8/11 AAA Minor League Report

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

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

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

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

AAA Player of the Day—CARLOS CARRASCO

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

7/7 AAA Minor League Report

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

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

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

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

AAA Player of the Day—CHAD HUFFMAN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

6/11 AAA Minor League Report

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

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

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

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

AAA Player of the Day—KEVIN MULVEY

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

6/5 AAA Minor League Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AAA Player of the Day—KYLE BLANKS

 


Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

5/16 AAA Minor League Report

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

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

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

AAA Player of the Day—SEAN RODRIGUEZ

Other Notable Peformances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

5/10 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 11, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

We’ve been off a couple of days but the minor league baseball season continues to be in full swing.  At the AAA level, Matt Wieters scored a couple of runs and has bumped his average over the .300 mark by hitting .364 over his last 10 games.  The power numbers have not manifested themselves as of yet, but the plate discipline has taken a notable uptick (6 BB/3 K in last 10 games).  Another bat that has heated up considerably is that of Cincinnati Reds OF prospect and former Texas Longhorn Drew Stubbs.  The former 1st rounder went 3-4 yesterday, his fourth consecutive multi-hit game, driving in a run and stealing his 10th base.  Cleveland Indians 3B prospect Wes Hodges hit his first HR of the season yesterday and Seattle Mariners 1B prospect Mike Carp blasted his eighth, making the offseason J.J. Putz trade look better and better.  Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies smacked four hits and scored twice and Braves RHP Tommy Hanson struck out nine over eight innings despite allowing three solo HR.

Today’s top prospect comes from the Blue Jays system in the form of catcher J.P. Arencibia.  Going 4-5 on the day, including his third HR, three RBI and three runs scored, may just help the former Jays first rounder snap out of the early season funk that he’s in.  J.P. is batting just .231 on the year, much of which can be attributed to his continually disappointing plate discipline (3 BB/21 K).  Arencibia has smacked 11 doubles though, and scored 18 runs in his first 25 games which leads me to believe that bigger power numbers are to come but the average will continue to be low until he learns to harness his plate discipline.

AAA Player of the Day—J.P. ARENCIBIA

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Chris Robinson—3-4 3B 3 RBI SB(5)
• Brad Snyder—1-3 HR(7 RBI 2R
• Yorman Ramirez—1-4 HR(5) RBI
• J.P. Arencibia—4-5 HR(3) 3 RBI 2B 3R
• Carlos Gonzalez—4-5 3B 2R
• Jesus Guzman—2-4 2 RBI R
• Mike Carp—2-4 HR(8) 2 RBI 2R BB
• Brandon Wood—2-4 HR(6) RBI BB
• Matt Wieters—1-2 2R 2B 2 BB
• Wes Hodges—1-2 HR(1) 3 RBI BB
• Michael Aubrey—2-2 2 BB
• Trevor Crowe—1-2 R 2 BB SB(1)
• Drew Stubbs—3-4 2B BB SB(10)
• Wellington Castillo—2-5 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Luke Hughes—2-3 R 2 BB
• Matt Joyce—2-4 HR(6) RBI 2R
• Jason Donald—3-5 2 2B R
• Steven Pearce—3-4 2B 2 RBI

Pitching:

• Tommy Hanson—8 IP 6H 3 ER BB 9K
• Kevin Mulvey—6 IP 5H ER 2 BB 4K W (2-1)

5/7 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 8, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Matt Wieters’ bat is warming up for its likely June 1 debut as he collected three RBI and scored two runs in a double header.  Joe Koshansky and Mat Gamel homered for New Orleans and Tacoma’s Michael Saunders hit his fifth HR in the last seven games and Sean Rodriguez continued his all or nothing approach at the plate belting his ninth and driving in three runs.  On the mound, Chris Tillman had another fine outing tossing six innings and surrendering two runs en route to his third victory.  He may find himself in Baltimore’s rotation at roughly the same time as his catcher’s MLB debut.

