MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Dragons Announce Opening Night Roster

Published on April 4, 2011 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


DAYTON, OH -The Dayton Dragons, in conjunction with the Cincinnati Reds, announced their 25-man Opening Night roster today. The Dragons begin their 12th season in the Midwest League on Thursday, April 7th when they host the Bowling Green Hot Rods at 7:00 p.m. at Fifth Third Field.

New Dragons manager Delino DeShields, hitting coach Alex Pelaez, and pitching coach Tony Fossas, will oversee a roster that includes 12 pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, and five outfielders.

The Dragons opening night lineup will feature two of the top five prospects in the Reds organization, according to Baseball America's annual rankings. Shortstop Billy Hamilton, the #2 prospect in the organization, and outfielder Yorman Rodriguez, rated at #5, headline the roster. Right-handed pitcher Daniel Corcino, the #15 prospect in the Reds system, and outfielder Juan Duran, the 28th rated prospect, are also highly-regarded as future stars. The roster also features numerous other players who have enjoyed productive seasons at other levels and could climb the prospect lists quickly with good seasons in Dayton.

The roster includes nine players who spent all or part of 2010 with the Dragons including infielder Frank Pfister, who finished third on the club in base hits, at-bats, games, and runs batted in and tied for second in doubles last season.

Hamilton, the Reds second round draft pick in 2009 out of Taylorsville, Mississippi, led the entire Reds organization in stolen bases in 2010 despite not beginning his season until the Reds top four affiliates had completed half their schedules. Hamilton was rated as the top prospect in the Pioneer League last season with the Billings Mustangs, when he batted .318. Hamilton is one of the fastest players in professional baseball.

Rodriguez signed with the Reds organization on his 16th birthday in August of 2008, receiving the largest signing bonus ever given to a Venezuelan player at that time. He also played for DeShields at Billings last season and hit .339 despite being the youngest everyday player in the league at the age of 17.

Corcino is a starting pitcher who has drawn many comparisons to former Dragon Johnny Cueto. Corcino features a fastball that has reached 97 miles per hour despite the fact that Corcino stands just 5'11", causing the comparisons to Cueto. Corcino made six starts with the Dragons late last season.

Duran, like Yorman Rodriguez, was signed to a huge contract by the Reds as a 16 year old in 2008. He is now 19 and will still be one of the youngest Midwest League players this season but has progressed towards his first opportunity to play in a full-season league.

Pfister played in 119 games for the Dragons last season, batting .266 with eight home runs and 50 runs batted in. He added 26 doubles. Pfister also spent half of the 2009 season with the Dragons.

The Dragons roster will also feature several other interesting prospects. Here are some of the players that fans will see at Fifth Third Field this season:

Catcher Tucker Barnhart was Indiana's "Mr. Baseball" in 2009 as a high school senior in the Indianapolis suburb of Brownsburg. He batted .306 with Billings last season and was the top throwing catcher in the league.

First baseman Donald Lutz is a native of Germany and, along with his brother Sascha, has starred with the German national team in international competition. He hit .286 at Billings last season and added seven home runs.

Second baseman Devin Lohman batted .404 for Long Beach State University last spring before the Reds drafted him in the third round in June.

Third baseman David Vidal hit 20 home runs and drove in 97 runs in just 90 games last year between college and professional ball. He spent the last week of 2010 with the Dragons.

Outfielder Kurtis Muller was an all-star last season with the Reds Arizona League affiliate at Goodyear where he batted .317. Muller starred at the University of Iowa and hit .381 for the Hawkeyes last spring.

Starting pitcher Tanner Robles, a left-hander, played at college powerhouse Oregon State University. Before college, he went 33-0 as a high school pitcher and was the Utah state player of the year after both his junior and senior seasons.

Relief pitcher Drew Hayes had an outstanding career at Vanderbilt University after an incredible high school career in Tennessee in which he was selected as his state's player of the year in both baseball and football. Hayes set the state record for passing yardage. He enjoyed a solid first season of professional baseball last season at Billings, posting a 2.42 ERA.

Left-handed reliever Blaine Howell joined the Dragons late last season and posted five saves in five opportunities with a 2.08 ERA, helping the club go 11-6 over the last 17 games with the nine players on the roster who return to the Dragons.

Starting pitcher Daniel Renken went 12-2 at Cal State Fullerton last spring, helping the team to within one win of the College World Series.

Players on the roster who played with the Dragons in 2010 include Corcino, Pfister, Vidal, Howell, Renken, and pitchers Jason Braun, Tim Crabbe, and Josh Smith; and first baseman Dominic D'Anna.

2011 Roster

Starting Pitchers: Daniel Corcino, Tanner Robles, Daniel Tuttle, Daniel Renken, and Josh Smith.

Relief Pitchers: Jason Braun, Tim Crabbe, Pat Doyle, Drew Hayes, Blaine Howell, Porfirio Martinez, Daniel Wolford.

Catchers: Tucker Barnhart, Chris Berset.

Infielders: Donald Lutz (1B), Dominic D'Anna (1B), Devin Lohman (2B), David Vidal (3B), Billy Hamilton (SS), Frank Pfister (3B).

Outfielders: Juan Duran, Jaren Matthews, Kurtis Muller, Yorman Rodriguez, Jefry Sierra.

Check out the Dayton Dragons Statistics

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