Colorado Rockies: David Dahl Set for Debut
By Ron Juckett
Top Colorado Rockies prospect David Dahl will make his debut Monday against the Baltimore Orioles.
Hot prospect David Dahl will make his Major League debut Monday for the Colorado Rockies. Called up to start a three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles, the Rockies hope his hot power bat is ready for the show.
The tenth overall pick of the 2012 MLB Draft out of Birmingham, Alabama’s Oak Mountain High School, Dahl is a consensus top 50 prospect by MLB.com, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. Able to play all three outfield slots, look for him to focus on left field with the Rockies while Gerardo Parra nurses an ankle sprain. In the minors, Dahl primarily played center and right field.
Starting the year with the always-travelling Double-A Hartford Yard Goats, and recently promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque, Dahl slugged 18 homers in the minors while putting up a slash line of .314/.394/.569. With the Pacific Coast League Isotopes, he hit .484 in 16 games, rapping five homers in 62 at-bats. Dahl can steal bases, swiping 16 with Hartford this year and 22 last year in part-time duty with A-ball Boise and Double-A New Britain.
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The Rockies will demote Brandon Barnes to make room.
A collision last year while with New Britain saw Dahl miss a long period of the season with a lacerated spleen and concussion. He had the damaged spleen removed, returning to New Britain before the end of the season.
With the Rockies in third place in the National League West, 11 games behind San Francisco, Dahl will get a long look the rest of the year. At 22, he is ahead of schedule as a prospect. When promoted to Albuquerque, he was 4.5 years younger than the average Triple-A player.
If there is a flaw in his offensive game, Dahl swings at too many pitches. He struck out 96 times this year in 350 at-bats and 81 last year in 316. He is more than a homer hitter, however, slapping 27 doubles and four triples. Remember, Hartford has no home field. Dahl recorded an OPS of .867 with the Yard Goats as they traveled the Eastern League. Also, he needs practice as a defender, although his youth and not playing a full season at any level are the primary culprits.
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With his time short with the Isotopes, by the time Colorado returns home to Coors Field it will be Dahl’s first chance to unpack his bags since spring. A place Rockies fans hope he stays a long time.