10/28 Arizona Fall League Report

Posted by Jeremy on October 29, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Read the First Comment

Yesterday’s games saw Atlanta Braves 1B prospect Freddie Freeman continue his hot streak with three more hits.  Oakland A’s prospects Corey Brown and Jemile Weeks had nice outings as Brown rapped three more RBI’s and Weeks doubled twice and drove in two runs.  San Diego Padres prospect Lance Zawadzki put a black mark on Aaron Crow’s professional debut by taking him deep, though Crow looked pretty sharp allowing just two runs on three hits in his four innings. 

In Mesa, Andrew Cashner logged four no-hit innings, walking two and striking out four for his first win of the season.  Boston Red Sox SS/P prospect Casey Kelly had his best day with the bat, doubling, tripling and driving in four runs.

Today’s top prospect is the hands down best player in Arizona this fall, Grant Desme.  The A’s slugger remarkably tallied two more HR’s to raise his league leading total to 10.  Desme is now just four behind Brandon Wood’s AFL record and his .469 BA and 22 RBI leads the league right now.  Desme quietly had a big season for the A’s at Low-A Kane County and High-A Stockton, hitting .288 with 31 HR 89 RBI 40 SB and 98 runs scored.  Desme’s biggest culpability right now is his contact issues as he struck out 148 time in 131 games.  To date, Desme has fanned 14 times in 12 games, but his eight walks and 23 hits in that span makes his aggressive approach at the plate tolerable, if not encouraging.  Desme doesn’t have any first year cards right now, but when they do arrive (‘09 Bowman Draft?) they should command a solid market right out of the gate. 

AFL Player of the Day—GRANT DESME

Other Notable AFL Performances:

  Mesa Solar Sox 12

• Bryan Petersen—2-5 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R
• Starlin Castro—2-5 RBI 2R
• Hank Conger—2-4 2B R RBI BB
• David Cooper—2-4 RBI R
• Casey Kelly—2-4 2B 3B 4 RBI R BB
• Josh Vitters—2-5 RBI R
• Andrew Cashner—4 IP 0H 2 BB 4K  W (1-2)

  Scottsdale Scorpions 5

• Brandon Crawford—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• William Susdorf—1-2 HR(2) 2 RBI 2  BB
• Buster Posey—1-3 2R BB

  Phoenix Desert Dogs 11

• Grant Desme—3-4 2 HR(1) 4 RBI 4R BB
• Brandon Waring—3-5 3B RBI 2R
• Corey Brown—2-5 3 RBI
• Jemile Weeks—3-3 2 2B 2 RBI R

  Peoria Javelinas 6

• Trayvon Robinson—2-5 RBI R
• Casper Wells—1-4 HR(3) 3 RBI
• Justin Sellers—3-4 2B R
• Jordan Danks—1-3 R RBI BB

  Peoria Saguaros 9

• Lance Zawadzki—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R BB
• Jon Gaston—1-5 3B R 2 RBI
• Yonder Alonso—2-4 2R 2 RBI
• Freddie Freeman—3-4 2B R RBI BB
• Brandon Hicks—2-4 3B RBI BB
• Steven Garrison—3 IP 3H 2 BB K W (1-1)

  Surprise Rafters 0

• Reese Havens—2-4
• Aaron Crow—4 IP 3H 2 ER BB 2K L (0-1)

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

Arizona Fall League: Mesa Solar Sox Roster and Analysis

Posted by Jeremy on October 14, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | 2 Comments to Read

This is the first of a six part series that will examine the rosters of each Arizona Fall League team.  The Arizona Fall League is annually renown for showcasing the elite talent of each major league organization and often serves as a spring board for talented youngsters to carve out opportunities with their big league clubs in the following MLB season.  For the savvy prospect investor, the AFL offers a prolonged look at the development of key prospects during the baseball offseason and shapes the buying and selling strategies to be employed throughout the ensuing season.

Our first look is at the Mesa Solar Sox which boasts talents from the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, L.A. Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, and Florida Marlins.  Enjoy!

Top 5 Players to Watch:

1.) Michael Stanton

• It was a tale of two seasons for the king-sized Florida Marlins slugger who split time between High-A Jupiter and AA Jacksonville this season.  With Jupiter, Stanton hit .294 with 12 HR 39 RBI and a solid 28 BB/45 K ratio in 50 games.  His promotion to Jacksonville, however, exploited some still raw strike zone judgement (31 BB/99 K in 79 games) that plagued him throught 2008.  As a resut, Stanton mustered a .231 BA against Southern League hurlers, though his 16 HR and 53 RBI were demonstrative indicators of the power to come.  The market for Stanton’s various ‘08 RC autos is still quite active but the costs have diminshed by about 25% since his hot spring numbers.  His cheapest autos can be found in the 2008 Razor series (#/1199) for a shade under $10 each.  His more popular autos in the Bowman Chrome Drat set command $30-35 each.

