Before we discuss this year’s DSL position players, let’s review the previous iteration (2019):
Christopher De La Cruz
2019: .243/.338/.325, .985 (OF) .980 (1B), -.010 GPA vs. DSL Lg. Avg. of .244
2021: .180/.395/.262, .963 (OF), -.010 GPA vs. FCL Lg. Avg. of .253
Angel Geraldo
2019: .282/.314/.380, .973 (2B) .904 (SS) .914 (3B), -.007
2021: .190/.246/.230, .886 (3B) .882 (SS), -.084
Raymi Gomez
2019: .256/.356/.442, .952 (RF), 1.000 (LF), +.027
2021: .257/.350/.400, 1.000 (RF), +.005
Daniel Marte
2019: .257/.310/.448, .922 (OF), +.016
2021: .204/.363/.314, .969 (CF), -.011
Yoander Rivero
2019: .249/.327/.330, .966 (SS) .949 (2B), -.014
2021: .270/.409/.416, .981 (SS/2B/3B), +.036
The good news is that none of these guys repeated the DSL. The bad news is that only Rivero seems likely to NOT repeat the FCL.
In years past, we’d talk about whether or not they’d get the call to the NYPL, but now it would appear that repeating the FCL or the DSL won’t necessarily be a black mark since there is no third short-season league.
Despite being one of the youngest teams in the DSL in 2019, most of the squad was let go (just nine holdovers), and a new crew of youngsters was brought in. Yes, the team’s hitters and pitchers were just slightly younger than league average.
What happens this year might be a clue as to how things will go with the DSL and FCL going forward, specifically how many of the 2021 team’s players are NOT released.
Erick Tejeda
POS: 1B
JULY 1, 2022 AGE: 20
STATS: .298/.418/.419, .987 (1B), +.053 vs. DSL Lg. Avg. of .240
Tejeda was one of the 2019 holdovers, which means he was about a year older than the lg. avg. It would appear that his 3B days may be over as he spent the lion’s share of this playing time at 1B (33G vs. 5G).
Eliesel Santana
POS: LF/RF
JULY 1, 2022 AGE: 19
STATS: .271/.374/.344, 1.000 (OF), +.014
Santana split time almost evenly between LF and RF and did not make an error in 40 games.
Juan Garcia
POS: 3B
JULY 1, 2022 AGE: 19
STATS: .221/.366/.313, .885 (3B), +.003
Garcia drew a lot of walks (28 in 54G) but also kept DSL infielders cool with 48 whiffs. Defensively, he was strictly at 3B so the inference is that he probably has too strong of an arm to put elsewhere but not quick enough for SS or 2B.
Jose Colmenares
POS: C
JULY 1, 2022 AGE: 19
STATS: .235/.323/.341, .986 (C), -.009
Colmenares is another 2019 holdover, though he barely played (15G vs. 44 in ’21). Between a .986 FA and a 46% CS rate, it would appear he’s a defensive standout learning to hit.
Winder Diaz
POS: IF
JULY 1, 2022 AGE: 19
STATS: .207/.363/.267, .951(2B), 1.000(1B), .933(SS), .818(3B), -.010
Diaz seems to be a rangier version of Garcia on defense, but a similar player on offense (28BB, 34K). Of the four IF positions, he played the most at 2B and 1B, but the sample sizes are so small that it wouldn’t surprise me if they do the same with him for another season or two.
Armando Cruz
POS: SS
JULY 1, 2022 AGE: 18
STATS: .232/.292/.305, .951(SS), -.032
Cruz was the big fish in the 2020-21 IFA pool and the Nats reeled him with a $3.9M signing bonus. The hype is for the glove, though he committed nine errors in 47G – hardly unusual, as young defensive stalwarts haven’t quite learned what they can and cannot do against tougher competition. His splits do actually back up the contention that he was figuring things out along the way: .479 OPS in July, .605 in August, .687 in September.