8/11 AAA Minor League Report

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

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

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

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

AAA Player of the Day—CARLOS CARRASCO

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

8/2 AAA Minor League Report

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

Wow, lots has happened since the last minor league reports.  Several prospects have gotten fresh starts with new franchises and some are capitalizing on those opportunities.

Jeff Clement has,  as predicted, donned a first baseman’s glove and has hit like a top tier corner infielder since joining the Indianapolis Indians, hitting .545 with three HR and five runs scored in three games.  Clement is going to get a shot with the Bucs in the very near future and I think that the move to the NL and to 1B is going to be one that benefits him greatly.  The market for Clement’s cards is starting to pick up steam as many prospect prognosticators feel the same way that I do about his yellow and black rebirth.  Despite the optimistic start, beware!  Jeff Clement is an incredibly streaky hitter who could rip out 5 HR one week and manage just 5 hits the next.  Expect to pay $8-12 for each of his ‘06 autos right now and $2.50-3.50 for each of his ‘05 Bowman Chrome or Bowman Sterling first year cards right now.

Speaking of streaky hitters…..Travis Snider is molten hot right now.  The beefy Blue Jays OF blasted his 9th HR with the Las Vegas 51’st, driving in three runs and scoring three runs.  Snider is hitting .436 over his last 10 games with 4 HR 16 RBI and 12 runs scored.  In addition, he’s walked 8 times vs. 9 K’s during that time.  Strikeouts are always going to come in bunches for Snider, but his ability to work counts and get on base is key to his success in his next audition with the Jays.  Things are poised to open up for Snider soon as OF Jose Bautista’s production has been anemic at best.  At the same time, there is no real reason to rush the 21 year old slugger back to Toronto either.  This season was supposed to be Snider’s coming out party, but plate discipline woes and a shoulder injury mitigated his production.  The market for his first year autos in 2007 Bowman Sterling has been cut by more than half since this spring from $35-40 each to $15-18 today.  The bat speed is real, the power is prestigious, and the market for his cards are at all time lows.  Buy accordingly. 

Today’s top prospect is another Blue Jays farmhand.  Brian Dopirak is a long time minor league slugger who, at the age of 25, is experiencing a rebirth of his own as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization.  Drafted as an 18 year old in 2002, Dopirak pounded his way on prospectors’ radars in 2004 when he blasted 39 HR and 120 RBI for High-A Lancaster.  Since then, he has continued to hit HR’s at each minor league stop but has never been able to hit beyond AAA.  Yesterday’s 4-5 day that saw him hit HR’s #23 and 24 may change all of that.  At 6-4 and 220 lb., Dopirak is all hitter and is a below average defender at 1B.  Dopirak hits LH and RH pitching equally well but shows more power against southpaws.  He’s bound to get a look in September but it is unclear how much playing time he’ll get.  The market for Dopirak’s cards is low and slow right now, but a power surge in a big league uniform can create a brief window of collector interest for his cards.

AAA Player of the Day—BRIAN DOPIRAK

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Brandon Allen—2-5 2B HR(17) RBI
• John Hester—3-5 2 2B 2 RBI R
• Trent Oeltjen—2-4 HR(10) 2 RBI 2R BB SB(18)
• Matt Downs—2-4 HR(11) RBI 2B 2R (Game 1)…..2-4 2B 3B R
• Matt Tuiasosopo—2-4 HR(2) 3 RBI (Game 1)…..3-3 RBI (Game 2)
• Brad Nelson—2-3 HR(11) RBI 2R 2B
• Tyler Greene—3-3 3R BB 2 SB(21)
• Allen Craig—2-3 R RBI BB
• Wes Hodges—1-4 HR(4) RBI
• Austin Jackson—2-4 2 RBI R 2 SB(19)
• Jeff Clement—1-2 HR(17) RBI 2 BB 2R
• Neil Walker—3-4 2 2B 2 RBI
• Greg Golson—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Brett Wallace—1-3 HR(12) 2 RBI
• Cole Armstrong—2-4 HR(9) 3 RBI 2R
• Scott Sizemore—2-4 2R
• Gaby Sanchez—1-2 HR(10) RBI 2 BB
• Travis Snider—1-3 HR(9) 3 RBI 3R 2 BB
• Brian Dopirak—4-5 2 HR(24) 3 RBI 4R

Pitching:

• Junichi Tazawa—5.1 IP 2H 2 ER BB 3K L (9-7)
• Clay Mortensen—5.1 IP 5H ER 3 BB 5K

