So we have come to the bullpen at last. Eighty percent of the players listed below, pitched in Greeneville in 2009, 2010 or 2011. Relievers are the longest shots to make it to the majors. Let's see who is still around and what I will be watching for in 2012 as the full season teams start up next month.
The player's year(s) with the G-Stros, highest level and age on opening day will be in parentheses.
Relief Pitchers
Fernando Abad (2007, MLB, 26) - Abad didn't live up to expectations in 2011. I suspect he pitched too much in winter ball and wasn't rested for spring training. This year, he only pitched 16 innings of winter ball and is off to a good start in spring training. Will he be with the big club when camp breaks? Can he have a breakout year?
Wander Alvino (2008, Hi A, 25) - Alvino had fairly impressive numbers for Lancaster in '11. He fanned 73 batters in 73 innings but did have an increase in walks. How will he handle AA hitters?
Ryan Cole (2010, SS A, 24) - Cole was the closer in Tri Cities last season. Will he be in Lancaster before the year is out?
Jermaine Cotton (2010, 11, SS A, 21) After being a reliever in 2010, he was pressed in starting in 2011. He did well as a starter and earned a promotion to Tri Cities where he made five starts. Will he start or relieve in Lexington in 2012? Can he continue to show the improvement he showed in 2011?
Zachary Dando (2011, Rookie, 21) - Had an up and down season in Greeneville but more up than down. Can he make the jump to Lexington in 2012?
Victor Garate (2005, MLB, 27) - Garate pitched in AAA for the Marlins last year putting up an impressive 2.72 ERA out of the pen. He was signed by the Brewers as a minor league free agent and is expected to be AAA depth. Will he get another crack at the bigs this year.
Murilo Gouvea (2009, Lo A, 23) - The Brazilian right hander, who was acquired from the White Sox for cash in 2009, put up solid numbers in Lexington in 2011 out of the pen. How will he fair in Lancaster? Can he have more K's than IP for the third straight year?
B. J. Hyatt (2009, Rookie, 23) - He hasn't pitched in two seasons due to an injury. Will he make a comeback in 2012?
David Martinez (2009, Lo A, 25) - Had a descent season in Lex and then pitched in the LVBP in his home country of Venezuela. How will he fair in Lancaster? Can this be a two level year for him?
Steve Martin (2011, Rookie, 24) - A Tale of two months. July (1.38 ERA ) and August (11.45 ERA). Had less than 20 innings pitched at Texas A&M. Will we see a jump in the learning curve in 2012?
Jeremiah Meiners (2011, Hi A, 23) - Meiners showed significant growth from 2010 to 2011 and earned a late season promotion to Lancaster from Greeneville. Will he be back in Lancaster to start 2012 or will he be in Lexington?
Juan Mojica (2011, Rookie, 23) - Only made one appearance in G'ville. He has only pitched 30 2/3 IP since missing all of 2009 with injury. Will he be ready for full season ball in 2012?
Nathan Pettus (2008,09, Lo A, 23) - Pettus missed most of 2010 and 2011 with injuries. Will he be healthy enough to make a roster? Will injuries have claimed his career?
James Propst (2011, Rookie, 22) - Descent season in Greeneville in 2011. Will he show progress against advanced hitters in higher levels?
Rodney Quintero (2010, 11, Rookie, 22) - Quintero repeated Greeneville in 2011 and was not that impressive. Will he be on a roster in 2012?
Paris Shewey (2011, Rookie, 23) - Really struggled at the end of the year in Greeneville. Will he make it out of spring training?
Matson Smith (2011, Rookie, 23) - Smith was one of the older members of the G-Stros in 2011. He has put up solid numbers in two season of short season ball. Will he get a chance a full season ball this year?
Brian Streilein (2010, Lo A, 23) - Was great in June (2.12 ERA) and July (1.35 ERA). Not as much in May (7.71 ERA) and August (7.80 ERA). Will he have a consistent 2012?
Pat Urckfitz (2008, AAA, 23) - Urckfitz had a great 2010 and then struggled in 2011. I think he needs to ditch the contacts and go back to the rec specs! Can he recover the 2010 stuff? AA or AAA this year?
Scott Zuloaga (2011, Rookie, 22) - This sidewinder finished strong with a 2.45 ERA in August for Greeneville. He is a specialist with a 1.00 ERA verses right handed batters and a 14.29 ERA verses lefties. Will he be in Lexington in 2012? Will he get the chance to improve his numbers against righties?
Projected placement of those still in the Astros organization:
MLB:
Abad
Oklahoma City (AAA)
Urckfitz
Corpus Christi (AA)
Alvino
Lancaster (Hi A)
Gouvea
Martinez
Lexington (Lo A)
Cole
Cotton
Meiners
Mojica
Pettus
Quintero
Streilein
Zuloaga
Extended Spring Training
Dando
Hyatt
Martin
Propst
Shewey
Showing posts with label Martinez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martinez. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2012
Monday, November 7, 2011
2009 Greeneville Astros Progress Report
The 2009 G-Stros were the first bunch that were the sandwich short season team. Below them, the new GCL Astros were playing at the spring training complex. And the ValleyCats were playing above them in the NY- Penn League. In Greeneville, the fans didn't know what to expect from the new set up in the lower minors. What we saw was a mix of high draft pick high school players and low round/free agent college players. This edition of the the G-Stros had just seven teenagers and all seven were still active this year.
Of the 35 players who graced the roster that year, 63% (22) were still active on an affiliated roster at some point this season. 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.
MLB (2- 6%)
Jose Altuve - see 2008 write up
J. D. Martinez - made a brief stop in Greeneville on his rapid climb to the majors. He hit .403 during just 14 games in Greeneville. This year, he hist .274 in 53 games in the big leagues. He made the fastest climb of any G-Stros position player to the majors.
AAA ( 0 - 0%)
AA (0 - 0%)
Altuve & Martinez appeared at this level but made it the the show to end the season.
