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)

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

6/28 AA Minor League Report

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

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

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

AA Player of the Day—MICHAEL TAYLOR

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

6/16 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 17, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Yesterday was a day for the pitchers in the AA ranks.  Tim Alderson had another excellent outing, tossing seven innings of two hit, shutout ball, walking two and striking out five for his 4th win of the season.  Alderson has outpitched fellow teammate Madison Bumgarner since being promoted to Connecticut, earning three of his four wins with a 1.82 ERA and 4 BB/34 K in 39.2 innings. 

A couple of pitchers had nice outings in losing efforts.  Trenton’s Zach McAllister tossed 7.1 innings, allowing an uncustomarily high nine hits and three earned runs.  He did strike out eight Connecticut Defenders though and didn’t allow any walks.  McAllister has the stuff and size to be a frontline strikeout pitcher, but his seems to oscillate between dominant, high-K performances and high-contact, low-K outings.  Perhaps this is because he is still working on establishing his secondary pitches, but the variances in performances makes it difficult to determine what he will be like at the major league level. 

Another big righty with frontline stuff is L.A. Angels top pitching prospect Jordan Walden.  The man with the 100 MPH heater was good in a loss, tossing 6.2 IP allowing 7 hits, three runs (one earned) and six K’s.  Walden has struggled with his command big time this season, walking 20 and striking out 38 in 37 innings of work.  June has been a big time bounce back month for Walden.  After a horrendous month of May (12.79 ERA in two outings) he’s bounced back with a 1.02 ERA in three June starts walking just 7 and striking out 22 in 17.2 innings.  Watch his next couple of starts going forward.  Conventional wisdom says that he’s back on track.

Today’s top prospect is Colorado Rockies top hurler Jhoulys Chacin.  The guru of the groundball went 7.1 innings allowing two hits and two earned runs while walking just one and striking out 10 hitters.  Chacin has some struggles during the month of April, but looks to be back on track with a solid May and June.  For the season, Chacin is now 5-5 with a 3.07 ERA and 25 BB/67 K in 76.1 IP.  He’s forcing 2.12 GO/FO and Texas League hitters are batting just .212 against him.  He’s due for a promotion soon and, given the lack of depth in Colorado’s rotation, it’s reasonable to consider that he may get a look in September.

AA Player of the Day—JHOULYS CHACIN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Lucas Duda—2-2 2B R RBI
• Nick Evans—2-4 2 2B R
• Ian Desmond—3-4 HR(3) RBI
• Leo Davis—2-4 2b RBI SB(5)
• Lars Anderson—3-4
• Mark Wagner—2-3 2B R RBI
• Ryan Khoury—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Juan Portes—2-3 2R 3B BB
• Erik Lis—3-3 R 2 BB
• Gorkys Hernandez—2-5 2B 2R RBI
• Jose Tabata—2-4 2R RBI BB
• Beau Mills—1-2 R 2 RBI BB
• Brett Pill—3-4 3 RBI
• Michael Taylor—2-4 2B 3B R
• Brandon Snyder—1-2 2R 2 BB
• Mitch Moreland—2-5 R RBI BB
• Chad Tracy—2-5 2B 2R RBI BB
• Johnny Whittleman—1-4 2R 2 RBI 2 BB
• Marcus Lemon—2-5 2R
• Josh Donaldson—2-5 2R 3 RBI
• Chris Carter—2-5 2R
• Hank Conger—2-4 2B R
• Mark Trumbo—2-4 RBI
• Donnie Delasco—2-4 2B R RBI BB
• Luis Durango—3-4 R SB(26)
• Cedric Hunter—2-4 3B 2 RBI

Pitching:

• Jordan Walden—6.2 IP 7H ER 3 BB 6K L (1-3)
• Trey Hearne—7 IP 5H 2 ER 3 BB 2K W (6-1)
• Adam Mills—6 IP H 8K W (2-4)
• Tim Alderson—7 IP 2H 2 BB 5K W (4-2)
• Zach McAllister—7.1 IP 9H 3 ER 8K L (5-3)
• Jhoulys Chacin—7.1 IP 2H 2 ER BB 10K W (5-5)

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)

5/7 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 8, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Multiple HR performances speckled the AA landscape yesterday as a trio of Detroit Tigers farmhands took turns accomplishing the task.  First baseman Ryan Strieby hit his sixth and seventh in the first game of the double header, driving in four runs and scoring three times, while Cale Iorg hit his first two dingers in the second game of the double dip.  Iorg’s double play partner Scott Sizemore hit a homerun in each game of the double header, doubling his season totals.  In other news, Collin DeLome hit number nine, while Hank Conger, Brandon Allen, and Marvin Lowrance each hit their fourth HR’s.  On the mound, Cubs righthander Jay Jackson tossed another seven innings shutout gem, punching out 10 for his second win.  Hector Rondon moved to 5-0 and Troy Patton allowed just two hits over six victorious innings.

