Heading into the outfield to wrap up our position players in our What to Watch For series. Notice that there are only three names listed from before 2009. Again the years they played in Greeneville, highest level and age
on opening day will be in parenthesis.
Outfielders:
Jay Austin (2008 - High A - 21) -Starting his 5th pro season at 21 years of age, Austin's status isn't that different from last year. Is this the year he lives up to expectations? Can he build off his solid AFL performance with a solid year in AA? Can we remember that he is still just 21 and be patient?
Brandon Barnes (2005,06 - AAA - 25)
- Based on his time with the G-Stros, Barnes has exceeded expectations. He was very raw and never hit above .220 in his two years in Greeneville. But he has shown improvement each year. How will he fair in big league camp this spring? Can he continue to improve in 2012 or has he reached his peak?
Emilio King (2010- Low A - 22) - King had a reputation as a stellar outfielder but the bat was the question heading into 2011. He answered those questions with a .293 average in Lexington with nine HR and 24 doubles. Will he secure 14 or more outfield assist for the third year in a row? Will his offensive numbers continue to rise? Can he make it to AA before the year is out?
J. D. Martinez (2009 - MLB - 24) - His rapid assent to the majors finds him as the projected starting LF for the Astros this year. Will he be a superb sophomore or suffer a sophomore slump? Could he be the first former G-Stro to make an all star team?
Ariel Ovando (2011 - Rookie - 18) - Ovando didn't make a huge splash in his debut season but he did show improvement. He showed signs of the tools that excited folks prior to his signing through out the year but he just wasn't consistent. Will he be back in Greeneville for year #2? Has he improved on tracking balls better in RF? Will we be able to see more of the diamond and less of the rough by the end of the year?
Jordan Scott (2011 - Low A - 20) - Scott had a break out year in Greeneville, tying the team record for hits with 83, and battling for the league hitting title. What does this year hold? Can he build on last year's success and put up solid numbers in full season ball? Can he improve his routes in LF?
Others to watch:
Grant Hogue (2009 - Low A - 24) - Will he break camp with the AA Hooks?
Bryce Lane (2010 - High A - 22)- Lane returned to earth in 2011 after his strong finish to 2010. Will 2012 see him rebound?
Jordan Parraz (2004 - AAA - 27) - Will
he get a chance to play in a big league game this year? After being in 5
organizations in his career, how long will he be with the Braves?
Garen Wright (2011 - Rookie -21) - Injuries cut his third season short. He still showed improved numbers in limited action. Will 2012 find him in Tri Cities? Will this be the year he breaks out?
Projected placement of those still in the Astros organization:
Houston (MLB)
Martinez
Oklahoma City (AAA)
Barnes
Corpus Christi (AA)
Austin
Hogue
Lancaster (Hi A)
King
Lane
Lexington (Lo A)
Scott
Extended Spring training
Ovando
Wright
Showing posts with label Emilio King. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emilio King. Show all posts
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
2010 Greeneville Astros Progress Reports
This wraps up the progress reports of former G-Stros for this off season. It's only been a year but lets look at the progress made by the 2010 G-Stros. Thirty nine players spent time in Greeneville playing in 2010. Twenty six of those players were playing affiliated ball in 2011 for 66%.
Let's look at how high they climbed. They are listed by the highest level they appeared in and the percentage by each level is out of the full roster.
AA (1 - 3%)
Chris Wallace started the year in Low A Lexington but was double promoted to AA Corpus Christi to finish out the year. With him turning 23 years of age in April and him having solid success in Lexington, it was not surprising the Astros challenged him by putting him on a fast track. Wallace hit .244 in 36 games in AA. he also found out that base runners were better there. He only threw out 10% of attempted stolen bases. Wallace spent part of the fall in instructionals.
High A (2 - 5%)
Bryce Lane spent most of the season in Lexington but did appear in Lancaster for five games during the year. He was hit less during his stint in Lancaster and hit .222 in 67 games in Lexington. He will be 22 when spring training begins.
Hector Rodriguez bounced around three levels this year. He started in Lancaster, then was sent to Tri Cities and finished the year in Lexington. He never got much consistent playing time in those stops appearing in only 35 games through the year. He combined to hit just .163 on the season. He will be 22 when spring training rolls around.
