7/7 High-A Minor League Report

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

San Francisco Giants OF prospect Roger Kieschnick went 3-4 yesterday, blasting his 17th HR, driving in three runs and scoring twice.  In an organization chocked full of blue chip talent, Kieschnick’s 2009 season has gone widely unnoticed.  However, the former Texas Tech star has been excellent this season, hitting .303 with 17 HR 66 RBI 7 SB and 55 runs scored.  At 6-3 200 lb., Kieschnick has the size and strength of a prototypical right fielder.  The biggest knock on him, at this point, is his plate discipline.  This season, Kieschnick has walked just 20 times while striking out 78 times in 81 games.  This ratio will clearly affect his batting average as he advances to higher levels and make him more of a one dimensional hitter.  He will definitely hit for power at the major league level, but notions of a .300 plus batting average should be tempered significantly.  Kieshnick’s numbers are likely inflated a bit because of the wonderful hitting parks in the California League.  His next stop will be AA Connecticut, though, a league that tends to lean toward the pitchers.  Watch to see how he adjusts after his promotion, either this year or next, to get a better reading on his porjected future.

Today’s top player is a more nondescript prospect in Baltimore Orioles 1B prospect Robbie Widlansky.  The former Florida Atlantic standout and ‘07 11th round pick went 2-4 yesterday with his first two HR of the season, three RBI and three runs scored.  Widlansky is a versatile player who can play both corner OF positions and both corner infield positions.  He was injured for the first two months of the season, but has been red hot since his return, hitting .388 10 doubles and 18 runs scored in 31 games.  Widlansky doesn’t profile as an everyday player at this point in his career.  At 24 years old, he is a bit old for the High-A level but may be due for a promotion before the end of this season.  He’s got decent size (6-2 210 lb.) and showed a considerable boost in power during his final season at FA, hitting .433 with 15 HR and 69 RBI.  I don’t expect that he will be a full time player at the major league level, but his reputation as being a hard nosed workaholic, plus his versatility in the field may open up some opportunities in the future.

High-A Player of the Day—ROBBIE WIDLANSKY

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Conor Gillaspie—3-5 2B 2R
• Buster Posey—3-5 HR(12) RBI 2B 3R
• Roger Kieschnick—3-4 HR(17) 3 RBI 2B 2R
• Angel Villalona—2-4 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Elian Herrera—3-5 2R HR(3) 2 RBI
• Scott VanSlyke—1-4 HR(12) RBI BB 2R
• Matt Clark—2-4 2 2B 2 RBI R
• T.J. Steele—3-5 2B 2R 2 RBI SB(8)
• James Shuck—1-3 HR(1) RBI 2 BB SB(17) 2R
• Koby Clemens—2-5 2 2B R
• Jeremy Moore—2-4 HR(16) RBI BB
• Grant Desme—1-3 HR(16) RBI BB
• Ramon Ramirez—3-5 2 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Hector Gomez—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Engel Beltre—2-7 2 RBI
• Ryan Adams—3-5 R 3 RBI
• Matthew Angle—2-5 2R 2 RBI SB(26)
• Robbie Widlansky—2-4 2 HR(2) 3 RBI 3R BB
• Tyler Henson—2-5 2R 3B
• Michael Burgess—3-4 2B 2R 3 RBI SB(9)
• David Espinosa—2-4 2 2B 3R RBI Bb
• Mike Moustakas—3-4 2B
• Johnny Giavotella—1-3 2B 2R BB
• Moises Sierra—2-5 2B 2R BB
• Ben Revere—2-5 2R 3B SB(31)
• Steven Singleton—2-5 2 3B 4 RBI R
• Chris Parmelee—1-5 HR(11) RBI
• Charles Cutler—3-4 2 2B 3R

Pitching:

• Scott Barnes—6 IP 6H 2 UER 2 BB 9K w (9-3)
• Joshua Collmenter—4.2 IP 4H 2 UER 4 BB 7K
• Casey Kelly—6. IP 6H ER BB 5K L (7-5)
• Tom Milone—7 IP 7H ER 2 BB 3K W (4-3)

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

5/18 High-A Minor League Report

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

San Francisco’s Buster Posey and L.A. Dodgers 3B prospect Edgardo Baez each hit their 6th HR’s yesterday with Posey batting in four runs.  Baltimore Orioles prospects Tyler Henson and Billy Rowell each went deep as did St. Louis Cardinals OF prospect Shane Peterson.  On the bump, Cardinals RHP Brian Broderick tossed eight scoreless innings for his second win.

Today’s top player at the High-A ranks is no stranger to the prospecting industry.  Pittsburgh’s top pick from last year Pedro Alvarez went 3-5 with his 8th HR, two RBI and three runs scored.  Alvarez has gotten off to a slow start average-wise, but has hit much better over his last 10 games.  Alvarez drew some fire from Pittsburgh media for showing up to spring training overweight and out of shape, but he seems to be starting to find his stride after hitting just .219 in April.  He remains a top tier offensive talent that should hit 30+ HR perennially for the improving Pirates organizaiton.

