Former G-Stros in Indy Ball

Indy ball is an option for players who aren't ready to hang up the spikes and occasionally you will hear of a player being signed from Indy ball back into affiliated ball.  This year, there are 11 former Greeneville Astros playing in four different Independent Leagues.  Here is the list:

American Association:
Mitch Einertson (2004) El Paso
Ryan Mitchell (2005,2006) Amarillo
Colton Pitkin (2007,2008) Winnipeg

In addition to these three, former G-Stro Beau Torbert (2004) works in the front office of the Sioux Falls team as the coordinator of baseball outreach.

Frontier League
Garrett Bullock (2009, 2010) Evansville
Marcus Nidiffer (2010) Travers City
Brad Propst (2011, 2012) River City
Bubby Williams (2009, 2010) Normal

Atlantic League
Ralph Henriquez (2005, 2006) Long Island
Koby Clemens (2005) Sugarland
Wlad Sutil (2004) South Maryland Blue Crabs

Can/Am League
Kyle Greenwalt (2007,2008) New Jersey
Bryce Lane (2010) Newark

When checking these rosters, I came across a few other Astros farm hands who are active in Indy ball.  They are: Neiko Johnson (Gateway - Frontier), Kirk Clark (Sioux Falls - American), Jon Gaston (Rockland - Can/Am).

Former G-Stros Playing Indy Ball 2012

With independent leagues starting to get underway, I thought we would take a peak at their rosters and see if there are any former Greeneville Astros still playing unaffiliated ball.  I found 10 that are on current rosters, one who has moved to coaching and one who has been naughty and is on the suspended list. I also located at least 12 other guys who played in the Astros farm system on the rosters.  I might have missed one as there are a bunch of indy leagues and teams. 

American Association:
Ole Sheldon (2004) - St. Paul Saints
Bubby Williams (2009/10) - Kansas City T-Bones
Beau Torbert (2004)- Hitting Coach - Lincoln Salt Dogs
Mitch Einertson (2004)- Wichita Wingnuts
Ryan Mitchell (2006)- Amarillo Sox

Other former Astros farm hands in this league: Jon Gaston - Fargo, Chris Salamida - Winnipeg, Matt Cusick - Winnipeg, and Lee Cruz - Kansas City

Atlantic League

Douglas Arguello (2004) - Somerset Patriots

Other former Astros farm hands in this league: Raymar Diaz - Blueport, Collin DeLome- Bridgeport, Lou Santangelo - Somerset, Ryan McKeller - Sugarland, Jimmy Van Ostrand - Sugarland, Drew Locke - Sugarland.

Canadian American League
Bryce Lane (2010) - Newark Bears
Kyle Greenwalt  (2007/08)- New Jersey Jackals
Steve Brown (2006)- Qubec Capitals

Other former Astros farm hands in this league: Anthony Pluta - Newark

Frontier League:
Garrett Bullock (2009/10)- Evansville Otters
Marcus Nidiffer (2010)- Travers City Beach Bums
Josh Flores (2005) - On suspended list of Joliet Slammers

Other former Astros farm hands in this league: Justin Gill - River City Rascals

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

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

Starting Pitchers


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Projected placement of those still in the Astros organization:

MLB: 
Lyles

Oklahoma City (AAA)

Leon
Villar

Corpus Christi (AA)
Cisnero
Greenwalt
Seaton

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

Lexington (Lo A)
Alaniz
Folty
Houser
Ordosgotti
Quezada

Extended Spring Training
Batista
Lee
Perdomo
T. Perez
Ramirez
Velasquez

2008 Greeneville Astros Progress Report

What a difference a year makes.  The 2008 Greeneville Astros finished the year 30-36.  While not quite at .500, they were 13 games better than the previous year's team.  This was a young team with 18 of the 38 players still in the teen years when the season began.  Three of them were still 17 (Jay Austin, Jordan Lyles & Luis Cruz).  In 2011, 58% (22 out of 38) of the 2008 roster were still playing affiliated baseball. In fact 12 of the 18 teenagers were still active.

Let's look at this group based on the highest level they played at this year.  The percentage is of the 2008 full roster.

MLB 2 (5%)

Jose Altuve  - Started in Lancaster and hit .408 prior to being moved to Corpus Christ where he hit .361. Then he was promoted to Houston.  In the big leagues, he hit a respectable .276 in 221 at bats in 57 games.  He appears to have locked down the starting 2nd base position for 2012 at the ripe age of 22.