High A (6- 17%)
Miguel Arrendell - The utility man appeared at five positions for Lancaster (RF, LF, SS, 2B, 3B) while hitting .281 in 50 games. He was moved back to Tri Cities for the last month of the season to sure up their middle infield where he hit just .219 in 18 games. Arrendell will turn 24 during spring training next season.
Grant Hogue - Hogue was a fan favorite during his time in G'ville for his hustle and easy going nature with fans. After playing in CF exclusively in 09 & 10, he spent time in all three outfield positions in Lancaster in 2011. He spent 76 of the 106 games in right field, where he amassed 11 of his 15 assist. He hit .269 on the season. He will be 25 when he reports to spring training.
Jonathan Meyer - Meyer continues to show improvement as he climbs the ladder. In Lancaster in 2011, he hit .264 with 14 home runs. He had only hit 5 in his previous two seasons. Next year will determine if the power is the result of Lancaster or his maturation as a hitter. He will be 21 when he reports next season.
Jio Mier - He evenly split his season between Lexington and Lancaster, playing 57 games at each stop. He hit .245 at Lexington, an improvement over 2010's .235, before moving to Lancaster where he hit .233. Mier is still considered a solid SS prospect and will be 21 when next season rolls around.
Jose Cisnero - is the pitcher from 2009 who has climbed the highest. He pitched in Lancaster and amassed a 6.06 ERA. However, when you average 11.09 strike outs per 9 innings (152 in 123 1/3 IP), that means there is something happening good there. Cisnero will be turn 23 next April.
Luis Cruz - see 2008 write up.
Low A (7 - 20%)
Garrett Bullock - the tall lefty made just three appearances in Lexington before returning to short season ball in Tri Cities. Those three outings were not that impressive. However, his 2.51 ERA in Tri Cities was solid. Bullock is old for the levels he has been playing. He will start the season at 25.
Jeiler Castillo - see 2008 write up.
Gabriel Garcia - after two seasons in G'ville, Garcia moved up to Lexington where he was solid. In 69 1/3 IP (37 games), he had a 3.76 ERA which is lower than his ERA in either season in Greeneville. He struck out 68 batters and had a WHIP of just 1.212 which is the lowest of his career. He is pitching well in winter ball in Venezuela right now. He will be 22 when spring training begins.
Murilo Gouvea - spent most of the season in Lexington with a brief time in Tri Cities. In Lex, he amassed a 3.98 ERA in 30 games (74 2/3 IP). He had more than a strike out an inning with 83. He struggled keeping the walks down. He will be 23 when next season begins.
David Martinez - was a man in search of a role this year. He pitched in 37 games. He started five and finished 17. In 66 2/3 IP, he fanned 44 batters while walking 17. He will be 24 at the beginning of spring training.
Yuri Perez - like Bullock, he had a less than memorable brief stint at Lexington. He made 15 starts for TriCities where he had a 5.48 ERA. Perez missed most of 2010 after elbow surgery. He is still working his way back. We hope he can regain the form he had in 2009 for Greeneville. He will be 21 at the start of spring training.
Carlos Quevedo - really struggled to keep the ball in the park. He gave up 22 home runs in Lexington this season in 151 innings pitched. That equates to 1.3 HR every nine innings. He gave up more home runs than walks. Quevedo walked 19 batters for an average of 1.1 per nine innings pitched. Quevedo will be 22 at the start of spring training.
Short Season A (3 - 5%)
Bubby Williams - the catcher with the cool name,spent 2011 in the New York Penn League. His showed power, leading the team with six home runs but struggled making consistent contact. He hit .206 in 36 games for the ValleyCats. He will be 22 at the start of spring training next year.
Joan Belliard - repeated the NYPenn league in 2011 but only pitched in 18 2/3 innings. His strike out numbers are still strong but is still struggling with walks. He will be turning 23 in March.
Travis Smink - after two seasons in G'ville, he moved to Tri Cities this season. In 23 games, he had a 4.37 ERA. He will turn 25 next April.
Rookie Ball & DL (4 - 11%)
Luis Alverez - returned to Greeneville after missing 2010 with a bad knee injury. Alverez hit .271 in 38 games. He only struck out 19 times in 151 plate appearances. He turns 22 just before minor leaguers report to spring training.
B J Hyatt - listed on the roster for Greeneville but never was in uniform. Still rehabbing from surgery after the 2009 season.
Wilton Infante & Nathan Pettus - see 2008 write up.
Summary
Like the 2008 edition, the 2009 team still has 22 active players. Unlike them, it is the position players who have climbed faster than the pitchers. A few of the players in this group will not be back for spring training but the core of this bunch should be at AA and High A to start next year.
Of the 35 players who graced the roster that year, 63% (22) were still active on an affiliated roster at some point this season. 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.
MLB (2- 6%)
Jose Altuve - see 2008 write up
J. D. Martinez - made a brief stop in Greeneville on his rapid climb to the majors. He hit .403 during just 14 games in Greeneville. This year, he hist .274 in 53 games in the big leagues. He made the fastest climb of any G-Stros position player to the majors.
AAA ( 0 - 0%)
AA (0 - 0%)
Altuve & Martinez appeared at this level but made it the the show to end the season.
High A (6- 17%)
Miguel Arrendell - The utility man appeared at five positions for Lancaster (RF, LF, SS, 2B, 3B) while hitting .281 in 50 games. He was moved back to Tri Cities for the last month of the season to sure up their middle infield where he hit just .219 in 18 games. Arrendell will turn 24 during spring training next season.
Grant Hogue - Hogue was a fan favorite during his time in G'ville for his hustle and easy going nature with fans. After playing in CF exclusively in 09 & 10, he spent time in all three outfield positions in Lancaster in 2011. He spent 76 of the 106 games in right field, where he amassed 11 of his 15 assist. He hit .269 on the season. He will be 25 when he reports to spring training.
Jonathan Meyer - Meyer continues to show improvement as he climbs the ladder. In Lancaster in 2011, he hit .264 with 14 home runs. He had only hit 5 in his previous two seasons. Next year will determine if the power is the result of Lancaster or his maturation as a hitter. He will be 21 when he reports next season.