Low A (13- 33%)
Ruben Alaniz had an inconsistent year in Lexington. He had a rough April, sporting a 8.78 ERA after the first month of the season. However in June, he sported a solid 2.28 ERA. Overall, he finished with a 4.44 ERA in 27 games (21 starts). He fanned 96 batters in 115 2/3 innings pitched. He gave up 11 home runs, with only four in the second half of the season. He earned an invite to instructionals. Alaniz will be 20 when he reports to spring training.
Garrett Bullock see 2009 write up.
Jeiler Castillo see 2008 write up.
Delino Deshields Jr. only appeared in 16 games in 2010 for Greeneville. However, he was impressive in those games as just a 17 year old. This year, as he continued to make the transition to becoming a second baseman, he struggled in the first half of the year hitting just .197 before the All Star break. DeShields had a great July (.320) and finished the second half of the season with a respectable .242 average. His power dropped in the second half but his on base percentage climbed. All promising signs for a young man who won't turn 20 until next August. He got a bit of extra work in this fall in instructionals.
Mike Foltynewicz appeared to run out of gas as the long Sally League season of bus trips ground to an end. After keeping his ERA in the upper three and low four range for May, June & July; it jumped to the seven and eight range for August and September. He was on the instructional league roster. He is still seen as a top prospect and will just be 20 when next season begins.
Gabriel Garcia pitched out of the pen in 31 games for the Legends. Garcia struck out 68 batters in 69 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA was 3.76 on the season. He is pitching in his home country for Winter Ball and through his first 11 appearances in the Dominican League, he is sporting a 2.84 ERA. He will still be 22 when next season rolls around.
Emilio King had a break out year in Lexington. In Greeneville, he showed good defense with a great arm but very little with the bat. In 2011, he hit .293 and 34 of his 106 hits went for extra bases. He also had 14 outfield assist on the year. King will be 22 at the start of spring training.
Ryan McCurdy appeared in just one game for Lexington. He spent most of his season in TriCities. There he hit .324 which is an impressive jump from the .148 combined between Greeneville & TriCities in 2010. He will turn 24 in December.
Jhonny Medrano hit .203 in 60 games for the Legends this season. He is a minor league free agent and will likely not be playing affiliated ball next season. Injuries limited his potential.
Telvin Nash got his 2011 season of to a bang with an impressive April where he hit .310 with an OPS of .997 but then broke the hamate bone in his hand and missed all of May and almost but three games of June. In the second half, Nash was okay but not as spectacular as his April. He finished the year with a .269 average and a .858 OPS in Lexington. It is expected that recovery from a hamate fracture can take some time to recover hand strength so we have to take that into account. Nash has very good power. Of his 72 hits this season in Lexington, 30 of them were for extra bases. Here is a video of his power stroke. He will need to cut down on the strike outs as he continues to climb up the ladder. He also was learning a new position this year, playing 37 games at 1st base. He got some extra work in at instructionals. Nash will turn 21 just before spring training begins.
Marcus Nidiffer was released by the Astros and subsequently signed by the Angels organization. They moved him back to catcher and he hit .230 for Cedar Rapids this year. He threw out 29% of potential base stealers. He will be 25 when spring training opens.
Roberto Pena was impressive behind the plate in Lexington this season. He threw out 39% of the potential base burglars. He wasn't as impressive at the plate, hitting just .217 but showed improvement over his numbers in Greeneville last year. He is seen as a solid catching prospect by the Astros as evidenced by them sending him for a brief stint in the Arizona Fall League. He was also in instructionals. Pena won't turn 20 until June of next year.
Brian Streinlein appeared in 40 games for the Legends and amassed a 3.99 ERA. Streinlein will be 24 when spring training begins.
Tri Cities (6 - 15%)
Ryan Cole finished 22 of the 26 games he appeared in for the ValleyCats. He was credited with 10 saves. He will be 24 when pitchers report to spring training.
Jermaine Cotton started 2011 in Greeneville in the bullpen. However, he was moved into the starting rotation and was solid there. He was promoted to Tri Cities and finished the year with a 3.68 ERA in five starts for the ValleyCats. He earned an invitation to fall instructional league. He will be 21 when next season begins.
Euris Quezada is a big righty who when he has his control is fun to watch. for the ValleyCats this year, sometime he had it, some times he didn't. He was shut down after just one start in August. He finished the year with a 6.95 ERA with 24 Ks and 24 BB in 33 2/3 IP. He will turn 23 next April.
