6/30 High-A Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on July 2, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Sorry for getting this one out late. My son is out of school for the summer which limits my online time significantly.  I have lit the candle, though and it is currently burning at both ends.  This should keep me up later each night to try and get more work done after the family goes to bed.

We’ll see.

As for the High-A action, Thomas Neal and Angel Villalona each had three hits and drove in three runs for the San Jose Giants.  Neal has hit the tar out of the ball this season, hitting .349 with 13 HR 49 RBI 22 doubles and 53 runs scored this season.  June was a banner month for Neal as he hit .414 with 6 of his HR during that time.  The 22 year old rightfielder has the most power in the Giants organization of any prospect not named Angel Villalona.  His plate discipline is sound and he makes good contact at the plate, but I would really like to see what this guy can do at the AA ranks.  The California League, as I have long maintained, is a very hitter friendly environment while the Eastern League (home of San Fran’s AA affiliate Connecticut) tends to favor pitching.  Somehow I think the .349 average is flukish and that his numbers should more closely resemble last season’s .279 mark.  Regardless that average, mixed with 25-30 HR power, should make him a highly intriguing prospect once his first year cards surface on the eBay market.

Angel Villalona has been hovering below the radar this season as many other San Jose Giants like Madison Bumgarner, Tim Alderson, Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, and the aforementioned Thomas Neal have all garnered more attention.  Still, the 18 year old 1st Baseman has put up a solid showing at High-A ball, hitting .271 with 9 HR 39 RBI and 41 runs scored.  Plate discipline and pitch recognition continues to be a sore spot for Angel as his 9 BB/66 K ratio vehemently testifies.  He will never be a low strikeout guy, and chances are he won’t walk a ton either, but his ability to more closely match those numbers will speak volumes to just how high his ceiling will be.  A full season at San Jose would best behoove Villalona developmentally as would some work in a winter league.

High-A Player of the Day Tyler Henson blasted two homers yesterday, driving in three runs.  The Baltimore Orioles’ 3B prospect first popped up on my radar this past winter when he paced the Hawaiian Winter League in runs scored, doubles and bases on balls.  Unfortunately, he also finished second in strikeouts and committed nine errors at the hot corner.  Henson has tons of athleticism that he uses well on the basepaths and his 6-1 190 lb. frame indicates that he should be a 12-15 HR hitter at the major league level.  This season with Frederick, Henson has struggled to make consistent contact at the plate, striking out 83 times while walking 23 times.  This has contributed to his lackluster .246 batting average and anemic .310 OBP.  He’s still driving the ball well to the gaps, hitting 19 doubles, and his 12 SB this season indicates that he is on track for his third consecutive 20 SB season.  The O’s don’t have a whole lot of depth within their organization at 3B as Billy Rowell has moved to the other side of the diamond, Mike Costanzo is a perennial disappointment, and Tyler Kolodny is having a so-so season at Low-A Delmarva.  There is ample opportunity for the 21 year old former SS prospect to make some moves up the organization’s depth chart if he can turn some of his exciting tools into more consistent skills.

