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Thread: Projecting the Minors: Dayton

  1. #1
    Member Bourgeois Zee's Avatar
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    Projecting the Minors: Dayton

    Every year, I get antsy trying to gauge who'll likely play for each team. (It helps me determine where I'll go on those four- and five-day weekends during the long summer months.) Dayton hasn't had a good team in what feels like forever, and this season might just be a good one. There are a ton of 40- 45 guys who've put up good enough numbers to be sleepers, but aren't scouting report darlings. It'll be really interesting to see how the two Rookie League teams fit into one Midwest League team.

    Catcher
    Eric Yang
    Luke Berryhill
    Justin Gomez
    Comment: Yang looking particularly promising in Billings, while Berryhill has both pedigree (Dad was Damon) and pop. Gomez hit well and complements Yang's RH stick with a lefty swing of his own. Look for Berryhill to stay in Extended.

    First Base
    Jose Tello
    Comment: Nondescript suspect burst out a bit in Rookie League in 2019. Showed decent pop (over .200 when combined) and has always shown affinity for patience and hit tool. Can catch too, and may be part of the three-headed monster with Yang and Gomez. Or Berryhill. Lots of catchers to choose from.

    Second Base
    Tyler Callihan
    Comment: Probably the best prospect on a team filled with 40-45 gamers. Callihan's bat is supposed to be special. He was drafted high enough to skip through the Rookie Leagues. League average-ish production across both leagues will need to bump up as he plays every day. Might end up a corner OF or 3B.

    Third Base
    Quincy McAfee
    Lucas Seminati
    Comment: This could be Rece Hinds' spot, but he only played three games last year and is just out of high school. Carlos Ruiz handled the Pioneer League adequately enough to put up a 76 wRC+. He's still young, so I'm guessing he also lands in Extended Spring Training. The 3B spot goes, then, to either Callihan, Seminati, or McAfee. Seminati played mostly 1B in Billings in favor of Ruiz, but he could switch back. Rylan Thomas may also get some reps. McAfee can also play 2B and SS.

    Shortstop
    Ivan Johnson
    Comment: Hit well enough to be interesting in Greeneville. Still relatively youthful at 20. Will need to prove it every step of the way, but 2019 was a good start. Might move to 2B, but will be given every opportunity to prove himself as a SS.

    Left Field
    AJ Bumpass
    Comment: Old for his level, but fun to root for. Hometown kid who played relatively well last year. Old for level, but a 119 wRC+ will likely get him more time and a starting gig in Dayton.

    Center Field
    Allan Cerda
    Comment: Heard good things from scouting reports. Will be interesting to follow. Big-time power and patience, but is the hit tool good enough? Might be a Drew Stubbs type, and that's outstanding as a 19-year-old.

    Right Field
    TJ Hopkins
    Quin Cotton
    Comment: Another older prospect who hit well enough to get an extended look in Dayton. Quin Cotton is another who'll play a lot as either an OF or a DH. At this point, Hopkins, Cotton, and Bumpass are interchangeable and will all play about equally, IMO. Nate Scantlin might also factor in, though he's a year younger.

    Starting Rotation
    Miguel Medrano
    Graham Ashcraft
    Tyler Garbee
    Jose Salvador
    Jacob Heatherly
    Comment: Medrano had a very good season in Billings. Heatherly has talent but was injured early last year. (He may not be ready at the start of the season.) The rest of the group is from Greeneville, who struck everybody out, limited walks, and still found a way to lose almost every game.

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  4. #2
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    Re: Projecting the Minors: Dayton

    A lot to sort out at spring training. Follow the money. Berryhill is not the son of Damon. He and Yang should split the catching duties. Tough to see Gomez in the mix. James Free will be on this club, got a big signing bonus as a NDFA. He hit very well at Billings until a late season slump brought down his final numbers. He was a starter for their playoff games. He may see time at first base with Seminati. Spillane, a third round pick could return there. They would prefer to move him up but unless he has a great spring, he may be back after a poor year. Callahan and Johnson in the middle infield with McAfee as the utility man. They like Victor Ruiz at third, and Juan Martinez could return there. Tough to see Tello in the mix. Willems is another name, but is well below average defensively.

    In the outfield, start with Cotton in center. In the corners, a decent chance Mariel Bautista returns after a very disappointing year in Dayton. Hopkins is there with Bumpass as a backup. Reniel Ozuna is a very talented player who has not done much but may get another chance. Cash Case got a ton of money but has shown so little that he may never get to full season ball. Another player on the radar is Matt Lloyd, who plays first base and the outfield but has an advanced age (24). I can’t see Cerda there. Scantlin has a suspension. Cameron Warren could return but more likely will need to make the Daytona team because of his age (turns 25 in June). He looks like an organization guy who was great at Texas Tech and if you can get some value out of him anywhere, you might take it and not worry about the age.

