8/6 AAA Minor League Report

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

Brandon Wood hit two more homeruns last night to raise his season’s total at AAA Salt Lake City to 19.  Wood continues to demonstrate, like his teammate Sean Rodriguez, that he can be a devastating power hitter at the AAA level while struggling mightily in a major league lineup.  Personally, I think that both of these guys would benefit greatly from a change of scenery.  The Angels’ success over the years has limited the margin of patience that they can exercise towards giving players opportunities to play through their growing pains.  A move to a rebuilding franchise would give each of these young and highly talented players that opportunity.  That won’t happen this year, though, and is a minute possibility in the offseason.  Both Wood and Rodriguez are still just 24 and I remain optimistic that they will get a chance within the next season to earn playing time either in an Angels jersey or for another franchise.  Wood’s 2003 Bowman Chrome Draft auto is still a prevalent commodity on the eBay market, but the price has settled down into the $15-18 range.  While this remains a moderately high risk investment, the 2003 Bowman Chrome Draft cards, both autos and non-autos have proven to be high demand items in the past.

Today’s top prospect is St. Louis Cardinals OF Shane Robinson.  The 24 year old centerfielder went 2-3 yesterday with his 4th HR, five RBI, two runs scored and his 16th SB.  Robinson is the prototypical fourth outfielder type who plays solid defense and hits for good contact.  However, there is not much punch to speak of in his bat and Memphis teammate Jon Jay has a higher ceiling than him going forward. 

AAA Player of the Day—SHANE ROBINSON

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Justin Smoak—1-4 2B 2 RBI BB
• Mike Baxter—3-4 2 2B SB(5)
• Chad Huffman—2-4 HR(15) 4 RBI 2B BB
• Chin Lung Hu—3-5 3B 3R 2 RBI
• Alcides Escobar—1-4 HR(4) RBI BB 2 SB(40)
• Blake DeWitt—3-5 3B 2 RBI R
• Angel Salome—4-5 RBI
• Mat Gamel—2-4 2B R RBI BB
• Eric Young Jr.—3-5 2R 3B BB
• Shane Robinson—2-3 HR(4) 5 RBI 2R BB SB(16)
• Matt Tuiasosopo—2-5 RBI
• Brandon Wood—2-4 2 HR(19) 3 RBI BB 2R
• John Hester—2-4 2B R RBI
• Aaron Mathews—4-6 R
• Tyler Flowers—2-4 2B RBI
• Jose Tabata—-2-4 R
• Jeff Clement—2-4 HR(18) 2 RBI 2R
• Brandon Jones—1-4 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Wilkin Ramirez—2-4 2B 3 RBI
• Jeff Frazier—3-5 3 2B R RBI
• Brent Clevlen—2-4 HR(13) 3 RBI
• Nick Evans—1-4 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Matt LaPorta—3-4 4 RBI BB
• Jason Donald—1-3 HR(2) RBI 4R
• Michael Brantley—2-4 3R RBI BB SB(38)
• Juan Miranda—2-4 RBI R 2B
• Desmond Jennings—2-3 2R BB SB(40) BB

Pitching:

• Fabio Castro—8 IP 4H 3 BB 4K
• Matt Maloney—6.2 IP 5H 2 ER 3 BB 9K W (8-8)

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)

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

6/18 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on June 19, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

When evaluating prospects, I find that there is a blend of statistics and physical attributes that each possesses that tell a great deal about what to expect from them at higher levels.  A hitter that struggles with plate discipline often finds his batting average and on base percentages suffers against more refined pitchers.  Batters that hit for a good number of doubles and triples as youngsters(18 to 21 yrs old) tend to build strength as they mature and hit for more power.  These along with several other characteristics often hold true, but every once and awhile a player pops up that defies my parameters of conventional wisdom, leaving me scratching my head.

Meet Johnny Whittleman.

