10/14 Arizona Fall League Report

Posted by Jeremy on October 15, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | 2 Comments to Read

Yesterday’s league action did not conjure the offensive fireworks that Tuesday’s action did, but there were a few fine performances to note.  Dustin Ackley had two hits in his first action as a pro, scoring once.  Ike Davis added two more RBI to up his league leading total to 8.  Trayvon Robinson tripled, scored and drove in a run, walking twice and stealing two bases. Domonic Brown doubled twice and drove in a run while new Arizona Diamondbacks OF prospect Cole Gillespie went 3-3 with two walks and a stolen base.

Today’s top award goes to unheralded Florida Marlins OF prospect Bryan Petersen, who collected three hits including his first AFL HR and two doubles.  Petersen’s numbers, on the surface, were solid but not standout (.297 7 HR 49 RBI 13 SB 64 runs in 121 games).  Oddly, areas that he excelled in in 2008 (23 HR 23 SB) diminished somewhat this past season, but his plate discipline (50 BB/66 K) and batting average experienced significant improvements.  All told, Petersen is a 23 year old player with a limited upside and enough athleticism and polish to be a solid contributor to a franchise.  The Marlins, however, are a team that is flush with more talented OF’s which could relegate Petersen to an eventual 4th outfielder role with the club.  He also remains someone who could draw some interest by other clubs as an inclusion in a trade, though the Marlins tend to be an organization that trades for prospects instead of shipping them out.  Until the situation changes, Petersen’s 2008 autos should continue to languish in the $3-5 range.

AFL Player of the Day—BRYAN PETERSEN

Other League Action:

  Phoenix Desert Dogs 4

• Jemile Weeks—2-5 2B R RBI SB(1)
• Chris Marrero—2-4 2B RBI BB
• Brandon Waring—1-5 HR(1) RBI

 Mesa Solar Sox 2

• Bryan Petersen—3-5 HR(1) RBI 2 2B
• Josh Vitters—3-4 2B
• Michael Stanton—2-4 SB(2)
• David Cooper—1-4 2B RBI
• Mike McCardell—2 IP H 4K

  Scottsdale Scorpions 3

• Domonic Brown—2-5 2 2B RBI
• Cole Gillespie—3-3 RBI 2 BB SB(1)
• Donald Veal—2 IP 3K

  Peoria Saguaros 1

• Jason Heyward—1-4 2B R
• Matt McBride—2-3 3B RBI BB
• Josh Rodriguez—2-4 2B

  Surprise Rafters 6

• Ruben Tejeda—2-5 2R RBI
• Mike Moustakas—1-4 2B R RBI
• Austin Romine—3-4 RBI
• Ike Davis—1-3 2 RBI
• Trey Henley—2-3 RBI R BB

  Peoria Javelinas  4

• Trayvon Robinson—1-3 3R R RBI 2 BB 2 SB(2)
• C.J. Retherford—1-4 3B RBI R
• Taylor Green—1-2 2 BB
• Dustin Ackley—2-4 R

8/11 AAA Minor League Report

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

Allen Craig really likes to hit in the thin air of Colorado Springs as he belted three HR’s during a double header to raise his tally to 21 on the season.  Craig has been as hot as any hitter in the minor leagues since the All Star break, hitting .446 with 13 HR 30 RBI and 27 runs scored in just 28 games.  Craig continues to play in the outfield which surprises me in the wake of the Brett Wallace trade.  He’s never been a bad fielder at 3B, but the organization seems to find him a better fit in left field.  Regardless of where he’s playing, Craig has been the best hitter in the Cardinals’ organization this season and should earn a big league call up at some point this year.  His only first year cards are in the 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft set and his singles can still be had in lots for less than a buck apiece.

Gaby Sanchez was a darkhorse N.L. ROY candidate by some baseball pundits on the heels of his fine 2008 season at AA Carolina.  Instead, he like fellow Marlins teammate Cameron Maybin, struggled to earn playing time with the big club and was demoted to New Orleans.  Last night, Sanchez went 3-5 with his 12th and 13th dingers, driving in five runs and scoring four times.  Sanchez has been hot during the month of August, hitting .325 with 4 HR 7 RBI and a killer 10 BB/3K ratio.  Sanchez is in a tough spot.  Logan Morrison has made a successful return from a broken wrist and is driving the ball with authority in AA.  He’s the heir to the first base job in Miami, leaving Sanchez either to switch to a new position or continue to toil at AAA.  At his best, Gaby is a well disciplined hitter with decent power to the gaps and above average defensive skills that could help him carve out a starting job with a big league club someday.