7/20 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on July 21, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Minnesota Twins OF prospect David Winfree is a name that makes our run down of daily performances quite often, but he is oft overlooked amidst the prospecting ranks.  Yesterday the former 2003 draftee launched his 13th HR of the season as part of a three hit day and drove in two runs.  The Twins are still in contention for a post season bid and have a good deal of depth in their current OF situation, however, the 23 year old Winfree is someone to keep an eye on as a sleeper for future consideration.  At 6-3 230 lb. Winfree has as much power potential as anyone in the Twins’ system not named Angel Morales.  This season, Winfree is batting .274 with 13 HR 48 RBI and 22 doubles.  He has good athleticism and a strong arm that plays well in right field.  His positive strides made last year in plate discipline (41 BB/85 K) have gone by the wayside this year (15 BB/65 K), and he will need to shore that up in order to tack down a future big league job.  The Twins have some good depth in their outfield right now, but no one seems to have distinguished themselves as franchise fixtures.  Michael Cuddyer is signed through 2010, but his contract ($8.5M in ‘10) puts him at the center of several trade rumors.  The Twins are in need of an upgrade on the left side of their infield and there have been some rumors that Braves SS Yunel Escobar could be had for either Cuddyer or Denard Span.  Over the long term, I don’t see Winfree having a sustainable future with the Twins as trio of Ben Revere, Aaron Hicks, and Angel Morales are a couple years away from making their impact on the major leagues, but there could just be a window for Winfree to get a shot to make his major league debut when the rosters expand in September.

Houston Astros former 1st round southpaw turned outfielder Brian Bogusevic has had a decent season, but not to the level that I envisioned this past offseason.  After going 3-5 with a HR and three RBI yesterday, the former Tulane Wave is hitting .280 with 6 HR 44 RBI 11 SB and 44 runs scored.  There is still quite a bit to like in Bogusevic’s game.  At 6-3 215 lb., he is big, strong and has exceptional athleticism that allows for him to play at an above average CF with a cannon for an arm.  He’s shown better plate discipline in the past, but his 37 BB/80 K ratio this season is not particularly alarming.  At 25 years old, Bogusevic is primed to make his major league debut soon, but the fact that the Astros are in contention will delay that a bit.  Houston’s GM Ed Wade has given the indication that the Astros will utilize a wait and hold strategy as the deadline approaches.  They are not interested in selling off some of their high priced talent (Carlos Lee, Roy Oswalt, Lance Berkman, Miguel Tejada) for much needed organizational depth.  Conversely, they are reluctant to dip into their farm system in order to add a piece or two.  I see the ‘Stros sliding out of the race as St. Louis and Milwaukee make the Central a two team race.  The best thing that Boguesvic can do over the next month is tighten up his BB/K ratio and continue to drive the ball with XBH authority.  The more he can do that, the better his MLB opportunities will be going forward.

Today’s top prospect from the AAA ranks is Arizona Diamondbacks catching prospect John Hester.  Yesterday, the 25 year old backstop belted HR’s number five and six, driving in three runs and scoring three times.  Hester is a 2006 13th round draftee of the D’backs who played sporadically at Stanford but has progressed steadily through Arizona’s farm system.  This season the 6-4 215 lb. Hester is hitting .313 for the Reno Aces with 6 HR 40 RBI 25 doubles and 10 stolen bases.   Defensively, Hester has drawn accolades from current Diamonbacks manager and former catcher A.J. Hinch as being the best at blocking balls in the dirt and shows above average aptitude at calling games, mobility and arm strength.

The organization’s depth at catcher is underwhelming.  Current Arizona starter Miguel Montero is enjoying his best season as a pro, but has still underdelivered since his promising minor league career.  Hester has been likened to K.C. backstop John Buck, but I think that he has a better bat than him.  Expect Hester to catch some Dan Haren and Brandon Webb pitches at some point this season and, perhaps, beyond that.

