Last spring training I tweeted out how I had just seen one of the best arms I’ve ever come across and that it came out of nowhere. That arm belonged to Ariel Hernandez. On Tuesday I saw another guy for the first time and while the shock value that was there for Hernandez wasn’t the same as Tuesday, one guy really jumped out. Mariel Bautista. He’s a 19-year-old outfielder who is in the United States for the first time after playing in the Dominican Summer League the last two seasons. There’s plenty more on him below.
The biggest news out of spring training from day one, however, is that right handed pitcher Ian Kahaloa is not there. The Reds confirmed that he is not in Goodyear for spring training. Don’t expect him to start the year with a team. This isn’t due to an injury – as he would be in camp if he were hurt.
As to what I was able to see in the three games that took place today, it was a good mixture. The Advanced-A and Low-A teams played in Goodyear today, but so did the extended spring group.
The Extended Spring Training notes
I watched most of this game since it was the only game going on at the time. The guys that are likely to be in extended spring training to start the year took on the Langley Blaze. They are an elite travel team out of Canada that is making their way around the various spring training complexes. Cristian Olivo didn’t do much within the game itself, but he’s got a grown mans body at just 18-years-old. He has definitely added size to his frame since he was signed for $1M in the 2015 signing period.
Two hitters stood out on the day: Mariel Bautista and Victor Ruiz. One of the things that everyone always asks me in the offseason is to pick a “breakout player”. I usually try to avoid answering the question because it’s so hard to know (even if I nailed my pick of Michael Beltre last year – #humblebrag). I didn’t know who it would be this season as I arrived in Arizona. Now, there’s no doubt about who I’m going with. It’s Mariel Bautista.
Last season he hit .333/.408/.473 for the DSL Rojos as an 18-year-old, so he didn’t come out of nowhere. He has a strong season under his belt. But this was the first time that I’ve had a chance to see him play and he just looks the part. He’s got size (he’s listed at 6′ 3″ and 170 lbs). His bat is very quick. I really liked what I saw from him today.
Victor Ruiz started behind the plate. The now 18-year-old hit the ball hard every time he came to the plate on the day. The Reds signed him out of Mexico last fall.
Manny Cruz absolutely crushed a long home run in the game. It was, as the sportscasters say, a no-doubter.
The Low-A Game
At this point in the spring, guys are still playing a level higher than they are likely to be assigned. That isn’t the case for everyone, but most guys fall into this category. Drew Storen started this game and threw an inning. I saw none of that. Tony Santillan came on after that, though and just overmatched the White Sox hitters with his fastball.
The Advanced-A Game
This is where most of the guys that will begin in Dayton seemed to be playing. Taylor Trammell, T.J. Friedl, Jose Siri, and Tyler Stephenson were all lined up in this game. Taylor Trammell looked faster than I expected. That’s saying something given that I know he’s a 70-runner, and I know what that guy looks like. Tyler Stephenson looked good at the plate. He was hitting the ball incredibly hard all day long. Very good to see given that he’s coming off of wrist surgery. Jose Siri…. the tools are there for a star. If he can hone in his plate discipline some, look out. He hit two absolute lasers while I was watching the game. One went down as a double and the other was caught by the left fielder.