DSL connection

[M2]

At this moment the Reds have one - count 'em, one! - winning team in the entire system. It's the DSL Reds who play in the Boca Chica section of Santo Domingo. Even with a loss today, they are 32-15. They're so hot you might even call them caliente. I strongly urge everyone to adopt these guys as the saviors of the franchise. Because who else is going to do it?

You can check out their stats here - https://www.baseball-reference.com/r...gi?id=ad425dd8

The offense is led by the teenage rampage of 3B Jose Acosta, RF Darlin Guzman and C Daniel Vellojin. They've got two 17-year-old 2Bs - Thomas Lora and Esmil Torres - trying to walk their way off the island. Jose Franco leads the rotation with a 1.70 ERA and a 6.50 K/BB. Andry Cuevas has been a shutdown closer.

They should clinch their division this weekend. Maybe this is the Reds' year after all, just a little to the south.

[JaxRed]

My DSL connection has been a little slow. Considering going to cable. Wait....... what?

[mace]

Thanks for starting the thread, M2. I've been thinking we should be giving more attention to these guys, since they're the only good thing going in the system. And also because the Reds' DSL teams aren't normally like this.

Three more 17s of note, I think: SS Ilvin Fernandez, CF Junior Tamares, and C Edison Ovalles.

It's interesting to me that the club's success immediately follows the years of restriction on the Reds' international spending. I wonder if that might have somehow worked to their advantage in the $300,000 player market.

[TRF]

Keep in mind that the DSL Reds promoted the next supersar of the Reds system, El Presidente Fidel Castro, last year. He's posting a robust .302 .358 .563 .921 on the year.

The DSL has some talent.

[M2]

A homer and double in 4 ABs today raised Vellojin's OPS to 1.000. Franco lowered his ERA to 1.58 with three shutout innings (4 Ks).

[DocRed]

Jose Franco 1.50 ERA in what seems like a hitters league. I've heard scouting reports that he is a combination of Jose Rijo and John Franco..

[WrongVerb]

I don't mean this cynically, but I find it difficult to get excited about anyone in the DSL. To me, the DSL is basically at the level of an advanced high school baseball all-star league that draws its players from a several state region. Are there diamonds in the rough in there? Sure. But they're few and far between. And the day-to-day performances that seem to wow so many around here are much more likely due to differences in physical athletic ability than baseball skill or talent.

[TRF]

I don't mean this cynically, but I find it difficult to get excited about anyone in the DSL. To me, the DSL is basically at the level of an advanced high school baseball all-star league that draws its players from a several state region. Are there diamonds in the rough in there? Sure. But they're few and far between. And the day-to-day performances that seem to wow so many around here are much more likely due to differences in physical athletic ability than baseball skill or talent.

um, and I am not being mean here, but who cares? The skill level thing seems silly when talking about minor league players. Skills are learned and that is what these kids are acquiring. As for physical talent, lots of guys play in the DSL as a starting point. Some advance some don't. There are 45 DSL teams, many organizations have 2 teams there. The Reds used to. We are talking about a league with 1000+ players in it, and not all are from the DR.

Every top of the way to MLB might have 1 diamond and a few in the rough. I mean at least we can hope for that. The truth is most systems are lucky to produce a Votto and more likely to produce a Winker.

[Boston Red]

Can someone explain the DSL to me? How do franchises acquire these children? Is there some sort of draft, or is it the wild west to sign whatever 16 year-olds you can?

[WrongVerb]

um, and I am not being mean here, but who cares? The skill level thing seems silly when talking about minor league players. Skills are learned and that is what these kids are acquiring. As for physical talent, lots of guys play in the DSL as a starting point. Some advance some don't. There are 45 DSL teams, many organizations have 2 teams there. The Reds used to. We are talking about a league with 1000+ players in it, and not all are from the DR.

Every top of the way to MLB might have 1 diamond and a few in the rough. I mean at least we can hope for that. The truth is most systems are lucky to produce a Votto and more likely to produce a Winker.

I care. Because so many seem to hang their hat on the potential of these kids. And by physical differences, I mean that some of these kids are physically bigger and stronger (due to genetics or diet) than those that they're playing against.

But really, I don't put too much stock into minor league performances at all until a player is producing at AA and above. That's where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. It's just that the DSL is such a low level, with inconsistent abilities among the players, that it's ridiculous to rely on their performance at that point as an indication of anything resembling major league promise.

[TRF]

I care. Because so many seem to hang their hat on the potential of these kids. And by physical differences, I mean that some of these kids are physically bigger and stronger (due to genetics or diet) than those that they're playing against.

But really, I don't put too much stock into minor league performances at all until a player is producing at AA and above. That's where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. It's just that the DSL is such a low level, with inconsistent abilities among the players, that it's ridiculous to rely on their performance at that point as an indication of anything resembling major league promise.

You can literally say this about every level of baseball. No one is pinning their hopes for the future on any of these kids, not in the DSL all the way to AAA. If you are, then that's on you, but I am not printing playoff tickets simply because Nick Lodolo has made it to Dayton.

Dude, just enjoy that the Reds DSL team is having a successful season and seemingly has talent to boot. Maybe a bunch will be in the AZL by year's end or to start next year. Maybe Fidel Castro jumps to Dayton. (please, please, please, please, please, please, please) He's absolutely the future of the team.

[M2]

I care. Because so many seem to hang their hat on the potential of these kids. And by physical differences, I mean that some of these kids are physically bigger and stronger (due to genetics or diet) than those that they're playing against.

But really, I don't put too much stock into minor league performances at all until a player is producing at AA and above. That's where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. It's just that the DSL is such a low level, with inconsistent abilities among the players, that it's ridiculous to rely on their performance at that point as an indication of anything resembling major league promise.

I wouldn't put much stock in it, but they're fun. Jose Acosta seems like he's a blast.

[KronoRed]

Can someone explain the DSL to me? How do franchises acquire these children? Is there some sort of draft, or is it the wild west to sign whatever 16 year-olds you can?

Pretty much the wild west.