The Texas Rangers’ young 3B prospect has an athletic build (6-2 195 lb.) and, at age 22, has the frame to build more strength as he matures.  Whittleman was a personal favorite sleeper of mine after his successful 2007 season that saw him hit .262 with 17 HR 72 RBI and 34 doubles at two full season Class A stops.  Formerly a 2nd round pick in the ‘05 draft, Whittleman shows a disciplined approach at the plate uncharacteristic of most prep to pro players.  Last season at High-A Bakersfield, Whittleman drew 82 walks while striking out 113 times in 118 games.  Despite a mediocre HR total of just seven and a batting average well below California League standards (.257), Whittleman smacked 38 doubles, leaving promise of power to come.

Fast forward to 2009 and you would find Mr. Whittleman’s numbers diminishing even further.  His batting average sits at just .224 (boosted about 20 points after his 4-5 performance yesterday), though his on base percentage is more than 100 points higher, due to his fine 31 BB/42 K ratio.  16 two baggers puts him on pace for his third consecutive season of 30+ doubles but he hasn’t been able to log in with his first HR yet.

What do we make of this going forward?  Prior to Michael Young’s five year extension with the Rangers, I would have been more enthusiastic about Whittleman.  The Rangers, for all their organizational depth, are quite thin at 3B.  The talent is still there for Whittleman to carve out a major league career, but there’s a great deal left for him to prove.

Today’s top prospect is Cincinnati Reds SS Zack Cozart.  The former 2nd rounder smacked two homeruns and three RBI in the first game of a double header and then followed it up with a two hit, RBI showing in the nightcap.  Cozart has been blistering hot during the month of June, batting .339 with 6 HR 10 RBI and 4 SB.  A blue collar player through and through, Cozart skipped over High-A ball and has attacked AA pitching with aplomb, hitting .290 with 8 HR 35 RBI and 17 doubles.  Ahead of Cozart is the sweet swinging Chris Valaika who just returned to Louisville’s lineup after missing a month with a broken hand.  Valaika’s bat is more polished at this point than Cozart’s, but Zack is a better defensive shortstop.  Given that he has already skipped a level this season, it would not be surprising to see the Reds keep him in AA for the duration of the regular season.  Watch to see if Cincy places him in the Arizona Fall League this offseason.  If so, there may be a good opportunity for Cozart to get a decent look by the Reds in spring training 2010. 

AA Player of the Day—ZACK COZART

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Rene Tosoni—1-3 2B R 2 RBI BB
• Gorkys Hernandez—2-3 2B R
• Jose Tabata—1-3 RBI SB(4)
• Cale Iorg—2-4 R 2 RBI
• Josh Thole—3-5 2B 3R 2 RBI BB SB(4)
• Ryan Kalish—2-3 R BB
• Nick Evans—2-4 2R HR(3) 2 RBI
• Matt Whitney—4-5 2B R
• Yonder Alonso—3-6 RBI SB(1)
• Zack Cozart—2-4 2 HR(8) 3 RBI BB (Game 1)…..2-4 RBI (Game 2)
• Tyler Colvin—2-5 2 HR(5) 2 RBI 2R
• Darwin Barney—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Juan Francisco—1-5 2B R RBI BB (Game 1)…..3-4 HR(13) 4 RBI 2R (Game 2)
• Chris Heisey—1-2 3R
• James Adduci—2-3 2B 2R BB SB(16)
• Josh Bell—3-4 2 2B R RBI SB(2)
• Eduardo Perez—2-5 HR(6) 2 RBI 2B
• Taylor Green—1-3 HR(4) 3 RBI BB
• John Shelby Jr.—2-4 2B
• Tyler Flowers—1-2 HR(10) RBI 2 BB
• Christian Marrero—1-4 HR(8) 2 RBI
• C.J. Retherford—2-5 2B R RBI
• Matt Mangini—2-3 R RBI BB
• Drew Locke—4-6 2B R  5 RBI
• Wladimir Sutil—3-6 4R RBI
• Mitch Moreland—3-6 2B R
• Marcus Lemon—3-5 2B 2R 4 RBI
• Johnny Whittleman—4-5 2 2B 3R 2 RBI
• Timmy Smith—4-5 R 2 RBI
• Luis Durango—2-4 2B 2R BB
• Lance Zawadzki—2-3 HR(11) RBI 2 BB 2R
• Brian Joynt—3-5 2B HR(1) 2 RBI
• Chris Carter—2-4 HR(10) RBI 2B BB
• Matt Spencer—1-4 2B RBI BB
• Daryl Jones—3-5 R
• Cole Garner—2-4 2B 3 RBI
• Daniel Mayora—4-5 2B 2R 3 RBI
• Mark Trumbo—3-4 2 2B 3B 4 RBI