High-A Player of the Day—PEDRO ALVAREZ

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Engel Beltre—2-5 2R 3B SB(8)
• Taylor Harbin—4-5 SB(6)
• Brad Chalk—3-5 R RBI
• Trayvon Robinson—2-4 2R RBI 3 SB(13)
• Edgardo Baez—1-3 HR(6) RBI 2R BB
• Buster Posey—2-4 HR(6) 4 RBI
• Nick Noonan—1-4 2B 2R BB
• Charlie Blackmon—2-4 2R RBI
• Maikol Gonzalez—2-3 2 RBI 2 BB SB(5) R
• Pedro Alvarez—3-5 HR(8) 2 RBI 3R 2B BB
• Jordy Mercer—1-6 2B 2R RBI SB(4)
• Alex Presley—2-6 3b 2 RBI
• Ty Henson—2-5 HR(3) 3 RBI 2R BB SB(9)
• Brandon Waring—2-5 2 RBI 2 2B BB
• Billy Rowell—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Caleb Joseph—4-6 2B R RBI
• Pedro Florimon Jr.—2-6 2B R RBI 2 SB(8)
• Darin Mastoianni—2-5 2 2B R RBI
• Kevin Ahrens—3-4 2 2B
• Shane Peterson—2-4 HR(3) 3 RBI 2B 2R BB

Pitching:

• Brian Broderick—8 IP 4H ER 2K W (3-3)
• Leandro Cespedes—6 IP 6H 2 ER BB 6K L (1-1)

5/12 High-A Minor League Report

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

Michael Stanton hit HR #8 last night and Ryan Kalish continued to show that he has more pop than expected has he hit his 5th.  Cody Johnson did his best to stay in the minor league HR race by hitting his 12th.  On the mound, Atlanta Braves lefty Edgar Osuna pitched well in a losing effort by allowing just one hit and one run over 6 IP while striking out 8, but it was another lefty in the Oakland A’s system that took home top player honors.

Carlos Hernandez tossed 6 no-hit innings allowing just two walks and striking out 8 for his second win.  The 21 year old southpaw has struggled this season after a solid 7-0 record at two levels last year, but 12 of his 21 earned runs allowed have been surrendered in two terrible starts.  Part of these struggles this year can be ascribed to control problems as he has walked 17 in 34.2 IP.  On the bright side, he has struck out 31 in that time frame and has induced a GO/FO rate of 1.38.

High-A Player of the Day—CARLOS HERNANDEZ

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Lance Zawadzki—2-5 2 2B 4 RBI
• Felix Carrasco—3-5 2B R
• Brad Chalk—3-6 R RBI
• Matthew Sweeney—1-3 2B RBI BB
• Hector Gomez—3-5 RBI
• Joey Butler—2-4 3R RBI
• David Stoneburner—2-3 2 2B 2 RBI BB R
• Ryan Kalish—3-5 HR(5) 2 RBI 2R
• Jason Place—1-4 2 RBI R BB
• Freddie Freeman—2-2 BB
• Cody Johnson—1-3 HR(12) RBI
• Tyler Henson—1-2 2B 2 RBI R BB
• Matthew Angle—3-3 2B R BB SB(10)
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis—2-3 HR(6) 2 RBI 2B 3R 3 BB
• Ike Davis—2-4 2B 2R 2 RBI BB
• Francisco Pena—1-4 HR(2) 4 RBI BB
• Carlos Guzman—1-5 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Adron Chambers—3-5 3B 3 RBI
• Thomas Pham—2-4 HR(2) RBI 3R BB SB(8)
• Darin Mastroianni—2-4 2 RBI BB SB(25)
• Raul Barron—1-3 2B 2R BB SB(4)
• Tim Kennelly—2-4 2 2B 2R RBI BB SB(3)
• Caleb Gindl—2-4 2 RBI R SB(4)
• Eric Haydel—2-5 R SB(14)
• Michael Stanton—1-4 HR(8) RBI
• Neftali Soto—2-5 2B R 2 RBI
• Devin Mesoraco—2-3 2B 3B 2 RBI 2R 2 BB
• Dan Perales—2-5 3B 4 RBI R
• Jesus Montero—2-4 2 RBI R
• Brandon Laird—2-3 2 RBI BB
• Starlin Castro—2-4 3B R 2 RBI

Pitching:

• Alex Cobb—5 IP 3H ER 4K
• Jose Rosario—7 IP 2H 2 BB 6K
• Brad Holt—4.2 IP 5H ER 9K
• Eammon Portice—6 IP 3H ER 3 BB 7K W (2-3)
• Carlos Hernandez—6 IP 0H 2 BB 8K W (2-4)
• Clayton Tanner—6 IP 3H UER 3 BB K
• Edgar Osuna—6 IP H ER BB 8K L (2-3)

5/10 High-A Minor League Report

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

Cody Johnson homered twice, boosting his total to 11 on the season and Angels OF prospect Julio Perez homered and drove in six runs.  Dodgers outfielder Scott Van Slyke homered for the fourth time and drove in four runs and minor league HR leader Joe Dunigan didn’t hit a longball, but drove in four runs.

