7/7 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on July 9, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Phillies OF prospect Michael Taylor and Marlins OF prospect Michael Stanton each rapped three hits yesterday.  Taylor smacked two doubles and drove in two while stealing three bases.  The big day raised his average to .345 and pushed his season stolen base total to 17.  At 15 HR and 64 RBI, there isn’t much left for him to prove at the AA level and it seems logical to expect that he will get some AAA AB’s some time soon. 

Michael Stanton’s three hit day included his 18th HR of the season and three RBI.  Since his promotion to AA 29 games ago, the king sized slugger has struggled, hittng just .221 with 13 BB/34 K.  I’m not too dismayed by this, though.  Stanton is only in his second full season as a pro and his plate discipline is still a work in progress.  His month of June was dismal (.214 3 HR 9 RBI 9 BB/27 K in 22 games), but his July numbers (.241 3 HR 7 RBI 4 BB/7 K) shows marked improvement.  I expect that he will continue to acclimate himself well to AA pitching and think that the month of August will be his best yet.

Today’s top prospect is no stranger to this list.  Brian Matusz turned in his best performance of ‘09 tossing eight innings of one-hit ball, walking none and striking out 11.  This dominant outing lifted the lefty to a perfect 4-0 record at Bowie with a 0.34 ERA.  AA hitters are batting just .122 against Matusz and he’s walked just 6 and struck out 32 in 26.1 innings.  Despite his excellent showing, I don’t think he’ll get a crack at pitching in Baltimore this season as the club have Chris Tillman and Jake Arrieta ahead of him.  Tillman has fallen off as of late, though, and there could conceivably be a situatio where Matusz leapfrogs him for a promotion in September.  Arrieta will definitely be there by September at the latest.  Matusz is in his first season as a pro and prudence exercised by the O’s wouldn’t be a bad thing.  One thing is for certain, though, the future of the Orioles’ pitching staff looks to be quite bright.

AA Player of the Day—BRIAN MATUSZ

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Ryan Strieby—2-5 HR(16) 2 RBI 3R BB
• Cale Iorg—2-6 HR(9) 2 RBI 3R
• Alex Avila—3-6 HR(8) 4 RBI 3R 2B
• Pedro Alvarez—1-5 HR(17) 2 RBI
• Michael Taylor—3-4 2 2B R 2 RBI 3 SB(17)
• Nick Weglarz—2-3 HR(13) 2 RBI 2R BB
• Beau Mills—2-4 2B 2R RBI
• Carlos Rivero—3-4 2B
• John Drennen—2-4 2 RBI
• Juan Francisco—2-3 HR(15) RBI BB 2R
• Mike Wilson—1-2 HR(3) RBI 2 BB 2R
• John Shelby Jr.—2-5 2B 3B R RBI
• Tyler Flowers—2-4 R SB(3) BB
• Dayan Viciedo—2-5 2R
• Stefan Gartrell—1-3 HR(16) 3 RBI
• Michael Stanton—3-5 HR(18) 3 RBI 2B
• Logan Morrison—1-2 2B R RBI 3 BB
• Alex Gordon—2-5 2B HR(1) 3 RBI
• Darin Holcomb—1-3 HR(4) RBI
• Lance Zawadzki—2-4 2B 2R
• Mitch Canham—1-3 2B R 2 RBI BB
• Johnny Whittleman—1-4 HR(4) 3 RBI BB 2R
• Chad Tracy—3-5 2 2B R 2 RBI
• Adrian Cardenas—3-4 R
• Josh Donaldson—2-4 2B R RBI
• James Rapoport—3-4 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• Steven Hill—1-5 HR(12) 2 RBI

Pitching:

• Brian Matusz—8 IP H 11 K W (8-2)
• Luis Perez—6 IP 5H ER BB 5K W (6-6)
• Scott Diamond—7 IP 6H 3 ER BB 10K L (3-8)
• Cesar Carillo—8 IP 3H Er BB 4K W (6-4)
• Michael Kirkman—6 IP 2H BB 5K W (6-5)

6/28 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 29, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Oakland A’s 1B of the future Chris Carter continues to pound the baseball, going 2-3 yesterday with his 13th HR six runs batted in and two runs scored.  I predicted at the beginning of June that Carter was due to go off on a power rampage and, suffice to say it, he has.  Over his last 100 AB, Carter is hitting .313 with 7 HR 19 RBI and a 19 BB/24 K ratio.  His improvements in his approach at the plate has resulted in a 40 point rise in batting average.  Also, Sean Doolittle’s injuries and potential move to the OF has opened the door wide for Carter to be the premier 1B prospect in Oakland’s farm system.  Jason Giambi is a one season hold over and Daric Barton offers a paper-thin resistance to Carter’s comprehensive skill set.  The A’s are desperate for offensive fire power and the 6-4 225 lb. Carter offers it in abundance.  He should make a move to AAA Sacramento at some point this summer and if Oakland continues to play last place baseball in the AL West, he should get a look at some point in September.  I expect that Chris Carter will get to continue his development at the Arizona Fall League this winter before getting a long look by the A’s this following spring. 

