We are getting closer to seeing baseball in Greeneville. The draft is next week and players will report on the 16th of June. Until that time, we spend our time watching box scores of former G-Stros. Here are the alumni who stood out in the month of May.
Quad Cities - Low A
Hitters
No doubt who this one goes to this month. Carlos Correa hit .349/.423/.442 with six doubles and a triple for the month. He raised his average from .221 at the end of April to .292. What may be more exciting is that his strike outs dropped from 23 in April to just 12 in May. He was also 4 for 5 in the stolen base department.
Honorable mention goes toe Jordan Scott who bounced back from a .217 April with a .319 May. At the same time, his OBP jumped from .347 to .473 thanks to increasing his walk total from 12 in April to 23 in May.
Pitchers
This month we have co-Alumi of the month in this spot. Lance McCullers continues to put up impressive numbers in QC. In his seven appearances in May, he struck out 26 batters in 24 innings pitched with a 1.88 ERA. He did struggle some with walks, offering 14 free passes to batters.
As good as McCullers has been, Jordan Jankowski deserves a mention as well. In his six appearances in May, he has struck out 32 batters in 29 1/3 IP. He only allowed four walks during the month. His ERA in May was 2.15. Jankowski at 24 is older than league average of 22.2 but he is putting up impressive numbers. It looks like he might be ready for the next challenge.
Honorable mention goes to Mike Hauschild who in seven appearances amassed a 3.09 ERA in 29 2/3 IP. He fanned 19 while giving up nine walks. He did not allow a home run during the month.
Lancaster - High A
Hitters
Despite missing some time with an injury to his hand. Delino DeShields put up impressive numbers in May. He his .312/.418/.442 with 12 walks and 15 strike outs in 20 games. After going 5 for 11 in stolen bases in April, he was 7 for 9 in May.
Pitchers
Despite his struggles during the month in general, when you pitch four innings of a combined no hitter (5/12/13), you get the nod for pitcher of the month. So we give the nod this month to Luis Cruz.
Corpus Christi - AA
Hitters
In what may be the biggest bounce of the month, Jonathan Meyer jumped his average from .165 at April's end to .250 as of 5/30. In May, he put up a .321/.364/.481 line. Eleven of his 34 hits for the month went for extra bases. At the same time, he doubled his walk total (from 4 to 9) and he reduced his strike out rate (20/85 in April to 15/106 in May).
Honorable mention goes to Rene Garcia who put up another solid month - .304/.364/.405. He leads the team and is 5th in the league with a .315 average on the season.
Pitchers
Michael Foltynewicz earns top props this month. Since his promotion from Lancaster earlier this month, he has been lights out. In 25 IP, he has only surrendered 13 hits and three earned runs. His ERA for the month is a measly 1.08. He has struck out 25 batters and has walked 10.
Honorable mention goes to his piggy back starting mate David Martinez. Martinez had another good month with a 2.30 ERA. His season total is 1.83 and is second in the league. The Hooks have won 11 of the 13 games in which Martinez has made an appearance.
Oklahoma City - AAA
Greeneville only has one alumni in OKC. Ross Seaton showed improvement in May, dropping his ERA from 11.57 at the end of April down to 7.78 at the end of May.
Minors - Other systems
Hitters
There was some movement among former G-Stros outside of the organization. Both Jordan Parraz and J.R. Towles were released by their teams and picked up by others. Parraz in now in AA with the Twins organization and Towles landed with the Dodgers in AAA. No one really excelled to earn the Alumni of the month for this category.
Pitcher
Fernando Abad pitched seven scoreless outings to earn the Alumni award before being promoted to the big leagues. Since his arrival in Washington, he has appeared in four games. He has allowed no runs and one hit in 2 1/3 IP with two strike outs and no walks.
MLB
Hitters
J.D. Martinez had a very good month of May. He hit .299/.325/.506 with 10 of his 23 hits going for extra bases. It is nice to see the pop back in Martinez's bat. It might be an indication he is finally fully healed from the broken Hamate bone and subsequent surgery.
Pitchers
J.C. Gutierrez gets the nod for Alumni of the month with his good work in limited action out of the Royals pen. In 8 1/3 IP (6 appearances) he allowed no runs and just five hits with seven strike outs and no walks.
Honorable mention goes to Jose Cisnero, who except for one rough outing on 5/4/13 had a very good month. When you take that one outing out, he put up 12 2/3 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 4 BB and 14 K. So the month was much more good than bad for Cisnero.
Showing posts with label Foltynewicz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Foltynewicz. Show all posts
Saturday, June 1, 2013
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.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Early Trends From Tandem Pitching
I have been very interested in the tandem pitching system put in place by the Astros this year in their minor league system. Even though we are dealing with a very small sample, I was curious if there were players who were performing more effectively in the starter role verses the reliever role and who was better at shutting the door than opening it. I was also interested in seeing who was performing well regardless of what role they were in. Let's look at the pitchers at Quad Cities, Lancaster, & Corpus Christi since their rotation hasn't been cannibalized like OKC's has.
Please let me start:
Here are the guys who have the biggest difference between their starter ERA (S-ERA) and their reliever ERA (R-ERA)
Luis Cruz (Lan) -7.38
S-ERA 0.93 (9 2/3 IP)
R-ERA 8.31 (8 2/3 IP)
12 of the 16 hits allowed have been as a reliever.
Mike Hauschild (QC) -5.85
S-ERA 0.90 (10 IP)
R-ERA 6.75 (5 1/3 IP)
Hausechild's numbers don't jump out with any big splits. Possibly a case of small sample size since he excelled in the reliever role in Greeneville last season.
Bobby Doran (CC) -4.50
S-ERA 0.90 (10 IP)
R-ERA 5.40 (8 1/3 IP)
Both HR surrendered came as a reliever. Has walked four as a reliever verses just one as a starter.
No, you go ahead. I insist:
These are the guys who have performed more effectively as relievers than as starters. Their S-ERA is much higher than their R-ERA.
David Rollins (Lan) +7.45
S-ERA 7.45 (9 2/3 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (12 IP)
14 of his 22 Ks have come as a reliever
Joe Bircher (QC) +7.00
S-ERA 7.00 (9 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (7 IP)
All his HR (2) and Walks (3) have come as a starter.
Tyson Perez (Lan) +5.26
S-ERA 6.39 (12 2/3 IP)
R-ERA 1.13 (8 IP)
Has 18 hits and seven walks as a starter against six hits and no walks as a reliever.
Just give me the ball!
These guys have performed equally well regardless of which half of the tandem role they fulfilled.
Asher Wojciechowski (CC) +1.20
S-ERA 1.20 (15 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (8 IP)
Lance McCullers Jr (QC) -.39
S-ERA 2.45 (7 1/3 IP)
R-ERA 2.84 (6 1/3 IP)
Vincent Velasquez (QC) +2.70
S-ERA 2.70 (10 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (8 IP)
In looking at the stats, it looks like two guys have already settled into full time starter roles. Jake Buchanan has made four straight starts and Michael Foltynewicz has made three starts in a row. (4/27/13 - figures as soon as point this out, Folty pitched in relief last night.)
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| Pitchers Post Work Stretch @ Spring Training - Photo by AppyAstros (Use by permission only) |
Please let me start:
Here are the guys who have the biggest difference between their starter ERA (S-ERA) and their reliever ERA (R-ERA)
Luis Cruz (Lan) -7.38
S-ERA 0.93 (9 2/3 IP)
R-ERA 8.31 (8 2/3 IP)
12 of the 16 hits allowed have been as a reliever.
Mike Hauschild (QC) -5.85
S-ERA 0.90 (10 IP)
R-ERA 6.75 (5 1/3 IP)
Hausechild's numbers don't jump out with any big splits. Possibly a case of small sample size since he excelled in the reliever role in Greeneville last season.
Bobby Doran (CC) -4.50
S-ERA 0.90 (10 IP)
R-ERA 5.40 (8 1/3 IP)
Both HR surrendered came as a reliever. Has walked four as a reliever verses just one as a starter.
No, you go ahead. I insist:
These are the guys who have performed more effectively as relievers than as starters. Their S-ERA is much higher than their R-ERA.
David Rollins (Lan) +7.45
S-ERA 7.45 (9 2/3 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (12 IP)
14 of his 22 Ks have come as a reliever
Joe Bircher (QC) +7.00
S-ERA 7.00 (9 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (7 IP)
All his HR (2) and Walks (3) have come as a starter.
Tyson Perez (Lan) +5.26
S-ERA 6.39 (12 2/3 IP)
R-ERA 1.13 (8 IP)
Has 18 hits and seven walks as a starter against six hits and no walks as a reliever.
Just give me the ball!
These guys have performed equally well regardless of which half of the tandem role they fulfilled.
Asher Wojciechowski (CC) +1.20
S-ERA 1.20 (15 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (8 IP)
Lance McCullers Jr (QC) -.39
S-ERA 2.45 (7 1/3 IP)
R-ERA 2.84 (6 1/3 IP)
Vincent Velasquez (QC) +2.70
S-ERA 2.70 (10 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (8 IP)
In looking at the stats, it looks like two guys have already settled into full time starter roles. Jake Buchanan has made four straight starts and Michael Foltynewicz has made three starts in a row. (4/27/13 - figures as soon as point this out, Folty pitched in relief last night.)
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Going Camping: Update on Former G-Stros in Big League Camp
In Astros Camp, here is the latest on the former G-Stros:
Jose Altuve is hitting .314 through 12 games (35 At Bats). We got to visit with him briefly down in Florida and he is the same nice guy he was in Greeneville. He is a lock for the roster.
Brandon Barnes is making a case for a back up outfield spot. He has played in 12 games and his hitting .409 in 22 at bats. He is tied for the lead in HR on the team this spring with three. He continues to play solid defense in the outfield.
Jose Cisnero appeared in two games (2 2/3 innings) before being sent down to minor league camp.
Delino DeShields appeared in 10 games and received 12 at bats. He got four hits and stole two bases in three attempts. He was moved back to minor league camp during the weekend.
Rene Garcia he has appeared in seven games with just eight at bats. It won't be long before he is back in minor league camp. We saw him at spring training and he is no longer the skinny kid he was in Greeneville.
Jordan Lyles has been working on specific issues at the instruction of the Astros' coaching staff. Therefore, his results on the mound haven't been pretty but results aren't the focus right now.
J. D. Martinez has played in 13 games with 31 at bats. He is hitting just .258 this spring but likely has a spot on the roster.
Chris Wallace has appeared in three games with out getting a hit. Like Garcia, he is there for catching depth and will likely be returning to minor league camp soon.
Michael Foltynewicz appeared in one game and pitched a scoreless inning before being sent back down to minor league camp. He was seen working out with the AA group during minor league drills.