AFL Outlook:

• Stanton has drawn rave reviews from members within the Marlins organization for his work ethic and cerebral approach to the game.  His struggles with the strike zone are issues stemming strictly from a lack of experience and an expedient ascent through the system.  Like other power hitters, he will always rack up high K totals, but I think that he will find a way to be more selective at the plate which should raise his BB totals as well as his batting average in future years.  If his AFL season is a successful one, Stanton should figure heavily in the Marlins’ plans at some point in 2010.

2.) Josh Vitters

• The top prospect of the Chicago Cubs played like one in his first full professional season, hitting .316 with 15 HR 46 RBI and 42 runs scored in his 70 games at Low-A Peoria.  That performance earned him a promotion to the Cubs’ High-A affiliate Dayton where his numbers dropped considerably (.238 3 HR 22 RBI in 50 games).  Like Stanton, plate discipline was the main culprit of Vitters’ struggles as he earned just 12 walks in 458 AB. 

AFL Outlook:

• Vitters is at least a year to year and a half away from making his major league debut, so this AFL experience is really just an opportunity for Josh to show the Cubs’ brass where he is development-wise.  Current Cubbies 3B Aramis Ramirez is under contract through next season and has a $14.6 million player option that he can utilize for 2011.  This should give Vitters just enough time to develop into a player that can effectively replace Ramirez’s production once he hits the free agent market.  Vitters has autographed cards in various 2007 and 2008 products that all seem to fall in the $10-20 range.  For someone who has promise to be the face of the Cubs franchise within the next two to three seasons, his cards seem like rock solid investments.

3.) Casey Kelly

• Is he a pitcher or an infielder?  Judging by last year’s numbers, his arm seems to be ahead of his bat.  Propelled by a 6-1 record and 1.12 ERA, the 19 year old Sarasota native rocketed his way to High-A Salem and continued to post excellent numbers (3.09 ERA 7 BB/29 K in 35 IP).  Kelly, as per the Red Sox plans, stopped pitching in the second half of the season and played at SS, where his bat (.222 3 HR 16 RBI 16 BB/49 K) failed to muster the same heat has his electric right arm.

AFL Outlook:

• On a roster drunk with top tier shortstops (Starlin Castro, Jose Iglesias), it seems that Kelly’s initial AFL experience will be limited and a primary source of extra offseason work against elite talent.  My gut tells me that Kelly will eventually develop as a pitcher, forgoing the offensive side of his game.  There are several other fine SS (Iglesias, Yamiaco Navarro, Argenis Diaz, Oscar Tejeda) within the system.

4.) Starlin Castro

• The 19 year old Chicago Cubs farmhand had an excellent debut season shooting up to AA Tennessee, hitting .299 with 3 HR 49 RBI and 28 SB over two levels.  The youngest participant in the Arizona Fall League, Castro has shown sound strike zone discipline (29 BB/53 K) and the ability to hit for future power (32 XBH). 

AFL Outlook:

• Castro’s AFL performance could go a long way towards determining just where the Cubs will start him for the 2010 season.  My hunch is that he will go back to AA Tennessee with the intent of earning a promotion to AAA Iowa within the first couple of months.  Current Cubbies SS, Ryan Theriot, had another solid season with both the glove and the bat, which could mean that Castro’s first MLB action may be at 2B instead of SS.  That could happen at the tail end of the 2010 season.  Castro’s first year cards have just been issued in the 2009 Bowman Chrome set.  The base chrome cards are currently trading at $1.25-2.00 each and his refractors can be found for $4-5 per card.  Vitters may be the face of the franchise, but Castro should be playing next to him and hitting in front of him for several future seasons.

5.) Ryan Kalish

• Kalish bounced back after a ho-hum 2008 season to put up big numbers at his High-A and AA stops this year, hitting .279 with 18 HR 77 RBI 21 SB and 84 runs scored.  The increase of his power output did not come at the expense of his plate disciline, which at a rate of 68 BB/107 K in 141 games, is still quite acceptable.

