Three Dragons Named to Midwest League All-Star Team
Dayton, Ohio—Minor League Baseball today announced its official 2024 Midwest League Full-Season All-Star Team and player awards, and three Dayton Dragons players were selected. Cam Collier (third baseman), Ethan O’Donnell (outfielder), and Sal Stewart (utility) were among a total of 16 MWL players selected (10 position players; 6 pitchers). Eight
Dayton, Ohio—Minor League Baseball today announced its official 2024 Midwest League Full-Season All-Star Team and player awards, and three Dayton Dragons players were selected. Cam Collier (third baseman), Ethan O’Donnell (outfielder), and Sal Stewart (utility) were among a total of 16 MWL players selected (10 position players; 6 pitchers). Eight of the 12 Midwest League teams had at least one player selected. Lake County catcher Cooper Ingle was selected as the MVP of the Midwest League for 2024.
The awards were chosen in a vote by Midwest League managers. Midwest League broadcasters served as the nominating group for the voting process, selecting the names on the ballot.
The selection of Collier, O’Donnell, and Stewart marks the third time in Dragons franchise history that three Dayton players were named as Midwest League Full-Season all-stars. The Dragons have never had more than three picked in a season. In 2002, Dragons players Edwin Encarnacion (third baseman), Noochie Varner (outfielder), and Nate Cotton (relief pitcher) were selected. In 2007, Justin Turner (second baseman), Juan Francisco (third baseman), and Chris Valaika (shortstop) were chosen.
Since the Dragons moved up to the High-A level in 2021, a total of three players had been selected as MWL Full-Season all-stars prior to this season. In 2023, Edwin Arroyo (shortstop) and Julian Aguiar (pitcher) were selected. In 2022, Elly De La Cruz (shortstop) was selected.
Collier, the Reds first round draft pick in 2022 out of Chipola College, finished second in the MWL in RBI (74) and tied for second in home runs (20). He finished third in the league in extra base hits (42) and tied for fifth in slugging percentage (.443). Collier played in 119 of the Dragons 132 games.
O’Donnell, a sixth round pick in 2023 out of the University of Virginia, served as a hustling, hard-nosed spark plug for the Dragons. He was second on the team in stolen bases (31) while adding 10 home runs. His OPS of .774 was second on the team to Collier among qualifiers. O’Donnell played in 104 games.
Stewart was a supplemental first round draft pick in 2022 out of Westminster Christian High School in Miami, Florida. He was on his way to a potential league MVP season when he suffered an injury in July that he did not return from. Stewart played in 80 games prior to the injury. Stewart would have ranked among the top-five in the MWL in OPS, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage, but his total number of plate appearances (338) fell just short of the minimum to qualify. He split his time between third base and second base and emerged as one of the Dragons top defensive players.
Dragons All-Time Midwest League Full-Season All-Stars
2000: Austin Kearns (OF), Braxton Whitehead (C)
2001: Wily Mo Pena (OF), Samone Peters (DH)
2002: Edwin Encarnacion (3B), Noochie Varner (OF), Nate Cotton (RH Relief Pitcher)
2004: Chris Dickerson (OF)
2005: Tonys Gutierrez (1B)
2006: Jay Bruce (OF)
2007: Justin Turner (2B), Chris Valaika (SS), Juan Francisco (3B)
2008: Zack Cozart (SS), Brandon Waring (3B)
2011: Billy Hamilton (SS), Drew Hayes (RH Relief Pitcher)
2015: Tyler Mahle (RH Starting Pitcher)
2017: Jose Siri (OF)
2018: Hendrik Clementina (DH), John Ghyzel (RH Relief Pitcher)
2022: Elly De La Cruz (SS)
2023: Edwin Arroyo (SS), Julian Aguiar (Starting Pitcher)
2024: Cam Collier (3B), Ethan O’Donnell (OF), Sal Stewart (utility)
No Dragons selected in 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021.
The Dragons won the Midwest League East Division Second Half title in 2024 to earn a playoff berth. Their winning percentage in the Second Half of .615 ranks third in franchise history for best winning percentage in a half season, trailing only 2011, 2nd Half (48-22, .686); and 2007, 1st Half (44-26, .629). The Dragons won 40 games in a half for the first time since the 1st Half in 2017 when they went 41-29 (Half-Seasons were 70 games prior to 2021; there are now 66 games). The Dragons finished with a winning record in both halves for the second time in franchise history (2001: 41-29 & 41-28). The Dragons full-season winning percentage of .565 ranked third in franchise history, trailing 2011 (.593) and 2001 (.590). The Dragons won the Second Half East Division title for just the second time in franchise history (2011). They have two first half division titles (2001, 2007) and four playoff berths as a wildcard team (second place teams qualified for post-season prior to the 2021 season).