In an unprecedented move, I am awarding a trio of players with today’s top performance award.  Baltimore’s HIgh-A affiliate Frederick had three players that hit the snot out of the ball yesterday.  3B prospect Tyler Henson went 4-4 with three doubles, two RBI and five runs scored.  On the other side of the diamond resides towering 1B prospect Billy Rowell.  The former 1st rounder’s bat is really starting to sizzle as testified by his 3-5 day which saw two balls leave the yard and five RBI.  Finally, ‘08 draftee SS Bobby Stevens went 5-5 with two HR four RBI and three runs scored in just his eighth game of the season.

High-A Players of the Day—TYLER HENSON, BILLY ROWELL, & BOBBY STEVENS

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Lonnie Chisenhall—2-4 HR(6) RBI
• Michael Burgess—2-3 RBvI
• Jordan Danks—1-3 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Brent Morel—1-2 HR(7) RBI BB
• Mike Moustakas—2-5 2R RBI
• Derrick Robinson—1-4 2B 2R BB SB95)
• Clint Robinson—2-4 HR(5) 3 RBI
• Tyler Henson—4-4 3 2B 5R 2 RBI BB
• Bobby Stevens—5-5 2 HR(2) 4 RBI 2B 3R
• Billy Rowell—3-5 2 HR(4) 5 RBI 2R
• Ryan Kalish—3-4 BB
• Michael Jones—2-4 2 2B RBI R
• Cody Overbeck—1-4 HR(1) 4 RBI
• Caleb Gindl—1-4 3B 2 RBI R
• Steffan Wilson—1-4 HR(3) 3 RBI
• Buster Posey—2-4 2B 2R
• Angel Villalona—3-5 3 RBI
• Brian Bocock—2-4 2 RBI R
• Collin Cowgill—1-5 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Radames Navarro—1-5 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Trayvon Robinson—2-4 2B 2R
• Scott Van Slyke—2-4 HR(4) 4 RBI 3B
• Tyson Gillies—3-3 3R RBI SB(6)
• Joe Dunigan—2-6 2B R 4 RBI
• Juan Diaz—3-5 2R
• Carlos Peguero—2-5 2B 2R
• Mike Zawadzki—3-5 2B 3B RBI R
• Clayton Fuller—2-4 2B 2R 2 BB SB(11)
• Yefri Carvajal–2-5 2B 2 RBI R
• Luis Martinez—3-4 2 2B 2R
• Matthew Sweeney—1-3 2B 2R 2 BB
• Julio Perez—2-4 HR(4) 6 RBI
• Carlos Colmentares—4-5 3B RBI
• Cody Johnson—2-5 2 HR(11) 5 RBI BB 2R
• Jason Heyward—2-4 R BB SB(2)
• Freddie Freeman—1-3 2R 2 BB

Pitching:

• Richard Bleier—7.2 7H 2 ER 3 BB 6K W (3-1)
• Cole Rohrbough—4 IP 2H ER 2 BB 5K
• Colton Willems—6 IP 3H 3 UER 4K L (1-1)
• Charles Shirek—5.2 IP 3H 2 ER 3 BB 8K W (5-0)

4/15 High-A Minor League Baseball

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

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE

Timmy Smith’s 5-5 day and even Buster Posey’s 3-3 day that included a HR, double, three runs and two RBI were not enough to win top player honors.  Juan Ramirez surrendered just one hit over 5.1 innings and Alexander Torres did the same in five innings while striking out seven, but even those performances were not enough to out do teammates Jonathan Gaston and Brian Pellegrini who combined to hit six HR, nine RBI and score six runs.

California League Players of the Day Jon Gaston & Brian Pellegrini

Other Notable Performances:

• Brian Rike—2-4 2B RBI R
• Radamez Nazario—3-3 2B R BB
• Carlos Hernandez—6 IP 5H ER BB 3K
• Tyson Gillies—2-4 2R 2B BB SB(2)
• Alex Liddi—3-4 2 2B 3B 2R
• James McOwen—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI BB
• Juan Ramirez—5.1 IP H 3 BB K W(2)
• Jeremy Hefner—5 IP 6h 3 ER 9K L(2)
• Timmy Smith—5-5 2B 2R RBI SB(2)
• Ian Gac—2-5 2B 2R RBI
• Matt Lawson—3-5 HR(2) RBI
• Angel Villalona—2-4 2B 2R RBI
• Brandon Crawford—1-3 2 BB 2 SB(2)
• Buster Posey—3-3 HR(3) 2 RBI 2B 3R 2 BB SB(1)
• Conor Gillespie—1-3 R 2 BB
• Eduardo Perez—3-4 2B R
• Trayvon Robinson—2-5 2B
• Kenly Jansen—2-4 R
• Garett Green—2-3 RBI
• Jonathan Gaston—4-5 3 HR(4) 5 RBI 3R
• Brian Pellegrini—3-5 3 HR(5) 4 RBI 3R
• Eric Taylor—3-4 2B 3 RBI SB(1)
• Jason Castro—2-5 2R 3B RBI
• Jose Duran—5 IP 9H ER 2 BB 3K W(1)
• Ed Easley—1-3 2B 2R 2 BB
• Matthew Sweeney—2-3 2B RBI R BB
• Andrew Romine—1-4 R SB(3)
•  Jeremy Moore—2-4 2B
• Alexander Torres—5 IP H 2 BB 7K

