Dominican Summer League - 2021

[waynebug]

Monday Sept 20.  Orioles 1. Ronnie Martinez hits his 1st Homer.  $275,000 bonus , 6 feet 185 pounds.  Watch for him.

Junior Lara has another ho-hum 2 singles in 3 at bats.  I saw a video of him.  Pound for pound he makes LOUD contact and plays a speedy centerfield.

[waynebug]

Tuesday Sept 21. Orioles 1. 

Millionaire catcher Basallo hits his 7th double.

Way underrated 3rd baseman De Los Santos hits a 2 run Homer, his 3rd. 5'll, 185 lbs, $350,000 bonus ( I think) converted shortstop.

Shortstop Frederick Benscome goes 1 for 3 for "other" DSL team , Orioles 2.  Hitting about .300 with about an 0.800 OPS.  His bonus was probably only 5 figures,  18 years old, 6' 160 lbs.  Outperformed any and all other orioles shortstops in DSL. Bats lefty, 2 homers, 8 for 9 steals.  Some scout was own their toes !!!!!!

 

 

[waynebug]

Sept 23 completion of August 20 game.

Millionaire shortstop Maikol Hernandez went 3 for 4 with his 3rd steal.

Hitting about .200 with a .600 OPS. 

Maybe he struggles to get his long arms through the hitting zone,

Very young 17 year old.  Would be a junior in an American high school.

[waynebug]

September 24.

Orioles1 loses7 to 6.

Millionaire shortstop Maikol Hernandez goes 2 for 3, 2 doubles with a walk.  Batting.230/.338.310/.647.  No homers and only 3 for 5 8n steals.

Junior Lara does Junior Lara things.  2 for 3, RBI with a walk.   Hitting .370/.444/.556/1.000.

Orioles 2 wins 3 to 1.   

Shortstop Frederick Benscome goes 1 for 2.  Batting .290/.347/.427/.775.  Only 17 strikeouts in 131 at bats with 10 walks.  2 homers, 3 triples 6 doubles.  One to watch next year for sure.

[RZNJ]

Maikol Hernandez has come on strong in the last week.   I wondered if he might repeat the DSL earlier in the year but now he looks like a cinch to go to FCL.   Feeling a lot better about him.   Lara has been very very impressive.   Kind of stealing the thunder from the 3B, Delosantos who had been the top performer.

[waynebug]

Let's break him down.

126 at bats, 20 singles, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 19 walks, 32 strikeouts

No homers, only 3 for 5 in steals.

Only 8 errors in 34 games at short.  13 double plays  .940 fielding %.

Hopefully, he'll add some power next year in Florida.  He may never be a basestealer.

[RZNJ]

12 minutes ago, waynebug said:

Let's break him down.

126 at bats, 20 singles, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 19 walks, 32 strikeouts

No homers, only 3 for 5 in steals.

Only 8 errors in 34 games at short.  13 double plays  .940 fielding %.

Hopefully, he'll add some power next year in Florida.  He may never be a basestealer.

He's gotten a little better each month.  .595 in July.  .635 in August.  .725 in September.   Progression.  Improvement.  Good signs despite not looking like a world beater so far.

[Frobby]

9 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

He's gotten a little better each month.  .595 in July.  .635 in August.  .725 in September.   Progression.  Improvement.  Good signs despite not looking like a world beater so far.

I think we had a couple of FCL guys this year who had much better seasons there than they did previously in the DSL.  We’re talking about a 17-year old kid.  Yes, we had others that young, and some even younger.   Still, at that age kids develop at all kinds of different rates.  I agree with you that it’s likely Hernandez did enough to get himself to Florida next spring.

[waynebug]

Acevedo and the other 2018 signees played 2019 in the DSL at age 17.