Today’s player de jour is the always impressive Michael Taylor of the Philadelphia Phillies organization.  The Stanford alum collected three more hits yesterday, including his 14th HR, four RBI and two runs scored.  Taylor’s banner day raised his season batting average to .342 .  He’s bound to earn a promotion soon either to AAA or, perhaps, to Philly.  The eBay market for Taylor’s cards has been red hot as of late with his ‘07 Bowman Chrome Draft cards selling at $2.00-2.50 each and his ‘08 Donruss Elite autos (#/720) ranging between $20-25 each.  There is quite a bit of room for all of Taylor’s cards to grow.  His blend of power, speed, plate discipline and batting average and his athletic 6-6 250 lb. frame spells S-U-C-C-E-S-S at the major league level.

AA Player of the Day—MICHAEL TAYLOR

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Chris Carter—2-3 HR(13) 6 RBI 2B 2R BB
• Adrian Cardenas—3-4 3R 2 BB SB(6)
• Matt Sulentic—3-6 2R 3 SB(16)
• Josh Donaldson—1-2 R 3 BB
• Matt Spencer—2-5 HR(13) 2 RBI
• Eric Sogard—2-5 2R
• Logan Forsythe—2-4 3B RBI R BB
• Tim Smith—3-4 2B 2 RBI BB R
• Mitch Moreland—2-5 2B RBI R
• Michael Taylor—3-4 HR(14) 4 RBI 2B 2R
• Jesus Montero—2-4 HR(9) RBI
• Jose Tabata—1-3 2B 2R RBI BB SB(5)
• Jim Negrych—2-4 2 RBI R SB(4)
• John Shelby Jr.—2-3 2B 3B 2 RBI 2 BB R SB(10)
• Dayan Viciedo—2-3 2 2B 2R BB
• Todd Frazier—1-4 HR(7) 2 RBI
• Sean Henry—2-4 HR(9) 2 RBI
• Andrew Lambo—3-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Eric Campbell—2-3 3B 2 RBI
• Desmond Jennings—2-4 2R RBI BB SB(28)
• Bryan Petersen—3-5 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Darin Holcomb—2-3 2B R BB
• Tyler Henry—3-4 HR(6) RBI 2R
• Hank Conger—2-5 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Mark Trumbo—2-4 2B RBI
• Danny Worth—2-4 2B 2R BB
• Casper Wells—2-5 2B 3B
• Michael Daniel—2-5 R (Game 1)…..3-5 R (Game 2)
• Leonard Davis—2-5 HR(11) 3 RBI BB
• Rene Tosoni—3-4 2B R BB

Pitching:

• Michael Stutes—7 IP 5H 2 ER BB 3K W (5-4)
• Charles Shirek—7 IP 8H ER BB 2K W (10-2)
• Kyle Parker—7 IP 4H Er 2 BB 4K
• Ryne Reynoso—7.2 IP 6H Er 2 BB 6K W (5-4)
• Travis Wood—7 IP 5H 2 ER BB 4K
• Kasey Kiker—6 IP 4H 6K

6/15 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 16, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

A couple of pitchers had dominating performances in the AA ranks yesterday.  San Diego Padres top pitching prospect Mat Latos mowed down 12 hitters yesterday over 5.1 IP, walking none and allowing just five hits.  Unfortunately, the three runs that he allowed were enough to hand him his first loss this season.  Latos has been as impressive as any pitcher in the minor league ranks this year as he has a 6-1 record with a 0.84 ERA and 11 BB/61 K’s in 53 innings.  Armed with a fastball that reaches 97 MPH and a fierce knockout slider, Latos is a powerfully built, strikeout machine that has All-Star written all over him.  Unfortunately, Latos has had a history of injury problems and attitude issues that have obscured his development to date.  His promotion and continued dominance shows that he has moved well beyond some of those issues in a quest to fulfill his boundless potential.  Don’t be surprised if Latos treads a fast track similar to what Tommy Hanson has done over the past year. 