Jordan Lyles -  While Altuve's sudden climb was a bit of a surprise to some, Lyles ascendance was expected.  He was sent to AAA to start the year after a solid spring training but was called up to the quickly to the majors and spent most of the season there.  He started 15 games before being moved to the pen to keep his inning count down.  He finished with a 2-8 record and a 5. 36 ERA.  He has locked up a rotation position for 2012 at age 21.

AAA 2 (5%)
 Patrick Urckfitz - Urckfitz bounced around earning frequent flier miles this year.  He was in AA to start the season.  Then got some brief time in at  AAA before heading back to AA. Next came a short time in hi A before return to AA to wrap up the season.  In four games at AAA he amassed a 17.47 ERA.  In AA 5.08 in 31 games. In hi A, he appeared in 10 games with a 2.02 ERA.  Gotta love a NDFA reaching this level.  he will be 23 at the start of next season.

Henry Villar - Started the season in AAA but was moved to AA in June.  In AAA, he made 7 starts but that experiment ended and he spent the rest of the year in the pen.  Pitched just 76 innings worth of ball between the two for a combined 5.45 ERA. Villar had a brief appearance in the big leagues in 2010. He will be 24 at the start of next season. 

AA  5 (13%)
Kody Hinze  - Had a break out year.  He started in Lancaster, where he hit .323 with 22 HR. He was promoted to CC where he hit 281 with 7 HR.  He is getting extra at bats in the Arizona Fall League right now.  Another solid Non Drafted Free Agent (NDFA) signing. He will be 24 in spring training.

Federico Hernandez - It was a rough year for Freddy.  He struggled at the plate both at AA and at High A after he was sent down to Lancaster.  In both stops he hit less than .200.  He will turn 24 just before pitchers and catchers report.

Ross Seaton - Spent the year in Corpus Christi, 4-9 with a  5.23 in 28 starts.  He continues to climb a level a year even thought the results aren't spectacular. He will just be 22 when spring training starts.

Kyle Greenwalt & Arcenio Leon  see the 2007 write up.

Hi A  7 (18%)
Jay Austin - The former 2nd round draft pick repeated Lancaster to start the season.  After not showing much progress over last season, he was sent to Lexington to finish the year and he continued to struggle.  He is getting more at bats int the Arizona Fall League right now.  He will be just 21 when the 2012 minor league players report to camp.

Rene Garcia  - The 35th round pick from 2008 spent this season in the California league where he hit hit .242 with only 41 K in 326 AB.  He threw out 30% of base stealers. He will turn 22 during spring training next year.

Luis Cruz - The 9th round pick in 2008 made 4 starts in Lancaster where he got shelled (ERA over 14).  But found moderate success back in Lexington where he went 5-4 with a 4.45 era.  He had 92 strike outs in 91 IP in Lex but gave up 15 HR. He will still be 21 when next season ends!

Colton Pitkin - see the 2007 write up

 
Zachary Grimmett - He split time between the starting rotation and the bullpen this year in Lancaster.  As a starter 7.35 ERA in 18 games (85 2/3 IP) as a reliever 5.34 in 12 games (32 IP). He will turn 22 before he reports to spring training.

Jose Trinidad  - Season shorted to just 10 games due to an injury. He will start the season on the DL at age 24.

Wander Alvino  - Had 73 K in 73 IP (46 games).  His 4.19 ERA isn't bad when you consider the location. His walks per 9 jumped from 2.8 in Lex in 10 to 6.3 in Lancaster.  Alvino will turn 25 before he reports this spring.



Low A 3 (8%)
Jorge De Leon - The former shortstop now converted to pitcher went 6-4 with a 3.42 ERA in 43 games (55 1/3 IP).  He struck out 51 to just 13 walks while giving up 5 long balls. He will be 24 next season. 


Brad Dydalewicz - The 8th round pick of the 2008 draft had a rough season.  In  only 29 2/3 innings pitched between GCL & Lexington, he amassed a 10.86 ERA.  He will turn 22 during spring training next season. 


Jeiler Castillo - After being drafted by the A's in the rule 5 draft; Castillo started in the Midwest league (Low A) but was sent back to Vermont (SS A) for his 4th season in short season ball.  He was released after the season.

Short Season 1 (3%)
Wilton Infante  - The former outfielder tried to make the move to pitcher.  After six outings in the GCL, he was released

DL/Rehab 2 (5%)
Albert Cartwright - see the 2007 write up.

