10/28 Arizona Fall League Report

Posted by Jeremy on October 29, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Read the First Comment

Yesterday’s games saw Atlanta Braves 1B prospect Freddie Freeman continue his hot streak with three more hits.  Oakland A’s prospects Corey Brown and Jemile Weeks had nice outings as Brown rapped three more RBI’s and Weeks doubled twice and drove in two runs.  San Diego Padres prospect Lance Zawadzki put a black mark on Aaron Crow’s professional debut by taking him deep, though Crow looked pretty sharp allowing just two runs on three hits in his four innings. 

In Mesa, Andrew Cashner logged four no-hit innings, walking two and striking out four for his first win of the season.  Boston Red Sox SS/P prospect Casey Kelly had his best day with the bat, doubling, tripling and driving in four runs.

Today’s top prospect is the hands down best player in Arizona this fall, Grant Desme.  The A’s slugger remarkably tallied two more HR’s to raise his league leading total to 10.  Desme is now just four behind Brandon Wood’s AFL record and his .469 BA and 22 RBI leads the league right now.  Desme quietly had a big season for the A’s at Low-A Kane County and High-A Stockton, hitting .288 with 31 HR 89 RBI 40 SB and 98 runs scored.  Desme’s biggest culpability right now is his contact issues as he struck out 148 time in 131 games.  To date, Desme has fanned 14 times in 12 games, but his eight walks and 23 hits in that span makes his aggressive approach at the plate tolerable, if not encouraging.  Desme doesn’t have any first year cards right now, but when they do arrive (‘09 Bowman Draft?) they should command a solid market right out of the gate. 

AFL Player of the Day—GRANT DESME

Other Notable AFL Performances:

  Mesa Solar Sox 12

• Bryan Petersen—2-5 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R
• Starlin Castro—2-5 RBI 2R
• Hank Conger—2-4 2B R RBI BB
• David Cooper—2-4 RBI R
• Casey Kelly—2-4 2B 3B 4 RBI R BB
• Josh Vitters—2-5 RBI R
• Andrew Cashner—4 IP 0H 2 BB 4K  W (1-2)

  Scottsdale Scorpions 5

• Brandon Crawford—2-4 HR(1) RBI
• William Susdorf—1-2 HR(2) 2 RBI 2  BB
• Buster Posey—1-3 2R BB

  Phoenix Desert Dogs 11

• Grant Desme—3-4 2 HR(1) 4 RBI 4R BB
• Brandon Waring—3-5 3B RBI 2R
• Corey Brown—2-5 3 RBI
• Jemile Weeks—3-3 2 2B 2 RBI R

  Peoria Javelinas 6

• Trayvon Robinson—2-5 RBI R
• Casper Wells—1-4 HR(3) 3 RBI
• Justin Sellers—3-4 2B R
• Jordan Danks—1-3 R RBI BB

  Peoria Saguaros 9

• Lance Zawadzki—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R BB
• Jon Gaston—1-5 3B R 2 RBI
• Yonder Alonso—2-4 2R 2 RBI
• Freddie Freeman—3-4 2B R RBI BB
• Brandon Hicks—2-4 3B RBI BB
• Steven Garrison—3 IP 3H 2 BB K W (1-1)

  Surprise Rafters 0

• Reese Havens—2-4
• Aaron Crow—4 IP 3H 2 ER BB 2K L (0-1)

10/21 Arizona Fall League Report

Posted by Jeremy on October 22, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

I was looking through some of my past posts and saw that the scoreboard section of each entry is a little mushed together, making it difficult to discern the final scores of each game.  I will try to do better going forward.

As for tonight’s action, the Phoenix Desert Dogs put up 17 runs tonight to provide us with a wealth of offensive performances to choose from.  Grant Desme blasted two more homeruns to up his league leading total to five and Josh Bell increased his league leading batting average to .600 on the strenght of a four hit day that included his first AFL dinger, a double and three RBI.  In other games, Jordan Danks went yard for the second consecutive day, Yonder Alonso and Colin Curtis hit their second HR’s of the fall and Daryl Jones homered, scored twice, walked three times and stole two more bases to increase his total to six on the young season.