L.A. Angels RHP Tim Kiely lacks the stuff that Mat Latos possesses, but his complete game, 13 K debut for Arkansas is worthy of note.  Prior to Monday’s start, the 23 year old meandered to a ho-hum 5-5 record with High-A Rancho Cucamonga with a 4.44 ERA in 12 starts.  Control is the name of Kiely’s game as he posted an impressive 8 BB/44 K in his 73 innings of work.  Drafted out of Trinity College in the 27th round of the 2008 draft, Kiely was used exclusively as a reliever in ‘08 but seems to be adjusting fairly well as a starter.  The Angels are customarily loaded with nice young arms, which will make Kiely’s road going forward difficult, but 31 year old Matt Palmer has shown that pitchers with good command of the strike zone and durable arms will always have an opportunity to stick with an organization. 

Today’s top prospect at the AA ranks is a no stranger to prospectors and collectors.  Chicago White Sox 3B import Dayan Viciedo went 3-4 yesterday, hitting his 5th HR while driving in three and scoring three runs.  Viciedo got off to a tortoise-like start out of the gate, hitting .234 with one HR and 9 RBI through the month of April.  May was a bit better (.293 2 HR 20 RBI) and June has been even kinder (.333 2 HR 9 RBI) thusfar.  Viciedo’s bat has not provided as many souvenirs as expected to this point, but his willingness to use all parts of the field is indicative that the 20 year old has worked dilligently on refining his approach at the plate.  Strike zone judgement is still a raw spot for the Cuban native as he has earned just 9 BB versus 48 K’s in his first 63 professional games.  Viciedo is likely never going to be a walk magnet, but he should be able to curb his overagressiveness going forward.

AA Player of the Day—DAYAN VICIEDO

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Mitch Moreland—4-6 HR(10) 2 RBI 2R
• Adrian Cardenas—4-6 2 2B 2 RBi 2R
• Chris Carter—2-6 RBI
• Matt Spencer—2-5 2R SB(1)
• Cole Garner—4-4 2B R
• Kurt Mertins—3-4 2B R RBI
• Jason Castro—1-3 2R RBI BB
• Tyler Henley—1-4 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Jon Lucroy—2-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Yonder Alonso—1-2 HR(8) 2 RBI
• Scott Cousins—2-4 2B SB(14)
• Michael Stanton—1-3 2B (Game 1)…..1-3 2B RBI BB (Game 2)
• Tyler Flowers—2-4 2R BB
• Dayan Viciedo—3-4 HR(5) 3 RBI 2B 3R BB
• Stephan Gartrell—3-4 HR(10) 3 RBI 2B 2R BB
• Evan Frey—3-5 3B R RBI
• Andrew Lambo—2-4 2 2B R
• Russ Mitchell—3-4 2B 3B R RBI SB(4)
• Michael Taylor—1-3 2B R BB

Pitching:

• Joe Savery—6 IP H 3 BB 4K W (8-1)
• Polin Trinidad—8 IP 4H 3 BB 7K W (6-4)
• Mat Latos—5.1 IP 5H 2 ER 12K L (6-1)
• Tim Kiely—9 IP 3H 2 ER 3 BB 13K W (6-5)
• Kyle McCulloch—7 IP 7H 3K W (6-6)

5/5 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 6, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Last ngiht’s AA action saw the debut of Florida Marlins elite prospect Michael Stanton.  Touted by some to be the second coming of Dave Winfield, Stanton collected two hits in four AB and drove in two runs.  His promotion to Jacksonville seems to be well-timed and I am most interested to see if he can continue to be disciplined at the plate.  Prior to his promotion, Stanton had a solid 28 BB/45 K through his first 50 games.  Could he make his big league debut this season?  I think not, but a trip to the Arizona Fall League in the offseason could be the final bit of seasoning for Stanton before his big league debut.

In other action, Beau MIlls hit HR #5 and drove in two runs.  He’s been a little bit of a disappointment in the early going, hitting .261 with 5 HR and 21 RBI for an offesively anemic Akron Aeros team, but his early returns from June have been solid (.381 HR 3 RBI 6 runs) and his big league bloodlines are reason to extend a bit of patienct to the 22 year old 1B prospect.  Speaking of first basemen, Oakland A’s slugger Chris Carter blasted his 7th HR, drove in two runs, walked twice and stole his 7th base of the season.  As predicted by me, Carter’s power has returned after hitting just one HR during the month of April.  Even more encouraging is the fact that Carter’s pitch recognition and plate discipline has taken a step forward as his 34 BB/53 K ratio is a marked improvement from his 77 BB/156 K performance from a year ago. 