Today’s top prospect is one of Cleveland’s newest additions, RHP Carlos Carrasco.  After back to back rocky starts with Columbus, Carrasco tossed eight innings of four hit, one run ball, striking out 10 hitters for his 9th victory of the season.  Carrasco has the stuff to be a frontline pitcher at the major league level, but his inability to establish consistency and pitch with confidence at times was maddening to the Phillies franchise.  Perhaps the move to Cleveland will be just what Carlos needs to rediscover his potential as an MLB stopper.  Surely this outing does wonders for his chances to crack the Indians’ rotation at some point this season.  Carrasco’s 2008 Bowman Sterling Jsy/Autos are currently trading at $4-6 each on eBay and seem like a solid low risk buy for someone who has slipped off of many collectors’ radars.

AAA Player of the Day—CARLOS CARRASCO

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Matt Tuiasosopo—1-4 2B 2 RBI R
• Mike Carp—1-4 R 2 RBI BB
• Adam Moore—4-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Tony Abreu—1-5 HR(10) RBI
• Gaby Sanchez—3-5 2 HR(13) 5 RBI 4R BB
• John Raynor—2-6 2R RBI SB(16)
• Brett Hayes—2-4 R 3 RBI BB
• Travis Buck—3-4 2B 3 RBI SB(3)
• Allen Craig—2-3 2 HR(20) 3 RBI 2R (Game 1)…..1-3 HR(21) RBI (Game 2)
• Jarret Hoffpauir—2-3 2B 3B RBI R
• Eric Young Jr.—3-5 RBI (Game 1)…..1-2 R BB SB(55) (Game 2)
• Brandon Allen—3-4 2B 2R RBI BB
• Cole Gillespie—2-5 2B 2 RBI
• Chris Johnson—2-3 2B HR(10) RBI
• Juan Miranda—1-5 2B R 2 RBI
• Travis Snider—2-4 RBI
• Drew Stubbs—2-4 RBI
• John Mayberry Jr.—2-3 R SB(6)
• Lou Marson—3-4 R RBI
• Wes Hodges—2-4 2B R
• Justin Maxwell—2-3 R SB(28)
• Brent Clevlen—2-3 HR(15) RBI
• Aaron Bates—2-4 2B R

Pitching:

• Scott Elbert—4 IP 2H 3 BB 3K
• Travis Wood—6 IP 6H ER 3 BB K W (12-4)
• Carlos Carrasco—8 IP 4H ER 10K W (9-9)

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)

7/7 AAA Minor League Report

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

The family is finally in bed and after a long day, I am able to sit down at my computer and check box scores!

Yesterday’s action at the AAA ranks saw Minnesota Twins 3B prospect Danny Valencia stroke another two hits, scoring twice and driving in three runs.  Since his promotion to Rochester, Valencia has torn the cover off of the ball, hitting .352 with 2 HR 12 RBI and 12 runs scored in 15 games.  The former Miami Hurricane has made significant steps in increasing his plate discipline, as testified by his 33 BB/47 K ratio, and has shown decent power numbers by hitting 9 HR, driving in 41 runs and smacking 19 doubles.  The Twins currently have Joe Crede manning the hot corner and, while he’s had a solid power numbers this year and has played good defense, his low batting average and impending free agency makes him an unlikely candidate to return to the Twins.  Valencia has an opportunity to take the next step forward and nestle into a full time role with MInnesota as early as April of next year. 

Today’s top AAA prospect is San Diego Padres OF Chad Huffman.  The stocky 24 year old righty went 3-4 with his 12th HR, two doubles, four RBI and two runs scored yesterday.  Huffman’s big day raised his average to .246 and has been swinging a hot bat through the first seven games in July.  Huffman has boosted his power numbers this season, but at the expense of his plate discipline.  Regardless of his inconsistencies, Huffman remains a strong and offensively adept OF who is a gritty competitor and tireless worker.  Players of that caliber inevitably grind their way onto major league rosters in some capacity.  The Padres are chocked full of outfielders with higher upsides than Huffman, but most of them are still at the single-A levels right now.  That gives the former TCU Horned Frog a brief window of opportunity to wriggle his way into a major league job.  Expect him to get a look in September.

AAA Player of the Day—CHAD HUFFMAN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• John Raynor—2-4 2B R 2 RBI
• Chad Huffman—3-4 HR(12) 4 RBI 2 2B 2R
• Chin-Lung Hu—3-4 BB
• Cole Gillespie—1-3 2B 2R BB
• Joaquin Arias—4-5 3 RBI R
• Chris Davis—3-4 2B 3B 2R RBI
• Greg Golson—4-5 3R
• Yorandy Ramirez—2-4 HR(9) RBI
• Mark Hamilton—2-4 2B R
• Brett Wallace—2-3 RBI BB
• Jeff Clement—2-5 2B HR(12) 4 RBI
• Mike Carp—0-2 2 BB 3R
• Brandon Wood—2-4 HR(16) RBI 2B 2R
• Jesus Guzman—2-4 2R RBI BB
• Jacob Hester—2-5 2 2B
• Danny Valencia—2-4 2R 3 RBI BB
• David Winfree—4-5 HR(10) 2 RBI
• Reid Brignac—2-5 2 RBI
• Brian Bixler—2-6 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Shelby Ford—2-4 2 2B 3R BB
• Michael Brantley—3-5 2B R
• Trevor Crowe—1-5 3B 2 RBI
• Matt LaPorta—2-4 2 RBI
• Juan Miranda—3-4 HR(11) RBI 2R BB
• Brandon Snyder—2-4 R 2 RBI

