MLB Opening Day: Jacob deGrom, Austin Hays highlight Daytona Beach area pros

Let the pennant races begin.

Major League Baseball's season started last week when the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres split a two-game showcase in South Korea. But, Opening Day across the league arrives Thursday.

The Texas Rangers will look to defend their World Series title, facing competition from the likes of the Atlanta Braves, the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who embarked on a record-setting spending spree to secure the services of Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Opening Day arrives: MLB's five most pivotal players to watch for 2024

Both of the Sunshine State's MLB franchises qualified for the playoffs a season ago, but were eliminated in the wild card round. The Tampa Bay Rays won 99 games but were dispatched by the Rangers in a best-of-three, while the Marlins surprised many to go 84-78 before losing to Philadelphia.

Even closer to home, more than a half-dozen players with Volusia-Flagler ties remain in the big leagues — including a pair of former All-Stars. That list should grow by the end of the summer, with a few pitchers knocking on the door of their MLB debuts.

Here is a look at the area's representation in the majors, including its 19 high schools, four colleges and one minor league affiliate.

Logan Allen, LHP, Cleveland Guardians

A three-time News-Journal Baseball Player of the Year (2015-17), Allen broke ground for University High last April in becoming the school's first major leaguer. The 6-foot, 190-pound southpaw won his first career start, striking out eight Marlins and allowing one run in six innings, and made 23 more for Cleveland in 2023.

Allen, 25, tossed 125⅓ innings, posting a 7-8 record with a 3.81 ERA and 119 strikeouts. He averaged 11.8 Ks per nine throughout a three-year stint in the minors, and generated plenty of swings and misses with his sweeper (29.9% whiff rate) and changeup (33%) when called up to the bigs.

Locked into a spot in the back end of the Guardians' rotation, Allen endured some struggles in the spring, allowing 11 walks and three home runs in five starts.

Jacob deGrom, RHP, Texas Rangers

Injury woes persisted for deGrom, 35, in his first year with the Rangers, and the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner is set to miss most — if not all — of the upcoming campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery last June.

With that in mind, deGrom looked every bit the $185 million ace the Rangers envisioned in his six starts. He fanned 45 batters in just 30⅓ innings, averaged 98.7 mph on his fastball and produced elite expected metrics (1.87 ERA, .167 opponents' batting average). And, of course, deGrom secured a World Series ring in the midst of his rehab as the Rangers captured the first championship in their 62-year history.

A product of Calvary Christian Academy and Stetson, deGrom said last summer that he targeted August 2024 for a return to the mound. The Rangers will be one of the favorites in the American League, and his arrival could put them back in the hunt for a championship.

Nick Fortes, C, Miami Marlins

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker confirmed DeLand grad Fortes will draw the Opening Day start behind the plate. He caught all 32 of Jesús Luzardo's outings last season during a 10-10 campaign with a 3.58 ERA and 208 strikeouts in 178⅔ innings.

Fortes, 27, played a career-high 108 games and ranked in the 97th percentile for blocks above average. However, his offensive production dipped significantly with a .204 batting average, a .562 OPS and a 3.8% barrel rate (compared to 7% in 2022).

The Miami Herald reported last month that Fortes has made changes to his stance and swing, and Schumaker expects more output from Fortes in the bottom third of the Marlins' order going forward. He will share time behind the plate with Christian Bethancourt, who has a career .622 OPS.

Austin Hays, OF, Baltimore Orioles

Hays earned his first trip to the MLB All-Star Game after a terrific first half in which he hit .314 with nine home runs, 36 RBIs and 22 doubles for the second-place Orioles. The Spruce Creek alum faded in the back half with a .228 batting average and a .667 OPS over his final 66 games.

Still, Hays has long shaken off the injury concerns that halted his progress from breaking into the bigs as a 20-year-old in 2017. He has suited up for at least 130 games in each of the last three seasons, and is penciled in as Baltimore's left fielder for Opening Day.