Ross Seaton made appearances in two games and didn't give up any earned runs in his 2 2/3 innings pitched. He has been sent back to minor league camp.
Though Jonathon Meyer and Roberto Pena were on the major league roster list, they have yet to appear in a major league spring training game.
Outside of Astros camp, Fernando Abad has been in the running for the final spot in the Nationals bullpen, but it looks like he will be the odd man out.
Felipe Paulino continues his rehab back from Tommy John surgery and will start the season on the DL.
Juan Guttierez (J.C.) has struggled recently and appears to be losing the battle for a major league roster spot.
Troy Patton after struggling in February, he has had two scoreless outings in March. He also appears to be getting a good number of ground balls this spring. We had a chance to talk to Patton during spring training. He talked about the fact that he came up as a starter and has four pitches has made his transition to the bullpen easy. He said he can face right handed batters and never show them the same pitch in an at bat.
Jordan Parraz is hitting .200 in 25 at bats over 16 games. He appears to be headed for AAA.
J.R. Towles is hitting .375 in 11 games (16 at bats). However, he doesn't appear to have a realistic shot at the Cardinals' opening day roster.
Arcenio Leon has made two appearances for the Brewers giving up two runs in 1 2/3 innings pitched.
Victor Garate is still on the Dodgers roster but has not appeared in a game thus far.
Jose Altuve is hitting .314 through 12 games (35 At Bats). We got to visit with him briefly down in Florida and he is the same nice guy he was in Greeneville. He is a lock for the roster.
Brandon Barnes is making a case for a back up outfield spot. He has played in 12 games and his hitting .409 in 22 at bats. He is tied for the lead in HR on the team this spring with three. He continues to play solid defense in the outfield.
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| Barnes & Altuve talk during warm ups |
(Photo by AppyAstros/All Rights Reserved)
Jose Cisnero appeared in two games (2 2/3 innings) before being sent down to minor league camp.
Delino DeShields appeared in 10 games and received 12 at bats. He got four hits and stole two bases in three attempts. He was moved back to minor league camp during the weekend.
Rene Garcia he has appeared in seven games with just eight at bats. It won't be long before he is back in minor league camp. We saw him at spring training and he is no longer the skinny kid he was in Greeneville.
Jordan Lyles has been working on specific issues at the instruction of the Astros' coaching staff. Therefore, his results on the mound haven't been pretty but results aren't the focus right now.
J. D. Martinez has played in 13 games with 31 at bats. He is hitting just .258 this spring but likely has a spot on the roster.
Chris Wallace has appeared in three games with out getting a hit. Like Garcia, he is there for catching depth and will likely be returning to minor league camp soon.
Michael Foltynewicz appeared in one game and pitched a scoreless inning before being sent back down to minor league camp. He was seen working out with the AA group during minor league drills.
Ross Seaton made appearances in two games and didn't give up any earned runs in his 2 2/3 innings pitched. He has been sent back to minor league camp.
Though Jonathon Meyer and Roberto Pena were on the major league roster list, they have yet to appear in a major league spring training game.
Outside of Astros camp, Fernando Abad has been in the running for the final spot in the Nationals bullpen, but it looks like he will be the odd man out.
Felipe Paulino continues his rehab back from Tommy John surgery and will start the season on the DL.
Juan Guttierez (J.C.) has struggled recently and appears to be losing the battle for a major league roster spot.
Troy Patton after struggling in February, he has had two scoreless outings in March. He also appears to be getting a good number of ground balls this spring. We had a chance to talk to Patton during spring training. He talked about the fact that he came up as a starter and has four pitches has made his transition to the bullpen easy. He said he can face right handed batters and never show them the same pitch in an at bat.
Jordan Parraz is hitting .200 in 25 at bats over 16 games. He appears to be headed for AAA.
J.R. Towles is hitting .375 in 11 games (16 at bats). However, he doesn't appear to have a realistic shot at the Cardinals' opening day roster.
Arcenio Leon has made two appearances for the Brewers giving up two runs in 1 2/3 innings pitched.
Victor Garate is still on the Dodgers roster but has not appeared in a game thus far.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Going Camping: Update on Former G-Stros in Big League Camp
In Astros Camp, here is the latest on the former G-Stros:
Jose Altuve has appeared in just two games so far this spring. He is a lock to make the big league club but his lack of playing time concerns me as far as a possible injury.
Brandon Barnes is making the most of his opportunities when he gets playing time. He has appeared in four games thus far and is three for nine at the plate with a HR, no strike outs and two stolen bases. He also has two outfield assist. There is a great deal of competition for the outfield spots and Barnes is doing his best to make the decision even tougher.
Jose Cisnero made his first appearance yesterday and was effective pitching 1 1/3 innings give up one hit and one walk while striking out one batter.
Delino DeShields is getting a full taste of major league camp this spring. He has appeared in four games and has demonstrated his speed tool in the pinch runner mode several times. He has scored three runs, even though he has only reached base one time as a batter.
Rene Garcia is in camp for catching depth and has played in three games thus far. He is hit less in two at bats but has two walks in his other plate appearances.
Jordan Lyles had a rough outing in his first outing of the spring but it is nothing to get too worried about. He will likely be in the rotation when camp breaks.
J.D. Martinez is three for his first 10 this spring as he fights for a starting spot in the Astros outfield. It was reported yesterday he will see some time in right in addition to his usual spot in left.
Chris Wallace is also in camp for catching depth. He has appeared in two games and doesn't have a hit in two at bats but he does have an RBI and a walk.
Other players on the spring training roster who might get some playing time as the spring progresses (especially in split squad games) are: Michael Foltynewicz (#88), Jonathan Meyer (#96). Roberto Pena (#84) and Ross Seaton (#61).
In other camps around baseball here is how the former G-Stros are doing.
Juan Gutierrez has apparently decided on a name change. He is now listed as J.C. Gutierrez on the Royals roster. In his lone outing thus far, he pitched a 1,2,3 inning against the D-Backs and appears to be the top candidate for the final bullpen spot. He should make his second appearance today.
In other news from Royals camp, Felipe Paulino threw off the mound earlier this week and is making progress towards a mid season return.
Troy Patton had a good outing yesterday with Baltimore. He came into the game in a bases loaded one out jam. He escaped by striking out Shane Victorino and then got Christian Vazquez to ground into a force out. His full line for the day was 1 1/3 IP, two hits, one run, one walk and two strike outs.
Fernando Abad is making some noise in Nationals camp.
J.R. Towles has appeared in two games for the Cards and has one hit in three at bats.
Arcenio Leon has made two appearances for the Brewers (1 2/3 IP) giving up two hits and two walks with no strike outs. He has surrendered two earned runs and one long ball.
Victor Garate has yet to appear in a game in Dodgers camp thus far.
My next update will come from Florida. My son and I leave for Spring Training next Wednesday and hope to see many of Florida based former G-Stros in person.
Jose Altuve has appeared in just two games so far this spring. He is a lock to make the big league club but his lack of playing time concerns me as far as a possible injury.
Brandon Barnes is making the most of his opportunities when he gets playing time. He has appeared in four games thus far and is three for nine at the plate with a HR, no strike outs and two stolen bases. He also has two outfield assist. There is a great deal of competition for the outfield spots and Barnes is doing his best to make the decision even tougher.
Jose Cisnero made his first appearance yesterday and was effective pitching 1 1/3 innings give up one hit and one walk while striking out one batter.
Delino DeShields is getting a full taste of major league camp this spring. He has appeared in four games and has demonstrated his speed tool in the pinch runner mode several times. He has scored three runs, even though he has only reached base one time as a batter.
Rene Garcia is in camp for catching depth and has played in three games thus far. He is hit less in two at bats but has two walks in his other plate appearances.
Jordan Lyles had a rough outing in his first outing of the spring but it is nothing to get too worried about. He will likely be in the rotation when camp breaks.
J.D. Martinez is three for his first 10 this spring as he fights for a starting spot in the Astros outfield. It was reported yesterday he will see some time in right in addition to his usual spot in left.
Chris Wallace is also in camp for catching depth. He has appeared in two games and doesn't have a hit in two at bats but he does have an RBI and a walk.
Other players on the spring training roster who might get some playing time as the spring progresses (especially in split squad games) are: Michael Foltynewicz (#88), Jonathan Meyer (#96). Roberto Pena (#84) and Ross Seaton (#61).
In other camps around baseball here is how the former G-Stros are doing.
Juan Gutierrez has apparently decided on a name change. He is now listed as J.C. Gutierrez on the Royals roster. In his lone outing thus far, he pitched a 1,2,3 inning against the D-Backs and appears to be the top candidate for the final bullpen spot. He should make his second appearance today.
In other news from Royals camp, Felipe Paulino threw off the mound earlier this week and is making progress towards a mid season return.
Troy Patton had a good outing yesterday with Baltimore. He came into the game in a bases loaded one out jam. He escaped by striking out Shane Victorino and then got Christian Vazquez to ground into a force out. His full line for the day was 1 1/3 IP, two hits, one run, one walk and two strike outs.
Fernando Abad is making some noise in Nationals camp.
If one player stood out aside from starter Dan Haren, it was left-handed reliever Fernando Abad. He had a 5.09 ERA last year for the Astros, but he’s been impressing the Nationals all spring, starting in bullpen sessions. Abad, 27, struck out one batter in a 1-2-3 inning. His odds to make the roster are long, but he could work his way into the competition for the final spot in the Nationals’ bullpen. If you’re looking for a sleeper, it may be Abad.Jordan Parraz has yet to start in game for the Braves but has preformed well when he has gotten time. In six games (8 AB), he is hitting .250 with one HR.
J.R. Towles has appeared in two games for the Cards and has one hit in three at bats.
Arcenio Leon has made two appearances for the Brewers (1 2/3 IP) giving up two hits and two walks with no strike outs. He has surrendered two earned runs and one long ball.
Victor Garate has yet to appear in a game in Dodgers camp thus far.
My next update will come from Florida. My son and I leave for Spring Training next Wednesday and hope to see many of Florida based former G-Stros in person.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Former G-Stros in Minor's Mini Camp
The top talent in the system has been invited to report to camp early for a minicamp. Brian McTaggart posted the list of invitees yesterday. Here are those who were invited along with the year(s) they appeared in Greeneville:
Ruben Alaniz (2010)
Michael Foltynewicz (2010)
David Martinez (2009)
Lance McCullers Jr. (2012)
Vincent Velasquez (2010)
Roberto Pena (2010)
Carlos Correa (2012)
Chase Davidson (2011)
Jonathan Meyer (2009)
Jiovanni Mier (2009)
Rio Ruiz (2012)
In addition to those players a few other players will be participating some since they reported early to camp. Two of those are former G-Stros Telvin Nash (2010) and Ruben Sosa (2011 & 12)
Ruben Alaniz (2010)
Michael Foltynewicz (2010)
David Martinez (2009)
Lance McCullers Jr. (2012)
Vincent Velasquez (2010)
Roberto Pena (2010)
Carlos Correa (2012)
Chase Davidson (2011)
Jonathan Meyer (2009)
Jiovanni Mier (2009)
Rio Ruiz (2012)
In addition to those players a few other players will be participating some since they reported early to camp. Two of those are former G-Stros Telvin Nash (2010) and Ruben Sosa (2011 & 12)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Cumulative Top Prospect List
Updated 2/6/13 to include MLB's changed list after the trade with the A's and Keith Law's list for ESPN.
