Fuller on Daschbach and Ortiz

[Frobby]

On Daschbach:

He is a really exciting player,” Fuller said of the 24-year-old Daschbach. “He has some of the most damage-ability of any guy in our org. He can hang right up there with Adley (Rutschman) and (Kyle) Stowers, so that’s very exciting. He also played an unbelievable first base for us down the stretch. Some really great plays down the stretch to get us into the playoffs.

“Offensively, he has the thump. He does a pretty good job of controlling the zone. Just adding in a little bit more contact, cutting down on a little bit of the whiffs since he has the ability to do a lot of damage. We just need to make sure that when we pull the trigger, we’re making contact. Because when he does make contact on pitches in the zone, it’s very loud. If he can up that contact-ability just a touch while maintaining that damage, he’s going to be a really special corner guy for us in the outfield and at first base especially.

* * *

“He’s actually working with our lower-level coordinator, Anthony Villa, out in California this offseason,” Fuller told me. “They hit multiple times a week. They have a play call sheet very much like an offensive coordinator would have in football, reading the plays. So Dash goes to his drills sheet and looks through and does X, Y, Z. Here’s what we’re going to do today and then a ton of exposure to different shapes and speeds using Anthony’s arm and also using the machine to really dial in. Like, here’s the path I need on a slider down and away. Here is the path I need on a fastball up and in. So really be able to cover the zone and make solid contact is one of the things he’s really working on this offseason with Anthony.”

On Ortiz:

I’m very bullish on Joey,” said Fuller. “He made huge strides from 2019 when I first saw him. Totally revamped his body, made a lot of swing changes and we saw it this year at the Double-A level. He was becoming a power threat, too. And probably one of our best defensive shortstops, and if we can get him to be an offensive threat too, I’m very, very excited about the possibility of what he is going to be able to do once he gets back to 100 percent.”

***

“Body, he just lifted, ate like crazy and really dedicated himself to the weight room,” Fuller said. “And we saw this guy who was a little bit skinny and really didn’t have big exit velocity capabilities really come back at that instructs in the fall of 2020 into this man. You could absolutely tell he did a lot of work.

“With his swing, he had a very steep attack angle, so kind of chopping down at the ball that led to a high groundball rate in his first full year. Since then, it’s just working up through the ball to match the incoming pitch plane and we saw it. He’s really driving the ball on a line trajectory, which is the goal for us. Trading more ground balls for more line drives was a key and he did a great job in training that all offseason. And he would turn up the machine and let’s get nasty curveballs and hit them on a line and cut down that groundball rate. When he comes back, he’s working on the right things, his body is going to be in great shape and I’m really excited for what he is going to be able to do.”

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2022/01/a-closer-look-at-a-couple-of-minor-league-hitters.html

[Ruzious]

I'm MUCH more intrigued by Ortiz than Daschback.  It's nice that Dasch is a quality defensive 1st baseman, but he doesn't hit well enough, strikes out a ton, and at 24 - can't expect a whole lot more growth.  Ortiz... I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up the year as the Baltimore SS.  

[emmett16]

Daschbach struck out 5 times last night.  Yikes - that’s a tough game.  17 Ks on the night for Bowie.  Ortiz and Westburg only Baysox not the strike out.  

[Hazmat]

Daschbach has 15K's in 27 PA's.  Only 3 BB's.

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, Hazmat said:

Daschbach has 15K's in 27 PA's.  Only 3 BB's.

Took the Platinum Sombrero last night (5 K’s in 5 PA).