Today’s top AA performer is New York Yankees right hander Zach McAllister  who tossed 7.2 shutout innings, striking out six for his 5th victory of the season.  The 21 year old McAllister has had an understatedly excellent season as a Yankee farm hand, going 5-2 with a 1.61 ERA and a very respectable 18 BB/48 K ratio through his first 61 innings.  McAllister has allowed just one HR in his first 10 starts and has held hitters to a .220 BA.  The former 2006 draft pick looks to be a mid-rotation workhorse with a four-seam fastball that approaches 95 MPH and a two-seamer with good sink that sits at 89-91 MPH.  His slider and changeup are solid pitches that have made significant strides over the past season and it is on the strength of those offspeed offerings that McAllister has been able to vastly elevate his stock within the organization.

From a market perspective, McAllister’s optimal values will be realized if he is able to stay in pinstripes.  However, as his stock increases, so does his value as a late season trading chip for a Yankees team that is in a heated pennant chase with the Boston Red Sox.  Don’t be surprised if McAllister’s name starts to get floated around as a potential part of a trade deadline deal.  While that would bode well for the 6-6 230 lb righty’s immediate baseball future, his best market gains would be realized if he can make his MLB debut in a Yankees uniform.

AA Minor League Report—ZACH MCALLISTER

Other Notable Peformances

Hitting:

• Justin Snyder—2-4 2 RBI R
• Lars Anderson—2-3 R BB
• Argenis Diaz—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Juan Francisco—1-3 HR(11) RBI
• Bryan Peterson—3-5 R
• Michael Stanton—2-4 2 RBI
• Beau Mills—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI 2R
• John Drennen—2-5 2B 2R 4 RBI
• Andy Dirks—2-3 2R RBI BB SB(5)
• Brandon Crawford—1-2 R 2 RBI BB SB(4)
• Chris Hatcher—2-4 2 HR(4) 2 RBI 2R
• Josh Bell—1-3 HR(6) 2 RBI BB
• James Adduci—3-4 2B R RBI
• Taylor Green—2-4 R RBI
• Tyler Flowers—2-4 2 RBI 2B R
• John Shelby Jr.—2-4 2B R
• Dayan Viciedo—3-4 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Sean Coughlin—3-4 HR(6) RBI 2R 2B
• Kurt Mertins—3-6 2B 2R 4 RBI
• Jordan Parraz—3-6 2 2B 2 RBI R SB(4)
• Jose Duarte—3-5 R RBI SB(9)
• Josh Horton—3-5 2B 2R
• Chris Carter—2-3 HR(7) 2 RBI 2BB SB(7)
• Adrian Cardenas—2-4 R BB
• Darin Holcomb—2-3 HR(2) RBI 2R BB
• Eric Sogard—2-4 R BB
• Todd Cruz—2-3 R BB
• Steven Hill—2-4 2B R RBI

Pitching:

• Trevor Reckling—6.2 IP 3H ER 7 BB 7K
• Jhoulys Chacin—6 IP 4H Er 2 BB 7K W (4-4)
• Sergio Perez—6 IP 5H ER 2 BB 6K
• Scott Diamond—6 IP 5H Er BB 3K W (2-5)
• Zach McAllister—7.2 IP 7H 6K W (5-2)
• Luis Marte—7 IP 4H BB 6K W (4-5)
• Aaron Poreda—6 IP 3H 5 BB 7K W (5-4)
• Brad Holt—6.1 IP 2H ER 3 BB 3K

5/22 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 23, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Yesterday was a good day to be a hitter in Midland’s lineup.  The Oakland A’s’ Texas League affiliate scored 24 runs and rapped 28 hits in a win over Corpus Christi.  Matt Spencer had four hits and four RBI, Matt Sulentic hit his 3rd HR and drove in three, while Adrian Cardenas went 4-5 with three RBI and five runs scored.  Mike Baxter collected five hits and four RBI for the San Antonio Missions and Andrew Lambo, Juan Francisco, Mike McKenry, Mark Trumbo, Marvin Lowrance, and John Shelby Jr. all went deep for their prospective clubs.  Junichi Tazawa tossed six shutout innings in a no-decision while Chuck Lofgren and Jake Arrieta both looked dominant in losing causes.

Today’s top prospect is yet another bat from Midland’s lineup and a repeat offender for the player of the day award.  Oakland A’s OF prospect Corey Brown went 4-5 with his 5th HR, six RBI, two doubles, a triple and five runs scored.  The effort raised his season batting average to .326 and helped him break out of a 3-22 skid in which he had struck out 9 times.  Brown has an abundance of exciting tools to work with and could develop into a 30 HR 20 SB player at the major league level.  The K’s are the big thing to watch with him.  In his 30 HR season from a year ago, Brown whiffed 168 times in 134 games.  He has shown the ability to take a walk, but he still gets himself into trouble by chasing pitches out of the strike zone.  This leads to dry spells that can have a mitigating effect on his BA and OBP numbers.