Travis Smink appeared in 23 games for the ValleyCats this season. He amassed a 4.37 ERA in 45 1/3 IP. He will turn 25 shortly after the 2012 season begins.
Rafael Valenzuela continues to show he can hit. After being injured for much of the first half of the season, he reported to Tri Cities and hit .316 in 31 games for the ValleyCats. The non drafted free agent will be 24 when spring training begins.
Bubby Williams see 2009 write up.
Greeneville (2 - 5%)
Richardo Batista the lefty returned to Greeneville for the 2011 season and showed improvement. He finished the season strong with a 3.57 ERA for the month of August. During that month, opponents hit just .192 off of him. During August he also struck out 20 batters in 22 1/2 innings but he also walked 18. He was invited to instructionals. He will still be 20 when next season begins.
Rodney Quintero returned to Greeneville for the 2011 season. He struck out 32 batters in 28 2/3 IP out of the pen. Even though the numbers aren't great, he was invited to fall instructional league. He will turn 22 before pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Injury/DL (2- 5%)
Vincent Velasquez and Jonathon Merritt both spent their year rehabbing from injuries. Velasquez was on the instructional league roster.
I expect the number of active players to drop pretty heavily next year with the large number of guys already in the 24 to 25 range in this group.
Let's look at how high they climbed. They are listed by the highest level they appeared in and the percentage by each level is out of the full roster.
AA (1 - 3%)
Chris Wallace started the year in Low A Lexington but was double promoted to AA Corpus Christi to finish out the year. With him turning 23 years of age in April and him having solid success in Lexington, it was not surprising the Astros challenged him by putting him on a fast track. Wallace hit .244 in 36 games in AA. he also found out that base runners were better there. He only threw out 10% of attempted stolen bases. Wallace spent part of the fall in instructionals.
High A (2 - 5%)
Bryce Lane spent most of the season in Lexington but did appear in Lancaster for five games during the year. He was hit less during his stint in Lancaster and hit .222 in 67 games in Lexington. He will be 22 when spring training begins.
Hector Rodriguez bounced around three levels this year. He started in Lancaster, then was sent to Tri Cities and finished the year in Lexington. He never got much consistent playing time in those stops appearing in only 35 games through the year. He combined to hit just .163 on the season. He will be 22 when spring training rolls around.
Low A (13- 33%)
Ruben Alaniz had an inconsistent year in Lexington. He had a rough April, sporting a 8.78 ERA after the first month of the season. However in June, he sported a solid 2.28 ERA. Overall, he finished with a 4.44 ERA in 27 games (21 starts). He fanned 96 batters in 115 2/3 innings pitched. He gave up 11 home runs, with only four in the second half of the season. He earned an invite to instructionals. Alaniz will be 20 when he reports to spring training.
Garrett Bullock see 2009 write up.
Jeiler Castillo see 2008 write up.
Delino Deshields Jr. only appeared in 16 games in 2010 for Greeneville. However, he was impressive in those games as just a 17 year old. This year, as he continued to make the transition to becoming a second baseman, he struggled in the first half of the year hitting just .197 before the All Star break. DeShields had a great July (.320) and finished the second half of the season with a respectable .242 average. His power dropped in the second half but his on base percentage climbed. All promising signs for a young man who won't turn 20 until next August. He got a bit of extra work in this fall in instructionals.
Mike Foltynewicz appeared to run out of gas as the long Sally League season of bus trips ground to an end. After keeping his ERA in the upper three and low four range for May, June & July; it jumped to the seven and eight range for August and September. He was on the instructional league roster. He is still seen as a top prospect and will just be 20 when next season begins.
Gabriel Garcia pitched out of the pen in 31 games for the Legends. Garcia struck out 68 batters in 69 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA was 3.76 on the season. He is pitching in his home country for Winter Ball and through his first 11 appearances in the Dominican League, he is sporting a 2.84 ERA. He will still be 22 when next season rolls around.
Emilio King had a break out year in Lexington. In Greeneville, he showed good defense with a great arm but very little with the bat. In 2011, he hit .293 and 34 of his 106 hits went for extra bases. He also had 14 outfield assist on the year. King will be 22 at the start of spring training.
Ryan McCurdy appeared in just one game for Lexington. He spent most of his season in TriCities. There he hit .324 which is an impressive jump from the .148 combined between Greeneville & TriCities in 2010. He will turn 24 in December.