Today’s top player is someone who jumped onto my radar screen last season after a fast track, two level performance at Low-A Kane County and High-A Stockton, hitting .266 with 30 HR 83 RBI and 16 SB.  Corey Brown was a highly recruited two sport athlete who chose to play baseball at Oklahoma State University.  He had some difficulty with strike zone discipline (58 BB/168 K) last season, but seems to have made some strides in the early going this year.  In just 13 games, Brown is hitting a robust .435 with 4 HR 11 RBI 2 SB and 11 runs scored.  He doesn’t strike me as a high average guy, but the athleticism and adeptness in the field makes him, in my mind, a poor man’s Grady Sizemore.  He should play most or all of the season at AA this year with a likely audition for an MLB job in spring of 2010. 

AA Player of the Day—COREY BROWN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Luis Durango—2-4 2R BB SB(17)
• Justin Smoak—2-4 R
• Chad Tracy—1-4 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Josh Horton—3-3 2R RBI 2 BB
• Corey Brown—3-5 2 HR(4) 4 RBI 2B 2R
• Josh Donaldson—1-3 HR(2) 3 RBI BB
• Kurt Mertins—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• Collin DeLome—1-4 HR(9) RBI
• Brett Wallace—3-5
• Todd Cruz—2-4 2 2B RBI
• Hank Conger—1-4 HR(4) RBI
• Matt Mangini—2-3 2B 3 RBI
• Scott Cousins—2-4 R RBI SB(6) (Game 1)…..1-4 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Jaime Hoffmann—2-3 2B 3B 3 RBI R
• Justin Sellers—2-2 2B 2 BB 3R SB(3)
• Darwin Barney—4-6 3 RBI R SB(2)
• Tony Thomas—3-5 2 2B 3B 2R BB (Game 1)…..2-3 2B R BB (Game 2)
• Travis Jones—3-3 2B 2 BB 2R (Game 1)…..2-3 2B (Game 2)
• Brandon Hicks—3-5 2 RBI R
• Ty Wright—3-4 2 RBI 2R
• Pedro Ciraco—3-4 R RBI SB(6)
• Mark Hallberg—2-5 2B 2 RBI
• Chris Heisey—4-5 2B HR(5) 2 RBI
• Todd Frazier—2-4 2B R
• Brandon Allen—3-4 HR(4) 2 RBI 2B 2R BB
• Dayan Viciedo—2-5 2R RBI SB(3)
• Beau Mills—2-4 R RBI
• Carlos Santana—2-3 2B RBI BB
• Brad Emaus—2-5 2B R 2 RBI
• Sean Shoffit—2-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Jonathan Diaz—2-5 2 2B 2R RBI
• Brad Corley—2-3 3R HR(3) RBI
• Brandon Snyder—1-3 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Scott Sizemore—2-5 HR(3) RBI 2R (Game 1)…..2-4 HR(4) 2 RBI 2B
• Ryan Strieby—3-3 2 HR(7) 4 RBI 3R BB
• Marvin Lowrance—3-4 HR(4) RBI 2R
• Cale Iorg—2-3 2 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R
• Aaron Bates—4-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Lucas Duda—2-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Shawn Bowman—3-4 2B RBI R

Pitching:

• Michael Antonini—6.2 IP 5H ER 2 BB 6K
• Jay Jackson—7 IP 5H BB 10K W (2-3)
• Jarrod Parker—6 IP 8H 2 ER 6K W (1-1)
• Hector Rondon—6.1 IP 3H ER BB 4K W (5-0)
• Brett Omogrosso—6 IP 2H ER 2 BB 4K W (3-0)
• Troy Patton—6 IP 2H BB 6K W (3-0)
• Will Inman—8 IP 5H 2 ER BB 5K W (3-1)
• Omar Poveda—7 IP 3H UER 2 BB K
• Jason Fernandez—8 IP 5H 2 ER 4K W (3-3)
• Dan Cortes—6 IP 5H ER 4 BB 8K
• Tyler Herron—7.1 IP 3H 2 ER BB 8K L (1-2)
• Trevor Reckling—7 IP 2H BB 7K
• Chaz Roe—6.2 IP 4H 2 ER 2 BB 4K
• Kyle Winters—4 IP 5H 3 ER 3 BB 7K
• Josh Lindblom—5 IP 3H ER BB 6K

AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 1, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Justin Smoak’s bat continues to sizzle as he collected three more hits, including his fourth HR, Cleveland Indians SS prospect Carlos Rivero hit his first HR and drove in five runs and teammate Carlos Santana hit his sixth dinger.  James Van Ostrand, and outfielder for the Astros organization, hit two homeruns for the second consecutive day and Brett Wallace blasted his fifth.

Today’s AA star is Philadelphia Phillies slugger Michael Taylor.  The 6-6 behemoth hit his third HR while doubling twice and driving in five runs.  Taylor started slowly, but has heated up significantly, hitting .421 with 3 HR 10 RBI and 10 runs scored in his last 10 games.  Taylor is very strong and well built like Ryan Howard, but has the speed and athleticism that resembles Shane Victorino, making him one of the most intriguing OF prospects in baseball.  The Stanford alum is a smart, well disciplined hitter who has the potential to hit over .300 with 30 HR and 20 SB at the major league level.  He should make his major league debut by the middle of the 2010 season.

AA Player of the Day—MICHAEL TAYLOR

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Gordon Beckham—3-5 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Brandon Allen—3-5 2B 2R RBI
• Desmond Jennings—2-3 2B RBI BB
• Rhyne Hughes—3-5 HR(9) RBI 3R
• J.T. Hall—3-3 HR(2) 3 RBI 3B 2R SB(1) 2 BB
• Marvin Lowrance—2-4 HR(3) RBI 2B
• Carlos Rivero—2-5 HR(1) 5 RBI 2B
• Carlos Santana—2-3 HR(6) RBI
• Wilson Ramos—2-4 2R BB
• Brad Emaus—2-5 2B 3B RBI R
• Emmanuel Garcia—3-4 HR(2) 2 RBI 3R BB 3 SB(7)
• Josh Thole—2-5 2B RBI
• Shawn Bowman—2-4 2 2B R RBI
• Jamie Romak—2-5 HR(2) 3 RBI 2B 2 R
• Michael Taylor—3-5 HR(3) 5 RBI 2R 2 2B
• Quentin Berry—3-5 3R 2 SB(9)
• Cyle Hankerd—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Justin Sellers—2-4 2B 2 RBI BB
• Drew Locke—5-5 HR(5) 3 RBI 2R BB
• Collin DeLome—1-6 HR(7) RBI
• James Van Ostrand—3-5 2 HR(4) 2 RBI 3R BB
• Adrian Cardenas—2-2 R RBI 3 BB
• Chris Carter—1-2 2B 2R 2 BB
• Jon Lucroy—2-5 2B R RBI
• Brett Wallace—1-5 HR(5) RBI
• Daryl Jones—3-5 R
• Hank Conger—3-5 2B 2R
• Chris Nelson—3-4 HR(4) 3 RBI 2B 2R
• Ryan Harvey—2-3 HR(3) 3 RBI BB
• Justin Smoak—3-3 HR(4) RBI 2R 2 BB
• Marcus Lemon—2-5 2B 3B 2 RBI R
• Manuel Pina—3-5 HR(3) RBI 2 2B 3R
• Eric Sogard—2-3 2B R RBI BB

Pitching:

• Ernesto Frieri—5 IP 4H ER BB 5K
• Trevor Bell—7 IP 3H ER BB 4K
• John Ely—5.1 IP 5H ER 3 BB 6K W (3-0)
• Jeanmar Gomez—5 IP 2H ER BB 5K W (3-2)
• Matt Torra—6 IP 4H Er 2 BB 7K

4/14 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 15, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

EASTERN LEAGUE

Josh Reddick hit his fourth HR and Brandon Snyder blasted his second.  Junichi Tazawa was very good over six innings yesterday surrendering just one run on four hits, but his effort was not as good as Blue Jays righty Ray Gonzalez who came one out away from throwing a complete game shutout.