Thanks to Covid  time off he played the FCL 2021 at age 19.  So 2 years more mature.  Same for the 3rd baseman Ramirez another 2018 signee

The 2019 signees played this year at age 19 in DSL or FCL.  Many were rushed to Florida to fill out the 2 teams.  Their 1st pro season and they had no DSL experience and they stunk.  I'm thinking about the biggest 2019 bonus signings..  $400,000 shortstop who couldn't play short or hit.

The 2021 signees showed a lot better.  They all played in the DSL.

I like that myself.  They all played meaningful games, not TRICKY LEAGUE exhibitions.

[waynebug]

On 9/22/2021 at 6:14 PM, waynebug said:

 

Tuesdays DSL action.  Sept 28.

$400,000 rightfielder Wilmer Feliciano hit his 4th Homer.  44 strikeouts. Way to many ground outs for a power hitter.  2.2 ground outs per flyout. Like most other "bonus babies" he plays for Orioles 1.

Shortstop Frederick Bencosme went 4 for 4 with a triple.  He is 19 on Christmas.  Power (2 homers) and speed (10 steals).  Low profile signing.  Issue with errors.  Best player and prospect for Orioles 2.  Outperformed everybody at the plate except De Los Santos.

 

 

[sportsfan8703]

@waynebugThanks for doing this all year. How do you think are guys did vs expectations(mainly signing bonus)?  Takes on Basaillo and Hernandez?  Who do you think comes stateside to the FCL?  Any stats that stand out for a player compared to league avg?

[waynebug]

Hey Sportsfan;

Thank you for the compliments.  So there are 3 DSL guys in Florida now.

17 year old Samuel Basallo received $1.3 million.  The biggest bonus of the Elias Era.  He was expected to sign with the Yankees.  He was very good batting .239/.338/.410 for a .748 OPS.  5 homers, 8 doubles.  Now in Instructional League.  Led Orioles 1 in homers and RBIs

17 year oldShortstop Maikol Hernandez received $1.2 million.  He hit .231/.340/.308 for a .647 OPS.  No homers, only 4 for 7 in steals. He is in the Instructional League so they still believe in him.

17 year old 3rd baseman Anderson De Los Santos received $350,00. He hit a robust..324/.409/.495 for a .905 OPS.  He also filled in at short, but made to many errors.  A little error prone at 3rd, but he's a converted shortstop.  Only 18 strikeouts in 127 at bats, 15 walks.  6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 3 for 4 steals.  Tremendous 1st year, now in the Instructructional League.  

17 year old speedy centerfielder Junior Lara received $160,00.  Batted .344/.434/.500 in only 77 at bats.  So he missed half the season with an injury.

17 year old Rightfielder Wilmer Feliciano received $400,000.  He struggled with strikeouts and groudouts.  Hit .202/.312/.353 for a .665 OPS. Hit 4 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers.  Also 3 for 3 in steals.  119 at bats, 45 strikeouts, 70% groundouts to 30% flyouts.  Terrible ratios for a big-time power hitter.  I would think his swing can be corrected.

I was disappointed in Orioles 1.  13 and 39 overall.  With all those bonus babies, still a young team.

Orioles 2 was a competitive team with modest bonus players.  25 wins 30 losses.

Their most intriguing player was 18 year old Shortstop Frederick Benscome. He was a late Class of 2019 signee.  6 feet 160lbs left handed power from a shortstop. 142 at bats, 6 doubles,4 triples, 2 homers, 11 walks, only 18 strikeouts.  10 steals in 13 attempts. 60% flyouts to 40 % ground outs.  I would have thought he should be in Instructional League teaching others how to make contact and put the ball in the air !!!!

 

 

[justD]

At the end of the event yesterday, @Tony-OHand the guys were talking about who the Orioles future shortstop will be. I chose Jordan Westburg with limited info to go on. Probably really believe it will be Gunnar. 
 

After reading through this thread, however, I’ve been totally convinced it will be Frederick Benscome!

[LookinUp]

Not ruling out Ortiz until Tony dashes my dreams with his prospect rankings!