Who’s next: Dominican Republic prospects
All this week we’re celebrating a new season as well as La Vida Baseball’s second month. We start today with a look at the top prospects from the Dominican Republic.
There might be no better moment in baseball than Opening Day, when every team has hope. But this time, partly thanks to the passion and joy generated by the World Baseball Classic in March, we feel a lot more anticipation and buzz for Latino players than in recent years.
Not only are we looking forward to whether the Chicago Cubs can repeat as World Champions for the first time in 109 years, but also whether all of baseball will be more accepting of Javy Báez’s showmanship and flair. And of bat flips, passion and emotion, for that matter. Báez said that he’s not changing.
Now that Big Papi has retired his big bat, we also wonder who will replace David Ortiz as the face of baseball, Latino or otherwise? We posted a poll offering four young and charismatic rising stars as potential candidates. (Give us your vote or your own picks here.)
As for the Dominican Republic, it’s been a steady source of players for Major League Baseball since 1956. From Ozzie Virgil Sr., the Aloú brothers and Juan Marichal to the stars of today, no other country outside the United States has put more talent on the field.
The presence of baseball academies in the D.R., where every MLB team boasts one, plus the fierce love and support of the game that’s an inherent part of the culture is a powerful combination that leads to world-class players.
Even with Big Papi’s retirement, you still have stars like Adrián Beltré, Robinson Canó, Johnny Cueto, José Bautista, Nelson Cruz and many more who are preserving the Dominican legacy of excellence.
But who’s coming next? Opening Day is not only a celebration of the present, but also glimpse at the future of the game. This year we should see some pretty good examples of the next generation of Dominican stars.
C Gary Sánchez, New York Yankees
Born December 2, 1992 in Santo Domingo, DR
The young Yankees catcher took the majors by storm last year after being called up in August, hitting 20 home runs in just 53 games and almost taking the American League Rookie of the Year Award.
Expectations are huge. Sánchez could become the first true Dominican star catcher in baseball, and he shows great power with the bat and an impressive arm that keeps baserunners in check.
The Yankees treated Sánchez with caution, waiting for just the right time to finally give him a starting job at age 23, as the franchise grooms a youth movement in its ranks. After a sizzling spring that included 5 home runs and 16 RBI in 51 at-bats, manager Joe Girardi rewarded him with the number two spot in the lineup. Alas, on Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Rays, he went 0-for-5 and stranded five runners in his last two at-bats
SS Amed Rosario, New York Mets
Born November 20, 1995 in Santo Domingo, DR
The Mets were so impressed with this guy that they signed him in 2012 when he was just 16 years old for $1.75 million, a team record at the time for an international amateur.
Rosario is set to join a great line of Dominican-born shortstops who have played in the majors, a list that includes Miguel Tejada, Tony Fernández, José Reyes and Alfredo Griffin. While his defensive skills have been praised all along, he drew attention with his bat last season, hitting .324 with five home runs and 19 stolen bases in the minors.
After being promoted to the 40-man roster, Rosario got extended spring training this year. But he swung at too many bad pitches, hitting .267 with seven strikeouts in 30 at-bats, and was reassigned to the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s. Nonetheless, manager Terry Collins all but guaranteed that Rosario will get his first taste of the majors later this season.
OF Nomar Mazara, Texas Rangers
Born April 26, 1995 in Santo Domingo, DR
A true blue-chip prospect, Mazara played his first full major-league season at age 21 last year and convinced everyone he isn’t going anywhere.
The power-hitting lefty was in the running for AL Rookie of the Year during most of 2016, losing ground only in the last two months to Gary Sánchez and the eventual winner, Tigers starting pitcher Michael Fulmer. But no one was complaining in Texas after he finished with 20 home runs and a .266/.320/.419 slash line — numbers similar to those of Miguel Cabrera in his first season back in 2003.
Right now, even after hitting .283 with one home run this spring, the expectations for the 6-4 right fielder are arguably the highest among Dominican position players.
SP Luis Severino, New York Yankees
Born February 20, 1994 in Sábana de la Mar, DR
Yes, we have been hearing his name a long time, but Severino is still just 23 — and this is the year that he will have to prove that he belongs in the Bronx.
The right-handed pitcher, whose fastball approaches 100 MPH, threw in just 11 games in 2015 and had trouble last season in 11 starts before switching to relief. He finished the year with a 3-8 record and a 5.83 ERA. There were concerns about his ability to go deeper than five innings.
Now, with a year under his belt and after getting lessons on how to throw a changeup from Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez, the Yankees have decided that ready or not, Severino will open the season as the fourth starter in the rotation. A gamble of sorts. But with the chance for a big payoff.
SP Álex Reyes, St. Louis Cardinals
Born August 29, 1994 in Elizabeth, NJ
The Álex Reyes parade suffered a major setback this spring when the young Cardinal was diagnosed with a ligament tear in his pitching elbow and is out for the season. But the future remains bright for the righty Reyes, heralded as one of the best prospects in all of baseball in 2016.
Reyes was supposed to join fellow Dominican Carlos Martínez in the Cardinals’ rotation after delighting fans in five starts last season. Mixing a fastball in the upper 90s with a filthy curve and low-breaking changeup, he finished with a 4-1 record, 1.57 ERA, while striking out 52 batters in 46.0 innings.
Only 22, Reyes was also invited to be a part of the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic, but recovery from Tommy John surgery made that impossible.
Featured Image: Mike Strobe / Getty Images Sport