Eastern League Player of the Day—RAY GONZALEZ

Other Notable Performances:

• Josh Reddick—1-3 HR(4) RBI 2R BB
• Lars Anderson—1-4 2B R RBI
• Jon Still—2-2 R BB SB(1)
• Junichi Tazawa—6 IP 4H ER 2 BB 3K W(1)
• Wilson Ramos—3-4
• Danny Valencia—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Brandon Snyder—2-5 HR(2) RBI
• Miguel Abreu—3-5 SB(1)
• Brad Emaus—1-3 BB SB(1)
• Ray Gonzalez—8.2 IP 5H 4K
• Daryl Maday—4 IP 2H 3 BB 3K

TEXAS LEAGUE & SOUTHERN LEAGUE

Collin DeLome belted his third HR and teammates Zack Cozart and Juan Francisco each had their first dingers.  Rhyne Hughes blasted two HR’s and four RBI, but it was top moundsman Jeremy Hellickson who won top player honors throwing 5.2 innings of three hit, six strikeout ball for his first win of the new season.

Texas League & Southern League Player of the Day—JEREMY HELLICKSON

Other Notable Performances:

• Chris Nelson—2-5 2B R
• Cole Garner—2-5 3B 2 RBI R
• Jhoulys Chacin—5 IP 3H 2 ER 5K W(1)
• Criag Cooper—2-4 HR(1) 4 RBI
• Adrian Cardenas—2-5 R RBI
• Gabe Ortiz—1-3 HR(1) 4 RBI
• James Rapoport—1-2 2R 2 RBI 2 BB SB(2)
• Donovan Solano—2-5 2R
• Brett Wallace—1-4 R 2 RBI BB
• Steven Hill—3-5 2 2B RBI
• Jose Duarte—2-3 BB SB(3)
• Collin DeLome—1-4 HR(3) RBI BB
• Josh Flores—2-5 RBI R
• Jose Vallejo—3-5 2B R 2 RBI 2 SB(2)
• Marcus Lemon—2-3 R
• Hank Conger—1-4 R RBI BB
• Wilberto Ortiz—2-4 2B RBI BB SB(1)
• Hanley Statia—2-4 R SB(3)
• Desmond Jennings—3-5 2B R
• Jeremy Hellickson—5.2 IP 3H 2 BB 6K W(1)
• Rhyne Hughes—2-5 2 HR(2) 4 RBI 2R
• Jamie Hoffmann—2-3 2B R BB
• Bryan Peterson—1-2 2R BB SB(2)
• Zack Cozart—3-5 HR(1) 3 RBI 2B 2R
• Todd Frazier—1-4 2 RBI
• Juan Francisco—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R BB SB(2)

4/13 AA Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 14, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Eric Sogard’s bat is heating up as he blasted his first HR and reached base five times.  Justin Smoak and Mark Trumbo had solid efforts in their double headers.  Mitch Canham’s bat is rapidly ascending him up the ranks as a top catching prospect, but it was Padres OF prospect Mike Baxter who takes home top player honors with two HR’s and three RBI.

Texas League Player of the Day—MIKE BAXTER

Other Notable Performances:

• Justin Smoak—1-4 2B RBI (Gm 1)…1-2 2B 2R 2BB (Gm 2)
• Mark Trumbo—2-4 RBI (Gm 1)…1-4 HR(1) RBI (Gm 2)
• Brett Hunter—3 IP 2H 2K W(1)
• Ryan Mount—1-4 2B R RBI
• Hank Conger—1-3 RBI R
• Collin DeLome—1-5 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Jordan Parraz—2-3 2 RBI R
• Kurt Mertins—2-5 R RBI
• Chris Nelson—2-4 RBI SB(2)
• Daniel Mayora—3-4 2 2B 2 RBI BB R
• Mike Baxter—3-5 2 HR(2) 3 RBI 2R
• Eric Sogard—2-2 HR(1) RBI 3R 3 BB
• Mitch Canham—2-4 BB
• Corey Wimberley—3-4 2B 2 RBI 2 BB R SB(4)
• Steven Hill—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI

Lots of big games in the Southern League!  Brandon Allen rapped four hits and Gerardo Parra raised his batting average to .500 with a 3-5, four run two RBI day.  Greg Halman, Gordon Beckham, and Logan Parker all went deep, but the best performance came from Diamondbacks prospect Ricardo Sosa who went 5-6 with his first HR, four RBI and four runs scored.