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE

Logan Schafer had a nice double header, combining for four hits, a HR and three RBI.  Matt Rizzotti drove in four with two runs scored and Deolis Guerra threw a scorless five inning start.  The hands down player of the day in the FSL is none other than Phillies RHP Kyle Drabek who surrendered four hits over seven scoreless innings striking out nine for his second win of the season.  Drabek is rocketing along his comeback trail and is quickly becoming the top prospect Philly thought he would be.

Florida State League Player of the Day—KYLE DRABEK

Other Notable Performances:

• Jesus Montero—1-3 2B R
• Matt Cusick—1-2 2 RBI BB R
• Logan Schafer—2-3 RBI SB(1) (Gm 1)…2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI R (Gm 2)
• Lee Haydel—1-3 2B R
• Zelous Wheeler—1-3 RBI R
• Steffan Wilson—2-3 R
• Ryan Zink—5 IP 4H ER 3K W(1)
• Caleb Gindl—2-3 3B
• Cole Gillespie—1-3 2B R
• Brent Brewer—2-3 R RBI
• Kyle Drabek—7 IP 4H 9K W(2)
• Dominic Brown—2-5 2B R
• Matt Rizzotti—2-2 2B 4 RBI 2R
• Derrick Mitchell—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R
• Freddy Galvis—2-4 2R RBI BB
• Tim Kennelly—2-4 R RBI
• Michael Stanton—2-4
• Matt Dominguez—1-3 2B
• Rene Leveret—3-3 2B RBI R
• Deolis Guerra—5 IP 3H BB 4K W(1)
• Ben Revere—1-3 R SB(2)
• Carlos Gutierrez—5 IP 4H ER 3K
• Ike Davis—3-4 2B RBI R
• Brad Holt—6 IP 4H BB 7K W(1)
• Alex Cobb—5.2 IP 6H 2 UER BB 4K L(1)
• Eric Thames—1-4 2B R RBI
• Kevin Ahrens—1-4 2B RBI
• Tim Collins—3 IP 0H 6K W(1)
• Alex Buchholz—2-4 2 2B R
• Pete Kozma—2-3 2B 2R 2 RBI BB SB(1)
• Curt Smith—1-3 3B RBI BB
• Lance Lynn—4 IP 2H 2 BB 3K

CAROLINA LEAGUE

Mike Moustakas’ bat is starting to heat up and Christian Marrero, Brent Morel, Jeff Bianchi, Billy Rowell, and Jordy Mercer all hit their first HR’s yesterday.  Danny Duffy continues to look like a dominant LHP, tossing five shutout innings with six K’s and Red Sox prospects Jason Place and Luis Exposito combined to drive in and score four runs.  It was teammate Ryan Kalish who takes home top player honors, though, with his first HR, two RBI and four runs scored.

Carolina League Player of the Day—RYAN KALISH

Other Notable Performances:

• Christian Marrero—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• Brent Morel—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Jordy Mercer—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Jose De Los Santos—1-3 3R BB SB(5)
• Daniel Hague—2-4 2B RBI
• Pedro Alvarez—1-3 RBI
• Mike Moustakas—2-5 2R 2 RBI
• Derrick Robinson—1-3 R BB SB(5)
• Jeff Bianchi—2-5 HR(1) 3 RBI 2B
• Clint Robinson—2-4 RBI
• Lonnie Chisenhall—2-4 RBI
• Matt Brown—2-3 BB SB(1)
• Daniel Duffy—5 IP 3H BB 6K W(1)
• Billy Rowell—1-2 HR(1) RBI 2 BB
• Tyler Henson—1-3 2B RBI BB
• Pedro Florimon Jr.—1-4 2B 2R BB
• Jeff Locke—4 IP 2H 2 ER 3 BB 6K
• Ryan Kalish—2-3 HR(1) 2 RBI 4R 2 BB
• Jason Place—3-5 2B 2 RBI 3R
• Luis Exposito—2-5 2B R 3 RBI
• Michael Jones 3-5 3 RBI

4/14 High-A Minor League Report

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

CAROLINA LEAGUE

Freddie Freeman and Cody Johnson both homered, but Brian Matusz was able to pitche well enough to earn a win against Myrtle Beach.  Salvador Sanchez hit his third HR of the season, but it was the Indians’ 21 year old flame thrower Kelvin De La Cruz who takes home top prospect honors after his electifying six inning, nine strikeout shutout performance en route to his second win of the year.  This effort comes on the heels of a season debut in which he struck out 10 hitters over six innings.