AFL Outlook:

• After being outsted by the L.A. Angels in a three game sweep, the Red Sox have some glaring offseason questions to answer.  Current LF Jason Bay is an unrestricted free agent and J.D. Drew is a prolonged stint on the DL (35 or more days) away from allowing the Red Sox the ability to opt out of the rest of his contract.  Josh Reddick, who received a couple of brief stints with the Sox this year, is at the front of the list of potential replacements, but Kalish may offer a more comprehensive skill set than Reddick has.  Long term, both are quite talented enough to flank Jacoby Ellsbury as a formidable Fenway trifecta for seasons to come.  The current eBay market for Kalish’s various 2008 first year autos between $8-12, which seems like a bargain considering the future potential that Kalish posesses.

Others to watch:

• Luis Exposito–Red Sox top catching prospect highly successful @ AA (.337 3 HR 12 RBI in 23 games)
• Ryan Mount—Disappointing ‘09 season but now top 2B with departure of Sean Rodriguez
• Hank Conger–1st fully healthy season at AA rendered good results (.295 11 HR 68 RBI 55 BB/68 K)
• Andrew Cashner—Cubs ‘08 1st rounder w/ power arm showed he can start (24 starts 2.60 ERA)
• Rene Tosoni—Twins OF w/ solid all around skill set may be playing for a change of scenery
• Chris Parmelee—’06 1st rounder developing plate discipline and light tower power (16 HR 27 2B)
• Jose Iglesias—Cuban FA SS with dynamic glove and emerging offensive potential for Red Sox
• Matt Dominguez–A disappointing 2009 season may be due more to being rushed than overall talent
• David Cooper–Unlike Dominguez, his extremely good ‘08 may be the aberration

7/20 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on July 21, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Pedro Alvarez is red hot right now.

The former #2 overall pick of last year’s draft was decent in his stint with High-A Lynchburg and got off to a molasses-like start after his promotion to Altoona, but the last 10 games has seen Alvarez post a .368 BA with 3 HR 6 RBI and 9 runs scored.  Alvarez is a highly potent all-star hitter in the making, but his high K rates, low batting average and spotty defense has detracted from his overall performance.  All told, the sum is greater than its parts.  Alvarez is clicking right now offensively, and his 19 HR and 67 RBI are on par with expectations.  I believe that he will continue to raise his average from its current .255 level to finish around .270-.280. 

Will he earn a September callup?  Tough to say.  My gut says yes, but it was the Pirates that were so glacially slow in giving Andrew McCutchen his debut.  While that worked to McCutchen’s benefit, I think they will not exercise the same patience with Alvarez.  His collegiate resume and immediate power impact keeps him on the fast track to Pittsburgh and nothing that Andy LaRoche or Neil Walker can do will stop it.  Alvarez has a major league contract and it makes complete sense for the Bucs to get a first hand look at exactly what they have in the former Vanderbilt superstar.  Expect him to be one of the September callups unless injury or a complete collapse in his performance happens before then.

Today’s top AA prospect is Boston Red Sox catcher turned first baseman, turned outfielder, turned eventual DH Jon Still.  The Red Sox slugger blasted two HR and drove in seven runs yesterday in Portland’s 16-1 massacre over New Britain yesterday.  Despite his career day, Still has been a big disappoint me to me this year.  The former 2006 draftee is hitting .239 with 13 HR 61 RBI and 26 doubles this year, but his 27 BB/103 K’s is far and away his worst showing in his professional career.  Despite hitting .302 with 16 RBI over his last 10 games, Still has struck out 18 times and has failed to draw a walk during the same timeframe.  I think that he is going to continue to decline in his production as he progresses until he joins the Jeff Bailey, Aaron Bates and Chris Carter ranks of the organization as a player who makes the frequent treks between Pawtucket and Boston.  Look to see if the market for his stuff jumps after a few good performances and sell accordingly.

AA Player of the Day—JON STILL

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Michael Daniel—3-4 BB
• Brennan Boesch—1-4 HR(18) 2 RBI
• Mike McBryde—1-4 HR(4) 3 RBI 2R
• Ike Davis—2-4 HR(12) 2 RBI 2 RBI BB
• Josh Thole—2-5 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Ruben Tejada—3-4 2R
• Josh Reddick—3-6 HR(13) 2 RBI 3R
• Ryan Khoury—3-5 4R BB
• Jon Still—3-6 2 HR(13) 7 RBI 3R
• Ryan Kalish—2-5 HR(9) 2B 2 RBI BB
• Jorge Jimenez—3-5 HR(10) 4 RBI 2 2B 4R BB
• Argenis Diaz—2-5 2B RBI
• Pedro Alvarez—3-4 2 2B 2 RBI 2R
• Brian Friday—1-3 HR(7) 2 RBI BB
• Jim Negrych—2-4 2 2B 2R
• Quentin Berry—2-4 R 2 SB(34)
• Reegie Corona—2-3 R 2 BB
• Jesus Montero—2-4 HR(15) RBI BB
• David Cooper—1-3 2B 2 RBI 2 BB
• Jeremy Moore—2-3 HR(8) 2 RBI 2R
• Mark Trumbo—2-5 R RBI
• Jarrod Dyson—2-4 2R 3 SB(21)
• Drew Locke—2-4 2B 2R
• Matt Spencer—3-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Josh Horton—2-5 2B 2R
• James Rapoport—2-5 2B R 2 BB
• Tyler Henley—3-5 2B R RBI

