7/7 AA Minor League Report

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

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

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

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

AA Player of the Day—BRIAN MATUSZ

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

7/2 AA Minor League Report

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

Prior to the start of the ‘09 season, San Diego Padres 2B prospect Eric Sogard was very high on my sleepers list.  Perhaps it was his excellent first season in the California League (.308 10 HR 87 RBI 92 runs 42 doubles) or the fact that he is a former ASU Sun Devil, but I couldn’t help but compare him to ‘08 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia.  While the two share many similarities, style of play, body size and structure, plate discipline, etc., Sogard’s got a long way to go before those comparisons have any merit.  The fact remains, however, that Eric Sogard is an intriguing MLB talent.  After a slow month of May that saw him hit .212,  he bounced back nicely during the month of June by hitting .314 with 21 runs scored and 11 RBI in 24 games.  Sogard’s main competition for the 2B job with the Padres is the disappointing enigma known as Matt Antonelli.  I believe that he will leapfrog him by this point next season, perhaps into a starting job with the Padres.

Madison Bumgarner remains the top left handed pitching prospect in all of baseball, but the hype for him has cooled a little bit since his promotion to Connecticut.  Regardless, the former ‘07 1st rounder continues to tack up wins.  His seven innings of four hit, shutout ball netted him his sixth AA win and ninth overall for the season.  Bumgarner has allowed just one earned run over his last 19 innings, but the strikeout numbers have been down a little bit and his 19 BB/66 K in 74 innings is less impressive that last year’s Nintendo-like 21 BB/164 K’s in 141 innings.  Also, it seems like Bumgarner’s workload has increased over his last two outings (8 IP and 7 IP respectively).  Perhaps this is because the Giants are edging into playoff contention and the chances that Bumgarner will be called upon to pitch for San Fran in 2009 are waning.  I believe that Bumgarner can hold his own against MLB hitters right now, but holding him back until 2010 may be the more prudent move.  Watch the market for his cards.  If it dips, jump on his stuff now.  He’ll have a prominent role with the Giants in 2010.

Today’s top prospect is another southpaw, Baltimore Orioles top ‘08 draftee Brian Matusz.  his seven shutout innings marked his third consecutive dominant start at Bowie where he’s gone 3-0 with a 0.49 ERA and 6 BB/21 K in 18.1 IP.  Matusz has been flat out dominant this season going 7-2 with a 1.80 ERA in 14 starts this year.  His 27 BB/96 K ratio in 85 IP is a fine indicator that he is commanding his mid-90’s heater well while keeping hitters honest with his slider and change.  He profiles as a #2 or 3 starter for a Baltimore Orioles rotation that could soon rival that of the pennant winning O’s of 1979.

AA Player of the Day—BRIAN MATUSZ

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Carlos Santana—2-4 HR(12) 3 RBI
• Gorkys Hernandez—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Jose Tabata—1-4 HR(2) RBI SB(6)
• Brad Emaus—3-4 3R BB SB(7)
• Shawn Bowman—4-4 2B
• Desmond Jennings—1-3 R 2 BB SB(29)
• Jesus Montero—2-5 HR(13) 2 RBI
• Ryan Strieby—2-5 HR(15) 2 RBI 2R
• Brennan Boesch—2-3 HR(16) RBI 2R BB
• Alex Avila—2-4 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• Zack Cozart—1-4 HR(9) 2 RBI
• Todd Frazier—1-4 HR(8) RBI
• Andrew Lambo—1-4 2B 2 RBI R
• Josh Bell—2-3 2B RBI
• Pedro Ciraco—3-5 HR(2) 2 RBI 2 2B 2R
• Mark Hallberg—3-4 2B R
• Steffan Gartrell—3-4 HR(15) RBI
• Eric Sogard—2-4 HR(3) 3 RBI BB
• Logan Forsythe—2-4 R RBI BB
• Cole Garner—1-4 HR(7) RBI
• Justin Smoak–1-2 3 BB
• Mitch Moreland—1-5 HR(11) RBI 2R
• Dan Delasco—1-4 HR(8) 2 RBI BB
• Josh Donaldson—2-5 2B R RBI
• Matt Spencer—2-4 2R RBI BB

Pitching:

• Brian Matusz—7 IP 4H 2 BB 6K W (7-2)
• Hector Rondon—6 IP 4H 3 ER BB 8K L (7-5)
• Madison Bumgarner—7 IP 4H 3 BB 5K W (9-2)
• Tyler Herron—4.2 IP 4H ER 4 BB 7K
• Matt Torra—7 IP 4H Er BB 4K W (6-6)
• Chaz Roe—5.2 IP 2H 2 BB 6K W (3-1)