Southern League Player of the Day—RICARDO SOSA

Other Notable Performances:

• Todd Frazier—3-5 2B 2R RBI
• Logan Parker—3-4 HR(1) RBI BB 2B
• Sean Henry—3-5 RBI
• Misael DeJesus—6 IP 2H ER 3 BB 4K W(1)
• Gerardo Parra—3-5 3B 4R 2 RBI BB
• James Skelton—2-5 2B R
• Ricardo Sosa—5-6 HR(1) 4 RBI 4R
• Cyle Hankerd—2-4 RBI
• Gordon Beckham—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Brandon Allen—4-5 3B 2R RBI
• Dayan Viciedo—2-4 2R SB(1)
• John Ely—5 IP 2H 4 BB 5K W(1)
• Andrew Lambo—2-4
• Josh Bell—2-2 2B RBI 2 BB
• Ezequiel Carrera—2-5 2R BB SB(1)
• Adam Moore—2-4 2B 2R 2 BB
• Greg Halman—2-6 HR(2) 3 RBI 2B

Brandon Snyder rapped three hits, one of them being his first HR, and David Cooper, Juan Portes, Mark Wagner, John Drennen, and Jamie Romak all hit their first dingers.  Red Sox flame thrower Felix Doubront struck out seven in four innings and Yankees reliever Mike Dunn struck out four in two innings for his first save.  The player of the day in the Northern League, though was Phillies southpaw Michael Stutes who surrendered just two hits in five shutout innings, striking out five for his first victory of ‘09.

Northern League Player of the Day—MICHAEL STUTES

Other Notable Performances:

• Wilson Ramos—2-4 3 RBI
• Juan Portes—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2B
• Jon Still—2-4 2B RBI BB R
• Mark Wagner—1-3 HR(1) 2 RBI 2 BB 2R
• Jorge Jimenez—2-4 2B R 2 RBI BB
• Felix Doubront—4.1 IP 2H 2 ER 2 BB 7K
• Michael Taylor—1-4 RBI
• Michael Stutes—5 IP 2H 3 BB 5K W(1)
• Brandon Snyder—3-4 HR(1) RBI
• Justin Tucker—1-4 2B RBI
• Luis Marte—5.2 IP 5H 2 ER 4K L(1)
• Brett Pill—1-4 2R RBI BB
• Bobby Felmy—2-2 2 RBI R 2 BB SB(1)
• David Cooper—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• Henry Sosa—4 IP 3H ER BB 4K
• Jose Tabata—2-4 2R RBI BB 2 SB(2)
• Jamie Romak—2-5 HR(1) RBI
• John Drennen—1-3 HR(1) 2 RBI BB 2R
• Carlos Rivero—3-4
• Josh Rodriguez—2-3 R BB
• Carlos Santana—1-4 R BB
• Bill Rhinehart—1-4 2B 2 RBI
• Reegie Corona—2-4 2 BB
• Colin Curtis—2-3 2B RBI 2 BB R
• Kanoki Texeira—2.1 IP H 3K W(1)
• Mike Dunne—2 IP H 4K SV(1)

2/25 Spring Training Report

Posted by Jeremy on February 26, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Day one kicked off yesterday with several youngsters having solid days, but the honors for today’s top prospect performance goes to Boston Red Sox SS Yamaico Navarro who went 2-2 with a HR, double two runs and 2 RBI.

Youngster of the Day—YAMAICO NAVARRO

Other notable performances:

• Freddie Freeman—1-2 2 RBI
• Jordan Schafer—1-4 HR (1) 2R RBI SB( (1)
• Chris Carter (Red Sox)—1-2 3 RBI BB
• Junichi Tazawa— IP 0 H (W)
• Edison Volquez— 3 IP BB 3K
• Johnny Cueto— 3 IP BB 3K (W)
• Colby Rasmus—2-5 R BB 2B
• Brett Gardner—1-3 HR(1) RBI
• Nick Evans—3-4 3R
• Shelby Ford—1-3 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Chris Johnson—1-2 HR (1) RBI
• Drew Sutton—2-2 2 R
• Hank Conger—2-3 3 RBI R
• Freddy Sandoval—2-3 2 RBI R
• Nelson Cruz—2-3 HR(1) 3 RBI 2 R
• Chris Davis—2-3
• Justin Smoak—2-2 R 2B
• Micah Hoffpauir—1-4 GS HR (1) 4 RBI
• Travis Buck—1-3 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Josh Outman—2 IP H K
• Stephen Head—1-1 HR(1) RBI BB
• Rob Johnson—1-2 HR(1) RBI