Pitching:

• Blake Beavan—6.1 IP 8H 2 ER K L (6-7)
• Corey Kluber—6 IP 4H BB 6K W (8-9)
• Adam Mills—7 IP 5H Er 2 BB 5K W (7-5)

7/5 AA Minor League Report

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

L.A. Dodgers OF/1B prospect Andrew Lambo is swinging a hot bat through the first few days of July.  Yesterday’s 3-5 performance that included his 8th HR, five RBI and two runs scored raised his average to .438 for the month and .275 overall.  On the surface, Lambo’s HR numbers are a little below expected, but his 26 doubles and improved BB/K ratio are positive signs of good things to come.  Talent abounds on the Dodgers’ major league roster, especially in the outfield where the trifecta of Manny Ramirez, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp rivals baseball’s best.  Couple in James Loney’s sweet lefty swing at 1B and the fact that Lambo is still just 20 years old and it becomes apparent that the Dodgers will be unlikely to rush Lambo in his development.  Once he does arrive on the major league scene, Lambo is a likely bet to become a 20-25 HR middle of the lineup hitter for several years to come.

Greg Halman’s season has been, in large part, a major disappointment after his breakout 2008 season in which he was nearly a 30 HR/30 SB player.  Playing almost exclusively at West Tennessee, Halman is batting just .208 with 20 HR 50 RBI and just 5 SB.  Plate discipline is the biggest culprit as Halman has walked just 16 times and has punched out 119 times in just 71 games.  Halman’s all or nothing approach to hitting is frustrating as some days (like yesterday’s 2 HR 3 RBI 4 run day) he looks like a 5-tool elite prospect and other days he resembles the extremely raw player that struggled in 2007.  At just 21 years old, there is ample time for Halman to address his contact issues and pitch recognition.  The tools and athleticism is there for Halman to be a dynamic player at the major league level, but his future success is anything but a foregone conclusion.  Watch to see if he can improve his ability to control the strike zone before making any substantial investments in his cards.

Today’s top AA prospect is another 2008 breakout player Florida Marlins 1B prospect Logan Morrison.  The powerfully built lefty had a big day yesterday hitting his 5th HR as part of a 5-6 day with two doubles, five RBI and two runs scored.  Morrison’s big day boosted his batting average for the month of July up to .455 and his 3rd HR in the last five games is a prime indicator that his fractured right wrist is close to or at full strength.  Morrison was electric in the Arizona Fall League this past winter, raising his stock significantly within the organization and amongst baseball card prospectors.  The Marlins are in an endless quest to fill big league positions with low cost talent.  Jorge Cantu is a solid first baseman who is earning $3.5 million this season and should earn more through arbitration next season.  There is a chance that the Marlins don’t offer him arbitration next year and in favor of giving Gaby Sanchez and Logan Morrison a shot to vie for the position this following spring.  The market for Morrison’s cards is strong right now, but is not quite as hot as it was when he was opening eyes in the AFL this past fall.