Jhonny Medrano hit .203 in 60 games for the Legends this season. He is a minor league free agent and will likely not be playing affiliated ball next season. Injuries limited his potential.
Telvin Nash got his 2011 season of to a bang with an impressive April where he hit .310 with an OPS of .997 but then broke the hamate bone in his hand and missed all of May and almost but three games of June. In the second half, Nash was okay but not as spectacular as his April. He finished the year with a .269 average and a .858 OPS in Lexington. It is expected that recovery from a hamate fracture can take some time to recover hand strength so we have to take that into account. Nash has very good power. Of his 72 hits this season in Lexington, 30 of them were for extra bases. Here is a video of his power stroke. He will need to cut down on the strike outs as he continues to climb up the ladder. He also was learning a new position this year, playing 37 games at 1st base. He got some extra work in at instructionals. Nash will turn 21 just before spring training begins.
Marcus Nidiffer was released by the Astros and subsequently signed by the Angels organization. They moved him back to catcher and he hit .230 for Cedar Rapids this year. He threw out 29% of potential base stealers. He will be 25 when spring training opens.
Roberto Pena was impressive behind the plate in Lexington this season. He threw out 39% of the potential base burglars. He wasn't as impressive at the plate, hitting just .217 but showed improvement over his numbers in Greeneville last year. He is seen as a solid catching prospect by the Astros as evidenced by them sending him for a brief stint in the Arizona Fall League. He was also in instructionals. Pena won't turn 20 until June of next year.
Brian Streinlein appeared in 40 games for the Legends and amassed a 3.99 ERA. Streinlein will be 24 when spring training begins.
Tri Cities (6 - 15%)
Ryan Cole finished 22 of the 26 games he appeared in for the ValleyCats. He was credited with 10 saves. He will be 24 when pitchers report to spring training.
Jermaine Cotton started 2011 in Greeneville in the bullpen. However, he was moved into the starting rotation and was solid there. He was promoted to Tri Cities and finished the year with a 3.68 ERA in five starts for the ValleyCats. He earned an invitation to fall instructional league. He will be 21 when next season begins.
Euris Quezada is a big righty who when he has his control is fun to watch. for the ValleyCats this year, sometime he had it, some times he didn't. He was shut down after just one start in August. He finished the year with a 6.95 ERA with 24 Ks and 24 BB in 33 2/3 IP. He will turn 23 next April.
Travis Smink appeared in 23 games for the ValleyCats this season. He amassed a 4.37 ERA in 45 1/3 IP. He will turn 25 shortly after the 2012 season begins.
Rafael Valenzuela continues to show he can hit. After being injured for much of the first half of the season, he reported to Tri Cities and hit .316 in 31 games for the ValleyCats. The non drafted free agent will be 24 when spring training begins.
Bubby Williams see 2009 write up.
Greeneville (2 - 5%)
Richardo Batista the lefty returned to Greeneville for the 2011 season and showed improvement. He finished the season strong with a 3.57 ERA for the month of August. During that month, opponents hit just .192 off of him. During August he also struck out 20 batters in 22 1/2 innings but he also walked 18. He was invited to instructionals. He will still be 20 when next season begins.
Rodney Quintero returned to Greeneville for the 2011 season. He struck out 32 batters in 28 2/3 IP out of the pen. Even though the numbers aren't great, he was invited to fall instructional league. He will turn 22 before pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Injury/DL (2- 5%)
Vincent Velasquez and Jonathon Merritt both spent their year rehabbing from injuries. Velasquez was on the instructional league roster.
I expect the number of active players to drop pretty heavily next year with the large number of guys already in the 24 to 25 range in this group.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Don't Run On.... Outfield Assist Leaders
I just posted a link to video of Emilio King's throw from RF that was nominated for the MILB.com Play of the Year. That got me thinking which of the Astros minor leaguers threw out the most runners from the outfield. According to Baseball Reference stat page for each team, where are the young guns who patrol the OF.
Daniel Adamson - the 23rd round draft pick from 2010 threw out 13 in Lexington, seven in Lancaster and added one more during his time in Corpus Christi for a total of 21 outfield assist. Last year in Tri Cities, Adamson threw out 7 batters.
Grant Hogue - the 35th round draft pick from 2009 threw out 15 runners in Lancaster. He did it from all over the outfield. He threw out two from LF, two from CF and 11 from RF. In 2010, Hogue threw out nine from CF in Lexington.
