Archive for 'Daily Dish'
Bauer’s ERA Stands Out In Rough Reno Environment



The prospect buzz surrounding Trevor Bauer has quieted since his demotion to Triple-A Reno in mid-July, and that's understandable given his four-start stumble with the Diamondbacks produced a 6.06 ERA. The 21-year-old Bauer has gone 4-1, 2.85 in 11 starts for Reno, a performance that seems nice, if unspectacular—until you factor in Pacific Coast League context.

You see, Reno does not play in a typical home park. Aces Ballpark is one of the most offensive locales in all of the minors, and Reno has averaged 6.9 runs per game in four seasons since moving to Reno.

When Reno hits the road, playing mostly in the still-quite-offensive Western portion of the PCL, they have averaged 4.9 runs per game, or two fewer than their home output. Over the past four years, Aces hitters have received a big boost across the board—40 points in average, 48 points in on-base percentage and 83 points in slugging—when playing at home compared with the league's other 15 parks. [...] Continue Reading »



Top Prospect Performers Over The Weekend, Aug. 10-12



• Presented here are the top pitcher game scores from weekend series. Any prospect with a game score of 65 or higher is displayed.

TOP GAME GAME SCORES BY PROSPECTS IN MINORS, AUG. 10-12
PITCHER ORG TEAM LEAGUE LVL IP H R ER SO BB GS
Chris Heston SF Richmond Eastern AA 7.2 1 0 0 11 3 86
Jake deGrom NYM St. Lucie Florida State HiA 7 1 0 0 8 3 80
Kyle Zimmer KC Kane County Midwest LoA 6.2 3 0 0 10 0 79
Erik Johnson CWS Winston-Salem Carolina HiA 7 3 0 0 7 0 78
Adalberto Mejia* SF Augusta South Atlantic LoA 8 5 0 0 6 1 77
Jason Adam KC Wilmington Carolina HiA 7 2 1 0 6 1 76
Garrett Richards LAA Salt Lake Pacific Coast AAA 8.1 5 1 1 7 2 75
Liam Hendriks MIN Rochester International AAA 7 4 0 0 4 1 72
Jon Pettibone PHI Lehigh Valley International AAA 7 2 0 0 2 4 71
Nick Tropeano HOU Lancaster California HiA 7 5 1 1 6 1 68
Parker Markel TB Bowling Green Midwest LoA 7 4 1 1 5 2 68
Austin Brice MIA Greensboro South Atlantic LoA 5 2 0 0 8 3 68
Casey Kelly SD San Antonio Texas AA 5 1 0 0 4 1 68
Neil Ramirez TEX Frisco Texas AA 6 5 0 0 6 0 68
Angel Mata MIN Elizabethton Appalachian R 5 2 0 0 5 1 67
Alex Meyer WAS Potomac Carolina HiA 6 4 1 1 7 0 67
Taylor Jungmann MIL Brevard County Florida State HiA 7.2 6 2 2 8 2 66
B.J. Hermsen MIN New Britain Eastern AA 9 10 1 1 4 1 66
Dylan Axelrod CWS Charlotte International AAA 7 6 1 1 7 2 66
Wily Peralta MIL Nashville Pacific Coast AAA 7 6 1 1 6 1 66
Brandon Dickson STL Memphis Pacific Coast AAA 7 5 3 3 11 0 66
Logan Verrett NYM St. Lucie Florida State HiA 6.1 4 1 1 5 1 66
Gerrit Cole PIT Altoona Eastern AA 5.1 3 0 0 6 3 66
Zack Wheeler NYM Buffalo International AAA 6 2 1 1 4 3 65
*Lefthander

• Giants righty Chris Heston turned in his finest start of the season for Double-A Richmond on Sunday, and that's saying something considering the fact that he's the Eastern League's ERA leader at 2.20. The 24-year-old took a no-hitter through 7 2/3 innings, losing the bid on a single by Bowie third baseman Zelous Wheeler, and tied his season high with 11 strikeouts. Heston missed two starts in late July with a blister on his middle finger, but his August results suggest he's feeling fine.