Pitching:

• Mark Rzepczynski—7 IP 5H ER BB 8K
• Tim Bascom—7 IP 3H 2 BB 7K
• Ryan Pope—5.2 IP 5H 4K
• Tyson Brummett—7 IP 4H 2 ER 5K
• Travis Wood—5 IP 8H 3 ER BB 6K W (7-3)

6/15 AA Minor League Report

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

A couple of pitchers had dominating performances in the AA ranks yesterday.  San Diego Padres top pitching prospect Mat Latos mowed down 12 hitters yesterday over 5.1 IP, walking none and allowing just five hits.  Unfortunately, the three runs that he allowed were enough to hand him his first loss this season.  Latos has been as impressive as any pitcher in the minor league ranks this year as he has a 6-1 record with a 0.84 ERA and 11 BB/61 K’s in 53 innings.  Armed with a fastball that reaches 97 MPH and a fierce knockout slider, Latos is a powerfully built, strikeout machine that has All-Star written all over him.  Unfortunately, Latos has had a history of injury problems and attitude issues that have obscured his development to date.  His promotion and continued dominance shows that he has moved well beyond some of those issues in a quest to fulfill his boundless potential.  Don’t be surprised if Latos treads a fast track similar to what Tommy Hanson has done over the past year. 

L.A. Angels RHP Tim Kiely lacks the stuff that Mat Latos possesses, but his complete game, 13 K debut for Arkansas is worthy of note.  Prior to Monday’s start, the 23 year old meandered to a ho-hum 5-5 record with High-A Rancho Cucamonga with a 4.44 ERA in 12 starts.  Control is the name of Kiely’s game as he posted an impressive 8 BB/44 K in his 73 innings of work.  Drafted out of Trinity College in the 27th round of the 2008 draft, Kiely was used exclusively as a reliever in ‘08 but seems to be adjusting fairly well as a starter.  The Angels are customarily loaded with nice young arms, which will make Kiely’s road going forward difficult, but 31 year old Matt Palmer has shown that pitchers with good command of the strike zone and durable arms will always have an opportunity to stick with an organization. 

Today’s top prospect at the AA ranks is a no stranger to prospectors and collectors.  Chicago White Sox 3B import Dayan Viciedo went 3-4 yesterday, hitting his 5th HR while driving in three and scoring three runs.  Viciedo got off to a tortoise-like start out of the gate, hitting .234 with one HR and 9 RBI through the month of April.  May was a bit better (.293 2 HR 20 RBI) and June has been even kinder (.333 2 HR 9 RBI) thusfar.  Viciedo’s bat has not provided as many souvenirs as expected to this point, but his willingness to use all parts of the field is indicative that the 20 year old has worked dilligently on refining his approach at the plate.  Strike zone judgement is still a raw spot for the Cuban native as he has earned just 9 BB versus 48 K’s in his first 63 professional games.  Viciedo is likely never going to be a walk magnet, but he should be able to curb his overagressiveness going forward.

AA Player of the Day—DAYAN VICIEDO

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Mitch Moreland—4-6 HR(10) 2 RBI 2R
• Adrian Cardenas—4-6 2 2B 2 RBi 2R
• Chris Carter—2-6 RBI
• Matt Spencer—2-5 2R SB(1)
• Cole Garner—4-4 2B R
• Kurt Mertins—3-4 2B R RBI
• Jason Castro—1-3 2R RBI BB
• Tyler Henley—1-4 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Jon Lucroy—2-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Yonder Alonso—1-2 HR(8) 2 RBI
• Scott Cousins—2-4 2B SB(14)
• Michael Stanton—1-3 2B (Game 1)…..1-3 2B RBI BB (Game 2)
• Tyler Flowers—2-4 2R BB
• Dayan Viciedo—3-4 HR(5) 3 RBI 2B 3R BB
• Stephan Gartrell—3-4 HR(10) 3 RBI 2B 2R BB
• Evan Frey—3-5 3B R RBI
• Andrew Lambo—2-4 2 2B R
• Russ Mitchell—3-4 2B 3B R RBI SB(4)
• Michael Taylor—1-3 2B R BB