AAA Player of the Day—JOHN HESTER

 


Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Rhyne Hughes—2-4 HR(21) RBI 2B
• Steven Pearce—2-5 HR(13) 2 RBI
• Drew Stubbs—2-4 2B R BB SB(36)
• Chris Valaika—1-2 HR(5) RBI 2 BB
• Matt LaPorta—2-3 2 RBI 2B 2R BB
• Wes Hodges—2-4 R RBI
• Jason Pridie—4-5 R 5 RBI SB(20)
• David Winfree—3-5 HR(13) 2 RBI 2B
• Hernan Iribarren—3-5 2B 2R RBI
• Alcides Escobar—2-5 R RBI
• Tyler Greene—1-3 HR(5) RBI 2R 2 BB
• Brian Bogusevic—3-5 HR(6) 3 RBI
• Tommy Manzella—1-4 HR(6) 2 RBI BB
• Yorandy Ramirez—1-1 HR(10) 3 RBI
• J.P. Arencibia—2-4 HR(10) 2 RBI
• Kila Ka’aihue—3-5 2B 3R 3 RBI
• Michael Saunders—2-3 2B R
• Chad Huffman—2-5 2 2B RBI
• John Hester—2 HR(6) 3 RBI 3R BB
• Buster Posey—3-5 2B

Pitching:

• Dan McCutchen—6 IP 6H Er BB 6K W (9-5)
• James Simmons—5 IP 6H Er 2 BB 4K W (5-5)

5/10 AAA Minor League Report

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

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

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

AAA Player of the Day—J.P. ARENCIBIA

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

5/7 AAA Minor League Report

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

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

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

AAA Player of the Day—LUKE HOCHEVAR

Other Notable Peformances

Hitting:

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

Pitching:

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

4/28 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 29, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

The amazing Jake Fox has done it again!  HR number 12 sailed into the cool Nashville night leaving me to wonder how long Mr. Fox can keep up this torrid pace.  Jeff Clement, Kyle Blanks, and John Mayberry all hit HR’s and Memphis’ Blake Hawksworth tossed eight innings of two hit ball. 

Today’s top player is San Francisco Giants 1B prospect Jesus Guzman.  The former Mariner and Athletic farm hand went 2-4, homering in his third straight game and collecting four RBI.  Guzman’s bat has long been his calling card, but his defense has always left much to be desired and has been the biggest detriment to his development as a pro.  He seems to have found a home at 1B, but one has to wonder just how great the opportunities will be for him in the Bay Area as super slugging prospect Angel Villalona seems to be on a fast track.  There is a glimmer of hope in the short term for Guzman, though, as current San Fran first baseman Travis Ishikawa has struggled in the early going to replicate the power and batting average he boasted during spring training.  A continued slump may just try the Giants’ patience enough to call Guzman up to give the 24 year old Venezuelan some platoon at bats against LHP’s.  This is certainly a situation to monitor closely in the ensuing weeks.

AAA Player of the Day—JESUS GUZMAN

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Jake Fox—2-4 HR(12) 2 RBI 2B
• Mat Gamel—2-5 RBI
• Alcides Escobar—2-5 2R SB(11)
• Angel Salome—2-4 2B 2 RBI R
• Julio Borbon—3-4 2B BB R
• Tyler Greene—3-4 2B BB R
• Jeff Clement—2-5 HR(3) RBI
• Chris Pettit—4-5 3B R
• Josh Whitesell—4-5 2 RBI R
• Jesus Guzman—2-4 HR(4) 4 RBI 2B
• Drew Stubbs—3-5 2B R SB(1)
• Adam Rosales—2-4 2 RBI R
• Wes Hodges—3-5 2B R
• Wilkin Ramirez—4-5 2 2B R
• Reid Brignac—2-3 2R 2 BB
• John Jaso—1-5 HR(1) 2 RBI
• John Mayberry Jr.—1-4 HR(5) 3 RBI
• Matt Wieters—1-4 2 RBI

Pitching:

• Blake Hawksworth—8 IP 2H BB 3K W(2-2)
• Wade Davis—5.1 IP 3H 3 ER 3 BB 3K W(2-0)

4/27 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 28, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Hey gang!  I apologize for my three day hiatus from the blogosphere.  I had some family obligations to tend to, which consequently limited my time spent online.  I am back into the fray though and ready to crank out some more great prospect reports.  Let’s get started in the AAA ranks!

Mat Gamel hit homerun number seven on Monday and both Juan Miranda and Brad Snyder chipped in their fifth.  Eric Young Jr. showed that he can do more than just steal bases by hitting his first round tripper and Kyle Blanks chipped in his third longball.  On the mound, Clay Buchholz looked dominant over six innings allowing one run on three hits and seven K’s and Luke Hochevar looked like a #1 overall pick as he won his fourth game of the year. 

