Former Hoots, Gems pitchers battling for spots on major league rosters

QUINCY — A pair of former Prospect League hurlers are making strong pitches to land on major league rosters when spring training breaks.

Left-hander Dylan Dodd, who played for the Hannibal Hoots in 2018, is in the conversation to be the Atlanta Braves’ fifth starter. Meanwhile, right-hander Cam Sanders, who played for the Quincy Gems in 2016, could find a spot in the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen after a strong Cactus League showing thus far.

Neither figured to be in this position when spring training began.

In fact, Braves manager Brian Snitker didn’t recognize Dodd’s name.

“I saw him on that back field, and I’m like, ‘Who’s this Dodd guy,’” Snitker told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

But his performance over 8 ⅓ innings during spring exhibition games has made Snitker and everyone else within the Braves organization take notice. Dodd hasn’t allowed a run, while striking out 11 and walking none.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound southpaw was even more impressive in the first two innings against the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic roster. In an exhibition, he retired six of the first seven batters he faced, including Robinson Cano, Gary Sanchez and Eloy Jimenez in order in the second inning.

“We were excited to watch him pitch against that competition,” Snitker told the Journal-Constitution. “That’s pretty good what he did, really good. It’s kind of hard not to pay attention to that when they’re doing it right there in front of you.”

Dodd spent the 2018 season with the Hoots, emerging as one of the league’s best two-way players. He hit .297 with nine doubles, four home runs and a team-leading 30 RBIs. On the bump, he went 4-1 in eight starts with a 2.84 ERA, a team-leading 60 strikeouts and just seven walks in 44 ⅓ innings.

He went on to pitch two seasons at Southeast Missouri State, where he led the Redhawks in starts, strikeouts and innings pitched during the 2019 spring. His 2020 season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he returned in 2021 to go 9-2 with a 3.17 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 96 ⅔ innings.

In two seasons in the Braves organization, he has thrown 156 innings with 173 strikeouts and just 34 walks allowed.

Those numbers will eventually land him in the Braves’ rotation.

“I can’t control the decision they make,” Dodd told the Journal-Constitution. “I can control the work, how I go about my business, and taking care of what I’m supposed to do.”

In Arizona, Sanders made the transition from starter to reliever after the Triple-A all-star break last season and now has the chance of making the opening day roster.

He wasn’t on the Cubs’ 40-man roster last year, but he went unselected in the Rule 5 draft in December, which opened the opportunity to be a non-roster invitee to spring training. He’s capitalized on the opportunity so far.

The 26-year-old Sanders has thrown 6 ⅔ innings out of the bullpen this spring, allowing one run while striking out 10 and walking two in five appearances. His fastball has reached 99 mph.

“As a reliever you get to be like, here it is, I’m coming at you,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy told the Chicago Tribune. “It’s refreshing to see a guy go out there and challenge people and feel like he’s been aggressive the whole time.”

In 17 relief appearances for Triple-A Iowa last year, Sanders struck out 34 batters in 29⅔ innings. He also walked 16, an issue the Cubs believed has been rectified by the increased comfortability throwing a slider.

The Cubs sent 10 players to the minor league camp on March 10. Sanders wasn’t one of them, opening the opportunity to pitch in front of the Cubs’ top brass and spend time with veteran pitchers in the bullpen and the clubhouse.

“I cherish every day that I’m in this locker room,” Sanders told the Tribune. “Since I was a kid, I had one dream and it was to pitch in the big leagues. So at this point, I’m not going to let anything stop me from doing it.”

Sanders made seven starts and nine appearances for the Gems during the 2016 season, going 3-3 with a 3.85 ERA over 39 ⅔ innings with 37 strikeouts and 32 walks. He won a playoff game as well, striking out six over six innings in a 9-4 victory over Springfield.