Pitching:

• Will Inman—6 IP 6H 2 ER BB 4K W (1-4)
• Bryan Augenstien—5 IP 6H 2 ER BB 4K W (2-4)
• Clay Buchholz—6 IP 4H 2 ER 4 BB 4K W (7-1)
• Jake Arrieta—6.1 IP 7H 4 ER BB 8K W (8-5)

6/11 AAA Minor League Report

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

Milwaukee Brewers OF prospect Cole Gillespie hit his 4th HR of the season and drove in two runs yesterday.  I had high hopes for the former Oregon State Beaver last season as he flew under the prospecting radar for most of last season.  Much of that was due to the fact that he played for the star-studded Hunstville Stars team last year that boasted the talents of Matt LaPorta, Mat Gamel, Alcides Escobar, Angel Salome, and Michael Brantley.  Still, Gillespie had a well rounded stat line, hitting .281 with 14 HR 79 RBI 17 SB 38 doubles and 73 runs scored.  He doesn’t have any standout tool, but he does everything well and has an enormous baseball IQ.  This season has been a disappointment since Gillespie moved to AAA, hitting just .202 with his 4 HR and 20 RBI.  His plate discipline has been solid (28 BB/43 K), but he doesn’t seem to be driving the ball with much authority against AAA pitchers.  My initial projection of him as an everyday corner outfielder at the major league level is starting to look a little too generous.  There’s still quite a bit of potential there for him to be an effective, offensively minded 4th outfielder though.

Non-flashy Twins pitching prospects seem to grow on trees, and 23 year old Villanova alum Kevin Mulvey fits the bill perfectly.  The ‘06 second rounder tossed a seven hit shutout Thursday walking one and striking out seven for his third win of the season.  Mulvey can bump his fastball up to 94 MPH on occasion, but normally moves it around the strike zone at 87-91 MPH while mixing in a sharp slider and serviceable curve and change.  This season, Mulvey has gone 3-3 with a 3.61 ERA and 28 BB/59 K in 72.1 IP.  The main positive in his game has been his increased ability to force groundball outs.  Last year, Mulvey was a flyball pitcher forcing just 0.79 GO/FO while being touched up for 16 HR.  This season has been quite different, though, as Mulvey has nearly doubled his GO/FO ratio to 1.53 which has limited his HR’s allowed to just five. 

Long term, Mulvey’s stuff should limit him to a ceiling as a #3 or 4 starter.  There’s been some conjecture that he could be called up to serve a long reliever/spot starter role, but recent callup Anthony Swarzak has seemed to handling things quite capably.  The Twins are starting to improve their level of play, as the offense has kicked into full gear.  Mulvey’s arm could be a valuable asset either in the bullpen or rotation at some point this summer.

AAA Player of the Day—KEVIN MULVEY

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Angel Salome—3-5 R RBI
• Cole Gillespie—1-4 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Alcides Escobar—1-4 R BB 2 SB(24)
• Max Ramirez—2-3 2B BB
• John Raynor—2-5 2B 2R RBI SB(6)
• Cameron Maybin—2-5 2B 2 RBI
• Brett Hayes—2-4 2 2B 2R 3 RBI
• Ben Copeland—2-4 HR(2) RBI
• Jesus Guzman—1-5 HR(9) 2 RBI
• Sean Rodriguez—2-5 2B RBI R
• Brandon Wood—1-5 HR(13) 2 RBI
• Mike Carp—2-4 RBI R BB
• Dan Putnam—1-4 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Chris Nowak—3-4 2B 3B 4 RBI
• Dustin Martin—3-5 R RBI 2 SB(16)
• Jason Donald—1-4 R SB(6)
• Drew Sutton—1-4 2B R 2 RBI
• Wellington Castillo—2-4 HR(2) RBI

Pitching:

• Jack Egbert—6 IP 4H ER BB 3K L (4-1)
• Drew Carpenter—7 IP 6H ER 4K W (5-0)
• Kevin Mulvey—9 IP 7H ER BB 7K W (3-3)
• Sean O’Sullivan—6 IP 5H 2 ER 3 BB 5K W (5-2)
• James Simmons—5 IP 4H ER BB 4K

5/27 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 27, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Tommy Hanson’s MLB debut comes closer with each dominant start he has.  Yesterday, the big righthander surrendered just one run on five hits over seven innings while striking out nine hitters.  He also helped himself at the plate with a single and run scored in two AB’s.  Hanson received a no-decision for his efforts, but has assuredly reiterated to the Braves that he is quite ready to make his major league debut.