Today’s top prospect is a repeat offender, Kansas City Royals righty Luke Hochevar.  The former #1 pick went eight scoreless innings allowing five hits and striking out nine before giving way to a bullpen that blew the lead and lost the game.  Hochevar has been spectacular for Omaha this spring going 5-0 with a 0.90 ERA and an excellent 10 BB/30 K ratio in 40 innings.  The key to Hochevar’s success is his ability to keep the ball on the ground.  He is forcing groundball outs at a virtually unsustainable rate of 3.58/FO.  Command will be key for Hochevar once he rejoins Kansas City’s rotation.  Given the horror that is Sir Sidney Ponson, one has to believe that that will be sometime soon.  As I predicted earlier this spring, Kansas City is showing that they are a team primed to challenge for the A.L. Central crown.  The Omaha version of Luke Hochevar could and should serve to bolster K.C.’s young and talented rotation.

AAA Player of the Day—LUKE HOCHEVAR

Other Notable Peformances

Hitting:

• Juan Miranda—2-4 HR(6) 3 RBI 2r
• Steven Pearce—2-2 HR(5) RBI
• Michael Brantley—2-4 2B R SB(10)
• Wes Hodges—2-3 RBI BB
• Matt Wieters—1-2 2B 2R RBI BB (Game 1)…..1-3 2B 2 RBI
• Michael Costanzo—2-3 2 RBI
• Fernando Martinez—1-3 2R BB
• Jason Donald—2-4 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Van Pope—1-1 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Drew Stubbs—2-4 2B RBI SB(8)
• Joe Koshansky—1-4 HR(6) RBI
• Mat Gamel—1-4 HR(8) RBI
• Michael Saunders—1-4 HR(5) RBI
• Mike Carp—1-4 2B 2 RBI BB
• Sean Rodriguez—1-4 HR(9) 3 RBI
• Chin Lung Hu—3-4 R RBI

Pitching:

• Cesar Ramos—7.2 IP 7H 2 ER BB 4K W (1-2)
• Luke Hochevar—8 IP 5H 9K
• Sam LeCure—7 IP 5H 8K W (2-2)
• Chris Tillman—6 IP 7H 2 ER BB 6K W (3-0)

5/4 AAA Minor League Report

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

The AAA Report will likely get smaller and smaller as the season progresses simply for the fact that several of our brighter players at this level will be working their way onto big league clubs.  Last night, Matt LaPorta hit his first major league homerun–one of many that will leave the yard courtesy of his bat.  In the AAA ranks, Memphis 2B Jarrett Hoffpauir rapped four hits and scored twice, Salt Lake City OF Chris Pettit had two hits, driving in two and scoring twice, Joe Koshansky hit his fourth HR as did Tacoma’s Jeff Clement.

Today’s top prospect is another Tacoma Rainier, however, as Michael Saunders homered twice and drove in three runs.  Saunders missed most of the month of April, but is rapidly making up for lost time, gathering four HR and nine RBI in his first four games.   At 6-4 205 lb., the 22 year old Saunders has quite a bit of power projectibility left in his athletic frame and his speed is already above average.  He should spend most, if not all, the season at Tacoma with a possible September call-up being in the cards.  There is quite a bit to be excited about in this kid and he doesn’t have many first year cards available.  His 2007 Bowman Sterling is his most valuable card at this time, selling for $1.00-2.00 on eBay.  More popular refractor versions of his Bowman Chrome Draft cards can be had for as low as $2 each.  Saunders certainly won’t keep up his torrid pace, but there is ample reason to believe that he will have 20 HR and 20 SB by the time September 1 rolls around.

AAA Player of the Day—MICHAEL SAUNDERS

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Kevin Russo—4-5 R 2 RBI
• Neil Walker—3-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Luke Hughes—3-4 2B RBI 2 BB
• Jarret Hoffpauir—4-4 2B 2R RBI 2 BB
• Jon Jay—3-5 2R
• Joe Koshansky—1-4 HR(4) 3 RBI BB
• Jeff Clement—3-5 HR(4) 2 RBI 2B 2R BB
• Michael Saunders—2-6 2 HR(4) 3 RBI 2R
• Mike Carp—2-4 2B R RBI
• Freddy Sandoval—2-4 2R RBI
• Chris Pettit—2-3 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• Brian Bogusevic—3-5 RBI
• Yordany Ramirez—2-5 HR(2) 2 RBI
• John Raynor—1-5 HR(2) RBI 2 SB(3)
• Chris Coghlan—1-2 RBI 2 BB SB(9)
• Yung-Chi Chen—2-3 R 2 RBI BB

Pitching:

• Bud Norris—5 IP 6H 2 ER 3 BB 6K
• Blake Hawksworth—6 IP 3H ER 2 BB 4K W (3-2)
• Todd Redmond—8 IP 3H 7K W(2-1)
• Kris Johnson—5.2 IP 4H Er 2 BB 3K W (2-2)
• Daniel Bard—IP BB 2K SV(5)

4/30 AAA Minor League Report

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

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

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

AAA Player of the Day—TOMMY HANSON

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

4/16 AAA Minor League Report

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

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Neftali Feliz won his first game of the season, thanks in large part to a 12 run fourth inning put up by Oklahoma City’s offense.  Carlos Gonzalez got his season on track with a three run, two RBI performance against Tuscon.  Jon Jay and Mat Gamel continue to swing hot bats, but not as hot as Angels 2B prospect Sean Rodriguez who hit his third HR of the season with three RBI and three runs scored.

Pacific Coast League Player of the Day—SEAN RODRIGUEZ

Other Notable Peformances:

• Josh Whitesell—2-4 R RBI
• Carlos Gonzalez—2-3 3R 2 2B 2 RBI 2 BB
• Matt Miller—3-4 2 RBI R 2B
• John Raynor—2-4 2B 2R BB
• Gaby Sanchez—2-5 2 RBI
• Jon Jay—2-3 2B 2R RBI
• Shane Robinson—2-5 R RBI
• Tyler Greene—2-4 2R
• Allen Craig—1-4 2B RBI
• Jess Todd—2 IP 2H 2K SV(1)
• Julio Borbon—2-5 2R 2 RBI 2 BB
• Max Ramirez—2-6 R RBI
• Joaquin Arias—2-4 3R RBI BB
• Greg Golson—2-3 2B 2R 3 BB 3 RBI
• Neftali Feliz—5 IP 3H 2 Er 2 BB 5K W(1)
• Mat Gamel—2-4 2B R
• Hernan Iribarren—1-4 3B RBI R
• Kila Ka’aihue—1-4 2 RBI
• J.R. Towles—3-4 2B R RBI
• Yordany Ramirez—2-4 2B 2 RBI R
• Sean Rodriguez—2-4 HR(3) 3 RBI 2B 3R SB(2)
• Will Venable—2-5 2R
• Kyle Blanks—2-4 2B R RBI BB
• Eric Patterson—1-4 HR(1) RBI 2R BB
• Cliff Pennington—0-2 2R 3 BB RBI
• Daric Barton—1-5 2B 3 RBI
• Mike Carp—1-4 2B R RBI

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Pitching was at center stage tonight as Pawtuckett’s Kris Johnson outdueled Rochester’s Anthony Swarzak in a 1-0 win.  David Price surrendered just one earned run over five innings in a losing effort and Carlos Carrasco struck out six in six innings.  Matt Wieters hit his first bomb of the new season and Matt LaPorta and John Mayberry Jr logged in with their second.  The IL player of the day was New York Mets future 1B Nick Evans whose two HR four RBI day was tops in the AAA ranks.

International League Player of the Day—NICK EVANS

Other Notable Performances:

• Fernando Martinez—2-5 2 2B 2R
• Nick Evans—2-5 2 HR(3) 4 RBI 2R
• Mark Melancon—1.2 IP 2 BB 3K W(2)
• Kris Johnson—5 IP 2H 2 BB 3K W(1)
• Anthony Swarzak—7 IP 5H Er 5K L(2)
• Matt LaPorta—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Michael Brantley—1-3 RBI BB SB(2)
• Wilkin Ramirez—2-4 RBI
• Adam Rosales—2-4 HR(3) RBI 2R BB SB(2)
• Andrew McCutchen—1-4 R SB(3)
• Neil Walker—1-4 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Van Pope—3-4 2B RBI R
• Matt Joyce—1-3 2B RBI
• David Price—5 IP 4H UER BB 6K
• John Mayberry Jr.—1-5 HR(2) 3 RBI
• Matt Wieters—2-5 HR(1) RBI BB 2R
• Carlos Carrasco—6 IP 7H 2 ER 6K
• Luis Montanez—2-3 3R 2 RBI 2 BB SB(2)
• Nolan Reimold—1-5 2 RBI
• Mike Costanzo—1-4 2B R BB
• Justin Turner—3-4 RBI BB