However, Baltimore's farm system is loaded with position-player talent, including former top-five picks Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad seeking expanded opportunities in the outfield. Hays will need to return to his best to keep hold of a corner spot for the AL East contenders.

Luke Weaver, RHP, New York Yankees

Weaver, 30, missed the first three weeks of 2023 with a strained elbow flexor but returned to make 21 starts with the Cincinnati Reds. However, he failed to make it past the fifth inning in 12 of those outings and sported a 6.87 ERA and career-worst 19% strikeout rate at the time of his release.

Weaver resurfaced with the Seattle Mariners, and again with the New York Yankees, with whom he signed a one-year, $2 million contract in January that features a team option for 2025 and performance bonuses worth up to $8.25 million over two seasons.

The 6-foot-2, 183-pound righthander has enjoyed a solid spring with the Yankees with a 3.38 ERA, 10 strikeouts and two walks in 10⅔ innings. He has likely secured a spot in the bullpen, following the team's decision to option Cody Poteet, Ron Marinaccio and Nick Ramirez on Sunday.

Logan Gilbert, RHP, Seattle Mariners

On paper, Seattle possesses one of the strongest starting rotations in the majors — with former Stetson ace Gilbert right in the heart of it. Gilbert, 26, might have had his best season to date in 2023, posting a 13-7 record, 189 Ks in 190⅔ innings and a 4.7% walk rate that ranked among the top 5% of the league.

Gilbert added a splitter to his repertoire, throwing it 14.8% of the time for a 35% swing-and-miss rate and a .174 batting average. His fastball velocity dipped slightly, down to 95.7 mph, but still sat in the 79th percentile across the majors.

Luis Castillo will make the Opening Day start for the Mariners, with George Kirby, Gilbert, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo rounding out the five-man rotation. Seattle's starters ranked third in ERA (3.74) and second in fielding independent pitching (3.88) last season, according to FanGraphs.

Justin Lawrence, RHP, Colorado Rockies

In his age-28 season, former Daytona State pitcher Lawrence blossomed into one of the Rockies' most trusted relievers. The 6-foot-3, 213-pound Panamanian righty sported a 3.72 ERA over 69 appearances and picked up a career-high 11 saves.

Lawrence had a nearly 50-50 split between his sinker and sweeper, generating a 36.4% whiff rate with the latter. His spin rate increased by nearly 200 RPM, resulting in a .149 opponents' batting average and .236 opponents' slugging percentage.

Colorado is stuck in one of the toughest divisions in baseball — with the Dodgers, Padres and Giants adding Shohei Ohtani, Dylan Cease and Blake Snell for their respective rotations. Lawrence will get his chance to close games, but might not rack up many saves if the Rockies struggle.

Anthony Maldonado, RHP, Miami Marlins

Bethune-Cookman last had a player suit up for an MLB game five years ago when Montana DuRapau worked his way into the Pittsburgh Pirates' bullpen and registered 14 appearances, the last of which occurred Aug. 29, 2019.

That could change quickly if Maldonado, 26, snatches one of the last spots in the Marlins' bullpen. Ranked 19th among Miami's prospects, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound righthander has 15 holds, 18 saves and a 2.71 career ERA in 153 innings.

Maldonado pitched six innings in the Grapefruit League, allowing three hits, four walks and one earned run while striking out eight. He's in a battle with former Tortugas starter Vladimir Gutierrez and Declan Cronin to make the team.

Brooks Wilson, RHP, Atlanta Braves

Fully recovered from Tommy John surgery that cost him all of 2022, Wilson — one of the stars of Stetson's Super Regionals squad — pitched in three spring training games for the Braves before being reassigned. He gave up two unearned runs, walking one and striking out a pair.

Wilson, 28, remains on the 40-man roster and could be on standby if injuries pile up in the Atlanta bullpen. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound righthander has been an effective pitcher throughout the minors with an even 200 strikeouts and a 2.27 ERA in 178⅓ career innings.