Carolina League Player of the Day—KELVIN DE LA CRUZ

Other Notable Performances:

• Salvador Sanchez—1-3 HR(3) 2 RBI 2R BB
• Jordy Mercer—2-5 R RBI SB(1)
• David Hague—3-4 2 RBI
• Kelvin De La Cruz—6 IP 4H 9K W(2)
• Alex Caldera—5 IP 4H ER BB 2K L(1)
• Tyler Henson—1-4 2 RBI R 2 BB SB(1)
• Brandon Waring—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R BB
• Caleb Joseph—3-5 RBI R
• Pedro Florimon Jr.—2-5 2R SB(1)
• Chris Vineyard—1-3 2B 2 RBI 2 BB
• Brian Matusz—5 IP 4H 3 ER 3 BB 6K W(1)
• Jason Heyward—2-4 2B R
• Freddie Freeman—1-4 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Cody Johnson—2-3 HR(4) RBI 2B 2R BB

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE

Darin Mastroianni is the early clubhouse leader with six stolen bases this year, but Greg Veloz is closing in gathering his fourth yesterday.  The Cardinals’ younger OF prospect Shane Peterson (they have two in their system) continues to hit gathering two hits and an RBI but it was Adron Chambers who blew away the competition with a 4-4 two triple, two run game.

Florida State League Player of the Game—ADRON CHAMBERS

Other Notable Performances:

• Justin Reed—1-4 3B R RBI BB SB(2)
• Adron Chambers—4-4 2 3B 2R RBI SB(1)
• Shane Peterson—2-4 RBI
• Pete Kozma—1-5 2B 2 RBI
• Matt Fields—1-4 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Greg Veloz—2-5 R SB(4)
• Ike Davis—2-4
• Zach Lutz—2-5 2B RBI
• Darin Mastroianni—2-2 3B 3 BB 2 SB(6)
• Eric Thames—2-4 2R 3 RBI 3B BB
• Kevin Ahrens—1-4 2B RBI BB
• Russ Canzler—2-4 2R

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE

Collin Cowgill and Mitch Moreland went deep on Wednesday and Chris Minaker, Jose Felix, and Jonathan Greene each rapped four hits.  On the mound, Trevor Reckling threw six quality innings in a losing effort, and Corey Kluber did the same with winning results.  The player of the day is Giants top prospect Buster Posey whos 3-4 day included a double, walk and two RBI.  Posey is heating up and should move quickly through San Francisco’s talented farm system.

California League Player of the Day—BUSTER POSEY

Other Notable Performances:

• Alex Liddi—2-4
• Danny Payne—2-4 2R 3B 2 RBI
• Logan Forsythe—1-3 2B BB 2R
• Ali Solis—1-3 2B BB 2R
• Corey Kluber—6 IP 3H 6K W(1)
• Engel Beltre—2-5 2B 2R SB(3)
• Mitch Moreland—3-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Matt Lawson—2-4 2 RBI SB(1)
• Jonathan Greene—4-5 2B 2R RBI
• Jose Felix—4-5 2B R 3 RBI
• Buster Posey—3-4 2B 2 RBI R BB
• Brandon Crawford—1-4 2R BB
• Angel Villalona—2-4 RBI
• Darren Ford—2-5 R
• Scott Van Slyke—2-4 2B RBI
• Chris Minaker—4-4 R RBI
• Shane Wolf—5 IP 5H 2 ER BB 9K
• Bryan Shaw—5 IP 5H ER 4K W(1)
• Collin Cowgill—2-4 HR(2) 2 RBI SB(2)
• Ed Easley—1-4 2 RBI
• Manny Ferrer—2-4 2R SB(1)
• Trevor Reckling—6 IP 4H ER 6K L(1)
• Jeremy Moore—2-4 2B R
• Efren Navarro—2-3 2B

4/13 High-A Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 14, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | 2 Comments to Read

In the Carolina League, the Marrero brothers each belted their second HR’s of the young season and Braves superstar prospects Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman each went deep as well.  None of these performances compared to Royals second base prospect Johnny Giavotella’s monster day.  The ‘08 draft pick went 3-4 with two HR’s seven RBI and three runs scored.

Carolina League Player of the Day—JOHNNY GIAVOTELLA

Other Notable Performances:

• Jordan Danks—2-6 R
• Christian Marrero—3-5 2 2B R
• Salvador Sanchez—2-5 HR(2) RBI 3R SB(3)
• Johnny Giavotella—3-4 2 HR(2) 7 RBI 3R
• Adrian Ortiz—1-4 2R BB
• Tyler Henson—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2R BB
• Billy Rowell—2-4 2B R RBI
• Jason Heyward—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Freddie Freeman—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Jose Ortegano—5 IP 4H ER 3 BB 4K W(1)
• Chris Marrero—2-5 HR(2) RBI
• Michael Burriss—1-5 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Stephen King—2-3 2B R SB(2)
• Ryan Kalish—1-2 2R 3 BB
• Aaron Reza—2-5 R
• Chih-Hsien Chiang—1-4 2 RBI

The Califonia League had tons of great performances as well.  Buster Posey and Edgardo Baez went deep for the second time and Nick Noonan, Logan Forsythe, and Colin Cowgill logged in their first HR’s.  On the Mound, the A’s righty Scott Mitchinson surrendered just one earned run in five innings and 20 year old Kennil Gomez looked strong in his first start.  Player of the day honors go to Dodgers OF Trayvon Robinson who went 4-6 with his second HR, two RBI and four runs scored.