I enjoy the top prospect list exercise. It is interesting to see which players are valued by different analyst. Every year, I try to keep up with the lists when they come out and compare them to each other. I also like to see what the consensus thought is about players.
Below is the cumulative rankings that have been compiled thus far. This includes the list from 14 different sources: Baseball America (top 10), Baseball Prospectus (top 10), The Crawfish Boxes (top 30), Fangraphs (top 15), MLB.com (top 20), MinorLeagueBall (top 20), Bleacher Report (top 10), Baseball Prospect Nation (top15), MLB Dirt (top 15), Scouting Book (top 20), Baseball Instinct (top 21), Perfect Game (top 10), Astros County (top 25) and Keith Law - ESPN (top 10).
I continue to tweak this process. There are two cumulative ranking orders. The first is the cumulative ranking based on # of list they appeared on and the average ranking. This list is the true consensus as it rewards a player for making more list and lowers a player who was highly ranked but appeared on very few list. The second cumulative ranking is based on average ranking and then # of list the player appears on. This rewards a high ranking regardless of how often a player was ranked. The color shade of the name indicates how they were obtained. The key is at the bottom of the list. Here is a link to the google drive spreadsheet for those who don't want to scroll in the window.
Here are some observations about the cumulative list thus far (updated 12/31/12):
I enjoy the top prospect list exercise. It is interesting to see which players are valued by different analyst. Every year, I try to keep up with the lists when they come out and compare them to each other. I also like to see what the consensus thought is about players.
Below is the cumulative rankings that have been compiled thus far. This includes the list from 14 different sources: Baseball America (top 10), Baseball Prospectus (top 10), The Crawfish Boxes (top 30), Fangraphs (top 15), MLB.com (top 20), MinorLeagueBall (top 20), Bleacher Report (top 10), Baseball Prospect Nation (top15), MLB Dirt (top 15), Scouting Book (top 20), Baseball Instinct (top 21), Perfect Game (top 10), Astros County (top 25) and Keith Law - ESPN (top 10).
I continue to tweak this process. There are two cumulative ranking orders. The first is the cumulative ranking based on # of list they appeared on and the average ranking. This list is the true consensus as it rewards a player for making more list and lowers a player who was highly ranked but appeared on very few list. The second cumulative ranking is based on average ranking and then # of list the player appears on. This rewards a high ranking regardless of how often a player was ranked. The color shade of the name indicates how they were obtained. The key is at the bottom of the list. Here is a link to the google drive spreadsheet for those who don't want to scroll in the window.
Here are some observations about the cumulative list thus far (updated 12/31/12):
- There is consensus on the top 11 players on the list. Six appear on all 14 list, and the five others appear on at least 10 list.
- There are a few prospects with wide disparity of ranking:
- Jonathan Villar is ranked #6 (4x), #7, #8, #9, #11 (2x), # 12, #15, and #25.
- Kevin Comer is ranked #9, #14, and #20. He was also mentioned as an "others" by John Sickels
- Carlos Perez is ranked as high as #9 and as low as #19. He appeared on six list.
- Nolan Fontana is ranked as high as #9 and as low as #19. He appears on seven list.
- Joe Musgrove is ranked as high as #10 and as low as #22. He appeared on five list.
- Teoscar Hernandez, Jose Cisnero, Brad Peacock, and Kyle Weiland all benefit from just appearing on one list.
- There are 49 players who have been included on a list at this time. Here is the break down of how they were acquired:
- Via Luhnow Trade -17
- Via Draft 2012 -11
- Via Wade Trade - 6
- Via Draft 2011 - 3
- Via Draft 2010 -4
- Via Rule 5 Draft 2012 - 2
- Via Draft 2009 - 1
- Via Draft 2008 - 1
- Via International Free Agency (2007,2008, 2010) -4
- That makes 30 out of the 49 have been acquired since Luhnow took over.
- 12 of the players have played in Greeneville.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Appy Astros Alumni of the Month - June 2012
It has been a fun month of June. Several former G-Stros are making serious progress and the new bunch is winning games. Let's look at how the former Greeneville Astros did this month.
Tri Cities ValleyCats
Pitcher of the Month - Vincent Velasquez made three starts in June and had a 1.76 ERA in 15 1/3 IP with 16 K. What makes this more impressive is these were his first three starts after missing all of 2011 with Tommy John surgery.
Honorable Mention - Juri Perez - two scoreless starts to start his second season in the NYPL. Jamaine Cotton - made five scoreless relief appearances before surrendering two runs on 6/30.
Hitter of the Month - There are only three former G-Stros on the roster in TriCities, none of which are setting the woods on fire. This months award goes to Jesse Wierzbicki who hit .260 for the first 14 games of the season.
Lexington Legends
Pitcher of the Month - Murilo Gouvea had a stellar month out of the pen. Allowing just one earned run in 14 1/3 ip (10 games) with 14 strike outs. He only allowed five hits during that stretch but allowed 10 walks. His June ERA was 0.61.
Honorable Mention - Mike Foltynewicz amassed a 2.97 ERA in five starts. He had a rough outing to end the month, otherwise, he numbers would have been much stronger. Still 2.97 is not to shabby.
Hitter of the Month - I think those who follow Astros minor league ball would come after me with pitch forks and torches if I chose anyone but Delino DeShields Jr. as the Lexington hitter of the month. DDJ hit a solid .303 for the month. He also took 16 walks which helped boost his OPB to .407. He showed some pop with seven extra base hits and when he did find him self on first, he often managed to get to second via one of his 25 stolen bases.
Honorable Mentions - Chan Moon really appears to have put it together at the plate. The South Korean Shortstop hit .276 in June with a .403 OBP. Roberto Pena also had a solid June hitting .329 and hitting seven doubles during the month where he turned 20.
Lancaster JetHawks
Pitcher of the Month - Jose Trinadad had a great month out of the pen. In eight games (seven relief and one start) he allowed 19 hits in 21 innings pitched. His ERA for the month was .043. His last appearance of the month was spreading seven hits over seven shut out innings in his third start of the year. His ERA as as start this season is 1.13
Honorable Mention - Pat Urckfitz who allowed four earned runs in 15 innings pitched for a 2.40 ERA in June.
Hitter of the Month - I normally put those who haven't played a full month in the Honorable Mention category but what Grant Hogue put together in limited playing time is impressive. He played the first nine games of the month and then missed about two weeks on the DL returning to get in for the final few games of the month. During his 11 games, Hogue hit .667 (21 out of 34). Hard to ignore that production.
Honorable Mention - Rafael Valenzuela hit .298 in 17 games with a .403 OBP. Rene Garcia hit .321 in 16 games. Ben Orloff hit .283 and had just four strike outs in 99 at bats during the month.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Pitcher of the Month - Jose Cisnero is the easy choice this month. In five starts, he allowed just eight walks and eight earned runs while striking out 31 in 33 innings pitched. He allowed no home runs in June. He pitched a complete game two hitter on June 16th. He held opponents to a .215 batting average for the month.
Honorable Mention- Henry Villar pitched in 8 games (16 1/3 IP) in June with a 2.70 ERA. During that span, he fanned 16 while only issuing two free passes.
Hitter of the Month - Kody Hinze rebounded from a rough May (.106 in 22 games) to hit for a solid .306 in 24 games in June. Seven of his 22 hits in the month went for extra bases.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Pitcher of the Month - Vacant - there were no former G-Stros pitching in Oklahoma City in June except Fernando Abad who was on rehab assignment.
Hitter of the Month - Brandon Barnes is the only RedHawk who played in Greeneville but this award isn't given by default. Barnes has earned it! He hit .333 with nine doubles and three home runs in June. He also walked eight times and struck out just 18 in 108 at bats (28 games). If the 26 year old Barnes can keep this up, he might get a shot at the bigs in a September call up or as an injury replacement.
Minors Outside Astros System
Pitcher of the Month - Slingin Sammy Gervacio continues to tear up the Mexican League (unaffiliated AAA). In June, he appeared in 15 games (15 2/3 IP), issued just four walks and nine hits while fanning 23 batters. He earned 12 saves during the month.
Hitter of the Month - Albert Cartwright had a bounce back month after hitting below the Mendoza line for May, he hit .306 with four doubles and three home runs in the Florida State League (Phillies High A).
Major Leagues
Pitcher of the Month - While Jordan Lyles and Fernando Abad had good months, the best month by a former Greeneville Astro pitcher in the Majors was by Troy Patton of the Orioles. Patton appeared in 11 games (14 2/3 IP) in which he fanned 15 batters while allowing only nine hits and four walks. Opponents hit just .190 off Patton during the month.
Hitter of the Month - While you can debate my list choice, I don't think there is much of a debate when it comes to selecting Jose Altuve as the hitter of the month. During June, he hit .291 with five doubles and two home runs.
Quick break down of the number of former G-stros in the Astros system:
Tri Cities - 8
Lexington - 16
Lancaster - 17
Corpus Christi - 6
Oklahoma City - 1
Houston - 4
Tri Cities ValleyCats
Pitcher of the Month - Vincent Velasquez made three starts in June and had a 1.76 ERA in 15 1/3 IP with 16 K. What makes this more impressive is these were his first three starts after missing all of 2011 with Tommy John surgery.
Honorable Mention - Juri Perez - two scoreless starts to start his second season in the NYPL. Jamaine Cotton - made five scoreless relief appearances before surrendering two runs on 6/30.
Hitter of the Month - There are only three former G-Stros on the roster in TriCities, none of which are setting the woods on fire. This months award goes to Jesse Wierzbicki who hit .260 for the first 14 games of the season.
Lexington Legends
Pitcher of the Month - Murilo Gouvea had a stellar month out of the pen. Allowing just one earned run in 14 1/3 ip (10 games) with 14 strike outs. He only allowed five hits during that stretch but allowed 10 walks. His June ERA was 0.61.
Honorable Mention - Mike Foltynewicz amassed a 2.97 ERA in five starts. He had a rough outing to end the month, otherwise, he numbers would have been much stronger. Still 2.97 is not to shabby.