Emilio King - The former catcher from the Dominican Repubic the threw out 14 runners in Lexington in a down year for him. Last year, he threw out 14 in just 57 games in RF for Greeneville. Before that he threw out nine in the GCL in 41 games. Maybe word is getting around, don't run on King.
Andrew Muren - the 22nd round pick of 2011 put on a sharp shooting show in Tri Cities. He gunned down 14 runners in just 66 games. Ten of those came from RF and four came from CF.
Honorable Mentions
Other full season outfielders who hit the double digit mark in outfield assist were: Jake Goebbert (12), J. B. Shuck (11) and Jon Gaston (10).
Top short season arms to watch include: Teoscar Hernandez (7 in 59 games), Ariel Ovando (6 in 39 games), and Jerrod McKinney (5 in 30 games).
 |
| (Couldn't resist the cheesy movie reference - sorry) |
TOP GUNS
Daniel Adamson - the 23rd round draft pick from 2010 threw out 13 in Lexington, seven in Lancaster and added one more during his time in Corpus Christi for a total of 21 outfield assist. Last year in Tri Cities, Adamson threw out 7 batters.
Grant Hogue - the 35th round draft pick from 2009 threw out 15 runners in Lancaster. He did it from all over the outfield. He threw out two from LF, two from CF and 11 from RF. In 2010, Hogue threw out nine from CF in Lexington.
Emilio King - The former catcher from the Dominican Repubic the threw out 14 runners in Lexington in a down year for him. Last year, he threw out 14 in just 57 games in RF for Greeneville. Before that he threw out nine in the GCL in 41 games. Maybe word is getting around, don't run on King.
Andrew Muren - the 22nd round pick of 2011 put on a sharp shooting show in Tri Cities. He gunned down 14 runners in just 66 games. Ten of those came from RF and four came from CF.
Honorable Mentions
Other full season outfielders who hit the double digit mark in outfield assist were: Jake Goebbert (12), J. B. Shuck (11) and Jon Gaston (10).
Top short season arms to watch include: Teoscar Hernandez (7 in 59 games), Ariel Ovando (6 in 39 games), and Jerrod McKinney (5 in 30 games).
Emilio King up for MILB Play of the Year Award
Folks in Greeneville know Emilio King has to have a permit to carry his right arm. It is a weapon. Folks in the South Atlantic League learned that fact this season. One of his 14 outfield assist is up for the MILB.com Play of the Year. You can view the throw and vote here.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Wet Trip To Lexington & the End of the Season
Took a road trip with the family to Lexington to try to catch the last two games of the season. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. I got to spend about 4 hours at Whitaker Bank Ballpark but didn't get to see any baseball. However, their grounds crew pulled the tarp impressively.
Sunday night was rained out and they planned a double header to start at 11:00 on Monday. Monday, we were able to chat with a few players while waiting out the rain delay. For guys who are away from home, sometimes a familiar face can make them smile. Several of the former G'ville players recognized us and chatted. We chatted about the weather and how their seasons had gone. We talked about home. One of the players heading to instructs said he was going to get 12 days at home before he had to report. He was trilled with the idea of time at home.
However, as a family, we had decided that 2:30 would be our departure time for G-ville. Sure enough, 1st pitch of the double header was shortly after 2:30 PM. We were already on the road and were able to listen to a few of the innings via radio.
When I got home, I hated we had to leave. The box score showed a good showing by former G-Stros in the double header sweep. In game 1, Hector Rodriquez went 1-2 with an RBI, Emilio King went 1 for 3 with an RBI and Jorge De Leon got his 16th save. In game 2, former G-Stros accounted for all three RBI (King, Nash & Sosa), the win (Alaniz), a hold (Gouvea) and the save (Streinlein).
Thanks to Ryan (@eFIVE Tweets) for all his help during the trip. It is great that you can travel to an unfamiliar place and have some one who makes sure you have a great time regardless of the weather.
Hopefully next season we can make a visit for an actual game.
The End of the Season
Baseball America today put the end of the season well:
The Legends were supposed to have a 12:00 start time on Sunday. Those driving home could have been on the road by 4:00. Several of those flying had 5:30 fights. Due to having to play both halves of the double header, their plans changed. By the time they played both games, it was after 6:30. Some were frustrated by the events. Yet, several of the players still took time out to talk to fans. My son left with a few extra souvenirs. He also got to spend time with some guys who put their frustrations aside to make an 11 year olds day. So today we give a special thank you to Hector Rodriguez, Domingo Santana, Ben Heath, and Jhonny Medrano for going above and beyond on a cold wet day when their thoughts were on home.
