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

Baseball American Ranks 3 Former G-Stros in Top 10

Baseball America released their Top 10 Astros prospects for 2011 today.  While those prospects acquired in trades make up over half of the list, former G-Stros still appear on the list. They represent three of the four players on the list drafted by the Astros.

Number eight on the list is Delino DeShields Jr..  He was also mentioned as the fastest base runner in the system.

Number nine on the list is Mike Foltyenwicz. 

Number 10 on the list is Telvin Nash. 

The list of best tools in the system included former Greeneville catcher Roberto Pena as the best defensive catcher in the system. 

Another Top 10, Scouting Jordan Lyles, Going to Camp, & More

A great deal has been going on with former Greeneville Astros over the past week or so. I have not been able to keep up with getting it up here. Let's do some catching up.

The Hardball Times Top 10

Top 10 list continue to come out. The most recent one is from the folks at The Hardball Times. With six former G-Stros, their top 10 contains the most former G-Stros of any list so far. Here is their list:

1. Jordan Lyles ('08)
2. Jio Mier ('09)
3. Delino Deshields ('10)
4. Mike Foltynewicz ('10)
5. Tanner Bushue
6. Jonathon Villar
7. Jimmy Parades
8. Austin Wates
9. J. D. Martinez ('09)
10. Jay Austin ('08)

Don't forget the combined top 10 list spreed sheet I have compiled here.

What folks are saying about Jordan Lyles

Jordan Lyles is the clear #1 prospect in the Astros organization. He is regularly seen as one of the top 50 prospects in all of Minor League Baseball. One list even had him as high as #3. AstroAndy over at The Crawfish Boxes, has compiled a compilation of all the scouting reports on Jordan Lyles. So if you have any questions about what he throws, that is a great one stop place to check.

Spring Training Invites

While getting the call up to the big leagues is the ultimate call up, getting to go to big league spring training is an honor as well. This year, several former Greeneville Astros will be in big league camp in Kissimmee in a few weeks. Last week, 10 minor leaguers were invited to spend camp with the big boys. Six of those minor league players are former G-Stros. They are:

Koby Clemens (05)
Rene Garcia (08)
Jordan Lyles (08)
Jio Mier (09)
J. D. Martinez (09)
Patrick Urckfitz (08)

The only one that was a total surprise was Jio Mier since he is possibly going to repeat low A ball in Lexington this year. It was explained that his inclusion was due to a contractual agreement.

The rational behind these young guys going to big league camp was explained by Astros General Manager Ed Wade:

“It gives these kids the chance to come in and see what the atmosphere is like on the big league side,” Wade said. “And it gives Millsie and the coaches the chance to see some of the guys we talk about a lot.

“And frankly, it allows us to show that we’re making progress in player development.”

These six will be joining former G-Stros Douglas Arguello (04) & Sammy Gervacio (05) who had already received invites after signing new minor league contracts. Those who will be there as a part of the Astros 40 man roster include:

Fernando Abad (07)
Jorge De Leon (08)
Arcenio Leon (07-08)
Henry Villar (08)
J.R. Towles (04)

That makes 13 of the 62 players on the spring roster are former G-Stros.

Last Link - Jermaine Cotton is keeping fit playing winter ball in his native St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. The paper thinks he played last year in South Carolina and not Tennessee. I would be willing to go set them straight on the geography, if someone would finance a trip for me to the Virgin Islands. Tough job but someone needs to do it. Jermaine did capture the small town feel of Greeneville well.

"Basically, there's not a whole lot else to do in Greeneville," Cotton said this week. "It's sleep, eat and baseball."

Baseball America's Top 10 Full of Former Greeneville Astros

Baseball America released their Astros' Top 10 Prospects today. Five out of the six top ranked players were former G-Stros!

Here is the list with the year they played for Greeneville in parenthesis, along with any other accolades BA gave them:

1.	Jordan Lyles, rhp (2008) - best slider, best change, best control
2.	Delino DeShields Jr., of/2b (2010) - fastest base runner, best athlete
3.	Jonathan Villar, ss
4.	Mike Foltynewicz, rhp (2010) - best fastball
5.	Jio Mier, ss (2009)
6.	J.D. Martinez, of (2009) - best hitter for average
7.	Jimmy Paredes, inf
8.	Tanner Bushue, rhp
9.	Austin Wates, of
10.	Ariel Ovando, of

Villar & Paredes joined the Astros organization via trades this year. Buchue was a 2009 draft pick who jumped from the GCL to Lexington, bypassing Greeneville. Wates was a 2010 draftee out of Virginia Tech who started at Tri Cities. Ovando is a young Dominican prospect who was signed this summer for over 2 million dollars. I hope he makes his debut this summer in Greeneville.