We go back to the Desert Dogs for our top performer of the day.  Baltimore Orioles 1B prospect and former 1st round pick Brandon Snyder belted HR’s number 2 and 3 earlier today, driving in seven runs and scoring three times.  Those of you who have followed this blog for some time have heard me on several occasions laud the offensive potential of the 23 year old power hitter.  Snyder’s ‘09 campaign got off to a rousing start as he batted .343 with 10 HR 45 RBI and 19 doubles in just 54 games at AA Bowie.  A promotion to AAA Norfolk saw him struggle to maintain his batting average and power numbers (.248 2 HR 43 RBI 18 doubles in 73 games).   The cool down performance at Norfolk diminished the market for his cards somewhat, making his various autos in 2005 Rookie Cup and various 2006 Bowman products nice bargain basement buys at $5-10 each. 

The Orioles have some decisions to make in the off season as the club has clearly opted to shift to a more youth oriented lineup.  Emerging stars like Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold and a plethora of pitching talent make Baltimore an exciting up and coming A.L. East powerhouse that could contend with the other beasts in the east within the next two to three seasons.  Snyder’s torrid start to the ‘09 AFL season (.481 3 HR 12 RBI 10 runs) should increase the Orioles’ confidence in making him the front runner for the position in 2010.  Former Indians prospect Michael Aubrey should factor into the competition as well, but Snyder’s power upside and youth gives him a decided upper hand.  As much as I like Snyder, I do think he will struggle some in his first couple of months in a major league lineup.  He has a history of starting slowly at new levels before taking off and putting up better numbers.  Regardless, he’s a future 20-25 HR hitter who could drive in close to 100 runs in the middle of a young and talented Baltimore Orioles lineup.  Once that happens, the days of $5 Bowman Chrome and Sterling autos will be a thing of the distant past.

AFL Player of the Day—BRANDON SNYDER

Other Notable AFL Performances:

  Mesa Solar Sox 5

• Josh Vitters—3-5 2B R 2 RBI
• Bryan Petersen—2-5 2B R RBI
• Wellington Castillo—3-4 BB
• Greg Burns—1-2 3B R RBI 2 BB
• Tommy Mendoza—4 IP 3H ER 3K W (1-1)

  Scottsdale Scorpions 4

• Buster Posey—2-4 2B 2 RBI R
• Thomas Neal—1-4 R SB(3)

  Surprise Rafters 10

• Colin Curtis—3-5 HR(2) 2 RBI 2R 3B
• Mitch Moreland—1-5 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R
• Ike Davis—3-4 2B 2 RBI BB
• Trey Henley—2-4 2B 2r HR(1) 3 RBI BB
• Bryan Anderson—2-4 3B 2 RbI
• Daryl Jones—1-1 2R HR(1) RBI 3 BB 2 SB(6)
• Carlos Gutierrez—3.2 IP 2H 2 BB K W(2-0)

  Peoria Saguaros 9

• Chris Heisey—4-5 2 2B 3B 2R 2 RBI
• Lance Zawardzki—2-5 3B 2R RBI
• Yonder Alonso—1-4 HR(2) 3 RBI
• Josh Rodriguez—1-3 HR(1) RBI SB(1)
• Jon Gaston—2-4 3B R

  Phoenix Desert Dogs 17

• Brandon Snyder—4-5 2 HR(3) 7 RBI 2B 3R SB(1)
• Grant Desme—2-3 2 HR(5) 3 RBI
• Josh Bell—4-5 HR(1) 3 RBI 2R 2B
• Corey Brown—1-4 HR(1) RBI BB
• Matt Angle—3-5 2R RBI BB
• Jemile Weeks—1-5 3R RBI BB SB(2)

  Peoria Javelinas 4

• Russ Mitchell—3-3 2B 2R RBI
• Jordan Danks—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• C.J. Retherford—2-4 2 RBI

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)

5/29 High-A Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 30, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Angel Villalona and Nick Noonan each went yard for San Jose.  Villalona has made great strides offensively this season raising his average nearly 40 points over last year’s totals and improving his BB/K ratio slightly.  There is still an ample amount of work that needs to be done in this department as he has only earned 7 BB vs. 38 K’s in his 45 games, but it is an improvement over last year’s 18 BB/118 K debacle.  In other action, Neftali Soto rapped four hits and drove in a run, a feat exceeded by Boston’s catching prospect Luis Exposito who also went 4-4 with his 3rd HR and three RBI.