• The Mets received just six starts out of righty Jake deGrom during his first two pro seasons, but the former two-way standout at Stetson has made up significant ground this season to get back on track. The 2010 ninth-rounder missed all of ’11 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he jumped to high Class A for his start on Saturday after going 6-3, 2.51 in 15 starts for low Class A Savannah. DeGrom allowed only one hit in seven innings while striking out eight in his Florida State League debut. [...] Continue Reading »


Top 10 Minor League Stolen Base Single Seasons



Billy Hamilton is getting closer and closer to becoming the first minor leaguer to break a significant minor league single-season record in 29 years. Here's a look at the players he's chasing and the ones he's already passed.

TOP 10 MINOR LEAGUE SINGLE SEASON STOLEN BASES
Player Year Team Steals
Vince Coleman 1983 Macon 145
Donnell Nixon 1983 Bakersfield 144
Billy Hamilton 2012 Bakersfield/Pensacola 131
James Johnston 1913 San Francisco 124
Jeff Stone 1981 Spartanburg 123
Alan Wiggins 1980 Lodi 120
Allan Lewis 1966 Leesburg 116
Ovid Nicholson 1912 Frankfort 111
Marcus Lawton 1985 Columbia 111
Chris Morris 2001 Peoria 111

Top Prospect Performers Over The Weekend, Aug. 3-5



• Presented here are the top pitcher game scores from weekend series. Any prospect with a game score of 65 or higher is displayed.

TOP GAME GAME SCORES BY PROSPECTS IN MINORS
PITCHER ORG TEAM LEAGUE LVL IP H R ER SO BB GS
Jeff Locke* PIT Indianapolis International AAA 7.1 3 0 0 10 2 81
T.J. McFarland* CLE Columbus International AAA 8 3 0 0 5 1 80
Tyler Skaggs* ARI Reno Pacific Coast AAA 7 2 0 0 9 3 79
Jose Fernandez MIA Jupiter Florida State HiA 5 1 0 0 5 1 69
Shelby Miller STL Memphis Pacific Coast AAA 7 4 2 2 8 0 69
Nick Kingham PIT West Virginia South Atlantic LoA 6 4 0 0 5 0 69
Alex Colome TB Durham International AAA 6 2 0 0 4 4 68
Domingo Tapia NYM Savannah South Atlantic LoA 7.1 3 3 2 5 0 68
Jameson Taillon PIT Bradenton Florida State HiA 5 2 0 0 4 0 67
Perci Garner PHI Clearwater Florida State HiA 5 2 0 0 3 0 66
Brad Peacock OAK Sacramento Pacific Coast AAA 4 2 0 0 9 1 66
Justin Grimm TEX Round Rock Pacific Coast AAA 7 4 2 2 7 2 66
Ethan Martin PHI Reading Eastern AA 6 4 1 1 6 1 65
Austin Wood LAA Cedar Rapids Midwest LoA 7 6 1 1 6 2 65
*Lefthander

• A number of top pitching prospects experienced a weekend of personal bests. Diamondbacks lefty Tyler Skaggs shut out Omaha for seven innings on Friday, striking out nine in a road start, to establish his top game score (79) at the Triple-A level. He shut out Salt Lake for seven innings at home in Reno on July 13, a performance that certainly scores higher on the degree-of-difficulty scale.

• Marlins righty Jose Fernandez has logged exactly five innings in each of his seven starts for high Class A Jupiter, but his effort on Sunday registered the best game score (69).

• Cardinals righty Shelby Miller matched his season-best game score (69) for Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, striking out eight Fresno batters, walking none and allowing two runs in seven innings of the road start. Miller has gone 3-1, 2.79 with a 25-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his last five starts, good for an average game score of 59. He had averaged 44 in the 17 starts leading up to that point. [...] Continue Reading »



Michael Ynoa Makes First Start Away From Complex Leagues



Four years after he signed for the then-largest international amateur signing bonus ever, Michael Ynoa has made it out of the Arizona League.

The 20-year-old righthander gave up three runs, two of them earned, to Hudson Valley in 2 1/3 innings of work for short-season Vermont. After giving up one run in the first, Ynoa's biggest mistake was a two-run home run by Charlie Valerio in the third that ended his night. He walked two and failed to strike anyone out.