AA Player of the Day—LOGAN MORRISON

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Ike Davis—1-2 HR(9) RBI
• Mike McBryde—4-5 2 3B 4 RBI 2R SB(14)
• Brett Pill—2-4 2B 3 RBI
• Sharlon Schoop—2-4 2R BB 2 SB(3)
• Brock Bond—2-5 2R 3 RBI
• Carlos Rivero—3-3 R RBI
• Greg Halman—3-5 2 HR(20) 3 RBI 2B 4R
• Mike Wilson—4-4 HR(2) 4 RBI BB 2 2B 2R
• Matt Mangini—2-5 HR(6) RBI
• Logan Morrison—5-6 HR(5) 5 RBI 2 2B 2R
• Scott Cousins—3-5 2B R RBI SB(18)
• Juan Portes—2-5 2B 3 RBI
• Tyler Colvin—3-5 HR(7) 2 RBI R 2B 2R
• James Adduci—4-5 3 RBI SB(19)
• Josh Reddick—2-6 R 3B 2 RBI
• Ryan Kalish—3-5 HR(7) 2 RBI 2B 2R
• Jorge Jimenez—3-5 HR(9) 2 RBI 2R
• Argenis Diaz—2-4 2 RBI
• Lars Anderson—1-4 2B R RBI BB
• David Cooper—2-4 R RBI BB
• Dayan Viciedo—2-4 RBI
• David Lough—3-5 2B R HR(6) 3 RBI
• Alex Gordon—2-4 4 RBI
• Colin Delome—2-4 3B 2 RBI
• Andrew Lambo—3-4 HR(8) 5 RBI 2B 2R BB
• Russ Mitchell—2-5 HR(8) 3 RBI 2R BB
• Tommy Giles—1-3 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Cyle Hankerd—1-4 HR(5) RBI
• Pete Kozma—2-4 R RBI BB
• Cedric Hunter—3-4 2B 2R

Pitching:

• Ryan Mullins—8 IP 5H 8K W (6-8)
• Radhames Liz—7 IP 7H BB 7K W (3-1)
• Casey Coleman—8 IP 2H 3 BB 4K W (9-3)
• John Ely—6 IP 5H 3 ER 3 BB 5K W (7-7)
• Pat Stanley—7 IP 5H ER 2 BB 8K W (5-2)
• Eric Nielson—5 IP 5H ER 2 BB 9K
• Tim Alderson—6 IP 3H 3 ER BB 3K W (6-2)

6/9 AA Minor League Report

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

Juan Francisco tapped out four more hits yesterday raising his June batting average to .312.  Francisco is an elite power prospect for the Cincinnati Reds, but his plate discipline is, to say the least, disconcerting.  After a 2008 season where he garnered a miserable 19 BB/123 K ratio at High-A Sarasota, he’s continued his free swinging ways by walking just 9 times versus 57 K’s through 59 games.  The potential for Francisco to be a 30+ HR guy at the major league level is there, but the high K rates and low on base percentages will continue to haunt his development.

Kyle Drabek won his second AA game and sixth overall this season tossing five innings.  He was far from his dominant self, allowing seven hits and five walks, but he found a way to limit the damage to just two runs.  This shows me that he has the ability to pitch his way through adversity and is showing a savvy for getting guys out when he doesn’t have his customarily solid command of his stuff.  Drabek’s situation going forward will be quite interesting since the Phillies are reportedly shopping for a starting pitcher.  Top pitching prospect Carlos Carrasco has been a disaster this season, which raises Drabek’s stock as a high-value commodity come trade time.  Don’t be surprised to see his name tied to trade rumors as the summer progresses.

Today’s top performer at the AA ranks is Detroit Tigers OF prospect Brennan Boesch.  The 6-6 210 lb. lefty has quietly put together a nice power season for a Tigers organization that lacks many impact prospects.  Boesch went 2-5 yesterday, hitting his 12th HR of the season, tripling and driving in five runs.  He is a solid defender and more athletic than his long, lanky frame suggests.  To date, Boesch is hitting .277 with 12 HR 44 RBI and 16 doubles through 57 games.  The Tigers currently have under-producing and rapidly aging former All-Star Magglio Ordonez handling the RF duties and LF is an assortment of mid-level prospects like Josh Anderson, Ryan Raburn, and Clete Thomas.  The opportunities for someone of Boesch’s size and stature are there if he can continue to move forward in his development.  He’ll need to continue to work on his plate discipline (12 BB/54 K), but ther power potential is there for him to club 25+ HR per season.  Put him on your sleepers list and keep track of his progress over this summer.

AA Player of the Day—BRENNAN BOESCH

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Whit Robbins—3-3 2B 2R BB
• Wilson Ramos—2-4 2B R RBI
• Matt Moses—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI
• David Cooper—1-3 HR(3) RBI 2R BB
• John Drennen—3-3 HR(3) 3 RBI 2B
• Carlos Santana—2-3 3B R BB
• Ryan Kalish—1-3 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Brennan Boesch—2-4 HR(12) 5 RBI 3B BB
• Scott Sizemore—2-5 2B 3B 2R 2 RBI
• Casper Wells—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI BB
• Reegie Corona—3-5 HR(2) RBI
• Jon Lucroy—2-3 2B 2 RBI BB
• Logan Schafer—2-4 3B 2R
• Chris Heisey—2-6 HR(11) 2b
• Juan Francisco—4-6 2B R
• Zack Cozart—2-3 2 BB SB(5)
• Darwin Barney—2-3 R 2 RBI
• Timmy Smith—3-4 2B RBI SB(2)
• Tyler Flowers—1-4 HR(8) RBI