Michael Stanton raised his average to .296 by collecting three hits, including his 11th HR, driving in three runs and scoring four times.  Stanton’s plate discipline has improved by leaps and bounds as he has a very respectible 25 BB/37 K’s thusfar.  Adding that element to his game makes him infinitely more dangerous as a power hitter.

Today’s top prospect is another Philadelphia Phillie, Kyle Drabek.  The fireballing son of former N.L. Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek, tossed a complete game shutout, allowing five hits and striking out seven.  The win gives Drabek a 4-1 record this season with a 2.48 ERA and 19 BB/74 K in his first 62 innings.  Going at least 5 innings in each of his first 10 outings, the 21 year old is showing that he has moved well beyond his injury woes of the past and previous concerns about his makeup and work ethic have been mitigated significantly.  Expect Drabek to get a promotion at some point this season and, with the poor pitching of top prospect Carlos Carrasco, it seems reasonable to expect that Kyle could wind up as Philly’s best young hurler by the end of the ‘09 season.

High-A Player of the Day—KYLE DRABEK

Other Notable Performances:

Hitting:

• Logan Forsythe—2-5 3 RBI
• Tyson Gillies—2-4 2 3B 2R
• Angel Villalona—3-5 2B HR(7) 2 RBI 2R 2B
• Nick Noonan—3-5 HR(3) 3 RBI 2B 2R
• Thomas Neal—3-5 2B 2R 2 RBI
• Jemile Weeks—1-4 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Matthew Sweeney—2-3 HR(6) 2 RBI
• Cord Phelps—1-5 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Luis Exposito—4-4 HR(3) 3 RBI 2B
• Freddie Freeman—3-5 2B R
• Derrick Robinson—2-6 R SB(24)
• Johnny Giavotella—2-4 2B R
• Miles Durham—1-3 HR(6) RBI
• Brandon Tripp—4-6 HR(3) 3 RBI 3B 3B 2R (Cycle)
• Michael Stanton—2-3 2B 2R 3 BB (Game 1)…..1-3 HR(11) 2 RBI 2 BB 2R (Game 2)
• Jesus Montero—2-4 2B
• Chris Parmelee—2-4 2B RBI
• Ben Revere—2-4 RBI SB(21)
• Arlon Quiroz—3-4 2B RBI R
• Justin Jackson—2-3 2B
• Yonder Alonso—2-4 R
• Neftali Soto—4-4 2B RBI R SB(1)

Pitching:

• Travis Webb—7.1 IP 5H ER BB 6K W (3-3)
• Jeremy Hefner—5 IP 6H 2 ER BB 4K W (4-6)
• Alberto Bastardo—7 IP 5H BB 8K W (4-2)
• Bruce Billings—6.2 IP 4H UER 13K L (3-5)
• Scott Barnes—6 IP 2H er 3 BB 6K W (5-2)
• Alexander Torres—6 IP 5H Er 3 BB 7K W (3-2)
• Brad Meyers—6.2 Ip 4H ER 2 BB 8K L (3-2)
• Jose Rosario—5 Ip 5H Er 7K W (4-1)
• Deolis Guerra—6 IP 5H K W (4-4)
• Kyle Drabek—9 IP 5H BB 7K W (4-1)
• Jeff Allison—5 IP 6H 2 ER 2 BB 2K W (3-3)

5/11 High-A Minor League Report

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

There was a light schedule in the High-A ranks yesterday as both the California League and Carolina league had the night off.  Kyle Drabek continues his comeback bid with great success tossing five innings of one run ball in a no-decision.  Neftali Soto seems to have shaken off an early season slump as he hit his fourth HR as part of a three hit day.  Jesus Montero drove in three runs as did teammate Eric Fryer.  Matt Dominguez’s bat is showing signs of life as he had two hits and scored twice, but it was a teammate of his who takes home top honors for the second time this season.

