OPINION: How Miami Hurricanes outfield will shape up with a lot of talent ... and competition
The Miami Hurricanes had a makeshift outfield at the beginning of last season, but it grew into one of their strengths by the end of the season.
Last season saw Jacob Burke bloom from an unproven commodity in left field into one of the best five-tool players in the ACC in center field. Zach Levenson emerged as a right-handed power bat, and freshmen Edgardo Villegas, Gaby Gutierrez, and Renzo Gonzalez all had their moments.
This season looks like the Hurricanes will have a very strong outfield. Burke was the lone departure, drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 11th round. Miami will get star recruit Lorenzo Carrier back after missing roughly three months with an injury suffered at Central Florida.
The Hurricanes also added two key transfers in the outfield this summer. Both Ian Farrow (FGCU) and Dario Gomez (Nevada) had impressive seasons in 2022, and are now looking to make an impact in the orange and green.
There could be a lot of rotating pieces in the outfield, which is very similar to last season’s Hurricanes during midweek matchups.
Here is my prediction for Miami’s starting outfield in 2023:
LF – #43, Ian Farrow
Let’s get one thing clear; Miami has been very good at getting transfers under Gino DiMare in the outfield. Christian Del Castillo led Miami in batting average in 2020 while Burke did seemingly everything for the Hurricanes in 2021.
Farrow has a very good chance to have the same level of impact, if not greater.
He is the highest-ranked transfer for the Hurricanes during this off-season, clocking in as the no. 18 transfer on D1Baseball’s Top 100 Impact Transfers. The junior draws a lot of comparisons to Burke as a right-handed hitter.
Farrow was one of just nine players to record 15 or more home runs, 60 or more RBI, and 40 runs scored last season.
The Merritt Island, FL. native crushed a career-best 21 home runs last year to lead FGCU. He had a keen eye at the plate in clutch situations, recording four four-game RBI streaks.
He was hitting as well as .398 until March 27th while batting .372 during the month of May, leading the Eagles with 21 multi-hit performances.
The lone weakness to Farrow’s game seems to be strikeouts, punched out 69 times in 58 apps in 2022. He really struggled over Summer Ball, striking out 18 times in 11 games in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League.
The positives severly outweigh the negatives with Farrow, who could become a household name in the ACC this season.
CF – #22, Dario Gomez
From one outfield transfer to another, Gomez is also looking to build off a phenomenal 2022. The senior was one of five players to leave Nevada after new coach Jake McKinley took over, but made his mark on the Wolfpack program.
Gomez made 100 total appearances for the Wolfpack and was one of the best contact bats during his time in Reno. The Las Vegas, NV. native hit a career .350 clip over his tenure.
His best season came in 2021, when he batted .393 and earned Mountain West First Team honors. 2022 was a good build, adding 18 doubles, six triples, and a 12-game hitting streak at the end of the year.
What Hurricanes fans should be excited about is his dominant Summer Ball campaign. Gomez exploded for the Rochester Honkers in the Northwoods League and was one of the best players during the league’s second half.
Gomez batted .385 for the Honkers while drilling in 27 RBI across 26 games, leading Rochester to a 17-17 second half record.
Miami needs Gomez to be that top-of-the-lineup bat to consistently get on base for sluggers like Yohandy Morales to drive in. Gomez could be a solid piece near the top of the lineup if he’s able to make the right transition to Coral Gables.
RF – #9, Zach Levenson
The lone returning Hurricane that’s in my starting lineup projection, Levenson emerged during Miami’s tear during March and April from a rotational piece to a necessity.
The Seminole State College of Florida transfer didn’t manage to crack UM’s starting lineup consistently until late March after Carrier’s injury. It took about a month for Levenson to truly get used to the division one level, but didn’t look back once he found his groove.
The right-handed hitter emerged as a serious pull hitter at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. Levenson mashed five home runs to left field alone in Coral Gables, including two in Miami’s series victory over Pittsburgh.
He recorded seven multi-RBI performances last season. He had five in the last month of the regular season, including five RBI against UCF and a pair of two-RBI performances against Florida State and Notre Dame.
Miami lost a lot of power from last season with Burke and catcher Maxwell Romero Jr. selected in the MLB Draft. DiMare may needed Levenson in the middle of the lineup, whether in right or at designated hitter to provide 15+ home runs in his first full season as a starter.
