16 former G-Stros on Instructional Roster

Brian McTaggart just released the Astros roster for the fall instructional league. This year, 16 former G-Stros will be spending a few extra weeks in Kissimmee honing their skills.  Here are the former G-Stros based on when they played here:

2008
Zach Grimmett - appeared in 23 games for Lancaster.  Ten of them as a starter and 13 as a reliever. Finished the year with an 8.21 ERA.

2009
Jonathon Meyer - Hit .272 in his second year in Lancaster.

2010
Telvin Nash - Hit .224 with 29 HR and 198 strikeouts in 106 games in Lancaster.

Delino DeShields - Had a break out year.  Started in Lexington and finished the year in Lancaster.  Stole a combined 101 bases on the season.  He raised his slash line from .220/.305/.322 to .287/.389/.428.  Just turned 20 in August.

Roberto Pena - He also started the year in Lexington but moved up to Lancaster to finish the season.  Pena caught 33% of the base stealers (26 out of 78) in Lexington.  His bat showed some improvement but his glove and arm are what have earned him the invite to instructionals.

2012
Three of the players on this list also played in Greeneville in 2011 but we will group them with their most recent cohort.

Ariel Ovando - He showed significant improvement between 2011 (.235/.283/.365) and 2012 (.287/.350/.444).  All the physical tools are present but he is still learning how to get them to do what they need to do.  He turns 19 later this week so we need to have some patience.

Chris Lee - He started the season in the Appy but was sent down to the GCL where he didn't pitch.  So the instructs will give him a chance to get some work in he missed during the season.  He was also on the team in 2011.

Frances Ramirez - He is the other player who was also on the 2011 roster.  He made four starts in '11 verses the 13 he made in 2012.  You can find more of my thoughts on him at my post Season Recap - Starting Pitcher. You can also use that link to get my thoughts on two other 2012 pitchers invited, Michael Feliz & Lance McCullers Jr.

Kevin Comer and Joe Musgrove were acquired during the year and didn't get many chances to pitch which is why they are heading to Florida for the fall.

The other four players are position players who were drafted this year: Carlos Correa, Rio Ruiz, Terrell Joyce, and Angel Ibanez. Of those four, Ibanez is a bit of a surprise due to his low draft slot but he showed a solid bat during the season and 3rd base is a shallow spot in the Astros organization.  
Overall, former Greeneville players made up almost half (16 out of 33) of the players invited.

What To Watch For In 2012 - Former G-Stros Starting Pitchers

I am wrapping up the 2012 What To Watch for series on the mound this year.  Because of the volume of pitchers on a roster, I won't cover everyone. Let's will start with those who were starters for the majority of their time in Greeneville. We will cover the relievers in the final episode. The year they pitched for the G-Stros, the highest level they have played at and their age on opening day are listed in parentheses.

Starting Pitchers


R. J. (Ruben) Alaniz (2010, Lo A, 20) - Held his own as a 19 year old in the Sally League.  Will he repeat Lex or move on to Lancaster? Will he continue to start or make the move to the pen?

Jimmy Barthmaier (2004, MLB, 28)  - Was re-signed as a minor league free agent by the Nationals after an unimpressive 2011 season.  Will he break camp with  AA, AAA or release papers?

Richardo Batista (2010, 11, Rookie, 20) - Batista repeated Greeneville in 2011 and had his best season yet.  Can the lefty harness his pitches and cut down on walks and wild pitches? 

Jose Cisnero (2009, Hi A, 22) - Cisnero's ERA suffered in Lancaster.  After three years of mid 3.00 ERA, he jumped to a 6.06.  But his strikeouts jumped as well.  In 2011, he fanned 152 in 123 1/3 IP.  How will he adjust to AA hitters? Can he bring the walks down?  How long does he continue to start?

Luis Cruz (2008, 09, Hi A, 21) - Got off to a rough start in Lancaster in 2011 and was sent back to Lex where he fanned 92 in 91 innings. How will he fair in Lancaster this time? 

Brad Dydalewicz (2008, Lo A, 21) - Missed most of the season due to an injury.  Low A or Hi A for him this year?  Can he reduce his walk numbers?

Mike Foltynewicz (2010, Lo A, 20) - Folty showed strides in May, June & July of his first full season but appeared to hit a wall in August and September.  Which team will he break camp with? Can he show good results for a complete season?