High-A Player of the Day—TYLER HENSON

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Julian Perez—2-5 2R RBI SB(5)
• P.J. Phillips—3-4 HR(6) RBI 2R
• Trayvon Robinson—1-3 HR(10) 2 RBI
• James Darnell—1-4 HR(9) 3 RBI
• Sawyer Carroll—2-4 3B 2R RBI
• Tyson Gillies—4-6 2R 3 SB(21)
• Carlos Peguero—3-4 2 HR(18) 5 RBI 3R
• Alex Liddi—3-5 2 2B 3R RBI SB(7)
• James McOwen—2-5 Hr(4) 2 RBI 2B 2R
• Brandon Barnes—2-4 Hr(8) 3 RBI 2R
• Jermaine Mitchell—3-4 2 2B 3B 3R RBI BB
• Thomas Neal—3-5 2 2B 3B 3 RBI 2R
• Angel Villalona—3-5 3 RBI R
• Brian Bocock—2-4 2B 3R 3 RBI BB
• Darren Ford—3-4 3R 3B
• Jason Kaase—3-5 2B R
• Ollie Linton—3-6 2 RBI
• Jesus Sucre—2-4 HR(2) 2 RBI 2B
• Michael Burgess—2-5 2B 3B RBI
• Seth Rooney—3-4 3 2B 2 RBI BB
• Brent Morel—4-5 HR(10 3 RBI 2R SB(17)
• Tyler Kuhn—4-4 2R 3B RBI
• Tyler Henson—2-4 2 HR(6) 3 RBI 2R
• Mike Moustakas—3-3 2B RBI BB
• Derrick Robinson—2-5 2B 2R
• Pedro Florimon Jr.—2-3 2 2B 2R RBI
• Tim Federowicz—2-5 HR(11) RBI 2R
• Yamiaco Navarro—3-5 HR(1) 3 RBI 2B
• Che Hsuan Lin—2-4 3B 3R 3 RBI BB
• Jason Place—2-5 2 2B R RBI
• Jordy Mercer—1-4 3B R 2 RBI
• Greg Burns—2-3 2 2B R RBI BB 2 SB(20)
• Matt Dominguez—1-4 HR(5) 3 RBI

Pitching:

• Ryan Morris—5 IP 3H ER 3 BB 7K

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

4/23 AAA and AA Minor League Reports

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

AAA Report

Matt LaPorta continues to sting the ball with three more hits and two runs scored and Andrew McCutchen’s early struggles seem to be well behind him as he grabbed another two hits.  Clay Buchholz threw five quality innings showing no ill effects from his hamstring soreness and Daniel Bard locked the door with three K’s in the ninth.  In the PCL, Max Ramirez hit his first HR and Brad Snyder blasted two.  The Cardinals’ Jess Todd saved his third game of the season striking out three of the four batters he faced. 

Today’s top AAA prospect is Carlos Gonzalez.  Gonzo got off to a slow start this season with a terrible spring and gathering just two hits in his first 11 regular season at bats, but yesterday’s double, triple and six RBI’s has him well on his way back to a shot at Colorado’s everyday lineup.

AAA Prospect of the Day—CARLOS GONZALEZ

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Adam Rosales—4-5 2B R RBI
• Wes Hodges—1-4 2B 2R 3 RBI
• Matt LaPorta—3-5 2R
• Andrew McCutchen—2-6 3B RBI R
• Brian Duglach—2-4 2 HR(3) 2 RBI 2R
• Brad Snyder—2-4 2 HR(4) 5 RBI 2R
• Carlos Gonzalez—2-5 2B 3B 2R 6 RBI BB
• Eric Young Jr.—2-6 2B R 2 SB(9)
• Chris Coughlan—2-5 2B 2 RBI SB(4)
• Chris Lubanski—2-5 2B R 2 BB SB(4)
• Julio Borbon—2-5 R 2B BB
• Max Ramirez—2-5 HR(1) 2 RBI

Pitching:

• Clay Buchholz—5 IP 3H 2 Er 2 BB 2K
• Daniel Bard—IP 3K
• Wade Davis—5 IP 3H 2 ER 3 BB 2K W(1-0)
• Daniel McCutchen—5 IP 5H ER 4 BB 7K W(1-1)
• Jess Todd—1.1 IP 3K SV(3)

AA Report

The Southern League had the night off, but there was enough action in the other leagues to satisfy our prospecting appetites.  Lars Anderson hit his second HR of the season and Brad Emaus hit his first.  Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart drove in two runs apiece and Desmond Jennings hit his second HR in as many days.

L.A. Dodgers OF prospect Jamie Hoffmann is today’s top prospect.  The 24 year old has excellent size and speed that should translate soon into a potential 20 HR/20 SB talent.  Yesterday, Hoffmann went 2-5 with a grand slam HR, his second, five RBI and a walk.  His only first year cards can be found in the 2006 Bowman Chrome Prospects set and are trading for 25-50 each.  Given that there are extreme talents in L.A.’s outfield right now, Hoffmann will likely need a change of scenery in order to have a productive major league career.