Today’s top player is none other than Florida Marlins statuesque slugger Michael Stanton.  The 6-5 outfielder hit his seventh HR and doubled, driving in two runs.  Stanton has been solid this season, but really hasn’t heated up yet as he is hitting .281 with 7 HR and 23 RBI thusfar.  The market for his cards is still quite vibrant, but it has subsided somewhat since his excellent performance with the Marlins in spring training.  Stanton is still indubidly a fast track player who should make the transition to AA Chattanooga at some point this season.  Looking for a good deal on an ‘08 auto?  His Razor autos are currently selling for $10-12 each.

High-A Player of the Day—MICHAEL STANTON

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Jordan Newton—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2B
• Moises Sierra—2-5 RBI SB(3)
• Tim Kennelly—3-4 3 2B RBI BB
• Lee Haydel—2-5 RBI R 2 SB(13)
• Eric Farris—3-5 BB SB(16)
• Michael Stanton—2-3 HR(7) 2 RBI 2B BB
• Matt Dominguez—2-4 2R RBI
• Gregory Burns—3-5 2R 2 RBI SB(5)
• Pedro Cipriano—1-4 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Neftali Soto—3-3 HR(4) RBI BB
• Yonder Alonso—1-2 R 3 BB
• Chris Parmelee—2-3 HR(5) RBI BB
• Austin Krum—3-3 3R BB
• Eric Fryer—3-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Jesus Montero—2-4 3 RBI 3B R

Pitching:

• Kyle Drabek—5 IP 5H ER 3 BB 5K
• Joshua Butler—7 IP 6H 2 ER 2 BB 4K
• Eric Nielson—6 IP 4H 2 BB 7K W (2-2)
• Carlos Gutierrez—6 IP 3H 3 BB 3K W (2-1)

5/6 High-A Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 7, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Offense was as plentiful in the California League as was rain in the Carolina League.  Top prospects from all leagues put up monster performances, making today’s report an exceptional pleasure to produce.  Angel Villalona is proving that he was ready for the challenges of High-A ball by smacking his fourth HR as part of a perfect 4-4 day with three RBI, two doubles and four runs scored.  Michael Burgess hit HR number six and drove in three and Mitch Moreland and Reese Havens also hit their sixth dingers.  Dodgers young prospect Edgardo Baez belted two HR’s as did Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

As good as these performances were, they paled in comparison to what both M’s OF prospect Joe Dunigan and Astros OF prospect Jonathan Gaston did.  Each slugger belted three HR’s and drove in seven runs.  Gaston’s came as part of a five hit, four run day and Dunigan’s HR’s tied him with Iowa’s Jake Fox for top spot in MiLB.

Gaston had a miserable start to his professional career after being selected in the seventh round of the ‘08 draft.  He batted just .193 with 2 HR and 25 RBI in 62 games at short season Tri Cities.  Plate discipline was a problem with him, but was not an issue during his tenure with the University of Arizona.  Gaston’s power outburst this season (.273 9 HR 20 RBI) is a little intriguing and worth watching.  His previous season high was 12 with the Wildcats in ‘08.  A factor to consider in this is the fact that he is a left handed hitter who plays his home games in Lancaster’s power-friendly confines.  This season, it appears that he has regained his strike zone judgement, which will only benefit him going forward.

Joe Dunigan also had his fair share of struggles in ‘08, playing at Low-A Wisconsin (.240 14 HR 58 RBI 28 SB and 31 doubles).  Dunigan’s plate discipline was also a detriment as he struck out 142 times in 119 games.  This season, he is tearing the cover off of the ball, hitting .390 with a league leading 12 HR 30 RBI and 6 SB.  Dunigan is powerfully built and has good speed.  He played in the OF and 1B last season and should be able to hit his way into a major league lineup.  As good as things are going, his 9 BB/27 K in 25 games is still a concern as he will not be able to maintain a .300 batting average employing a free-swinging approach at the plate.  However, the blend of power and speed numbers is an increasingly rare commodity these days, making Dunigan an under the radar guy to watch once his first year cards come out.