Gabriel Garcia (2009,2010, Lo A, 22) - Moved from starter to bullpen in 2010.  Showed some promise there striking out 68 batters in 69 1/3 IP.  However, the long ball monster got him 10 times last season.  Can he improve on 2011, while pitching in hitter friendly Lancaster?

Kyle Greenwalt (2007, 08, AA, 23) - After a rough start to 2011 in AA, Greenwalt was sent back to Lancaster as a reliever.  He excelled there and was returned to AA.  There he was some better but still not great.  Will he be a reliever or a starter?  Can he show improvement in a return to AA? 

Juan Gutierrez (2004, MLB, 28) - Had season ending surgery in 2011 and was then signed by the Royals to a minor league deal.  Will start 2012 on the DL. Will he be able to return from the surgery and resume his work as a solid arm in the bullpen?

Adrian Houser (2011, Rookie, 19) - Pitched well in six games in Greeneville after starting in the GCL.  Will he be in Lexington to start the year?  Will what he worked on in instructional league and mini camp show up on the mound this spring?

Chris Lee (2011, Rookie, 19) - Finished strong in his last three outings.  Combined for 14 K's in his last 12 IP with only 1 earned run.  But he also walked 11 during that stretch.  Will improvements seen at the end of 2011 carry over into 2012?  Extended Spring or Lexington?

Arcenio Leon (2007, 08, AAA, 25) - Struggled in AA & AAA last year. How will he fair in big league spring training?  Where will he start 2012?

Jordan Lyles (2008, MLB, 21) - Spent most of the season in the bigs last year.  Will he be in the Houston rotation when camp breaks? What will his second full season in the bigs hold?

Luis Ordosgotti (2011, SS A, 19) -The highlight of the 2011 starters in Greeneville.  Showed real promise.  Does he have the maturity to pitch in the SALLY as a teen? 

Troy Patton (2004, MLB, 26) - Is the only piece from the Tejada trade still in the Orioles system.  Will he make the team out of spring training?  What will his role in the pen be?

Felepe Paulino (2004, MLB, 28) - Seemed to like pitching for KC after a failed stint as a Rockie.  Will he earn a spot in the rotation out of spring training?  Will this year be the year he lives up to expectations?

Jose Perdomo (2011, Rookie, 20) - After a great 2010 in the GCL, he came to the Appy and got lit up.  He was put on the shelf and didn't pitch after the middle of July.  Will he be back in Greeneville or in Tri Cities for 2012?  Will he be healthy enough to pitch anywhere?

Juri (Yuri) Perez (2009, Lo A, 21)  After missing most of 2010 with injury, he was sent to Lexington where he was lit up.  At Tri Cities, he found much more success.  How will Lexington treat him this season?  Can he return to the form he showed in Greeneville prior to the arm injury?

Tyson Perez (2011, Rookie, 22) Mixed results season to start his pro career with 42 K in 43 IP but 10 HR and 50 hits.  Will he make Lexington's starting rotation? 

Carlos Quevedo (2009, Lo A, 22) - Quevedo put up decent numbers in Lexington last year.  He rarely walks hitters but the long ball has been his thorn in the flesh.  If he goes to Lancaster, how will his HR numbers look then?  

Euris Quezada (2010, SS A, 22) - Quezada had his season cut short with injury after having his best outings of the year.  Will he be healthy for 2012?

Francis Ramirez (2011, Rookie, 20) - A mid season call up from the GCL showed some real promise in four starts for Greeneville.  More advanced stats from Fangraphs temper the excitement with a BABIP of .204.  In other words they say he was very, very lucky. Which pitcher is he, the one who gave up 20 walks in 30 1/3 IP in the GCL or the one who gave up two in 18 2/3 IP in the APPY?

Ross Seaton (2008, AA, 22) - Showed some improvement in AA in '11 after a rough 2010 in Lancaster.  Will he be in AAA or repeat AA? 

Jose Trinidad (2008, Hi A, 24) - Will start season on DL.  Will he pitch at all in 2012? 

Vincent Velasquez (2010, Rookie, 19) - Missed all of 2011 after TJ surgery.  How will he look and where will he be playing?

