-A and now for 67 PA in the big leagues. So a large, athletic player has seemingly used a mechanical change to transmute his loud tools into actionable skills? If so, that is an asset that should hold premium value when comes time to assess your dynasty portfolio.

More 2019 Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nolan Arenado

Ready for Second Half
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Back in Action to Begin Second Half
Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF