The short season is in full swing and both Greeneville and Tri Cities lead their divisions. The rest of the farm isn't doing to shabbily either with both Corpus Christi and Lancaster leading their divisions in the second half of the season.
Here is your monthly look at how former Greeneville Astros are doing in the Major Leagues, the Astros' farm system and in other minor league affiliates.
Tri-City ValleyCats (short season A ball)
Hitter
Chan Moon was bumped back down to short season ball after spending most of last season in Low A and even getting a taste of High A. The fact that he is in Tri Cities shows you the depth at SS in the organization. In July, he hit .299/.365/.358 with seven stolen bases.
Pitcher
Michael Feliz has been dominate in the NY/Penn League. In 20 1/3 innings in July, he fanned 23 batters and offered free passes to just three. His season ERA is 1.49 with 42 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings pitched.
Quad Cities River Bandits (Low A)
Hitter
Carlos Correa hit .295/.378/.474 for the month of July. He added two HR and eight doubles. His season average of .314 shows he is ready for the next challenge.
Honorable mention to Rio Ruiz. He hit .279 for July with 10 extra base hits (six doubles, one triple and three HR). He has rebounded from a rough start to raise his season average to .251.
Pitcher
Vincent Velasquez made four starts in July and finished with an impressive 2.35 ERA. He fanned 21 batters in 23 innings pitched while maintaining a WHIP of 0.783.
Sharing the honor this month is Jordan Jankowski who made two starts and four relief appearances for a combined 19 1/3 innings pitched. During July, his ERA was 1.86 and he allowed just 13 hits and one walk for a 0.656 WHIP.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter
Delino DeShields was hot for July hitting .349/..407/.500 with 19 stolen bases. He took 10 walks and only struck out 16 times in 106 at bats.
Pitcher
Mike Hauschild has only spent a part of the month in Lancaster be he has been solid in his first three outings. In 14 innings pitched (two starts and one relief appearance) he struck out 12 batters and only issued two walks. His Lancaster ERA was 3.86.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitter
Rene Garcia gets the nod before he heads off to AAA. For July, he hit .327/.358/.423. During his time in Corpus Christi he has thrown out 51% of would be base stealers.
Jonathan Meyer gets honorable mention for his solid month. He hit .315/.411/.446. After hitting .165 in April, his season average is up to .274.
Pitcher
Who else but David Martinez. In 5 starts for July (36 1/3 IP) he had a 1.98 ERA with two complete games.
Ruben Alaniz gets honorable mention for his solid month. In four starts, he posted a 2.59 ERA in 24 1/3 innings.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitter
Ruben Sosa earns this spot despite being the only position player on the roster who played in Greeneville. He appeared in 19 games in July and hit an impressive .368 with three triples.
Pitcher
Jorge De Leon gets the nod by virtue of three strong relief appearances after his call up from Corpus Christi. He has not allowed a run in the four innings he has thrown so far.
Outside The Astros Org.
Hitter
Albert Cartwright had a very solid month for Reading (Phillies AA). He hit .306/.328 /.417 bringing his season average up to .268.
Pitcher
Victor Garate made five starts for Saltillo of the Mexican League (AAA). His ERA for July was 1.74. He fanned 33 batters in his 31 innings of work.
MLB
Hitter
J.D. Martinez gets the honor by hitting .288 in 17 games this month. Honorable mention goes to Brandon Barnes for hitting for the cycle this month.
Pitcher
Fernando Abad continues his solid work this season. In July, he amassed a 1.86 ERA in 10 games (9 2/3 IP) out of the Nationals bullpen. Home runs have always been Abad's Achilles heel, but this year, through 24 1/3 innings, he has not surrendered a long ball.
Showing posts with label Alumni of the Month. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alumni of the Month. Show all posts
Friday, August 2, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
Appy Astros Alumni of the Month: June 2013
June is a fun month. The short season teams have started playing. Most of the full season teams have had their all star games. Let's see which former G-Stros' June was more fun because of their performances. We won't look at the short season teams this month because two weeks isn't really enough time to assess performances yet.
Quad Cities:
Hitters -
Who else but Carlos Correa. Correa hit .370/.413/.510 for the month. He has brought his average up to .323 for the season after a very sluggish start. Fun stat for Correa - Out of his 289 plate appearances so far, only six have been against pitchers younger than him and he has no hits against the younger pitchers. In the 283 plate appearances against older pitchers, he is hitting .332.
Honorable mention to Jesse Wierzbicki who hit .286/.351/.417 for the month of June.
Pitchers -
Lance McCullers Jr. continues to have an impressive season in Quad Cities. McCullars struck out 33 batters in 27 1/3 innings pitched with a 2.30 ERA.
Honorable mention to Daniel Minor who had a 2.76 ERA in 16 1/3 innings before he went on the DL.
Lancaster
Hitters -
Delino DeShields had another solid month in June. He hit .280/.370/.366. He also stole 8 bases to bring his season total to 20 on the season. He has really settled in as a 20 year old playing in the Cal. League.
Pitchers -
Luis Cruz has bounced back from a rough May and had an outstanding June. In 31 2/3 innings pitched, he allowed just 22 hits and seven walks for a WHIP of 0.906. He had an impressive total of 40 strike outs for the month!
Corpus Christi
Hitters -
Jonathan Meyer had another solid month hitting.280 with eight doubles and five home runs for a .510 slugging percentage.
Pitchers -
David Martinez continues to put up impressive numbers this season. In 30 2/3 June innings, he gave up just 21 hits and two walks while striking out 24 batters. Opponents hit just .193 against him in June.
Oklahoma City
There were only two former G-Stros on the roster at any point in time this month. Nether put up numbers worthy of recognition.
Major Leagues
Hitters-
Jose Altuve continues to be the most consistent Astro at the plate Even in a down month (.275
average) he still lead the time in batting average.
Pitchers -
Jose Cisnero struck out 14 batters in 11 2/3 innings pitched (8 games). He had not given up a run in June until his final outing. He ended the month with a 0.77 ERA.
Honorable mention to Troy Patton who found his grove again in June. In 12 appearances (12 1/3 IP) he fanned 12 batters and did not walk a batter after giving up eight free passes in May. ERA for June was 1.46
Fernando Abad also gets a honorable mention with his performance out of the National's bullpen. In 12 games (12 1/3 IP) he struck out 14 batters and also walked no one. His June ERA was also 1.46
Finally, I feel like J.C. Gutierrez deserves a mention as well. In limited action, he fanned eight batters in nine innings of pitching for the Royals. He finished June with a 2.00 ERA.
Quad Cities:
Hitters -
Who else but Carlos Correa. Correa hit .370/.413/.510 for the month. He has brought his average up to .323 for the season after a very sluggish start. Fun stat for Correa - Out of his 289 plate appearances so far, only six have been against pitchers younger than him and he has no hits against the younger pitchers. In the 283 plate appearances against older pitchers, he is hitting .332.
Honorable mention to Jesse Wierzbicki who hit .286/.351/.417 for the month of June.
Pitchers -
Lance McCullers Jr. continues to have an impressive season in Quad Cities. McCullars struck out 33 batters in 27 1/3 innings pitched with a 2.30 ERA.
Honorable mention to Daniel Minor who had a 2.76 ERA in 16 1/3 innings before he went on the DL.
Lancaster
Hitters -
Delino DeShields had another solid month in June. He hit .280/.370/.366. He also stole 8 bases to bring his season total to 20 on the season. He has really settled in as a 20 year old playing in the Cal. League.
Pitchers -
Luis Cruz has bounced back from a rough May and had an outstanding June. In 31 2/3 innings pitched, he allowed just 22 hits and seven walks for a WHIP of 0.906. He had an impressive total of 40 strike outs for the month!