Tom Vessella (2006, AAA, 26) - After two years in Indy ball, Vessella returned to affiliated ball in 2011 with the Giants.  He pitched in four different levels (low A, hi A, AA, & AAA).  Can his comeback story continue in 2012?

Henry Villar (2008, MLB, 24) - After a cup of coffee with Houston in 2010, Villar started in AAA but was a bit over matched there.  He was returned to AA where he put up much better numbers?  Will the second time starting at AAA be the charm?  Can he get another cup of coffee this year?

Projected placement of those still in the Astros organization:

MLB: 
Lyles

Oklahoma City (AAA)

Leon
Villar

Corpus Christi (AA)
Cisnero
Greenwalt
Seaton

Lancaster (Hi A)
Cruz
Dydalewicz
Garcia
J. Perez
Quevedo

Lexington (Lo A)
Alaniz
Folty
Houser
Ordosgotti
Quezada

Extended Spring Training
Batista
Lee
Perdomo
T. Perez
Ramirez
Velasquez

Instructional Roster Released

Thanks to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle for releasing the Instructional League roster.  Here are the former G-Stros who are going to be spending part of their fall in Florida.  I will include the number of players who have played in Greeneville out of the total number at each position as well as they year(s) the player was in Greeneville in parentheses.

Pitchers:(9 out of 22 on roster)

Ruben Alaniz (10)

Ricardo Batista (10, 11)
Jamaine Cotton (10,11)

Michael Foltynewicz   (10)

Christopher Lee (11)
Luis Ordosgoitti (11)
Rodney Quintero (10,11)
Francis Ramirez (11)

Vincent Velasquez (10)

Catchers: (3 out of 6)

Ernesto Genoves (11)
Roberto Pena (10)
Chris Wallace (10)

Infielders: (5 out of 10)

Jean Carlos Batista (11)

Delino DeShields Jr. (10)

Jonathan Meyer (09)

Jiovanni Mier (09)
Telvin Nash (10)

Outfielders: (2 out of 8)

Ariel Ovando (11)

Jordan Scott (11)

Of the  44 players who are on the non rehab roster, here is where they finished the 2011 season.

GCL: 7

Greeneville: 8

TriCities: 8

Lexington: 10

Lancaster: 4

Corpus Christi: 4

No Roster/DL: 3

Appy Astros G-Stros End of August Report

Little Appy Astro and I went to Pioneer Park last night and caught the last game of the season.  It is always a bitter sweet time of the year.  You can tell the players are ready to go home and see family and friends. And having experienced being away from home, I understand where they are coming from. However, as a baseball fan, it means the season is drawing to a close.  And a disappointing season at that.

I had high hopes for this edition of the G-Stros.  Some of the players I thought would do well, didn't.  However, that doesn't mean there wasn't some development that took place.  Let's take a look at who showed some growth during the final month of the season.

Josh Magee turned his season around in a big way in the month of August.  In June and July, he played in 30 games and was 20 for 99 at the plate (.202).  He got sizzling hot in August including one stretch where he hit in 12 straight AB.  He finished the month hitting .376 (32 of 85) and that brought his season average up to a respectable .283.  He is a good example of a player who develops over a short season.  He raised his OBP at least .100 points each month.

Jordan Scott was the MVP of the G-Stros this season.  He hit .337 on the season but hit .366 for the month of August.  He also hit his first HR of the season.  He will turn 20 on 9/22/11.  Look for him to be in LF in Lexington next season.

Jean Batista joined the G-Stros around the middle of August.  He appeared in 12 games and got off to a hot start.  The 19 year old SS hit .333 and also hit two HR during his brief stay in Greeneville.

On the mound, there were also some positive developments:


Frances Ramirez was called up from the GCL and made four starts in G'ville in August.  In those four starts, he put up a 2.89 ERA in 18 2/3 IP. He only allowed 12 hits and two walks while striking out 11 batters during that span. 

Tyson Perez put together a solid last month of the season.  His ERA for August was 3.54 in six starts but he fanned 29 batters in 28 innings pitched.  Prior to this month, he had only fanned 20 in 27 IP. 

Chris Lee, the highest draft pick at the start of the year, showed some signs of development.  He fanned 26 batters during his last 23 2/3 IP.  While he still gave up way too many walks, he was getting more swings and misses and more ground balls.