Jio Mier - He evenly split his season between Lexington and Lancaster, playing 57 games at each stop. He hit .245 at Lexington, an improvement over 2010's .235, before moving to Lancaster where he hit .233. Mier is still considered a solid SS prospect and will be 21 when next season rolls around.
Jose Cisnero - is the pitcher from 2009 who has climbed the highest. He pitched in Lancaster and amassed a 6.06 ERA. However, when you average 11.09 strike outs per 9 innings (152 in 123 1/3 IP), that means there is something happening good there. Cisnero will be turn 23 next April.
Luis Cruz - see 2008 write up.
Low A (7 - 20%)
Garrett Bullock - the tall lefty made just three appearances in Lexington before returning to short season ball in Tri Cities. Those three outings were not that impressive. However, his 2.51 ERA in Tri Cities was solid. Bullock is old for the levels he has been playing. He will start the season at 25.
Jeiler Castillo - see 2008 write up.
Gabriel Garcia - after two seasons in G'ville, Garcia moved up to Lexington where he was solid. In 69 1/3 IP (37 games), he had a 3.76 ERA which is lower than his ERA in either season in Greeneville. He struck out 68 batters and had a WHIP of just 1.212 which is the lowest of his career. He is pitching well in winter ball in Venezuela right now. He will be 22 when spring training begins.
Murilo Gouvea - spent most of the season in Lexington with a brief time in Tri Cities. In Lex, he amassed a 3.98 ERA in 30 games (74 2/3 IP). He had more than a strike out an inning with 83. He struggled keeping the walks down. He will be 23 when next season begins.
David Martinez - was a man in search of a role this year. He pitched in 37 games. He started five and finished 17. In 66 2/3 IP, he fanned 44 batters while walking 17. He will be 24 at the beginning of spring training.
Yuri Perez - like Bullock, he had a less than memorable brief stint at Lexington. He made 15 starts for TriCities where he had a 5.48 ERA. Perez missed most of 2010 after elbow surgery. He is still working his way back. We hope he can regain the form he had in 2009 for Greeneville. He will be 21 at the start of spring training.
Carlos Quevedo - really struggled to keep the ball in the park. He gave up 22 home runs in Lexington this season in 151 innings pitched. That equates to 1.3 HR every nine innings. He gave up more home runs than walks. Quevedo walked 19 batters for an average of 1.1 per nine innings pitched. Quevedo will be 22 at the start of spring training.
Short Season A (3 - 5%)
Bubby Williams - the catcher with the cool name,spent 2011 in the New York Penn League. His showed power, leading the team with six home runs but struggled making consistent contact. He hit .206 in 36 games for the ValleyCats. He will be 22 at the start of spring training next year.
Joan Belliard - repeated the NYPenn league in 2011 but only pitched in 18 2/3 innings. His strike out numbers are still strong but is still struggling with walks. He will be turning 23 in March.
Travis Smink - after two seasons in G'ville, he moved to Tri Cities this season. In 23 games, he had a 4.37 ERA. He will turn 25 next April.
Rookie Ball & DL (4 - 11%)
Luis Alverez - returned to Greeneville after missing 2010 with a bad knee injury. Alverez hit .271 in 38 games. He only struck out 19 times in 151 plate appearances. He turns 22 just before minor leaguers report to spring training.
B J Hyatt - listed on the roster for Greeneville but never was in uniform. Still rehabbing from surgery after the 2009 season.
Wilton Infante & Nathan Pettus - see 2008 write up.
Summary
Like the 2008 edition, the 2009 team still has 22 active players. Unlike them, it is the position players who have climbed faster than the pitchers. A few of the players in this group will not be back for spring training but the core of this bunch should be at AA and High A to start next year.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Appy Astros Alumni of the Month - July
July was a crazy month. It included the call ups of two former G-Stros and others moving around the organization. Let's take a look at the numbers and see which former G-Stros stood out this month.
Tri Cities ValleyCats
Hitter of the Month
There are only three former G-Stros position players on the ValleyCat roster. Former G-Stro catcher Ryan McCurdy had the best month of the three. In 12 games, he hit .316. Bubby Williams gets a mention for hitting three home runs during the month.
Pitcher of the Month
Garrett Bullock gets the nod for his 2.84 ERA and 16 strike outs in 12 2/3 IP. The rest of the former G-Stros had pretty rough months in Tri Cities so no honorable mentions after having a slew of them last month.
Lexington Legends
Hitter of the Month
Ben Orloff leads the way for the former G-Stros hitters who put up some impressive numbers in July. He hit .358 on the month with a very impressive .436 OBP. While Orloff is old for the league at 24, he continues to show that when he gets a chance to play, he will do well. After only getting in to 33 games prior to the all star break, he has already played in 33 since Jio Mier was promoted to Lancaster.
Others worthy of mention include Delino Deshields Jr. who bounced back from a .154 June with a .320 July. Telvin Nash who came off the DL to hit .264 with 4 HR and an impressive .409 OBP. Finally, Bryce Lane isn't getting much playing time but in 16 games, he hit 3 HR and 4 doubles for a .581 slugging percentage.
Pitchers of the Month
Again, we are going with a starter and reliever of the month in Lexington. Carlos Quevedo gets the nod as starter of the month. He went 1-0 with a 2.32 ERA in 5 starts and held opponents to a .240 batting average. Brian Strenlein gets the reliever of the month honors for his 1.35 ERA over 7 games. He fanned 12 in 13 1/3 IP and held opponents to a .234 average.
Honorable mentions: Two other relievers need to be noted for their performances in July. Gabriel Garcia had an 0-2 record but in 6 games (15 1/3 IP) he fanned 14 batters and had a 2.87 ERA. Jorge DeLeon had good outcomes with a 4-0 record with 3 saves to go along with 14 strike outs in 14 1/3 IP. He held opponents to a .226 average while compiling a 3.68 ERA.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter of the Month
With Jose Altuve moved on through CC to Houston, and Kody Hinze now in Corpus Christi, we will have a new hitter of the month in Lancaster. We are going with Miguel Arrendell this month. The utility infielder hit .302 in 16 games with a .397 OBP. He is now hitting a solid .284 on the season and his having a career year.