AA Player of the Day—COREY BROWN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Gordon Beckham—2-4 2B R
• C.J. Retherford—2-3 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Jordan Danks—2-3 (Game 1)…..3-4 RBI R (Game 2)
• John Shelby Jr.—2-3 HR(3) RBI 2R
• Aaron Bates—2-4 RBI
• Marvin Lowrance—1-4 HR(8) 2 RBI
• Mark Trumbo—1-4 HR(4) RBI
• Brad Harman—4-4 2B 2R BB
• Michael Taylor—2-5 2B R 2 RBI 2 SB(8)
• Jim Negrych—2-3 2R RBI BB
• Brad Emaus—2-4 HR(5) RBI
• Zack Cozart—2-3 R 2 RBI BB
• Juan Francisco—2-5 HR(7) RBI
• Andrew Lambo—3-4 HR(4) RBI 2B
• Chris Carter—2-6 2 2B 3R BB
• Josh Horton—3-6 2B 2R BB
• Adrian Cardenas—4-5 2B 3 RBI 5R BB
• Josh Donaldson—3-3 2B 3R 2 RBI BB
• Corey Brown—4-5 HR(5) 6 RBI 2 2B 3B 5R
• Matt Spencer—4-5 2B 2R 4 RBI BB
• Matt Sulentic—2-5 HR(3) 3 RBI BB
• Luis Durango—2-3 2B 4R 2 BB SB(21)
• Mike Baxter—5-5 2B 2R 4 RBI SB(4)
• Mike McKenry—2-4 HR(4) 2 RBI 2B

Pitching:

• Esmil Rogers—7 IP 3H ER BB 8K W (3-1)
• Kyle Cofield—5 IP 6H 2 BB 3K W (3-1)
• Kyle Parker—7 IP H BB 2K
• Zach Stewart—7 IP 5H 2 bB 8K W (2-1)…..2-3 2B R
• Ivan Nova—6.2 IP 8H 2 ER BB 6K
• Cole DeVries—7 IP 7H ER 4 BB W (3-3)
• John Ely—6 IP 3H Er BB 43K
• Hung-Wen Chen—6 IP 4H BB 3K
• Junichi Tazawa—6 IP 3H 2 BB 5K
• Jake Arrieta—6 IP 6H 3 ER BB 9K L (4-2)
• Trevor Bell—7 IP 4H Er 7K
• Jon Kibler—8.2 IP 7H 2 BB 6K W (2-3)
• Chuck Lofgren—6 IP 4H UER 2 BB 8K L (3-1)

5/12 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 13, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Monster performances abounded last night in the AAA ranks as several top prospects put up some big numbers.  Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies went 4-5, including his 4th HR, driving in 6 runs.  Sean Rodriguez hit HR numbers 10 and 11 with 5 RBI and Cubbies slugger Jake Fox also blasted his league leading 13th and 14th HR with 5 RBI and 3 runs scored.  Nolan Reimold got back into the HR column with his 9th to go along with 2 doubles and 2 RBI to help teammate Chris Tillman go to 4-0 on the season.  It’s not like Tillman really needed his assistance though, as he was able to shut out Buffalo through 6 innings while striking out 10.  Brian Bogusevic continued his torrid hitting by blasting his 3rd HR and driving in two.  The Astros former southpaw turned outfielder is hitting .484 over his last 10 games with 2 HR 9 RBI and 10 runs scored.

Today’s top prospect comes from the A’s system.  Vin Mazzaro tossed 8 innings of one-hit ball in relief of Santiago Casilla striking out 5 and not allowing any walks en route to his first win of the season.   Mazzaro was simply awesome during his ‘08 stint at AA Midland, going 12-3 with a 1.90 ERA and 36 BB/104 K in 137.1 IP.  He struggled after being promoted to AAA Sacramento last year but has pitched well during his second go around.  Excluding back to back rocky starts in his previous two outings, Mazzaro has allowed just 3 earned runs over 28 IP and has nearly doubled his GO/FO ratio to an impressive 2.68.  He has struck out 28 hitters in 37 innings this season as well.  The A’s seem to be content with the early returns from the dynamic duo of Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson, which makes Mazzaro’s opportunities to crack Oakland’s rotation a little more difficult, but he should get a callup at some point this season.  Knowing the A’s’ penchant for tinkering with their rotation, there is a good chance that he’ll get to start some games.  Keep an eye on his next 3-5 starts, the outcomes of those may just dictate as to how soon Mazzaro gets the call.

