The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Top prospect Espino continues to develop
Most of the numbers are gaudy for Captains starting pitcher Daniel Espino. The 20-year-old righthander and native of Panama was selected by the Indians in the first round of the June 2019 draft out of Georgia Premier High School.
Sturdily built at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Espino commanded a $2.5 million signing bonus. He made his professional debut in 2019, going 0-3 with a 3.80 ERA in nine starts with the rookie league Arizona Indians and short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
This year, after the 2020 minor-league season was cancelled because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Espino made 10 starts for the Low-A Lynchburg (Va.) Hillcats before earning a promotion to the High-A Captains on July 12.
Espino made his fourth start for the Captains against the Lansing (Mich.) Lugnuts Aug. 6 at Classic Park. It went mostly well for the young man rated by mlb.com as the sixth-best prospect in the Indians organization.
Mostly well, that is, save for the two home runs by Lansing third baseman Jordan Diaz that loomed large in the Lugnuts’ 5-3 victory in the fourth game of a sixgame series.
Espino slipped to 0-3 with a 6.50 ERA for the Captains.
Touched for five runs (four earned) on five hits in five innings, he notched 10 strikeouts and issued two walks.
With his fastball topping out and 98 mph and sitting at 94, Espino threw 91 pitches, 57 for strikes. He augmented the fastball with a slider, curve and a couple of change-ups.
“He’s a competitor,” Captains manager Greg DiCenzo said of Espino. “With young pitchers like him, it’s all about the learning curve. I hope he learns from every pitch and every outing as he moves up.”
The Lugnuts got on the board off Espino in the top of the first inning on an RBI double by catcher Jared McDonald.
Lake County pulled even in the bottom of the first when Jose Tena singled, moved to third base on a single by Micah Pries and scored on a sacrifice fly by George Valera.
Lake County took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a triple to center fielder by Angel Lopez and a sacrifice fly by Raynel Delgado.
The right-handed batting Diaz went to work after that, getting to Espino for a solo home run in the top of the third inning and a three-run blast in the top of the fifth. Both were opposite-field shots to right field.
“All season, I’ve been featuring the fastball and working off that with the other pitches,” Espino said. “It was missed locations on both of those (home runs).”
A solo home run by Valera in the bottom of the sixth inning narrowed Lansing’s lead to 5-3. Valera now has 11 home run and 30 RBI in 49 games.
He’s connected on nine of those home runs in his last 23 games.
Burks appearance
The Captains announced this week that former Indians outfielder and designated hitter Ellis Burks will be at Classic Park on Aug. 14 for a meet-and-greet prior to the 7 p.m. game against the West Michigan Whitecaps. Tickets for the event are $30 ($25 for kids).