Pitchers of the Month
Starter of the month is Jose Cisnero. He went 4-1 in 5 starts with a 4.26 ERA. He struck out 40 batters in 25 1/3 IP and held opponents to a .219 average. Out of the bullpen, Wander Alvino gets the reliever of the month. Alvino produced a 0.79 ERA in July in 8 appearances. He struck out 13 in 11 1/3 IP. The secret to his success lately has been inducing a 2.75 ground out to air out ratio. The has allowed him to overcome the 11 walks he surrendered in July.
Corpus Christi
Hitter of the Month
J.D. Martinez finished the month in Houston, but he put up amazing numbers that earn him hitter of the month at Corpus Christi. Prior to his departure, he hit .380 with 7 home runs and 16 extra base hits. He had a .473 OBP and a .717 slugging percentage. He also took more walks (15) than times he struck out (13).
Honorable Mention
Kody Hinze continues to put up solid numbers in the shadow of amazing numbers. After his promotion to Corpus Christi, he has hit .350 with 5 home runs and a total of 10 extra base hits. His OBP was .418 and his slugging an even .600. He also showed solid plate discipline taking 10 walks while striking out just 17 times in 80 at bats. Chris Wallace is trying to follow in Martinez's cleat prints after bypassing Lancaster on his way to AA. In July, he hit .272 with 5 home runs and 9 extra base hits in 81 at bats. His .303 OBP and .506 slugging are solid but pale in comparison to Martinez and Hinze. Also, Jose Altuve, hit .353 in his 8 games in July prior to his promotion to Houston.
Pitcher of the Month
Arcenio Leon appeared in 12 games for Corpus Christi. He struck out 22 batters in 16 1/3 innings and complied a 2-1 record with one save and a 3.78 ERA.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitter of the Month
In 17 games, J. R. Towles hit .283. That earns him the honor of hitter of the month in AAA.
Honorable Mention:
Koby Clemens hit .256 for the month with 10 extra base hits (5 HR) which is note worthy after his May (.220) and June (.181) performances.
Pitcher of the Month
In a very close race, Sammy Gervacio wins the award this month. Slingin' Sammy went 3-0 with one save during July and had a microscopic ERA of 0.56 in 11 appearances (16 IP). He held opponents to a .196 average.
Honorable Mention:
Douglas Arguello has thrived since his move to the pen. In July, he also appeared in 11 games (11 1/3 IP) and produced an impressive 0.73 ERA. Even more impressive is his 3.00 ground out to air out ratio.
Outside the System Minors
Hitter of the Month
Jordan Parraz continues to lay claim to this award. He had a great July hitting .374 with 13 extra base hits in 28 games for AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the Yankees organization.
Honorable Mention:
Ralph Henriquez was promoted to AAA Tacoma of the Mariners organization this month. In the 19 games since he arrived there, he has been hot at the plate. He has been hitting .356 with 6 extra base hits.
Pitcher of the Month
Jimmy Barthmaier had 8 appearances in July (7 relief & 1 start). In 15 1/3 IP, he amassed a 1.73 ERA and fanned 14 batters for AA Harrisburg of the Washington Nationals organization.
MLB
Hitter of the Month
Jose Altuve could win by default but he earns the award with his performance after his late month call up. In his first 11 games as a big leaguer, Jose hit 359 with two doubles. The buzz created by his promotion has been so much fun to watch.
Pitchers of the Month
Felipe Paulino edges out the competition this month for the starter of the month award. In 4 starts, he went 1-2 with a 4.01 ERA. He fanned 27 in 24 2/3 IP.
For the reliever of the month, we go outside the Astros organization to Troy Patton of the Baltimore Orioles. In 5 relief appearances since his call up in Mid July, Patton has put up a 2.84 ERA in 6 1/3 IP. He has fanned 8 batters while walking only one.
Honorable mention:
Jordan Lyles continues to seek his first big league win but he is not pitching as bad as his 0-3 record indicates. Two of his five starts in July qualified as quality starts. Therefore, he is the starter of the month.
Tri Cities ValleyCats
Hitter of the Month
There are only three former G-Stros position players on the ValleyCat roster. Former G-Stro catcher Ryan McCurdy had the best month of the three. In 12 games, he hit .316. Bubby Williams gets a mention for hitting three home runs during the month.
Pitcher of the Month
Garrett Bullock gets the nod for his 2.84 ERA and 16 strike outs in 12 2/3 IP. The rest of the former G-Stros had pretty rough months in Tri Cities so no honorable mentions after having a slew of them last month.
Lexington Legends
Hitter of the Month
Ben Orloff leads the way for the former G-Stros hitters who put up some impressive numbers in July. He hit .358 on the month with a very impressive .436 OBP. While Orloff is old for the league at 24, he continues to show that when he gets a chance to play, he will do well. After only getting in to 33 games prior to the all star break, he has already played in 33 since Jio Mier was promoted to Lancaster.
Others worthy of mention include Delino Deshields Jr. who bounced back from a .154 June with a .320 July. Telvin Nash who came off the DL to hit .264 with 4 HR and an impressive .409 OBP. Finally, Bryce Lane isn't getting much playing time but in 16 games, he hit 3 HR and 4 doubles for a .581 slugging percentage.
Pitchers of the Month
Again, we are going with a starter and reliever of the month in Lexington. Carlos Quevedo gets the nod as starter of the month. He went 1-0 with a 2.32 ERA in 5 starts and held opponents to a .240 batting average. Brian Strenlein gets the reliever of the month honors for his 1.35 ERA over 7 games. He fanned 12 in 13 1/3 IP and held opponents to a .234 average.
Honorable mentions: Two other relievers need to be noted for their performances in July. Gabriel Garcia had an 0-2 record but in 6 games (15 1/3 IP) he fanned 14 batters and had a 2.87 ERA. Jorge DeLeon had good outcomes with a 4-0 record with 3 saves to go along with 14 strike outs in 14 1/3 IP. He held opponents to a .226 average while compiling a 3.68 ERA.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter of the Month
With Jose Altuve moved on through CC to Houston, and Kody Hinze now in Corpus Christi, we will have a new hitter of the month in Lancaster. We are going with Miguel Arrendell this month. The utility infielder hit .302 in 16 games with a .397 OBP. He is now hitting a solid .284 on the season and his having a career year.
