Drafted in the 7th round (204th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2005 (signed for $115,000).
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Daniel has athletic genes. His father was a triple-jumper at McNeese State, his mother was a dancer who owned her own studio and his younger brother Cyril is a pitcher at North Carolina A&T. Mike caught Nationals scouting director Dana Brown's eye as a raw 20-year-old junior at North Carolina, and he has begun to grow into his lanky, athletic frame. Daniel has wiry strength and occasional pull power, but he's more of a gap-to-gap, line-drive hitter with a mature, patient approach. He has good balance in the box and squares balls up consistently, but he tends to cut off his swing, preventing him from getting good extension and explosion through the ball. That figures to limit his power. Daniel's versatility is an asset. He's a solid-average runner capable of playing all three outfield spots, though his slightly below-average arm makes left field his best position. He has gotten better at reading balls off the bat and taking better angles to the ball, and his range is average. He could be a No. 2 hole-type hitter and a fourth outfielder in the big leagues. Daniel will advance to Double-A this year.
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