8/2 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on August 3, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Wow, lots has happened since the last minor league reports.  Several prospects have gotten fresh starts with new franchises and some are capitalizing on those opportunities.

Jeff Clement has,  as predicted, donned a first baseman’s glove and has hit like a top tier corner infielder since joining the Indianapolis Indians, hitting .545 with three HR and five runs scored in three games.  Clement is going to get a shot with the Bucs in the very near future and I think that the move to the NL and to 1B is going to be one that benefits him greatly.  The market for Clement’s cards is starting to pick up steam as many prospect prognosticators feel the same way that I do about his yellow and black rebirth.  Despite the optimistic start, beware!  Jeff Clement is an incredibly streaky hitter who could rip out 5 HR one week and manage just 5 hits the next.  Expect to pay $8-12 for each of his ‘06 autos right now and $2.50-3.50 for each of his ‘05 Bowman Chrome or Bowman Sterling first year cards right now.

Speaking of streaky hitters…..Travis Snider is molten hot right now.  The beefy Blue Jays OF blasted his 9th HR with the Las Vegas 51’st, driving in three runs and scoring three runs.  Snider is hitting .436 over his last 10 games with 4 HR 16 RBI and 12 runs scored.  In addition, he’s walked 8 times vs. 9 K’s during that time.  Strikeouts are always going to come in bunches for Snider, but his ability to work counts and get on base is key to his success in his next audition with the Jays.  Things are poised to open up for Snider soon as OF Jose Bautista’s production has been anemic at best.  At the same time, there is no real reason to rush the 21 year old slugger back to Toronto either.  This season was supposed to be Snider’s coming out party, but plate discipline woes and a shoulder injury mitigated his production.  The market for his first year autos in 2007 Bowman Sterling has been cut by more than half since this spring from $35-40 each to $15-18 today.  The bat speed is real, the power is prestigious, and the market for his cards are at all time lows.  Buy accordingly. 

Today’s top prospect is another Blue Jays farmhand.  Brian Dopirak is a long time minor league slugger who, at the age of 25, is experiencing a rebirth of his own as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization.  Drafted as an 18 year old in 2002, Dopirak pounded his way on prospectors’ radars in 2004 when he blasted 39 HR and 120 RBI for High-A Lancaster.  Since then, he has continued to hit HR’s at each minor league stop but has never been able to hit beyond AAA.  Yesterday’s 4-5 day that saw him hit HR’s #23 and 24 may change all of that.  At 6-4 and 220 lb., Dopirak is all hitter and is a below average defender at 1B.  Dopirak hits LH and RH pitching equally well but shows more power against southpaws.  He’s bound to get a look in September but it is unclear how much playing time he’ll get.  The market for Dopirak’s cards is low and slow right now, but a power surge in a big league uniform can create a brief window of collector interest for his cards.

AAA Player of the Day—BRIAN DOPIRAK

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Brandon Allen—2-5 2B HR(17) RBI
• John Hester—3-5 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Trent Oeltjen—2-4 HR(10) 2 RBI 2R BB SB(18)
• Matt Downs—2-4 HR(11) RBI 2B 2R (Game 1)…..2-4 2B 3B R
• Matt Tuiasosopo—2-4 HR(2) 3 RBI (Game 1)…..3-3 RBI (Game 2)
• Brad Nelson—2-3 HR(11) RBI 2R 2B
• Tyler Greene—3-3 3R BB 2 SB(21)
• Allen Craig—2-3 R RBI BB
• Wes Hodges—1-4 HR(4) RBI
• Austin Jackson—2-4 2 RBI R 2 SB(19)
• Jeff Clement—1-2 HR(17) RBI 2 BB 2R
• Neil Walker—3-4 2 2B 2 RBI
• Greg Golson—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Brett Wallace—1-3 HR(12) 2 RBI
• Cole Armstrong—2-4 HR(9) 3 RBI 2R
• Scott Sizemore—2-4 2R
• Gaby Sanchez—1-2 HR(10) RBI 2 BB
• Travis Snider—1-3 HR(9) 3 RBI 3R 2 BB
• Brian Dopirak—4-5 2 HR(24) 3 RBI 4R

Pitching:

• Junichi Tazawa—5.1 IP 2H 2 ER BB 3K L (9-7)
• Clay Mortensen—5.1 IP 5H ER 3 BB 5K

7/27 AAA Minor League Report

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

Former Oakland A’s farm hand and current San Diego Padres OF prospect Dan Putnam hit his 14th HR of the season and drove in three runs in a three hit outing.  Putnam has been solid over his last 10 games batting .361 with 3 HR 17 RBI and 7 doubles.  At 26 years old, time is ticking for Putnam to make an impact at the major league level.  He’s proven to be a consistent power hitter over the past few seasons but has never been quite good enough to stand out above his peers.  That shouldn’t change at San Diego.  He’ll likely earn a look in September but the Padres will likely be much more interested in getting a better look at fellow Portland teammate Chad Huffman.

