Q&A with Dakota Watts - OriolesProspects.com Guest Post + Photos!

I've met a lot of great people since I started blogging, but one of the coolest cats I've had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with is Jordan from OriolesProspects.com. He's down at spring training right now prospect-watching and very kindly offered to keep an eye out for any Alaska Leaguers in the pro ranks. Well, lo and behold, at his first game -- a low-minors game between the Twins and the O's -- he ran into RHP Dakota Watts of the 2007 Goldpanners, who he described as a really nice guy, and who did a quick Q&A session with him:

JT: What made you want to play in the ABL?

DW: It came down to a decision late in the summer where my coaches asked me if I would like to go up there and play. I questioned it at first, but I love baseball and I didn't have anywhere to play at the time. I knew it was a good competition league so I decided to make the move up there.

JT: What advice do you have for college guys who want to go pro?

DW: Play all year round, definitely. You have to be able to play somewhere, at any level. Just try to play at the highest level you can and as much as you can.

JT: What's your best asset?

DW: Probably velocity wise, I am a power arm pitcher. My fastball is definitely my biggest asset.

JT: What is your goal for this season and how do you want to improve?

DW: My goal is to just have a good season all around. I'll be playing in Low-A in Beloit. Improvement wise, I definitely want to locate my fastball better.

JT: How did you like playing in the ABL?

DW: I had a good experience. I only played there for half a year but for the time I was there, I really enjoyed the atmosphere, it was something different. I played with a great group of guys.

There you have it. Thanks again to Jordan for hooking us up with this great interview. His website, OriolesProspects.com, is definitely one that you should bookmark if you are an O's fan or just a prospect watcher in general. I know it's one of my go-to sites when I'm looking up prospect info. He was also kind enough to get some pictures for us:

And then there's one with another familiar fellow. You might not recognize his face since you can't see it...but the name on the back of the jersey -- "Streich" -- may sound familiar to followers of the 2008 Fire. Tobias Streich is another ABLer who's paying his dues in the Twins' minor league system.