AAA Player of the Day—VIN MAZZARO

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Nolan Reimold—3-5 HR(9) 2 RBI 2 2B 2R
• Michael Brantley—1-3 HR(1) RBI 2 BB 2R SB(12)
• Jordan Brown—2-4 2 2B 2R RBI
• Andrew McCutchen—2-5 3B R 2 RBI SB(6)
• Luke Hughes—2-5 2B 3B 3 RBI R
• Trevor Plouffe—2-3 2B 2 RBI BB
• Drew Stubbs—2-5 2B 2R RBI
• Hernan Iribarren—2-3 2R BB SB(5)
• Jake Fox—3-4 2 HR(14) 5 RBI 3R 2 BB
• Brad Snyder— 2-5 HR(9) 3 RBI
• Nate Spears—2-6 3B 2R
• Eric Young Jr.—3-4 2 2B 3R 3 RBI 3 BB
• Carlos Gonzalez—4-5 HR(4) 6 RBI 2B BB
• Chris Frey—5-6 2B 3B RBI 2R SB(7)
• Jeff Clement—3-5 HR(5) 2 RBI 2B
• Cameron Maybin—3-5 3B 2 RBI SB(1)
• Chris Pettit—2-5 2 2B 2R RBI
• Sean Rodriguez—3-4 2 HR(11) 5 RBI 2R
• Brandon Wood—2-4 2B 3R RBI BB
• Freddy Sandoval—3-5 2B 3B 2 RBI 2R
• J.P. Arencibia—2-3 2 2B
• Brian Bogusevic—2-4 HR(3) 2 RBI 2B BB
• Jesus Guzman—3-4 3B 3 RBI 3R BB
• Matt Downs—2-4 2 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Aaron Cunningham—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2B
• Adrian Cardenas—2-3 2B R RBI
• Julio Borbon—2-4 R SB(6)

Pitching:

• Brett Hunter—8 IP 4H ER 6K W (1-1)
• Cesar Ramos—8 IP 6H 2 ER 5K L (1-3)
• Vin Mazzaro—8 IP H 5K W (1-2)
• Evan MacLane—8 IP 5H 4K W (2-0)
• Brad Mills—6 IP 5H 2 ER BB 9K L (0-4)
• Chris Tillman—6 IP 5H 2 BB 10K W (4-0)
• Dillon Gee—7 IP 3H ER 2 BB 7K
• David Price—4.2 K 4H 2 ER 5K

5/11 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 12, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Pirates 3B prospect Neil Walker, Astros OF Yordany Ramirez, Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia, and Cubs OF prospect Brad Snyder each homered for the second consecutive game.  Braves righty Kris Medlen continues to look like the system’s best pitcher, tossing a two hit shutout over 6.2 innings en route to his fifth win, but even that performance was not good enough to win top prospect honors.

Today’s award goes to Cincinnati Reds southpaw Matt Maloney.  The former Phillies prospect tossed seven shutout innings allowing just four hits and striking out 10 hitters for his third win.  Maloney is a “crafty” left hander with a sneaky fastball that has good late movement and a big breaking curveball that is a viable swing and miss pitch.  Add in an improving changeup and Maloney has been able to command the strike zone well and increase his GO/FO ratio to over 1.0 this season.  He is a good competitor who has a feel for pitching even when he doesn’t have his best stuff.  Given that he doesn’t have excellent velocity on his fastball (88-91 MPH) Maloney is culpable to being hit around in outings where he doesn’t have his good offspeed stuff.  Ultimately, he profiles as a #4 or 5 pitcher in a rotation who can eat up innings and keep his team in enough games to average 10-12 wins every season.

AAA Player of the Day—MATT MALONEY

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Neil Walker—1-4 HR(5) RBI
• Danny Worth—3-4 2R
• Alcides Escobar—0-1 3 BB 2R SB(16)
• Kila Ka’aihue—1-3 2B 2 RBI 2 BB R
• Brad Snyder—2-4 HR(8) 3 RBI 2B 2R
• Jose Vallejo—3-4 2 RBI BB
• Yordany Ramirez—2-4 HR(6) RBI 2R
• Aaron Cunningham—2-5 2B 3R RBI
• Adrian Cardenas—2-5 2B 2 RBI
• J.P. Arencibia—1-5 HR(4) 3 RBI
• Evan Frey—2-4 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Kyle Blanks—1-4 HR(8) 2 RBI 2R
• Chad Huffman—3-5 HR (5) 4 RBI 2R
• Trevor Plouffe—1-3 3 RBI
• Austin Jackson—2-4 2B
• Drew Stubbs—1-3 2B BB SB(11)
• Nolan Reimold—2-4 2B