Pitching:

• Joe Savery—6 IP H 3 BB 4K W (8-1)
• Polin Trinidad—8 IP 4H 3 BB 7K W (6-4)
• Mat Latos—5.1 IP 5H 2 ER 12K L (6-1)
• Tim Kiely—9 IP 3H 2 ER 3 BB 13K W (6-5)
• Kyle McCulloch—7 IP 7H 3K W (6-6)

5/5 AA Minor League Report

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

Last ngiht’s AA action saw the debut of Florida Marlins elite prospect Michael Stanton.  Touted by some to be the second coming of Dave Winfield, Stanton collected two hits in four AB and drove in two runs.  His promotion to Jacksonville seems to be well-timed and I am most interested to see if he can continue to be disciplined at the plate.  Prior to his promotion, Stanton had a solid 28 BB/45 K through his first 50 games.  Could he make his big league debut this season?  I think not, but a trip to the Arizona Fall League in the offseason could be the final bit of seasoning for Stanton before his big league debut.

In other action, Beau MIlls hit HR #5 and drove in two runs.  He’s been a little bit of a disappointment in the early going, hitting .261 with 5 HR and 21 RBI for an offesively anemic Akron Aeros team, but his early returns from June have been solid (.381 HR 3 RBI 6 runs) and his big league bloodlines are reason to extend a bit of patienct to the 22 year old 1B prospect.  Speaking of first basemen, Oakland A’s slugger Chris Carter blasted his 7th HR, drove in two runs, walked twice and stole his 7th base of the season.  As predicted by me, Carter’s power has returned after hitting just one HR during the month of April.  Even more encouraging is the fact that Carter’s pitch recognition and plate discipline has taken a step forward as his 34 BB/53 K ratio is a marked improvement from his 77 BB/156 K performance from a year ago. 

Today’s top AA performer is New York Yankees right hander Zach McAllister  who tossed 7.2 shutout innings, striking out six for his 5th victory of the season.  The 21 year old McAllister has had an understatedly excellent season as a Yankee farm hand, going 5-2 with a 1.61 ERA and a very respectable 18 BB/48 K ratio through his first 61 innings.  McAllister has allowed just one HR in his first 10 starts and has held hitters to a .220 BA.  The former 2006 draft pick looks to be a mid-rotation workhorse with a four-seam fastball that approaches 95 MPH and a two-seamer with good sink that sits at 89-91 MPH.  His slider and changeup are solid pitches that have made significant strides over the past season and it is on the strength of those offspeed offerings that McAllister has been able to vastly elevate his stock within the organization.

From a market perspective, McAllister’s optimal values will be realized if he is able to stay in pinstripes.  However, as his stock increases, so does his value as a late season trading chip for a Yankees team that is in a heated pennant chase with the Boston Red Sox.  Don’t be surprised if McAllister’s name starts to get floated around as a potential part of a trade deadline deal.  While that would bode well for the 6-6 230 lb righty’s immediate baseball future, his best market gains would be realized if he can make his MLB debut in a Yankees uniform.

AA Minor League Report—ZACH MCALLISTER

Other Notable Peformances

Hitting:

• Justin Snyder—2-4 2 RBI R
• Lars Anderson—2-3 R BB
• Argenis Diaz—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Juan Francisco—1-3 HR(11) RBI
• Bryan Peterson—3-5 R
• Michael Stanton—2-4 2 RBI
• Beau Mills—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI 2R
• John Drennen—2-5 2B 2R 4 RBI
• Andy Dirks—2-3 2R RBI BB SB(5)
• Brandon Crawford—1-2 R 2 RBI BB SB(4)
• Chris Hatcher—2-4 2 HR(4) 2 RBI 2R
• Josh Bell—1-3 HR(6) 2 RBI BB
• James Adduci—3-4 2B R RBI
• Taylor Green—2-4 R RBI
• Tyler Flowers—2-4 2 RBI 2B R
• John Shelby Jr.—2-4 2B R
• Dayan Viciedo—3-4 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Sean Coughlin—3-4 HR(6) RBI 2R 2B
• Kurt Mertins—3-6 2B 2R 4 RBI
• Jordan Parraz—3-6 2 2B 2 RBI R SB(4)
• Jose Duarte—3-5 R RBI SB(9)
• Josh Horton—3-5 2B 2R
• Chris Carter—2-3 HR(7) 2 RBI 2BB SB(7)
• Adrian Cardenas—2-4 R BB
• Darin Holcomb—2-3 HR(2) RBI 2R BB
• Eric Sogard—2-4 R BB
• Todd Cruz—2-3 R BB
• Steven Hill—2-4 2B R RBI