Pitchers of the Month
Starter of the month is Jose Cisnero. He went 4-1 in 5 starts with a 4.26 ERA. He struck out 40 batters in 25 1/3 IP and held opponents to a .219 average. Out of the bullpen, Wander Alvino gets the reliever of the month. Alvino produced a 0.79 ERA in July in 8 appearances. He struck out 13 in 11 1/3 IP. The secret to his success lately has been inducing a 2.75 ground out to air out ratio. The has allowed him to overcome the 11 walks he surrendered in July.
Corpus Christi
Hitter of the Month
J.D. Martinez finished the month in Houston, but he put up amazing numbers that earn him hitter of the month at Corpus Christi. Prior to his departure, he hit .380 with 7 home runs and 16 extra base hits. He had a .473 OBP and a .717 slugging percentage. He also took more walks (15) than times he struck out (13).
Honorable Mention
Kody Hinze continues to put up solid numbers in the shadow of amazing numbers. After his promotion to Corpus Christi, he has hit .350 with 5 home runs and a total of 10 extra base hits. His OBP was .418 and his slugging an even .600. He also showed solid plate discipline taking 10 walks while striking out just 17 times in 80 at bats. Chris Wallace is trying to follow in Martinez's cleat prints after bypassing Lancaster on his way to AA. In July, he hit .272 with 5 home runs and 9 extra base hits in 81 at bats. His .303 OBP and .506 slugging are solid but pale in comparison to Martinez and Hinze. Also, Jose Altuve, hit .353 in his 8 games in July prior to his promotion to Houston.
Pitcher of the Month
Arcenio Leon appeared in 12 games for Corpus Christi. He struck out 22 batters in 16 1/3 innings and complied a 2-1 record with one save and a 3.78 ERA.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Hitter of the Month
In 17 games, J. R. Towles hit .283. That earns him the honor of hitter of the month in AAA.
Honorable Mention:
Koby Clemens hit .256 for the month with 10 extra base hits (5 HR) which is note worthy after his May (.220) and June (.181) performances.
Pitcher of the Month
In a very close race, Sammy Gervacio wins the award this month. Slingin' Sammy went 3-0 with one save during July and had a microscopic ERA of 0.56 in 11 appearances (16 IP). He held opponents to a .196 average.
Honorable Mention:
Douglas Arguello has thrived since his move to the pen. In July, he also appeared in 11 games (11 1/3 IP) and produced an impressive 0.73 ERA. Even more impressive is his 3.00 ground out to air out ratio.
Outside the System Minors
Hitter of the Month
Jordan Parraz continues to lay claim to this award. He had a great July hitting .374 with 13 extra base hits in 28 games for AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the Yankees organization.
Honorable Mention:
Ralph Henriquez was promoted to AAA Tacoma of the Mariners organization this month. In the 19 games since he arrived there, he has been hot at the plate. He has been hitting .356 with 6 extra base hits.
Pitcher of the Month
Jimmy Barthmaier had 8 appearances in July (7 relief & 1 start). In 15 1/3 IP, he amassed a 1.73 ERA and fanned 14 batters for AA Harrisburg of the Washington Nationals organization.
MLB
Hitter of the Month
Jose Altuve could win by default but he earns the award with his performance after his late month call up. In his first 11 games as a big leaguer, Jose hit 359 with two doubles. The buzz created by his promotion has been so much fun to watch.
Pitchers of the Month
Felipe Paulino edges out the competition this month for the starter of the month award. In 4 starts, he went 1-2 with a 4.01 ERA. He fanned 27 in 24 2/3 IP.
For the reliever of the month, we go outside the Astros organization to Troy Patton of the Baltimore Orioles. In 5 relief appearances since his call up in Mid July, Patton has put up a 2.84 ERA in 6 1/3 IP. He has fanned 8 batters while walking only one.
Honorable mention:
Jordan Lyles continues to seek his first big league win but he is not pitching as bad as his 0-3 record indicates. Two of his five starts in July qualified as quality starts. Therefore, he is the starter of the month.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
J. D. Martinez Get's 1st Big League Hit & A Look Back
When I arrived home after the G-Stros game, I pulled up twitter to see what I had missed and saw that J. D. Martinez had been called on to pitch hit in Milwaukee. His first big league plate appearance resulted in a long double to deep center field. I love the look on his face in the video at MLB.com as he is chatting with Prince Fielder. It looks like he is trying to be nonchalant about the hit but the joy starts to leak out a little.
A Look Back
J. D. Martinez wasn't the focus of attention when he arrived in Greeneville for the 2009 season. The attention was focused on the infield. Altuve at 2nd, Mier at SS & Meyer at 3rd were to focus. A fan favorite, and two high draft picks. Yet, J. D. Martinez was the difference maker. He was only here for 19 games. During that time, he hit .403, slugged five HR and knocked in 23 RBI. His RBI total was still 3rd on the team when the season ended. His HR total was tied for second.
When Martinez went to Tri Cities after the July 11th game, the Astros offense went away. The G-Stros were 10 - 9 with Martinez and 17 - 31 without him. It came as no surprise when he was promoted. It was clear, he didn't belong in the Appy League, just like a year later, it was clear he was ready for AA after just half a season in Lexington.
It has been well documented that Martinez took exception to his late selection in the 2009 draft. However, he is the second 20th round draft pick to make it to the majors who also played in Greeneville. The other is J.R. Towles (20th round 2004).
A Look Back
J. D. Martinez wasn't the focus of attention when he arrived in Greeneville for the 2009 season. The attention was focused on the infield. Altuve at 2nd, Mier at SS & Meyer at 3rd were to focus. A fan favorite, and two high draft picks. Yet, J. D. Martinez was the difference maker. He was only here for 19 games. During that time, he hit .403, slugged five HR and knocked in 23 RBI. His RBI total was still 3rd on the team when the season ended. His HR total was tied for second.
