Dominican Winter League’s Aguilas Cibaenas
The Aguilas Cibaenas, a team in the Dominican Winter League, recently signed a 33-year-old infielder who previously played for the independent Atlantic League’s Spire City Ghost Hounds. This player last appeared in Major League Baseball in 2021 with the Washington Nationals.
Trevor May’s Favorite Players
During a conversation midway through the 2023 season, former right-handed pitcher Trevor May shared some of his favorite players to watch. He mentioned retired players Daniel Vogelbach and Joey Votto, expressing his admiration for Votto’s current insights. May also highlighted two lesser-known players.
May spoke highly of Reyes Moronta, a big and hard-throwing pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels whom he saw while rehabbing in Triple-A. He also praised Joey Wiemer, an outfielder with the Milwaukee Brewers, for his energetic and entertaining style of play, comparing him to Hunter Pence.
Farm Notes
Jaison Chourio, an 18-year-old switch-hitting outfield prospect in the Cleveland Guardians organization, had an impressive season in the Arizona Complex League and Low-A Lynchburg. He slashed .321/.446/.419 with a 132 wRC+ in 231 plate appearances. Chourio is the younger brother of Jackson Chourio, a highly regarded outfield prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
Oliver Dunn, a 26-year-old second baseman, had a standout performance in the Arizona Fall League with the Scottsdale Scorpions. He slashed .343/.455/.616 and stole twelve bases without being caught. Dunn was recently traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Milwaukee Brewers after a successful season in Double-A Reading, where he hit 21 home runs and had a .902 OPS.
Justice Bigbie, a 24-year-old outfielder in the Detroit Tigers system, had a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League following a breakout year. He batted .292 over 83 plate appearances with the Salt River Rafters. When asked about the toughest pitchers he faced in the AFL, Bigbie mentioned Davis Daniel, a 26-year-old right-hander from the Los Angeles Angels, and Jack Perkins, a 23-year-old right-hander in the Oakland Athletics system.
Links You’ll Like
Baseball Savant now features a Pitcher Running Game Prevention leaderboard, as explained by Mike Petriello at MLB.com.
Emma Baccellieri explored how MLB’s pitch tracking system works in an article for Sports Illustrated.
Jack Vita interviewed Gabriel Rincones Jr., a highly regarded outfield prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, for SI.com’s Inside The Phillies.
José de Jesus Ortiz from Our Esquina provided an explanatory list of the top Latino managerial prospects.
Tom Thress wrote about a historic game between the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers on September 29, 1946, where Bob Feller set an American League strikeout record in Hank Greenberg’s final game as a Tiger, for SABR’s Game Project.
Random Facts and Stats
In his 1964 Cy Young Award-winning season, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Dean Chance made five starts against the New York Yankees, allowing only one run (a home run by Mickey Mantle) on 14 hits over 50 innings.
In his 1976 Cy Young Award-winning season, San Diego Padres left-hander Randy Jones recorded 22 wins and 25 complete games, striking out 93 batters in 315 and a third innings.
Pete Vukovich had an impressive start with the Milwaukee Brewers, going 32-10 with a 3.42 ERA in his first two seasons after being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals. He was awarded the AL Cy Young in his second season.
Bob Welch had a successful stint with the Oakland Athletics, going 61-23 with a 3.21 ERA in his first three seasons after being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was awarded the AL Cy Young in his final season with the A’s.
Joe Torre, a Hall of Fame manager, had an impressive career both as a player and a manager, accumulating 2,342 hits and 2,326 managerial wins.
John McGraw, another Hall of Fame manager, had an outstanding playing career as well. He slashed .334/.466/.410 in 4,946 plate appearances from 1891-1907, with his best season coming in 1899 when he batted .391 with a .547 OBP for the Baltimore Orioles.
Sal Bando, a four-time All-Star third baseman, signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1976 after a successful tenure with the Oakland A’s. He later became the Brewers’ General Manager from 1992-1999.
In 1993, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded Pedro Martinez to the Montreal Expos in exchange for Delino DeShields. Martinez went on to have a stellar career, while DeShields had a solid stint with the Dodgers.
Players born on this date include John Roskos, a first baseman/outfielder who had a brief MLB career with the Florida Marlins and San Diego Padres. Steve Gerkin, a right-handed pitcher, also shares this birthdate and had a lone season with the Philadelphia Athletics.
Aguilas Cibaenas: Winter League’s Dominant Team
The Aguilas Cibaenas, a powerhouse team in the Winter League, have added a new player to their roster. The 33-year-old infielder, who last played in the MLB with the Washington Nationals in 2021, will be joining the independent Atlantic League’s Spire City Ghost Hounds this summer. This move will provide him with an opportunity to showcase his skills and potentially make a comeback to the big leagues.
Trevor May, a retired right-hander, recently shared his admiration for some of his favorite players during the 2023 season. He mentioned Daniel Vogelbach and Joey Votto, praising their eccentricity and ability to have fun on the field. May also highlighted two lesser-known players, Reyes Moronta with the Angels and Joey Wiemer with the Brewers. May expressed his admiration for their playing styles and likened Wiemer to the energetic Hunter Pence.