In other action, Jeff Clement had two more hits, scoring three times and driving in three runs.  He has been red hot during the month of May, hitting .360 with 3 HR 21 RBI 11 doubles and 17 runs scored.  Clement was curiously passed over for a big league promotion after Kenji Johjima’s hamstring injury in favor of the much less potent Guillermo Quiroz.  This leads me to believe that Clement’s days as a catcher, at least within the M’s organization, is coming to a close.  Watching him extensively last season, I completely agree with the move.

Today’s top prospect is another catcher, in fact it is the top catching prospect in all of baseball, Matt Wieters.  Shortly after receiving word that he would be making his MLB debut on Friday May 30th, Wieters went 4-4 with a double and four RBI.  The month of May has been good to the 23 year old Georgia Tech alum as he has hit .330 with 4 HR 25 RBI and 20 runs scored in 25 games.  During the first two months of the season, there hasn’t been many distinguishable performances from the ‘09 AL rookie class.  Wieters has an ample opportunity to step in and fulfill the expectations of many baseball prognositcators that predicted that his switch hitting power bat and Gold Glove defensive abilities would propel him to this year’s ROY award.

AAA Player of the Day—MATT WIETERS

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Matt Wieters—4-4 2B R 4 RBI BB
• Justin Turner—3-4 2B 3R BB SB(2)
• Wilkin Ramirez—1-4 2B 2 RBI BB
• Neil Walker—2-4 2 2B
• Trevor Plouffe—1-4 HR(4) 2 RBI 2R
• David Winfree—2-4 HR(7) 3 RBi
• Lou Marson—1-3 2B 2R BB
• Drew Stubbs—2-4 2B RBI
• Brian Bogusevic—3-5
• J.R. Towles—2-4 2B 2R RBI
• Chris Johnson—2-4 2B 2 RBI R
• Josh Whitesell—3-4 R
• Jacob Hester—1-3 2R RBI BB SB(5)
• Alcides Escobar—2-4 2B R BB SB(21)
• Hernan Iribarren—3-5 2B 2R RBI
• Cole Gillespie—1-4 2B 2 RBI
• Jeff Clement—2-3 2B 3R 3 RBI BB
• Michael Saunders—2-5 2R
• Cameron Maybin—2-5 2 2B 2R
• J.P. Arencibia—2-4 RBI
• Travis Snider—1-3 R

Pitching:

• Yorman Bazardo—8 IP 3H BB 6K W (5-2)
• Drew Carpenter—7 IP 6H ER BB 4K W (2-0)
• Tommy Hanson—7 IP 5H ER 2 BB 9K…..1-2 R
• Kevin Mulvey—7 IP 6H 2 ER BB 6K

5/16 AAA Minor League Report

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

I have a little window of time to give you the reports for Saturday’s games as I have been super busy with family festivities.  Saturday’s games saw Tommy Hanson continue his dominance of the International league as he threw seven two-hit innings of shutout ball striking out seven and earning his second win of the season.  Teammate and best friend Kris Medlen may be beating him to the Braves rotation, but rest assured that they will both be pitching there for the bulk of the 2009 season.  Brett Wallace looked exceptional in his AAA debut going 3-4 with two runs and an RBI.  His presence in Memphis’ lineup should help to improve the bats of both Jon Jay and Allen Craig.  As good as Wallace was, he was outshone by the sterling pitching performance of P.J. Walters who tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits and striking out 9.  Jake Fox continues to put forth an MVP performance this season with a 3-4 day scoring two runs and raising his season average to .429.  On Friday night, Fox clubbed his 16th HR and, with his 46 RBI, he has continually pushed the envelope for another Cubbie callup.

Today’s top L.A. Angels prospect is 2B/SS Sean Rodriguez.  Sean-Rod went 5-5 with two HR, boosting his total to 14, and driving in 5 RBI.  He also scored three times.  The Angels are a team that is impending transition with several of their stars aging, therefore ushering in the need for a new era of talent.  Rodriguez, along with Brandon Wood seem to be in line to inherit roles with the big league club, but they have struggled to show that capability during their brief stints with the big club.  Both Wood and Rodriguez are still just 23 years old and have immense offensive potential that should be realized within the next season or two, either with the Angels or another big league club.