Jeremiah Meiners was one of the most solid arms out of the pen all season.  He finished with a 2.90 ERA and never had a month where his ERA rose to the 3.00 level.  In 40 1/3 IP, he fanned 42 batters and only walked 10.   He didn't get enough IP to qualify among the league leaders (14 1/3 short), but his WHIP of 1.09 would have been in first place.  He showed significant growth over his 2010 season in the GCL (6.95 ERA).

Zach Dando didn't have the best of months for August but despite an ERA of 4.97, he held opposing batters to a .196 average.  He had more Ks (35) than IP (33).

Matison Smith was one of the older players on the roster.  At 23, he put together a nice August out of the G-Stros pen.  He put up a 1.42 ERA in 9 appearances (12 2/3 IP).  During that span, he fanned 20 batters.

Scott Zuloaga, had an impressive August.  The side winding lefty posted a 2.45 ERA for the month that was less than half of his previous month's 5.68.  During August, he appeared in 12 games and fanned 8 batters in 7 1/3 IP.  He also induced ground balls at a higher rate.  His season ERA is deceptively high due to his 36 ERA in August.

Most Likely To Return
Last year, I predicted that Cotton & Batista would return to pitch in G'ville.  Here are the players, I feel will be back in Greeneville next year.  It will be a larger number than were here this year.

Possible returnees include:

Ariel Ovando - raw talent still has a great deal of work to do in the field and on the bases.
Darwin Rivera - made a big jump to the Appy after only 13 games in the DSL over 2 years.
Garen Wright - injuries hampered this season for another raw outfielder.
Chan Moon - really started to shine at SS later in the season.  Had a few flashes at the plate as well.
Adrian Houser - don't see him ready for older competition yet. 
Jose Perdomo - if he is not hurt, I could see him back for a 2nd year.  Didn't pitch after 7/18.

If those six players return, that would be a solid foundation for a good team for 2012.  Because there is always next year.

Appy Astros G-Stros End of July Report

We have the first 40 games of baseball under out belts in Greeneville. The G-Stros are mired in last place in the Appy League West but there are bright spots. Let's look and see what the first 40 games tell us and who we need to be watching for the next 28 games of the season.

Hitters:

Ernesto Genoves is a 20 year old catcher from Venezuela. He has exceeded expectations with his bat this season. After hitting .278 last year in 23 games with the GCL Astros, he is hitting .373 in Greeneville in 20 games. He has shown the ability to get on base at a .462 OBP clip and is slugging a solid .627. He is second on the team in doubles, HR and extra base hits.

Chase Davidson (21 years old - 1B) is the leading slugger on the team. He leads the team with 9 HR, 10 doubles and 20 extra base hits. He is hitting .313 on the season and thanks to his 21 walks, he has a OBP of .411. He has struck out 43 times in 128 AB.

Jordan Scott (19 years old - LF/CF) is hitting .320 during his time with Greeneville this season. He snapped a 9 game hitting streak last night. He leads the team in hits and has been a consistent source of runs at the top of the line up.

Ariel Ovando (17 year old - RF) while his playing time has been limited by dings (He played in 20 out of 30 games in July). His developing nicely. He is learning a great deal in a hurry. He is hitting .269 but 7 of his 21 hits have been for extra bases. What he does in August will be interesting to watch.

Others to keep eyes on:
Jesse Wierzbicki - Old man of position players catching up to Appy League.
Darwin Rivera - Struggles in field impacting his bat, can he turn it around?
Garen Wright - showing improvement over his 2010 GCL numbers but has been missing time with a bum shoulder. Will he get to see many more at bats this summer?
Josh Magee - Hit .133 in 9 games in June. Hit .232 in 21 games in July. Finished July hitting in 6 of 7 games. Is he putting it together for August?
Luis Alverez - starting to show signs he is returning to the form he was in in 2009 prior to the knee injury.

Starting Pitchers:

Rookie ball stats are pretty useless. You get players with a wide variety of ability and at a wide variety of development. For pitchers, I have found it helpful to drop their best & worst outings from their stats to get a better picture of what the true stat might look like. For more on my rational, check out my post that looked at the 2010 pitching staff where I explained the Appy Astros Adjusted Scoring System (3A2S).