Pitching:

• Kris Medlen—6.2 IP 2H 3 BB 6K W (5-0)…(0.96 ERA 10 BB/44 K in 37.1 IP)
• Michael Bowden—7.1 IP 4H ER BB 2K W (2-1)
• Matt Maloney—7 IP 4H BB 10K W (3-1)
• Anthony Swarzak—6 IP 6H 3 BB 5K W (2-2)

4/28 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 29, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Juan Francisco stung the ball again with three hits, including his fourth HR, and two RBI.  Rhyne Hughes hit HR number seven and pitchers Hector Rondon, George Kontos, and Bryan Augenstein all threw gems to lead their respective teams to victory.

Today’s top prospect is toolsy Mariners outfielder Greg Halman.  The native of the Netherlands has struggled out of the gate this season but Tuesday’s performance was extraordinary as he blasted two homeruns and six RBI.  Halman has all the potential to be a 30/30 man at the major league level, but his plate discipline remains raw and renders him less effective against more polished pitchers.  Nevetheless, Halman’s big day propelled him to second place in the MiLB HR race with eight.  Tuesday’s effort raises his ‘09 average to .208 and one only needs to look at his 4 BB/32 K ratio in his first 19 games to see why the average is so low.  Halman doesn’t turn 22 until late August, which leaves ample reason to believe that he can make adjustments to his plate discipline and begin to fulfill his massive potential.  However, several other young promising prospects have been down this road before and have fallen by the wayside.  Buyer beware.

AA Player of the Day—GREG HALMAN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Juan Francisco—3-4 HR(4) 2 RBI 3B 2R
• Zack Cozart—2-4 2B RBI R BB
• Wellington Castillo—2-4 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R
• Desmond Jennings—3-5 RBI R
• Rhyne Hughes—1-5 HR(7) 2 RBI
• Josh Thole—2-4 2B 2R BB
• Lucas Duda—3-4 2B 2R BB
• Josh Reddick—2-5 2B R
• Lars Anderson—1-4 2R RBI BB
• Jim Negrych—3-4 2B BB
• Scott Scram—3-5 2 2B 3 RBI R
• Juan Portes—2-4 2R 2 RBI
• Jamie Hoffmann—5-5 2R SB(4)
• Chris Carter—3-5 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Josh Donaldson—2-5 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Adrian Cardenas—2-5 2B RBI R
• Justin Smoak—1-2 2B R 2 BB
• Concepcion Rodriguez—2-4 2B 2R
• Ezequiel Carrera—3-3 3B 3R RBI
• Greg Halman—2-5 2 HR(8) 6 RBI
• Matt Mangini—1-5 HR(1) 2 RBI

Pitching:

• Troy Patton—6 IP 6H 2 ER BB 5K
• Hector Rondon—6.2 IP 6H ER BB 9K W(4-0)
• George Kontos—6 IP 3H 2 BB 8K W(1-1)
• Travis Banwart—6 IP 5H 2 UER BB 2K W(3-0)
• Blake Johnson—6 IP H BB 2K W(1-2)
• Keith Weiser—6.2 IP 6H ER 6K
• Bryan Augenstein—7 IP 3H 3 BB 6K W(1-0)
• Aaron Poreda—6.1 IP 5H 2 ER 2 BB 3K L(1-3)

6/27 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 28, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Birmingham’s beefy duo of Brandon Allen and Dayan Viciedo hit back to back jacks yesterday and the struggling Greg Halman hit HR number six.  Juan Francisco’s bat seems to be heating up as his 3-4 day raised his average to .224.  On the mound, Josh Lindblom got back into the win column by tossing five innings of four hit, one run ball for his second win and Birmingham’s Kyle McCullough pitched well over seven innings to earn his third win. 

Today’s top youngster is a repeat offender as Tampa Bay’s young outfielder Desmond Jennings displayed some of his promising power potential by hitting his third HR of the season, driving in three and scoring twice.  The 22 year old Jennings has boosted his average to .338 with 13 RBI and 6 SB, giving ample reason to be excited about the awesome numbers that he could put up over a full (and hopefully healthy) season.