Other former G-Stros listed among the best of the organization include:

Telvin Nash - best power
R. J. Alaniz - best curveball
Roberto Pena - best defensive catcher

I have created a google docs spread sheet that combines all the top prospect list I come across. You can access it at this link. Those on the spread sheet highlighted in green & bolded spent some time in Greeneville.

USA Today Likes Four Former Greeneville Astros

USA Today is out with their organization report for the Astros. It is not too bad other than the editor goof of the heading "where the Royals stand at each position". When they list the five prospects to watch, four of them played in Greeneville in the last three years. Just another indication of the recent depth added to the farm system by Ed Wade & company.

Here is what they say about the former G-Stros:

•RHP Lyles: Lyles, who stands 6-4, was 7-9 with a 3.12 ERA and a better than 3-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio at Class AA Corpus Christi (Texas) last season. He had six starts at Class AAA (0-3, 5.40 ERA), and Wade says he'll have a chance to win the fifth-starter's job in spring training.

•2B-OF Delino DeShields Jr.: Taken out of high school with the eighth overall pick in June's draft, DeShields has the speed you'd expect from the son of someone who stole 463 bases in the majors. DeShields, 18, has a bit more power than his father did. The Astros are converting him from outfielder to second baseman.

•OF J.D. Martinez: The Astros' minor league player of the year in 2010, Martinez hit a combined .341 with 18 homers and 89 RBI in low-A and AA, mostly as a 22-year-old.

"He has a chance to be a real solid big-leaguer for a long time," Wade says.

•RHP Mike Foltynewicz: The Illinois high school star was the Astros' first-round compensation pick in June (19th overall) for losing reliever Jose Valverde to the Detroit Tigers as a free agent.

Foltynewicz, 19, can touch 96 mph with his fastball and also has a good changeup. He started 12 games for an Astros rookie-level team and went 0-3 with a 4.03 ERA, but he has the mechanics and the arm to move quickly through the system.

Meanwhile, Koby Clemens gets Boston love.

Koby Clemens, 1B, Astros farm system — Nobody took him in the Rule 5 draft, but that wasn’t surprising. The 24-year-old Clemens hit 26 homers and knocked in 85 runs while hitting .241 at Double A, but he struck out 143 times in 452 at-bats. Astros manager Brad Mills raved about him, though. “I saw him hit a home run through this incredibly stiff wind during an intrasquad game at spring training last year,’’ Mills said. “He’s got power.’’ Clemens played first base last season for the first time after being used as catcher/third baseman. The Astros still believe he can be a Brandon Inge type of player and he will get to play at Triple A in 2011.

Power is not what comes to mind when I think about Brandon Inge. It's the baggy jersey.

Season Recap - Starting Pitching

Let's go to the mound and recap the starting pitchers for the 2010 Greeneville Astros. There were nine different starters for the G-Stros this season. We will cover seven of them in this section. The other two were primarily relievers who made a spot start or two and will be covered in the relief pitchers recap.

One of the challenges in assessing short season pitching stats for starters is the limited number of starts. Add to that the pitch count limits that many new draft picks come in with, their initial few starts may only last from one to three innings. Therefore, one bad or one great outing can skew the numbers significantly.

Therefore I propose the Appy Astro Adjusted Scoring System (3A2S). This system involves throwing out the best and worst outing a pitcher has and then figuring the stats. This I believe give s a more accurate picture of the pitcher's performance.

Let's start our review with 1st round pick Mike Foltynewicz. Folty had 12 starts during the season and accounted for 44 2/3 IP. His pre adjusted numbers are an ERA of 4.03, a WHIP of 1.37, K/9 of 7.86 & a K/BB of 2.6.

His worst outing was on the road on 8/6 in Princeton. He gave up 8 ER on 7 hits and 2 BB while striking out 2 in 2 1/3 IP. His best outing was the very next outing at home against Elizabethon on 8/11. On that night, he gave up just 1 hit and walked 1 batter while striking out 4 in 5 IP.

So his 3A2S season total looks like this: ERA of 2.89, WHIP of 1.34, K/9 of 7.96 and K/BB of 2.75

Assessment: Folty did better than his numbers show. He had some learning opportunities (2 rough outings) but finished very strong. Look for him in Lexington next season.

Rueben Alaniz also started 12 games. His pre adjusted line is 4.21 ERA, WHIP of 1.30, K/9 of 6.56, and a K/BB of 4.2.

His worst start was on 7/10 in Bluefield. That night, he gave up 10 ER on 12 hits, and 2 walked in 2 2/3 IP. He did strike out two that night. His best start was on 7/27 at Elizabethon. There he allowed no runs and only one hit and one walk while fanning 10 E-Twins hitters in five IP.

Alaniz's 3A2S season total comes to: ERA of 3.06, WHIP of 1.18, K/9 of 5.40 and K/BB of 4.29.