California League Player of the Day—TRAYVON ROBINSON

Other Notable Performances:

• Ian Gac—1-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Mitch Moreland—2-4 R
• Matt Lawson—3-4 HR(1) RBI
• Kennil Gomez—5 IP 7H ER 3 BB 4K W(1)
• Nick Noonan—2-4 HR(1) RBI BB
• Buster Posey—2-3 HR(2) RBI 2 BB
• Brandon Crawford—2-5 RBI
• Trayvon Robinson—4-6 HR(2) 2 RBI 4R 2B
• Taylor Mattingly—3-6 3R RBI
• Edgardo Baez—2-4 HR(2) 2 RBI 2B 2R
• Garett Green—3-6 RBI R
• Tim Sexton—5 IP 6H ER 3K W(1)
• Jason Castro—2-5 2 2B
• Carlos Peguero—3-4 2 RBI 2R 3B
• Eddie Colina—2-4 2R BB
• Kuo Hui Lo—2-4 3 RBI BB 3B R SB(1)
• Logan Forsythe—2-3 HR(1) 3 RBI BB 2R
• Brad Chalk—1-4 2R RBI 2 SB(4)
• Felix Carrasco—1-4 2R RBI BB SB(2)
• Matt Spencer—1-4 2 RBI 2B
• Brian Rike—1-3 2B 2 RBI
• Scott Mitchinson—5 IP 4H ER BB 4K
• Collin Cowgill—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 3R 2 BB
• Taylor Harbin—2-5 R
• Sean Coughlan—2-4 HR(2) 4 RBI BB 3R
• Josh Collmenter—5 IP 2H BB 5K W(1)

Florida State League action saw future Florida Marlins stars Michael Stanton and Matt Dominguez start to get on track offensively and Yankees OF speedster Eric Fryer had three hits and his third stolen base.  Joe Benson and Justin Jackson continue to hit the ball well, but not as well as Brewers OF Cole Gillespie who went 3-4 with three RBI and a triple.

Florida State League Player of the Game—COLE GILLESPIE

Other Notable Performances:

• Matt Fields—2-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Greg Sexton—3-5 R
• Joe Benson—2-4 RBI
• Ben Revere—1-4 R
• Tim Kennelly—2-4 2 2B R SB(1)
• Arlon Quiroz—1-3 3B R RBI BB
• Justin Jackson—2-4 BB SB(3)
• Darin Mastroianni—2-5 SB(4)
• Yohan Flande—5 IP 3H UER 2 BB 5K W(1)
• Andy Dirks—2-4 RBI
• Eric Fryer—3-5 2 RBI SB(3)
• Austin Romine—2-4 R SB(2)
• Austin Krum—2-4 2B BB
• Logan Schafer—1-4 HR(1) RBI 2R BB
• Caleb Gindl—3-4 3B RBI R SB(1)
• Cole Gillespie—3-4 3B 3 RBI BB SB(1)
• Brent Brewer—1-4 2R BB SB(2)
• Sergio Miranda—2-4 BB
• Tyler Colvin—1-2 R 3 BB
• Dylan Johnston—2-5 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Nate Samson—1-4 2B R BB
• Jermaine Curtis—3-5 RBI BB
• Thomas Pham—2-5 2B RBI
• Shaun Garceau—5 IP H BB 3K
• Michael Stanton—2-4 3B R BB
• Matt Dominguez—1-3 2 RBI BB
• Gregory Burns—2-3 R SB(1)
• Jeff Allison—5 IP 4H 2K   

   

Top 20 Third Base Prospects (Part 2)

Posted by Jeremy on February 21, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

Here is the list for the second half of the top 20 third base prospects.  This is a difficult list to rank simply for the fact that many of these guys are still very young and quite raw.

11.) Dayan Viciedo—Chicago White Sox

2008 Stats: N/A

Strengths: The 19 year old Cuban is built like a tank and he produces jaw dropping power with his smooth lefty swing.  Dayan is a complete hitter who has shown the ability to hit for average as well as a member of Cuba’s national team. 

Weaknesses: His weight has been an issue.  Viciedo is reported to the White Sox at a robust 5-11 245 lb.  That is more than 20 lbs. less than when he signed with the Sox.  He has yet to have a professional AB which makes much of his projectible skills just conjecture at this point. 

2009 Outlook: There have been rumors that Viciedo will be given a shot to make the White Sox roster this spring.  It is not outside the realm of possibility as Ozzie Guillen handed last year’s Cuban wonderkind Alexei Ramirez the starting job out of spring training and he went on to finish second in the A.L. ROY voting.  Viciedo is 8 years Ramirez’s junior, though, so a stint in the minor leagues seems to be more realistic.  It won’t be too long, however, as Viciedo’s four-year MLB contract starts ticking come April.

