5 Cincinnati Reds prospects to watch with Daytona Tortugas on Opening Day 2024
DAYTONA BEACH — Fresh off back-to-back victories and a series win against St. Lucie to open the season, the Daytona Tortugas take the field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark Tuesday night for their home opener.
The Tortugas host the Palm Beach Cardinals with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. This is the 10th year Daytona will serve as an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, and its fourth in Single-A following Minor League Baseball's widescale realignment.
The Reds' recent rebuild into NL Central contenders has its fair share of roots in Daytona Beach. Starting pitcher Andrew Abbott, catcher Tyler Stephenson, second baseman Jonathan India and shortstop Elly de la Cruz are among the members of the Reds' active roster who spent time with the Tortugas on their major league journeys.
Second-year manager, new dad: Tortugas' Julio Morillo enters season with more expertise
What: Daytona Tortugas 2024 home opener
Where: Jackie Robinson Ballpark
First pitch: 6:35 p.m.
Opponent: Palm Beach Cardinals
Promotions: Silver Sluggers, Taco Tuesday, Breast Cancer Awareness Night
And that list could grow in the coming years. Six of the Reds' top 10 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, are current or former Tortugas: Edwin Arroyo, Chase Petty, Sal Stewart, Cam Collier, Carlos Jorge and Ricardo Cabrera.
"It's a big responsibility, not only as a manager but as a coach, when you represent an organization. You know the organization is looking to you and trusting you to develop good baseball players and also (good) citizens," Tortugas manager Julio Morillo said. "That's our main goal, to make sure these guys not only have success on the field but outside of the field, too."
Here is a look of five of the Reds' most intriguing young players who will call Jackie Robinson Ballpark home for, at least, the next few months.
Ricardo Cabrera
The highest-ranked prospect on the Daytona roster, at No. 9 per MLB Pipeline, Cabrera finished an impressive 2023 campaign with a five-game Tortugas cameo. He flashed his potential at the plate, going 6 for 19 and drawing five walks to post a .519 on-base percentage.
"That was one of my goals, to start here, to see if I can finish at a higher level later on," Cabrera said. "Of course, I know it was only five games, but I know what to expect coming over here."
Cabrera signed with the Reds as an international free agent in 2022 for $2.7 million. He then earned a spot on Doug Gray's Reds Minor League All-Star Team last year for his dominance in the Arizona Complex League, finishing second in OPS (1.028) and wRC+ (158) with a .350 average, five home runs, 21 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 40 games.
Expect the 6-foot, 201-pound Venezuelan infielder, who doesn't turn 20 until Halloween, to be in the heart of Julio Morillo's lineup out of the gate.
Alfredo Duno
Sitting right behind Cabrera in the No. 10 spot on MLB Pipeline's list of Reds prospects is his younger countryman, Duno, whom the club signed for $3.1 million in January 2022.
Highly rated for his arm talent behind the plate, Duno battled through an elbow injury in the Dominican Summer League to post a .303/.451/.493 slash line. Limited to a DH role in his first pro season, he is cleared to catch again.
"My expectation is to be healthy the whole year, but also to play behind the plate," Duno said. "I'm grateful and glad to be here in the organization, and I feel healthy and ready to go."
Duno celebrated his 18th birthday on Jan. 7, and he could soon break into the overall top-100 prospect list with his array of tools. He worked his way on base four times this past weekend, collecting two hits and two walks with an RBI versus St. Lucie.
Esmith Pineda
Moving into the outfield, but staying with the Reds' 2022 international signing class, Cincinnati landed Pineda — hailing from Aguadulce, Panamá — for $800,000.
Pineda logged 48 games in the Arizona Complex League last year and had a respectable average (.273) and OPS (.760) while walking 25 times compared to 41 strikeouts. He smacked 14 doubles, with a home run in 197 plate appearances.
Right field might ultimately be Pineda's home, as his arm is considered his best tool. He registered five assists and made seven errors last season.
Carlos Sanchez
A relative bargain in comparison to the four previous international free agents signed in 2022, Sanchez put pen to paper for $70,000. He came out swinging in the Dominican League that summer with a .948 OPS, then following it up with a .914 in 40 games in Arizona.
Sanchez, 19, showcased impressive maturity at the plate by matching his number of walks and strikeouts, 44 apiece. He also fits the Reds' desire for defensive flexibility in the infield, logging 160 innings at shortstop and another 130 at third base.
Like Cabrera, Sanchez earned a late call-up to Daytona last year. He played four games, collecting three hits and three walks for the Tortugas.
Adam Serwinowski
Drafted in the 15th round in 2022 out of Eastside High in Taylors, South Carolina, Serwinowski experienced an uptick in fastball velocity as he's added strength to his 6-foot-5 frame. The left-hander complements it with a sharp curveball, and will eventually look to add a third pitch to the mix as he stretches out and pitches more pro innings.
In a small sample size, just 27⅓ innings, Serwinowski averaged 14.2 strikeouts per nine innings for the ACL Reds. He maintained a 3.62 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP, while allowing 5.3 walks per nine.
"Bright future in front of him. Obviously, he's very young and needs to be exposed to the game," Morillo said. "The game will teach him what he needs to do to keep improving. Talent-wise, he's way up there."
At 19, Serwinowski is the youngest player on the Tortugas' pitching staff. He shined his debut Sunday against the Mets, striking out six and allowing only one hit in four scoreless frames.
"I feel like the confidence has always been there. It definitely helps to perform out on the field," Serwinowski said.
"Just filling up the zone, attacking hitters, I don't want to change my mindset. I think I have a good plan for the season, and I'm just going to drill that all year."
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Tortugas: 5 Cincinnati Reds prospects to watch in 2024