AAA Player of the Day—SEAN RODRIGUEZ

Other Notable Peformances

Hitting:

• Alcides Escobar—2-4 2 2B 2R RBI
• Angel Salome—2-4 2 RBI
• Cole Gillespie—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Chad Huffman—2-2 HR(7) RBI 2BB
• Brett Wallace—3-4 2B 2R RBI
• Jon Jay—2-5 2B R
• Allen Craig—2-5 2B R
• Jake Fox—3-4 2B R
• Freddy Sandoval—2-6 2 RBI 2R SB(9)
• Matt Brown—2-4 2 HR(5) 5 RBI 3R
• Sean Rodriguez—5-5 2 HR(14) 5 RBI 3R
• Brandon Wood—1-3 3R 2 BB
• Jeff Clement—2-5 2B 2 RBI
• Mike Carp—2-4 2B 2R BB
• Adam Moore—2-4 R RBI BB
• Cliff Pennington—2-4 3 RBI R SB(10)
• Adrian Cardenas—1-2 2B 2R 2 BB SB(3)
• Fernando Martinez—1-2 R 2 BB SB(2)
• Brandon Jones—2-4 2B R RBI
• Wilkin Ramirez—4-5 2 HR(4) 2 RBI 2R

Pitching:

• David Hernandez—5.1 IP 2H 4 BB 6K W (3-1)
• Matt Maloney—7 IP 6H ER BB 5K L (3-2)
• Tommy Hanson—7 IP 2H BB 7K W (2-3)
• Gaby Hernandez—6 IP 4H ER 4 BB 4K W (3-2)
• Sean O’Sullivan—7 IP 4H 3 ER BB 9K W (3-1)
• P.J. Walters—9 IP 3H BB 8K W (2-1)

4/23 High-A Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 23, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE

Brandon Crawford, Alex Liddi, and Matt Spencer all hit their fourth HR’s of the season and Madison Bumgarner allowed just one run over five innings to go a perfect 3-0 for the 2009 season.  Chris Withrow punched out 10 over just five innings but lost to today’s player of the day Chris Hicks. 

The Astros right hander tossed five innings of scoreless ball, allowing just five hits while striking out nine.  Hicks, 21, is now 2-1 on the season with a 3.07 ERA and 18 K’s in 14.2 IP.  Used almost exclusively as a reliever last season, Hicks has proven to be quite adept at forcing groundball outs this season (2.57/FO) and has exhibited good control.  At 6-4 205 lb., he appears to have a nice durable frame capable of handling a steady workload.

California League Player of the Day—CHRIS HICKS

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Alex Liddi—3-4 HR(4) 3 RBI 2B
• James McOwen—3-5 2R SB(1)
• Joe Dunigan—4-4 HR(3) 2 RBI 2B
• Kuo Hui Lo—2-4 HR(1) RBI 3B 2R
• Matt Spencer—3-4 2B HR(4) RBI 3R BB
• Jermaine Mitchell—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• Brandon Crawford—1-4 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Buster Posey—2-4 R RBI
• Roger Kieschnick—1-3 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Engel Beltre—1-4 2B 2R RBI BB SB(5)
• Mitch Moreland—1-4 HR(2) RBI 2 BB 2R
• Mauro Gomez—3-6 HR(3) 6 RBI 2B
• Collin Cowgill—2-5 R SB(3)
• Scott Vanslyke—4-5 2B 3B 2R

Pitching:

• Nathan Adcock—6 IP 4H BB 4K W(2-1)
• Madison Bumgarner—5 IP 5H ER 5K W(3-0)
• Chris Withrow—5 IP 3H Er 2 BB 10 K L(1-1)
• Chris Hicks—5 IP 5H 2 BB 9K W(2-1)

CAROLINA LEAGUE

Jason Place continues to make positive strides in his development as he hit his second HR and drove in three runs.  Teammate Chi-Hsien Chiang had nice back to back outings combining to go 4-7 with a HR, three RBI and three runs scored.  Jordan Danks had three hits, driving in two and scoring twice.

Today’s player of the day in the Carolina League is Cleveland Indians 3B prospect Lonnie Chisenhall.  For the second straight day, Chisenhall homered and drove in five runs.  The Indians’ 2008 first round selection has an eight game hitting streak and is beginning to demonstrate the promising power potential and plate discipline that made him a top draft choice last June.