He will begin the season with the Gwinnett Stripers, the Braves' nearby Triple-A affiliate.

José Barrero, SS, Texas Rangers

If the name does not ring a bell, don't worry, it's been changed since his Daytona Beach days. José García hit .280 with 37 doubles in 104 games for the Tortugas in 2019, but adopted the surname Barrero in honor of his mother, who died in 2021 due to COVID-19 complications.

Texas scooped Barrero off waivers March 9 from the Reds, and the 25-year-old Cuban infielder is out of minor league options. He has struggled mightily at the plate in the majors, producing a career slash line of .186/.242/.255 with a 34 OPS+.

Barrero could make the Rangers' roster if starting shortstop Corey Seager is unable to play right away after undergoing sports hernia surgery. Right-handed pitcher Tyler Mahle, another former Tortuga, joined Texas this offseason as well on a two-year, $22 million contract, and he is expected to return from Tommy John surgery sometime in the second half.

Elly de la Cruz, SS/3B, Cincinnati Reds

One of baseball's most exciting prospects, de la Cruz burst onto the big-league scene last summer and hit .325 with four home runs, 16 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in his first 30 games. Pitchers made adjustments around the league against the 6-foot-5, 200-pound infielder, and he batted just .191 during the second half.

Still, at just 22 years of age, de la Cruz looks the part of a building block for an up-and-coming Cincinnati club. He made 66 starts at shortstop and 29 more at third base, and is under team control through 2030 without arbitration eligibility for another three seasons.

Jonathan India, 2B, Cincinnati Reds

Three seasons removed from taking home NL Rookie of the Year honors, India's spot in the everyday lineup looked a bit more insecure given Cincinnati's influx of surging infield talent. India, 27, produced a 3.1 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) season in 2021, but combined for 1.7 WAR the last two campaigns.

India hit .244 across 119 games in 2023, adding 17 home runs, 23 doubles, 14 stolen bases, 78 runs scored and 61 RBIs. He offers plenty of defensive versatility, too — learning to play first base and left field at the start of spring training.

Reds general manager Nick Krall told India he did not wish to trade the infielder despite outside chatter. He instead signed a two-year, $8.8 million contract in February to avoid arbitration.

Other notable former Tortugas still in the Reds organization include pitchers Andrew Abbott and Tejay Antone, catcher Tyler Stephenson and outfielders Stuart Fairchild and TJ Friedl.

Nick Senzel, 3B/OF, Washington Nationals

Drafted No. 2 overall out of Tennessee in 2016, Senzel breezed through the lower levels of the minors, including a 62-game stint with the Tortugas (.305, 26 doubles, four homers, 31 RBIs). However, the Reds non-tendered Senzel in the winter, ending a five-year stint marred by injuries and inconsistency at the plate (.239 career average, .671 OPS).

Senzel, 28, will have an opportunity to bounce back for a Washington team in the midst of a rebuild. He's expected to start at third base. For the Reds, Senzel played 303 times in the outfield, compared to just 62 at the hot corner.

José Siri, OF, Tampa Bay Rays

Hype surrounded Siri upon his promotion to Daytona following a stellar 2016 season for the Dayton Dragons, belting 24 home runs with a .293 average and stealing 46 bases. He suited up just 30 times for the Tortugas before quickly advancing to Double-A Pensacola.

He was waived twice, by Cincinnati and Seattle, and allowed to leave San Francisco as a free agent before joining Houston. In August 2022, Siri headed to Tampa Bay as part of a three-team deal that sent Trey Mancini to the Astros.

Now 27, Siri has appeared in 157 games for the Rays and tapped into that promising potential, crushing 29 home and producing a 13.2% barrel rate last season. He is also one of the game's premier defenders in center field, scoring in the 95th percentile for range and the 94th for arm strength, per MLB's advanced metrics.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Jacob DeGrom, Elly de la Cruz lead Daytona area MLB Opening Day pros