Hitter of the Month - I think those who follow Astros minor league ball would come after me with pitch forks and torches if I chose anyone but Delino DeShields Jr. as the Lexington hitter of the month. DDJ hit a solid .303 for the month. He also took 16 walks which helped boost his OPB to .407. He showed some pop with seven extra base hits and when he did find him self on first, he often managed to get to second via one of his 25 stolen bases.
Honorable Mentions - Chan Moon really appears to have put it together at the plate. The South Korean Shortstop hit .276 in June with a .403 OBP. Roberto Pena also had a solid June hitting .329 and hitting seven doubles during the month where he turned 20.
Lancaster JetHawks
Pitcher of the Month - Jose Trinadad had a great month out of the pen. In eight games (seven relief and one start) he allowed 19 hits in 21 innings pitched. His ERA for the month was .043. His last appearance of the month was spreading seven hits over seven shut out innings in his third start of the year. His ERA as as start this season is 1.13
Honorable Mention - Pat Urckfitz who allowed four earned runs in 15 innings pitched for a 2.40 ERA in June.
Hitter of the Month - I normally put those who haven't played a full month in the Honorable Mention category but what Grant Hogue put together in limited playing time is impressive. He played the first nine games of the month and then missed about two weeks on the DL returning to get in for the final few games of the month. During his 11 games, Hogue hit .667 (21 out of 34). Hard to ignore that production.
Honorable Mention - Rafael Valenzuela hit .298 in 17 games with a .403 OBP. Rene Garcia hit .321 in 16 games. Ben Orloff hit .283 and had just four strike outs in 99 at bats during the month.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Pitcher of the Month - Jose Cisnero is the easy choice this month. In five starts, he allowed just eight walks and eight earned runs while striking out 31 in 33 innings pitched. He allowed no home runs in June. He pitched a complete game two hitter on June 16th. He held opponents to a .215 batting average for the month.
Honorable Mention- Henry Villar pitched in 8 games (16 1/3 IP) in June with a 2.70 ERA. During that span, he fanned 16 while only issuing two free passes.
Hitter of the Month - Kody Hinze rebounded from a rough May (.106 in 22 games) to hit for a solid .306 in 24 games in June. Seven of his 22 hits in the month went for extra bases.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Pitcher of the Month - Vacant - there were no former G-Stros pitching in Oklahoma City in June except Fernando Abad who was on rehab assignment.
Hitter of the Month - Brandon Barnes is the only RedHawk who played in Greeneville but this award isn't given by default. Barnes has earned it! He hit .333 with nine doubles and three home runs in June. He also walked eight times and struck out just 18 in 108 at bats (28 games). If the 26 year old Barnes can keep this up, he might get a shot at the bigs in a September call up or as an injury replacement.
Minors Outside Astros System
Pitcher of the Month - Slingin Sammy Gervacio continues to tear up the Mexican League (unaffiliated AAA). In June, he appeared in 15 games (15 2/3 IP), issued just four walks and nine hits while fanning 23 batters. He earned 12 saves during the month.
Hitter of the Month - Albert Cartwright had a bounce back month after hitting below the Mendoza line for May, he hit .306 with four doubles and three home runs in the Florida State League (Phillies High A).
Major Leagues
Pitcher of the Month - While Jordan Lyles and Fernando Abad had good months, the best month by a former Greeneville Astro pitcher in the Majors was by Troy Patton of the Orioles. Patton appeared in 11 games (14 2/3 IP) in which he fanned 15 batters while allowing only nine hits and four walks. Opponents hit just .190 off Patton during the month.
Hitter of the Month - While you can debate my list choice, I don't think there is much of a debate when it comes to selecting Jose Altuve as the hitter of the month. During June, he hit .291 with five doubles and two home runs.
Quick break down of the number of former G-stros in the Astros system:
Tri Cities - 8
Lexington - 16
Lancaster - 17
Corpus Christi - 6
Oklahoma City - 1
Houston - 4
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Appy Astros Alumni of the Month: May 2012
Well, I have let June slip up on me and I haven't gotten the highlights from May wrapped up. Better late than never. We have two months of full season ball under our belts now, let's see who put up solid months in May.
Lexington Legends:
Hitter of the Month-
Last month, we gave the award to Alex Todd, he has absconded to Lancaster. In May, we are going to Delino DeShields Jr.. I know he only hit .252 in May but 1/3 of his hits went for extra bases. But it is more about what happened when he got on base. He stole 16 bases in 20 attempts in May. He had 32 total stolen bases in 36 attempts this season.
Honorable Mention: Chan Moon hit .283 in his first 13 games with Lexington and Jordan Scott who hit .270 for the month with nine doubles and two triples.
Pitcher of the Month-
Last month, the honor went the Mike Foltynewicz. He had another good month (3-0 with a 2.84 ERA) but Luis Cruz was better. He made five quality starts in the month and finished with a 1.85 ERA in 39 innings pitched. The little lefty looks like he is putting together a quality year in his third season in Lexington.
Honorable Mention: Folty and Carlos Quevedo who made nine appearances out of the pen (19 1/3 IP) and allowed just 3 earned runs (1.40 ERA). Also worth of a mention is Murilo Gouvea who made 11 relief appearances (16 IP) and struck out 19 batters while amassing a 2.25 ERA.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter of the Month
Jonathan Meyer cooled off in May hitting just .265 and Telvin Nash hit a rough patch seeing his average plummet while his strike outs continued to climb. So this month, the Almni hitter of the month is Ben Orloff who hit .287 for May. He also had more walks than strike outs.
Honorable Mentions: Rafael Valenzuela who in limited playing time, hit .270 with eight of his 20 hits going for extra bases.
Pitcher of the Month
This month, we are going to the bullpen to give the award to Jose Trinidad. Trinidad pitched in 10 games in May. Eight were in relief and two were starts. In those appearances, he covered 22 1/3 innings pitched and only allowed 6 earned runs for an ERA of 2.42 for the month.
Honorable Mention to RJ Alaniz and Tyson Perez who both had good starts in May but also had a few where the game got away from them. But there was more good than bad.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitter of the Month
Here we have another situation where the incumbent, Brandon Barnes, was promoted to the next level during the subsequent month; so he was not here to defend his stats as alumni of the month. There is not much to write home about with the remaining Greeneville alumni on the roster. However, in limited action, Chris Wallace put together a .273 average in seven games (8 at bats). With the struggles of other former G-Stros Hinze and McCurdy; Wallace is the best chose this month.
Pitcher of the Month
Ross Seaton was very good this May. In six starts, he pitched six plus innings in five of them and in those five, he did not give up more than three runs. His ERA for the month was 2.70. When you consider he was charged with four earned runs in his first start of the month; his solid ERA at the end of the month is more impressive.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitter of the Month
Brandon Barnes brought his hitting with him to OKC. In the four games after he arrived late in the month, he hit .333 with five singles in fifteen at bats.
Pitcher of the Month
Jordan Lyles made three starts in OKC in May. His ERA over those starts was 3.68. It has been announced that he is in Houston to stay for the foreseeable future so this may be his last shot at AppyAstros Alumni of the month in AAA for a while.
Outside of the System - Minors
Hitter of the Month - Vacant
This section might be called dishonorable mention. No one stood out. Jordan Parraz went 0 for 16 in May before landing on the DL with a broken hand. Ralph Henriquez was promoted to AAA Tacoma after hitting .228 in AA. J R Towles hit .231 for the month. Wlad Sutil hit .224 for May. Albert Cartwright couldn't get above .188 for the month. Amandeo Zazueta hit just .148. Koby Clemens was sent down to high A ball and then further down to a short season roster as the work with him on possible returning to catcher.
Pitcher of the Month
Sammy Gervacio appeared on the roster of the Rieleros de Aguascalientes of the Mexican league in May. He appeared in nine games (10 IP) and maintained an ERA of just 1.80 and struck out 12 batters. The Mexican League is AAA but it is unaffiliated. It will be interesting to see if his pitching catches the attention of an affiliated team in the near future.
Major League
Hitter of the Month - Jose Altuve
El Escorpion continues his solid performance at the plate. He hit a solid .283 with six more walks. While this is down from April. It is still worthy of recognition.
Pitcher of the Month - Troy Patton
Patton repeats as Pitcher of the Month. He was called on 11 times out of the Oriole bullpen and he responded with a 3.55 ERA and also started striking batters out more. After striking out just four in 10 innings in April, Patton fanned 16 in 12 2/3 innings pitched in May.
Lexington Legends:
Hitter of the Month-
Last month, we gave the award to Alex Todd, he has absconded to Lancaster. In May, we are going to Delino DeShields Jr.. I know he only hit .252 in May but 1/3 of his hits went for extra bases. But it is more about what happened when he got on base. He stole 16 bases in 20 attempts in May. He had 32 total stolen bases in 36 attempts this season.
Honorable Mention: Chan Moon hit .283 in his first 13 games with Lexington and Jordan Scott who hit .270 for the month with nine doubles and two triples.
Pitcher of the Month-
Last month, the honor went the Mike Foltynewicz. He had another good month (3-0 with a 2.84 ERA) but Luis Cruz was better. He made five quality starts in the month and finished with a 1.85 ERA in 39 innings pitched. The little lefty looks like he is putting together a quality year in his third season in Lexington.
Honorable Mention: Folty and Carlos Quevedo who made nine appearances out of the pen (19 1/3 IP) and allowed just 3 earned runs (1.40 ERA). Also worth of a mention is Murilo Gouvea who made 11 relief appearances (16 IP) and struck out 19 batters while amassing a 2.25 ERA.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter of the Month
Jonathan Meyer cooled off in May hitting just .265 and Telvin Nash hit a rough patch seeing his average plummet while his strike outs continued to climb. So this month, the Almni hitter of the month is Ben Orloff who hit .287 for May. He also had more walks than strike outs.
Honorable Mentions: Rafael Valenzuela who in limited playing time, hit .270 with eight of his 20 hits going for extra bases.
Pitcher of the Month
This month, we are going to the bullpen to give the award to Jose Trinidad. Trinidad pitched in 10 games in May. Eight were in relief and two were starts. In those appearances, he covered 22 1/3 innings pitched and only allowed 6 earned runs for an ERA of 2.42 for the month.
Honorable Mention to RJ Alaniz and Tyson Perez who both had good starts in May but also had a few where the game got away from them. But there was more good than bad.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitter of the Month
Here we have another situation where the incumbent, Brandon Barnes, was promoted to the next level during the subsequent month; so he was not here to defend his stats as alumni of the month. There is not much to write home about with the remaining Greeneville alumni on the roster. However, in limited action, Chris Wallace put together a .273 average in seven games (8 at bats). With the struggles of other former G-Stros Hinze and McCurdy; Wallace is the best chose this month.