AA Player of the Day—JAMIE HOFFMANN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Lars Anderson—1-3 HR(2) RBI
• Jorge Jimenez—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Matt Moses—2-4 HR(2) 3 RBI
• Brad Emaus—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Zack Cozart—3-4 3R 2B 2 RBI BB SB(1)
• Todd Frazier—2-4 2B 2 RBI BB
• Chris Heisey—2-4 3R 2B 3B BB SB(6)
• Jamie Hoffmann—1-2 GS HR(2) 5 RBI BB
• Bryan Peterson—2-4 2B 2 RBI SB(4)
• Ezequiel Carrera—2-4 2B 2R RBI BB
• Yunesky Sanchez—3-5 3R 3B 2 RBI SB(1)
• Ricardo Sosa—3-4 2B 2R
• Orlando Mercado—3-4 2B 2B 4 RBI 2R
• Desmond Jennings—1-3 HR(4) RBI BB
• Rhyne Hughes—1-3 HR(4) RBI BB

Pitching:

• Hector Rondon—5 IP 4H BB 2K W(3-0)
• Joe Savery—6 IP 5H 4 ER 2 BB 6K (2-3 2R 2B)
• George Kontos—5 IP 2H 2 ER 4 BB 7K
• Dylan Owen—5.2 IP 5H 3 ER 2 BB 6K
• Kyle McCullough—7 IP 5H 2 ER 2K W(2-1)

4/15 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 16, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

EASTERN LEAGUE

Brian Friday, Erik Lis, Beau Mills, and Colin Curtis each collected three hits while Jon Still and Emmanuel Garcia hit their first HR’s of the season.  Hector Rondon spun another gem for his second win and Michael Antonini looked dominant in five shutout innings striking out eight.  Today’s player of the day is none other than Akron’s superstar catcher Carlos Santana who blasted a grand slam HR for his second dinger of the year.

Eastern League Player of the Day—CARLOS SANTANA

Other Notable Performances:

• Brian Friday—3-4 3B RBI SB(2)
• Hector Rondon—5.2 IP 4H ER BB 5K W(2)
• Beau Mills—3-4 2B R
• Carlos Santana—1-3 GS HR(2) 4 RBI BB
• Matt Moses—3-4 2R
• Juan Portes—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Erik Lis—3-4 R BB
• Jon Still—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Josh Reddick—2-4 2B
• Argenis Diaz—2-3 2B BB
• Emmanuel Garcia—2-5 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Josh Thole—2-5 2B
• Michael Antonini—5 IP 4H 3 BB 8K W(1)
• Jake Arrieta—5 IP 7H ER 3 BB 4K W(1)
• Cale Iorg—2-4 RBI
• David Cooper—1-3 RBI
• Fabio Castro—6 IP 4H BB 6K
• Reegie Corona—2-4 2B 2R SB(1)
• Colin Curtis—3-4 2B 3B 2 RBI R SB(1)

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

Desmond Jennings had a big day on the basepaths scoring two runs an stealing three bases, including home.  Scott Elbert put another fine start under his belt, while Hector Ambriz allowed just two hits and struck out eight under seven innings.  Those performances didn’t trump that of tall Marlins RHP prospect Sean West whose six innings saw him surrender just two hits and two walks while racking up nine strikeouts.

Southern League Player of the Day—SEAN WEST

Other Notable Performances:

• Gordon Beckham—1-3 2B R RBI 2 BB
• Tyler Flowers—1-3 R 2 BB
• John Shelby Jr.—1-5 2B R
• Brett Omogrosso—6 IP 5H ER 3 BB 3K W(1)
• Richie Robnett—1-4 3B R RBI
• Desmond Jennings—1-2 2R 3B 2 BB 3 SB(4)
• Scott Elbert—4 IP H ER 3 BB 6K
• Jovanny Rosario—4-5 2 RBI R
• Andrew Lambo—1-4 2 RBI
• Jamie Hoffmann—1-2 HR(1) RBI 2R 3 BB
• Justin Sellers—2-4 2B R BB 2 SB(2)
• Gorkys Hernandez—2-4 2B BB SB(3)
• Kala Ka’aihue—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Deunte Heath—4 IP 2H 6 BB 2K
• Chris Cody—4 IP 5H 2 ER 3 BB 8K
• Hector Ambriz—7 IP 2H BB 8K W(1)

PPR Mailbag—How Good is Josh Reddick?

