2023 DSL/CPX Standouts & Targets Part 4

Bonus Part 4 in the series going over 14 more players and a Data Sheet of 144 names at the end of this piece to keep as a resource

Starlyn Caba (PHI):

Caba is a defensive wiz who will likely grow into some power. A lot of scouts say he reminds them of a young Francisco Lindor — an easy comp to make when dealing with a young versatile shortstop who has some raw power and speed to his game. Caba showed no power in the DSL last year as he hit no bombs, but he did steal 16 bags and slashed: .301/423/.346. Great average and OBP differential, but not the sexiest slash line.

There’s still the probability that he develops more raw power going forward and utilizes it from both sides of the plate. He makes consistent hard contact and can drive the ball to all fields and after adding a little thickness to his frame maybe he can start turning some singles into doubles and some doubles into homers.

Luis Merejo (CLE):

Merejo is a sleeper of mine in the Guardians system. He slashed: .321/.441/.485 last year in the DSL and is still 17 years old as of this writing. The kid is also listed as 6’2 185 giving him present power output and future projectability. He hit 6 doubles and 4 homers in 40 games last year for a 147 wRC+. Defensively, he’s a 3B now, but it looks like he’ll grow into a 1B or a corner outfield spot going forward

Just like Caba, Merejo can hit the ball to all fields, though he gets pull-happy at times. He has a compact operation and has borderline elite bat-to-ball skills — something Cleveland pulls out of their asses when it comes to development. It seems like every other year there are four or five guys with excellent bat-to-ball skills who come through the system and Merejo is another one. He struck out just 15.3% of the time last year while walking at an 11.8% clip. There is legitimate plus-plus power potential in Merejo’s bat as he develops and matures. It’s not presently there but it’s something to project going forward. He’s also just 17 years old as of this writing with a DSL season already under his belt. — which leads me to another 17-year-old in the Cleveland system:

Jose Pirela (CLE):

Pirela is another highly projectable bat. He’s listed at 6’3 181 and belted 6 homers last year to go with 8 stolen bases in just 41 games. He slashed: .270/.395/.480 with a 13.5% walk rate and a 21.6% K rate. His ISO was .209 and he also added 11 doubles to go with his 6 homers.

The projectability is what intrigues me with Pirela. He’s got a long wiry frame and has the potential to add the right kind of thickness to it. There’s a lot of muscle development that’ll aid in him reaching his plus power potential at the next level. The ceiling with Pirela is actually high — as a centerfielder with plus power potential. And if he moves to a corner outfield position, the offensive upside doesn’t change. He has legitimate star qualities and can go off in 2024. So keep an eye out.

Dameury Pena (MIN):

Pena had one of the more interesting stat lines in the DSL last year. He slashed .382/.453/.496 with zero homers and a 156 wRC+. On a per-plate appearance basis, he was the most impactful player who hit no homers. He finished 21st on my data sheet with a .4388 TB/PA and he was the only one in the top 45 with no homers. He did total 8 doubles, 3 triples, and 13 stolen bases in just 39 games, though.

Pena is not just a slap hitter — he hits the ball fairly hard for his size — as he’s probably about 150 pounds soaking wet. I’m not sure what projectability there is with Pena but I can confidently say he’s a legitimate hitter and the hit-tool may be his calling card as he ascends levels. He had the second-highest batting average in the DSL last year among players with at least 100 plate appearances. We’ll go over who was first, next:

Stiven Flores (CHW):

Flores had the highest batting average in the DSL last year among players with at least 100 plate appearances. He looks to be a hitting savant and a plate approach god by just looking at his numbers. He slashed .391/.456/.477 with just 7 strikeouts in 37 games. He walked 15 times. He’s not walking a ton but he’s striking out less in a season than Adam Dunn would in a doubleheader. I’m intrigued by the 2:1 BB:K ratio but even more intrigued that he’s putting balls in play and hitting for a high average.

He only hit 1 homer but is listed at 5’11 180 which can fuel some room for growth given his frame. He was originally signed as a bat-first catcher and was heralded for his raw power. We didn’t see much of that in his first season in the DSL but what we saw was a savant at the plate. When the power comes around Flores is going to be a name to watch. He’ll be climbing the middle half of the White Sox prospect rankings in due time and can even climb higher with a good showing in 2024.