"It's been four years, and it was truly his first time under the lights and in front of a crowd," Vermont manager Rick Magnante said Thursday. "He did nothing you could hang your hat on that wasn't positive. He did it easy and there were no physical glitches." [...] Continue Reading »


We Now Have Video Of The “Three Blind Mice” Ejection



In case there was any doubt about last night's bizarre story of an umpire ejecting the music man for the high Class A Daytona Cubs for playing "Three Blind Mice," we now have video of the incident:


Rangers Add Power By Calling Up Mike Olt



In a need of an offensive spark after a 9-14 July. the Rangers reached down to Double-A Frisco to call up power-hitting prospect Mike Olt.

Expected to be in uniform for tonight's game against the Angels, the righthanded-hitting Olt will need to use his versatility to get playing time in Texas. He is considered above-average defensively at third base, his primary position, where he has solid hands and an above-average arm. But with Adrian Beltre firmly established there, Olt is more likely to play first base or see time in a corner outfield spot with the big league club, as well as seeing DH duty. Olt had played 13 games at first base and three in right field with Double-A Frisco.

The Rangers' primary DH, veteran Michael Young, is hitting just .268/.296/.345, while first baseman Mitch Moreland (a lefthanded batter) just returned from the disabled list.

At the time of his callup, Olt was hitting .288/.398/.579, and his 28 home runs ranked second in the minors to Royals farmhand Wil Myers. Olt has above-average power potential to go with an average to tick-above average hit tool, with his biggest negative being his propensity to strike out (29 percent of his 2012 at-bats). He is a below-average runner.


Avisail Garcia Extends Hitting Streak For Tigers



Tigers outfielder Avisail Garcia has always intrigued scouts for his size and broad set of tools. Now he's starting to show signs that things are beginning to click at the plate.

Garcia, 21, extended his hitting streak to 10 games today for Double-A Erie, going 3-for-4 with a double and two stolen bases, bringing him to .308/.357/.471 in 28 games since his promotion to the Eastern League.

Garcia is 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, but despite his size he runs well for his size and has a chance for five average or better tools. With Nick Castellanos moving from third base to right field, the Tigers even have Garcia playing center field in Erie, though he projects better in right field. With the improvement in his approach at the plate and his ability to cut down on the strikeouts, the one-irons Garcia hits in batting practice are starting to show up in games more often, and that's why his stock is on the way up.



Surveying The Landscape After The Trade Deadline



Now that dust has settled on the 2012 trade deadline, let's take stock of the altered landscape and view the in-season maneuvering as a complete narrative rather than a few stray transactions, a symphony rather than a string of notes, a meal rather than a collection of ingredients. Or apply your own bland metaphor.

Reflected here are all the player-for-player trades consummated between Memorial Day and the July 31 deadline—with one exception. I included the Ernesto Frieri-to-the-Angels deal from May 3 because it's a classic example of a contender swapping prospects for a veteran. Otherwise, most of the trades here took place in the 10-day period leading up to the deadline, 14 of them in the final 24 hours.

We'll go through the names Art Vandelay style, classifying players as either imports or exports. A series of two slashes (//) marks the dividing line between major league and prospect listings. Standings are as of the morning of Aug. 1.

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Yankees
• Import • 3B Casey McGehee, RF Ichiro Suzuki
• Export • RHR Chad Qualls // RHR Danny Farquhar (AAA), RHS D.J. Mitchell (AAA)

Orioles (6.5 GB)
• Import • 1B Jim Thome
• Export • C Gabriel Lino (Lo A), RHR Kyle Simon (Hi A)

Rays (7.5 GB)
• Import • 3B Ryan Roberts
• Export • 2B Tyler Bortnick (AA)

Red Sox (8.5 GB)
• Import • LHR Craig Breslow, RHS Zach Stewart // RHR Jose de la Torre (AA), RHS Steve Wright (AA)
• Export • RHR Matt Albers, UTIL Brent Lillibridge, UT-OF Scott Podsednik, 3B Kevin Youkilis // 1B Lars Anderson (AAA)

Blue Jays (9 GB)
• Import • RHR Steve Delabar, LHR J.A. Happ, RHR Brad Lincoln, RHR Brandon Lyon // RHR David Carpenter (AAA)
• Export • RHR Francisco Cordero, RF Ben Francisco, LF Travis Snider // RHS Kevin Comer (R), RHS Joe Musgrove (R), C Carlos Perez (Lo A), LHS David Rollins (Lo A), LF Eric Thames (AAA), RHS Asher Wojciechowski (Hi A)