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)

5/22 AA Minor League Report

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

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

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

AA Player of the Day—COREY BROWN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

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

Gordon Beckham and Jordan Danks each homered for the Birmingham Barons, while Lars Anderson had his best performance in what has been a challenging two months.  The Red Sox top prospect hit his 5th HR of the season while driving in four runs, scoring twice and walking three times.  Pittsburgh Pirates righty Brad Lincoln tossed a two-hit complete game shutout for his first win of the season but it wasn’t enough to surpass what may be the top MiLB performance of the year.

Cleveland Indians youngster Jeanmar Gomez tossed a perfect game today against the Trenton Thunder.  The 21 year old Venezuelan has been nearly unhittable since his promotion to Akron, allowing just one run in 29 innings and winning each of his four starts.  Even more impressive than the .097 BAA, is the fact that Gomez has allowed just one walk during that time while striking out 26 hitters.  Gomez has a lanky frame that has added strength over the past four seasons.  His fastball sits comfortably at 90-92 MPH while reaching 94 on occasion.  His curveball has an 11-5 break to it and is a plus pitch.  The key to Gomez’s success this season has been his ability to command the strike zone and force ground ball outs.

AA Player of the Day—JEANMAR GOMEZ

Other Notable Performances:

Hitting:

• Lucas Duda—2-3 2B 2 RBI
• Brandon Crawford—2-5 RBI
• Carlos Rivero—2-5 R RBI
• Beau Mills—2-4 2B R
• Lars Anderson—2-2 HR(5) 4 RBI 2B 2R 3 BB
• Jon Still—2-4 2 RBI
• Scott Cousins—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Juan Francisco—2-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Zack Cozart—2-5 2B
• Chris Heisey—2-5 2B R
• Sean Henry—1-4 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Gordon Beckham—4-5 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Jordan Danks—2-4 HR(1) RBI BB
• Brandon Allen—2-5 2B
• Timmy Smith—2-4 HR(3) RBI 2B 2R
• Josh Donaldson—2-2 2B 2 RBI R
• Brian McFall—3-4 HR(6) 3 RBI
• Peter Bourjos—2-5 3B R
• Curt Smith—3-4 R
• Mark Hamilton—2-3 HR(7) RBI 2R

Pitching:

• Lance Lynn—6.2 IP 8H 2 ER 6K W (3-0)
• Chris Cody—8 IP 4H 2 ER 8K W (4-1)
• Lucas Harrell—6 IP 5H er 2 BB 5K W (5-1)
• Jeanmar Gomez—9 IP 0H 8K W (6-2)….PERFECT GAME
• Zach McAllister—6 IP 6H Er BB 5K L (2-2)
• Felix Doubront—5 IP 4H BB 6K
• Ryan Mullins—6 IP 5H ER BB 4K W (2-5)
• Brad Lincoln—9 IP 2H 2 BB 4K W (1-3)
• Alexander Smit—5 IP 4H 2 ER 6K W (1-0)

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)

4/28 AA Minor League Report

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

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

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

AA Player of the Day—GREG HALMAN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

4/11 AA Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 11, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Josh Reddick had a big four hit day at the plate including his first HR of ‘09.  Zack McAllister threw five strong innings on one run ball, but it was Phillies hurler Joe Savery who had the top performance.  The former 1st rounder went six innings allowing a run on four hits while striking out eight en route to his first victory of the new season.

Eastern League Player of the Day—JOE SAVERY

Other Notable Performances:

• Brett Pill–2-4 2B R
• Josh Reddick—4-5 HR(1) RBI 2B R
• Adam Mills—5 IP 7H 2 ER 4K
• Jared Hughes—6 IP BB 4K
• Brian Jeroloman—3-4 2B RBI R
• Fabio Castro—5.2 IP 6H 5K W(1)
• Emmanuel Garcia—2-4 2R BB
• Zack McAllister—5 IP 4H ER 2 BB 2K
• Joe Savery—6 IP 4H ER 8K W(1)
• Edgardo Baez—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Michael Taylor—2-4 RBI
• Brandon Snyder—1-4 2 RBI
• Troy Patton—5 IP 3H 3 BB 3K W(1)
• Josh Tomlin—5 IP 3H ER 2K (L)
• Nick Weglarz—2-4

In the Southern League, Gerardo Parra and Gordon Beckham continued their hitting ways with two hits each, the Dodgers’ Scott Elbert looked strong in his return to the rotation, but it was Chicago Cubs 2B prospect Tony Thomas that blew away the competition with a 4-5 two homerun, five RBI and four run day.