Luis Ordosgoitti is a 19 year old from Venezuela. He had been stellar through his first five starts. The last two showed some struggle. He was placed on the 7 day DL and then sent down to the GCL when Adrian Houser was brought up. His demotion caught me off guard, I am hoping it is just a rehab type of assignment. At this point in the season, his ERA is 4.37 but he has just walked 3 batters and fanned 32 in 35 IP. When you take out his best & worst starts, his ERA drops t0 3.67.

Chris Lee was the highest round draft pick from 2011 (4th) on the team prior to Houser's arrival. Lee has struggled with control, walking 18 batters in 25 innings. Though he showed some progress from his two starts in June (6 BB in 3 2/3 IP) and July (12 BB in 21 1/3 IP). He appears to struggle more with his control out of the stretch than in the wind up. His ERA is currently 6.84. His 3A2S ERA is 6.48.

Tyson Perez is the 21 year old pitcher out of Stanford drafted in the 17th round. He has been inconsistent which is not unusual for Rookie Ball. He currently has a 5.63 ERA through 8 starts. He started August with his best start of the season going 5 innings giving up no earned runs on four hits. When you take out his best start and worst start (8 ER in 1 1/3 IP) of the season, his 3A2S ERA drops to 4.21. He has less than one walk a start on the season.

Richardo Batista is a LHP repeating the Appy League this season at 19 years old. He has been outstanding at times with two starts being scoreless through 5 innings. Then he has also been very average not even getting to the 5th inning in 4 of his 7 starts. He tends to nibble when he pitches. If it is a free swinging team, he is good to go. If they are patient, he goes deep in counts and batters are walked. The key for Batista is throwing his curve for strikes. ERA 5.58/ 3A2S ERA 5.02.

Jose Perdomo is a 19 year old RHP from Venezuela. He put up outstanding numbers in the GCL last year. The Appy League hasn't been so kind. He currently totes a 9.00 ERA in 5 starts. His 3A2S ERA is higher at 9.52. The one bright spot in his numbers is he still has more K's than IP (21/ 18). He has not pitched since 5/18 but isn't on the DL. There may be an issue they hope rest will fix be it physical, mental or mechanical.

Jermain Cotton is repeating the Appy. He has made four starts and four relief appearances. However, he has not had a relief appearance shorter than four innings, though he has had two starts shorter than three innings, I am lumping him in with the starters. Cotton throws pretty hard. His ERA for the season thus far is 5.76. His 3A2S ERA is 4.81. He appears to be more comfortable in long relief as his relief ERA is 2.76.

The one to keep an eye on for the last month of the season is Adrian Houser who had a solid start in his first Appy League outing. He was drafted in the 2nd round this year.

Relief Pitchers:

The bullpen has improved as the season has come along. There is some maturity in the pen and some of the top performers are some of the oldest players on the roster. Let's look at a few of the highlights.

Jeremiah Meiners is a 22 year old LHP who was drafted in the 40th round in 2010. He has fanned 23 batters in 24 innings and only walked four. He has held opponents to a .204 batting average. His ERA is an even 3.00 on the season.

Matison Smith is a 23 year old RHP who was a NDFA signed in 2010. He has finished a team leading 9 games for the G-Stros and has 2 saves. He only had three walks through his first 19 1/3 IP before giving up two in his last outing. In fact, his last two outings have taken his ERA from 2.12 to 3.38. It will be interesting to watch how he does the rest of the season.

Steve Martin is a 23 year old RHP out of Texas A&M who was drafted in the 37th round this year. He has appeared in 8 games and has a 1.38 ERA (2 ER in 13 IP). Opponents are hitting just .098 against him. He has not allowed a hit in 5 of his 8 outings.

Rodney Quintero is repeating the Appy this year after only making three appearances in 2010. The 21year old 25th round draft pick from 2010 has show some promise this year by not allowing an earned run in six of his 11 outings and striking out 24 batters in 19 1/3 innings. However he has also been very hittable at times giving up a total of 19 hits in 19 1/3 IP.

Zach Dando is a 20 year old drafted in the 32nd round this year. He had a rough first outing of the season but has bounced back with a solid 2.95 ERA in July. He has 22 strike outs in 19 1/3 IP.

James Propst is a 22 year old drafted in the 38th round this year. He has been inconsistent mixing six scoreless outings with three outings where he gave up three or more runs. He has fanned 29 batters in 25 IP.