The Blue Jays added five relievers in the span of three transactions, but otherwise the AL East clubs remained fairly quiet, adding pieces around the margins.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

White Sox
• Import • LHS Francisco Liriano, RHR Brett Myers, 3B Kevin Youkilis
• Export • SS Eduardo Escobar, UTIL Brent Lillibridge, RHS Zach Stewart // RHR Chris Devenski (Lo A), RHS Matt Heidenreich (AA), LHS Pedro Hernandez (AAA), LHS Blair Walters (Hi A)

Tigers (1.5 GB)
• Import • 2B Omar Infante, RHS Anibal Sanchez // supp first-round pick
• Export • RHS Jacob Turner // C Rob Brantly (AAA), LHS Brian Flynn (AA), supp second-round pick

Indians (5 GB)
• Import • UTIL Brent Lillibridge // 1B Lars Anderson (AAA)
• Export • RHR Jose de la Torre (AA), RHS Steve Wright (AA)

Twins (11 GB)
• Import • SS Eduardo Escobar // LHS Pedro Hernandez (AAA)
• Export • LHS Francisco Liriano

Royals (13.5 GB)
• Import • RHS Jeremy Guthrie // LHR Donnie Joseph (AAA), RHS Juan Carlos Sulbaran (AA)
• Export • RHR Jonathan Broxton, LHS Jonathan Sanchez

The White Sox struck both first and last, acquiring Kevin Youkilis and Brett Myers before the Tigers made their move for Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante. Chicago then added Francisco Liriano in the weekend before the deadline.

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

Rangers
• Import • RHS Ryan Dempster, C Geovany Soto
• Export • RHS Jake Brigham (AA), RHS Kyle Hendricks (Hi A), 3B Christian Villanueva (Hi A)

Angels (3 GB — Wild Card 1)
• Import • RHR Ernesto Frieri, RHS Zack Greinke
• Export • 2B Alexi Amarista (AAA), RHS Johnny Hellweg (AA), RHS Ariel Pena (AA), RHS Donn Roach (Hi A), SS Jean Segura (AA)

Athletics (3.5 GB — Wild Card 2)
• Import • C George Kottaras
• Export • RHR Fautino de los Santos (AAA)

Mariners (12 GB)
• Import • RHR Logan Bawcom (AA), RHR Danny Farquhar (AAA), CF Leon Landry (Hi A), RHS D.J. Mitchell (AAA), LF Eric Thames (AAA)
• Export • RHR Steve Delabar, RHR Brandon League, RF Ichiro Suzuki

The Angels picked up both a No. 1-caliber starter (Zack Greinke) and a closer (Ernesto Frieri). Other than the Angels with Greinke, five other contenders added starters who could factor in playoff games for their new clubs: Ryan Dempster (Rangers), Francisco Liriano (White Sox), Paul Maholm (Braves), Wandy Rodriguez (Pirates) and Anibal Sanchez (Tigers).

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Nationals
• Import • None
• Export • None

Braves (3.5 GB — Wild Card 1)
• Import • LHS Paul Maholm, UT-OF Reed Johnson // SS Paul Janish (AAA)
• Export • RHR Jaye Chapman (AAA), RHS Todd Redmond (AAA), RHR Arodys Vizcaino (DL)

Mets (12 GB)
• Import • None
• Export • None

Marlins (14.5 GB)
• Import • RHS Nate Eovaldi, 1B Carlos Lee, RHS Jacob Turner // C Rob Brantly (AAA), 3B Zack Cox (AAA), LHS Brian Flynn (AA), CF Gorkys Hernandez (AAA), RHR Scott McGough (Hi A), supp first-round pick, supp second-round pick
• Export • LHR Randy Choate, 2B Omar Infante, RHR Edward Mujica, RHS Anibal Sanchez, 3B Hanley Ramirez // 3B Matt Dominguez (AAA), RHR Kyle Kaminska (AA), LHS Rob Rasmussen (Hi A), 1B Gaby Sanchez (AAA), supp first-round pick

