Cincinnati Reds left-hander Tony Cingrani didn't make my initial top 10 fantasy prospects for 2013 list, then he jumped to No. 9 in last week's edition. Well, he's gone again, and for good reason: The Reds called him up when Johnny Cueto went on the disabled list because of a lat strain. In his first big league start Thursday, Cingrani struck out eight Marlins in five innings, allowing just one run and beating Jose Fernandez to earn his first major league win.
Cingrani's path to the big leagues was an unusual one. He broke former big leaguer Tim Byrdak's single-season and career strikeout records at South Suburban (Ill.) Junior College before moving on (like Byrdak also had) to Rice. In 2010, his first season with the Owls, Cingrani recorded an 8.58 ERA in six starts and lost his confidence to the point that he asked the coaching staff if they wanted him back for his senior year.