Carolina League Player of the Day—LONNIE CHISENHALL

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Jason Place—2-4 HR(2) 3 RBI BB 2B 2R
• Chih-Hsien Chiang—2-4 HR(1) 3 RBI BB 2R (Game 1)…2-3 R (Game 2)
• Kris Negron—2-4 R RBI SB(2)
• Clint Robinson—2-3 2 HR(2) 2 RBI BB 2R (Game 1)…1-4 HR(3) RBI (Game 2)
• David Lough—3-4 2 RBI
• Lonnie Chisenhall—2-5 GS HR(2) 5 RBI 2B BB
• Cord Phelps—2-4 2B BB R
• Freddie Freeman—2-5 2B 2R
• Michael Fisher—3-4 2R BB
• Jordan Danks—3-4 2 RBI 2R BB SB(3)
• Brent Morel—2-4 R BB SB(5)

Pitching:

• Ronal Uviedo—5 IP 2H 5K
• Zack Britton—5 IP 4H ER 2 BB 4K

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE

Matt Dominguez and Michael Stanton combined to go 4-7 with four runs and three walks.  Osvaldo Martinez, Alex Buchholz, Eric Thames and Reid Fronk each pounded out three hits and Shawn O’Malley had four hits and three runs scored. 

Today’s FSL top player is Jupiter Hammerheads pitcher Kyle Winters.  One day after his 22nd birthday, the ‘05 fifth rounder tossed seven two-hit innings walking one and striking out two.  Winters has allowed just one run in his first 19 innings of 2009 (0.47 ERA)  He is a control pitcher who gets a lot of groundball outs and has made some improvements, thusfar, in controlling the strike zone.

Florida State League Player of the Day—KYLE WINTERS

 
Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Matt Dominguez—2-4 2B 3R BB
• Michael Stanton—2-3 R RBI 2 BB
• Osvaldo Martinez—3-4 2 3B 2R BB
• Cole Gillespie—2-2 R 2 BB SB(4)
• Austin Romine—2-4 2B 2R
• Dominic Brown—2-3 BB R SB(3)
• Kody Kaiser—2-3 BB R SB(3)
• Audy Ciraco—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2B 2R
• Marwin Gonzalez—3-5 2B 2R
• Jovan Rosa—2-2 2B 2 RBI
• Eric Thames—3-4 2B 3B RBI 2R
• Jermaine Curtis—3-4 RBI
• Deibinson Romero—2-3 2R 2B RBI
• Alex Buchholz—3-5 2B 3B 2 RBI
• Reid Fronk—3-5 2B RBI
• Shawn O’Malley—4-5 2B 3B RBI 3R

Pitching:

• Kyle Winters—7 IP 2 H BB 2K W(1-0)
• Andrew Hess—5 Ip 6H 4K W(1-0)
• David Bromberg—6 IP 4H ER 2 BB 3K W(1-0)

High-A Weekend Report

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

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE

There were several players that had nice weekends in the FSL.  The Cubs’ Marquez Smith hit HR’s in back to back days and the Brewers’ young OF prospect Zealous Wheeler collected four hits and five RBI.  Nobody compared to what big Michael Stanton did, though, as the Marlins future superstar enjoyed a seven hit weekend that included two HR’s, six RBI, and three runs scored.  Stanton’s bat is heating up and he is showing all signs of going on a prolonged power binge.

Florida State League Player of the Weekend—MICHAEL STANTON

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Marquez Smith—1-4 HR(2) 3 RBI (Sat.)…..1-4 HR(3) 2 RBI (Sun.)
• Michael Bertram—2-4 2B 3 RBI
• Joe Benson—2-3 HR(1) RBI
• Michael Stanton—2-3 HR(2) 2 RBI 2 BB 2R (Sat.)…..5-5 HR(3) 4 RBI 2B R (Sun.)
• Matt Dominguez—2-5 2B (Sat.)…..2-5 2B R (Sun.)
• MIguel Fermin—3-4 2B SB(4)
• Jose Garcia—2-3 2B 2R
• Jermaine Curtis—2-4 2B R RBI
• Austin Romine—1-3 2B 3 RBI (Sat.)…..2-3 2B (Sun.)
• Caleb Gindl—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Eric Farris—2-4 3R BB 2 SB(3)
• Logan Schafer—2-5 R 2 RBI
• Brent Brewer—2-4 RBI R SB(3)
• Zelous Wheeler—2-5 2 2B 2 RBI R (Sat.)…..2-4 3 RBI (Sun.)
• Neftali Soto—4-4 HR(1) RBI
• Yonder Alonso—2-4 2B 3 RBI BB
• Jesus Montero—3-4 HR(2) RBI 2B
• Cole Gillespie—3-3 2R 2 RBI BB SB(3)
• Reese Havens—1-4 HR(2) RBI

Pitching:

• Charlie Furbush—5 IP 3H BB 4K W(1)
• Jeff Allison—6 IP 4H ER 5K W(1)
• Ryan Zink—5 IP 5H BB 4K
• Yohan Flande—7 IP 7H BB 4K W(2)
• John Axleford—2 IP 6K W(2)
• Eric Niesen—5 IP 3H UER 3 BB 5K
• Darin Downs—9 IP 6H 2 ER 7K W(2)

CAROLINA LEAGUE

Not as much action as the FSL, but the big boys played well all weekend long.  Jason Heyward raised his batting average to .325 with a 4-6 weekend that included third HR and three runs scored.  Teammate Cody Johnson blasted his fifth and sixth HR’s and Pedro Alvarez and Michael Burgess each hit their second on Sunday.  The top honors go to Royals #1 prospect Mike Moustakas, though, for his two HR, five RBI weekend that has helped him emerge from an early season slump.

