Dasan Brown continues to show he has the tools to be the Toronto Blue Jays center fielder of the future.
The very near future.
The 22-year-old Canada native and 2018 alum of the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series International Week event made some waves on Saturday with an incredible diving catch in his team’s Spring Breakout matchup against the New York Yankees.
The Pride of Oakville, Ontario ??
What a catch by Dasan Brown! #SpringBreakout pic.twitter.com/x5LtBLm3cJ
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 17, 2024
Brown has always been an exceptional athlete, and is coming off a long, but impressive 2023 season in which he represented Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic, won a championship at the High-A level with the Vancouver Canadians as well as with the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League.
Petey Halpin was a true standout for the Cleveland Guardians in their Spring Breakout game against Cam Collier and the Cincinnati Reds, going 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, plating a run on a sacrifice fly before getting on the basepaths late in the game thanks to a seventh inning single. Collier, meanwhile, started as the Reds designated hitter, but did not reach in two plate appearances not long after the two-time International Week/Main Event star became the first-ever player to homer in the event.
The Colorado Rockies duo of FSS alums went a combined 4-for-4 at the plate; Zac Veen and Drew Romo both had two hits each — including a double for Veen — in their 3-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Romo drove in Colorado’s only run in the game, while last year’s D’Backs first-rounder, Tommy Troy, didn’t reach after appearing as a pinch-hitter.
Adam Macko, Dasan Brown’s teammate on the World squad at that 2018 International Week event, started for Toronto and recorded one strikeout in a brief outing, while Yankees prospect Roc Riggio, who played at International Week in 2020 as well as that year’s National Combine in Lake Charles, ultimately did not play despite being selected.
Mick Abel, a three-time International Week invitee and 2017 National Tournaments star, got the start for the Philadelphia Phillies in their Spring Breakout game against the Detroit Tigers, and allowed just one run in his two innings of work, finishing up with three consecutive strikeouts to end his outing, one in which he sat 94-96 miles per hour on the gun.
Another multi-time International Week participant, Atlanta Braves prospect Sabin Ceballos, reached base on a walk and scored a run in his team’s Spring Breakout game against the Boston Red Sox, who did not play Nazzan Zanetello despite his selection. Pre-Draft Combine standout Kevin Kilpatrick did get the start for the Braves in left field, however, although he did not reach in his two plate appearances.
Kyren Paris, who became the fourth alum of the Future Stars Series to reach the big leagues last year, started for the Los Angeles Angels at second base in their rivalry matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers; David Calabrese was also selected to the Angels roster, but did not play. Similarly, Marco Raya did not pitch for the Minnesota Twins in their Spring Breakout showdown against the Tampa Bay Rays, but was on the roster.
Spring Breakout finished on Sunday with two games, and another FSS alum win on the bump. One-time National Tournaments standout Cooper Hjerpe, who continues to elevate his status in the St. Louis Cardinals system after a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, got the win on Sunday against the Houston Astros, spinning a scoreless fifth inning in which he struck out one. Pete Hansen, who was selected to the Cardinals roster, did not appear in either of their games in relief.
Lastly, Cooper Pratt, one of the steals of last year’s Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, did not reach in his lone plate appearance in Milwaukee’s loss to Kansas City.