Today’s top player is a former MLB flash in the pan Florida Marlins 2B propect Tony Abreu.  The ex-Dodger had a perfect day at the plate yesterday, going 5-5 with his 6th HR, 3 RBI and 3 doubles.  Abreu has bounced back nicely with the Marlins after missing the entire 2008 season, hitting .348 with 6 HR 29 RBI 11 doubles and 20 runs scored in just 27 games with Albuquerque.  Abreu’s first year cards in various 2007 sets experienced an uptick of popularity after his solid debut with the Dodgers in ‘07 and there could be an opportunity for the cards to be, likely to a lesser degree, relevant again.  The Marlins have already switched former 2B Chris Coghlan to the outfield and it has long been rumored that the future of Dan Uggla as a member of the Marlins is not a long one.  Abreu is still just 24 years old and his switch hitting bat has proven to be a consistent one with decent gap power and the ability to hit for a high average.  The market for Abreu’s 2007 products is deflated, making this the perfect opportunity to add a low serial #’ed rookie card to your portfolio for less than $5.

AAA Player of the Day—TONY ABREU

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Cole Gillespie—1-2 Hr(9) 2 RBI BB SB(11)
• Jon Jay—2-5 R SB(17)
• Tyler Greene—3-5 HR(7) 2 RBI
• Allen Craig—2-3 HR(15) 2 RBI 2R
• Mark Hamilton—4-5 2 HR(10) 4 RBI
• Alejandro De Aza—3-6 3B RBI 2R
• Cameron Maybin—1-3 2B R 3 RBI 3 BB
• John Raynor—1-2 HR(4) RBI 2 BB 3R
• Austin Jackson—2-5 2B RBI
• Cliff Pennington—2-4 2B 2R
• Aaron Cunningham—2-4 2 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• Brett Wallace—2-4 2 2B R RBI
• Tony Abreu—5-5 3 2B HR(6) 3 RBI
• Alcides Escobar—1-4 2R SB(36)
• Joaquin Arias—3-4 3R HR(5) RBI
• Ian Desmond—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Brandon Snyder—1-4 2 RBI
• Justin Turner—2-4 2B RBI
• Reid Brignac—1-3 2B R RBI 2 BB SB(5)
• Rhyne Hughes—3-3 2 2B R BB
• Cole Armstrong—2-4 HR(8) 2 RBI 2B
• Chad Huffman—2-5 HR(14) 3 RBI 2R
• Dan Putnam—3-4 2B HR(14) 3 RBI

Pitching:

• Jeff Manship—8 IP 7H ER 3 BB 3K
• Fabio Castro—7 IP 2H 2 BB 10K W (7-5)
• Shairon Martis—7 IP 5H BB 3K W (3-1)

5/16 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 17, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

I wrote an article for The Cardboard Connection a couple of weeks ago profiling some of the top MLB debuts that would be happening during the summer months of the season.  Of the 10 that I mentioned, one player that didn’t make the final cut was Cincinnati Reds OF prospect Drew Stubbs.

Stubbs has had an excellent yet understated season at AAA Louisville, hitting .312 with 2 HR 20 RBI and 24 SB.  There have been many concerns in the past about his ability to hit at the major league level as many scouts and prognosticators have been concerned with his plate discipline, but he has made significant progress over the last season and a half in that department.  His walk yesterday gave him 29 on the young season against 41 strikeouts.  His lack of HR power has flummoxed several people as well.  At 6-4 205 lb., Stubbs seems to be someone who should be able to put up 20+ HR seasons, yet his 7 HR from last season and two this season gives him the look of an oversized slap hitter.  However, it bears worth noting that Stubbs has 19 doubles this season and had 33 last year, which indicates that he drives the ball well to the gaps. Under the right tuteledge and in a hitter’s locale like the Great American Ballpark, I’m optimisitic that he will become a double digit HR hitter at the major league level.  The Reds have an assortment of outfielders, Jay Bruce excluded, that have underperformed and have a less impressive assortment of tools than Stubbs.  I fully expect that Stubbs will earn a callup within the next month and it will be quite interesting to see how his skills carry forward against MLB pitchers.