Posted by Jeremy on April 14, 2009 under Readers Mailbag | Be the First to Comment

I received a message in my inbox yesterday asking about the future investment outlook of Boston Red Sox OF prospect Josh Reddick.  Reddick has gotten off to a blazing start belting HR’s in each of this first three games.  For review’s sake, we’ll take a look at his fine 2008 numbers.

The 21 year old Reddick has shown that he is quite capable of handling pitching at the single-A level but struggled against AA pitching.  Given his youth, and rapid ascention a slight hiccup is not surprising and, evidenced by his early returns from ‘09, should not be a problem this season.  In earlier analysis, I compared Reddick to J.D. Drew minus the injuries and walks.  He has the ability to hit for a high batting average with 20-25 HR power and accrue 10-15 SB every season.  His range is good enough for CF and his arm is strong enought to play RF. 

Going forward, the Red Sox will need a right fielder to replace the gradually declining produciton of J.D. Drew.  Reddick is first in line for that opportunity and seemingly has enough talent to effectively fend off challenges from other talented OF’s in the Red Sox system like Ryan Kalish, Peter Hissey, Che-Hsuan Lin, Ryan Westmoreland and others. 

The market for Reddick’s 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft autos sits at about $20-23 each right now which, to me, seems like a strong buy.  Remember, Red Sox prospects have a history of creating huge impacts on the market following their MLB debuts (Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson, Jed Lowrie, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury).  Reddick will earn a promotion to AAA Pawtucket at some point this season, barring injury or attrition.  He may get a few Fenway AB’s in September and is sure to have a real chance to win a job this coming spring.

If Andrew Jackson resides in your wallet, trade him (and a few of his twins) for Reddick’s 2008 autos.

4/12 AAA Minor League Report

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

I hope all of you had a blessed Easter weekend!  After taking a day off, let’s jump back into things with reports from the Sunday’s Internantional League action.  Michael Brantley, Juan Miranda, Jason Donald and Neil Walker continued to look like major league hitters and Nick Evans hit his first HR of the year.  On the mound, Phil Hughes and Clay Buchholz had so-so outings, but their future closers, Mark Melancon and Daniel Bard respectively, were completely dominant.  However, it was a non-prospect that took home top player honors as the Braves’ Charlie Morton tossed six one-hit innings striking out 12 in a winning effort.

International League Player of the Day—CHARLIE MORTON

Other Notable Performances:

• Nick Evans—1-7 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Clay Buchholz—3.2 IP 3H ER 4 BB 3K
• Daniel Bard—2 IP 2K
• Michael Brantley—2-4 BB
• Wes Hodges—2-5 2B R
• Wellington Castillo—2-3
• Chris Tatum—2-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Chris Valaika—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Phil Hughes—6 IP 6H 3 ER 2 BB 6K W(1)
• Mark Melancon—1.2 IP 4K
• Jason Donald—2-4 2 2B R
• John Mayberry Jr.—1-3 2B R BB
• Kevin Russo—2-6 3 RBI 2R
• Juan Miranda—3-6 2 RBI
• Austin Jackson—2-4 2R RBI 2 BB SB(1)
• Jusitn Maxwell—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Luke Hughes—2-4 2B R 2 RBI
• David Winfree—1-4 2B R RBI
• Brent Duglach—3-4 HR(1) RBI BB
• Andrew McCutchen—1-5 5 R 2 BB SB(2)
• Neil Walker—2-6 2B RBI BB SB(2)
• Daniel McCutchen—5 IP 3H 2 ER 3 BB 7K
• Brandon Jones—1-3 2B RBI BB SB(1)
• Adam Russell—3 IP 5K

In the PCL, Sean Rodriguez, Brandon Wood, Chad Huffman, and Brad Snyder all went deep, but it was Florida’s Gaby Sanchez that took home top player honors with his 3-6 performance logging in his first HR with two runs batted in and two scored.