Corpus Christi
Hitters -
Jonathan Meyer had another solid month hitting.280 with eight doubles and five home runs for a .510 slugging percentage.
Pitchers -
David Martinez continues to put up impressive numbers this season. In 30 2/3 June innings, he gave up just 21 hits and two walks while striking out 24 batters. Opponents hit just .193 against him in June.
Oklahoma City
There were only two former G-Stros on the roster at any point in time this month. Nether put up numbers worthy of recognition.
Major Leagues
Hitters-
Jose Altuve continues to be the most consistent Astro at the plate Even in a down month (.275
average) he still lead the time in batting average.
Pitchers -
Jose Cisnero struck out 14 batters in 11 2/3 innings pitched (8 games). He had not given up a run in June until his final outing. He ended the month with a 0.77 ERA.
Honorable mention to Troy Patton who found his grove again in June. In 12 appearances (12 1/3 IP) he fanned 12 batters and did not walk a batter after giving up eight free passes in May. ERA for June was 1.46
Fernando Abad also gets a honorable mention with his performance out of the National's bullpen. In 12 games (12 1/3 IP) he struck out 14 batters and also walked no one. His June ERA was also 1.46
Finally, I feel like J.C. Gutierrez deserves a mention as well. In limited action, he fanned eight batters in nine innings of pitching for the Royals. He finished June with a 2.00 ERA.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Appy Astros Alumni of the Month - April 2013
The first month of the season is in the books. Let's check on the progress of the former G-Stros both in and out of the Houston organization and recognize those who put up good numbers this month. We will look at a hitter and a pitcher at all levels.
Quad Cities:
Hitter of the Month:
Roberto Pena hit .365 in 13 games for the River Bandits. Of his 19 hits, he had two HR and three doubles. The 20 year old is starting the season in low A for the third time. He is doing his best to show he is ready for a new challenge.
Honorable Mention: Jesse Wierzbicki, who hit .261 for the month but had eight extra base hits and is tied for fourth in the league with 20 RBI.
Pitcher of the Month:
Vincent Velasquez finished the month on a rough note last night giving up four earned runs in 2 2/3 IP, yet that only raised his ERA for the month to 2.45. He has struck out 31 batters in 25 2/3 IP. His 31 Ks tie him for the league lead.
Honorable Mention: Lance McCullers Jr., who in five appearances amassed a 1.93 ERA with 19 K in 18 2/3 IP.
Lancaster:
Hitter of the Month:
The options for hitter here are slim as there are just three former G-Stros position players on the Lancaster roster. Delino DeShields gets the nod this month despite a bit of a slump towards the end of the month. In April, he hit .250 with three doubles and three triples. He made just two errors in 63 chances at second base during the month.
Honorable Mention: Telvin Nash joined the team late in the month after rehabbing an injury in extended spring training. In the seven games since he joined the team, Nash is hitting .346 with a double and two home runs. He has taken four walks against six strikeouts. If he can put those numbers up over a whole month, he will be a shoo in for Alumni of the month.
Pitcher of the Month:
Likewise, there are only three options to choose from for Appy Astros Alumni of the Month among the pitchers in Lancaster. Luis Cruz is the choice based on his three starts in the tandem pitching rotation. In his three starts, he has a 0.61 ERA with 19 strike outs in 14 2/3 IP. He has not fared as well coming in as the second half of the tandem but overall he finishes April with a 3.47 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings pitched. He is tied for 8th among league leaders in strikeouts.
Honorable Mention: Michael Foltynewicz got off to a rough start but has rebounded with several strong outings later in the month.
Corpus Christi:
Hitter of the Month
This was one of the toughest calls of the month. Ben Orloff gets the nod with a .322 average in 20 games this month. He struck out just four times in 59 at bats. That is one K every 15 at bats! He also took eight walks on the month. He has also moved around the diamond this month. He has played five games each at 1B, 2B, and SS while adding three games at 3B and one game as DH.
Honorable Mention: Rene Garcia made this a tough call. He has only appeared in 13 games but when he has gotten his chances, he has hit the ball. He hit .333 with four doubles and a HR to his credit for the month. He has gunned down 50% of would be base burglars so far this season as well.
Pitcher of the Month
David Martinez has quietly put up solid numbers in his AA debut. In 22 2/3 innings pitched, he has allowed just 15 hits and five walks for a WHIP of 0.88 (3rd best in the Texas League). He has not given up an earned run in his past 13 2/3 innings pitched.
Honorable Mention: Carlos Quevedo started the month in Lancaster but was quickly promoted to Corpus Christi. Since arriving he has appeared in six games with one of those being a start. In 16 2/3 IP, he has a 1.62 ERA with 14 strikeouts.
Oklahoma City
Hitter of the Month - No former G-Stro qualified for the award this month. Only two former players have appeared in games for OKC this season. Ruben Sosa was sent down to EST after just two games and Chris Wallace was traded after limited action.
Pitcher of the Month
Jordan Lyles gets the nod here. He had one rough outing that inflates his numbers but he heads to Houston to join the big league Astros after completing April with a 5.32 ERA.
Minors- Other Affiliations
Hitter of the Month
Albert Cartwright is off to a hot start with Reading (AA-Phillies). The second baseman is hitting .326 with three doubles, a triple and a HR. He is tearing up lefties with eight hits and 16 at bats.
Honorable Mention: Chris Wallace was traded to the Indians organization during the month. He played in eight games for Akron hitting ,.367 before being promoted to Columbus (AAA). Since arriving back in AAA, he went 5 for 7 in his first game in a Clippers uniform.
Pitcher of the Month
Fernando Abad started off the year with eight straight scoreless outings. Despite giving up a run in his last two outings of the month, he still ended April with a 1.93 ERA. He is pitching for Syracuse (AAA- Washington).
Honorable Mention: Tom Vessella appeared in nine games for the Richmond Flying Squirrles (AA- Giants). The lefty finished April with a 1.08 ERA in 16 2/3 innings pitched.
Majors
Hitter of the Month
It is very hard to select anyone but Jose Altuve. Altuve continues to show he belongs in the big leagues. He hit .330 in April and finished the month with 37 hits which ties him for the league lead. He also continues to make impressive plays in the field.
Honorable Mention: Brandon Barnes has come to the plate in 15 games so far this year and has reached base in 14 of those games.
Pitcher of the Month
Jose Cisnero came up from OKC to give the bullpen a fresh arm and he has shown he belongs in the bigs. The 14th G-Stro to make the show has appeared in three games since his call up allowing just one earned run in 7 2/3 innings pitched out of the Astros' bullpen. He has allowed just five hits and one walk while striking out five opponents.
Honorable Mention: Troy Patton has appeared in 11 games out of the Baltimore bullpen. He is holding opponents to a measly .220 batting average.
Overall not a bad showing by the alumni of the Greeneville Astros! Can't wait to see who shines in May.
Quad Cities:
Hitter of the Month:
Roberto Pena hit .365 in 13 games for the River Bandits. Of his 19 hits, he had two HR and three doubles. The 20 year old is starting the season in low A for the third time. He is doing his best to show he is ready for a new challenge.
Honorable Mention: Jesse Wierzbicki, who hit .261 for the month but had eight extra base hits and is tied for fourth in the league with 20 RBI.
Pitcher of the Month:
Vincent Velasquez finished the month on a rough note last night giving up four earned runs in 2 2/3 IP, yet that only raised his ERA for the month to 2.45. He has struck out 31 batters in 25 2/3 IP. His 31 Ks tie him for the league lead.
Honorable Mention: Lance McCullers Jr., who in five appearances amassed a 1.93 ERA with 19 K in 18 2/3 IP.
Lancaster:
Hitter of the Month:
The options for hitter here are slim as there are just three former G-Stros position players on the Lancaster roster. Delino DeShields gets the nod this month despite a bit of a slump towards the end of the month. In April, he hit .250 with three doubles and three triples. He made just two errors in 63 chances at second base during the month.
