Dayton Dragons: 5 things to know about 2023 season

The Dragons open their home schedule on at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at Day Air Ballpark against the Great Lakes Loons.

Here are five things to know about this year’s Dragons:

1. Two top prospects in the lineup: Fans will get a close look at a key piece to the Luis Castillo trade. Switch-hitting shortstop Edwin Arroyo is rated by most services as the Reds’ No. 3 prospect. The only players ahead of him were in Dayton last year — Elly De La Cruz and Noelvi Marte.

Baseball America says Arroyo, who is from Puerto Rico, is the Reds’ best minor-league defensive infielder. As an 18-year-old last summer and as the third youngest player in the Low-A California League, Arroyo batted .316 with 13 home runs. He was a second-round draft pick by Seattle and played for Puerto Rico in the recent World Baseball Classic.

Center fielder Jay Allen II returns to the Dragons after playing the final 22 games with them last season. He set a club record with five stolen bases in a game. He batted .230 with the Dragons and stole 12 bases. Allen, 20, was a first-round pick in 2021 and is rated the Reds’ No. 13 prospect by MLB Pipeline.

2. 20 players return: An unusually high number of players are back in Dayton. The most familiar position players are outfielder Austin Hendrick, the Reds’ first-round pick in 2020, catcher Mat Nelson, a supplemental first-round pick in 2020, and infielders Justice Thompson and Tyler Callihan.

Hendrick hit 14 of his 21 homers last season with the Dragons. Thompson played in 90 games with the Dragons and stole 20 bases.

Returning starting pitcher Thomas Farr led the 2022 Dragons in innings (99 1/3) while compiling a 4-6 record and 4.80 ERA. Returning closer Donovan Benoit led the Dragons in saves (13) while finishing second in the entire Reds farm system. Nine of the 10 members of the bullpen pitched for the Dragons in 2022.

3. More help coming: Starter Chase Petty, 20, is the top-rated pitching prospect (No. 8) in the Reds’ system. He begins the season on the injured list. Petty came to the Reds last March from the Twins in the Sonny Gray trade.

Petty started last season in Daytona before making seven starts for the Dragons. He was 1-2 with a 4.40 ERA and opponents batted .231 against him.

First baseman Ruben Ibarra is also starting the season on the injured list. In 25 games with the Dragons, Ibarra hit four homers and batted .188.

4. Same manager, new coaches: Former major-leaguer Bryan LaHair returns for his second season to lead the Dragons.

LaHair’s new staff is made up of pitching coach Todd Naskedov, hitting coach Eric Richardson and Osmin Melendez.

5. Sellout streak in jeopardy: The Dragons announced earlier this week that 500 tickets remain for Tuesday’s home opener.

Not counting the Covid-impacted season of 2021, the Dragons claim a professional sports record of 1,441 straight sellouts.