High-A Players of the Day—JOE DUNIGAN & JONATHAN GASTON

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Dave Thomas—1-3 HR(6) RBI
• Collin Cowgill—3-4 2R 3 RBI
• Ryne White—2-3 2B 2R 2 BB
• P.J. Phillips—1-4 HR(2) RBI 2R 2 BB
• Charlie Blackmon—3-5 2B 2R 3 RBI
• Brian Rike—3-4 2 RBI 2B R
• Hector Gomez—1-4 2B 2 RBI R BB
• Maikol Gonzalez—3-3 2B 2R 2 RBI BB SB(2)
• James Shuck—3-6 2B 2R RBI
• Marcos Cabral—3-4 4R 2B 2 BB
• James Castro—3-6 2B R 2 RBI
• Chris Minaker—3-6 3 2B 3R 2 RBI
• Craig Corrado—4-6 2B R RBI SB(5)
• Yefri Carvajal—3-4 2B 2 RBI
• Logan Forsythe—1-2 HR(3) RBI 2R 2 BB
• Trayvon Robinson—3-6 RBI SB(6)
• Steven Caseres—2-5 HR(4) 3 RBI 2R BB
• Edgardo Baez—3-6 2 HR(4) 3 RBI 2R SB(2)
• Tyson Gillies—3-6 HR(2) RBI BB 2B
• Joe Dunigan—4-7 3 HR(12) 7 RBI 3R
• Jonathan Gaston—5-5 3 HR(9) 7 RBI 4R
• Carlos Peguaro—1-6 HR(2) 3 RBI
• Alex Liddi—1-3 2R 2 BB
• Nick Noonan—4-6 3B R 2 RBI
• Brandon Crawford—2-6 2R
• Angel Villalona—4-4 HR(4) 3 RBI 2 2B 4R
• Roger Kieschnick—2-4 2R 3B BB
• Mitch Moreland—1-3 HR(6) RBI BB
• Timmy Smith—3-4 R
• Michael Burgess—3-3 HR(6) 3 RBI 2B
• Chris Marrero—2-3 2R
• David Espinosa—1-4 HR(4) RBI
• Mike Moustakas—3-4 2B
• Eric Farris—3-5 2B RBI SB(14)
• Caleb Gindl—1-3 2B R 2 BB
• Dominic Brown—2-4 2B 3B BB
• Eric Fryer—2-4 2B RBI R SB(6)
• John Tolisano—2-5 3B R SB(3)
• Raul Barron—2-3 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Andy Dirks—3-3 2B 2 RBI BB
• Kody Kaiser—2-4 2R HR(3) RBI BB
• Yonder Alonso—3-5 R RBI
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis—2-3 2 HR(5) 3 RBI
• Reese Havens—1-3 HR(6) RBI BB
• Hector Pellot—2-3 HR(2) 2 RBI BB 2R

Pitching:

• Brad Holt—6 IP 2H 2 BB 5K W (2-1)
• Jeff Mandel—6 IP 3H ER 2 BB 2K W (3-1)
• Clayton Tanner—5 IP 4H UER 2 BB 4K W (2-0)
• Kyle Drabek—6.1 IP 6H ER BB 9K
• Alex Cobb—6 IP 5H ER BB 3K W (1-2)
• Dellin Betances—6 IP 6H ER 2 BB 4K W (2-3)

5/4 High-A Minor League Report

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

Michael Stanton doubled twice, tripled and scored two runs while Ryan Kalish hit his third HR and drove in four runs.  Blue Jays ‘07 second rounder John Tolisano continues to swing a hot bat hitting his fourth HR in the last seven games and Rangers OF prospect Mitch Moreland hit his fifth.  Madison Bumgarner pitched well again, surrendering just one earned run over five innings, but he took his first lost of the season. and Arizona Diamondbacks RH prospect Patrick McAnaney surrendered just two hits over six scoreless innings while punching out eight in a no-decision.

Lonnie Chisenhall is a repeat offender for top prospect honors as he went 4-5 with his fifth HR, four RBI and three runs scored.  Chisenhall, 20, has been able to stick at shortstop thusfar despite the consensus from baesball insiders that he will need to eventually shift to 3B.  He has six errors through his first 23 games and was able to garner a respecitble .929 fielding % last season.  The Indians are flush with corner infield prospects which makes Chisenhall’s development as a shortstop more intriguing.  Shortstops, especially ones with the power of Chisenhall, tend to be more appealing to prospect hounds which, naturally, increases the values of their rookie cards on the online market.  The Indians’ former first rounder has solid plate disicpline, but his 8 BB/22 K is somewhat behind last year’s promising totals.  Some of this may be due to him skipping the Low-A level and adjusting to the quality of pitching in the Carolina League.