Pitching:

• Jeff Manship—7 IP 5H 2 ER 2 BB 4K W (5-4)
• Kyle Drabek—5 IP 7H 2 ER 5 BB 3K W (6-1)
• Edgar Osuna—7 IP 4H er 4 BB 2K W (5-4)

5/29 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 30, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

If you like offense, and oh how us prospectors do, then the AA performances from yesterday will bring a smile to your face.  Cleveland’s 1B prospect Beau Mills blasted two HR and drove in four runs yesterday, while Detroit farmhands Scott Sizemore and Brennan Boesch each hit their 9th HR’s of the young season.  Desmond Jennings rapped three hits including his 6th dinger and Angels 1B prospect Mark Trumbo also hit his 6th while driving in four runs.  San Diego Padres OF prospect Mike Baxter added four more hits, including his 3rd HR and 21st double en route to a 3 RBI day.  Baxter now has 21 hits over his last 10 games (.538 BA) with 13 RBI and 12 runs scored.  Baxter’s effort helped elite pitching prospect Mat Latos earn his 1st AA win, though he probably didn’t need the help.  Latos allowed just one hit over seven scoreless innings, walking two and striking out seven.  Latos is now 4-0 on the year and has allowed a stingy .059 BA since his promotion to San Antonio.

Today’s top prospect is Philadelphia Phillies OF Michael Taylor.  The former Stanford slugger has been swinging a hot bat as of late, hitting .432 with 3 HR and 13 RBI over his last 10 games.  Taylor’s day yesterday was probably his best outing of the season, as he went 5-6 with his 9th HR, six RBI and two runs scored.  Taylor is a mythical blend of power, speed, and discipline that should make him the perfect offensive weapon at the next level.  So far this season, the 6-6 250 lb. Taylor is batting .342 with 9 HR 37 RBI and 8 SB.  He should earn a promotion to AAA soon with an outside shot of making his MLB debut in ‘09.  There really is no rush Taylor along as the OF is pretty well set right now with the trifecta of Ibanez, Victorino, and Werth.  As good as things right now in the green grasse of Citizen’s Bank Ballpark, the rapid development of Taylor and top prospect Dominic Brown promises an even rosier future.

AA Player of the Day—MICHAEL TAYLOR

 


Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Josh Bell—1-4 HR(4) 3 RBI (Game 1)…..1-2 2B RBI (Game 2)
• Beau Mills—2-5 2 HR(4) 4 RBI 2R
• Scott Sizemore—1-2 HR(9) RBI 2R 2 BB SB(7)
• Brennan Boesch—2-4 HR(9) 2 RBI BB 2B
• Josh Thole—3-4
• Jon Still—3-3 R RBI
• Mike McBryde—3-5 HR(1) 4 RBI 4R 2B
• Justin Snyder—2-5 2B RBI R
• Matt Whitney—3-5 2B R 5 RBI
• David Cooper—3-5 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Michael Taylor—5-6 HR(9) 4 RBI 2R
• Quentin Berry—3-5 2R
• Desmond Jennings—3-3 HR(6) 2 RBI 2B R 2 BB
• Zack Cozart—2-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Chris Heisey—3-5 HR(7) 4 RBI SB(10)
• Scott Cousins—2-4 R 2 RBI SB(10)
• Bryan Peterson—2-4 R RBI BB SB(10)
• Pedro Ciriaco—3-5 2B 2R
• Dayan Viciedo—3-4 R RBI
• Tyler Flowers—1-2 2B R 2 BB
• Peter Bourjos—2-6 2R 3B
• Hank Conger—3-5 3 RBI 2R BB
• Mark Trumbo—2-6 HR(6) 4 RBI 2R
• Hanley Statia—4-4 HR(1) 3 RBI 3R
• Drew Locke—4-5 HR(10) 6 RBI 2 2B 3R
• Darin Holcomb—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• Mike Baxter—4-5 HR(3) 2 2B 2R 3 RBI
• Eric Sogard—2-4 2B R
• Mitch Canham—2-4 3B RBI R
• Chris Carter—2-5 2B R
• Josh Donaldson—3-5 2 2B 2 RBI R

Pitching:

• Mat Latos—7 IP H 2 BB 7K W (4-0)
• Scott Elbert—6.1 IP H 3 BB 9K W (2-0)

5/17 AA Minor League Report

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

Chicago White Sox power prospects Tyler Flowers and Brandon Allen each hit HR’s on Sunday as did Seattle Mariners #1 prospect Greg Halman.  Chicago Cubs 2B prospect Tony Thomas continues to fly under many prospectors’ radars hitting his 7th dinger.  Cleveland Indians sluggers Carlos Santana and Nick Weglarz each collected four hits and combined to score five runs in a double header continuing their May hot streak.