Today’s top player from the AAA ranks is former L.A. Angels 1st rounder Trevor Bell.  Bell made his AAA debut last night and was brilliant tossing a complete game, two-hit shutout, walking none and striking out four.  Bell has had a big time bounceback season this year, going 5-3 with a 1.97 ERA and 20 BB/55 K in 77.2 IP.  The key to Bell’s success is a low 90’s sinker that induces groundballs at a rate of over 1.5 per flyball out.  Bell has allowed just one HR this year and AA and AAA hitters are batting a combined .199 against him.  Despite his sterling debut, his chances of earning a big league start this season is small….unless John Lackey and Ervin Santana continue to have struggle with forearm injuries.  Keep an eye on his next couple of starts at Salt Lake City.  If he continues to have success, he may just push his way into a cameo appearance with the Angels come September.

AAA Player of the Day—TREVOR BELL

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Chris Carter—1-3 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Drew Stubbs—2-3 2B R RBI BB SB(24)
• Rhyne Hughes—3-5 HR(16) RBI 2B 2R
• Micheal Brantley—3-4 2 RBI BB R
• Matt LaPorta—1-4 2 RBI BB R
• Jordan Brown—3-5 HR(8) 3 RBI 2B 2R
• Brent Clevlen—3-4 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Juan Miranda—3-4 2R 2 RBI
• Austin Jackson—2-4 R
• Joe Koshansky—1-2 HR(12) RBI BB 2R
• Gaby Sanchez—2-4 2B RBI
• Matt Camp—3-4 R RBI
• Julio Borbon—2-4 BB SB(18)
• Joaquin Arias—3-4 RBI SB(11)
• Adam Moore—3-4 HR(6) 4 RBI 2B 2R
• Chad Huffman—2-4 HR(10) RBI
• Travis Buck—3-4 2B R BB
• Dan Putnam—1-4 HR(4) 3 RBI
• Matt Carson—3-5 HR(10) RBI 3R SB(4)
• Eric Patterson—2-4 3B 2 RBI BB
• Kevin Frandsen—2-4 2R HR(6) 2 RBI BB

Pitching:

• Kris Johnson—4.2 IP 2H 3 BB 5K
• Trevor Bell—9 IP 2H 4K W (5-3)

6/9 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 10, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Michael Brantley’s bat continues to be red hot in the month of June.  Going 3-4 with three runs scored and stealing his 19th base, the former Milwaukee Brewers farmhand is now hitting .441 in the month of June with a HR four RBI and four stolen bases.  Brantley has scored 41 times in 55 games as the leadoff hitter for AAA Columbus.  His power hasn’t manifested itself as a major factor in his game, but his blend of plate discipline, speed and hitting ability makes him an excellent candidate to become Cleveland’s leadoff hitter in the future, moving Grady Sizemore to the middle of the lineup.

Speaking of top of the order talents, Eric Young Jr. had two hits, scored twice and stole his MiLB-leading 38th base yesterday and raised his season average to .318.  The Rockies currently have Clint Barmes logging a majority of the innings at 2B and he’s been solid this season.  However, Young’s upside as a top of the order presence is too intriguing to leave at the AAA ranks for much longer.  As the Rockies slip slide their way out of contention, Young’s potential for a callup increases.

Today’s top player is a toss up between St Louis 2B prospect Jarret Hoffpauir and Pittsburgh Pirates OF/1B Steven Pearce.  Both Hoffpauir and Pearce hit two homeruns apiece, with Hoffpauir driving in five runs and Pearce four runs.  Each prospect turns 26 at some point during the ‘09 season and their opportunities are dwindling to make impacts at the major league level.  Pearce finds himself to be the odd man out after the Pirates bulked up their major league roster and farm system over the past season.  His best opportunities going forward may be as a bench bat with power or platooning DH in the American League.  As for Hoffpauir, the Cardinals have a hodge podge of players sharing time at 2B led by utility player Skip Schumaker.  Hoffpauir doesn’t profile to give the Cardinals anything that Schumaker, Joe Thurston or Brendan Ryan could.  Unless things change, consider him a AAAA utility guy.

