Dauri Moreta

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2015
DSL:  1-2-4, 1.69 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 21.1 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 12.7 K/9

Moreta pitched well in his debut in the DSL.

2016
R:  3-3-4, 2.05 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 30.2 IP, 5.3 BB/9, 15.6 K/9
R+:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 2.2 IP, 10.1 BB/9, 10.1 K/9

The Reds moved Moreta up to rookie ball and he again pitched well except for control problems.  He missed a lot of bats.  Moreta also made two appearances in advanced rookie ball at the end of the season.

2017
R+:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 4.0 IP, 9.0 BB/9, 18.0 K/9
A:  1-2-0, 4.94 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 27.1 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 12.2 K/9

Moreta returned to advanced rookie ball for a few games, then moved up to low A.  In his first three games he gave up ten earned runs over three innings, which accounts for the bad ERA despite very good numbers overall.  His ERA was 1.85 after those first games.

2018
R+:  1-1-3, 4.91 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 7.4 BB/9, 17.2 K/9
A:  3-2-1, 7.25 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 44.2 IP, 3.6 BB/9, 11.7 K/9

The Reds sent Moreta back to low A and he had a rough time there.  The Reds eventually sent him back to advanced rookie ball and he had trouble throwing strikes.

2019
A+:  1-0-2, 2.35 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 57.1 IP, 1.4 BB/9, 10.0 K/9

In high A, Moreta put together a very good season, including exceptional control.

2020
DNP

2021
AA:  4-0-0, 1.35 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 26.2 IP, 1.7 BB/9, 12.5 K/9
AAA:  2-0-8, 0.68 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 26.1 IP, 1.4 BB/9, 7.2 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 2.45 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 3.2 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 9.8 K/9

Moreta seemingly had a breakout season, starting in AA and reaching the majors for four games at the end of the season.  Baseball America ranked him the Reds’ fifteenth best prospect after the season.

2022
AAA:  3-4-1, 3.95 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 27.1 IP, 4.0 BB/9, 9.2 K/9
MLB:  0-2-1, 5.40 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 38.1 IP, 3.1 BB/9, 9.2 K/9

Moreta took a big step backward from the previous season.  He opened in the majors and struggled there.  After a mid-May game in which he allowed five runs without getting an out, the Reds sent him to AAA.  He didn’t pitch especially well there, either.  At both levels, gopher balls were a big problem.  Moreta gave up one every four and a half innings in AAA and every 3.8 innings in the majors.  The Reds brought him back up in mid-June and he was up and down several times after that.  Moreta got much better results in the majors after the early season, but he was helped by a very low BABIP.

It’s hard to say just how much potential Moreta might have.  He did pitch very well in 2021, but not in 2022, including his time in AAA.  The longball problem has to be a concern.  He has two options left, but thanks to a very good spring he made the opening day roster.