12.) Juan Francisco—Cincinnati Reds

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Francisco has prolific power potential that could hit upwards of 30 HR per season at the major league level.  He has all of the makings of a superb defensive 3B with good quickness and an arm that may just be the strongest in the Reds system.

Weaknesses: Awful plate discipline.  His 19 BB/123 K ratio indicates that he struggles mightly with pitch recognition and falls victim to getting into pitchers’ counts.  He has a frame that could put on more bulk in the future that could work to diminish some of his above average athleticism.

2009 Outlook: AA tends to be a make or break level for raw power hitters.  Francisco has the ability to be a big time power hitter in the major leagues, but his ability to control the strike zone will be the ultimate determinant in his overall success.  He will never draw many walks, but if he can cut his K’s to around 100, he should continue to have success.

13.) Allen Craig—St. Louis Cardinals

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Craig has been a consistently productive hitter at each level he has played.  He is a polished hitter with good power that should translate to 18-22 HR per season at the major league level.  He has a sound feel for the strike zone and works hard to get the most out of his limited athleticism.

Weaknesses: He has average defensive abilities and his ceiling is not as high as some of the other prospects on this list.  While he should evolve into a solid major league player, he doesn’t have the “wow” factor that other more projectible players on this list have.

2009 Outlook: The offseason shoulder surgery of Troy Glaus may make Craig’s situation a little more interesting.  Glaus is expected to be ready by mid-April, but he has a history of spending large chunks of time of the DL.  St. Louis has an assortment of backups to Glaus (David Freese, Brian Barden, Joe Mather) but none have the offensive potential that Craig has.  AAA Memphis seems the best destination for Craig at this time, but a late season call up should be in the cards (rimshot).  Glaus will not be with the Cardinals next season which should open up an opportunity for Craig in 2010.

14.) Jason Taylor—Kansas City Royals

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Taylor is a stupendous athlete with top flight speed and intriguing power potential.  Unlike most young power hitters, Jason grinds out at bats and earns a high amount of walks which, when blended with his baserunning skills, makes him an ideal leadoff hitter.

Weaknesses: His defense at 3B is below average.  The Royals have shifted him to 1B and DH as well, but those haven’t taken either.  Perhaps the best opportunity is to shift to the OF, his speed and arm strength would play well there.  Also, he has yet to hit for a high average in his career, an interesting struggle given his outstanding discpline.

2009 Outlook: Taylor will play at High-A Wilmington this season along with Mike Moustakas.  Keep an eye on where the Royals decide to play him defensively.  There is an abundance of infield talent in the Royals’ system, but the outfield is quite a bit thinner.  Don’t be surprised to see Taylor end up there.  If so, his road to K.C. could move at a quicker pace.  His peripheral numbers indicate that he should be able to hit for a higher average down the road.  That, blended with his power and speed potential, could turn him into a bigger blip on prospectors’ screens.

15.) Jharmidy DeJesus—Seattle Mariners

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Power and batting average wrapped up in a highly projectible and athletic 6-3 185 lb. frame.  DeJesus has a good grasp of the strike zone and profiles to be an excellent defensive 3B.

Weaknesses: At this point, experience.  DeJesus put up some good numbers but they were at lower levels.  How his early successes will translate at more advanced levels remains to be seen.  He should lose some of his average speed as he ages.

2009 Outlook: The M’s should give Jharmidy his first exposure to full season baseball at Low-A Clinton.  It will be interesting to see which version of DeJesus comes out in the early going.  My guess is that his numbers will fall somewhere in between what he did in the Arizona League and at Everett.

16.) Billy Rowell—Baltimore Orioles

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Rowell has the potential to be a league leading HR hitter.  His tall, strong frame promises to add more bulk as he matures.  His left handed swing is fluid and provides good leverage to all drive balls to all fields.  He is a hard worker and intense competitor who is driven to improve his game.

Weaknesses: He has made improvements, but Rowell is still a below average 3B.  Plus, his size (some report him to be as tall as 6-7) should force him to move to 1B in the not too distant future.  He is a below average runner who should become even more so with age.  Also, there have been some rumblings that his intense demeanor tends to have a polarizing effect in the clubhouse.

2009 Outlook: Rowell will likely be handed another opportunity to improve upon his numbers at High-A Frederick before possibly earning a promotion to AA Bowie later in the year.  This should be the season where things start to click offensively for Rowell.  Once they do, he has the capability to put up some mammoth numbers and rise up this list.

17.) Jefry Marte—New York Mets

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Tons of projectibility in this kid.  Marte has a lightning quick bat that provides good pop to the alleys and seems to hit everything hard.  He has an athletic frame that should also become stronger in the coming years.  He possesses above average speed that gives him good range in the field and his above average arm strengths suits him well at the hot corner.

Weaknesses: Marte is just 17 and is still extremely raw.  His defensive skills are rudimentary at this point and his fielding percentage of just .821 indicates his proclivity to struggle with routine plays.  He has good speed, but he doesn’t use it much on the basepaths. 