AAA Players of the Day—STEVEN PEARCE & JARRET HOFFPAUIR

Other Notable Performances:

Hitting:

• Ryan Patterson—2-4 2 2B 2 RBI
• Matt Macri—4-5 HR(5) 2 RBI 2 2B 3R
• Trevor Plouffe—2-4 2R RBI
• David Winfree—2-4 2R RBI
• Wilkin Ramirez—1-3 HR(6) RBI 3 BB
• Charles Johnson—3-4 2B R
• Michael Brantley—3-4 3R SB(19)
• Matt LaPorta—3-5
• Julio Borbon—2-4 2B 2R BB
• Joaquin Arias—2-5 2B R 2 RBI SB(7)
• John Jaso—2-4 HR(3) RBI
• Rhyne Hughes—2-4 2B
• Steven Pearce—3-5 2 HR(8) 4 RBI 2B 2R
• Austin Jackson—2-5
• Juan Miranda—2-4 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• John Raynor—3-6 2B
• Gaby Sanchez—1-5 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Jai Miller—2-4 HR(3) 2 RBI 2B 3R
• Brett Hayes—2-4 2 2B 2 RBI
• Jarret Hoffpauir—2-4 2 HR(6) 5 RBI
• Eric Young Jr.—2-3 2R BB SB(38)
• Michael Saunders—2-3 R RBI 2 BB
• Jeff Clement—2-5 2B R 3 RBI
• J.P. Arencibia—2-4 R
• Brandon Wood—1-3 HR(12) 2 RBI

Pitching:

• Elizardo Ramirez—6 IP 4H ER BB 7K W (3-4)
• Jeff Samardzija—6 IP 5H ER 3K W (3-2)
• Clay Buchholz—5 IP 5H ER 3 BB 2K
• Daniel McCutchen—7 IP 3H 2 ER 2 BB 6K

6/5 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 6, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

The month of June has been a sparse one thusfar for PPR as I have found myself pulled in many different directions.  My son’s school has had a variety of end of the year activities that I have been quite involved with and other activities seem to pull me further and further away from this keyboard.

I am happy to say that I did get a chance to paruse some box scores last night in the minor league ranks and am more than happy to share my revelations!  Let’s get to it…

In the AAA ranks, the performances from notable prospects is diminishing as many of our favorites have already nestled their way onto major league rosters.  There were however a few poignant outings by intriguing prospects that we’ll cover in a little more depth.  Texas Rangers top pitching prospect Neftali Feliz tossed six shutout innings of two-hit ball for his third win of the season.  Feliz didn’t allow a walk and only struck out three, which indicates to me that he is working on being more efficient with his pitches.  Yesterday’s outing was only the second time this season that Feliz has worked six innings which indicates to me that the Rangers are distinctly trying to save the bulk of Neftali’s 2009 innings for use in their rotation.  I would expect that if he had another couple outings like this one, the Rangers will call upon his services soon.

In other games, Mike Carp his his 10th HR of the season, ending a prolonged power drought and teammate Adam Moore hit HR #5, further confirming to me that Jeff Clement’s future as a catcher is all but finished.  Don’t be surprised if Moore gets a call up by the M’s by mid-summer.  His bat is better than either Rob Johnson’s or Kenji Johjima’s and his defensive skills rival Johjima’s for best in the organizaiton at the catcher position.  A prolonged hot streak should help to initiate a much needed flip flop of Rob Johnson and Moore in the organization’s depth chart.

A’s flamethrowing reliever Henry Rodriguez punched out five hitters in 2.2 innings of work, allowing just one hit.  Rodriguez has only pitched in six games between High-A Stockton and AAA Sacramento, but his 20 K’s in just 10.1 innings is evidence that his 100 MPH heater is best used pitching at the end of games rather than the beginning.  The A’s, after three frustrating seasons, have now realized that and are slowly transitioning the 21 year old righty into a future closer’s role.  There is ample opportunity for Rodriguez to excel in this as the A’s have struggled to find some ninth inning continuity in the wake of Huston Street’s departure.  While Andrew Bailey has looked sharp in his limited opportunities, H-Rod has stuff that crackles with electricity.  I would expect that Rodriguez will pitch most of this season at Sacramento, but you can never rule out the unpredictability of A’s GM Billy Beane.