Today’s top prospect, however, is elite LHP Madison Bumgarner.  After a rain delay cut Tim Alderson’s second AA start to just one inning, Bumgarner relieved him and allowed just one hit over six innings, striking out 9 for his second AA win.  Bumgarner has now surrendered just one run in 12 innings since his promotion and is holding Eastern League hitters to a .200 BA.  My gut tells me that Bumgarner will get a look by the Giants in September which makes his rookie cards a solid investment right now that could pay profitable dividends within the next three or four months.

AA Player of the Day—MADISON BUMGARNER

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Michael Daniel—1-4 HR(3) RBI BB SB(1)
• Brad Harman—2-5 HR(3) RBI
• David Cooper—1-3 2B 2R RBI BB
• Carlos Santana—2-4 2B 2R (Game 1)…..2-2 RBI 2 BB (Game 2)
• Nick Weglarz—2-4 2B 2R (Game 1)…..2-3 R RBI BB (Game 2)
• Matt McBride—1-3 R 2 RBI
• Tony Thomas—1-4 HR(7) RBI
• Andrew Lambo—3-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Cale Iorg—2-2 2B R 2 BB
• Scott Sizemore—2-5 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Brandon Snyder—1-4 2B R RBI
• Tyler Flowers—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Brandon Allen—1-2 HR(6) RBI BB
• Greg Halman—2-4 HR(12) RBI
• Dayan Viciedo—2-3 R
• C.J. Retherford—2-3 2B 3 RBI
• Cyle Hankerd—3-3 2B 4 RBI R
• Mike Baxter—3-4 2 2B R RBI
• Tony Abreu—3-5 3R

Pitching:

• Will Inman—7 IP 2H BB 7K W (4-1)
• Antonio Bastardo—7 IP 4H 2 ER BB 7K L (2-2)
• Madison Bumgarner—6 IP H 3 BB 9K W (5-1)
• Reidier Gonzalez—6 IP 5H Er 8K W (2-1)
• Junichi Tazawa—5 IP 7H 3 ER BB 7K L (4-3)

5/12 AA Minor League Report

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

Toronto Blue Jays 1B David Cooper hit his second HR of the season and Michael Taylor added his fifth.  Dayan Viciedo rapped four hits to raise his season average to .239 and Travis Wood and Trevor Reckling each surrendered just one run over seven innings en route to victories.

Today’s top AA player is Boston’s latest Japanese import Junichi Tazawa.  The 22 year old tossed six innings of three hit ball allowing just one unearned run and striking out seven for his fourth win.  Tazawa has been solid during his first season of ball in the U.S. as he has collected a 4-2 record with a 2.82 ERA and 12 BB/35 K through his first 38 innings.  Tazawa is small in stature with a decent, but not eye-popping, fastball that varies between 89-92 MPH.  His slider and curveball both are MLB-plus pitches and those who have witnessed his forkball see it as being a potentially devastating strikeout pitch.  The Sox are so loaded with pitchers in their system that the chances of Tazawa breaking the rotation will be, at best, remote.  He should get a look at AAA Pawtucket at some point this season, though, with a chance to crack the rotation in 2010.

AA Player of the Day—JUNICHI TAZAWA

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Chris Carter—2-5 2R SB(3)
• Josh Donaldson—3-4 2R RBI BB
• Josh Horton—3-4 2R RBI BB
• Corey Brown—1-4 2 RBI BB SB(3)
• Whit Robbins—3-3 HR(4) 2 RBI BB
• Jordan Parraz—1-4 HR(2) RBI BB
• Cole Garner—2-3 2B 2 RBI BB
• David Cooper—2-3 HR(2) RBI 2R
• Michael Taylor—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Brian Friday—2-5 2B 2R
• Brandon Snyder—2-3 R RBI BB
• Justin Tucker—3-5 2 RBI R 2 SB(10)
• Gorkys Hernandez—2-4 2 2B 2R
• Josh Bell—2-3 2B R RBI BB
• Jon Still—1-4 3B 3 RBI BB
• Reid Engel—3-5 HR(2) RBI SB(1)
• Chris Heisey—3-5 2B 2R RBI
• Zack Cozart—2-6 RBI 2B
• Todd Frazier—2-5 2 2B 2R RBI
• Eric Eymann—3-5 HR(1) 2 RBI 2B 2R
• Dayan Viciedo—4-5 2 2B R
• Tyler Flowers—1-3 R 2 BB
• Jordan Danks—2-5 2B R
• Brandon Allen—2-5 2B R 2 RBI
• Peter Bourjos—2-4 2B 3B 2R
• Luis Durango—2-5 2B 2R RBI
• Mike Baxter—2-5 2 2B 3 RBI R
• Collin DeLome—2-4 3B 2R SB(4)