2009 Overview: Marte performed well enought to earn a trip to Savannah for his first look at full season baseball.  The Mets have the luxury of having two top flight, high-ceiling prospects at 3B, but with David Wright as the face of the franchise, it should mean that Marte (and perhaps Wilmer Flores as well) may need to find other places to play.  Both Marte and Flores are at least two to three seasons away from threatening to crack the Mets’ lineup, though, which gives them plenty of time to sharpen their offensive and defensive tools.

18.) Neil Walker—Pittsburgh Pirates

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Walker has lots of good tools to work with.  He is a rare switch hitter at the 3B position that has good power from both sides of the plate.   He has above average speed that he uses well on the basepaths and has exhibited leadership and a sound work ethic as well. 

Weaknesses: Walker has good defensive tools that are still being refined after making the shift from catcher to 3B just two seasons ago.  He still has terrible discipline at the plate which will always detract from his ability to hit for a high average.

2009 Outlook:  He will be given a shot to bump Andy LaRoche off the top spot on the depth chart in spring training.  Walker has loads of upside in his game, but the struggle to put it all together still plagues him.  With Pedro Alvarez the hands down 3B of the future, Walker will either have to learn yet another new position or, more likely, anticipate a trade to a new organization.  That scenerio may provide be the boost that Neil needs to move his career to the next level.

19.) Jon Gilmore—Chicago White Sox

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Quick hands that hit for average and power to the gaps.  Gilmore is an agile athlete with soft hands and strong arm that should allow him to be a solid defensive third baseman.  His work ethic is impressive and his competitive drive is evident in his all out style of play.

Weaknesses: Gilmore needs to keep working on his footwork at 3B and his discipline at the plate.  He is an aggressive hitter who can be exploited by advanced pitching.  He also has a tendency to push himself too hard at times, becoming frustrated when his performance doesn’t meet his expectations.  This leaves him to be slump prone and may have contributed to his early season struggles at Rome last season.

2009 Outlook: Gilmore moves to a new organization that has a good deal of talent at 3B.  Keep an eye out for how the White Sox decide to use Gilmore in the upcoming seasons.  He has enough speed to shift to a corner OF spot if need be and his arm could play well in RF.  He’ll start the season at Low-A Kannapolis and look to continue his torrid hitting that he displayed at Danville last season.

 20.) Eric Campbell—Atlanta Braves

2008 Stats:

Strengths: Campell is a compact power hitting ball of energy who also mixes in a discerning eye at the plate that works counts effectively and draws walks.  He is a fiery competitor that exudes confidence when he plays.  Defensively, he has a good glove and strong arm suitable for the position.

Weaknesses: Campbell displays a poor attitude at times and is prone to insubordination.  This has led to a couple of team-induced suspensions along the way.  Campbell has also struggled with injuries over the past couple of seasons, cutting into his production and slowing his development.

2009 Outlook: Campbell ended the season on a hot streak and should be ready to take on the challenges that AA Mississippi should offer.  I think that Eric Campbell is on a road to redemption.  He was a one time hot prospect that let his own immaturity hamper his promising future.  Let’s see if he can move beyond that and rise back to prospecting prominence once more.

Others to Consider: Mario Martinez, Josh Bell, Conor Gillespie, Brad Suttle,  Austin Gallagher, Travis Mattair, Johnny Whittleman, James Darnell, Tyler Henson, Tyler Kolodny, Darin Holcomb, Michael Almanzar, Taylor Green, Pedro Baez, Chris Johnson, Steve Souza

There’s the list.  As you can see, the list of players just off of the list are pretty darn talented as well.  The next Top 20 list will take us to the outfield for the best list yet.  Stay tuned and, as always, feel free to make your contributions in the comments secton!

11/14 HWL Report

Posted by Jeremy on November 15, 2008 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

The boys in Hawaii get back in action today after weather cancelled yesterday’s games.  Saturday marks the end of the regular season as West Oahu has clinched a playoff spot against either Honolulu or Waikiki.  Really though…who cares about which team wins the 2008 Hawaiian Winter League championship.  You just want to hear about the prospects!  Here’s last night’s action…

 West Oahu Cane Fires  6

• Miles Durham—1-5 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Caleb Gindl—3-4 HR(3) 3 RBI 2R BB
• Kyle Peter—2-5 R SB(11)
• Tyler Henson—1-5 2B R

 North Shore Honu  5

• Jason Castro—2-4 2B RBI 2R
• Matt McBride—2-4 2B R BB
• Ryan Kalish—1-3 R SB(13)
• Chris Carter—1-4 R

 Honolulu Sharks  4

• Dominic Brown—3-4 2 2B R
• Kala Ka’aihue—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Michael Taylor—1-2 2 BB R
• Lars Davis—2-4
• Brad Emaus—1-4 2B R
• Satoshi Nagai—7 IP H ER BB 11K (W) (4-0 1.94 ERA 48 K’s)

 Waikiki Beach Boys  1

• Roger Kieschnick—1-4 HR(6) RBI
• Jeremy Bleich—5 IP 5H 3 BB 2K (L)