Pacific Coast League Player of the Day—GABY SANCHEZ

Other Notable Performances:

• Manuel Mayorson—3-6 2B 2R 3 RBI SB(2)
• Gaby Sanchez—3-6 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R
• Chris Coughlan—1-4 2 RBI BB
• Alcides Escobar—2-5 R
• Mat Gamel—1-3 R RBI BB
• Brad Snyder—2-4 GS HR(1) 4 RBI
• Jake Fox—1-3 R RBI 2 BB
• Tommy Manzella—3-5 R RBI
• Mitch Maier—3-5 RBI R
• Chris Lubanski—2-4 2R BB SB(3)
• Luis Hernandez—2-5 2B R RBI
• Chin-Lung Hu—2-4 R
• Chris Pettit—2-4 R
• Sean Rodriguez—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• Matt Brown—1-3 HR(1) RBI
• Brandon Wood—1-3 HR(1) RBI
• Freddy Sandoval—1-4 2B R
• Mike Carp—2-3 2B R 2 BB
• Chad Huffman—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Matt Downs—2-4 HR(1) RBI

4/1 Spring Training Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 2, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Turning the page on the calendar, I saw the big red circle around April 6th marking the beginning of the 2009 MLB regular season!  Spring training has flown by this season at a rocket’s (not steroid enhanced) pace and what a spring it has been for several young players!  Wednesday’s action saw all or nothing slugger Michael Wilson of the Seattle Mariners slug his 8th HR of the spring, and super non-rookies Travis Buck and Alex Gordon hit their 4th and 6th HR’s respectively.  ‘08 N.L. Rookie of the Year, Geovanny Soto and Mets prospect Omir Santos rang the dinger bell twice, but it was the young pitchers who opened eyes today.  San Francisco Giants superstar-in-the-making Madison Bumgarner surrendered just one hit in 3 innings of work while striking out 4, but even that performance was not good enough to usurp the one time phenom Homer Bailey.  The Cincinnati Reds hurler tossed 6 innings allowing 4 hits, 2 earned runs a walk an 8 strikeouts.  Additionally, he went 2 for 2 at the plate with a double and a run scored.  While it may not earn him a spot on the Reds’ rotation, it is surely worthy of receiving today’s Youngster of the Day award.

Youngster of the Day—HOMER BAILEY

Other Notable Performances:

• Josh Anderson—1-4 R RBI
• Adam Rosales—2-3 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Homer Bailey—6 IP 4H 2 ER BB 8K (2-2 2B R)
• Chris Johnson—2-4 2B RBI R
• William Glen—4 IP 6H ER BB 4K (W)
• Omir Santos—2-3 2 HR(4) 3 RBI 2R
• Travis Snider—2-3 2 2B R RBI
• Ross Detwiler—2.1 IP H
• Derek Holland—4 IP 3H ER BB 4K W(2)
• Matt Brown—1-3 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Geovanny Soto—2-2 2 HR(2) 5 RBI
• Travis Buck—2-2 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Cliff Pennington—2-2 2B 2 RBI R
• Rob Johnson—1-5 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Trevor Crowe—1-4 BB 2R
• Mike Wilson—2-5 HR(8) 2R 2 RBI
• Dexter Fowler—3-5 2B 3B RBI 2R
• Alex Gordon—2-4 HR(6) RBI
• Albert Callaspo—2-3 2B RBI BB SB(1)
• Billy Butler—1-4 HR(4) RBI
• Madison Bumgarner—3 IP H 4K

3/28 Spring Training Report

Posted by Jeremy on March 30, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Saturday’s spring training action saw some outstanding performances from several top prospects.  Kendry Morales and Erick Aybar both collected 4 hits (one of Morales’ cleared the fence).  Sean Doolittle, Chase Headley, Adam Jones, and Nelson Cruz all blasted HR’s as well.  On the mound, Max Scherzer pitched 5 innings of 4 hit ball en route to a win, then promptly went on the DL.  Edison Volquez threw 5 solid innings for a win and Ryan Perry continues to look like Detroit’s long awaited dominant closer, lowering his spring ERA to 0.93.  Today’s top youngster was none other than Andrew McCutchen who went 5-5 with his 2nd HR, 3 doubles, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored.  McCutchen raised his average to .308 and is increasingly looking like a Major League outfielder.