Pitcher of the Month
Ross Seaton was very good this May. In six starts, he pitched six plus innings in five of them and in those five, he did not give up more than three runs. His ERA for the month was 2.70. When you consider he was charged with four earned runs in his first start of the month; his solid ERA at the end of the month is more impressive.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitter of the Month
Brandon Barnes brought his hitting with him to OKC. In the four games after he arrived late in the month, he hit .333 with five singles in fifteen at bats.
Pitcher of the Month
Jordan Lyles made three starts in OKC in May. His ERA over those starts was 3.68. It has been announced that he is in Houston to stay for the foreseeable future so this may be his last shot at AppyAstros Alumni of the month in AAA for a while.
Outside of the System - Minors
Hitter of the Month - Vacant
This section might be called dishonorable mention. No one stood out. Jordan Parraz went 0 for 16 in May before landing on the DL with a broken hand. Ralph Henriquez was promoted to AAA Tacoma after hitting .228 in AA. J R Towles hit .231 for the month. Wlad Sutil hit .224 for May. Albert Cartwright couldn't get above .188 for the month. Amandeo Zazueta hit just .148. Koby Clemens was sent down to high A ball and then further down to a short season roster as the work with him on possible returning to catcher.
Pitcher of the Month
Sammy Gervacio appeared on the roster of the Rieleros de Aguascalientes of the Mexican league in May. He appeared in nine games (10 IP) and maintained an ERA of just 1.80 and struck out 12 batters. The Mexican League is AAA but it is unaffiliated. It will be interesting to see if his pitching catches the attention of an affiliated team in the near future.
Major League
Hitter of the Month - Jose Altuve
El Escorpion continues his solid performance at the plate. He hit a solid .283 with six more walks. While this is down from April. It is still worthy of recognition.
Pitcher of the Month - Troy Patton
Patton repeats as Pitcher of the Month. He was called on 11 times out of the Oriole bullpen and he responded with a 3.55 ERA and also started striking batters out more. After striking out just four in 10 innings in April, Patton fanned 16 in 12 2/3 innings pitched in May.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Barnes Off To Hot Start
Brandon Barnes (Greeneville Astros 05, 06) is off to a great start for the Corpus Christi Hooks (AA). He currently leads the league in the following categories:
Average: .385
Slugging: .750
OPS: 1.157
Doubles: 10
Total Bases: 39
Hits: 20 (tie)
Runs: 12 (tie)
He is also among the league leaders in the following categories:
Home Runs: 3 (tied for 3rd)
RBI: 11 (tied for 4th)
OBP: .407 (11th)
Other former G-Stros who are off to good starts in 2012 are:
Delino DeShields Jr - his 10 stolen bases as tops in the Sally League
Mike Folteynewicz - is 9th in ERA in the Sally (1.72).
Telvin Nash - his 7 HR leads all of minor league baseball. His OPS (1.019) is 10th best in the California League. His slugging average (.655) is good for 7th best. He also ranks 4th in total bases (38), tied for 10th in most walks (8), 6th in RBI's (12), and tied for 8th in runs scored (12).
Chris Wallace - tied for 8th most doubles (4) in the Texas League.
Jose Cisnero - is tied for 6th most strikeouts with 16 in 14 2/3 IP. His 2.45 ERA is good for 9th best in the Texas League.
Jordan Lyles - his 18 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings are tied for 6th best in the PCL.
Jordan Parraz - his .368 average is 4th best in the International League. His 21 hits also tie him for 4th best. His .438 OBP is 10th best. His 3 stolen bases tie him for 8th in the league.
Average: .385
Slugging: .750
OPS: 1.157
Doubles: 10
Total Bases: 39
Hits: 20 (tie)
Runs: 12 (tie)
He is also among the league leaders in the following categories:
Home Runs: 3 (tied for 3rd)
RBI: 11 (tied for 4th)
OBP: .407 (11th)
Other former G-Stros who are off to good starts in 2012 are:
Delino DeShields Jr - his 10 stolen bases as tops in the Sally League
Mike Folteynewicz - is 9th in ERA in the Sally (1.72).
Telvin Nash - his 7 HR leads all of minor league baseball. His OPS (1.019) is 10th best in the California League. His slugging average (.655) is good for 7th best. He also ranks 4th in total bases (38), tied for 10th in most walks (8), 6th in RBI's (12), and tied for 8th in runs scored (12).
Chris Wallace - tied for 8th most doubles (4) in the Texas League.
Jose Cisnero - is tied for 6th most strikeouts with 16 in 14 2/3 IP. His 2.45 ERA is good for 9th best in the Texas League.
Jordan Lyles - his 18 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings are tied for 6th best in the PCL.
Jordan Parraz - his .368 average is 4th best in the International League. His 21 hits also tie him for 4th best. His .438 OBP is 10th best. His 3 stolen bases tie him for 8th in the league.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
2010 Greeneville Astros Progress Reports
This wraps up the progress reports of former G-Stros for this off season. It's only been a year but lets look at the progress made by the 2010 G-Stros. Thirty nine players spent time in Greeneville playing in 2010. Twenty six of those players were playing affiliated ball in 2011 for 66%.
Let's look at how high they climbed. They are listed by the highest level they appeared in and the percentage by each level is out of the full roster.
AA (1 - 3%)
Chris Wallace started the year in Low A Lexington but was double promoted to AA Corpus Christi to finish out the year. With him turning 23 years of age in April and him having solid success in Lexington, it was not surprising the Astros challenged him by putting him on a fast track. Wallace hit .244 in 36 games in AA. he also found out that base runners were better there. He only threw out 10% of attempted stolen bases. Wallace spent part of the fall in instructionals.
High A (2 - 5%)
Bryce Lane spent most of the season in Lexington but did appear in Lancaster for five games during the year. He was hit less during his stint in Lancaster and hit .222 in 67 games in Lexington. He will be 22 when spring training begins.
Hector Rodriguez bounced around three levels this year. He started in Lancaster, then was sent to Tri Cities and finished the year in Lexington. He never got much consistent playing time in those stops appearing in only 35 games through the year. He combined to hit just .163 on the season. He will be 22 when spring training rolls around.
Low A (13- 33%)
Ruben Alaniz had an inconsistent year in Lexington. He had a rough April, sporting a 8.78 ERA after the first month of the season. However in June, he sported a solid 2.28 ERA. Overall, he finished with a 4.44 ERA in 27 games (21 starts). He fanned 96 batters in 115 2/3 innings pitched. He gave up 11 home runs, with only four in the second half of the season. He earned an invite to instructionals. Alaniz will be 20 when he reports to spring training.
Garrett Bullock see 2009 write up.
Jeiler Castillo see 2008 write up.
Delino Deshields Jr. only appeared in 16 games in 2010 for Greeneville. However, he was impressive in those games as just a 17 year old. This year, as he continued to make the transition to becoming a second baseman, he struggled in the first half of the year hitting just .197 before the All Star break. DeShields had a great July (.320) and finished the second half of the season with a respectable .242 average. His power dropped in the second half but his on base percentage climbed. All promising signs for a young man who won't turn 20 until next August. He got a bit of extra work in this fall in instructionals.
Mike Foltynewicz appeared to run out of gas as the long Sally League season of bus trips ground to an end. After keeping his ERA in the upper three and low four range for May, June & July; it jumped to the seven and eight range for August and September. He was on the instructional league roster. He is still seen as a top prospect and will just be 20 when next season begins.
Gabriel Garcia pitched out of the pen in 31 games for the Legends. Garcia struck out 68 batters in 69 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA was 3.76 on the season. He is pitching in his home country for Winter Ball and through his first 11 appearances in the Dominican League, he is sporting a 2.84 ERA. He will still be 22 when next season rolls around.
Emilio King had a break out year in Lexington. In Greeneville, he showed good defense with a great arm but very little with the bat. In 2011, he hit .293 and 34 of his 106 hits went for extra bases. He also had 14 outfield assist on the year. King will be 22 at the start of spring training.
Ryan McCurdy appeared in just one game for Lexington. He spent most of his season in TriCities. There he hit .324 which is an impressive jump from the .148 combined between Greeneville & TriCities in 2010. He will turn 24 in December.
Jhonny Medrano hit .203 in 60 games for the Legends this season. He is a minor league free agent and will likely not be playing affiliated ball next season. Injuries limited his potential.
Telvin Nash got his 2011 season of to a bang with an impressive April where he hit .310 with an OPS of .997 but then broke the hamate bone in his hand and missed all of May and almost but three games of June. In the second half, Nash was okay but not as spectacular as his April. He finished the year with a .269 average and a .858 OPS in Lexington. It is expected that recovery from a hamate fracture can take some time to recover hand strength so we have to take that into account. Nash has very good power. Of his 72 hits this season in Lexington, 30 of them were for extra bases. Here is a video of his power stroke. He will need to cut down on the strike outs as he continues to climb up the ladder. He also was learning a new position this year, playing 37 games at 1st base. He got some extra work in at instructionals. Nash will turn 21 just before spring training begins.
Marcus Nidiffer was released by the Astros and subsequently signed by the Angels organization. They moved him back to catcher and he hit .230 for Cedar Rapids this year. He threw out 29% of potential base stealers. He will be 25 when spring training opens.
Roberto Pena was impressive behind the plate in Lexington this season. He threw out 39% of the potential base burglars. He wasn't as impressive at the plate, hitting just .217 but showed improvement over his numbers in Greeneville last year. He is seen as a solid catching prospect by the Astros as evidenced by them sending him for a brief stint in the Arizona Fall League. He was also in instructionals. Pena won't turn 20 until June of next year.
Brian Streinlein appeared in 40 games for the Legends and amassed a 3.99 ERA. Streinlein will be 24 when spring training begins.
Tri Cities (6 - 15%)
Ryan Cole finished 22 of the 26 games he appeared in for the ValleyCats. He was credited with 10 saves. He will be 24 when pitchers report to spring training.
Jermaine Cotton started 2011 in Greeneville in the bullpen. However, he was moved into the starting rotation and was solid there. He was promoted to Tri Cities and finished the year with a 3.68 ERA in five starts for the ValleyCats. He earned an invitation to fall instructional league. He will be 21 when next season begins.
Euris Quezada is a big righty who when he has his control is fun to watch. for the ValleyCats this year, sometime he had it, some times he didn't. He was shut down after just one start in August. He finished the year with a 6.95 ERA with 24 Ks and 24 BB in 33 2/3 IP. He will turn 23 next April.
Travis Smink appeared in 23 games for the ValleyCats this season. He amassed a 4.37 ERA in 45 1/3 IP. He will turn 25 shortly after the 2012 season begins.
Rafael Valenzuela continues to show he can hit. After being injured for much of the first half of the season, he reported to Tri Cities and hit .316 in 31 games for the ValleyCats. The non drafted free agent will be 24 when spring training begins.
Bubby Williams see 2009 write up.
