With the 2024-25 Dominican Winter League (DWL) in the round-robin phase, now seems like a good time to take a look at what’s been going as of late. The DWL serves as a place where Major Leaguers can work on their game before 2025, while others are using it to try to get noticed once more. Here’s a look at which DWL players are trending up and down.
Strong Perfomers
Padres fans should be pleased with how Eguy Rosario has played to this point. With the Estrellas Orientales, Rosario has the team’s best batting average (.336) on the team, and the 25-year-old hit four home runs and 12 extra-base hits over 32 games.
Rosario has a very quick bat and impressive power for a 5’7” infielder. However, the Padres infielder showcased a knacking for not just hitting the ball hard but also whiffing a lot. His 41.9% Whiff% rate would have ranked him well below the league average and Rosario chases too much, as well.
Speaking of the Padres, ex-San Diego pitcher Nabil Crismatt led the DWL in strikeouts (49), beating out former MLBers Enny Romero, Matt Dermody, and Vladimir Gutierrez for the top spot.
Crismatt, on a Minor League deal with the Phillies next season, is a name to watch in Spring Training. The veteran right-hander has proven to be useful as a MLB team reliever but struggled last season in the Dodgers and Padres’ farm systems.
Another name who’s been trending up this winter is Twins catcher Jair Camargo. Camargo cracked 11 extra-base hits over 26 games, with a .323/.359/.495 slash line.
Look, DWL stats are not something to be ectastic about. However, the upcoming spring is an important one for Camargo — and so far, the 24-year-old has put himself in a good spot heading into February. The Twins haven’t been significant players in the offseason and lost pop this winter when Max Kepler and Carlos Santana left to free agency.
Camargo has limited first base experience — eight starts in 2024 down in St. Paul, which can help a roster spot push — and he can hit. Just two seasons earlier, Camargo hit 21 home runs over 90 games with the Saints.
Lastly, Junior Caminero is a likely lock to make the Rays’ Opening Day roster. Through 10 games with Leones del Escogido, Caminero hit .424/.457/.546 with 14 hits.
Players Trending Down
The 2025 campaign will be pivotal for several players, two of those being Noelvi Marte and Jose Cabellero.
I’ll start with Cabellero, who hit .169/.257/.200 (.457 OPS) with two extra-base hits over 22 games with Aguilas. Those numbers follow up a 2024 campaign that saw Caballero lead the AL in stolen bases (44). But, Caballero had below-average chase and whiff rates, and only a .630 OPS.
Power is not Cabellero’s calling power. Rather, good defense and a penchant to get on base. The former was true for the 28-year-old in 2024 — but not the latter. Caballero walked only 5.6% of the time last year, almost half the 10% from a year earlier with Seattle. The Rays infielder looked to fit Tampa’s mantra to a tee last winter when he was acquired via trade.
However, the results were highly mixed.
Caballero won’t be on a glide path to a regular role in 2025. And even if the Rays infielder wins the shortstop job, Carson Williams is not far away from Tampa.
As for Marte, the Reds infielder hit .227/.303/.351 with seven extra-base hits over 31 games. Marte needed the DWL more than most, given he was suspended for PEDs in the spring and missed half of the 2024 MLB season. And when he returned, the 23-year-old posted just a .549 OPS with the Reds.
Marte came into 2024 with big expectations. He’s a former top prospect and hit well with the Reds late in 2023. Now, things have changed. Marte isn’t anywhere close to being a bust but it’s not improbable to think Marte — with a bad spring — could find himself in Louisville (AAA) to begin 2025.
As things stand right now, the Reds have a tenative infield of Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B), Matt McLain (2B), Jeimer Canderlario (3B), and Elly De La Cruz (SS), with Marte on the fringe. Candelario has produced mixed results at third (-6 OAA last year), fielding-wise.
Aside from Caballero and Marte, other Major Leaguers down in the Dominican Republic didn’t have great winters.
Brewers infielder Oliver Dunn hit only .091/.231/.091 over 12 games. Nationals infielder Jose Tena recorded a .615 OPS with 13 strikeouts over 10 games. Small sample sizes for both of them but also something to watch.
Lastly, Giants reliever Camilo Doval posted a 5.68 ERA, with six walks and five hits over 6.1 IP with Cibao.