Honorable Mention: Telvin Nash joined the team late in the month after rehabbing an injury in extended spring training. In the seven games since he joined the team, Nash is hitting .346 with a double and two home runs. He has taken four walks against six strikeouts. If he can put those numbers up over a whole month, he will be a shoo in for Alumni of the month.
Pitcher of the Month:
Likewise, there are only three options to choose from for Appy Astros Alumni of the Month among the pitchers in Lancaster. Luis Cruz is the choice based on his three starts in the tandem pitching rotation. In his three starts, he has a 0.61 ERA with 19 strike outs in 14 2/3 IP. He has not fared as well coming in as the second half of the tandem but overall he finishes April with a 3.47 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings pitched. He is tied for 8th among league leaders in strikeouts.
Honorable Mention: Michael Foltynewicz got off to a rough start but has rebounded with several strong outings later in the month.
Corpus Christi:
Hitter of the Month
This was one of the toughest calls of the month. Ben Orloff gets the nod with a .322 average in 20 games this month. He struck out just four times in 59 at bats. That is one K every 15 at bats! He also took eight walks on the month. He has also moved around the diamond this month. He has played five games each at 1B, 2B, and SS while adding three games at 3B and one game as DH.
Honorable Mention: Rene Garcia made this a tough call. He has only appeared in 13 games but when he has gotten his chances, he has hit the ball. He hit .333 with four doubles and a HR to his credit for the month. He has gunned down 50% of would be base burglars so far this season as well.
Pitcher of the Month
David Martinez has quietly put up solid numbers in his AA debut. In 22 2/3 innings pitched, he has allowed just 15 hits and five walks for a WHIP of 0.88 (3rd best in the Texas League). He has not given up an earned run in his past 13 2/3 innings pitched.
Honorable Mention: Carlos Quevedo started the month in Lancaster but was quickly promoted to Corpus Christi. Since arriving he has appeared in six games with one of those being a start. In 16 2/3 IP, he has a 1.62 ERA with 14 strikeouts.
Oklahoma City
Hitter of the Month - No former G-Stro qualified for the award this month. Only two former players have appeared in games for OKC this season. Ruben Sosa was sent down to EST after just two games and Chris Wallace was traded after limited action.
Pitcher of the Month
Jordan Lyles gets the nod here. He had one rough outing that inflates his numbers but he heads to Houston to join the big league Astros after completing April with a 5.32 ERA.
Minors- Other Affiliations
Hitter of the Month
Albert Cartwright is off to a hot start with Reading (AA-Phillies). The second baseman is hitting .326 with three doubles, a triple and a HR. He is tearing up lefties with eight hits and 16 at bats.
Honorable Mention: Chris Wallace was traded to the Indians organization during the month. He played in eight games for Akron hitting ,.367 before being promoted to Columbus (AAA). Since arriving back in AAA, he went 5 for 7 in his first game in a Clippers uniform.
Pitcher of the Month
Fernando Abad started off the year with eight straight scoreless outings. Despite giving up a run in his last two outings of the month, he still ended April with a 1.93 ERA. He is pitching for Syracuse (AAA- Washington).
Honorable Mention: Tom Vessella appeared in nine games for the Richmond Flying Squirrles (AA- Giants). The lefty finished April with a 1.08 ERA in 16 2/3 innings pitched.
Majors
Hitter of the Month
It is very hard to select anyone but Jose Altuve. Altuve continues to show he belongs in the big leagues. He hit .330 in April and finished the month with 37 hits which ties him for the league lead. He also continues to make impressive plays in the field.
Honorable Mention: Brandon Barnes has come to the plate in 15 games so far this year and has reached base in 14 of those games.
Pitcher of the Month
Jose Cisnero came up from OKC to give the bullpen a fresh arm and he has shown he belongs in the bigs. The 14th G-Stro to make the show has appeared in three games since his call up allowing just one earned run in 7 2/3 innings pitched out of the Astros' bullpen. He has allowed just five hits and one walk while striking out five opponents.
Honorable Mention: Troy Patton has appeared in 11 games out of the Baltimore bullpen. He is holding opponents to a measly .220 batting average.
Overall not a bad showing by the alumni of the Greeneville Astros! Can't wait to see who shines in May.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Appy Astros Alumni of the Month: July 2012
A bunch of G-Stros players have been on the month this month. We have several players earning Alumni of the month designation for teams they are either no longer on or just arrived on. Let's take a look at former Greeneville Astros who had a strong July.
Tri Cities ValleyCats
Hitter:
Jessie Wierzbicki hit .299 in 27 games in July. I was surprised by the speed numbers. He hit two triples and was successful in nine out of 10 stolen base attempts.
Pitcher:
Jarmaine Cotton appeared in seven games out of the Tri Cities bullpen. He was almost perfect for the month, allowing just one earned run in 10 1/3 innings pitched. He fanned 10 batters while only allowing six hits and four walks.
Honorable Mentions: Vincent Velasquez, Jeremiah Meiners
Lexington Legends
Hitter:
Delino DeShields Jr was dominate in July. He hit .380 for the month in 27 games. He showed impressive pop, hitting seven doubles, a triple and four home runs. On the base paths, he added 20 stolen bases to his team record total, bringing him to 77 on the season. You have to wonder if he will be eligible for alumni of the month on another team in August.
Honorable Mention: Ruben Sosa
Pitcher:
Mitchell Lambson almost let this recognition slip away last night. Prior to last night, he had been dominate since his promotion from Greeneville in late June. Lambson gave up four of the eight earned runs for the month last night. His ERA jumped to 3.48 for the month after that outing. Yet he still fanned 22 batters in just 20 2/3 innings pitched and opponents hit just .215 off of him.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitters:
It wasn't a great month for former Greeneville players at the plate in Lancaster. So, I am going with Ben Orloff, who was promoted in the middle of July to AA. Prior to his promotion, he hit .344 with only three strike outs in 40 plate appearances.
Pitchers:
Carlos Quevedo is doing well since his promotion to Lancaster in early July. In seven outings, he has given up just two earned runs in 15 1/3 innings pitched. He struck out nineteen while walking just four batters. Last night he gave up two walks. It was his first multi walk outing since early May.
Honorable Mention: Patrick Urckfitz, David Martinez
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitters:
Even though he was promoted, Chris Wallace's numbers for July in Corpus Christi deserve recognition. In 11 games before his promotion, he hit .467 (14 for 34). Since his promotion, he has hit a very respectable .333 in OKC.
Pitchers:
The pitcher of the month also goes to a promoted player. Jose Cisnero made four starts in CC before moving to OKC. In those starts, he had a 2.75 ERA and struck out 28 batters in 26 2/3 innings pitched. He pitched a complete nine inning game on 7/22.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitters:
Brandon Barnes continues to be a solid producer at the plate. He hit .333 for July in 25 games. I continue to be impressed with his improved plate discipline. He took 13 walks in July which helped his OBP rise to .417 for the month.
Pitcher: there was no former G-Stro pitcher on the roster for much of July. Fernando Abad was optioned there from Houston at the end of the month and made one forgettable appearance.
MLB
Hitter:
Jose Altuve hit .282 for the month of July. His average is down a bit but OBP up due to taking 10 walks in the month. He also added seven stolen bases in eight attempts for the month.
Pitcher:
Troy Patton continues to be a significant part of the Baltimore bullpen. Patton appeared in 13 games for the Os in July amassing 10 innings pitched. During that stretch, he allowed just two earned runs, both off home runs. Both home runs came in the first outing of the month. Since then he has not allowed a run to score. It does look like he played with fire a bit with opponents hitting .302 against him for the month and a surprising 1.60 WHIP.