Thomas Sosa (BAL):

Braylin Tavera is the most promising young outfielder out of rookie ball for the Baltimore Orioles. Thomas Sosa might be the second in line. Sosa went from the DSL in 2022 to the CPX level in 2023 where he slashed: .290/.385/.492 with 7 doubles, 3 triples, and 4 homers. He had .4266 TB/PA and put up a 128 wRC+ and a .202 ISO.

He improved upon every single offensive category in 2023 at a higher level — his walk rate went up and his k rate went down. His average, OBP, and Slug all went up, and he even decided to run this year stealing 5 bases, despite being caught 4 times.

Let’s get to the more promising numbers with Sosa. He’s listed at 6’1 160 but there are reports of him looking a lot thicker in the 180-190 range which bodes well. There’s still room for growth. He posted a 90th-percentile EV of 102 mph and has had a Max EV of 110 mph — all at 18 years old. These are some of the more impressive numbers from the FCL last year. The skillset is there to be a fast climber but there are some concerns. I’ll be looking out to see how well he hits against lefties in full-season ball. If he figures that out, he’s going to be a name more people are talking about.

Starlyn Nunez (BOS):

Listed at 6’0 155 pounds, Nunez played both 3rd and 2nd last year. I’m asking the Red Sox to please stick him at 2nd base given his frame and projectability. There’s solid room for growth and he’ll only be more valuable at second base. It seems the Red Sox are getting a bunch of these hit-first guys with some raw power to display in games.

While he’s no Yoeilin Cespedes, Nunez had a similar impact last year slashing: .325/.391/.479 with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, and 7 steals — good for a .4326 TB/PA. He struck out less than 15% of the time and walked just 7.9% of the time. Again, the Red Sox are just finding the prototype for these sub-15 % K rate guys who barely walk but hit the ball with authority. It might not be a bad bet. 2024 is when we’ll have more data on Nunez as he’ll be in the FCL. Right now it’s a wait-and-watch approach.

Brando Mayea (NYY):

Mayea was compared to Gary Sheffield as the Yankees signed him for $4.35M last January. Mayea is plus across the board with his double-plus speed being his calling card right now. He has raw power to go with it and as he matures and fills out we’re looking at a potential 15-20 HR bat to go with 25+ steals. I’m betting on Mayea to take off this year.

Last year he slashed: .276/.382/.400 with 3 homers and 22 stolen bases. He hit a Max EV of 108 mph as a 17-year-old and that number will only go up. Look for Mayea to increase the power output this year while maintaining his steals totals.

Derniche Valdez (CHC):

Valdez was a coveted prize in the 2023 international class who eventually signed with the Cubs. He has more power than he’s given credit for, already showing the ability to hit hard line drives and hit the ball out of the park.

He struggled with the hit tool last year as he only averaged .234 but it was a 35-game sample and he’s still 17 years old as of this writing. The good thing is that he still managed an OPS over .800 despite the low average as he hit 6 homers in 107 at-bats.

I don’t know if I should include someone who had a 40.8% K rate as a Standout & Target but there’s literally only one way to go from here and that’s up. He needs to drastically cut that K rate in 2024 and if he makes improvements there while still putting up the same power output, he’ll be a name to watch in 2024.

Jancel Villarroel (HOU):

There are just too many undersized dudes who play Catcher from Venezuela lately. It’s becoming a factory for undersized catchers who can just mash. And Villarroel did just that. He’s listed at 5’8 176 — and he slashed: .313/.435/.491 with 14 doubles and 5 homers for a 148 wRC+.

The runway is still long with Villarroel but at this stage, he’s worth a monitor as the bat seems to be real and the approach is solid — 14% walk rate to go with a 16% K rate.

Jeffry Rosa (NYM):

I have to include Rosa here as he led the DSL in homers last year. He hit 13 doubles and 15 bombs in 44 games and is looking like an XBH machine out there. His slash line was .277/.400/.669 with a 166 wRC+ and a .392 ISO. Absurd numbers. He was 18 years old last year and will be 19 to start in 2024, whether it be at the CPX level or Low-A — depends on how aggressive the Mets will be with him.