In the farm system, Jaison Chourio, an 18-year-old switch-hitting outfield prospect in the Cleveland Guardians organization, had an impressive season. He boasted a .321 batting average, .446 on-base percentage, and .419 slugging percentage, with a 132 wRC+ in 231 plate appearances across the Arizona Complex League and Low-A Lynchburg. Chourio’s older brother, Jackson Chourio, is also a promising outfield prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
Another standout performer in the farm system was Oliver Dunn, a 26-year-old second baseman who recently joined the Milwaukee Brewers after being traded from the Philadelphia Phillies. Dunn showcased his skills in the Arizona Fall League, slashing an impressive .343/.455/.616 and stealing a dozen bases without being caught. His strong performance in Double-A Reading, where he hit 21 home runs and had a .902 OPS, earned him a well-deserved promotion.
Justice Bigbie, a 24-year-old outfielder in the Detroit Tigers system, had a breakout year and continued to impress in the Arizona Fall League. He batted .292 over 83 plate appearances with the Salt River Rafters. When asked about the toughest pitchers he faced in the AFL, Bigbie named Davis Daniel, a hard-throwing right-hander from the Los Angeles Angels, and Jack Perkins, a talented right-hander in the Oakland Athletics system. Bigbie praised Daniel’s deceptive fastball and Perkins’ overall skill set.
Moving on to some interesting facts and stats, Dean Chance, a former Los Angeles Angels right-hander, had an outstanding record against the New York Yankees during his Cy Young Award-winning season in 1964. In five starts, he allowed just one run, which came from a home run by Mickey Mantle.
Randy Jones, a left-handed pitcher for the San Diego Padres, had an impressive 1976 Cy Young Award-winning season. He recorded 22 wins and an incredible 25 complete games, all while striking out only 93 batters in 315-and-a-third innings.
Pete Vukovich, a right-handed pitcher, had a remarkable start with the Milwaukee Brewers after being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals. In his first two seasons, he went 32-10 with a 3.42 ERA and was awarded the AL Cy Young in his second season.
Similarly, Bob Welch, a right-handed pitcher, had a stellar start with the Oakland Athletics after being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his first three seasons, he went 61-23 with a 3.21 ERA and was awarded the AL Cy Young in his final season.
Joe Torre, a legendary figure in baseball, had an impressive career both as a player and a manager. He recorded 2,342 hits as a player and achieved 2,326 managerial wins.
John McGraw, a Hall of Fame manager, had an exceptional career as a player as well. He boasted an impressive slash line of .334/.466/.410 in 4,946 plate appearances from 1891-1907. During his playing days, McGraw primarily played as a third baseman and had an outstanding season in 1899 with the Baltimore Orioles, where he batted .391 with a .547 OBP, 124 walks, and only 21 strikeouts.
Sal Bando, a four-time All-Star third baseman, signed a free-agent contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1976. Bando had a successful career with the Oakland A’s from 1968-1976, boasting a 130 wRC+. He played five seasons in Milwaukee and later became the club’s General Manager from 1992-1999.
On this day in 1993, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded Pedro Martinez to the Montreal Expos in exchange for Delino DeShields. Martinez went on to have a remarkable career, winning multiple Cy Young Awards and establishing himself as one of the greatest pitchers of all time.
In conclusion, the Winter League’s Aguilas Cibaenas have added a talented infielder to their roster, providing him with an opportunity to make a comeback to the MLB. Trevor May, a retired right-hander, shared his admiration for several players, including Daniel Vogelbach, Joey Votto, Reyes Moronta, and Joey Wiemer. The farm system showcased promising talents like Jaison Chourio, Oliver Dunn, and Justice Bigbie. Additionally, we explored interesting facts and stats about notable players and historical events in baseball.ith the A’s, he had a really good sinker. It was heavy, it had a lot of movement. It was just tough to square up. He had good command of it, too. So those were two guys that stood out to me.”
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INJURY REPORT
Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert is expected to be fully recovered from his hip flexor strain by the start of spring training. The 25-year-old missed significant time in 2023 due to various injuries, but still managed to hit .297 with 18 home runs and a .903 OPS in 92 games.
San Francisco Giants right-hander Logan Webb underwent successful Tommy John surgery earlier this week. The 26-year-old is expected to miss the entire 2024 season as he recovers.
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Keibert Ruiz is dealing with a strained oblique and is expected to be out for the next 4-6 weeks. The 24-year-old had a breakout season in 2023, hitting .305 with 22 home runs and a .915 OPS in 109 games.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Since the start of the 2019 season, the Houston Astros have the highest winning percentage in the majors at .616 (per MLB.com). They are followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers (.607) and the New York Yankees (.590).
Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton led all players in Outs Above Average (OAA) in 2023 with 26, despite playing in just 61 games due to injury. He was followed by Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. (24) and San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (23).
Los Angeles Angels two-way player Shohei Ohtani led the majors in home runs in 2023 with 54. He was followed by Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (47) and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (46).
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Sources: MLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com, MLB Trade Rumors