MILB outside of organization
Hitter:
Ralph Henriquez is hitting .314 in 10 games for AA Jackson (Mariners). It is nice to see Henriquez having some success. He will always be a fan favorite in Greeneville.
Pitcher:
Jimmy Barthmaier gets the nod this month. He is recovering from injury and started his year in High A, where he put up a 1.84 ERA in 14 outings before earning a promotion to AA late this month. He is in the Nationals organization.
Distribution
Lets look at where those in the organization are at the end of July:
Tri Cities -7 (-1 from last month).
Lexington - 14 (-2 from last month)
Lancaster - 17 (unchanged)
Corpus Christi - 7 (+1 from last month)
Oklahoma City - 1 (+3 from last month)
Houston -3 (-1 from last month)
Tri Cities ValleyCats
Hitter:
Jessie Wierzbicki hit .299 in 27 games in July. I was surprised by the speed numbers. He hit two triples and was successful in nine out of 10 stolen base attempts.
Pitcher:
Jarmaine Cotton appeared in seven games out of the Tri Cities bullpen. He was almost perfect for the month, allowing just one earned run in 10 1/3 innings pitched. He fanned 10 batters while only allowing six hits and four walks.
Honorable Mentions: Vincent Velasquez, Jeremiah Meiners
Lexington Legends
Hitter:
Delino DeShields Jr was dominate in July. He hit .380 for the month in 27 games. He showed impressive pop, hitting seven doubles, a triple and four home runs. On the base paths, he added 20 stolen bases to his team record total, bringing him to 77 on the season. You have to wonder if he will be eligible for alumni of the month on another team in August.
Honorable Mention: Ruben Sosa
Pitcher:
Mitchell Lambson almost let this recognition slip away last night. Prior to last night, he had been dominate since his promotion from Greeneville in late June. Lambson gave up four of the eight earned runs for the month last night. His ERA jumped to 3.48 for the month after that outing. Yet he still fanned 22 batters in just 20 2/3 innings pitched and opponents hit just .215 off of him.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitters:
It wasn't a great month for former Greeneville players at the plate in Lancaster. So, I am going with Ben Orloff, who was promoted in the middle of July to AA. Prior to his promotion, he hit .344 with only three strike outs in 40 plate appearances.
Pitchers:
Carlos Quevedo is doing well since his promotion to Lancaster in early July. In seven outings, he has given up just two earned runs in 15 1/3 innings pitched. He struck out nineteen while walking just four batters. Last night he gave up two walks. It was his first multi walk outing since early May.
Honorable Mention: Patrick Urckfitz, David Martinez
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitters:
Even though he was promoted, Chris Wallace's numbers for July in Corpus Christi deserve recognition. In 11 games before his promotion, he hit .467 (14 for 34). Since his promotion, he has hit a very respectable .333 in OKC.
Pitchers:
The pitcher of the month also goes to a promoted player. Jose Cisnero made four starts in CC before moving to OKC. In those starts, he had a 2.75 ERA and struck out 28 batters in 26 2/3 innings pitched. He pitched a complete nine inning game on 7/22.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitters:
Brandon Barnes continues to be a solid producer at the plate. He hit .333 for July in 25 games. I continue to be impressed with his improved plate discipline. He took 13 walks in July which helped his OBP rise to .417 for the month.
Pitcher: there was no former G-Stro pitcher on the roster for much of July. Fernando Abad was optioned there from Houston at the end of the month and made one forgettable appearance.
MLB
Hitter:
Jose Altuve hit .282 for the month of July. His average is down a bit but OBP up due to taking 10 walks in the month. He also added seven stolen bases in eight attempts for the month.
Pitcher:
Troy Patton continues to be a significant part of the Baltimore bullpen. Patton appeared in 13 games for the Os in July amassing 10 innings pitched. During that stretch, he allowed just two earned runs, both off home runs. Both home runs came in the first outing of the month. Since then he has not allowed a run to score. It does look like he played with fire a bit with opponents hitting .302 against him for the month and a surprising 1.60 WHIP.
MILB outside of organization
Hitter:
Ralph Henriquez is hitting .314 in 10 games for AA Jackson (Mariners). It is nice to see Henriquez having some success. He will always be a fan favorite in Greeneville.
Pitcher:
Jimmy Barthmaier gets the nod this month. He is recovering from injury and started his year in High A, where he put up a 1.84 ERA in 14 outings before earning a promotion to AA late this month. He is in the Nationals organization.
Distribution
Lets look at where those in the organization are at the end of July:
Tri Cities -7 (-1 from last month).
Lexington - 14 (-2 from last month)
Lancaster - 17 (unchanged)
Corpus Christi - 7 (+1 from last month)
Oklahoma City - 1 (+3 from last month)
Houston -3 (-1 from last month)
Monday, August 1, 2011
Appy Astros Alumni of the Month - July
July was a crazy month. It included the call ups of two former G-Stros and others moving around the organization. Let's take a look at the numbers and see which former G-Stros stood out this month.
Tri Cities ValleyCats
Hitter of the Month
There are only three former G-Stros position players on the ValleyCat roster. Former G-Stro catcher Ryan McCurdy had the best month of the three. In 12 games, he hit .316. Bubby Williams gets a mention for hitting three home runs during the month.
Pitcher of the Month
Garrett Bullock gets the nod for his 2.84 ERA and 16 strike outs in 12 2/3 IP. The rest of the former G-Stros had pretty rough months in Tri Cities so no honorable mentions after having a slew of them last month.
Lexington Legends
Hitter of the Month
Ben Orloff leads the way for the former G-Stros hitters who put up some impressive numbers in July. He hit .358 on the month with a very impressive .436 OBP. While Orloff is old for the league at 24, he continues to show that when he gets a chance to play, he will do well. After only getting in to 33 games prior to the all star break, he has already played in 33 since Jio Mier was promoted to Lancaster.
Others worthy of mention include Delino Deshields Jr. who bounced back from a .154 June with a .320 July. Telvin Nash who came off the DL to hit .264 with 4 HR and an impressive .409 OBP. Finally, Bryce Lane isn't getting much playing time but in 16 games, he hit 3 HR and 4 doubles for a .581 slugging percentage.
Pitchers of the Month
Again, we are going with a starter and reliever of the month in Lexington. Carlos Quevedo gets the nod as starter of the month. He went 1-0 with a 2.32 ERA in 5 starts and held opponents to a .240 batting average. Brian Strenlein gets the reliever of the month honors for his 1.35 ERA over 7 games. He fanned 12 in 13 1/3 IP and held opponents to a .234 average.
Honorable mentions: Two other relievers need to be noted for their performances in July. Gabriel Garcia had an 0-2 record but in 6 games (15 1/3 IP) he fanned 14 batters and had a 2.87 ERA. Jorge DeLeon had good outcomes with a 4-0 record with 3 saves to go along with 14 strike outs in 14 1/3 IP. He held opponents to a .226 average while compiling a 3.68 ERA.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter of the Month
With Jose Altuve moved on through CC to Houston, and Kody Hinze now in Corpus Christi, we will have a new hitter of the month in Lancaster. We are going with Miguel Arrendell this month. The utility infielder hit .302 in 16 games with a .397 OBP. He is now hitting a solid .284 on the season and his having a career year.
Pitchers of the Month
Starter of the month is Jose Cisnero. He went 4-1 in 5 starts with a 4.26 ERA. He struck out 40 batters in 25 1/3 IP and held opponents to a .219 average. Out of the bullpen, Wander Alvino gets the reliever of the month. Alvino produced a 0.79 ERA in July in 8 appearances. He struck out 13 in 11 1/3 IP. The secret to his success lately has been inducing a 2.75 ground out to air out ratio. The has allowed him to overcome the 11 walks he surrendered in July.