    The rotation should be some combination of Medrano, Noah Davis, Ashcraft, Heatherly, Evan Kravetz, and Jason Parker. Alexis Diaz is another possibility, but more likely that he goes to Daytona. Salvadore is a prospect but may not be ready for that level. I don’t see Garbee as a candidate for the starting rotation. An interesting name there would be Tanner Cooper, who dominated at Greeneville but not sure he can bump any of those other guys. He may be in the bullpen. If it was my call, Andy Fisher, a NDFA, would be the opening day starter and take some pressure off the rest of the staff, but I will be surprised if that happens. Fisher actually won Reds MiLB pitcher of the month in his first month as a professional after going undrafted. Hard to do that. He doesn’t break 88 but no one hits him. I am told Jacques Pucheu can really pitch and he may get a look if there is a spot. They signed some interesting NDFA pitchers.

    More to sort out in the spring than any other year because of the high number of bodies and absence of the type of players who clearly have a spot in ink in their name.
    Last edited by redsof72; 12-28-2019 at 10:40 AM.

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  6. #3
    Member Kinsm's Avatar
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    Re: Projecting the Minors: Dayton

    Curlis, Connor SP/RP
    Davis, Noah SP
    De Jesus, Jhon Carlos SP/RP
    Heatherly, Jacob SP
    Marinan, James SP
    Salinas, Ricardo "Ricky" SP
    Stockton, Spencer SP/RP

    Campbell, Ryan RP/SP
    Cooper, Tanner RP
    Correll, Zachary RP/SP
    D'Andrea, Jerry RP
    Figueroa, Miguel Ramon RP/SP
    Garbee, Tyler RP/SP
    Gibson, Tyler RP
    Heitler, Cory RP
    Keys, J.C. RP/SP
    Koch, Ian RP/SP
    McDonald, Andrew RP
    Nova, Moises RP/SP
    Pucheu, Jacques Henri RP/SP
    Tripp, Johnathon RP
    Wynne, Randall Garrett "Randy" RP/SP

    Berryhill, Luke C
    Thomas, Rylan 1B
    Ventura, Randy 2B/RF/LF
    Johnson, Ivan SS/2B
    Martinez, Juan Ventura 3B
    Bautista, Mariel LF/RF/CF
    Siani, Mike CF/RF/LF
    Gordon, Miles RF/CF/LF

    Gomez, Justin C
    Liberatore, Ernesto C/1B
    Rivero, Carlos 2B/SS/3B
    Lloyd, Matt 1B/LF/RF
    Spillane, Brenden 1B/RF
    Warren, Cameron 1B
    Hernandez, Miguel SS
    Finol, Claudio 3B/2B/SS
    Bumpass, A.J. LF/RF
    Stallings, Brandt LF/RF


    Some of these guys will be in A+

  7. #4
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    Re: Projecting the Minors: Dayton

    Wrote up some thoughts on some of the guys listed above that I have a lot of knowledge on:

    Pitchers:

    Connor Curlis and Andy Fisher will both probably be back for the first month or so unless something crazy happens and they go to A+.

    I'd be shocked if Jhon De Jesus isn't put in the bullpen. He's got a power arm but the wheels fall off way too easily to keep running him out as a starter.

    Marinan and Heatherly need innings under their belt after his injuries so this makes to have them both repeat. Marinan might be a BP candidate as well because to be honest he ain't fooling anyone the 2nd and 3rd time through the lineup.

    If he repeats, Ricky Salinas will be back to get innings under his belt before the bump to A+, assuming he's back fully from injury of course. He breezed through the MWL once he got his feet wet last season and he's an older college draftee.

    Moises Nova just needs to go away. That man was a human rain delay and his curveball is crap

    Infielders

    Juan Martinez needs a position change. He is an absolute liability at 3B. Poor footwork and an even poorer work ethic has cemented him as a suspect rather than as a prospect in my eyes and I watched him A LOT.
    Claudio Finol and Carlos Rivero will bang around the infield with one or both of them being super sub guys.

    Outfield

    Bautista should be back just to get more ABs under his belt before a call-up. He just needs to put it together for an extended stretch to prove he's not a fluke.

    Gordon will probably be back if he isn't released during ST. After his hot start, he flamed out HARD.

    Spillane (see comments about Bautista above. Bren's swing and approach was given a makeover at the lab in Arizona. Let's see how it does over a bigger sample size.

    Like I said, just some thoughts. What do I know? lol

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