Finally, our top prospect of the day comes from San Diego where future 1B Kyle Blanks blasted HR’s #10 and 11 while driving in four runs and walking twice.  The king-sized Padres 1B prospect had a slow month of May, hitting just .221 with 5 HR and 13 RBI, but his June numbers seem to be picking up as he has nearly tripled his slugging percentage and has regained his plate discipline (7 BB/3 K) that seemed to elude him last month.  Blanks’ big league opportunities in ‘09 are closely linked to what the Padres decide to do with Adrian Gonzalez this season.  The former #1 pick is the front runner for the N.L. MVP this season and Padres have him under contract at a very low cost for two more seasons.  That said, the Friars seem to be in constant sell mode these days, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they dealt their All-Star 1B at some point this season.  There has also been some discussion of moving Blanks to a corner outfield spot, likely left field, to fully utilize his power bat.  Despite his 6-6 285 lb. frame, Kyle is quite nimble and more athletic than he appears.  That said, he hasn’t played in the outfield since his two game stint in 2005. 

The most likely scenerio for the big right-handed slugger is that he will be one of the Padres’ September call ups, getting limited playing time as the Padres’ 09 season winds down.  Limited as Blanks’ ‘09 opportunities may be, this will likely be the last season he spends as a minor league hitter.

AAA Player of the Day—KYLE BLANKS

 


Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Austin Jackson—1-4 2B R BB
• Greg Golson—2-3 R 3 RBI
• Brian Bogusevic—3-5 2B 2 RBI SB(6)
• Chris Johnson—2-4 2B R BB
• Yorman Ramirez—3-5 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Daric Barton—3-5 2B
• Brandon Wood—2-4 2B R RBI
• Eric Young Jr.—1-4 R RBI BB 2 SB(35)
• Alex Romero—5-6 2B 3R 5 RBI BB
• Jacob Hester—4-6 HR(3) 4 RBI 3B 2R
• Mike Carp—2-4 HR(10) 2 RBI BB
• Adam Moore—1-5 HR(5) 3 RBI
• Kyle Blanks—2-3 2 HR(11) 4 RBI 2 BB 2R

Pitching:

• Jack Egbert—6 IP 5H ER BB 6K W (4-0)
• Drew Carpenter—7 IP 4H 2 BB 6K W (4-0)
• Neftali Feliz—6 IP 2H 3K W (3-3)
• Sean O’Sullivan—5.2 IP 5H Er 5K
• Henry Rodriguez—2.2 IP H 5K

5/21 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 22, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Brett Wallace hit his first HR at AAA and looks to be a strong contender to get a shot with St. Louis at some point this season.  Wallace is destroying AAA pitching to the tune of a .524 BA in his first five games.  Yankees 1B prospect Juan Miranda belted his 7th HR today, driving in three and scoring four runs in helping George Kontos earn his 3rd win.  Matt Wieters hit his 5th HR and drove in two, while Angels 2B prospect Sean Rodriguez blasted his 15th dinger and drove in two runs.

Today’s top prospect is no stranger to this list as Tommy Hanson tossed six innings of one-hit ball striking out nine for his third win.  Hanson’s top notch performance lowered his ERA to 1.51 and increased his MiLB-leading strikeout total to 73 in just 53.1 IP.  Teammate Kris Medlen made his MLB debut tonight with the Braves and struggled mightily walking five and surrendering five runs through just three innings of work.  It seems as if the Braves are counting the days until June 1st rolls around in order to avoid starting Hanson’s arbitration clock.  Once it does, expect Atlanta to find a way to fit Hanson into their rotation.