Nathan Pettus - The former 27th round pick of the 2008 draft spent most of 2011 on the DL.  He appeared in 5 games at the GCL Astros rehabbing his way back from an injury.  He will be 23 when the new season starts. 

We would expect the number of active players to continue to rise while we look at more recent teams but the jump from five to 22 in one year tells us that something changed in the Astros farm system in 2008.  Oh yeah, Bobby Heck joined the Astros staff in October of 2007.  You think that change made a difference?

2006 & 2007 Greeneville Astros Progress Reports

Yesterday, we went back to 2005 to see who was still hanging around.  Today we will cover two years.  We are covering two years because, well..., there aren't many players left from these two teams.

2006
There were 31 players on the 2006 roster.  Six of those players were still in affiliated ball during the 2011 season (19%). We have already covered half of these guys in the 2005 post (so click here to read about them). Those from the 2005 team who were also on the 2006 team include:
Brandon Barnes
Ralph Henriquez
Polin Trinidad

Other players who were active in 2011 were:

Tom Vessella - the 11th round pick in 2006 was released by the Astros after the 2008 season.  He played two years in indy ball and was signed by the Giants this year.  He started the season in AA, was sent down to the Sally League (A), was promoted to the Cal League (A+), before ending the year with one appearance in AAA Fresno.  Over those four stops, he amassed 5.50 ERA in 38 games (72 IP).  He started eight games and also finished 8 games.  He will be 26 years old when spring training starts next year. 

Armadeo Zazueta - the utility infielder from Mexico only appeared in 28 games and had just 57 plate appearances in Greeneville.  He was released after that season.  In 2008, he appeared back in the states playing indy ball.  He was signed by the Braves in 2010 and played in Myrtle Beach (A+) and Mississippi (AA).  He also suspended for PED use.  Then late this season, he showed up with the Padres' AA team in San Antonio.  In 15 games he hit .283 with his best games coming against the Corpus Christi Hooks.  Over a three game series, Zazueta went six for 13 with three singles, a double, a triple and a HR.  He will be 26 next season.

Reid Kelly - Kelly was the 33 round pick in 2005 but didn't sign until 2006.  He pitched in Greeneville in 2006.  He spent 07 & 08 in Lexington before finishing his time with the Astros organization in 2009 in Lancaster.  He was out of baseball for 2010 but was signed in 2011 by the White Sox.  He appeared in 18 games for Kannapolis of the Sally League (A) but was released in August.  In his time in the Sally, he put together a 3.72 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 19 1/3 IP.

2007
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." - Thumper (Bambi 1942)
This is going to be very, very short.  Of the 38 players that appeared on the roster in 2007, only five players are still active in affiliated ball (13%).  Sixty three percent (24) of the players were out of affiliated baseball at the start of the 2009 season.  Let those awful stats sink in for a moment and then let's say the nice things about the survivors.

Fernando Abad - The big righty made it to the bigs in 2010 appearing in 22 games out of the Houston bullpen.  He had a solid 2.84 ERA and looked primed to be an important part of the 2011 pen.  However, he wasn't effective in 29 games (19 2/3 IP) and was sent down to the minors in early July.  He made two rehab appearance in the Gulf Coast League before heading to AAA.  There he got 30 innings of work in with a 4.50 ERA.  Abad is currently on the 40 man roster, so he should be competing for a bullpen slot again this coming spring at age 26.

Albert Cartwright - Cartwright was drafted in the 36rd round of the 2007 draft.  He didn't get much playing time in 2007 due to some paperwork related issues but returned to Greeneville in 2008 where he shared time at 2B with Jose Altuve.  He then climbed the ladder all the way to AA in 2010 before he was traded last off season. He was traded to the Phillies for Sergio Escalona.  Cartwight injured his Achilles during spring training and missed the whole season.  He reported on his twitter feed that he was able to return to the field for instructional league games.

Kyle Greenwalt- He was drafted in the 20th round of the 2007 draft.  He repeated Greeneville in 2008 and was the MVP that season.  After stops in Lexington (09) and Lancaster (10), he spent the fall of 2010 in the Arizona Fall League.  He started 2011 in Corpus Christi and struggled.  After nine starts, he was moved to the bull pen and then in late July, he was sent back to Lancaster.  In Lancaster, the notorious hitters park, Greenwalt was extremely effective.  He pitched in 12 games (24 1/3 IP) amassing a 1.85 ERA.  Greenwalkt will be 23 at the start of next season where I expect he will take another shot at AA.