Phillies (16.5 GB)
• Import • RHR Josh Lindblom, RF Nate Schierholtz // C Tommy Joseph (AA), C Gabriel Lino (Lo A), RHS Ethan Martin (AA), RHR Seth Rosin (Hi A), RHR Kyle Simon (Hi A)
• Export • RF Hunter Pence, 1B Jim Thome, CF Shane Victorino

As outlined in Jim Callis' latest column, the Marlins snagged the most prospect talent in summer trades (three of the top 10, including No. 1 Jacob Turner), followed by the Brewers (three, led by No. 2 Jean Segura), the Cubs (two, led by No. 3 Arodys Vizcaino) and the Phillies (two, led by No. 4 Tommy Joseph). Naturally, these four NL clubs had the best talent for sale, including three of the top starters (Ryan Dempster, Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez) and two of the top position players (Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino).

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Reds
• Import • RHR Jonathan Broxton // RHS Todd Redmond (AAA)
• Export • SS Paul Janish (AAA), LHR Donnie Joseph (AAA), RHS Juan Carlos Sulbaran (AA)

Pirates (3 GB — Wild Card 2)
• Import • LHS Wandy Rodriguez, LF Travis Snider, RHR Chad Qualls // RHR Kyle Kaminska (AA), 1B Gaby Sanchez (AAA)
• Export • RHR Brad Lincoln, 3B Casey McGehee // LHS Colton Cain (Hi A), CF Robbie Grossman (AA), CF Gorkys Hernandez (AAA), LHS Rudy Owens (AAA), supp first-round pick

Cardinals (7 GB)
• Import • RHR Edward Mujica
• Export • 3B Zack Cox (AAA)

Brewers (15 GB)
• Import • RHR Fautino de los Santos (AAA), RHS Johnny Hellweg (AA), RHS Ariel Pena (AA), SS Jean Segura (AA)
• Export • RHS Zack Greinke, C George Kottaras

Cubs (17.5 GB)
• Import • RHS Jake Brigham (AA), RHR Jaye Chapman (AAA), RHS Kyle Hendricks (Hi A), 3B Christian Villanueva (Hi A), RHR Arodys Vizcaino (DL)
• Export • RHS Ryan Dempster, LHS Paul Maholm, UT-OF Reed Johnson, C Geovany Soto

Astros (27 GB)
• Import • RHR Francisco Cordero, RF Ben Francisco // LF Bobby Borchering (AA), LHS Colton Cain (Hi A), RHS Kevin Comer (R), RHR Chris Devenski (Lo A), 3B Matt Dominguez (AAA), CF Robbie Grossman (AA), RHS Matt Heidenreich (AA), LF Marc Krauss (AA), RHS Joe Musgrove (R), LHS Rudy Owens (AAA), C Carlos Perez (Lo A), LHS Rob Rasmussen (Hi A), LHS David Rollins (Lo A), LHS Blair Walters (Hi A), RHS Asher Wojciechowski (Hi A)
• Export • LHR J.A. Happ, 3B Chris Johnson, 1B Carlos Lee, RHR Brandon Lyon, RHR Brett Myers, LHS Wandy Rodriguez // RHR David Carpenter (AAA)

No team traded away more players from its active 25-man roster than the Astros (six); you could bump that total to seven because while David Carpenter was in Triple-A at the time he was traded to the Blue Jays, he actually made Houston's Opening Day roster and spent most of the year in the bigs. The Marlins were second with five exports, but you could apply the Carpenter clause to Gaby Sanchez, giving them six big league exports.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

Dodgers
• Import • LHR Randy Choate, RHR Brandon League, 3B Hanley Ramirez, CF Shane Victorino
• Export • RHS Nate Eovaldi, RHR Josh Lindblom // RHR Logan Bawcom (AA), CF Leon Landry (Hi A), RHS Ethan Martin (AA), RHR Scott McGough (Hi A)

Giants (0 GB, in virtual tie for first)
• Import • RF Hunter Pence, UT-IF Marco Scutaro
• Export • RF Nate Schierholtz // 2B Charlie Culberson (AAA), C Tommy Joseph (AA), RHR Seth Rosin (Hi A)