Sunday night was rained out and they planned a double header to start at 11:00 on Monday. Monday, we were able to chat with a few players while waiting out the rain delay. For guys who are away from home, sometimes a familiar face can make them smile. Several of the former G'ville players recognized us and chatted. We chatted about the weather and how their seasons had gone. We talked about home. One of the players heading to instructs said he was going to get 12 days at home before he had to report. He was trilled with the idea of time at home.
However, as a family, we had decided that 2:30 would be our departure time for G-ville. Sure enough, 1st pitch of the double header was shortly after 2:30 PM. We were already on the road and were able to listen to a few of the innings via radio.
When I got home, I hated we had to leave. The box score showed a good showing by former G-Stros in the double header sweep. In game 1, Hector Rodriquez went 1-2 with an RBI, Emilio King went 1 for 3 with an RBI and Jorge De Leon got his 16th save. In game 2, former G-Stros accounted for all three RBI (King, Nash & Sosa), the win (Alaniz), a hold (Gouvea) and the save (Streinlein).
Thanks to Ryan (@eFIVE Tweets) for all his help during the trip. It is great that you can travel to an unfamiliar place and have some one who makes sure you have a great time regardless of the weather.
Hopefully next season we can make a visit for an actual game.
The End of the Season
Baseball America today put the end of the season well:
The final day of a minor league season feels a whole lot like the last day of the year at a college.The Legends had last place locked up, to them the games were meaningless. However, they impacted the standings and the league office said they must be played. Sometimes those of us who follow minor league baseball forget these players are humans with families and friends they miss. There is nothing worse that expecting to be home by a certain time and getting delayed. It doesn't matter if that delay is via travel conditions, weather, demanding bosses or the league office saying you have to play a game.
Bags are packed, some parents are milling around to help load up cars. Goodbyes are given along with promises to keep in touch.
And the reality is that some of the players heading home may never be back. For six months, a baseball team is a large family. They travel together, eat together and spend hours wiling away the dead time before games or during rain delays. Then at the end of the season, everyone heads to their respective homes. Some will be back together again next year. But others will be traded, or sign elsewhere as minor league free agents, or get released.
It makes for one of the stranger days of the season. Players who have been grinding their way through a 140-game season and more than six months away from friends and family understandably are excited about the idea of heading home.
By an hour after the game, the bags are packed and the clubhouse is beginning to look like a ghost town. Players are used to traveling light, so with a couple of duffel bags and bat bags loaded up, most of them are ready to hit the road.
The Legends were supposed to have a 12:00 start time on Sunday. Those driving home could have been on the road by 4:00. Several of those flying had 5:30 fights. Due to having to play both halves of the double header, their plans changed. By the time they played both games, it was after 6:30. Some were frustrated by the events. Yet, several of the players still took time out to talk to fans. My son left with a few extra souvenirs. He also got to spend time with some guys who put their frustrations aside to make an 11 year olds day. So today we give a special thank you to Hector Rodriguez, Domingo Santana, Ben Heath, and Jhonny Medrano for going above and beyond on a cold wet day when their thoughts were on home.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
May AppyAstros Alumni of the Month
It has been a busy month. Unfortunately my business interfered with my hobby of writing about the former Greeneville Astros. So to get me caught up and the start fresh for June, let's look back at the month of May and decide who are the G-Stro Alumni who had a strong May. This month's report is brought to you by the letters D & L.
Lexington
Alumni Hitter of the Month: This time last month, we were talking about the exploits of Chris Wallace and Telvin Nash. Well, Wallace hit only .221 in May to bring his average down to the low .300's. Nash broke the hamate bone in his hand/wrist and had to have surgery. He missed most of the month on the DL. The man for the month of May was Emilio King. Yes, the guy who only hit .210 in 63 games for the G-Stros last year has made a splash in Lexington. He broke out with a huge debut game, going 3 for 4 and falling a 3B short of the cycle. He has continued his hot streak, hitting in 15 of the 21 games he has played. He has had 9 multi hit games after only having 12 total last year. He has dropped is K rate from once every three times at bat to once every six times at bat. Meanwhile, he has only walked twice which is way down from the 1 in 16 plate appearances last year. I know that drop will concern some folks but when your average is .400 and your OBP is .438; I will let you swing the bat.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: This month's award goes to Mike Foltyenwicz. He earned not just his first but also his second career win. After a rough start to the month, he bounced back with three solid outings. In his last three outings, he went a combined 18 IP, giving up just two earned runs, while striking out 12.