Greeneville (2 - 5%)
Richardo Batista the lefty returned to Greeneville for the 2011 season and showed improvement. He finished the season strong with a 3.57 ERA for the month of August. During that month, opponents hit just .192 off of him. During August he also struck out 20 batters in 22 1/2 innings but he also walked 18. He was invited to instructionals. He will still be 20 when next season begins.
Rodney Quintero returned to Greeneville for the 2011 season. He struck out 32 batters in 28 2/3 IP out of the pen. Even though the numbers aren't great, he was invited to fall instructional league. He will turn 22 before pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Injury/DL (2- 5%)
Vincent Velasquez and Jonathon Merritt both spent their year rehabbing from injuries. Velasquez was on the instructional league roster.
I expect the number of active players to drop pretty heavily next year with the large number of guys already in the 24 to 25 range in this group.
Let's look at how high they climbed. They are listed by the highest level they appeared in and the percentage by each level is out of the full roster.
AA (1 - 3%)
Chris Wallace started the year in Low A Lexington but was double promoted to AA Corpus Christi to finish out the year. With him turning 23 years of age in April and him having solid success in Lexington, it was not surprising the Astros challenged him by putting him on a fast track. Wallace hit .244 in 36 games in AA. he also found out that base runners were better there. He only threw out 10% of attempted stolen bases. Wallace spent part of the fall in instructionals.
High A (2 - 5%)
Bryce Lane spent most of the season in Lexington but did appear in Lancaster for five games during the year. He was hit less during his stint in Lancaster and hit .222 in 67 games in Lexington. He will be 22 when spring training begins.
Hector Rodriguez bounced around three levels this year. He started in Lancaster, then was sent to Tri Cities and finished the year in Lexington. He never got much consistent playing time in those stops appearing in only 35 games through the year. He combined to hit just .163 on the season. He will be 22 when spring training rolls around.
Low A (13- 33%)
Ruben Alaniz had an inconsistent year in Lexington. He had a rough April, sporting a 8.78 ERA after the first month of the season. However in June, he sported a solid 2.28 ERA. Overall, he finished with a 4.44 ERA in 27 games (21 starts). He fanned 96 batters in 115 2/3 innings pitched. He gave up 11 home runs, with only four in the second half of the season. He earned an invite to instructionals. Alaniz will be 20 when he reports to spring training.
Garrett Bullock see 2009 write up.
Jeiler Castillo see 2008 write up.
Delino Deshields Jr. only appeared in 16 games in 2010 for Greeneville. However, he was impressive in those games as just a 17 year old. This year, as he continued to make the transition to becoming a second baseman, he struggled in the first half of the year hitting just .197 before the All Star break. DeShields had a great July (.320) and finished the second half of the season with a respectable .242 average. His power dropped in the second half but his on base percentage climbed. All promising signs for a young man who won't turn 20 until next August. He got a bit of extra work in this fall in instructionals.
Mike Foltynewicz appeared to run out of gas as the long Sally League season of bus trips ground to an end. After keeping his ERA in the upper three and low four range for May, June & July; it jumped to the seven and eight range for August and September. He was on the instructional league roster. He is still seen as a top prospect and will just be 20 when next season begins.
Gabriel Garcia pitched out of the pen in 31 games for the Legends. Garcia struck out 68 batters in 69 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA was 3.76 on the season. He is pitching in his home country for Winter Ball and through his first 11 appearances in the Dominican League, he is sporting a 2.84 ERA. He will still be 22 when next season rolls around.
Emilio King had a break out year in Lexington. In Greeneville, he showed good defense with a great arm but very little with the bat. In 2011, he hit .293 and 34 of his 106 hits went for extra bases. He also had 14 outfield assist on the year. King will be 22 at the start of spring training.
Ryan McCurdy appeared in just one game for Lexington. He spent most of his season in TriCities. There he hit .324 which is an impressive jump from the .148 combined between Greeneville & TriCities in 2010. He will turn 24 in December.
Jhonny Medrano hit .203 in 60 games for the Legends this season. He is a minor league free agent and will likely not be playing affiliated ball next season. Injuries limited his potential.
Telvin Nash got his 2011 season of to a bang with an impressive April where he hit .310 with an OPS of .997 but then broke the hamate bone in his hand and missed all of May and almost but three games of June. In the second half, Nash was okay but not as spectacular as his April. He finished the year with a .269 average and a .858 OPS in Lexington. It is expected that recovery from a hamate fracture can take some time to recover hand strength so we have to take that into account. Nash has very good power. Of his 72 hits this season in Lexington, 30 of them were for extra bases. Here is a video of his power stroke. He will need to cut down on the strike outs as he continues to climb up the ladder. He also was learning a new position this year, playing 37 games at 1st base. He got some extra work in at instructionals. Nash will turn 21 just before spring training begins.
Marcus Nidiffer was released by the Astros and subsequently signed by the Angels organization. They moved him back to catcher and he hit .230 for Cedar Rapids this year. He threw out 29% of potential base stealers. He will be 25 when spring training opens.
Roberto Pena was impressive behind the plate in Lexington this season. He threw out 39% of the potential base burglars. He wasn't as impressive at the plate, hitting just .217 but showed improvement over his numbers in Greeneville last year. He is seen as a solid catching prospect by the Astros as evidenced by them sending him for a brief stint in the Arizona Fall League. He was also in instructionals. Pena won't turn 20 until June of next year.
Brian Streinlein appeared in 40 games for the Legends and amassed a 3.99 ERA. Streinlein will be 24 when spring training begins.
Tri Cities (6 - 15%)
Ryan Cole finished 22 of the 26 games he appeared in for the ValleyCats. He was credited with 10 saves. He will be 24 when pitchers report to spring training.
Jermaine Cotton started 2011 in Greeneville in the bullpen. However, he was moved into the starting rotation and was solid there. He was promoted to Tri Cities and finished the year with a 3.68 ERA in five starts for the ValleyCats. He earned an invitation to fall instructional league. He will be 21 when next season begins.
Euris Quezada is a big righty who when he has his control is fun to watch. for the ValleyCats this year, sometime he had it, some times he didn't. He was shut down after just one start in August. He finished the year with a 6.95 ERA with 24 Ks and 24 BB in 33 2/3 IP. He will turn 23 next April.
Travis Smink appeared in 23 games for the ValleyCats this season. He amassed a 4.37 ERA in 45 1/3 IP. He will turn 25 shortly after the 2012 season begins.
Rafael Valenzuela continues to show he can hit. After being injured for much of the first half of the season, he reported to Tri Cities and hit .316 in 31 games for the ValleyCats. The non drafted free agent will be 24 when spring training begins.
Bubby Williams see 2009 write up.
Greeneville (2 - 5%)
Richardo Batista the lefty returned to Greeneville for the 2011 season and showed improvement. He finished the season strong with a 3.57 ERA for the month of August. During that month, opponents hit just .192 off of him. During August he also struck out 20 batters in 22 1/2 innings but he also walked 18. He was invited to instructionals. He will still be 20 when next season begins.
Rodney Quintero returned to Greeneville for the 2011 season. He struck out 32 batters in 28 2/3 IP out of the pen. Even though the numbers aren't great, he was invited to fall instructional league. He will turn 22 before pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Injury/DL (2- 5%)
Vincent Velasquez and Jonathon Merritt both spent their year rehabbing from injuries. Velasquez was on the instructional league roster.
I expect the number of active players to drop pretty heavily next year with the large number of guys already in the 24 to 25 range in this group.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Instructional Roster Released
Thanks to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle for releasing the Instructional League roster. Here are the former G-Stros who are going to be spending part of their fall in Florida. I will include the number of players who have played in Greeneville out of the total number at each position as well as they year(s) the player was in Greeneville in parentheses.
Pitchers:(9 out of 22 on roster)
Ruben Alaniz (10)
Ricardo Batista (10, 11)
Jamaine Cotton (10,11)
Jamaine Cotton (10,11)
Michael Foltynewicz (10)
Christopher Lee (11)
Luis Ordosgoitti (11)
Rodney Quintero (10,11)
Francis Ramirez (11)
Luis Ordosgoitti (11)
Rodney Quintero (10,11)
Francis Ramirez (11)
Vincent Velasquez (10)
Catchers: (3 out of 6)
Ernesto Genoves (11)
Roberto Pena (10)
Chris Wallace (10)
Roberto Pena (10)
Chris Wallace (10)
Infielders: (5 out of 10)
Jean Carlos Batista (11)
Delino DeShields Jr. (10)
Jonathan Meyer (09)
Jiovanni Mier (09)
Telvin Nash (10)
Telvin Nash (10)
Outfielders: (2 out of 8)
Ariel Ovando (11)
Jordan Scott (11)
Of the 44 players who are on the non rehab roster, here is where they finished the 2011 season.
GCL: 7
Greeneville: 8
TriCities: 8
Lexington: 10
Lancaster: 4
Corpus Christi: 4
No Roster/DL: 3
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
May AppyAstros Alumni of the Month
It has been a busy month. Unfortunately my business interfered with my hobby of writing about the former Greeneville Astros. So to get me caught up and the start fresh for June, let's look back at the month of May and decide who are the G-Stro Alumni who had a strong May. This month's report is brought to you by the letters D & L.
Lexington
Alumni Hitter of the Month: This time last month, we were talking about the exploits of Chris Wallace and Telvin Nash. Well, Wallace hit only .221 in May to bring his average down to the low .300's. Nash broke the hamate bone in his hand/wrist and had to have surgery. He missed most of the month on the DL. The man for the month of May was Emilio King. Yes, the guy who only hit .210 in 63 games for the G-Stros last year has made a splash in Lexington. He broke out with a huge debut game, going 3 for 4 and falling a 3B short of the cycle. He has continued his hot streak, hitting in 15 of the 21 games he has played. He has had 9 multi hit games after only having 12 total last year. He has dropped is K rate from once every three times at bat to once every six times at bat. Meanwhile, he has only walked twice which is way down from the 1 in 16 plate appearances last year. I know that drop will concern some folks but when your average is .400 and your OBP is .438; I will let you swing the bat.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: This month's award goes to Mike Foltyenwicz. He earned not just his first but also his second career win. After a rough start to the month, he bounced back with three solid outings. In his last three outings, he went a combined 18 IP, giving up just two earned runs, while striking out 12.
Last months Alumni of the Month, Gabriel Garcia, had a rough outing to start the month and then landed on the DL. Since his return, he is back to his dominate ways out of the pen. He is give up just three hits and no runs in his four outings (5 2/3 IP) since his return. He now has 26 K in 23 IP.
Honorable Mention was going to Jorge DeLeon who has moved into the closer role in Lexington. He was slated finished the month with four saves and a 0.90 ERA in 6 appearances. But he blew his save tonight giving up three runs in one inning pitched.