Carolina League Player of the Weekend—MIKE MOUSTAKAS

Other Notable Peformances

Hitting:

• Michael Jones—3-3 HR(1) RBI 2R 3B
• Kraig Binick—2-5 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R SB(2)
• Mike Moustakas—2-4 HR(1) 3 RBI 2B 2R (Sat.)…..1-4 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R BB (Sun.)
• Jason Heyward—2-3 2B R BB (Sat.)…..2-3 HR(3) RBI 2B 2R (Sun.)
• Cody Johnson—1-4 HR(5) RBI (Sat.)…..1-4 HR(6) 2 RBI (Sun.)
• David Espinosa—2-3 2B R BB SB(5) (Sat.)…..1-3 2 BB 3R (Sun.)
• Matt McBride—3-5 2 HR(2) 3 RBI 2R
• Jordan Danks—2-3 2B 2R BB
• Chris Marrero—3-5 2B 2R RBI
• Michael Burgess—2-4 2B 2R HR(2) 3 RBI
• Pedro Alvarez—2-3 HR(3) RBI 2R BB
• Miles Durham—3-5 2B 2 RBI
• Alex Presley—2-5 2B 2R RBI
• Ryan Kalish—2-4 2 RBI 2R BB SB(4)
• Kris Negron—2-4 3B 2R BB
• Matt Sheely—3-5 R 2 RBI 2 SB(2)
• Caleb Joseph—3-4 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Jim Gallagher—2-2 HR(1) RBI 3 BB 3R 2B
• Roman Pena—2-3 HR(1) 3 RBI 2R 2B 2 BB

Pitching:

• Brian Matusz—6 IP 7H 3 UER 2 BB 8K L(1)
• Brad Myers—5.2 IP 6H Er 4K W(1)
• Everett Teaford—5 IP 4H Er 5K W(1)

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE

Several top prospects had nice single game performances, but no one “dominated the weekend”.  The Giants have to be thrilled with the early returns from their top prospects, as Angel Villalona, Nick Noonan, Brandon Crawford each continued to play well.  Matthew Sweeney looks like he is a darkhorse power prospect as he collected two more RBI.  On the mound, Josh Collimenter tossed six two-hit innings, walking one and striking out nine en route to his second win of the season, but the player of the weekend was Oakland’s OF prospect Matt Spencer.  Spencer homered on both Saturday and Sunday, driving in three and scoring three times.

California League Player of the Weekend—MATT SPENCER

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Juan Diaz—4-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Matthew Sweeney—2-4 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Brandon Crawford—3-6 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Matt Spencer—2-4 HR(2) 2 RBI 2B BB SB(1) (Sat.)…..1-4 HR(3) RBI 2R BB (Sun.)
• Felix Carrasco—3-5 2 RBI R (Sat.)…..2-4 HR(1) 3 RBI BB (Sun.)
• Matt Lawson—3-5 2B R SB(3)
• Vance Zawadski—3-3 R 2 BB 3 SB(9)
• Nick Noonan—3-5 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R
• Angel Villalona—2-5 HR(3) RBI
• Mike MItchell—2-5 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Charlie Blackmon—1-2 2B R 2 RBI 2 BB 2 SB(3)
• Eddie Colina—2-5 2 2B 2R RBI
• Kuo Hui Lo—3-5 2 3B 3 RBI R

Pitching:

• Tim Sexton—6 IP 4H 2 BB 3K
• Josh Collimenter—6 IP 2H BB 9K W(2)
• Corey Kluber—7 IP Er BB 7K W(2)
• Alberto Bastardo—7 IP 2H 6K W(2)
• Michael Pineda—7 IP 6H 3 ER 8K W(2)

4/16 High-A Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 18, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE

Slugger-in-waiting Angel Villalona went yard for the second time and Madison Bumgarner pitched well enough to earn his second win of the season. The Padres’ top international signing Yefri Carvajal hit his first HR.  Diamonbacks top prospect Jarrod Parker tossed five dominant innings allowing just two hits and striking out seven, but the Padres’ Corey Luebke was even better shutting out Modesto for seven innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight.