AAA Player of the Day—TOMMY HANSON

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Drew Stubbs—2-3 R RBI
• Trevor Crowe—4-5 2B 2R SB(5)
• Fernando Martinez—2-4 2B R
• Brandon Jones—3-5 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Reid Brignac—3-3 2B R RBI BB
• Matt Joyce—3-5 2 2B R 2 RBI
• Austin Jackson—1-4 R 3 RBI 2 BB
• Matt Wieters—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Eric Patterson—2-5 2B 2 RBI SB(18)
• John Raynor—2-3 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Sean Rodriguez—1-3 HR(15) RBI 2 BB
• Brett Wallace—3-4 3-4 HR(5) RBI 2 BB
• Freddy Sandoval—1-3 HR(5) RBI 2 BB
• Allen Craig—2-5 2 RBI
• Jeff Clement—4-5 2 2B 3 RBI R
• Michael Saunders—2-4 2B 2R BB
• Alcides Escobar—2-4 2 2B 2R
• Chad Huffman—1-3 HR(9) 3 RBI bb 2R
• Julio Borbon—3-5 2B R SB(9)
• Max Ramirez—2-4 HR(2) 2 RBI

Pitching:

• Neftali Feliz—6 IP 4H ER BB 4K
• Tommy Hanson—6 IP H BB 9K W (3-3)
• Drew Carpenter—6 IP 8H 3 BB 2K
• George Kontos—6 IP 2H 2 BB K W (3-2)

5/19 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 20, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

News flash!  Jake Fox did not hit a homerun last night…but he did go 2-4 with a stolen base.  Drew Stubbs hit his first HR of the season and drove in two while San Diego’s Chad Huffman blasted his 8th.  Alcides Escobar scored three times as did Colorado’s Eric Young Jr.  On the mound, Blake Hawksworth tossed 6.1 innings of one run ball for his 4th win and Jeff Samardzija looked solid over his 5 innings.

Today’s top prospect from the AAA ranks is New York Mets #1 prospect Fernando Martinez.  The 20 year old OF hit his 6th and 7th HR off of Clay Buchholz yesterday and now has hit four in his last six games.  Martinez had a solid off-season in the Dominican Winter League hitting .314 with 6 HR and 26 RBI, demonstrating that his power potential could start to be converted into actual production this season.  The Mets are set in their outfield right now with Carlos Beltran, Ryan Church, and Daniel Murphy but there is ample reason to believe that Martinez will get a chance to debut with the Mets during the final month of the season.  As predicted by several scouts, Martinez is turning into more of a power hitter than tools guy and the possibilities that abound from an outfield of Beltran, Murphy, Martinez should dazzle the fans at Citi Field for years to come.

AAA Player of the Day—FERNANDO MARTINEZ

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• John Mayberry Jr.—2-4 2B R
• Fernando Martinez—2-4 2 HR(7) 2 RBI
• Trevor Crowe—3-5 R RBI SB(4)
• Austin Jackson—2-4 2B R
• Drew Stubbs—1-5 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Matt Wieters—2-4 R
• Chad Huffman—2-4 HR(8) 2 RBI
• Sean Kazmar—2-3 2B R RBI BB
• Matt Joyce—3-4 2B R 3 RBI BB
• Jake Fox—2-4 R SB(2)
• Freddy Sandoval—2-4 2B RBI SB(10)
• Brett Wallace—2-3 BB
• Eric Patterson—2-4 R 3 SB(17)
• Alcides Escobar—2-4 3R
• Jamie Hoffmann—1-5 R 2 BB SB(8)
• Blake DeWitt—0-3 4 BB 2R RBI
• Matt Downs—3-7 3 2B R 2 RBI
• Jesus Guzman—2-5 2 2B 2 BB R
• Eric Young Jr.—2-3 3R BB SB(22)
• Carlos Gonzalez—2-4 2B R RBI

Pitching:

• Jeff Samardzija—5 IP 4H ER 2 BB 6K W (1-0)
• David Purcey—7 IP 6H ER 2 BB 7K
• Blake Hawksworth—6.1 IP 6H ER 2 BB 7K W (4-3)

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)

5/3 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 4, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Hey gang!  I hope you all enjoyed your weekend.  Let’s get back into the swing of things with the AAA report from Sunday’s games.  Carlos Gonzalez continues to sting the ball and could be close to making his Rockies debut, Fernando Martinez had three base knocks including his third HR of the season.  Kyle Blanks came up big with his fifth HR and Jesus Guzman continues to look like a middle of the lineup hitter as he hit his sixth and drove in three runs.  On the mound, Clay Buchholz allowed two hits and walked two in 5.1 shutout innings earning his first win and Wade Davis pitched well to earn his third.