Lancaster
Alumni Hitter of the Month: Anyone who has a fleeting interest in Astros minor league baseball can tell where this award is heading. Jose Altuve is leading all of Minor League Baseball with a .408 average and 87 hits. His seven triples also leads the California League. And just so you don't think he rode his hot April to get here, for the month of May, he hit .388/.424/.570. He has finished the month very hot, hitting .488 in his last 10 games.
Honorable Mention: These guys had a good month of May, they just happened to have the misfortune of being on Jose Altuve's team. Grant Hogue got consistent playing time and hit .360 for the month. He also got on base at a .443 clip. Rene Garcia saw his bat heat up in May. He hit .350 for the month. His OBP was .426 for May. His average at the end of May is .284. It was .214 at the end of April. Kody Hinze also deserves some recognition. The slugging first baseman hit .319 for the month, with 5 HR and 8 doubles. He also took 25 walks to bring home a healthy . 472 OBP for the month.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: The DL has played a prominent role in this months report. That continues as the AppyAstros Alumni of the month for Lancaster is Colton Pitkin, who ended the month on the DL. The big lefty made 10 appearances in the month of May. In the first nine, he only allowed 1 run over 13 1/3 IP. The last outing of the month, he gave up three runs in 2/3 of an inning and promptly went on the DL.
Keeping an eye on: Jose Cisnero continues to be consistently inconsistent. He he went 2-2 for the month of May with a 3.90 ERA. He had three great starts combining for 21 2/3 IP, 8 hits, 3 ER, 7 BB and 27 strike outs. In his other three starts, he went a combined 10 2/3 IP, 14 hits, 11ER, 10 BB and 7 strike outs.
Corpus Christi
Lexington
Alumni Hitter of the Month: This time last month, we were talking about the exploits of Chris Wallace and Telvin Nash. Well, Wallace hit only .221 in May to bring his average down to the low .300's. Nash broke the hamate bone in his hand/wrist and had to have surgery. He missed most of the month on the DL. The man for the month of May was Emilio King. Yes, the guy who only hit .210 in 63 games for the G-Stros last year has made a splash in Lexington. He broke out with a huge debut game, going 3 for 4 and falling a 3B short of the cycle. He has continued his hot streak, hitting in 15 of the 21 games he has played. He has had 9 multi hit games after only having 12 total last year. He has dropped is K rate from once every three times at bat to once every six times at bat. Meanwhile, he has only walked twice which is way down from the 1 in 16 plate appearances last year. I know that drop will concern some folks but when your average is .400 and your OBP is .438; I will let you swing the bat.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: This month's award goes to Mike Foltyenwicz. He earned not just his first but also his second career win. After a rough start to the month, he bounced back with three solid outings. In his last three outings, he went a combined 18 IP, giving up just two earned runs, while striking out 12.
Last months Alumni of the Month, Gabriel Garcia, had a rough outing to start the month and then landed on the DL. Since his return, he is back to his dominate ways out of the pen. He is give up just three hits and no runs in his four outings (5 2/3 IP) since his return. He now has 26 K in 23 IP.
Honorable Mention was going to Jorge DeLeon who has moved into the closer role in Lexington. He was slated finished the month with four saves and a 0.90 ERA in 6 appearances. But he blew his save tonight giving up three runs in one inning pitched.
Lancaster
Alumni Hitter of the Month: Anyone who has a fleeting interest in Astros minor league baseball can tell where this award is heading. Jose Altuve is leading all of Minor League Baseball with a .408 average and 87 hits. His seven triples also leads the California League. And just so you don't think he rode his hot April to get here, for the month of May, he hit .388/.424/.570. He has finished the month very hot, hitting .488 in his last 10 games.
Honorable Mention: These guys had a good month of May, they just happened to have the misfortune of being on Jose Altuve's team. Grant Hogue got consistent playing time and hit .360 for the month. He also got on base at a .443 clip. Rene Garcia saw his bat heat up in May. He hit .350 for the month. His OBP was .426 for May. His average at the end of May is .284. It was .214 at the end of April. Kody Hinze also deserves some recognition. The slugging first baseman hit .319 for the month, with 5 HR and 8 doubles. He also took 25 walks to bring home a healthy . 472 OBP for the month.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: The DL has played a prominent role in this months report. That continues as the AppyAstros Alumni of the month for Lancaster is Colton Pitkin, who ended the month on the DL. The big lefty made 10 appearances in the month of May. In the first nine, he only allowed 1 run over 13 1/3 IP. The last outing of the month, he gave up three runs in 2/3 of an inning and promptly went on the DL.
Keeping an eye on: Jose Cisnero continues to be consistently inconsistent. He he went 2-2 for the month of May with a 3.90 ERA. He had three great starts combining for 21 2/3 IP, 8 hits, 3 ER, 7 BB and 27 strike outs. In his other three starts, he went a combined 10 2/3 IP, 14 hits, 11ER, 10 BB and 7 strike outs.
Corpus Christi
Alumni Hitter of the Month: There are not that many former G-Stro batters on the roster of the Hooks at this time. With Brandon Barnes promotion to Oklahoma City; that just leaves J.D. Martinez, Wlad Sutil & Frederico Hernandez. Of those three, J. D. Martinez had the best month, despite spending about half of it on the DL with a hamstring issue. He hit .275 for May with just two extra base hits in 14 games. He did walk (10) more than he struck out (8) for the month.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: May wasn't kind to the former G-Stros pitching for the hooks. Greenwalt took a trip back to extended spring training. Leon, Urckfitz and Seaton all saw their numbers rise. The only highlight was the return of Slinging Sammy Gervacio from the an injury that ended his season early last year. He has made two appearances in late May going 3 IP and allowing 1 run.
Oklahoma City
Alumni Hitter of the Month: Again there are not many former G-Stros on the AAA roster. Only Brandon Barnes and Koby Clemens are representing the G. Barnes had a solid month. He hit just over .240 but 20 of his 27 hits were for extra bases. He hit 7 home runs and took the team lead in that category despite arriving in late April.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: Jordan Lyles has settled down and had a solid May for OKC. Four of his five starts were deemed quality starts (6 or more IP with 3 or less runs allowed). His ERA for May was 2.81. He earned a call up to get two starts in the place of the injured Wandy Rodriguez who was placed on the 15 day DL.
Outside the Astros Organization
Alumni Hitter of the Month: Marcus Nidiffer got the call up to Cedar Rapids of the Midwest League. Since his call up in the middle of the month, he has hit .310.
Alumni Pitcher of the Month: As good as Victor Garate was in April, he was just a little better in May. He appeared in 10 games, throwing in 14 1/3 innings. He allowed just 8 hits and walked 7 batters but fanned 18. All the while, just allowing one earned run. He has only allowed two this season in 27 1/3 IP. This gives him a season ERA of 0.66
MLB
Alumni of the Month: Since there is only one position player in the bigs who played in Greeneville (Towles); we will combine the award for the major league level. Based on his performance tonight, we announce that Jordan Lyles is also the Alumni for the Month in the MLB division. He pitched well in his debut at Wrigley tonight; going 7 innings and allowing just one earned run. He also was 1 for 3 at the plate.
Besides the Lyles debut, there was one other call up during the month of May. Troy Patton was called up briefly by the Orioles. When he was sent back down, he was taken off the 40 man roster. He cleared waivers and is back in Norfolk waiting another call back up. He had a 2.57 ERA in Norfolk this May. He also spent part of the month on the DL.
In other alumni news, Felipe Paulino was traded from the Rockies to the Royals. He has made one relief appearance for the Royals and will make his first start for them on tonight against the Angels.
In other alumni news, Felipe Paulino was traded from the Rockies to the Royals. He has made one relief appearance for the Royals and will make his first start for them on tonight against the Angels.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Five Former G-Stros Pitchers To Watch
We are just a few days away from pitchers & catchers reporting for Spring Training. Several Astros players have already arrived in Kissimmee and are getting ready for it to begin. Here is my list of the top five former Greeneville Astros I will be watching this spring.
Jordan Lyles - He has been named the #1 prospect in the system by everybody and his brother. He reached AAA last year as a teen and is now going to Major League Spring Training.
What I am watching for: How does he handle facing big league hitters in spring games? How does he handle the increased attention that comes with being with the big club? How quickly will he be reassigned to AAA?
Fernando Abad - The big lefty dominated the Dominican Winter League this season, after spending 22 innings on the field in the bigs last fall. He has been talked about as a lefty specialist out of the pen and a 5th starter for the Astros this year.
What I am watching for: How is his sharpness? He was wild in his last start in the Dominican (4 walks and 2 wild pitches). He should be ahead of most other players because of the time in winter ball. How is he used first? Bullpen or starter? Can he keep the ball in the park? That has been a problem at times for him in the past.
Carlos Quevado - The 21 year old lefty from Venezuela only got ten innings in the liga parralela (minor league winter ball) because the Astros had him on the "fatigued list." He had outstanding control in Tri Cities last year, only walking 8 out of 328 batters faced.
What I am watching for: Who will he break camp with? I am expecting him to be in Lex. How will he adjust to better competition and a full season?
Mike Foltynewicz - Last year's top drafted pitcher was one of the top three Astros prospects on almost every list.
What I am watching for: Will he be in Lex this year? How is his velocity on his fast ball? How does he handled to older, better competition?
Pat Urckfitz- The underdog NDFA lefty, who rocks the rec-specs, moved back to the pen for the Arizona Fall League after starting 12 games in Lancaster in 2010. The result of his good work was the he got a chance to play in the AFL Rising Stars game.
What I am watching for: Will he be a starter or reliever in AA this year? How will his arm hold up a year after throwing twice as many pitches as he ever had in a pro season before?
Here are a few other former Greeneville Astro pitchers to keep an eye on as the season progresses:
Jorge De Leon - Short stop turned closer should get a shot in Lexington this year.
Luis Cruz - With his return from surgery a year behind him, can he build on his solid year in Lexington last year.
RJ Alaniz - Will he break camp with Lexington or get another year in extended spring?
Brad Dydalewicz - Can he bounce back from a rough season last year?
Kyle Greenwalt - Can he build off of his strong AFL performance as he moves to AA?
Ross Seaton - Was his bad season a product of Lancaster? How will he handle AA?
Arcenio Leon - Made a big jump from Lex to Corpus Christi last year. Can he cut down on the walks?
Henry Villar - Made the bigs late in the season after performing well at AA. Will he be in AAA or the Astros pen this spring?
Jordan Lyles - He has been named the #1 prospect in the system by everybody and his brother. He reached AAA last year as a teen and is now going to Major League Spring Training.
What I am watching for: How does he handle facing big league hitters in spring games? How does he handle the increased attention that comes with being with the big club? How quickly will he be reassigned to AAA?
