There aren’t really aces in minor-league baseball. At least not at the High-A level. Winning doesn’t have to be everything. But Davenport, Iowa will feel a difference, and perhaps some missed opportunities, with the absence of David Sandlin. Although we don’t have the rosters for any of our minor league affiliates yet, The Quad Cities River Bandits were facing a unique challenge going into the 2024 season. Last year they saw Mason Barnett, William Fleming, Noah Cameron, and Tyson Guerrero elevate their careers to Double-A before the end of the year.
Even more impressive is that these players were not seen as the strength going into 2024. Cayden Wallace, Gavin Cross, and Carter Jensen were all Top 10 prospects in the Royals organization. Sandlin had the best shot of developing his way out of Quad Cities early on in 2024, becoming the fifth arm in Northwest Arkansas. A ripe generation of pitchers is ready for the next steps, and Sandlin looked the part. Now, Quad Cities focuses on high-ceiling pitchers who are only two years removed from high school. Frank Mozzicato and Ben Kundra entered Quad Cities at the end of the year. They’ll likely play the majority of 2024 in Quad Cities as they still need time to develop.
Which pitchers can fill the absence with Sandlin now traded to Boston?
Looking for players that have a comparable trajectory to Sandlins is a bit difficult, at least in the High-A level. Henry Williams — acquired from San Diego in the Scott Barlow trade — has a very high ceiling but is still recovering from a 2022 Tommy John surgery. Then comes Steven Zobac and Ryan Ramsey. Both flourished in Columbia last season. Zobac, a former pitcher at Cal, has an impressive frame and held his own (37 K to 12 BB) in his brief stint in Davenport. Ramsey had some amazing shutouts in Columbia but had a rocky start in a small sample size of 14.0 IP for the River Bandits.
Finally, there’s the Asa Lacy question. If he does return to baseball, High A seems like a great place to start. There’s less competition at the mound in Iowa and perhaps more patience than in Northwest Arkansas. We saw how High-A helped get John McMillon on track in 2023, and perhaps Lacy could be inspired by that. Anything can change, including expectations. Pitching Coach Brian Sweeney and Pitching Director Paul Gibson taught us all valuable lessons last year. But for now, it seems like the path to Double-A in Quad Cities really starts and ends with the bats. In many ways, Brett Squires, Trevor Werner, Carson Roccaforte, Jared Dickey, and Spencer Nivens are the Tetris pieces that turn the Northwest Arkansas Naturals into a Texas League Championship contender.
The loss of Sandlin leaves a hole regardless. He was the presumptive Opening Day starter for Quad Cities, although Frank Mozzicato and Ben Kudrna make a strong case as well. Last season, he struck out 11.7 hitters per nine innings while walking just 2.4 per nine. That combination of strikeout stuff and command doesn’t exist for the River Bandits. The loss will sting, but there’s hope that some of the arms above can help to lessen the loss in 2024 for the High-A pitching staff.