Corpus Christi
Hitter of the Month
J.D. Martinez finished the month in Houston, but he put up amazing numbers that earn him hitter of the month at Corpus Christi. Prior to his departure, he hit .380 with 7 home runs and 16 extra base hits. He had a .473 OBP and a .717 slugging percentage. He also took more walks (15) than times he struck out (13).
Honorable Mention
Kody Hinze continues to put up solid numbers in the shadow of amazing numbers. After his promotion to Corpus Christi, he has hit .350 with 5 home runs and a total of 10 extra base hits. His OBP was .418 and his slugging an even .600. He also showed solid plate discipline taking 10 walks while striking out just 17 times in 80 at bats. Chris Wallace is trying to follow in Martinez's cleat prints after bypassing Lancaster on his way to AA. In July, he hit .272 with 5 home runs and 9 extra base hits in 81 at bats. His .303 OBP and .506 slugging are solid but pale in comparison to Martinez and Hinze. Also, Jose Altuve, hit .353 in his 8 games in July prior to his promotion to Houston.
Pitcher of the Month
Arcenio Leon appeared in 12 games for Corpus Christi. He struck out 22 batters in 16 1/3 innings and complied a 2-1 record with one save and a 3.78 ERA.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitter of the Month
In 17 games, J. R. Towles hit .283. That earns him the honor of hitter of the month in AAA.
Honorable Mention:
Koby Clemens hit .256 for the month with 10 extra base hits (5 HR) which is note worthy after his May (.220) and June (.181) performances.
Pitcher of the Month
In a very close race, Sammy Gervacio wins the award this month. Slingin' Sammy went 3-0 with one save during July and had a microscopic ERA of 0.56 in 11 appearances (16 IP). He held opponents to a .196 average.
Honorable Mention:
Douglas Arguello has thrived since his move to the pen. In July, he also appeared in 11 games (11 1/3 IP) and produced an impressive 0.73 ERA. Even more impressive is his 3.00 ground out to air out ratio.
Outside the System Minors
Hitter of the Month
Jordan Parraz continues to lay claim to this award. He had a great July hitting .374 with 13 extra base hits in 28 games for AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the Yankees organization.
Honorable Mention:
Ralph Henriquez was promoted to AAA Tacoma of the Mariners organization this month. In the 19 games since he arrived there, he has been hot at the plate. He has been hitting .356 with 6 extra base hits.
Pitcher of the Month
Jimmy Barthmaier had 8 appearances in July (7 relief & 1 start). In 15 1/3 IP, he amassed a 1.73 ERA and fanned 14 batters for AA Harrisburg of the Washington Nationals organization.
MLB
Hitter of the Month
Jose Altuve could win by default but he earns the award with his performance after his late month call up. In his first 11 games as a big leaguer, Jose hit 359 with two doubles. The buzz created by his promotion has been so much fun to watch.
Pitchers of the Month
Felipe Paulino edges out the competition this month for the starter of the month award. In 4 starts, he went 1-2 with a 4.01 ERA. He fanned 27 in 24 2/3 IP.
For the reliever of the month, we go outside the Astros organization to Troy Patton of the Baltimore Orioles. In 5 relief appearances since his call up in Mid July, Patton has put up a 2.84 ERA in 6 1/3 IP. He has fanned 8 batters while walking only one.
Honorable mention:
Jordan Lyles continues to seek his first big league win but he is not pitching as bad as his 0-3 record indicates. Two of his five starts in July qualified as quality starts. Therefore, he is the starter of the month.
Tri Cities ValleyCats
Hitter of the Month
There are only three former G-Stros position players on the ValleyCat roster. Former G-Stro catcher Ryan McCurdy had the best month of the three. In 12 games, he hit .316. Bubby Williams gets a mention for hitting three home runs during the month.
Pitcher of the Month
Garrett Bullock gets the nod for his 2.84 ERA and 16 strike outs in 12 2/3 IP. The rest of the former G-Stros had pretty rough months in Tri Cities so no honorable mentions after having a slew of them last month.
Lexington Legends
Hitter of the Month
Ben Orloff leads the way for the former G-Stros hitters who put up some impressive numbers in July. He hit .358 on the month with a very impressive .436 OBP. While Orloff is old for the league at 24, he continues to show that when he gets a chance to play, he will do well. After only getting in to 33 games prior to the all star break, he has already played in 33 since Jio Mier was promoted to Lancaster.
Others worthy of mention include Delino Deshields Jr. who bounced back from a .154 June with a .320 July. Telvin Nash who came off the DL to hit .264 with 4 HR and an impressive .409 OBP. Finally, Bryce Lane isn't getting much playing time but in 16 games, he hit 3 HR and 4 doubles for a .581 slugging percentage.
Pitchers of the Month
Again, we are going with a starter and reliever of the month in Lexington. Carlos Quevedo gets the nod as starter of the month. He went 1-0 with a 2.32 ERA in 5 starts and held opponents to a .240 batting average. Brian Strenlein gets the reliever of the month honors for his 1.35 ERA over 7 games. He fanned 12 in 13 1/3 IP and held opponents to a .234 average.
Honorable mentions: Two other relievers need to be noted for their performances in July. Gabriel Garcia had an 0-2 record but in 6 games (15 1/3 IP) he fanned 14 batters and had a 2.87 ERA. Jorge DeLeon had good outcomes with a 4-0 record with 3 saves to go along with 14 strike outs in 14 1/3 IP. He held opponents to a .226 average while compiling a 3.68 ERA.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter of the Month
With Jose Altuve moved on through CC to Houston, and Kody Hinze now in Corpus Christi, we will have a new hitter of the month in Lancaster. We are going with Miguel Arrendell this month. The utility infielder hit .302 in 16 games with a .397 OBP. He is now hitting a solid .284 on the season and his having a career year.
Pitchers of the Month
Starter of the month is Jose Cisnero. He went 4-1 in 5 starts with a 4.26 ERA. He struck out 40 batters in 25 1/3 IP and held opponents to a .219 average. Out of the bullpen, Wander Alvino gets the reliever of the month. Alvino produced a 0.79 ERA in July in 8 appearances. He struck out 13 in 11 1/3 IP. The secret to his success lately has been inducing a 2.75 ground out to air out ratio. The has allowed him to overcome the 11 walks he surrendered in July.
Corpus Christi
Hitter of the Month
J.D. Martinez finished the month in Houston, but he put up amazing numbers that earn him hitter of the month at Corpus Christi. Prior to his departure, he hit .380 with 7 home runs and 16 extra base hits. He had a .473 OBP and a .717 slugging percentage. He also took more walks (15) than times he struck out (13).
Honorable Mention
Kody Hinze continues to put up solid numbers in the shadow of amazing numbers. After his promotion to Corpus Christi, he has hit .350 with 5 home runs and a total of 10 extra base hits. His OBP was .418 and his slugging an even .600. He also showed solid plate discipline taking 10 walks while striking out just 17 times in 80 at bats. Chris Wallace is trying to follow in Martinez's cleat prints after bypassing Lancaster on his way to AA. In July, he hit .272 with 5 home runs and 9 extra base hits in 81 at bats. His .303 OBP and .506 slugging are solid but pale in comparison to Martinez and Hinze. Also, Jose Altuve, hit .353 in his 8 games in July prior to his promotion to Houston.
Pitcher of the Month
Arcenio Leon appeared in 12 games for Corpus Christi. He struck out 22 batters in 16 1/3 innings and complied a 2-1 record with one save and a 3.78 ERA.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitter of the Month
In 17 games, J. R. Towles hit .283. That earns him the honor of hitter of the month in AAA.
Honorable Mention:
Koby Clemens hit .256 for the month with 10 extra base hits (5 HR) which is note worthy after his May (.220) and June (.181) performances.