Fernando Abad - The big lefty dominated the Dominican Winter League this season, after spending 22 innings on the field in the bigs last fall. He has been talked about as a lefty specialist out of the pen and a 5th starter for the Astros this year.
What I am watching for: How is his sharpness? He was wild in his last start in the Dominican (4 walks and 2 wild pitches). He should be ahead of most other players because of the time in winter ball. How is he used first? Bullpen or starter? Can he keep the ball in the park? That has been a problem at times for him in the past.
Carlos Quevado - The 21 year old lefty from Venezuela only got ten innings in the liga parralela (minor league winter ball) because the Astros had him on the "fatigued list." He had outstanding control in Tri Cities last year, only walking 8 out of 328 batters faced.
What I am watching for: Who will he break camp with? I am expecting him to be in Lex. How will he adjust to better competition and a full season?
Mike Foltynewicz - Last year's top drafted pitcher was one of the top three Astros prospects on almost every list.
What I am watching for: Will he be in Lex this year? How is his velocity on his fast ball? How does he handled to older, better competition?
Pat Urckfitz- The underdog NDFA lefty, who rocks the rec-specs, moved back to the pen for the Arizona Fall League after starting 12 games in Lancaster in 2010. The result of his good work was the he got a chance to play in the AFL Rising Stars game.
What I am watching for: Will he be a starter or reliever in AA this year? How will his arm hold up a year after throwing twice as many pitches as he ever had in a pro season before?
Here are a few other former Greeneville Astro pitchers to keep an eye on as the season progresses:
Jorge De Leon - Short stop turned closer should get a shot in Lexington this year.
Luis Cruz - With his return from surgery a year behind him, can he build on his solid year in Lexington last year.
RJ Alaniz - Will he break camp with Lexington or get another year in extended spring?
Brad Dydalewicz - Can he bounce back from a rough season last year?
Kyle Greenwalt - Can he build off of his strong AFL performance as he moves to AA?
Ross Seaton - Was his bad season a product of Lancaster? How will he handle AA?
Arcenio Leon - Made a big jump from Lex to Corpus Christi last year. Can he cut down on the walks?
Henry Villar - Made the bigs late in the season after performing well at AA. Will he be in AAA or the Astros pen this spring?
Friday, January 28, 2011
Keith Law Doesn't Think Much of Folty & Combined Top 10
Kieth Law, from ESPN.com, came out with his top 10 Astros prospects today. I won't give you the list because you have to pay to be an ESPN insider to obtain such priceless information. I will tell you that Jordan Lyles is #1 again. I will also fill you in on the fact that he doesn't put Folty in the top 10. He apparently talked to sources who told him "Folty threw very poorly in rookie ball, and I got two really negative reports on his stuff and body language." That wasn't what I saw but hey I am just a fan. Anyway, another good showing for former G-Stros as they made up 60% of the his Top 10.
That makes the 5th list that is out. I have been keeping track and thought it would be fun to combine all the list. I gave the # 1 ranked player 20 points, since two of the list (MinorLeagueBall.com & Baseball Prospectus) have a top 20 ranking. Here is what a combined Top 10 would look like:
1. Jordan Lyles - (100 points) - When you are #1 on all the list it is not a surprise to be ranked #1 on the combined list.
2. Delino DeShields Jr. - (94 pts) - He has been #2 on all list except one where he was #3.
3. Jonathon Villar - (74 pts) - This is where the opinions start diverging. He has been as high as #3 but as low as #9 but he is consistantly in the top 10. He actually tied in points with the #4 player be was placed #3 due to virtue of having a higher single ranking.
#4 Tanner Bushue - (74 pts) - His rankings ranged from #5 to #8. But again he is consistently on the list and that earned him a higher ranking than some other guys ranked ahead of him on individual list.
#5 Jio Mier - (70 pts) - He can thank Hard Ball Times for a #2 ranking that secured him a spot in the Top 5. In my mind he is closer to 7-9 range.
#6 Mike Foltynewicz - (70 pts) - He was 3rd or 4th in every ranking except Keith Law's where he wasn't included in the top 10 at all, so he falls to 6th tied with Jio. As your teachers used to tell you, 0's will kill your average.
#7 J. D. Martinez - (67 pts) - He was ranked as high as 5th and as low as 10th. This is a fair grade for where he fits in the org.
#8 Austin Wates - (66 pts) - He was rated as high as 4th but as low as 14th. I think he is slightly higher than this.
#9 Jimmy Parades - (51 pts) - Another case of a zero hurting his score. He was ranked between #6 & #10 on the rest of the rankings.
#10 Ariel Ovando - (40 pts) - A kid who hasn't played an inning of pro ball was ranked 3rd by Keith Law & 4th by Baseball Prospectus. That along with a #16 ranking from MinorLeagueBall.com, brings him into the Top 10 despite not being on two list at all.
I will be posting my top 10 in the next few days. It is not of all Astros prospect but just of those who have played at Pioneer Park.
So what do you think? Does this do any better job of matching what you believe to be true about the ranking of the Astros prospects?
That makes the 5th list that is out. I have been keeping track and thought it would be fun to combine all the list. I gave the # 1 ranked player 20 points, since two of the list (MinorLeagueBall.com & Baseball Prospectus) have a top 20 ranking. Here is what a combined Top 10 would look like:
1. Jordan Lyles - (100 points) - When you are #1 on all the list it is not a surprise to be ranked #1 on the combined list.
2. Delino DeShields Jr. - (94 pts) - He has been #2 on all list except one where he was #3.
3. Jonathon Villar - (74 pts) - This is where the opinions start diverging. He has been as high as #3 but as low as #9 but he is consistantly in the top 10. He actually tied in points with the #4 player be was placed #3 due to virtue of having a higher single ranking.
#4 Tanner Bushue - (74 pts) - His rankings ranged from #5 to #8. But again he is consistently on the list and that earned him a higher ranking than some other guys ranked ahead of him on individual list.
#5 Jio Mier - (70 pts) - He can thank Hard Ball Times for a #2 ranking that secured him a spot in the Top 5. In my mind he is closer to 7-9 range.
#6 Mike Foltynewicz - (70 pts) - He was 3rd or 4th in every ranking except Keith Law's where he wasn't included in the top 10 at all, so he falls to 6th tied with Jio. As your teachers used to tell you, 0's will kill your average.
#7 J. D. Martinez - (67 pts) - He was ranked as high as 5th and as low as 10th. This is a fair grade for where he fits in the org.
#8 Austin Wates - (66 pts) - He was rated as high as 4th but as low as 14th. I think he is slightly higher than this.
#9 Jimmy Parades - (51 pts) - Another case of a zero hurting his score. He was ranked between #6 & #10 on the rest of the rankings.
#10 Ariel Ovando - (40 pts) - A kid who hasn't played an inning of pro ball was ranked 3rd by Keith Law & 4th by Baseball Prospectus. That along with a #16 ranking from MinorLeagueBall.com, brings him into the Top 10 despite not being on two list at all.
I will be posting my top 10 in the next few days. It is not of all Astros prospect but just of those who have played at Pioneer Park.
So what do you think? Does this do any better job of matching what you believe to be true about the ranking of the Astros prospects?
Monday, January 17, 2011
Folty Gives G'ville Some Love, DeSheilds in Some Trouble & Other News
Just read MILB.com's 10 questions with Mike Foltynewicz. He talks about his experiences in Greeneville this summer and does a decent job of summing up what it is like playing in Greeneville.
Sunday, DeLino DeShields was arrested in Athens, Georgia for DUI, underage position of alcohol and going the wrong way on a one way street. He released a statement today on his facebook page & twitter feed that said:
Gervacio Having Shoulder Cleaned Out
Sammy Gervacio will have debris removed from his shoulder and bicep on Friday. He was removed from the 40 man roster and signed to a minor league contract this year because of injury concerns during the off season. He should miss the first two months of the season.
Transaction News
Phil Rorabaugh was released by the Astros earlier this month. I will always remember Phil as one of the Florida boys who had the gumption to do the Gator Chomp while RockyTop played during the 7th inning stretch at Pioneer Park. He was signed as a NDFA in 2009.
Tom Vassella played for Greeneville back in 2006. He was released by the Astros in 2008. He then went to indy ball. He played for two teams in the Frontier League before finishing 2010 with the Laredo Broncos of the United Baseball League. There he was teammates with former 1st round draft pick Wade Townsend and former major leaguers Ozzie & Jose Canseco. According to Baseball America's transaction page, Tom is back in affiliated ball with the San Fransisco Giants.
There wasn't really much to do in Greeneville, but they had one of the nicest and fields in the league and the highest average crowd. [The front office] really knew what they were doing and I was thankful to be there. Overall, I had a fun time. [The Appalachian League] is a good league and I liked being there.He also talked about what caused the turn around after his the one awful outing he had on August 6th when he gave up 7 runs in 2 1/3 IP. After that outing, he only allowed one earned run in his last 18 2/3 IP.
My first start wasn't bad, but in a couple after that, I was really tense. I was throwing the crap out of the ball, but not pinpointing my location. In the middle of the year, I started telling myself that this is just like anything else. It was pitching a baseball, just like I did in high school. I needed to relax, in order to hit my spots like I know I can.DeLino DeShields Arrested
Sunday, DeLino DeShields was arrested in Athens, Georgia for DUI, underage position of alcohol and going the wrong way on a one way street. He released a statement today on his facebook page & twitter feed that said:
Delino is a bright young man who is very aware of how people look up to him. People make mistakes. He is fortunate that this was just an embarrassing mistake and not one that cost him or someone else their life. Driving under the influence is serious. I expect that the his family, the Astros front office & others are making sure he has a clear understanding of this."I take the responsibility of being a role model seriously and apologize to my fans, my community and the Astros organization, who continue to support my family and I during this unfortunate incident. I look forward to putting this matter behind me and sincerely appreciate the respect of privacy during this personal matter."
Gervacio Having Shoulder Cleaned Out
Sammy Gervacio will have debris removed from his shoulder and bicep on Friday. He was removed from the 40 man roster and signed to a minor league contract this year because of injury concerns during the off season. He should miss the first two months of the season.
Transaction News
Phil Rorabaugh was released by the Astros earlier this month. I will always remember Phil as one of the Florida boys who had the gumption to do the Gator Chomp while RockyTop played during the 7th inning stretch at Pioneer Park. He was signed as a NDFA in 2009.
Tom Vassella played for Greeneville back in 2006. He was released by the Astros in 2008. He then went to indy ball. He played for two teams in the Frontier League before finishing 2010 with the Laredo Broncos of the United Baseball League. There he was teammates with former 1st round draft pick Wade Townsend and former major leaguers Ozzie & Jose Canseco. According to Baseball America's transaction page, Tom is back in affiliated ball with the San Fransisco Giants.
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