When Martinez went to Tri Cities after the July 11th game, the Astros offense went away. The G-Stros were 10 - 9 with Martinez and 17 - 31 without him. It came as no surprise when he was promoted. It was clear, he didn't belong in the Appy League, just like a year later, it was clear he was ready for AA after just half a season in Lexington.
It has been well documented that Martinez took exception to his late selection in the 2009 draft. However, he is the second 20th round draft pick to make it to the majors who also played in Greeneville. The other is J.R. Towles (20th round 2004).
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Appy Astros Alumni of the Month - June
Wow, summer is flying by. We just got started with ball in Greeneville and it is halfway over for the full season teams. Let's look at how the former G-Stros are doing up the ladder and outside the system.
Tri Cities ValleyCats
I know they just are just about two weeks into their season but we have 11 former G-Stros on the roster and we needed to check in on those guys.
Hitter of the Month
With just three candidates the pickings are a little slim. We we go with the one alumni with an average over the mendoza line. Ryan McCurdy has appeared in 4 games and is hitting .267. Let's hope that we have to make a choice between great performances for July.
Pitcher of the Month
Now this is a competition. There are eight former G-Stros on the roster and at least five merited some discussion here. We will go with Juri Perez as the pitcher of the month. Perez who is working his way back from arm surgery. He only threw 8 1/3 innings in 2010. He made a brief appearance in Lexington earlier this spring but is making his presence felt in Tri Cities. Perez made three starts in June. He struggled with his control a bit in the first start but since then, he has been dominate. In his last two starts, he has pitched 10 innings and struck out 16 batters; while allowing eight hits, two walks, and two runs. Opponents are hitting just .212 against him. His 20 total strike outs leads the NY/Penn League.
Honorable Mention goes to Ryan Cole who has 3 saves and a 1.93 ERA (4 2/3 IP); Garrett Bullock who has a 2.03 ERA in 4 appearances (4 1/3 IP); Travis Smink who has a 2.45 ERA in 4 appearances (7 1/3 IP); and Ebert Rosario who has a 3.60 ERA but 8 Ks in 5 IP. Rosario started the transition to pitcher from third baseman last summer.
Lexington Legends
Hitter of the Month
The roster has experienced a fair amount of turn over in Lexington. During the month, Chris Wallace won the Sally League HR Derby and found himself wearing a Corpus Christi uni. Jio Mier jumped to Lancaster and Telvin Nash was activated from the DL after missing most of the month with a broken hamate bone in his hand. With those guys gone, the hitter of the month is Emilio King. King lost 100 points off his average from last month but still hit a solid .286 with seven doubles and two HR.
Pitcher of the Month
The G-Stro Alumni are starting to put together a solid pitching staff in Lexington. This is a very close call. So close that I am giving a started and reliever of the month for June. Luis Cruz is the starer of the month. He moved from the pen to the rotation after his first appearance in June. After three starts, he had a 2.45 ERA as a starter and a 17 K in 18 1/3 IP. Jorge DeLeon is the reliever of the month. He finished with a 0.75 ERA and 5 saves with 14 K in 12 IP. DeLeon is in his second season of conversion from SS to P.
Honorable Mentions Murilo Gouvea missed part of the month but booked ended his time on the DL with a solid 0.75 ERA in six appearances where he fanned 14 in 11 1/3 IP. Ruben Alaniz had a solid month in the starting rotation. He finished June with a 3-1 record and a 2.28 ERA. David Martinez's contributions also cannot be overlooked. He fanned 10 in 10 1/3 IP and finished the month with a 1.73 ERA.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter of the Month
This one is the easiest of the bunch. Kody Hinze is just too good for the California League. Hinze put up a .357/.505/.690 slash line despite a 2 for 23 slump following the All Star Break. Hinze won the Cal./Car. All Star Game HR Derby and still leads ALL of minor league baseball with a .469 OBP. He finished June with 8 home runs. His total of 21 on the season ties him for 3rd most in all of minor league baseball.
Honorable Mention goes to Miguel Arrendell who in 11 games put up a .342 average.
Pitcher of the Month
Wander Alvino put up a solid month out of the Lancaster bullpen. In 10 appearances, he finished with a 3.75 ERA and 14 Ks in 17 1/3 IP.
Honorable Mention goes to Colton Pitkin who had a solid month except for his last outing of the month. In his first 7 outings, he pitched 10 1/3 innings and allowed just 4 earned runs. His last outing of the month was a rough one. Only 2/3 innings pitched and 7 earned runs scored. That outing accounts for 1/3 of the total runs he has surrendered all season.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitter of the Month
Who else but Jose Altuve. The Venezuelan prospect has taken away the excuse that his previous numbers were inflated by the "Lancaster effect". He it .364 with 13 extra base hits since his call up to the Hooks on June 1st. He is a contact hitter, he doesn't walk much; only four times in June. He doesn't strike out much either; only 10 times in 110 AB.
Honorable Mention to J D Martinez whose RBI totals should benefit from Altuve being on base in front of him. Martinez hit .320 for June with seven extra base hits.
Pitcher of the Month
It was an up and down month for the Appy Astros Alumi with the Hooks. There was no solid consistent performer and people were moving all over the place. This months award goes to Kyle Greenwalt. Since being moved to the pen, Greenwalt has adjusted nicely. In his 9 relief appearances in June, he is 0-2 with a 3.09 ERA.
Oklahoma RedHawks
Hitter of the Month
Wlad Sutil is the only former G-Stro with any numbers worth noting. The little glove first player continues to use his bat effectively too. He hit a respectable .267 in 15 games with more walks (5) than strikeouts (2).
Pitcher of the Month
Douglas Arguello had two good starts before going on the DL. Jordan Lyles stayed up with the big club. Henry Villar and Pat Urckfitz were sent down to Corpus Christi. Sammy Gervacio came up from Corpus Christi late in the month. Fernando Abad made 6 appearances before being called up to join Lyles with the big club. So based on this info we are giving the pitcher of the month to the Waiver Wire - for its great Change Up of the roster.