Youngster of the Day—ANDREW MCCUTCHEN

Other Notable Performances:

• Adam Jones—1-2 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Brian Barden—2-4 3B R BB
• Colby Rasmus—2-3 3B 2R 2 BB SB(4)
• Jay Bruce—2-4 2 RBI SB(1)
• Paul Janish—2-4 2B R
• Edison Volquez—5 IP 4H ER 4 BB 3K W(2)
• Ryan Perry—IP H 2K
• Carlos Gomez—3-3 R 2 SB(5)
• George Kottaras—1-2 2B R RBI
• Jordan Schafer—-3-5 2B RBI
• Andrew McCutchen—5-5 HR(2) 3 2B 2 RBI 3R
• Brian Bixler—2-4 2B R
• Garrett Jones—1-1 HR(4) 3 RBI
• Dillon Gee—3.1 IP 4H 2 ER 2 BB 4K W
• Damaso Espino—2-3 3 RBI 2B
• Max Scherzer—5 IP 4H ER 3K W (1-2 RBI)
• Alexei Ramirez—2-4 2 2B 3 RBI R
• Josh Fields—2-3 2B 2R BB
• Brent Lillibridge—2-3 2B 2R RBI
• Sean Doolittle—1-1 HR(2) RBI
• Jeff Clement—1-1 2B 2 RBI
• Reegie Corona—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Mike Wilson—1-4 2B R RBI BB
• Rob Johnson—1-3 2B 2R BB
• Kendry Morales—4-4 HR(3) 2B 3 RBI 2R
• Erick Aybar—4-4 2B 3B 2R 3 RBI
• Sean Rodriguez—1-1 2B RBI R
• Chase Headley—4-5 HR(3) 2B 3 RBI 2R
• Nick Hundley—2-3 2B R RBI
• Pablo Sandoval—2-2 R RBI
• Emmanuel Burriss—0-3 2 BB 2R 2 SB(4)
• Nelson Cruz—2-4 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Jarrod Saltalamacchia—1-3 3B R
• Micah Hoffpauir—2-5 HR(5) 2B 3 RBI 2R
• Geovanny Soto—2-4 2B
• Seth Smith—2-5 2B 3B 2R RBI

8/22 Spring Training Report

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

The wind was blowing out in the Cactus League yesterday, evidenced by the 15 HR softball game between the Angels and Royals.  The opposite was true in the Grapefruit League where there were, count them, 5 shutouts including a no-hit effort led by the Marlins’ Ricky Nolasco against the Detroit Tigers.  David Price looked dominant yesterday tossing 4 shutout innings and lowering his ERA to 1.08, and Daniel Bard extended his scoreless string to 9.1 IP.  Brandon Wood belted his 3rd HR of the spring, Seattle’s Mike Wilson hit his 5th and Boston’s Chris Carter continued to look like a solid DH with his 4th HR.  No one bettered the efforts of L.A. Angels OF prospect Matt Brown who was a perfect 6-6 with 2 HR, a triple 3 runs and 3 RBI.

Youngster of the Day—MATT BROWN

Other Notable Prospects:

• Jon Jay—1-2 R RBI
• Paul Janish—1-4 2B 2 RBI R
• John Raynor—1-1 HR(1) RBI
• David Price—4 IP 3H 2 BB 4K W(2)
• Austin Jackson—1-1 3B
• Chris Carter (Red Sox)—1-1 HR(4) RBI
• Daniel Bard—1.1 IP BB K SV(1)
• Brad Emaus—1-4 2B RBI R
• Justin Jackson—2-4 2R 2B
• Jair Jurrjens—4.2 IP 4H ER BB 3K
• Daniel Murphy—2-4 3R RBI
• Dexter Fowler—2-4
• Chris Colonel—1-2 2 RBI
• Brad Nelson—1-1 HR(2) RBI
• Kevin Frandsen—2-3 2R
• Michael Wilson—1-4 HR(5) RBI
• Wladimir Balentien—2-3
• Josh Fields—2-4 HR(3) RBI SB(1)
• Cliff Pennington—3-4 2B RBI R 2 SB(2)
• Max Scherzer—3 IP 5H 2 ER 5K
• Ryan Roberts—2-2 HR(2) RBI
• Matt Brown—6-6 2 HR(2) 3B 3R 3 RBI
• Brandon Wood—1-5 HR(3) 3 RBI