The name on everyone’s tongues this spring has been Chicago Cubs slugging prospect Jake Fox.  Fox didn’t dissapoint last night as he blasted not one, but two HR to increase his minor league leading total to 11.  Fox, though, was outdone by another two HR slugger, Oakland A’s 1B/OF prospect Sean Doolittle.  The former Virginia Cavalier knocked in four runs and scored three times as he doubled his 2009 HR output to four.  Doolittle has made great strides in transforming himself from a Mark Grace-type high average, low power player to an athletic player with the capability of hitting 20-25 HR in the middle of a major league lineup.  Oakland has some potential holes at 1B that Doolittle is just about ready to fill. Expect him to get a shot at some point in 2009.

AAA Player of the Game—SEAN DOOLITTLE

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Wes Hodges—2-4 2B
• Michael Aubrey—2-4 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R 2B
• Clete Thomas—3-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2 2B 2R
• Juan Miranda—1-5 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Austin Jackson—1-5 2R 2B SB(5)
• Trevor Plouffe—2-3 2R
• Steven Pearce—1-4 HR(3) RBI
• John Mayberry—2-5 HR(4) RBI 2B 2R
• Adam Rosales—3-3 2B 2 RBI R
• Drew Stubbs—2-4 2B RBI
• Chris Lubanski—2-3 2B 2 RBI BB R
• Kila Ka’aihue—2-4 3B RBI
• Jake Fox—2-3 2 HR(11) 2 RBI 3R BB SB(1)
• Brad Snyder—3-4 HR(5) 3 RBI
• Mat Gamel—1-4 HR(7) RBI BB
• Alcides Escobar—1-4 2B 2 SB(10)
• Josh Alley—2-3 2B 2R RBI BB (Game 1)…..2-3 (Game 2)
• Chris Pettit—2-3 2B RBI (Game 1)…..3-3 2 2B 2 RBI (Game 2)
• Kyle Blanks—2-3 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Allen Craig—1-4 HR(2) RBI 2R
• Brian Boguesevic—2-4 3B R RBI
• Eric Young Jr.—2-3 HR(1) RBI 3B 2R
• Sean Doolittle—2-3 2 HR(4) 4 RBI 3R BB
• Jesus Guzman—2-3 HR(3) 3 RBI

Pitching:

• Ian Kennedy—4.2 IP 7H UER 2 BB 4K
• Clay Buchholz—6 IP 3H ER 7K
• Drew Carpenter—7.1 IP 4H UER 3 BB 3K
• Luke Hochevar—6 IP 4H UER 2 BB 7K W(4-0)

4/14 AAA Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on April 15, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | 2 Comments to Read

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Tommy Hanson spun another gem on Tuesday allowing just one run and striking out seven in 5.2 IP, but his efforts were not good enough as he received his first loss of the season.  Andrew McCutchen’s MLB debut will come soon if he continues to put up three hit, three RBI days like he did yesterday, and Matt LaPorta and Wes Hodges combined for five hits and four runs scored.  Today’s IL top performer, however, is unsung former 1st round pick Chris Lambert.  The Toledo Mud Hen tossed eight one-hit innings racking up 11 strikeouts for his first win of the season.

International League Player of the Day—CHRIS LAMBERT

Other Notable Performances:

• Kevin Russo—4-6 R 2B RBI SB(3)
• Austin Jackson—1-3 2R 2 BB 2 SB(3)
• Mark Melancon—2 IP H 4K W(1)
• Eddie Kunz—3 IP H 5K
• Luke Hughes—1-3 2 RBI
• Wes Hodges—3-5 2 2B 2R RBI
• Matt LaPorta—2-4 2B 2R RBI
• Michael Aubrey—4-5 2 2B 2 RBI
• Stephen Head—1-5 HR(1) RBI
• Andrew McCutchen—3-6 2B 3B 3 RBI
• Brian Bixler—4-4 2 2B 4R 2 BB RBI SB(1)
• Shelby Ford—1-4 HR(1) 3 RBI SB(1)
• Tommy Hanson—5.2 IP 3H ER 2 BB 7K L(1)
• Reid Brignac—1-4 2B RBI
• Chris Lambert—8 IP H 2 BB 11K W(1)
• Carlos Fisher—3.1 IP 2H 4K
• Nolan Reimold—2-4 2B
• Matt Wieters—1-3 BB

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Mike Carp, Allen Craig, and Jesus Guzman made their first deposits into outfield seats while Xavier Paul and Sean Doolittle each had three hit days.  It was Iowa Cubs slugger Jake Fox who had the biggest day going 4-5 with two HR, five RBI, and three runs scored.

