DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – The Dayton Dragons will open their 23rd season in the Midwest League with a road series at the Lake County Captains in Eastlake, Ohio beginning Thursday, April 6th at 6:35 p.m. 

The Dragons annual home opening night game at Day Air Ballpark is scheduled for Tuesday, April 11th against the Great Lakes Loons at 7:05 p.m. 

The home opener on April 11 is the first game of a six-game set with Great Lakes, and the first of 66 home games for the Dragons in 2023. 

In 2022, Dragons fans at Day Air Ballpark got a first-hand look at the emergence of generational star prospect Elly De La Cruz. 

De La Cruz became the first player in Dragons history and first Midwest League player since 1999 (Corey Patterson, Lansing) to hit at least .300 with at least 20 home runs and at least 25 stolen bases. 

With the Dragons in 2022, De La Cruz played in 72 games and batted .302 with 20 home runs.

When De La Cruz moved up from the Dragons in 2022, he was replaced at the shortstop position in Dayton by Noelvi Marte, the consensus #2 prospect in the Reds organization at the time.  Marte is now primarily viewed as a third baseman and is expected to move up to Chattanooga.  But the new Dayton shortstop in 2023 is expected to be yet another mega-prospect that will thrill the fans at Day Air Ballpark. 

Edwin Arroyo was acquired by the Reds at the 2022 trade deadline from the Seattle Mariners in the deal that sent MLB all-star Luis Castillo to Seattle.  Marte came to Cincinnati in the same trade. 

Both players were shortstops at the time of the deal, and they were the top two prospects in the Seattle organization. 

Upon arrival, they were slotted in as the #2 and #3 prospects in the Reds system, behind only Elly De La Cruz.  Both players are considered top 100 prospects in all Minor League Baseball by most ranking services.

Arroyo is currently ranked as the Reds #2 prospect by ESPN, and #3 by both MLB.com and Baseball America.  He was also named by Baseball America as the Reds “Best Defensive Infielder.” 

Arroyo was drafted by Seattle in the second round in 2021 out of the Arecibo Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico. 

In Dragons history, there have been only nine players who began their season in Dayton ranked as the Reds #3 prospect or higher by Baseball America.  The list includes Jay Bruce, Adam Dunn, Homer Bailey, and Hunter Greene.  Arroyo will be the newest addition to that list.