The power is no fluke and he’s getting next to no attention because he was a year older than most folks would’ve liked him to be. Well, I’m not going to discount him because of that. He’s a name to watch and I would want to be the one getting in early on him as he’s shown his raw power translates to games at such a young age.

He’s a DSL repeater which raises questions but he repeated the level to such good results that he remains on the radar and coming stateside will be a big test to see how he handles more advanced pitching. He has size, he has projectability, and he has production under his belt. Keep an eye out for Rosa.

Branny De Oleo (NYM):

Another Mets development story. De Oleo has the potential to be a sneaky sleeper - he has the size and projectability to add more power and he has the fluidity and athleticism to stick at shortstop.

De Oleo slashed: .313/.403/.476 with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 6 stolen bases last year. He showed a precocious plate approach as he struck out less than 10% of the time while walking just 7.3% of the time — all while hitting over .300. The bat-to-ball skills are real and I’d go as far as to say they’re borderline elite for a player his age. De Oleo is being completely overlooked and I view him as a potential star in the making in the Mets organization. It’s worth noting that the Mets signed him for cheap at just $10K and has star potential. Maybe this is the tide turning on their international scouting. Keep monitoring De Oleo in 2024.

Enmanuel Bonilla (TOR):

Bonilla was a highly regarded player in the 2023 international class and eventually signed with Toronto. He’s one of the more advanced hitters to come out of that class and last year he showed a bit of what he can do. He slashed: .307/.407/.429 with 8 doubles, 3 triples, and 3 homers in 50 games.

He’s a big kid and he already looks a lot thicker than his listed 6’1 180 which leads me to believe he’s best suited for a corner outfield position in the future. He has raw power and it translated some to in-game in 2023 but there’s more to unlock here. Bonilla is being underrated in my opinion heading into 2024. While the concerns over his K rate are valid (24.3% K rate), I think there’s room for improvement to develop his approach as he’s more of a free swinger at this point in his career. He did walk a bit as he posted an 11.9% walk rate but like I mentioned previously in earlier posts, you can just hold your bat on your shoulder and walk at a double-digit clip in the DSL. Bonilla has a big 2024 ahead of him if he’s to regain relevancy with the other top names in the 2023 international class who were all ranked near him such as Sebastian Walcott, Joendry Vargas, and Felnin Celesten to name a few. Speaking of Felnin Celesten:

Felnin Celesten:

I ranked Celesten 12th in my Projecting the Future series: Top 61 Hitting Prospects for 2025. That’s how high I am on him. I didn’t list Celesten in the first 3 parts of this series because he technically hadn’t played a game in the DSL or CPX because of a hamstring injury. He’s looking a lot thicker, in a good way, and the Mariners are especially high on him going into the year. We’ll cap off the series with Celesten as he may be the prospect I’m highest on to make the biggest leap in 2024. Here is what I wrote:

The 18-year-old was set to debut last year but suffered a hamstring injury putting an end to any thought of that. There’s not much to go by besides scouting reports and video and both have drawn rave reviews — you know it’s a good thing when other organizations are high on this kid and I can see Celesten starting the year in CPX and eventually finding his way to A-ball rather quickly.

Seattle doesn’t have to rush him, but the profile suggests he should be ready. The profile is a five-tool switch-hitting stud shortstop with enough power to boot, from both sides of the plate. My brain tells me this ranking is too high but I know in my heart of hearts it’s probably too low. I’ll come to revisit this next year when he’s inevitably in the top 10.

Get in on Celesten as early as you can as the price is going to skyrocket by mid-season.

That’s 14 more bonus names to include in this series. I hope you all enjoyed and if you got this far that means you’ll have access to my data sheets which I’m going to list below. It’ll be in descending order of Total Bases/Plate Appearance for players at the DSL/CPX level and I’ll list the top 144. It’ll be a good resource to do your own research with and should provide a good baseline of all the standouts from 2023. We went over 50 players in total so there will be a lot of names that weren’t written up but that you can save or archive to have access to deeper names going into this year.