Pitcher of the Month
In a very close race, Sammy Gervacio wins the award this month. Slingin' Sammy went 3-0 with one save during July and had a microscopic ERA of 0.56 in 11 appearances (16 IP). He held opponents to a .196 average.
Honorable Mention:
Douglas Arguello has thrived since his move to the pen. In July, he also appeared in 11 games (11 1/3 IP) and produced an impressive 0.73 ERA. Even more impressive is his 3.00 ground out to air out ratio.
Outside the System Minors
Hitter of the Month
Jordan Parraz continues to lay claim to this award. He had a great July hitting .374 with 13 extra base hits in 28 games for AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the Yankees organization.
Honorable Mention:
Ralph Henriquez was promoted to AAA Tacoma of the Mariners organization this month. In the 19 games since he arrived there, he has been hot at the plate. He has been hitting .356 with 6 extra base hits.
Pitcher of the Month
Jimmy Barthmaier had 8 appearances in July (7 relief & 1 start). In 15 1/3 IP, he amassed a 1.73 ERA and fanned 14 batters for AA Harrisburg of the Washington Nationals organization.
MLB
Hitter of the Month
Jose Altuve could win by default but he earns the award with his performance after his late month call up. In his first 11 games as a big leaguer, Jose hit 359 with two doubles. The buzz created by his promotion has been so much fun to watch.
Pitchers of the Month
Felipe Paulino edges out the competition this month for the starter of the month award. In 4 starts, he went 1-2 with a 4.01 ERA. He fanned 27 in 24 2/3 IP.
For the reliever of the month, we go outside the Astros organization to Troy Patton of the Baltimore Orioles. In 5 relief appearances since his call up in Mid July, Patton has put up a 2.84 ERA in 6 1/3 IP. He has fanned 8 batters while walking only one.
Honorable mention:
Jordan Lyles continues to seek his first big league win but he is not pitching as bad as his 0-3 record indicates. Two of his five starts in July qualified as quality starts. Therefore, he is the starter of the month.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Appy Astros Alumni of the Month - June
Wow, summer is flying by. We just got started with ball in Greeneville and it is halfway over for the full season teams. Let's look at how the former G-Stros are doing up the ladder and outside the system.
Tri Cities ValleyCats
I know they just are just about two weeks into their season but we have 11 former G-Stros on the roster and we needed to check in on those guys.
Hitter of the Month
With just three candidates the pickings are a little slim. We we go with the one alumni with an average over the mendoza line. Ryan McCurdy has appeared in 4 games and is hitting .267. Let's hope that we have to make a choice between great performances for July.
Pitcher of the Month
Now this is a competition. There are eight former G-Stros on the roster and at least five merited some discussion here. We will go with Juri Perez as the pitcher of the month. Perez who is working his way back from arm surgery. He only threw 8 1/3 innings in 2010. He made a brief appearance in Lexington earlier this spring but is making his presence felt in Tri Cities. Perez made three starts in June. He struggled with his control a bit in the first start but since then, he has been dominate. In his last two starts, he has pitched 10 innings and struck out 16 batters; while allowing eight hits, two walks, and two runs. Opponents are hitting just .212 against him. His 20 total strike outs leads the NY/Penn League.
Honorable Mention goes to Ryan Cole who has 3 saves and a 1.93 ERA (4 2/3 IP); Garrett Bullock who has a 2.03 ERA in 4 appearances (4 1/3 IP); Travis Smink who has a 2.45 ERA in 4 appearances (7 1/3 IP); and Ebert Rosario who has a 3.60 ERA but 8 Ks in 5 IP. Rosario started the transition to pitcher from third baseman last summer.
Lexington Legends
Hitter of the Month
The roster has experienced a fair amount of turn over in Lexington. During the month, Chris Wallace won the Sally League HR Derby and found himself wearing a Corpus Christi uni. Jio Mier jumped to Lancaster and Telvin Nash was activated from the DL after missing most of the month with a broken hamate bone in his hand. With those guys gone, the hitter of the month is Emilio King. King lost 100 points off his average from last month but still hit a solid .286 with seven doubles and two HR.
Pitcher of the Month
The G-Stro Alumni are starting to put together a solid pitching staff in Lexington. This is a very close call. So close that I am giving a started and reliever of the month for June. Luis Cruz is the starer of the month. He moved from the pen to the rotation after his first appearance in June. After three starts, he had a 2.45 ERA as a starter and a 17 K in 18 1/3 IP. Jorge DeLeon is the reliever of the month. He finished with a 0.75 ERA and 5 saves with 14 K in 12 IP. DeLeon is in his second season of conversion from SS to P.
Honorable Mentions Murilo Gouvea missed part of the month but booked ended his time on the DL with a solid 0.75 ERA in six appearances where he fanned 14 in 11 1/3 IP. Ruben Alaniz had a solid month in the starting rotation. He finished June with a 3-1 record and a 2.28 ERA. David Martinez's contributions also cannot be overlooked. He fanned 10 in 10 1/3 IP and finished the month with a 1.73 ERA.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter of the Month
This one is the easiest of the bunch. Kody Hinze is just too good for the California League. Hinze put up a .357/.505/.690 slash line despite a 2 for 23 slump following the All Star Break. Hinze won the Cal./Car. All Star Game HR Derby and still leads ALL of minor league baseball with a .469 OBP. He finished June with 8 home runs. His total of 21 on the season ties him for 3rd most in all of minor league baseball.
Honorable Mention goes to Miguel Arrendell who in 11 games put up a .342 average.
Pitcher of the Month
Wander Alvino put up a solid month out of the Lancaster bullpen. In 10 appearances, he finished with a 3.75 ERA and 14 Ks in 17 1/3 IP.
Honorable Mention goes to Colton Pitkin who had a solid month except for his last outing of the month. In his first 7 outings, he pitched 10 1/3 innings and allowed just 4 earned runs. His last outing of the month was a rough one. Only 2/3 innings pitched and 7 earned runs scored. That outing accounts for 1/3 of the total runs he has surrendered all season.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitter of the Month
Who else but Jose Altuve. The Venezuelan prospect has taken away the excuse that his previous numbers were inflated by the "Lancaster effect". He it .364 with 13 extra base hits since his call up to the Hooks on June 1st. He is a contact hitter, he doesn't walk much; only four times in June. He doesn't strike out much either; only 10 times in 110 AB.
Honorable Mention to J D Martinez whose RBI totals should benefit from Altuve being on base in front of him. Martinez hit .320 for June with seven extra base hits.
Pitcher of the Month
It was an up and down month for the Appy Astros Alumi with the Hooks. There was no solid consistent performer and people were moving all over the place. This months award goes to Kyle Greenwalt. Since being moved to the pen, Greenwalt has adjusted nicely. In his 9 relief appearances in June, he is 0-2 with a 3.09 ERA.
Oklahoma RedHawks
Hitter of the Month
Wlad Sutil is the only former G-Stro with any numbers worth noting. The little glove first player continues to use his bat effectively too. He hit a respectable .267 in 15 games with more walks (5) than strikeouts (2).
Pitcher of the Month
Douglas Arguello had two good starts before going on the DL. Jordan Lyles stayed up with the big club. Henry Villar and Pat Urckfitz were sent down to Corpus Christi. Sammy Gervacio came up from Corpus Christi late in the month. Fernando Abad made 6 appearances before being called up to join Lyles with the big club. So based on this info we are giving the pitcher of the month to the Waiver Wire - for its great Change Up of the roster.
Outside the Astros System (Minors)
Hitter of the Month
Jordan Parraz continues to have a decent season for the Scranto/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. His average dropped a bit hitting only .243 for the month but he hit six doubles and three HRs.