Southern League Player of the Day—TONY THOMAS

Other Notable Performances:

• Tony Thomas—4-5 2 HR(2) 5 RBI 4R 2B
• Darwin Barney—2-3 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Hung-Wen Chen—5.1 IP 6H 2 ER BB 5K W(1)
• Ryan Klosterman—3-4 RBI BB
• Gerardo Parra—2-4 BB SB(2)
• Evan Frey—1-4 RBI BB SB(2)
• Todd Frazier—2-5 2B R
• Travis Wood—3.1 IP H 5 BB 3K (1-1 2B 3 RBI)
• Gorkys Hernandez—2-4 R BB
• Jamie Hoffmann—2-5 3B RBI R SB(1)
• Justin Sellers—2-4 2B
• Scott Elbert—4 IP 6H 2 ER BB 3K
• Gordon Beckham—2-4 RBI
• Dayan Viciedo—1-4 2R

Finally, the Texas League saw Rangers southpaw Kasey Kiker throw five scoreless innings of two-hit ball, but his performance couldn’t outmach Tony Jackson’s two homerun three RBI day.

Texas League Player of the Day—TONY JACKSON

Other Notable Performances:

• Joe Dickerson—2-5 3B 2 RBI
• Jose Duarte—1-4 2R RBI BB SB(1)
• Brian McFall—2-3 2 2B 2 RBI R SB(1)
• Eric Sogard—2-5 2B 2R RBI
• Luis Durango—3-5 RBI R 3 SB(3)
• Cedric Hunter—2-5 R
• Will Inman—4 IP 5H 2 ER BB 4K
• Anthony Jackson—2-5 2 HR(2) 3 RBI 2R
• Justin Smoak—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Kasey Kiker—5 IP 2H BB 5K W(1)
• Josh Donaldson—1-4 2B RBI
• Yung-Chi Chen—3-4 2B 3R
• Jason Fernandez—6 IP 2H 3 BB 3K W(1)
• Jordan Walden—5 IP 2H 2 ER 4K L(1)

3/17 Spring Training Report

Posted by Jeremy on March 18, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

It seems like every time I look at at box score, Pablo Sandoval has two hits and an RBI.  Tuesday was no exception.  Aaron Cunnigham went yard for the first time this spring as did Atlanta Braves speedster Josh Anderson.  Jose Tabata continues to swing a hot bat and Jesus Guzman belted his third HR of the spring.  The top youngster of the day, though, was Braves SP Jair Jurrjens who tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 4 hits and fanning 6 hitters en route to his first win of the spring.

Youngster of the Day—JAIR JURRJENS

Other Notable Performances:

• James Donald—1-1 2B RBI
• John Mayberry Jr.—2-5 2B 2R
• Scott Sizemore—1-1 HR(1) RBI
• Junichi Tazawa—2 IP K
• David Murphy—3-4 2B
• Jon Niese—4 IP 2H 2 ER 3 BB 3K (L)
• Jair Jurrjens—6 IP 4H 6K (W)
• Brandon HIcks—1-1 2 RBI
• Jose Tabata—2-4 R SB(1)
• Juan Miranda—1-2 2B R
• Mitch Maier—1-3 3 RBI
• Dexter Fowler—1-1 R RBI
• Carlos Gonzalez—2-3 2B R
• Seth Smith—2-2 2B SB(2)
• Jesus Guzman—1-2 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Pablo Sandoval—2-3 3B RBI
• Madison Bumgarner—IP BB K
• Ryan Rohlinger—1-1 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Brad Nelson—2-4 RBI
• Matt LaPorta—2-4 2B RBI
• Michael Aubrey—2-4 2B RBI R
• Nelson Cruz—1-3 3B 2R RBI
• Aaron Cunningham—1-3 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R SB(1)
• Cliff Pennington—2-2 2B 3B 2 RBI R
• Josh Donaldson—1-1 3B R
• Brandon Wood—2-5 2 2B 2R RBI
• Matt Brown—3-5 3 RBI
• Chris Pettit—3-3 2R BB
• Sean Rodriguez—1-3 2B RBI R
• Bradley Coon—2-2 HR(2) 2 RBI 2B 2R
• Kyle Blanks—2-4 R