Assessment: Alaniz's adjusted ERA being over one point lower than his actual tells me he was also a victim of a bad outing. Alaniz should and could make the jump to Lexington but I suspect he might wind up in Tri Cities due to lack of spots.

Euris Quezada, who was called 'El Grande' by the coaches due to his 6'6" frame, also started 12 games. His season line was: ERA of 5.83, WHIP 1.47, K/9 of 5/40 & K/BB 3.17.

Quezada's worst start occurred on 8/20 in Danville. There he surrendered 4 ER on 6 hits and one walk with no strike outs in 2 1/3 IP. His strongest outing was on 7/21 at home against Bristol. That outing, he pitched 7 innings giving up no runs, one hit, one walk and fanned 3.

Quezada's 3A2S adjusted numbers: ERA of 6.00, WHIP of 1.48, K/9 of 5.83 and K/BB of 3.50.

Assessment: There is not much difference between his actual numbers and the adjusted numbers. This should be a pretty good indicator that we have a pretty good picture of the pitcher Quezada is. At 22 next season, I suspect he might be given a shot at Tri Cities but he might not be a starter any longer.

Richardo Batista is the 4th G-Stro to have 12 starts. The left who turned 19 during the season finished with a line of: 6.29 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, 6.47 K/9, and 1.52 K/BB.

Batista's worst night was on 8/9 against the E-Twins. He didn't make it out of the first inning, giving up 6 ER on 6 hits, 2 walks and 1 K in 2/3 of an inning. His best outing was on 7/23 when he went 7 innings giving up 1 ER on 5 hits, 1 walk and striking out 5 batters.

His 3A2S line is: 5.93 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 6.37 K/9 and 1.38 K/BB.

Assessment: Batista's numbers are also pretty close. I expect him to be back in Greeneville next year. Even though the numbers aren't great, they were improved from his time in the GCL. Control must continue to improve.

Vincent Velasquez, the 2nd round pick of the Astros in the 2010 draft was consistent in his limited time on the hill. He only pitched 29 1/3 innings due to injury issues. He had 10 days between two starts during the season and then in his last outing on 8/24, he left the game when apparently some scar tissue from a previous injury popped. His line on the season was: 3.07 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 7.67 K/9 and 5.00 K/BB.

His consistency makes it tough to pick a worst outing. None of them were that bad. His worst was on 7/24 when he gave up 2 ER in 3 2/3 IP in Kingsport. That night, he allowed 4 hits but no walks and fanned 3. His best evening came on 7/14 when his pitch count limit was still low and he actually pitched in relief. He allowed just one hit and no runs in 3 IP while fanning 4 batters.

Velasquez's 3A2S line is: 3.18 ERA, 1.06 ERA, 7.15 K/9 and 3.60 K/BB.

Assessment: Valasquez's numbers are about the same but this is a very small sample size. There is a great deal to be excited about here but in cloud of injury is hanging over him. How his arm heals will determine his location this year. If healthy, I could easily see him in Lexington.

Angel Gonzalez made 5 starts out of 8 appearances for the Astros. (In a freak of scheduling, I was present for about 6 of those games he appeared in.) He also was send down in the middle of the season to the GCL for a tune up. When he returned, he was used solely as a reliever. This was Gonzalez's second year in Greeneville. His line as a start was: 7.66 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 6.45 K/9, and 1.60 K/BB.

His best outing was 6 innings of no hit ball in Kingsport where he walked 2 and fanned 4 on 6/29. His worst outing was on 7/9 when he surrendered 6 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks and struck out just one batter.

His 3a2S line as a starter: 8.56 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 7.24 K/9, and 1.83 K/BB.

Assessment: Looks like the decision has already been made to move Gonzalez to the pen. He should be in Tri Cities next year, if he is still with the organization.

The last starter to discuss is Gabriel Garcia. Garcia started the year serving a 50 game PED suspension. He was sent back to Greeneville where he made 6 appearance and 4 starts in August. He was much more effective in his two relief appearances (2.70 ERA in 3 1/3 IP) verse his 4 starts (4.15 ERA in 13 IP). However even his starting numbers were a large improvement from last year (7.91 in 38 2/3 IP). Based on his solid K/9 of 9.4,and the log jam of quality starters, I could see him being moved to the bullpen and being in Tri Cities next year.

Instructs & AFL Rosters

Zachary Levine at the Houston Chronicle has posted the roster of players who are in Kissimmee at the Instructional League. This three week season allows for some fine tuning and work with some of the younger prospects. This is where the work begins for "Lino" DeShields to become a second baseman.

Players off the 2010 Greeneville Roster attending include:
Ruben Alaniz
Michael Foltynewicz
Euris Quezada
Rodney Quintero
Roberto Pena
Chris Wallace
Delino DeShields
Marcus Nidiffer
Telvin Nash

Breaking down where the other players spent the MAJORITY of their season:

DSL: 3
The fact the 16 year old Ariel Ovando is in Instructs is a strong sign he will be state side for spring training. Here's hoping he winds up in G'ville.