Diamondbacks (3.5 GB)
• Import • RHR Matt Albers, 3B Chris Johnson, UT-OF Scott Podsednik // 2B Tyler Bortnick (AA)
• Export • LHR Craig Breslow, 3B Ryan Roberts // LF Bobby Borchering (AA), LF Marc Krauss (AA)

Padres (12 GB)
• Import • 2B Alexi Amarista (AAA), RHS Donn Roach (Hi A)
• Export • RHR Ernesto Frieri

Rockies (17 GB)
• Import • LHS Jonathan Sanchez // 2B Charlie Culberson (AAA)
• Export • RHS Jeremy Guthrie, UT-IF Marco Scutaro

The Dodgers brought in the highest quantity (and arguably quality) of big league talent, making three separate trades for Hanley Ramirez, Shane Victorino, Brandon League and Randy Choate. With their trade for Marco Scutaro, the Giants continued their annual tradition of importing middle-infield help at mid-season, just like they did last year (Orlando Cabrera, Jeff Keppinger), in 2010 (Mike Fontenot) and 2009 (Freddy Sanchez).


Top Prospect Performances Over The Weekend, July 27-29



To compensate for a truncated version of top weekend performers, we're taking these lists to 15 or more places.

• Presented here are the top pitcher game scores from weekend series. Any prospect with a 70 or higher is displayed.

ALL 70+ GAME GAME SCORES BY PROSPECTS IN MINORS • JULY 27-29
PITCHER ORG TEAM LEAGUE LVL IP H R ER SO BB GS
Cody Martin ATL Lynchburg Carolina HiA 7 1 0 0 9 1 83
Adam Morgan* PHI Clearwater Florida State HiA 8 3 2 2 9 0 77
Andre Rienzo CWS Birmingham Southern AA 7 3 0 0 9 3 77
Roberto Osuna TOR Vancouver Northwest SS 5 1 0 0 13 1 77
Casey Crosby* DET Toledo International AAA 8 3 1 1 5 2 75
Tyler Anderson* COL Asheville South Atlantic LoA 7 3 0 0 3 0 74
Tyler Cloyd PHI Lehigh Valley International AAA 7 4 0 0 6 1 74
Alex Colome TB Montgomery Southern AA 9 6 2 2 6 0 73
David Goforth MIL Wisconsin Midwest LoA 7 2 1 1 5 2 72
Roman Mendez TEX Myrtle Beach Carolina HiA 6 4 0 0 9 1 72
Chris Schwinden NYM Buffalo International AAA 7 3 1 1 5 1 71
Angel Mata MIN Elizabethton Appalachian R 5 2 0 0 8 0 71
Jeff Locke* PIT Indianapolis International AAA 7 4 0 0 4 3 70
Julio Rodriguez PHI Reading Eastern AA 6 3 0 0 8 4 70
*Lefthander

• Braves righthander Cody Martin threw an absolute gem for high Class A Lynchburg two weekends ago, throwing a two-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts. His two follow-up outings—14 runs, 20 baserunners in 7 2/3 innings—would not be classified as precious stones. The 22-year-old Martin turned in a worthy encore Sunday, holding Salem scoreless on one hit over seven innings.

• The 17-year-old Roberto Osuna struck out 13 of the 19 batters he faced in five shutout innings while making his debut with short-season Vancouver. [...] Continue Reading »


Roberto Osuna Strikes Out 13 In Northwest League Debut



When the Blue Jays paid $1.5 million to sign Roberto Osuna from the Mexico City Red Devils last year, scouts said they were getting a pitcher with considerable polish for a 16-year-old.

Osuna and Venezuelan righthander Victor Sanchez, who signed with the Mariners for $2.5 million, were generally considered the top two pitching prospects on the international market last year. The two faced each other tonight, and while Sanchez was solid, Osuna was spectacular in his debut for short-season Vancouver.

Osuna, now 17, struck out 13 of the 19 batters he faced in five shutout innings, surrendering only one hit and one walk. According to Vancouver, Osuna set a franchise record for strikeouts in a game. Osuna has worked this year with a fastball from the low-to-mid 90s, showing feel for both his breaking ball and his changeup while filling up the strike zone. 

[...] Continue Reading »


Joey Gallo Continues Power Surge For Rangers



Joey Gallo’s numbers have been downright silly.