Pitcher of the Month
Troy Patton had a solid June. He appeared in seven games for the Norfolk Tide (16 1/3 IP) and finished with a 1.65 ERA. It appears he is becoming a different pitcher than he was before the shoulder surgery of 2009. He only struck out 4 batters in the month.
MLB
Hitter of the Month
Yet another month where only J. R. Towles represents the G-Stros as a position player. We are pulling for September call ups for Martinez & Altuve so that he can have some company. Towles was beat up for much of the month and in 15 games only hit .154.
Pitcher of the Month
Since being traded from the Rockies to the Royals, Felipe Paulino has been a solid starter. In his six starts in June, he amassed a 3.58 ERA and struck out 33 in 37 2/3 IP while walking 10.
Honorable Mention to Fernando Abad who in the five games since he was called up to Houston, has a 1.80 ERA and five strike outs.
Tri Cities ValleyCats
I know they just are just about two weeks into their season but we have 11 former G-Stros on the roster and we needed to check in on those guys.
Hitter of the Month
With just three candidates the pickings are a little slim. We we go with the one alumni with an average over the mendoza line. Ryan McCurdy has appeared in 4 games and is hitting .267. Let's hope that we have to make a choice between great performances for July.
Pitcher of the Month
Now this is a competition. There are eight former G-Stros on the roster and at least five merited some discussion here. We will go with Juri Perez as the pitcher of the month. Perez who is working his way back from arm surgery. He only threw 8 1/3 innings in 2010. He made a brief appearance in Lexington earlier this spring but is making his presence felt in Tri Cities. Perez made three starts in June. He struggled with his control a bit in the first start but since then, he has been dominate. In his last two starts, he has pitched 10 innings and struck out 16 batters; while allowing eight hits, two walks, and two runs. Opponents are hitting just .212 against him. His 20 total strike outs leads the NY/Penn League.
Honorable Mention goes to Ryan Cole who has 3 saves and a 1.93 ERA (4 2/3 IP); Garrett Bullock who has a 2.03 ERA in 4 appearances (4 1/3 IP); Travis Smink who has a 2.45 ERA in 4 appearances (7 1/3 IP); and Ebert Rosario who has a 3.60 ERA but 8 Ks in 5 IP. Rosario started the transition to pitcher from third baseman last summer.
Lexington Legends
Hitter of the Month
The roster has experienced a fair amount of turn over in Lexington. During the month, Chris Wallace won the Sally League HR Derby and found himself wearing a Corpus Christi uni. Jio Mier jumped to Lancaster and Telvin Nash was activated from the DL after missing most of the month with a broken hamate bone in his hand. With those guys gone, the hitter of the month is Emilio King. King lost 100 points off his average from last month but still hit a solid .286 with seven doubles and two HR.
Pitcher of the Month
The G-Stro Alumni are starting to put together a solid pitching staff in Lexington. This is a very close call. So close that I am giving a started and reliever of the month for June. Luis Cruz is the starer of the month. He moved from the pen to the rotation after his first appearance in June. After three starts, he had a 2.45 ERA as a starter and a 17 K in 18 1/3 IP. Jorge DeLeon is the reliever of the month. He finished with a 0.75 ERA and 5 saves with 14 K in 12 IP. DeLeon is in his second season of conversion from SS to P.
Honorable Mentions Murilo Gouvea missed part of the month but booked ended his time on the DL with a solid 0.75 ERA in six appearances where he fanned 14 in 11 1/3 IP. Ruben Alaniz had a solid month in the starting rotation. He finished June with a 3-1 record and a 2.28 ERA. David Martinez's contributions also cannot be overlooked. He fanned 10 in 10 1/3 IP and finished the month with a 1.73 ERA.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter of the Month
This one is the easiest of the bunch. Kody Hinze is just too good for the California League. Hinze put up a .357/.505/.690 slash line despite a 2 for 23 slump following the All Star Break. Hinze won the Cal./Car. All Star Game HR Derby and still leads ALL of minor league baseball with a .469 OBP. He finished June with 8 home runs. His total of 21 on the season ties him for 3rd most in all of minor league baseball.
Honorable Mention goes to Miguel Arrendell who in 11 games put up a .342 average.
Pitcher of the Month
Wander Alvino put up a solid month out of the Lancaster bullpen. In 10 appearances, he finished with a 3.75 ERA and 14 Ks in 17 1/3 IP.
Honorable Mention goes to Colton Pitkin who had a solid month except for his last outing of the month. In his first 7 outings, he pitched 10 1/3 innings and allowed just 4 earned runs. His last outing of the month was a rough one. Only 2/3 innings pitched and 7 earned runs scored. That outing accounts for 1/3 of the total runs he has surrendered all season.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitter of the Month
Who else but Jose Altuve. The Venezuelan prospect has taken away the excuse that his previous numbers were inflated by the "Lancaster effect". He it .364 with 13 extra base hits since his call up to the Hooks on June 1st. He is a contact hitter, he doesn't walk much; only four times in June. He doesn't strike out much either; only 10 times in 110 AB.
Honorable Mention to J D Martinez whose RBI totals should benefit from Altuve being on base in front of him. Martinez hit .320 for June with seven extra base hits.
Pitcher of the Month
It was an up and down month for the Appy Astros Alumi with the Hooks. There was no solid consistent performer and people were moving all over the place. This months award goes to Kyle Greenwalt. Since being moved to the pen, Greenwalt has adjusted nicely. In his 9 relief appearances in June, he is 0-2 with a 3.09 ERA.
Oklahoma RedHawks
Hitter of the Month
Wlad Sutil is the only former G-Stro with any numbers worth noting. The little glove first player continues to use his bat effectively too. He hit a respectable .267 in 15 games with more walks (5) than strikeouts (2).
Pitcher of the Month
Douglas Arguello had two good starts before going on the DL. Jordan Lyles stayed up with the big club. Henry Villar and Pat Urckfitz were sent down to Corpus Christi. Sammy Gervacio came up from Corpus Christi late in the month. Fernando Abad made 6 appearances before being called up to join Lyles with the big club. So based on this info we are giving the pitcher of the month to the Waiver Wire - for its great Change Up of the roster.
Outside the Astros System (Minors)
Hitter of the Month
Jordan Parraz continues to have a decent season for the Scranto/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. His average dropped a bit hitting only .243 for the month but he hit six doubles and three HRs.
Pitcher of the Month
Troy Patton had a solid June. He appeared in seven games for the Norfolk Tide (16 1/3 IP) and finished with a 1.65 ERA. It appears he is becoming a different pitcher than he was before the shoulder surgery of 2009. He only struck out 4 batters in the month.
MLB
Hitter of the Month
Yet another month where only J. R. Towles represents the G-Stros as a position player. We are pulling for September call ups for Martinez & Altuve so that he can have some company. Towles was beat up for much of the month and in 15 games only hit .154.
Pitcher of the Month
Since being traded from the Rockies to the Royals, Felipe Paulino has been a solid starter. In his six starts in June, he amassed a 3.58 ERA and struck out 33 in 37 2/3 IP while walking 10.
Honorable Mention to Fernando Abad who in the five games since he was called up to Houston, has a 1.80 ERA and five strike outs.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
April AppyAstros Alumni of the Month
Each month, I will post the Greeneville Astros Alumni who have had the best month at each level, plus one for the alumni who are outside of the Astros system. Let's begin looking back at April:
Lexington
Alumni Hitter of the Month: How can you not give this to Chris Wallace? All the 2010 G-Stro has done is hit .398 with 7 home runs and 24 RBI in the first month of the season. He is one of the leaders in several categories in the Sally League. He is the leader in Slugging %, OPS, total bases, RBI, and is tied for the lead in HR. In fact, his slugging % of .795 is the 2nd highest in all of Minor League Baseball. If he keeps this up in May, he might make a level jump like J. D. Martinez did last year.