AA Player of the Day—DESMOND JENNINGS

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Brandon Snyder—2-4 2B R RBI
• Miguel Abreu—3-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2B 3R SB(2) BB
• Alex Avila—2-4 2B 3B 2R BB
• Juan Francisco—3-4 R RBI SB(3)
• Chris Heisey—3-4 2B 2R
• Logan Parker—4-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Steve Clevenger—3-4 2B 3B 2 RBI
• Josh Bell—2-4 3B R
• Brandon Allen—1-5 HR(3) RBI
• Dayan Viciedo—3-4 HR(1) RBI SB(2)
• John Shelby Jr.—1-3 2B BB SB(4)
• Mark Hallberg—3-4 R
• Desmond Jennings—2-5 2R HR(3) 3 RBI
• Kody Kirkland—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Adam Moore—2-4 2 2B R RBI
• Greg Halman—2-4 HR(6) 3 RBI
• Drew Locke—2-4 HR(4) 3 RBI
• Josh Horton—3-4 2B RBI R
• Adrian Cardenas—1-3 2B R 2 RBI BB SB(2)
• Daryl Jones—2-4 2B 2R RBI BB SB(4)
• Brett Wallace—2-4 R RBI
• Dan Delasco—2-5 2 3B RBI R
• Jose Duarte—2-5 2R RBI
• Mario Lisson—2-4 2R 2 RBI BB SB(2)
• Joe Dickerson—1-3 2B 2R RBI BB
• Ryan Mount—2-5 RBI
• Mark Trumbo—2-5 R
• Mike McKenry—2-3 3B 2R RBI
• Eric Sogard—1-3 R 2 BB
• Mitch Canham—1-2 R 2 BB

Pitching:

• Will Inman—6 IP 4H BB 7K W(1-1)
• Wilfredo Perez—1.1 IP 4K Sv(4)
• Josh Lindblom—5 IP 4H ER 4K W(2-2)
• Kyle McCullough—7 IP 7H 2 ER 2 BB 2K W(3-1)

4/23 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 24, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Michael Taylor had a big day at the plate belting two HR, driving in three and scoring three times.  Detroit Tigers shortstop prospect Maxwell Leon, who had zero homeruns last season, blasted his third and drove in six.  Collin DeLome hit HR number six and drove in three and Justin Smoak hit his second HR of the season, driving in three.

Today’s top player was Chicago White Sox top hurler Aaron Poreda.  The tall lefty surrendered just four hits over seven innings striking out 11 en route to his first victory of the season.  Once rumored to be a part of Chicago’s bullpen out of spring training, it appears that the Sox would much rather feature his 98 MPH fastball for more than one inning in a game.  AA should be a good fit for him right now as he needs to develop greater command of his slider and change in order to reach his potential as a frontline starter.  At 22 years old, there is plenty of time for the youngster to develop.

AA Player of the Day—AARON POREDA

Other Notable Peformances

Hitting:

• Mike Mooney—1-4 GS HR(2) 4 RBI
• Michael Taylor—4-6 2 HR(2) 3 RBI 3R
• Maxwell Leon—3-5 HR(3) 6 RBI 3B
• Jim Negrych—2-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Pedro Lopez—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Joshua Rodriguez—3-3 3R RBI BB SB(1)
• Brandon Allen—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Mark Hallberg—4-5 2B R
• Gerardo Parra—2-5 2B R
• Tony Thomas—3-5 HR(4) 2 RBI 3R SB(3)
• Jose Vallejo—3-5 2B 3B 2R 2 RBI
• Johnny Whittleman—3-4 2B R RBI
• Collin DeLome—3-5 HR(6) 3 RBI 3R SB(3)
• Mitch Einertson—2-5 HR(3) 3 RBI
• Drew Locke—3-5 HR(3) 4 RBI 2R
• Chris Carter—2-4 2 2B 2 RBI BB 3R
• Adrian Cardenas—2-5 2B RBI
• Mitch Canham—3-4 2 2B RBI R
• Peter Bourjos—2-4 2B 2R SB(5)
• James Rapoport—3-5 GS HR(1) 5 RBI 2R
• Daryl Jones—3-4 2R
• Chris Nelson—2-4 2B 2R HR(3) 3 RBI
• Justin Smoak—2-5 HR(2) 3 RBI

Pitching:

• Troy Patton—5.1 IP 2H ER 3 BB 1K
• Alfredo Figaro—6 IP 3H 2 ER BB 8K W(2-0)
• Zach McAllister—7 IP 2H ER 4K W(1-0)
• Aaron Poreda—7 IP 3H ER BB 11 K W(1-2)
• Bryan Augenstein—7 IP 3H ER BB 4K W(3-0)
• Casey Coleman—6 IP 6H 2 ER 3 BB 5K W(3-0)
• Travis Banwart—5.2 IP 3H 2 BB 5K W(2-0)