Dayton Dragons 2025 Team Preview: Part 5—The Third Basemen
Several former Dayton Dragons players performed well for the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday night in the Reds spring breakout game against the Milwaukee Brewers, a game that was nationally televised on the MLB Network and spotlighted top prospects from both teams. Sal Stewart, a key member of the 2024 Dragons,
Several former Dayton Dragons players performed well for the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday night in the Reds spring breakout game against the Milwaukee Brewers, a game that was nationally televised on the MLB Network and spotlighted top prospects from both teams. Sal Stewart, a key member of the 2024 Dragons, had two hits including a triple and three RBI. Edwin Arroyo and Ethan O’Donnell added triples and Hector Rodriguez had a double as the Reds won, 9-7. Former Dragons reliever Luis Mey drew plenty of attention for throwing a dominating inning, throwing a 102 mph fastball. With the Dragons in 2024, Mey actually reached 103 mph.
The Dragons continue preparations for their historic 25th season at Day Air Ballpark. The Dragons home Opening Night game is set for Tuesday, April 8 against the Fort Wayne TinCaps at 7:05 pm at Day Air Ballpark. The Dragons will officially open their season on the road in 2025, four days prior to their home opener, when they battle the West Michigan Whitecaps in Grand Rapids, Michigan at 6:35 pm on April 4.
Minor League spring training games are ongoing in Arizona and continue through March 29. There are roughly 180 minor league players currently in competition for roster spots within the Reds organization in Arizona.
This is part five of an eight-part positional preview of the candidates for the Dragons 2025 roster. Players listed here are candidates for positions on the Dragons season-opening roster.
This preview is an unofficial projection of possible roster candidates. Minor League rosters are not established until April 1. Spring training variables including performance, injuries, trades, and additional player acquisitions will impact the roster accordingly.
For Dragons season ticket or group ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.
The Third Basemen
Click links on each name for career stats and player information.
Candidates: Ricardo Cabrera, Trey Faltine, Johnny Ascanio
Attached photo of Ricardo Cabrera courtesy of Aldrin Capulong/Daytona Tortugas
Ricardo Cabrera, a 20-year-old infielder from Venezuela, will rank among the top prospects on the Dayton club in 2025. Cabrera is currently listed as the 10th best prospect in the Reds organization by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. On the initial projection of the Dayton 2025 roster, he would rank as the second highest-rated prospect among position players, behind only shortstop Sammy Stafura.
The Reds signed Cabrera as a 17-year-old free agent from Venezuela in 2022, and he was ranked as the third best prospect in the entire international signing class (for all organizations) that year. Baseball America called Cabrera “the most talented player the Reds have signed out of Venezuela in several years” and added that he “should be an above-average hitter with an all-fields approach…plus speed, a plus arm.”
Cabrera had an outstanding season in 2023 as an 18-year-old in the Arizona Complex League, batting .350 with five home runs and 21 stolen bases in 39 games. He finished in the top five in the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and steals.
Entering the 2024 season, Cabrera was ranked as the Reds #12 prospect. He spent the entire 2024 season with Single-A Daytona, getting his first extended chance in a full-season league. While his overall numbers do not look overly impressive, they do look strong when viewed in the context of the Florida State League, which is traditionally very pitcher’s friendly (and hitter unfriendly). With Daytona, Cabrera batted .252, well above the league average of .229. He added 11 home runs and stole 19 bases in 105 games, and his OPS of .730 was also well above the league average of .679. Cabrera was 2-3 years younger than most of the pitchers he was facing. Of his 456 plate appearances, 414 came against pitchers older than he was.
Cabrera was originally signed as a shortstop, but he saw significant time at three different positions in 2024. He started 55 games at third base, 17 at shortstop, and 14 at second base. Baseball America ranks Cabrera as the “Infielder with the Best Arm” in the Reds farm system.
Trey Faltine is a slick-fielder who has spent parts of each of the last two seasons with the Dragons. Faltine was the Reds seventh round draft pick in 2022 out of the University of Texas. He has struggled to hit as a professional but did make some gains in 2024, when he spent most of the season at Daytona. With the Tortugas, he batted .218 with six home runs in 78 games, but he had a good second half, batting .307 with four homers in 26 games from June 29-August 13, posting a .977 OPS. Faltine can play every position on the field except pitcher and catcher.
Johnny Ascaino is a switch-hitter who filled a utility role for the Dragons in 2024. He started 11 games at second base, five more at third, and played a few innings at shortstop. In 18 games, he hit .218 with one home run. Ascanio first signed with the Reds in 2019 as an international free agent from Venezuela. His best season came in 2022 when he batted .344 in 20 games with the ACL Reds, a team that also featured 2024 Dragons Leo Balcazar and Carlos Jorge. Ascanio joined the Dragons in the second half of the 2024 season after playing in 79 games with Daytona, where he batted .220 with three home runs. He hit .255 with the same Daytona team in 2023.
Next up: Outfielders