Today’s top player is Florida Marlins second base prospect Chris Coghlan.  The 23 year old Mississippi alum went 4-5 with his first HR, four RBI, three runs scored and two stolen bases.  Coghlan started out slowly but has caught fire recently hitting .415 with nine RBI and 10 runs scored in his last 10 games.  Coghlan is an ideal top of the order hitter with a decent amount of pop, excellent plate discipline and excellent speed that he leverages well on the basepaths.  The Fish currently have All-Star Dan Uggla in the fold at second base, but there has been much conjecuture that his arbitration eligible contract will not be renewed after this season.  Coghlan is rapidly showing that he is more than ready to be a regular contributor at the major league level and it seems reasonable to expect that he will get his opportunity at some point this summer.

AAA Player of the Day—CHRIS COGHLAN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Yung Chi Chen—3-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 3R BB
• Carlos Gonzalez—1-3 2B R 2 RBI 2 BB SB(4) (Game 1)…..2-4 R (Game 2)
• Drew Stubbs—3-4 2B RBI 2 SB(4)
• Fernando Martinez—3-4 HR(3) 3 RBI 2B
• Matt Wieters—2-5 2B RBI R
• Mike Costanzo—2-4 2B R
• Austin Jackson—3-4 2B RBI SB(7)
• Wilkin Ramirez—2-4 R BB 3 SB(10)
• John Mayberry Jr.—2-5 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Eli Iorg—1-3 3B R 3 RBI BB
• Jesus Guzman—3-5 HR(6) 3 RBI 2B 2R
• Kyle Blanks—1-4 HR(5) 3 RBI BB
• Matt Downs—3-5 HR(3) 3 RBI 2 2B 2R
• Michael Saunders—3-3 HR(2) 3 RBI 2B 2 BB 2R
• Chris Coghlan—4-5 HR(1) 4 RBI 3R BB 2 SB(8)
• Gaby Sanchez—2-4 HR(4) RBI 3R 2 BB 3R
• Joaquin Arias—3-6 2R 2 SB(3)

Pitching:

• Neftali Feliz—5 IP 6H 4 ER 2 BB 7K
• Charlie Morton—7 IP 2H ER 3 BB 10K L (2-2)
• Wade Davis—5 IP 6H 2 ER 3 BB 3K W (3-0)
• Clay Buchholz—5.1 IP 2H 2 BB 6K W (1-0)

4/30 AAA Minor League Report

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

Nolan Reimold hit HR number seven last night and Alcides Escobar hit his second.  Mariners outfield prospect Michael Saunders came off of the DL and put one over the fence and Carlos Gonzalez had a huge day at the plate with five hits, including two triples, three runs and six runs batted in. 

Today’s top prospect is none other than Tommy Hanson who surrendered three hits in six innings, striking out nine for what was, surprisingly, his first win of the season.  Hanson has pitched well enough (1.69 ERA 9 BB/39 K in 26.2 IP) to earn a promotion despite his 1-3 record, but the Braves seem to be more interested in keeping at Gwinnett until June 1st in an effort to keep his arbitration clock from starting.  However, first year starter Kenshin Kawakami has been bothered by shoulder soreness his last couple of starts and has struggled as a result.  This situation bears watching as Hanson may find himself to be first in line for a roster spot should Kawakami go on the DL.

AAA Player of the Day—TOMMY HANSON

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Van Pope—203 2 2B R BB SB(1)
• Diory Hernandez—3-4 2B 2 RBI BB
• Nolan Reimold—2-4 HR(7) 2 RBI 2B 2R
• Austin Jackson—2-3 2R BB SB(6)
• John Jaso—2-3 2B 2 RBI BB
• Kila Ka’aihue—2-3 2R 2 BB
• Chris Lubanski—3-5 3 RBI R
• Alcides Escobar—2-4 HR(2) RBI
• Chris Coghlan—4-5 2R
• Julio Borbon—1-5 2 RBI SB(5)
• Carlos Gonzalez—5-6 2B 2 3B 5 RBI SB(3)
• Eric Young Jr.—3-6 2R 2 RBI 2 SB(14)
• Michael Saunders—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Mike Carp—2-4 2B 2R
• Alex Romero—3-4 2B R RBI BB SB(3)
• Freddy Sandoval—2-5 2 2B RBI SB(4)
• Chris Pettit—3-5 2B R

Pitching:

• Garrett Olson—6.2 IP H ER 2 BB 6K W (2-2)
• Clayton Mortensen—6 IP 5H ER BB 4K W (2-1)
• Tommy Hanson—6 IP 3H 2 BB 9K W (1-3)