Last months Alumni of the Month, Gabriel Garcia, had a rough outing to start the month and then landed on the DL. Since his return, he is back to his dominate ways out of the pen. He is give up just three hits and no runs in his four outings (5 2/3 IP) since his return. He now has 26 K in 23 IP.
Honorable Mention was going to Jorge DeLeon who has moved into the closer role in Lexington. He was slated finished the month with four saves and a 0.90 ERA in 6 appearances. But he blew his save tonight giving up three runs in one inning pitched.
Lancaster
Alumni Hitter of the Month: Anyone who has a fleeting interest in Astros minor league baseball can tell where this award is heading. Jose Altuve is leading all of Minor League Baseball with a .408 average and 87 hits. His seven triples also leads the California League. And just so you don't think he rode his hot April to get here, for the month of May, he hit .388/.424/.570. He has finished the month very hot, hitting .488 in his last 10 games.
Honorable Mention: These guys had a good month of May, they just happened to have the misfortune of being on Jose Altuve's team. Grant Hogue got consistent playing time and hit .360 for the month. He also got on base at a .443 clip. Rene Garcia saw his bat heat up in May. He hit .350 for the month. His OBP was .426 for May. His average at the end of May is .284. It was .214 at the end of April. Kody Hinze also deserves some recognition. The slugging first baseman hit .319 for the month, with 5 HR and 8 doubles. He also took 25 walks to bring home a healthy . 472 OBP for the month.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: The DL has played a prominent role in this months report. That continues as the AppyAstros Alumni of the month for Lancaster is Colton Pitkin, who ended the month on the DL. The big lefty made 10 appearances in the month of May. In the first nine, he only allowed 1 run over 13 1/3 IP. The last outing of the month, he gave up three runs in 2/3 of an inning and promptly went on the DL.
Keeping an eye on: Jose Cisnero continues to be consistently inconsistent. He he went 2-2 for the month of May with a 3.90 ERA. He had three great starts combining for 21 2/3 IP, 8 hits, 3 ER, 7 BB and 27 strike outs. In his other three starts, he went a combined 10 2/3 IP, 14 hits, 11ER, 10 BB and 7 strike outs.
Corpus Christi
Lexington
Alumni Hitter of the Month: This time last month, we were talking about the exploits of Chris Wallace and Telvin Nash. Well, Wallace hit only .221 in May to bring his average down to the low .300's. Nash broke the hamate bone in his hand/wrist and had to have surgery. He missed most of the month on the DL. The man for the month of May was Emilio King. Yes, the guy who only hit .210 in 63 games for the G-Stros last year has made a splash in Lexington. He broke out with a huge debut game, going 3 for 4 and falling a 3B short of the cycle. He has continued his hot streak, hitting in 15 of the 21 games he has played. He has had 9 multi hit games after only having 12 total last year. He has dropped is K rate from once every three times at bat to once every six times at bat. Meanwhile, he has only walked twice which is way down from the 1 in 16 plate appearances last year. I know that drop will concern some folks but when your average is .400 and your OBP is .438; I will let you swing the bat.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: This month's award goes to Mike Foltyenwicz. He earned not just his first but also his second career win. After a rough start to the month, he bounced back with three solid outings. In his last three outings, he went a combined 18 IP, giving up just two earned runs, while striking out 12.
Last months Alumni of the Month, Gabriel Garcia, had a rough outing to start the month and then landed on the DL. Since his return, he is back to his dominate ways out of the pen. He is give up just three hits and no runs in his four outings (5 2/3 IP) since his return. He now has 26 K in 23 IP.
Honorable Mention was going to Jorge DeLeon who has moved into the closer role in Lexington. He was slated finished the month with four saves and a 0.90 ERA in 6 appearances. But he blew his save tonight giving up three runs in one inning pitched.
