Statistically speaking, most of these guys will probably flame out within just a couple of years. It’s the nature of the beast. As of late January 2020, all ten of these guys were still listed as active on MiLB.com ‐ though it should be noted that releases and retirements during the offseason often go unreported.
With MLB’s takeover of MiLB, it appears that the old ideas and rules of thumb go out the window. Limits to the number of players total (180) are now in place and it’s not clear what that means… larger rosters? More teams in the DSL? More teams in the GCL?
In other words, some of these guys may repeat the DSL when they might have gone to the GCL in the old system. This is painful because getting a late-August stateside bump was one of the few things we could infer beyond the boxscores. And of course, with no season in 2020, we don’t really know yet how many these guys will simply get released later this year.
Anyway, here’s what we had to say about the standouts from DSL in 2019, with some edits and updates:
José Cedeño
POS: RHSP
JULY 1, 2021 AGE: 19
2019 STATS: 3-3, 0SV; 11G, 7GS, 34⅓ IP; 3.41/4.22/1.17
The highest performing pitchers for the D-Nats tended to be old for the level. So while Cedeño’s FIP is below average, the 17-y.o. Panamanian was solid elsewhere with a strong K rate (8.39/9IP) and decent walk rate (2.88).
Christopher De La Cruz
POS: OF/1B
JULY 1, 2021 AGE: 20
2019 STATS: .243/.338/.325, .985 (OF) .980 (1B), -.010 GPA vs. DSL Lg. Avg. of .244
While the 2019 DSL team as a whole was younger than the league average (17.5 vs. 17.8), most of the production came from its oldest players. De La Cruz spent most of his time in the outfield and played some 1B despite being woefully undersized (5’11”, 145). He is the only LHB and the only one who has played two seasons in the DSL.
Angel Geraldo
POS: 2B/SS/3B
JULY 1, 2021 AGE: 20
2019 STATS: .282/.314/.380, .973 (2B) .904 (SS) .914 (3B), -.007
Geraldo showed “doubles power” that could blossom into something more if/when he puts on some weight (6’1″ 160).
Miguel Gomez
POS: RHRP
JULY 1, 2021 AGE: 19
2019 STATS: 0-0, 1SV; 14G, 0GS, 28⅔ IP; 3.45/4.12/1.47
Another tall, lean kid (both he and Cedeño are listed at 6-3, 170) who was a little better at keeping the ball in the yard (1 vs. 3 HR), but not as proficient in K’s (6.9) or BB’s (4.1).
Raymi Gomez
POS: RF/LF
JULY 1, 2021 AGE: 21
2019 STATS: .256/.356/.442, .952 (RF), 1.000 (LF), +.027
Gomez was one of three D-Nats to hit 5HR, which is unusual for your typical D-Nats team, though he was old for the level.
Bernardo Hiraldo
POS: RHSP
JULY 1, 2021 AGE: 21
2019 STATS: 2-6, 0SV; 12G, 12GS, 53⅔ IP; 4.86/3.11/1.45
Hiraldo led the team IP and had a better FIP than one would guess from a 4.86 ERA. Still, the low K rate (6.7) is a red flag, though it’s offset some by just seven walks in 12 starts.
Daniel Marte
POS: CF
JULY 1, 2021 AGE: 19
2019 STATS: .257/.310/.448, .922 (OF), +.016
Marte also slugged five HR’s (as did Ivan Murzi and Raymi Gomez) and is the youngest of the five “DSL Bats.” He stole 10 bases (getting caught just once) while and hit more triples (9) than doubles (7). Alas, he struck out 67 times in 55 games.
Ronni Montero
POS: RHP
JULY 1, 2021 AGE: 20
2019 STATS: 1-3, 0SV; 13G, 6GS, 42 IP; 2.36/3.80/1.29
Montero moved from the ‘pen to the rotation midway through the season, where he made his last six appearances. Just one HR allowed.
Yoander Rivero
POS: SS/2B
JULY 1, 2021 AGE: 19
2019 STATS: .249/.327/.330, .966 (SS) .949 (2B), -.014
Rivero showed very good discipline, drawing 23 walks against 26 whiffs while showing a touch of power (2HR) despite his lack of size (5-9, 155).
Kevin Rodriguez
POS: RHRP
JULY 1, 2021 AGE: 19
2019 STATS: 2-3, 0SV; 15G, 1GS, 30⅓ IP; 2.67/3.87/1.38
Strong K rate (10.4) but also gave up a fair amount of walks (4.7) and threw 14 WP. Very lean (145 lbs on a 6-1 frame).