The Down East Wood Ducks will begin the 2024 MiLB season with twenty-nine players on the active roster, including four of the Rangers’ Top 30 preseason prospects according to MLB.com. The team is composed of a mixture of returning players looking to improve on their 2023 seasons and an injection of fresh talent from the draft and international amateurs. This mixture of talent should come together to make a fun team for fans to enjoy this season as the Wood Ducks look to make a return to the Carolina League Championship Series.
Pitchers
The pitching staff will be one of the bigger question marks going into the 2024 season. The bullpen is likely to be anchored by returning players Alberto Mota and Kai-Noa Wynyard, while the starting rotation looks to be more up for grabs. Luis Valdez, who was acquired in 2023 from the Dodgers in the Ricky Vanasco trade, will likely headline a group of late-round draft picks and international amateurs that have starting experience so far in their young professional careers. How returning Manager Carlos Maldonado and new Pitching Coach Thomas St. Clair fill out their rotation will be a crucial decision to start the year.
Catchers
Jesus Lopez will be the favorite to win the starting catcher job after posting an impressive 146 wRC+ in the Arizona Complex League last season. Lopez possesses a violent left-handed swing that allows him to generate good launch angles to his pull-side. He also found success behind the plate, throwing out 39% of would-be base-runners in his first two seasons thanks to a plus arm. Lopez will be joined by returning player Jesus Moreno who struggled at the plate for the Woodies last season, along with 2023 8th Round pick Julian Brock who is set to make his professional debut. Should Lopez lock down the starting job, look for Brock and Moreno to compete for the DH role.
Infielders
Danyer Cueva and Gleider Figuereo will both return to Down East for a second year after struggling offensively in 2023, where they will look to build on their experiences from last season. They will be joined by Echedry Vargas, Chandler Pollard, and Arturo Disla who will all be making their full-season debuts at affiliate level. Vargas is the strongest breakout candidate on the roster, after posting a 131 wRC+ in the Arizona Complex League last season, where he led the league with 11 HR. Scouts have been impressed with his average exit velocity that ranked in the 90th percentile last season, but he still has work to do in recognizing breaking pitches moving away from his body if he wants to find continued success in Low-A. This unit will likely be defined by how much Cueva and Figuereo improve offensively with a full year of Low-A pitching behind them, supported by the rising young talent led by Vargas.
Outfielders
Finally, the outfield looks to be headlined by incoming talent in Marco Torres and Wady Mendez who will join returning player Thomas Specht. Marcus Smith will also begin the year in Low-A after an injury-riddled 2023 campaign in Hickory failed to produce positive results. Torres will be the one to watch among the group, as he was the only player in the Arizona Complex League last season to place in the top five in both steals and homeruns. Specht will also look to bounce back and show a more refined plate approach after he struggled to create much power last season, generating just 1 HR and 12 XBH across 61 games in Low-A last season. Should the pieces fall into place, the Wood Ducks have the chance to roll out one of the more underrated units in the Carolina League this season.