Lancaster
Alumni Hitter of the Month: Anyone who has a fleeting interest in Astros minor league baseball can tell where this award is heading. Jose Altuve is leading all of Minor League Baseball with a .408 average and 87 hits. His seven triples also leads the California League. And just so you don't think he rode his hot April to get here, for the month of May, he hit .388/.424/.570. He has finished the month very hot, hitting .488 in his last 10 games.
Honorable Mention: These guys had a good month of May, they just happened to have the misfortune of being on Jose Altuve's team. Grant Hogue got consistent playing time and hit .360 for the month. He also got on base at a .443 clip. Rene Garcia saw his bat heat up in May. He hit .350 for the month. His OBP was .426 for May. His average at the end of May is .284. It was .214 at the end of April. Kody Hinze also deserves some recognition. The slugging first baseman hit .319 for the month, with 5 HR and 8 doubles. He also took 25 walks to bring home a healthy . 472 OBP for the month.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: The DL has played a prominent role in this months report. That continues as the AppyAstros Alumni of the month for Lancaster is Colton Pitkin, who ended the month on the DL. The big lefty made 10 appearances in the month of May. In the first nine, he only allowed 1 run over 13 1/3 IP. The last outing of the month, he gave up three runs in 2/3 of an inning and promptly went on the DL.
Keeping an eye on: Jose Cisnero continues to be consistently inconsistent. He he went 2-2 for the month of May with a 3.90 ERA. He had three great starts combining for 21 2/3 IP, 8 hits, 3 ER, 7 BB and 27 strike outs. In his other three starts, he went a combined 10 2/3 IP, 14 hits, 11ER, 10 BB and 7 strike outs.
Corpus Christi
Alumni Hitter of the Month: There are not that many former G-Stro batters on the roster of the Hooks at this time. With Brandon Barnes promotion to Oklahoma City; that just leaves J.D. Martinez, Wlad Sutil & Frederico Hernandez. Of those three, J. D. Martinez had the best month, despite spending about half of it on the DL with a hamstring issue. He hit .275 for May with just two extra base hits in 14 games. He did walk (10) more than he struck out (8) for the month.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: May wasn't kind to the former G-Stros pitching for the hooks. Greenwalt took a trip back to extended spring training. Leon, Urckfitz and Seaton all saw their numbers rise. The only highlight was the return of Slinging Sammy Gervacio from the an injury that ended his season early last year. He has made two appearances in late May going 3 IP and allowing 1 run.
Oklahoma City
Alumni Hitter of the Month: Again there are not many former G-Stros on the AAA roster. Only Brandon Barnes and Koby Clemens are representing the G. Barnes had a solid month. He hit just over .240 but 20 of his 27 hits were for extra bases. He hit 7 home runs and took the team lead in that category despite arriving in late April.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: Jordan Lyles has settled down and had a solid May for OKC. Four of his five starts were deemed quality starts (6 or more IP with 3 or less runs allowed). His ERA for May was 2.81. He earned a call up to get two starts in the place of the injured Wandy Rodriguez who was placed on the 15 day DL.
Outside the Astros Organization
Alumni Hitter of the Month: Marcus Nidiffer got the call up to Cedar Rapids of the Midwest League. Since his call up in the middle of the month, he has hit .310.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: As good as Victor Garate was in April, he was just a little better in May. He appeared in 10 games, throwing in 14 1/3 innings. He allowed just 8 hits and walked 7 batters but fanned 18. All the while, just allowing one earned run. He has only allowed two this season in 27 1/3 IP. This gives him a season ERA of 0.66
MLB
Alumni of the Month: Since there is only one position player in the bigs who played in Greeneville (Towles); we will combine the award for the major league level. Based on his performance tonight, we announce that Jordan Lyles is also the Alumni for the Month in the MLB division. He pitched well in his debut at Wrigley tonight; going 7 innings and allowing just one earned run. He also was 1 for 3 at the plate.
Besides the Lyles debut, there was one other call up during the month of May. Troy Patton was called up briefly by the Orioles. When he was sent back down, he was taken off the 40 man roster. He cleared waivers and is back in Norfolk waiting another call back up. He had a 2.57 ERA in Norfolk this May. He also spent part of the month on the DL.
In other alumni news, Felipe Paulino was traded from the Rockies to the Royals. He has made one relief appearance for the Royals and will make his first start for them on tonight against the Angels.
In other alumni news, Felipe Paulino was traded from the Rockies to the Royals. He has made one relief appearance for the Royals and will make his first start for them on tonight against the Angels.
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