High-A Player of the Day—LONNIE CHISENHALL

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Zelous Wheeler—1-3 HR(3) 2 RBI
• Tyler Colvin—4-5 2 2B 2R RBI
• Russ Canzler—2-4 HR(2) 2R RBI
• Eric Thames—2-4 HR(1) 2 RBI 2R
• John Tolisano—2-3 HR(4) RBI BB 2R
• Andy Dirks—3-4 2 RBI 2R BB 2 SB(10)
• Kody Kaiser—3-3 3B 3R 2 RBI BB SB(4)
• Yonder Alonso—2-4 2B R RBI
• Devin Mesoraco—2-4 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Shane Peterson—2-6 HR(1) RBI
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis—2-5 3B RBI
• Greg Sexton—1-3 HR(2) 3 RBI 2R
• Matt Fields—1-4 HR(5) 2 RBI
• Cody Cipriano—1-1 HR(3) RBI 2R BB
• Michael Stanton—3-5 2 2B 3B RBI 2R
• Greg Burns—2-3 HR(1) RBI 2B 3R BB
• Lonnie Chisenhall—4-5 HR(5) 4 RBI 2B 3R
• Cord Phelps—1-3 2R 2 BB
• Alex Castillo—2-3 2B R RBI BB SB(3)
• Ryan Kalish—2-4 HR(3) 4 RBI BB
• Kris Negron—1-3 2B BB SB(5)
• Luis Exposito—2-5 3B R RBI
• Mitch Moreland—3-5 HR(5) 2 RBI 2B
• Joe Dunigan—3-4 3 2B R
• Travis Scott—2-3 2B HR(6) 2 RBI 2B
• Carlos Peguero—1-3 HR(1) 2 RBI
• Andrew Romine—2-4 R 2 SB(7)
• Jeremy Moore—2-4 2B 2R RBI
• P.J. Phillips—1-4 HR(1) RBI
• Lance Zawadzki—3-5 HR(6) RBI

Pitching:

• Patrick McAnaney—6 IP 2H 8K
• Joey Williamson—5 IP 4H 3K W (4-0)
• Madison Bumgarner—5 IP 3H ER BB 4K L (3-1)
• Chi-Hung Cheng—5 IP 4H BB 3K W (3-0)
• Mathieu Leblanc Poirier—4 IP 3H UER BB 4K
• Kennil Gomez—6 IP 7H 2 ER BB 6K

5/3 High-A Minor League Report

Posted by Jeremy on May 4, 2009 under Minor League Ball today | Be the First to Comment

Reese Havens and Yonder Alonso each hit their fifth HR’s of the season and Caleb Gindl added his fourth.  Ryan Kalish and Brandon Laird went deep for the second time this spring and Evan Anundsen won his third game. 

Today’s top prospect in the High-A ranks is San Francisco Giants young RHP Tim Alderson.  The 6-7 20 year old has struggled in the early going, but his seven innings of five hit, two run ball was good enough to net him his first win of the 2009 season.  Alderson has been overshadowed somewhat by the stellar pitching of San Jose teammate Madison Bumgarner, but make no mistake, Alderson has the control and velocity to be a frontline pitcher in the near future and should be an integral cog in San Francisco’s promising young staff in about two years.