Honorable mention to Telvin Nash.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: This goes to a bullpen guy for April. Gabriel Garcia (2009 & 2010) has gotten off to a hot start in 2011. He appeared in 5 games in relief and has fanned 19 batters in 14 1/3 IP. He has only allowed 11 base runners (9 hits/2 BB) and opponents are hitting just .173 against him.
Honorable mention to bullpen mate Brian Streilein.
Lancaster:
Alumni Hitter of the Month: This one is as easy as Lexington. Jose Altuve (2008 & 2009) has returned to the Cal League on fire. He closes out April with his 40 hits leading all classifications of Minor League Baseball. His .435 average is 5th best in all classifications as well. Altuve is getting alot of attention because of these numbers and the fact that he isn't as tall as most players. He has also been solid with the glove, sporting a .990 fielding percentage only making one error so far in 22 games at 2nd base.
Honorable mention to Kody Hinze who has hit 8 homers in April which ties him for 4th in all of MILB.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: Jose Cisnero (2009) has fanned 29 batters in just 17 1/3 IP. He has been inconsistent with his 5 starts. Three times he has made it to the 5th inning and twice he has not made it out of the second. Still when you are missing as many bats as Cisnero is, it tells me something is going right. It might just still be a work in progress.
Honorable Mention to Zachary Grimmett.
Corpus Christi
Alumni Hitter of the Month:Wlad Sutil (2004) is starting his 4th season at CC. He appears to be trying to show he doesn't belong there anymore. He hit .418 for the month with a very solid .480 on base percentage and a surprising .537 slugging percentage. He missed the last week of the season with an injury. We will have to see how he responds when he makes his come back.
Honorable mention to J. D. Martinez.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: CC pitchers who are G-stro alumni have a 1/4 chance of getting pitcher of the month because there are only 4 former G-stros pitchers at the AA level. While several have qualities that could earn them pitcher of the month, April is going to Arcenio Leon. Leon has yet to allow an earned run in 11 IP in 7 relief appearances. However, he could also be named most likely to get burned because he is playing with fire. He has given up just 8 hits but has surrendered 9 free passes.
Honorable mention to Pat Urckfitz.
Oklahoma City
Alumni Hitter of the Month: Like the pitchers in CC, there aren't too many batters to choose from at the AAA level. In fact, before Brandon Barnes was promoted last week, Koby Clemens was the only non pitcher who was a G-Stros alumni. It is a good thing he produced a hitter of the month worthy month, otherwise this space would have been filled with awkward silence as we all looked at our shoes. However, Koby Clemens (2005) had a good month of April, hitting .295 with 5 HR.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: Jordan Lyles (2008) finished strong to show why he is the top prospect in the Astros organization. He finished the month with a 3.67 ERA and is currently riding a 13 inning scoreless streak.
Honorable mention to Douglas Arguello who got a late start but has had two solid starts to begin the season.
Other Organizations:
Not all G-Stros are still in the Astros org. So lets look at the best of those outside the system.
Alumni Hitter of the Month: Jordan Parraz (2004) finished April hitting .304 for the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Berra Yankees, where his 3 triples lead the team.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: Victor Garate (2005) has appeared in 8 games out of the New Orleans (Marlins AAA) bullpen. So far he has only surrendered one run in 13 IP. He has fanned 14.
Honorable mention to Troy Patton.
Major League Baseball:
Alumni Hitter of the Month: J. R. Towles is the only G-Stros alumni in the pros and it is a good thing he is having a hitter of the month worthy month. J. R. is hitting .365 in 10 games while sharing time at catcher for the Astros.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: Of the three former Greeneville Astros in the big leagues, none of them had a month worthy of the pitcher of the month (insert cricket sound effects here).
Lexington
Alumni Hitter of the Month: How can you not give this to Chris Wallace? All the 2010 G-Stro has done is hit .398 with 7 home runs and 24 RBI in the first month of the season. He is one of the leaders in several categories in the Sally League. He is the leader in Slugging %, OPS, total bases, RBI, and is tied for the lead in HR. In fact, his slugging % of .795 is the 2nd highest in all of Minor League Baseball. If he keeps this up in May, he might make a level jump like J. D. Martinez did last year.
Honorable mention to Telvin Nash.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: This goes to a bullpen guy for April. Gabriel Garcia (2009 & 2010) has gotten off to a hot start in 2011. He appeared in 5 games in relief and has fanned 19 batters in 14 1/3 IP. He has only allowed 11 base runners (9 hits/2 BB) and opponents are hitting just .173 against him.
Honorable mention to bullpen mate Brian Streilein.
Lancaster:
Alumni Hitter of the Month: This one is as easy as Lexington. Jose Altuve (2008 & 2009) has returned to the Cal League on fire. He closes out April with his 40 hits leading all classifications of Minor League Baseball. His .435 average is 5th best in all classifications as well. Altuve is getting alot of attention because of these numbers and the fact that he isn't as tall as most players. He has also been solid with the glove, sporting a .990 fielding percentage only making one error so far in 22 games at 2nd base.
Honorable mention to Kody Hinze who has hit 8 homers in April which ties him for 4th in all of MILB.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: Jose Cisnero (2009) has fanned 29 batters in just 17 1/3 IP. He has been inconsistent with his 5 starts. Three times he has made it to the 5th inning and twice he has not made it out of the second. Still when you are missing as many bats as Cisnero is, it tells me something is going right. It might just still be a work in progress.
Honorable Mention to Zachary Grimmett.
Corpus Christi
Alumni Hitter of the Month:Wlad Sutil (2004) is starting his 4th season at CC. He appears to be trying to show he doesn't belong there anymore. He hit .418 for the month with a very solid .480 on base percentage and a surprising .537 slugging percentage. He missed the last week of the season with an injury. We will have to see how he responds when he makes his come back.
Honorable mention to J. D. Martinez.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: CC pitchers who are G-stro alumni have a 1/4 chance of getting pitcher of the month because there are only 4 former G-stros pitchers at the AA level. While several have qualities that could earn them pitcher of the month, April is going to Arcenio Leon. Leon has yet to allow an earned run in 11 IP in 7 relief appearances. However, he could also be named most likely to get burned because he is playing with fire. He has given up just 8 hits but has surrendered 9 free passes.
Honorable mention to Pat Urckfitz.
Oklahoma City
Alumni Hitter of the Month: Like the pitchers in CC, there aren't too many batters to choose from at the AAA level. In fact, before Brandon Barnes was promoted last week, Koby Clemens was the only non pitcher who was a G-Stros alumni. It is a good thing he produced a hitter of the month worthy month, otherwise this space would have been filled with awkward silence as we all looked at our shoes. However, Koby Clemens (2005) had a good month of April, hitting .295 with 5 HR.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: Jordan Lyles (2008) finished strong to show why he is the top prospect in the Astros organization. He finished the month with a 3.67 ERA and is currently riding a 13 inning scoreless streak.
Honorable mention to Douglas Arguello who got a late start but has had two solid starts to begin the season.
Other Organizations:
Not all G-Stros are still in the Astros org. So lets look at the best of those outside the system.
Alumni Hitter of the Month: Jordan Parraz (2004) finished April hitting .304 for the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Berra Yankees, where his 3 triples lead the team.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: Victor Garate (2005) has appeared in 8 games out of the New Orleans (Marlins AAA) bullpen. So far he has only surrendered one run in 13 IP. He has fanned 14.
Honorable mention to Troy Patton.
Major League Baseball:
Alumni Hitter of the Month: J. R. Towles is the only G-Stros alumni in the pros and it is a good thing he is having a hitter of the month worthy month. J. R. is hitting .365 in 10 games while sharing time at catcher for the Astros.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: Of the three former Greeneville Astros in the big leagues, none of them had a month worthy of the pitcher of the month (insert cricket sound effects here).
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