Pacific Coast League Player of the Day—JAKE FOX

Other Notable Performances:

• Mike Carp—2-4 HR(1) RBI 2B
• Jesus Guzman—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Julio Borbon—2-6 2 RBI R SB(1)
• Max Ramirez—2-5 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Joaquin Arias—0-3 R 3 RBI
• Luis Mendoza—5 IP 2H 2 BB 6K W(1)
• Mat Gamel—1-4 2B R
• Allen Craig—3-4 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Jon Jay—2-4 3R BB SB(1)
• Tyler Greene—2-5 RBI R SB(2)
• Chris Lubanski—1-3 R BB
• Mitch Maier—1-3 2B RBI 2 BB
• Josh Whitesell—2-4 2B RBI
• Alan Johnson—6 IP 2H 2K W(1) (2-3 2B 3 RBI)
• Jake Fox—4-5 2 HR(3) 5 RBI 2B 3R
• Xavier Paul—3-5 3B 3 RBI SB(2)
• Blake DeWitt—1-3 RBI R 2 BB
• Kyle Blanks—1-3 2 RBI BB
• Daric Barton—1-3 R 2 RBI BB
• Sean Doolittle—3-5 2B R
• Eric Patterson—2-4 2B R BB

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

3/6 Spring Training Report

Posted by Jeremy on March 7, 2009 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment

The balls were flying all around the yard yesterday as several top prospects went deep including Mat Gamel, Kyle Blanks, Andrew McCutchen and Cameron Maybin. Colby Rasmus continues to prove that he is ready for his MLB debut going 2-2 with a double, two walks and a stolen base, Vin Mazzaro netted another fine performance, pitching two perfect innings but it was Chicago White Sox 1B/OF Brandon Allen who walked away with the youngster of the day award with a four-hit, two RBI performance.

Youngster of the Day—BRANDON ALLEN

Other Notable Performances:

• Gordon Beckham—2-5 2R BB
• Brandon Allen—4-4 2 RBI R BB
• Tyler Flowers—1-2 2R BB
• Luke Hughes—2-3 3B RBI R
• Evan Frey—2-2 2 RBI
• Justin Upton—1-3 R SB(1)
• James Skelton—2-3 R BB
• Brett Gardner—1-3 R
• Jesus Montero—1-1 2B R
• Matt Wieters—1-2 2B RBI R
• Chris Tillman—2 IP 3H ER BB 2K
• Justin Maxwell—1-4 3B R
• Evan Longoria—2-3 R
• Andrew McCutchen—1-3 HR(1) RBI
• Neil Walker—3-5 2B R
• Colby Rasmus—2-2 2B 2 BB R SB(2)
• Daniel Murphy—1-5 2 RBI 3B
• Zack Daeges—1-2 HR(1) 2 RBI 2 BB
• Josh Reddick—3-5
• Cameron Maybin—1-3 HR(1) RBI
• Chad Huffman—1-4 GS HR(1) 4 RBI 2 BB
• Kyle Blanks—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• Cedric Hunter—1-1 R BB
• Will Venable—1-3 R RBI
• Dexter Fowler—1-2 RBI SB(2)
• Mike McKenry—1-2 HR(1) RBI
• Eric Young Jr.—1-2 2 RBI BB 2R SB(2)
• Delwyn Young—1-1 2B 2 RBI
• Wes Hodges—3-4 2 2B RBI R
• Trevor Crowe—2-2 RBI SB(1)
• Luis Valbuena—1-2 HR(1) RBI
• Lorenzo Cain—2-3 3R 3 RBI 2 BB
• Alcides Escobar—1-2 2 RBI 2R BB
• Brad Nelson—2-2 3 RBI 2B R
• Jon Lucroy—2-3 2B 2R BB
• Mat Gamel—1-6 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Sean Doolittle—2-2 2 2B 3 RBI
• Javier Herrera—2-2 2R
• Josh Outman—2.2 IP 5H ER 3K
• Vin Mazzaro—2 IP 3K
• Rob Johnson—1-3 RBI SB(1)
• Peter Bourjos—1-3 RBI
• Emmannuel Burriss—2-3 R
• Mario Lisson—2-2 2 RBI R
• Chris Lubanski—1-1 RBI BB
• John Whittleman—1-2 HR(1) 2 RBI