Pitching:

• Trevor Reckling—6.2 IP 3H ER 7 BB 7K
• Jhoulys Chacin—6 IP 4H Er 2 BB 7K W (4-4)
• Sergio Perez—6 IP 5H ER 2 BB 6K
• Scott Diamond—6 IP 5H Er BB 3K W (2-5)
• Zach McAllister—7.2 IP 7H 6K W (5-2)
• Luis Marte—7 IP 4H BB 6K W (4-5)
• Aaron Poreda—6 IP 3H 5 BB 7K W (5-4)
• Brad Holt—6.1 IP 2H ER 3 BB 3K

6/2 AA Minor League Report

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

Yesterday was a day for top pitching prospects to strut their stuff in the AA ranks.  BoSox import Junichi Tazawa tossed seven quality innings, allowing a couple of runs and earning his 6th victory.  Baltimore Orioles lefty Jake Arrieta did even better by punching out nine and allowing two runs over 6.2 innings for his 5th win.  San Fran’s Tim Alderson allowed two runs over eight innings but lost and Dodgers youngster Josh Lindblom outdueled Arizona’s Jarrod Parker for his third win.

As good as the pitching was yesterday, not every AA hitter’s bat was silenced.  Philly’s Michael Taylor hit his 10th HR as did Cincy’s 3B prospect Juan Francisco.  Cleveland Indians top prospect Carlos Santana hit his 8th and 9th dingers while driving in three, and the group of Brandon Allen, Todd Frazier, Josh Bell,  and Quentin Berry each rapped three hits.

Top honors for the day go to Chicago White Sox OF prospect John Shelby Jr.  The son of former Baltimore Orioles and L.A. Dodgers catalyst John “T-Bone” Shelby went 4-5 with his 5th HR and five RBI.  “Treybone” got off to a somewhat slow start this year and struggled through the month of May, hitting just .200.  However, he has looked like a 5-tool talent over the last 10 games, hitting .308 with 2 HR 10 RBI and 7 runs scored.  Last season, Shelby hit .295 with 15 HR 80 RBI and 33 SB at High-A Winston-Salem.  He also amassed over 35 doubles and 80 runs for the second consectuive season. 

Critics of Shelby, point to his struggles with his plate discipline (22 BB/98 K in ‘08) as a potential pitfall to his progress as a prospect.  However, he has made significant strides through the first two months, having already walked 21 times vs. just 31 K’s.  An upward shift in his plate discipline could revive thoughts of Shelby being a bonafide top of the order hitter for the White Sox.  He is already an excellent defensive centerfielder and his blend of power and speed is always intriguing. 

The Sox have a pleasant dilemma, however, as ‘08 draftee Jordan Danks has looked spectacular as a CF candidate as well.  The younger and more projectible Danks has bested Shelby’s numbers across the board this season and seems to be on a fast track to U.S. Cellular Field, perhaps by the end of this season. 

What does this mean for Shelby?  Perhaps a trade….as the Sox have already tried to make a move for more pitching by putting together a deal for Jake Peavy.  Although that deal fell through, it did demonstrate that Sox GM Kenny Williams is holding fast to his reputation of being an aggressive wheeler and dealer.  It could also mean nothing, as Danks has been mainly playing LF since his promotion to Birmingham.  Jermaine Dye’s contract is set to expire and Danks has the arm strength and size to be an everyday rightfielder.  Also, everyday leftfielder and frequent DL denizen Carlos Quentin seems to be a better fit as a DH once Jim Thome departs. 