Signed for $2.25 million as a Rangers supplemental first-round pick last month, Gallo has annihilated pitchers in the Rookie-level Arizona League. The 18-year-old third baseman made the most of his only at-bat yesterday, a pinch-hit home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, which the Rangers went on to win in extra innings.

Gallo, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound lefthanded hitter, is now batting .316/.461/.816 (yes, .816) with 13 home runs in 29 games.

“He hits it like nobody I’ve ever seen before as an 18-year-old kid,” Arizona League Rangers manager Corey Ragsdale said.

[...] Continue Reading »


Cody Allen, Come On Down



Trevor Bauer was the first player from the 2011 draft to reach the major leagues. That was no surprise, considering Bauer (a) was the 2011 College Player of the Year at UCLA, (b) signed relatively early last summer, in time to actually reach Double-A in his first season, and (c) signed a major league contract, giving him a spot on the 40-man roster.

The 2011 draft class was an epic one, especially on the mound, producing the largest signing bonus for a player with the team that drafted him (Gerrit Cole), major league contracts (Danny Hultzen and Dylan Bundy in addition to Bauer) and 2012 Futures Gamers (Jose Fernandez, Chris Reed, Matt Barnes) down through the first round.

Jump down to the 23rd round, though, for the second player from the '11 draft to make the majors—Cody Allen, who already has made three scoreless appearances for the Indians. We'll detail Allen's quick rise in a column next week but wanted to point out just how rare it is for a 23rd-rounder to get to the majors so quickly.

[...] Continue Reading »


Kyle Hendricks Continues To Carve For Rangers



Rangers righthander Kyle Hendricks snuck onto the Northwest League top prospect list last fall, coming in at No. 20 after going 2-2, 1.93 with 36 strikeouts and four walks over 33 innings.

Since then, he’s made two changes and he’s again one of the best performers in his league, having spent the entire season with high Class A Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League.

“I changed my mechanics a little bit at the very beginning of the year, trying to get more directional and trying to get everything going towards home plate,” Hendricks said. “And then other than that, I’ve been working with the pitching coach just on pitch sequences, learning the hitters and just watching and learning from the swings they take on certain pitches so that I can make adjustments on the mound as you go and really thinking while you’re out there instead of just throwing.”

He also added a new pitch.

“I just started throwing a cutter and it’s been a big part of the repertoire lately,” Hendricks said. “If I fall behind in the count or something, I use it as a contact pitch to get out of the count and go to the next hitter.”
[...] Continue Reading »


Indians’ Dorssys Paulino Adds Four More Hits In Stellar Debut



Scouts who liked Dorssys Paulino as an amateur last year in the Dominican Republic said he was one of the more advanced hitters in the country. Yet even his most ardent supporters didn't expect him to hit this well right away.

Paulino, a 17-year-old Indians shortstop signed last year on July 2 for $1.1 million, skipped the Dominican Summer League to make his debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League. Paulino had four more hits yesterday for the AZL Indians, raising his slash line to .359/.417/.602 through 24 games with a 1.019 OPS that ranks eighth in the league.

Paulino may eventually end up at either third base or second base, but his calling card is his bat, and it has his prospect stock soaring right now.


Alex Meyer Making Smooth Transition For Nationals



Righthander Alex Meyer pitched well again in his second start tonight since the Nationals promoted him to the high Class A Carolina League.

Meyer, 22, allowed only one run (it was unearned) in six innings with two hits, one walk and five strikeouts for Potomac. Through his first two Carolina League starts, Meyer has allowed only the one unearned run through 12 innings with 12 strikeouts and two walks.

Meyer, a first-round pick (23rd overall) last year out of Kentucky, had a 3.10 ERA with 107 strikeouts and 34 walks in 90 innings for the Nationals in low Class A Hagerstown to start the year. He's still working to master his delivery and his command, but Meyer has power stuff and could be ready to help in Washington at some point in the next year or two.


Aaron Hicks Showing Improvement For Twins



Aaron Hicks has been one of the most befuddling prospects in the minors over the last few years.

After the Twins drafted Hicks with the 14th overall pick in the 2008 draft, he had a stellar debut that summer in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Since then, he's flashed moments of brilliance without ever dominating his level like some scouts expected.