Outside the Astros System (Minors)
Hitter of the Month
Jordan Parraz continues to have a decent season for the Scranto/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. His average dropped a bit hitting only .243 for the month but he hit six doubles and three HRs.
Pitcher of the Month
Troy Patton had a solid June. He appeared in seven games for the Norfolk Tide (16 1/3 IP) and finished with a 1.65 ERA. It appears he is becoming a different pitcher than he was before the shoulder surgery of 2009. He only struck out 4 batters in the month.
MLB
Hitter of the Month
Yet another month where only J. R. Towles represents the G-Stros as a position player. We are pulling for September call ups for Martinez & Altuve so that he can have some company. Towles was beat up for much of the month and in 15 games only hit .154.
Pitcher of the Month
Since being traded from the Rockies to the Royals, Felipe Paulino has been a solid starter. In his six starts in June, he amassed a 3.58 ERA and struck out 33 in 37 2/3 IP while walking 10.
Honorable Mention to Fernando Abad who in the five games since he was called up to Houston, has a 1.80 ERA and five strike outs.
Tri Cities ValleyCats
I know they just are just about two weeks into their season but we have 11 former G-Stros on the roster and we needed to check in on those guys.
Hitter of the Month
With just three candidates the pickings are a little slim. We we go with the one alumni with an average over the mendoza line. Ryan McCurdy has appeared in 4 games and is hitting .267. Let's hope that we have to make a choice between great performances for July.
Pitcher of the Month
Now this is a competition. There are eight former G-Stros on the roster and at least five merited some discussion here. We will go with Juri Perez as the pitcher of the month. Perez who is working his way back from arm surgery. He only threw 8 1/3 innings in 2010. He made a brief appearance in Lexington earlier this spring but is making his presence felt in Tri Cities. Perez made three starts in June. He struggled with his control a bit in the first start but since then, he has been dominate. In his last two starts, he has pitched 10 innings and struck out 16 batters; while allowing eight hits, two walks, and two runs. Opponents are hitting just .212 against him. His 20 total strike outs leads the NY/Penn League.
Honorable Mention goes to Ryan Cole who has 3 saves and a 1.93 ERA (4 2/3 IP); Garrett Bullock who has a 2.03 ERA in 4 appearances (4 1/3 IP); Travis Smink who has a 2.45 ERA in 4 appearances (7 1/3 IP); and Ebert Rosario who has a 3.60 ERA but 8 Ks in 5 IP. Rosario started the transition to pitcher from third baseman last summer.
Lexington Legends
Hitter of the Month
The roster has experienced a fair amount of turn over in Lexington. During the month, Chris Wallace won the Sally League HR Derby and found himself wearing a Corpus Christi uni. Jio Mier jumped to Lancaster and Telvin Nash was activated from the DL after missing most of the month with a broken hamate bone in his hand. With those guys gone, the hitter of the month is Emilio King. King lost 100 points off his average from last month but still hit a solid .286 with seven doubles and two HR.
Pitcher of the Month
The G-Stro Alumni are starting to put together a solid pitching staff in Lexington. This is a very close call. So close that I am giving a started and reliever of the month for June. Luis Cruz is the starer of the month. He moved from the pen to the rotation after his first appearance in June. After three starts, he had a 2.45 ERA as a starter and a 17 K in 18 1/3 IP. Jorge DeLeon is the reliever of the month. He finished with a 0.75 ERA and 5 saves with 14 K in 12 IP. DeLeon is in his second season of conversion from SS to P.
Honorable Mentions Murilo Gouvea missed part of the month but booked ended his time on the DL with a solid 0.75 ERA in six appearances where he fanned 14 in 11 1/3 IP. Ruben Alaniz had a solid month in the starting rotation. He finished June with a 3-1 record and a 2.28 ERA. David Martinez's contributions also cannot be overlooked. He fanned 10 in 10 1/3 IP and finished the month with a 1.73 ERA.
Lancaster JetHawks
Hitter of the Month
This one is the easiest of the bunch. Kody Hinze is just too good for the California League. Hinze put up a .357/.505/.690 slash line despite a 2 for 23 slump following the All Star Break. Hinze won the Cal./Car. All Star Game HR Derby and still leads ALL of minor league baseball with a .469 OBP. He finished June with 8 home runs. His total of 21 on the season ties him for 3rd most in all of minor league baseball.
Honorable Mention goes to Miguel Arrendell who in 11 games put up a .342 average.
Pitcher of the Month
Wander Alvino put up a solid month out of the Lancaster bullpen. In 10 appearances, he finished with a 3.75 ERA and 14 Ks in 17 1/3 IP.
Honorable Mention goes to Colton Pitkin who had a solid month except for his last outing of the month. In his first 7 outings, he pitched 10 1/3 innings and allowed just 4 earned runs. His last outing of the month was a rough one. Only 2/3 innings pitched and 7 earned runs scored. That outing accounts for 1/3 of the total runs he has surrendered all season.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Hitter of the Month
Who else but Jose Altuve. The Venezuelan prospect has taken away the excuse that his previous numbers were inflated by the "Lancaster effect". He it .364 with 13 extra base hits since his call up to the Hooks on June 1st. He is a contact hitter, he doesn't walk much; only four times in June. He doesn't strike out much either; only 10 times in 110 AB.
Honorable Mention to J D Martinez whose RBI totals should benefit from Altuve being on base in front of him. Martinez hit .320 for June with seven extra base hits.
Pitcher of the Month
It was an up and down month for the Appy Astros Alumi with the Hooks. There was no solid consistent performer and people were moving all over the place. This months award goes to Kyle Greenwalt. Since being moved to the pen, Greenwalt has adjusted nicely. In his 9 relief appearances in June, he is 0-2 with a 3.09 ERA.
Oklahoma RedHawks
Hitter of the Month
Wlad Sutil is the only former G-Stro with any numbers worth noting. The little glove first player continues to use his bat effectively too. He hit a respectable .267 in 15 games with more walks (5) than strikeouts (2).