Center field in Chicago’s south side has been a morass of mediocrity since the days of Aaron Rowand, but both Shelby and Danks seem to be excellent candidates who can each provide solidarity to the position within the next season or so.  I think that the next couple of months will tell us a great deal about the Sox plans for both Shelby and Danks going forward and each should have a much more definitive major league role once Spring Training 2010 rolls around.

AA Player of the Day—JOHN SHELBY JR.

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Lucas Duda—2-4 HR(3) RBI 2B
• Mark Wagner—1-4 2B R 2 RBI
• Aaron Bates—2-4 2B RBI
• Brett Pill—2-3 2 2B RBI
• Beau Mills—2-4 2B BB R
• Carlos Santana—2-4 2 HR(9) 3 RBI 2R
• Nick Weglarz—2-3 2B R BB
• Quentin Berry—3-5 R
• Michael Taylor—1-4 HR(10) RBI 2R BB
• Jim Negrych—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R BB
• Ryan Strieby—2-4 2B RBI BB
• Gorkys Hernandez—1-3 2b R
• Josh Bell—3-4 RBI
• Todd Frazier—3-5 2B
• Juan Francisco—1-4 HR(10) RBI
• Jordan Danks—2-5 R RBI
• Tyler Flowers—2-5 2R RBI BB
• Brandon Allen—3-5 3R
• Dayan Viciedo—2-6 R
• John Shelby Jr.—4-5 HR(5) 5 RBI 2R
• Tyler Green—1-4 2B 2R 3 RBI

Pitching:

• Travis Wood—6 IP 3H BB 6K
• Josh Lindblom—5 IP 3H 4K W (3-3)
• Jarrod Parker—6 IP 5H 2 ER 4 BB 4K L (4-2)
• Kyle Parker—7 IP 2H 2 BB 2K W (2-2)
• Kyle Cofield—7 IP 2H BB 3K W (4-2)
• Tim Alderson—8 IP 6K 2 ER 3K L (2-1)
• Jake Arrieta—6.2 IP 5H 2 ER 3 BB 9K  W (5-3)
• Junichi Tazawa—7 IP 5H 2 ER 3K W (6-3)

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)

5/25 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 26, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | 4 Comments to Read

Cincinnati Reds 3B prospect Juan Francisco blasted HR’s 8 and 9 yesterday while his teammate Zack Cozart hit his second.  Lars Anderson went yard for the 6th time and Philly’s Michael Taylor hit his 8th, helping teammate Joe Savery earn his 4th win of the year.

Yesterday was a big day for Birmingham’s top sluggers as Tyler Flowers hit his 6th HR, Dayan Viciedo had four hits and an RBI, and Brandon Allen had three hits.  It was ‘08 1st rounder Gordon Beckham who took home top honors, however, as he went 3-5 with his 4th HR five RBI and two runs scored.  Beckham raised his average to .307 and his 17 doubles indicate that there is a good chance that he will boost his power numbers in the not too distant future.  The White Sox currently are set at SS with Alexei Ramirez and rookie Chris Getz has been decent at 2B.  Beckham’s star is rising, however, and there is no chance that Getz will be able to hold him off once the White Sox deem him ready for a major league job.  Odds are quite high that Beckham will receive a mid-summer promotion to AAA Charlotte and, barring injury, it seems likely that he will get some MLB at bats once the rosters are expanded in September.

