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As the Daytona Tortugas hit the two-month mark of the 2023 season, where do they stand?

Chris Vinel, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·4 min read

Well, it isn’t late yet.

But it’s not early anymore, either.

The Daytona Tortugas cross the two-month mark of the 2023 season Wednesday. Fifty-two games down and 76 to go.

The local squad holds a 21-31 record entering Wednesday evening's tilt at St. Lucie. It ranks third out of four teams in the Florida State League’s East Division, 10 games out of first place.

Despite being under .500, the Class-A Tortugas maintain the most highly touted roster in the Cincinnati Reds’ system. Daytona features nine of the organization’s top 30 prospects — three more than any other level.

Let’s take a look at where this season has been to this point and where it’s going.

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Overview

Daytona's Victor Acosta (5) hustles to first base but can't beat the throw, Tuesday, April 11, 2023 during the Tortugas' home opener at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Daytona's Victor Acosta (5) hustles to first base but can't beat the throw, Tuesday, April 11, 2023 during the Tortugas' home opener at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

The season couldn’t have started much better.

Under new manager Julio Morillo, the club won its first five games, posting its best start since 2011 when it was still the Daytona Cubs. That year, it opened with six straight victories and went on to claim the FSL title.

But since their initial burst, the Tortugas haven’t been able to sustain the magic. They lost 13 of their final 16 games in April, including eight in a row after the undefeated start, and have sat below .500 since April 19.

Their record for the first month: 8-13.

In May, Daytona put up an 11-15 record. It is 2-3 in June.

The Tortugas have notched a 12-12 record at home but slumped to 9-19 on the road.

Standout hitter: Hector Rodriguez

The following paragraphs wouldn’t have been written five weeks ago. Hector Rodriguez batted just .185 in April.

But the 19-year-old outfielder surged in May. He slashed .357/.394/.612 and led the FSL in hits, runs, triples and OPS, making him the league’s obvious choice for player of the month. He became the first Tortuga to capture the award since pitcher Javi Rivera in June 2022 and the first Daytona position player since Shed Long in May 2017.

Overall, Rodriguez is hitting .302 with a team-high nine home runs and 26 RBIs. His dinger total leads the FSL.

This is his first season in Daytona Beach and first full season with the Reds organization after coming over from the New York Mets in a trade last August. MLB Pipeline slots him as Cincinnati’s 26th-best prospect.

Standout pitcher: Ryan Cardona

Daytona pitcher Ryan Cardona throws, Tuesday, April 11, 2023 during the Tortugas' home opener at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Daytona pitcher Ryan Cardona throws, Tuesday, April 11, 2023 during the Tortugas' home opener at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

A 19th-round pick by the Reds in the 2021 MLB Draft, Ryan Cardona joined the Tortugas later that summer for a four-game blink. He spent all of last year in Daytona Beach, making 25 appearances with a 3.36 earned run average.

That dominance has continued so far in his third go-round in green.

Cardona’s 1.57 ERA leads all Tortugas with at least four appearances. He has pitched 10 times (five starts) and compiled 34⅓ innings and 42 strikeouts.

His biggest knock: command. He averages six walks per nine innings.

At 23 years old, the Marist College product isn’t on Cincinnati’s MLB Pipeline list. But if Cardona cuts down on the walks, a promotion to High-A could be in his short-term future.

Top-15 prospects in the Reds organization

Daytona's Sal Stewart chats with a teammate during preseason batting practice, Thursday, April 6, 2023 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Daytona's Sal Stewart chats with a teammate during preseason batting practice, Thursday, April 6, 2023 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

  • Cam Collier, No. 4: The youngest player on the roster and also the highest-rated prospect (53rd in all of baseball), the 18-year-old infielder is hitting .206 with four home runs and 21 runs batted in.

  • Sal Stewart, No. 9: Another 2022 first-round pick alongside Collier, the 19-year-old has a .239 average with one blast and 25 RBIs.

  • Carlos Jorge, No. 15: Jorge leads all Tortugas with at least 20 games played in batting average (.323) and on-base percentage (.407). The 19-year-old infielder has four home runs, 16 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

Coming up

The Tortugas have played only six home games since May 15. Their current road trip to St. Lucie will last through Sunday.

Beginning next Tuesday, the Jupiter Hammerheads come to Daytona Beach, kicking off a 12-game homestand — the longest of the season — at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Tortugas' 2023 season hits two-month mark