Arcenio Leon - The hard throwing Venezuelan spent the first of his two seasons in Greeneville during the 2007 campaign.  After a solid but unspectacular 2009 in Lexington, he returned there and was outstanding.  In 26 games (54 IP) he struck out 60 batters and had a 2.33 ERA.  He was moved all the way up to AA Corpus Christi to finish that year and predictably he didn't fare as well.  His strike out numbers stayed good at 23 in 23 IP but he also walked 22 batters.  He returned to Corpus Christi in 2011 and struck out 73 batters in 64 2/3 IP.  But he still walked too many batters (48).  He did get moved up to Oklahoma City at the season for one brief appearance.  He will be 25 when next spring rolls around.  I look for him to be at AAA next season.  He is on the 40 man roster and has some promise if he can learn the control to match his velocity. 

Colton Pitkin - Pitkin was drafted in the 41st round of the 2007 draft.  He came with a tired shoulder so he was eased in to pro ball in 2007 only pitching 7 2/3 innings.  He returned to Greeneville in 2008 and struck out 45 batters in 44 innings out of the bullpen.  After a stint in 2009 as a starter for Tri Cities, he moved back to the pen in Lexington in 2010.  He stayed in the pen in Lancaster in 2011 where he got off to a great start with a 3.82 ERA in the first half.  However, after the all star break, he struggled and finished with a 6.45 ERA overall.  Pitkin will be 22 when he heads to Florida this spring, he will likely be in Lancaster but he might be in Corpus Christi. 

So there you have it.  2008 can only look better since we know there will be at least four of these players returning to the roster.  We will look at their outcomes soon.

Corpus Christi Roster Full of Former G-Stros

With news this week that Kody Hinze is headed to CC for AA ball, I checked out the Hooks roster and found it is full of former G-Stros. With Hinze's addition, it will make 10 players who wore the GreenEville across their chest. Here is who is there now:

Jose Altuve
Kyle Greenwalt
Kody Hinze
Brad James
Arcenio Leon
J.D. Martinez
Ross Seaton
Pat Urkfitz
Henry Villar
Chris Wallace

There are only six other players who were originally drafted or signed by the Astros organization. There are nine players who were obtained via trade or free agent signings. I am excited to have this group of folks at this level because it is only a call up away from the majors. As Zachary Levine tells us this morning in the Houston Chronicle, AA is where the prospects are, AAA is just a holding ground for roster fillers.

Altuve Getting Some Time At 3rd
One of the problems on the roster in Corpus Christi is that there are too many middle infielders. Altuve, and Jimmy Parades are both listed as second basemen and are both rising prospects. The Astos org is trying to keep both in the line up so they have also shared time at 3rd base. Altuve has played seven games at third so far. The moving around on defense hasn't hurt his approach at the plate where he hit .364 for the month of June.

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?

AFL Championship Game Report - Greenwalt, & Barnes

Kyle Greenwalt did start the game in Arizona today. MLB turned off the Pitch/FX & speed for game day to day so I don't know what he was throwing or how fast he was throwing it. What we do know are the outcomes of what he threw.

Greenwalt went three innings, giving up two runs (both earned) on four hits and a hit batter. He did strike out three and didn't walk any one. He did commit an error on a throw.

In the first, he set them down in order with two strike outs and a fly out. In the second, staked to a 1-0 lead, he allowed a lead off single. Greenwalt then threw away a come backer that put the runners at 1st & 3rd with no one out. A sac fly and two singles later, it was a 2-1 ball game. In the third, he stranded the batter he hit and the other single to get out of the inning.

Greenwalt left the game trailing 2-1 but his teammates tied it up in the top of the 4th, taking him off the hook for the loss. The final score of the game was a 3-2 loss for the Javelinas.

Brandon Barnes started in CF batting 9th. He made the first out of the 3rd inning with a swinging strike out. He grounded out in the 5th and then flew out in the 7th. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the 9th. He made two putouts in the field.

Even though this game didn't end the way they wanted it to, both players have to feel good about their performance in the Arizona Fall League.

Greenwalt's AFL Season Not Done Yet

According to the notes put out by MLB this morning, my statement that Greenwalt's AFL season was done appears to be pre-mature. He will be the starting pitcher for the Peoria Javelinas this afternoon. It will be a chance for Kyle to show what he can do on a relatively big stage. Remember the game will be broadcast live on mlb.com/live.