AA Player of the Day—GORDON BECKHAM

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Michael Taylor—1-5 HR(8) RBI
• Jim Negrych—2-3 BB SB(1)
• Brandon Crawford—3-5 R
• Brett Pill—1-4 HR(2) 4 RBI
• Sharlon Schoop—1-3 2B 3 RBI BB
• Mark Wagner—3-5 2B R RBi BB
• Lars Anderson—2-4 HR(6) 2 RBI BB
• Jon Still—3-5 2 2B R
• Argenis Diaz—3-5 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Whit Robbins—3-4 2B R BB
• Emmanuel Garcia—3-6 R RBI SB(13)
• Colin Curtis—2-4 2B R RBI BB
• Brandon Hicks—1-3 HR(3) RBI
• Concepcion Rodriguez—1-3 HR(2) RBI
• Zack Cozart—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Juan Francisco—2-4 2 HR(9) 3 RBI 2R
• Chris Heisey—3-4 R SB(9)
• Gordon Beckham—3-5 HR(4) 5 RBI 2B 2R
• Tyler Flowers—2-5 HR(6) RBI
• Dayan Viciedo—4-5 RBI
• Brandon Allen—3-5 R
• Jordan Danks—1-3 2R 2 BB
• Daryl Jones—1-3 2R RBI 2 BB
• Brian McFall—2-3 HR(7) RBI
• James Rapoport—3-4 3R 3B RBI
• Chris Carter—2-2 HR(5) 2 RBI 2R 2B
• Corey Brown—1-3 2 RBI BB

Pitching:

• Guillermo Moscoso—8.1 IP 4H 3 ER BB 11K W (3-1)
• Aaron Poreda—6 IP 3H 2 ER 3 BB 5K W (4-4)
• Barry Enright—5.1 IP 3H 2 BB 3K W (3-3)
• Christian Garcia—5 IP 2H 3 BB 4K W (1-0)
• Jay Rainville—6 IP 3H 3 BB 4K
• Joe Savery—6 IP 4H 4 BB 3K W (4-1)

5/18 AA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 19, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Josh Bell hit HR #3 and drove in three runs while Tampa Bay Rays Aussie prospect Rhyne Hughes hit his 13th dinger and drove in four.  Desmond Jennings stole three bases yesterday and Gorkys Hernandez had three hits and scored three runs.

Today’s top performer is Chicago Cubs infield prospect Marquez Smith.  The 23 year old Clemson alum combined for six hits in a double header, hitting his 6th and 7th HR, while driving in four and scoring five times.  Smith is a compact player with more athleticism and defensive versatility than his 5-10 210 lb. frame suggests.  He can play 2B, 3B, the corner OF spots and has been postulated as being a decent candidate to switch to catcher, given his strong arm and thick build.  Offensively, Smith is an aggressive hitter who makes good contact and drives balls well to the gaps.  The Cubs don’t have a lot of positional depth in their farm system giving a defensively malleable player like Smith ample opportunities to slide into the upper tiers of the organizational depth chart.

AA Player of the Day—MARQUEZ SMITH

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Marquez Smith—3-4 HR(6) 2 RBI 3R (Game 1)…..3-4 HR(7) 2 RBI 2R (Game 2)
• Darwin Barney—2-3 RBI R BB (Game 1)…..3-4 2B R SB(4) (Game 2)
• Josh Bell—1-2 HR(3) 3 RBI BB (Game 1)…..1-4 2B 2R (Game 2)
• Andrew Lambo—1-3 2B 2 RBI
• Tony Thomas—1-3 HR(8) RBI BB
• Cale Iorg—3-5 2B 2R
• Brennan Boesch—3-5 HR(7) RBI
• Brandon HIcks—1-3 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Willie Cabrera—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Desmond Jennings—1-2 2B 2R BB 3 SB(13)
• Gorkys Hernandez—3-4 2B 3R
• Rhyne Hughes—1-3 HR(13) 4 RBI
• Chris Carter—1-5 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Matthew Sulentic—4-4 2 2B R RBI
• Marcus Lemon—2-4 3R 2 BB SB(2)
• Justin Smoak—1-4 2B RBI 2 BB
• Chad Tracy—2-5 2B 3 RBI R
• Tyler Flowers—2-4 2B R BB
• Cyle Hankerd—3-4 2B R 2 RBI
• Peter Bourjos—2-4 SB(12)
• Pete Kozma—3-5 RBI

Pitching:

• Dan Cortes—5.2 IP 5H ER 5 BB 4K W (1-4)
• Heath Rollins—6 IP 6H 2 ER 2 BB 5K W (4-2)
• James Russell—5 IP 3H ER BB 7K
• Travis Wood—5.1 IP 4H 2 ER 3 BB 7K
• Cesar Carrillo—7 IP H BB 5K
• Jarrod Parker—5 IP 4H ER 4 BB 5K W (2-2)