Pitching:

• Trevor Reckling—6.2 IP 7H ER BB 3K W (3-0)
• Travis Wood—7 IP 7H ER 2 BB 7K W (2-3)
• Jason Fernandez—6 IP 5H Er 2 BB 4K W (4-2)
• Antonio Bastardo—6 IP H 2 BB 10K
• Michael Crotta—8 IP 4H ER 2 BB 7K W (3-0)
• Jonny Venters—6.1 IP 3H 2 BB 4K W (2-1)
• Kyle Parker—7 IP 3H 3 BB 3K
• Casey Coleman—6 IP 2H 3 BB 2K
• Junichi Tazawa—6 IP 3H UER BB 7K W (4-2)

5/5 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 5, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Lots of big performances to report in the AA ranks!  Gerardo Parra continues to sting the ball, hitting his second HR while driving in two and scoring twice.  The Blue Jays’ duo of David Cooper and Brad Emaus combined for eight hits, including Emaus’ second round tripper, Desmond Jennings raised his average to .392 as he raked six hits, drove in two runs, scored twice and stole three bases in a double header, Lance Lynn won his AA debut tossing five scoreless innings and striking out six for a win.  Mobile’s Bryan Augenstein won his fifth game surrendering just two runs over 5.2 innings.

Today’s top player outdid all of them, though by tossing a rain-shortened five inning no-hitter.  Chicago White Sox top lefty Aaron Poreda struck out eight, but walked five, in a win over West Tennessee.  Poreda has electric stuff and is still harnessing his control.  At 6-6 and 240 lb., Poreda has the look of a top of the rotation workhorse and his 100 MPH heater is, at times, unhittable.  Southern League hitters are batting just .165 against Poreda this season and he has a 16 BB/28 K ratio through his first 27.1 innings.  Keep an eye on his control numbers as the season progresses and for the development of his changeup.  The 22 year old Poreda already has a fastball and slider that both profile as plus plus pitches at the major league level, but it is the development of his third pitch that will quickly usher him into the White Sox rotation.  Expect him to get a look at U.S. Cellular Field at some point in September.

AA Player of the Day—AARON POREDA

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Gerardo Parra—3-5 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R SB(6)
• Scott Cousins—3-5 2 2B RBI R
• Bryan Peterson—2-4 3B R RBI
• Todd Cruz—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2B 2R
• Andrew Brown—2-4 3R
• Tony Thomas—1-4 HR(5) RBI
• Ty Wright—2-4 2 2B RBI
• Ryan Mount—1-3 HR(3) RBI
• Jordan Parraz—3-4 RBI
• Joe Dickerson—2-4 2B 3B R RBI (Game 1)…..3-6 2B R BB
• Brian McFall—3-6 2B RBI
• John Shelby—2-2 2B R BB
• Dayan Viciedo—1-2 2B 2 RBI
• Desmond Jennings—3-5 2 SB(8) (Game 1)…..3-4 2B 2R 2 RBI SB(9)  (Game 2)
• Kala Ka’aihue—1-2 HR(3) RBI (Game 1)…..2-3 2B 2 RBI R BB (Game 2)
• Brad Emaus—4-6 HR(2) 2 RBI
• David Cooper—4-5 2B RBI R
• Aaron Bates—2-4 2B HR(2) RBI 2R
• Argenis Diaz—4-5 4 RBI R
• Reid Engel—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI BB
• D.J. Wabick—3-5 2 2B 3 RBI

Pitching:

• Bryan Augenstein—5.2 IP 6H 2 ER BB 5K W (5-0)
• Lance Lynn—5 Ip 5H 2 BB 6K W (1-0)
• Aaron Poreda—5 IP 0H 5 BB 8K W (2-3)
• Scott Diamond—6 IP 7H ER 3 BB 8K L (1-2)
• Mark Rzepczynski—7.2 IP 5H ER BB 6K W (5-1)
• Vance Worley—6 IP 4H BB 4K
• Henry Sosa—6 IP 4H BB 4K