Otters Sign Three Players For 2021 Season

The Evansville Otters have signed Dalton Stambaugh, Montrell Marshall, and Jose Mercado to contracts for the 2021 season.

Stambaugh, a Fredericksburg, Ohio native, is a left-handed pitcher who spent 2019 with the Gulf Coast League Orioles.

“I’m looking forward to representing this reputable organization and city of Evansville,” Stambaugh said. “I’m very excited to play for such a passionate fan base, and grateful for the opportunity.”

The southpaw was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles organization in the 30th round of the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Morehead State University.

Stambaugh was a college teammate with former Evansville Otters pitcher Patrick McGuff.“Dalton received a high recommendation by McGuff,” Otters manager Andy McCauley said. “He is a high-quality left-handed arm that should compete for a starting job.” With the GCL Orioles, Stambaugh had a 1.69 ERA in 10 appearances with 18 strikeouts. He pitched in 21.1 innings.

“I play with a lot of emotion and passion, and I try to bring a relentless mentality every time I’m on the mound,” Stambaugh said. “Being in the best place mentally has always been a major focus for me.”

Marshall, from Laurinburg, N.C., comes to the Otters after spending 2019 with the Vallejo Admirals of the Pacific Association. With the Admirals, he batted .345 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs in 30 games and 113 at-bats. He also had a 1.101 OPS.

“Montrell was recommended by outfielder Miles Gordon, and my references had good reports on him,” McCauley said. “He is a plus power threat that should hit in the middle of the lineup and be a plus defender at first base.”

Marshall was drafted by the Reds organization in the 12th round of the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft out of South Gwinnett High School.“I’m extremely excited to play again after sitting out an entire season due to COVID-19,” Marshall said. “Also, I’m looking forward to playing with former teammate Miles Gordon.”

Overall, with the Reds organization, Marshall hit .219 with 12 home runs and 99 RBIs in 228 games and 818 at-bats. He also scored 109 runs and had 51 doubles. “My goal is to bring a powerful presence to the Evansville Otters each and every day at the plate,” Marshall added.

The corner infielder was the 2018 Midwest League All-Star MVP as a Dayton Dragon.

Mercado is from Arecibo, Puerto Rico and spent two seasons in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. “Mercado was recommended to us by a trusted agent who has sent us numerous good players in the past,” McCauley said. “He should compete for an infield job, and from the reports we’ve received from the Phillies, he is capable of adding offense to our lineup.”

The infielder was drafted in the 13th round of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy.

Overall, with the Phillies East Gulf Coast League team, Mercado batted .167 in 56 games and 186 at-bats. He also has eight extra-base hits and 13 RBIs.