Daniel Ponce de Leon Stats & Scouting Report

IP	13.1
ERA	4.73
WHIP	1.88
BB/9	9.45
SO/9	10.8

Full name Daniel Robert Ponce de Leon
Born 01/16/1992 in Anaheim, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Embry-Riddle
Debut 07/23/2018
Drafted in the 9th round (285th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014 (signed for $5,000).

View Draft Report

It's time for Poncedeleon to sign. He's been drafted three times--2010 out of La Mirada (Calif.) High by the Rays (24th round), 2012 out of Cypress (Calif.) JC by the Reds (38th round), and last year out of Houston by the Cubs (14th round.) He failed a physical last year and wasn't going to be eligible at Houston after negotiating with the Cubs, so he wound up at NAIA Embry-Riddle (Fla.). He predictably dominated lower-level competition, going 9-2, 1.60 with 103 strikeouts and just six extra-base hits allowed. His command can be erratic but at times he pounds the zone with an 88-92 mph fastball that touches higher. He also throws a curve, changeup and cutter. If teams are happy with their medical reports, Poncedeleon would fit as a senior to go in the first 10 rounds.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: A senior sign in 2014, Poncedeleon's career nearly ended in 2017 when he took a comebacker off his right temple, fracturing his skull and requiring emergency surgery to stop the bleeding in his brain. After months of inactivity followed by rehab, and with a permanent dent in his head, Poncedeleon amazingly returned in time for 2018 spring training. On July 23, just over 14 months after the comebacker nearly killed him, Poncedeleon fired seven no-hit innings against the Reds in his big league debut.

Scouting Report: More than just an inspiring story, Poncedeleon has real stuff. He starts his arsenal with an above-average, sinking fastball that sits 93-94 mph and touches 96 mph. He has an average 83-85 mph changeup he uses against lefties and an average 89-92 mph cutter for righties, along with a mid-70s curveball he'll mix in. Poncedeleon is throwing a tick harder since his return, and his strikeout rate (9.8 per nine innings) jumped to a career-high in 2018, but so did his walk rate (4.4 per nine).

The Future: Poncedelon excelled as a long reliever/spot starter in 2018. That is his expected long-term role, and he will fill it with the Cardinals in 2019.
Poncedeleon has a long, successful track record that he built on by finishing his first full season as high Class A Palm Beach's ace. He's well-traveled from his amateur career, as scouts started tracking him at La Mirada High in the Anaheim area of Southern California. He went the NAIA route after being drafted by the Cubs in 2013 in the 14th round; he tried to sign but the Cubs voided the deal because of concerns they had over the placement of his right ulnar nerve in his elbow. He's a four-pitch starter with good size and some polish who maintained his stuff all season. Poncedeleon pitches with an above-average 92-94 mph fastball that has good sink, and he pounded the strike zone in the lower levels with it. He has a feel for spinning a slider that also helps him get groundballs, and he finds the strike zone with a cutter and changeup as well. His fastball is his best pitch, and Poncedeleon would fit best as an innings-eating sinker-slider guy if he proves durable. His season ended in August when he landed on the disabled list with shoulder soreness, but he'd already thrown 119 innings, more than in any of his amateur seasons. A healthy Poncedeleon would be a strong factor in the Double-A Springfield rotation for 2016.

Draft Prospects

It's time for Poncedeleon to sign. He's been drafted three times--2010 out of La Mirada (Calif.) High by the Rays (24th round), 2012 out of Cypress (Calif.) JC by the Reds (38th round), and last year out of Houston by the Cubs (14th round.) He failed a physical last year and wasn't going to be eligible at Houston after negotiating with the Cubs, so he wound up at NAIA Embry-Riddle (Fla.). He predictably dominated lower-level competition, going 9-2, 1.60 with 103 strikeouts and just six extra-base hits allowed. His command can be erratic but at times he pounds the zone with an 88-92 mph fastball that touches higher. He also throws a curve, changeup and cutter. If teams are happy with their medical reports, Poncedeleon would fit as a senior to go in the first 10 rounds.
A 24th-round pick by the Rays in 2010 out of a California high school, Poncedeleon began his college career at Arizona. After pitching just three innings as a freshman, he transferred to Cypress (Calif.) JC and went in the 38th round to the Reds last June. He turned down the pros again to attend Houston, where he has shown solid stuff. The 6-foot-4, 195-pounder owns an 88-91 mph fastball that peaks at 94 and can flash sliders with tight, late break. He has aptitude for throwing a changeup as well. Poncedeleon three-pitch mix isn't as effective as it should be because his control and command are suspect. Scouts also question his competitiveness and toughness.
Ponce de Leon burst onto the prospect landscape as a Cypress freshman last fall, when he touched 94 mph with a promising slider/cutter and curveball. His stock dropped in the spring, when he settled into the 87-91 mph range and struggled with his control. At his best, he has shown a good curveball, but it has been slower and loopier for most of the spring. His 84-86 mph cutter can have late movement, but he cannot command either secondary pitch with any consistency. He also has a rigid one-piece arm action with effort, and scouts are not enamored with his emotional mound demeanor. Ponce de Leon is something of a lottery ticket with a chance down the road thanks to his 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame and makings of a solid repertoire, if he can ever refine it.

Career Transactions

RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon assigned to Diablos Rojos del Mexico.
Diablos Rojos del Mexico placed RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon on the reserve list.
Diablos Rojos del Mexico activated RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon from the reserve list.
Diablos Rojos del Mexico placed RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon on the reserve list.
Diablos Rojos del Mexico activated RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon from the reserve list.
Diablos Rojos del Mexico signed free agent RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon.
Charlotte Knights released RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon.
Charlotte Knights placed RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon on the temporarily inactive list.
Charlotte Knights activated RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon.
Charlotte Knights transferred RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon to the Development List.
Chicago White Sox signed free agent RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon to a minor league contract.
RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon assigned to Charlotte Knights.