High-A Player of the Day—TIM ALDERSON

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Dominic Brown—2-4 2B R RBI
• John Tolisano—2-4 2B BB 2 RBI
• Brandon Laird—1-4 HR(2) 2 RBI
• Greg Sexton—2-4 2 2B R RBI
• Reese Havens—3-5 HR(5) 3 RBI
• Yonder Alonso—1-5 HR(5) 3 RBI
• Caleb Gindl—1-4 HR(4) RBI
• Eric Farris—1-4 HR(1) RBI SB(3)
• Brent Brewer—1-3 2B R RBI 2 SB(8)
• Miles Durham—3-4 2B HR(1) RBI 3R
• Jason Castro—2-3 2 RBI BB
• Trevor Harbin—2-4 2 RBI R SB(3) (Game 1)…..2-3 HR(2) 3 RBI (Game 2)
• Ryan Kalish—1-4 HR(2) RBI
• Kris Negron—3-4 2B RBI
• Kenley Janson—2-4 HR(1) 4 RBI 2B 2R
• Scott Vanslyke—2-4 2 2B RBI R
• Darren Ford—2-4 3R RBI BB
• Brandon Crawford—2-4 R RBI BB
• Nick Noonan—2-5 2 RBI R
• Cole Gillaspie—2-4 2B 2 RBI
• Tim Smith—1-3 HR(3) RBI 2R 2 BB
• David Thomas—2-5 2 2B R
• Michael Stanton—1-2 2B RBI 2 BB

Pitching:

• Nick Additon—6 Ip 0H 3 BB 4K
• Ryan Searle—5 IP 2H BB 5K
• Willin De La Rosa—5 IP 5H 2 ER BB 7K
• Evan Anundsen—5 IP 3H Er BB 4K W (3-2)
• Tim Alderson—7 IP 5H 2 ER 6K W (1-1)

4/27 High-A Minor League Report

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

Pedro Alvarez and Freddie Freeman squared off against each other yesterday and each talleyed a homerun for their respective teams.  Jason Castro went deep for the third time as did Roger Kieschnick.  Jordan Danks and James Shuck each rapped three hits and scored multiple times as well.  On the mound, Charles Shirek tossed seven shutout innings, striking out eight for his third win and Yankees prospect Jeremy Bleich won his second with six shutout innings.

Today’s top player award goes to Yonder Alonso who only had one hit, but he made it count.  The Reds’ ‘08 first rounder blasted his fourth HR, a grand slam, to help Sarasota overcome a six run deficit and defeat Charlotte 8-7.  Alonso started the season slowly, but has begun to hit better as of late batting .278 with 3 HR and 16 RBI in his last 10 games.  The plate discipline is there (7 BB/10 K), which is a prime indicator that the bat will continue to sizzle and his current batting average of .219 will soon be a thing of the past.

High-A Player of the Day—YONDER ALONSO

Other Notable Performances

Hitting:

• Brandon Crawford—2-5 3B R
• Nick Noonan—1-3 2 RBI BB
• Roger Kieschnick—2-4 HR(3) RBI 3B 2R
• James Shuck—3-3 2R RBi 2B 2 BB SB(6)
• James Castro—2-5 HR(3) RBI
• T.J. Steele—2-4 HR(1) 3 RBI
• Caleb Joseph—3-4 2 2B R SB(1)
• Jordan Danks—3-5 3R
• Pedro Alvarez—1-3 HR(4) RBI 2 BB 2R
• Freddie Freeman—1-5 HR(4) 2 RBI
• Emeel Salem—2-3 2R 2 BB SB(3)
• Cody Cipriano—2-4 2B R 3 RBI BB SB(1)
• Alex Buchholz—2-3 2B R BB
• Yonder Alonso—1-4 HR(4) 4 RBI
• Justin Reed—2-4 2 2B RBI R
• Darin Mastroianni—1-2 2R 3 BB 3 SB(12)
• Moises Sierra—1-4 4 RBI R
• Eric Thames—1-2 2B 2R 3 RBI
• Michael Stanton—1-3 RBI BB SB(1)
• Jesus Montero—2-4 2B RBI
• Austin Krum—3-4 2R BB
• Eric Farris—2-4 RBI 2 SB(8)
• Arlon Chambers—2-3 3B RBI BB R

Pitching:

• David Bromberg—4.2 IP 3H ER 2 BB 5K
• Jeremy Bleich—6 IP 3H BB 6K W(2-0)
• Kyle Winters—7 IP 3H BB 6K
• Jenrry Mejia—5 IP 5H 5K
• Ryan Searle—5 IP 2H BB 2K W(2-1)
• Charles Shirek—7 IP 4H BB 8K W(3-0)