GCL: 11
A couple of teens to watch out of this group, Jose Fernandez who won't turn 18 until next May, and Jordan Scott who put up solid numbers for a 14th round pick out of HS.

Tri Cities: 11
No surprise Ben Heath is on the list since he finished the year at AA. Glad to see Thomas Shirley on the list since he hadn't pitched since mid July.

Lexington: 11
Last years draft darlings, Mier & Meyer, return to recover from the dose of reality they faced this year.

Lancaster: 5
Jay Austin is spending time in instructs prior to heading out to Arizona for fall league.

AFL Roster Moves
Levine also reports there have been some changes to the Arizona Fall League players from the Astros. T. J. Steele has been removed from the roster and replaced with Jay Austin. Also Brandon Barnes has been added to the roster and according to his twitter, it is as a member of the Taxi Squad. That means he can only play on Wednesdays and Saturdays. But at bats against strong competition is a good thing.

It's Over - Looking Back at the 2010 G-Stros' Season

Well, it’s over. The 2010 Greeneville Astros wrapped up their season with a win over Pulaski. The G-Stros are in the cellar in the Appy West for the 4th straight year. They finished the season 31-35, 11 games out of the lead and 10 games out of the new wild card playoff spot. Not great but better than the last few years. Just to recap, here is where the G-Stros have finished since their move to Greeneville in 2004.

2009 - 27-40, 5th in the West, 17 1/2 games back
2008 - 30-36, 5th in the West, 11 games back
2007 - 17-51, 5th in the West, 33 games back
2006 - 34-33, 2nd in the West, 7 1/2 games back
2005 - 29-37, 3rd in the West, 17 1/2 games back
2004 - 41-26, 1st in the West, 3 games up, beat Danville in playoffs

The G-Stros started off hot, going 7-2 in June. They started July cold getting swept by Bristol & Kingsport in three game series to start the month. They went 13-17 in July and were 20-21 for the year. At that point, they were still in the playoff race. But a 3-8 start to August put them out of the race for the wild card and resulted in moving the two best hitters in the G-Stros line up, Marcus Nidiffer & Chris Wallace, to Tri Cities.

That move may have signalled the end of the playoff hopes but not the end of the excitement in Greeneville. The same day that Nidiffer & Wallace were shipped out to the ValleyCats, Delino DeShields Jr was added to the G-stros roster. The G-Stros finished out the month of August going 8-8 after Deshields arrival.

Nail Biters
This season was a season of close games. Of the G-Stros 66 games, 43 (65%) were decided by 3 runs or less. The G-Stros were 23-20 in those games. A full 1/3 of the games were decided by one run or less. They were 14-8 in those games. Their success in those close games is a bit of a surprise since they had a league worst ERA of 4.54.

The G-Stros had a winning record against the teams from the east (Pulaski, Princeton, Bluefield, Danville & Burlington) 17-13 and a 7-5 mark against the two play off teams. Against the teams from the west (Johnson City, Bristol, Elizabethon, and Kingsport), they had a 14-22 record and a 6-10 mark against those play off teams.

Power Surge
Prior to this season, only one Greeneville Astro had hit more than 8 home runs in a season. That was in 2004 with Mitch Einertson exploded on the scene with an Apply League record tying 24 HR. This year Telvin Nash hit 12 and Marcus Nidiffer hit 11 to move into second and 3rd respectively on the G-Stros list for homers in a season. Chris Wallace joined Josh Flores (2005) and Kody Hinze (2008) in a tie for 4th with 8 homers in a season. The fact that Wallace & Nidiffer did it in less than 50 games makes it even more impressive. Wallace has added two more long balls in Tri Cities and Nidiffer has added 3.

As a team, the 2010 G-Stros set a record with 53 round trippers. Their previous high was 45 in 2004 & 2005. They averaged a homer for every 10.5 hits and every 41.7 at bats. This high power didn’t translate to other extra base hits as reflected in league standings. However, the 111 doubles was the second highest in G-Stro history behind 09’s 118. The 23 triples is tied for third most in G-Stros history.

The G-Stros’ big swings may have lead to an increase in K’s. They fanned 589 times this year. That his the second most behind the 07 team's 593.

The Pitching
Young and inconsistent were the two words that came to my mind what I was trying to summarize the pitching this season. Twice, the G-Stros were one out away from no hit bids and 9 times they gave up more than 10 runs. As for the young part, Foltynewicz, Alaniz & Valasquez are all arms to watch as they mature. All had strong outings and all had rough outings. I expect this to be the core of the Lexington rotation next season.

On Deck
I will begin doing recaps that focus more on individual players soon and also catching up on what former G-Stros players are doing as well.