Buy or Sell: TOMMY HANSON

Posted by Jeremy on March 10, 2009 under Market Watch, Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Dealing heat at 99 MPH this spring

Few players are experiencing the helium that Atlanta Braves phenom Tommy Hanson has over the last 6 months.  Hanson had an incredible 2008 season at High-A Myrtle Beach and AA Mississippi combining for a 11-5 record with a 2.41 ERA and 163 K in 138 IP.  Even more impressive was his MVP performance in the Arizona Fall League where he was simply dominant (5-0 0.63 ERA 7 BB/49 K in 28.2 IP).  A big key to Hanson’s recent success has been his ramped up velocity on his fastball which flirts with 100 MPH.  Mixed in with a big breaking curveball, he has two MLB plus-plus pitches that he controls very well.

At this juncture, Hanson has 1st year cards in the 2007 Bowman Chrome set and 2007 Bowman Heritage set.  Neither set features autographs from him and, understandibly, the cards are experiencing considerable boosts in market value.  His chromes sell for $5-7 each right now (shipping included) with the refractors exceeding $30 in value.  His Heritage cards are a little less at $3.50-5.00.  I see pros and cons to purchasing his cards at this juncture and will give you a glimpse at both sides of the argument.

Pro: Hanson is just starting to open eyes on a national level.  His performance this fall and in the early going this spring has made a strong case for him to be included in Atlanta’s opening day rotation.  His stuff is nasty enough to be dominant in the early going which could create a situation not unlike the early going last season when Cincinnati Red hurler Johnny Cueto strung together some early season dominance before being figured out by MLB hitters.  Hanson’s stuff is better than Cueto’s and the odds of prolonged success are very good.  As Hanson heats up the radar guns and accrues double-digit strikeout performances (and he will), his cards will attract more attention from the more casual collectors whose prospecting research extends only to the Baseball Tonight analysts.  Historically, this has been when cards experience their most profound spikes in market value.

Cons: These are base cards.  The jump in market value is, in part, attributed to Hanson’s excellent performance, but another major component to this spike is the fact that these are Hanson’s only MLB liscensed cards to this point.  That will change and history has also shown that the values on a player’s base cards are significantly decreased once an autographed card of that prospect is produced.  For example, at this time in the market, a collector can purchase (2) Bowman Chrome Draft Refractors of #1 pitching prospect and World Series hero David Price for the same price as (1) Tommy Hanson 2007 Bowman Chrome Refractor.  Now, part of this could be due to the fact that Hanson’s card is serial numbered to 500 copies, but Price’s status as a better and more accomplished pitching prospect should mitigate that fact.  The true rationale for this difference is that Price has several other issued cards (both base and auto) from sets in 2007 and 2008.  That dilutes the market demand for his Bowman Chrome Draft cards, thus, lowering prices.  It is a certainty that Hanson will have several cards produced featuring him and his autograph as well in 2009.  As these cards take precedence in the market, the demand for his 2007 cards will decrease.

My Take: I don’t think that Hanson’s ‘07 cards have topped out yet and there is no imminent sets that will be featuring his first autographs.  My guess is that they will come in the 2009 Bowman Chrome set which usually is released in late July-early August.  By that time, Tommy Hanson Mania could be in full swing and his ‘07 cards could be selling for two times their current prices.  However, I am a “buy low” guy and the risk of Hanson experiencing a setback in his development tempts me to dig out his cards right now. 

I am betting on the chances that he will make the Braves’ opening day roster and that the hype machine is not quite at full throttle.  If you have his stuff, either float it out there on eBay at about 25% above market or hold it until April, but remember….once the market for anything dips it is nearly impossible to gain it back.