It's been more of the same this year for Hicks, but he's been hitting the ball well recently. Tonight Hicks went 5-for-6 with two doubles and his 10th home run of the season for Double-A New Britain.

Hicks, 22, is hitting .284/.379/.456 in 93 games for the Rock Cats, numbers that have been boosted by his .355/.459/.581 slash line in July and have brought his OPS up to eighth in the Eastern League. All of the tools and athleticism are still there for Hicks, it's just a matter of him showing he can string together at-bats like he has in July over the course of a full season. This past month has certainly been a positive sign.


Carlos Correa Homers For Second Straight Day



Getting acclimated to pro ball isn't always easy.

As simple as Rockies outfielder David Dahl and Rangers third baseman Joey Gallo have made it look, the transition from high school baseball to Rookie ball has been a challenge for Astros shortstop Carlos Correa and Twins outfielder Byron Buxton, the top two picks in last month's draft.

After a sluggish start in the Gulf Coast League, the last two days have been kinder to Correa, who hit his first professional home run yesterday and followed up with another homer today in a 2-for-4 afternoon.

Correa, 17, is now hitting .222/.267/.384 in 104 plate appearances after getting a hit in his fifth straight game, a stretch that includes four multi-hit games. A slow month in the GCL is nothing to be alarmed about with Correa, but it's an encouraging sign to see him starting to get on track.


Reds’ Billy Hamilton’s Speed Hits A “Slump”



Billy Hamilton hasn't stolen a base in three games.

For anyone else, that may seem pretty routine, but for Hamilton it is the longest stolen base drought of the season, equaled only by a similar three-game drought in mid-May.

Hamilton's bat has had no problems making the adjustment to Double-A. Since his promotion, Hamilton is hitting .333/.458/.513 including five hits in his last eight at-bats. But he's been slowed on the basepaths for the first time all season. Hamilton is average 1.2 steals per game for the season. Since his promotion to Double-A, he's stolen eight bases in 12 games and he's been thrown out in three of his last five attempts.

Tonight would appear to be a good night to end his slump, the Huntsville Stars, Pensacola's opponent, is second worst in the league in throwing out basestealers (25 percent) and is second worst in the league in number of steals allowed (108).


Top Pitching Performances Over The Weekend, July 20-22



Presented here are the top 10 pitcher game scores from weekend series.

TOP 10 GAME SCORES BY PROSPECTS IN THE MINORS • JULY 20-22
PITCHER ORG TEAM LEAGUE LVL IP H R ER SO BB GS
Orangel Arenas LAA Arkansas Texas AA 9 2 1 1 2 1 80
Jose Cisnero HOU Corpus Christi Texas AA 9 5 1 1 7 0 80
Domingo Tapia NYM Savannah South Atlantic LoA 7 1 1 0 8 2 79
Jarred Cosart HOU Corpus Christi Texas AA 7.2 3 0 0 4 3 75
Peter Tago COL Tri-City Northwest SS 8 3 0 0 2 3 75
Johnny Hellweg LAA Arkansas Texas AA 7 2 0 0 3 2 74
Alex Meyer WAS Potomac Carolina HiA 6 3 0 0 7 1 72
Charlie Leesman* CWS Charlotte International AAA 6 1 0 0 5 3 72
Jesse Biddle* PHI Clearwater Florida State HiA 8 7 1 1 8 1 71
Adam Warren NYY Scranton/W-B International AAA 6 3 0 0 5 0 71
*Lefthander

• A pair of Angels Double-A Arkansas righthanders stifled Tulsa in consecutive games, Johnny Hellweg delivering seven two-hit, shutout innings on Friday and Orangel Arenas throwing a two-hit complete game the next day. Hellweg has gone 3-4, 1.65 in his last seven starts, with 36 strikeouts, 11 walks and 29 hits allowed in 49 innings, and only San Antonio's Andrew Werner has a lower ERA in the Texas League in that time.

• Nationals 2011 first-round righthander Alex Meyer made his high Class A debut with Potomac on Friday, throwing six shutout innings and allowing just three hits. His fastball peaked in the mid-90s range while his slider touched 88 mph and his knuckle curve featured late break. [...] Continue Reading »



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