California League Player of the Day—COREY LUEBKE

Other Notable Performances:

• Angel Villalona—2-3 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Buster Posey—1-3 2B R BB
• Madison Bumgarner—5 IP 4H UER 2 BB 4K W(2)
• Craig Italiano—5 IP 2H 2 ER 3 BB 6K L(2)
• Jason Castr0—2-4 RBI
• Chris Jackson—1-2 2R 3 BB
• Preston Mattingly—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Steven Caseres—2-4 RBI
• Matthew Sweeney—2-4
• Jeremy Moore—2-4 2B
• P.J. Phillips—2-4 R RBI
• Efren Navarro—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Tim Kiely—7 IP 3H 8K W(1)
• Collin Cowgill—1-4 HR(3) RBI
• Jarrod Parker—5 IP 2H 7K
• Charlie Blackmon—2-3 R BB
• Yefri Carvajal—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Andrew Parrino—2-5 2B R
• Logan Forsythe—1-3 BB 2B
• Corey Luebke—7 IP 2H BB 8K W(1)

CAROLINA LEAGUE

It was a banner day for the top prospects in the Carolina League.  Chris Marrero doubled twice and drove in three runs, Jordan Danks had three hits, including his second HR, and drove in two.  Mike Moustakas also had two hits and a couple of RBI while Jason Heyward went 3-3 with his second HR, three RBI, two runs scored and two walks.  That performance alone would be enough to win the award, but Pirates 3B Pedro Alvarez delivered big time with his second HR and six RBI in a win over Winston-Salem.

Carolina League Player of the Day—PEDRO ALVAREZ

Other Notable Performances:

• David Espinosa—1-2 R 2 BB 2 SB(4)
• Chris Marrero—2-4 2 2B 3 RBi R
• Jason Place—3-4 2B 2 RBI SB(1)
• Tom Milone—6 IP 6H ER BB 7K
• Jordan Danks—2-5 HR(2) 2 RBI 2B
• Brent Morel—2-5 2B SB(4)
• Christian Marrero—2-5 2B R
• Seth Loman—1-3 2B R 2 RBI BB
• Pedro Alvarez—2-4 HR(2) 6 RBI
• Jose De Los Santos—2-4 3R 2B RBI BB
• Alex Presley—2-4 2R RBI
• Mike Moustakas—3-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Jeff Bianchi—2-4 R BB
• Johnny Giavotella—2-5 R
• Clint Robinson—1-4 2B R 2 RBI
• Tim Fedroff—3-5 2 2B R
• Matt McBride—2-3 2b BB
• Eric Berger—5 IP 5H Er 2 BB 8K
• Jason Heyward—3-3 HR(2) 3 RBI 2 BB 2R
• Freddie Freeman—1-4 RBI BB
• Matt Fischer—2-5 2B 2R
• Zach Britton—4 IP 5H 2 ER 2 BB 5K
• Tyler Henson—1-3 2R 2 BB SB(2)

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE

Unlike the Carolina League, there weren’t any mind blowing performances to speak of.  Zack Stewart looked good in his second consecutive start, as did Dellin Betances and Duane Below.  Tommy Hickman hit his first HR, but the top player award goes to Twins speedster and future lead off hitter Ben Revere.  The former first rounder went 2-3 with a dobule, three RBI and two bases on balls.

Florida State League Player of the Day—BEN REVERE

Other Notable Performances:

• Jermaine Curtis—2-3 2R
• Francisco Rivera—1-2 2B 3 RBI
• Zach Stewart—5 IP 5H ER BB 6K
• Nick Additon—4 IP H 2 BB K
• Yonderman Rodriguez—2-3 BB R
• Arlon Quiroz—2-2 2B RBI SB(2)
• Duane Below—5.2 IP 7H ER 9K L(1)
• Carlos Montaserios—7 IP 3H BB 4K W(1)
• Andy Dirks—2-4 2B 3 RBI
• Emeel Salem—3-6 RBI R BB SB(1)
• Reese Havens—3-6 2 RBI R
• Zachary Lutz—2-6 RBI
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis—3-4 BB
• Jenrry Mejia—5 IP 6H ER BB 3K
• Eric Thames—3-4 2 RBI
• Darin Mastroianni—2-5 2B RBI R
• Justin Jackson—1-5 2B 2R
• Raul Barron—2-4 2R SB(3)
• Marquez Smith—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Thomas Hickman—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Ben Revere—2-3 2B R 3 RBI 2 BB
• Matt Dominguez—1-3 BB
• Kyle Winters—6 Ip 5H BB 4K
• David Bromberg—5 IP 4H ER 3 BB 4K
• Jesus Montero—1-3 BB
• Brent Brewer—1-4 2B R
• Lee Haydel—2-3 RBI
• Cole Gillespie—1-4 RBI SB(2)
• Dellin Betances—5.1 IP 8H 2 ER BB 7K L(1)