Former G-Stros in AFL Championship Game

Saturday's Arizona Fall League Championship will be determined on Saturday. The game will be carried live on MLB.com/Live starting at 3:08 Eastern Time. Former Greeneville Astros Koby Clements and Brandon Barnes could be in the starting line up. Former G-Stro Patrick Urckfitz might make an appearance out of the pen. The final game of the season yesterday featured the two teams who will face each other in the Championship Game. The Peoria Javelinas beat the Scottsdale Scorpions 1-0 with the lone run coming in unearned. Clemens & Barnes both went 0 for 2.

Here is a quick breakdown of how the former G-Stros have done in the AFL:

Brandon Barnes - a late addition to the roster, he saw his playing time increase because of injuries. He finished the regular season hitting .250 with with 8 of his 20 hits being for extra bases in 20 games. He didn't make a single error in the field playing mostly center.

Koby Clemens - In 20 games, he hit .288 with 9 of his 20 hits being extra base hits. He made 4 errors in the field at first base.

Jay Austin - Jay had his season cut short due to a hamstring injury. In 12 games, he hit .156with no extra base hits. His on base percentage was over 100 points higher than his batting average due to taking seven walks. This was a point of emphasis for him to improve his game this fall. He was one of the youngest players in the league. He made two errors in the field.

Patrick Urckfitz - One of the solid performers out of the Javelinas' bullpen this season. In 9 games, he pitched 11 2/3 innings. He struck out 8 and walked only 4. His ERA was 3.86. In 6 of his 9 outings, he didn't allow a hit or a run. He also pitched one no hit , no run inning in the AFL Rising Stars game.

Kyle Greenwalt - Kyle had a rough first outing, giving up 2 runs in 2 IP but really settled down after that, giving up just 2 more earned runs in his next 4 starts combined (13 1/3 IP). He fanned 10 and walked 3 over 15 1/3 IP. He hasn't pitched since 11/9 so his season is over.

I expect that all of these guys will be on the AA roster this spring with the exception of Koby Clemens who is likely slated for AAA. Some of them might get some action in spring training with the big club. It appears that all of them have something positive they can carry away from this experience and build off of next year.

Brandon Barnes Flirts With Cycle in AFL

Yesterday, Brandon Barnes fell a double short of the cycle in Arizona Fall League action. Here is the breakdown of his at bats as taken from Gameday:

Top 1st: Popped out to second to end the inning on the second pitch of the at bat (0-1 count)

Top 4th: With a runner on first, he homered to left on the second pitch of the at bat (1-0 county).

Top 5th: With the bases loaded, he triples on a fly ball to left on the 4th pitch of the at bat (2-1 count).

Top 6th: With a men on 1st & 2nd, he singles to left on the 3rd pitch of the at bat (1-1 count), scoring the man on second. Barnes goes to 3rd on the throw & runner on first scores on a throwing error by the SS.

Top 8th: Grounds out softly to first to end the inning on the 3rd pitch of the at bat (2-0 count).

Barnes line for the day was 3 for 5, 6 RBI and 2 runs scored. For this week, he is 6 for 16 (.375) with 3 extra base hits (Dbl, Trp, HR), 6 RBI, 4 Runs, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 SB. His average for the season is now.314 in 9 total games.

Barnes hit for the cycle in Lancaster on June 10th. How did coming up to bat in the 8th with a chance to go for two cycles in one year impact him? Danny Wild of MLB.com got the answer:

"It's something you can't not think about," Barnes said. "But you try to think about it as least as possible. So, yeah, it was definitely on my mind."

I have heard of negative thinking at the plate but double negative thinking? Wow.

A quick look at other former G'Stros in the AFL:

Jay Austin had a better week going 3 for 11 raising his average to .150 from .100 to start the week.

Koby Clemens went 4 for 13 and hit his 2nd home of the season. But he struck out 5 times including 3 in Thursdays game.

Pat Urckfitz pitched in two games, throwing two no hit innings. He walked one and fanned two. He has not allowed a run or a hit in 4 of his 5 outings.

Kyle Greenwalt had his best start of the AFL on Wednesday, throwing 4 innings of shutout baseball. He allowed 3 hits but didn't walk a batter while striking out 3. He has only walked 1 batter in 10 innings pitched.

Jose Altuve sighting!

Jose is playing in the VWL Liga Paralela (developmental league) for Magallanes. He has played in 4 games thus far and is hitting a robust .417 (8 for 17) with 2 HR, 3 DBL, 4 RBI & 6 Runs Scored. He has 17 total bases in 17 AB.