6/30 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on July 1, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Brett Wallace seems to have emerged from his cold streak as he hit HR #10 yesterday, driving in three runs as well.  Wallace is hitting .447 with 17 hits in his last 10 games, but the weekend acquisition of Cleveland Indians 3B Mark DeRosa has effectively removed any chances that Wallace will get significant time at 3B in St. Louis.  If he is able to avoid any significant slumps the Cards should call him up in September for a few AB. 

Rhyne Hughes hit his 5th HR for Durham yesterday and 20th overall on the season.  Since his promotion to AAA, the former 2004 8th rounder has torn the cover off of the ball hitting .339 with 12 RBI and 13 runs scored in 19 games.  Despite his sterling season numbers, a great concern remains.  Hughes has walked just 28 times and has struck out 104 times in just 77 games this season.  While this ratio can be overcome at the minor league levels, it spells death against major league pitching.  His opportunities with the Rays should be limited as Carlos Pena is firmly entrenched at 1B.  At nearly 26 years old, Hughes may need a change of scenery to continue his ascention to the big leagues.

Throw a perfect game and you automatically win Player of the Day honors.  That is exactly what Brandon Hynick did in a seven inning game yesterday.  Hynick struck out six in his outing to go 7-5 on the season.  I have been down on Hynick after his mildly disappointing season at AA last year, but the soft-tossing righty has bounced back by limiting PCL hitters to a .249 BA in a difficult pitching environment like Colorado Springs.  Hynick has four pitches that he tosses for strikes and he mixes them well to command the strike zone.  When he doesn’t, he is hit hard and the fact that he has a tendency to be a flyball pitcher could hurt him in a place like Coors Field.  He’s proven to be durable and profiles as a inning-eating #4 or 5 pitcher at the major league level.

AAA Player of the Day—BRANDON HYNICK

 

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Mario Lisson—2-4 2R 2 RBI
• Brett Wallace—3-4 HR(10) 3 RBI 2B
• Jarret Hoffpauir—2-5 HR(10) 2 RBI 2R
• Jon Jay—2-4 RBI BB SB(13)
• Cameron Maybin—3-4 R BB SB(5)
• Chris Heisey—3-4 HR(14) 2 RBI 2 2B 2R
• Chris Valaika—1-4 HR(4) RBI
• Jordan Schafer—2-5 HR(2) RBI
• Josh Whitesell—1-2 HR(5) 2 RBI 3R
• Trent Oeltjen—2-3 2 HR(5) 5 RBI 3R 2 BB SB(10)
• Sean Kazmar—4-5 3R 3 RBI
• Chad Huffman—2-4 2B R 2  RBI
• Eric Young Jr.—2-5 2R SB(45) (Game 1)…..2-3 SB(46)
• Scott Sizemore—3-4 HR(11) 4 RBI
• Will Rhymes—2-5 2 2B 2R RBI
• Matt Joyce—4-5 HR(9) RBI 2 2B 3R
• Rhyne Hughes—2-5 HR(20) 3 RBI
• John Bowker—2-2 HR(16) RBI 2 BB

Pitching:

• Kevin Pucetas—7 IP 3H UER BB 2K W (8-2)
• Brandon Hynick—7 IP 0H 6K W (7-5)
• Sam LeCure—7 IP 5H ER BB 5K