Pitcher of the Month
Douglas Arguello had two good starts before going on the DL. Jordan Lyles stayed up with the big club. Henry Villar and Pat Urckfitz were sent down to Corpus Christi. Sammy Gervacio came up from Corpus Christi late in the month. Fernando Abad made 6 appearances before being called up to join Lyles with the big club. So based on this info we are giving the pitcher of the month to the Waiver Wire - for its great Change Up of the roster.
Outside the Astros System (Minors)
Hitter of the Month
Jordan Parraz continues to have a decent season for the Scranto/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. His average dropped a bit hitting only .243 for the month but he hit six doubles and three HRs.
Pitcher of the Month
Troy Patton had a solid June. He appeared in seven games for the Norfolk Tide (16 1/3 IP) and finished with a 1.65 ERA. It appears he is becoming a different pitcher than he was before the shoulder surgery of 2009. He only struck out 4 batters in the month.
MLB
Hitter of the Month
Yet another month where only J. R. Towles represents the G-Stros as a position player. We are pulling for September call ups for Martinez & Altuve so that he can have some company. Towles was beat up for much of the month and in 15 games only hit .154.
Pitcher of the Month
Since being traded from the Rockies to the Royals, Felipe Paulino has been a solid starter. In his six starts in June, he amassed a 3.58 ERA and struck out 33 in 37 2/3 IP while walking 10.
Honorable Mention to Fernando Abad who in the five games since he was called up to Houston, has a 1.80 ERA and five strike outs.
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.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Repeat If Necessary
No player likes to repeat a level of the minors. I am sure when assignments were handed out earlier this month, there were some who expressed disappointment at going back to the same team they ended last year with, but proving you have improved is a great way to minimize your time there. Here is a look at a few former G'stros who are making the most of their repeats.
Jose Altuve - Lancaster - After hitting .276 in the last 31 games of the '10 season, and then tearing up the LVBP in his native Venezuela in winter ball, there were expectations Jose would be at AA. He is showing he is ready for a higher level of play with his hot start in Lancaster. Through his first 10 games, he is hitting .378 with 5 extra base hits and 5 for 6 stolen bases.
Jay Austin - Lancaster - Jay was one of the youngest players in the California League last year. He struggled some, hitting .261 and his OBP was lower than expected at .314. Through 10 games, Jay is hitting .341 and his OBP has jumped to .438. One of the most exciting things to see on his stat sheet is the 7 walks in 41 AB he has already taken this season. He only took 39 in 532 AB last season. He still won't be 21 until August so he is still relatively young for the league.
Brad Dydalewicz - Lexington - He was successful here in 2009, but 2010 was rough. He struggled first at Lancaster and then struggled more after he was sent back to Lexington. Three years in the same uni is never good. Brad is trying to minimize his time in Lexington this season with two solid starts so far in 2011. His sample size is small but there is some hope there.
J. D. Martinez - Corpus Christi - J. D. jumped from Lexington to Corpus last year for the last 50 games. He made contact (.302 average) but his power dropped hitting only 13 extra base hits in that span. After some time in big league spring training, he is back with the Hooks and is showing growth. He has a hit in each of his first nine games and six of his 13 hits are of the extra base variety. He is tied for the league lead with 15 RBIs.
Jiovanni Mier - Lexington - Jio struggled with the adjustment to Lexington last year. He hit only .235 and saw his OPS drop to .637. After gaining back 20 lbs. and working on his mental approach, he is off to a solid start in Lexington this season. After hitting his first HR last night, his average is sitting at .300 and his OPS is a solid .914.
Wlad Sutil - Corpus Christi - You never want to be a player who earns the title of "First player to play in 300 games" for any minor league team. Wlad earned that title earlier this week during his 3rd season with the Hooks. He got a chance at AAA last season but ended the year back at CC. This season he is there again but he is not letting anyone ignore his play. With 17 hits in his first 9 games, he is hitting .436 and is getting on base at a .500 clip. For a player who is know for his glove first, this is an eye opening start to his season.
Jose Altuve - Lancaster - After hitting .276 in the last 31 games of the '10 season, and then tearing up the LVBP in his native Venezuela in winter ball, there were expectations Jose would be at AA. He is showing he is ready for a higher level of play with his hot start in Lancaster. Through his first 10 games, he is hitting .378 with 5 extra base hits and 5 for 6 stolen bases.
Jay Austin - Lancaster - Jay was one of the youngest players in the California League last year. He struggled some, hitting .261 and his OBP was lower than expected at .314. Through 10 games, Jay is hitting .341 and his OBP has jumped to .438. One of the most exciting things to see on his stat sheet is the 7 walks in 41 AB he has already taken this season. He only took 39 in 532 AB last season. He still won't be 21 until August so he is still relatively young for the league.
Brad Dydalewicz - Lexington - He was successful here in 2009, but 2010 was rough. He struggled first at Lancaster and then struggled more after he was sent back to Lexington. Three years in the same uni is never good. Brad is trying to minimize his time in Lexington this season with two solid starts so far in 2011. His sample size is small but there is some hope there.
J. D. Martinez - Corpus Christi - J. D. jumped from Lexington to Corpus last year for the last 50 games. He made contact (.302 average) but his power dropped hitting only 13 extra base hits in that span. After some time in big league spring training, he is back with the Hooks and is showing growth. He has a hit in each of his first nine games and six of his 13 hits are of the extra base variety. He is tied for the league lead with 15 RBIs.
Jiovanni Mier - Lexington - Jio struggled with the adjustment to Lexington last year. He hit only .235 and saw his OPS drop to .637. After gaining back 20 lbs. and working on his mental approach, he is off to a solid start in Lexington this season. After hitting his first HR last night, his average is sitting at .300 and his OPS is a solid .914.
Wlad Sutil - Corpus Christi - You never want to be a player who earns the title of "First player to play in 300 games" for any minor league team. Wlad earned that title earlier this week during his 3rd season with the Hooks. He got a chance at AAA last season but ended the year back at CC. This season he is there again but he is not letting anyone ignore his play. With 17 hits in his first 9 games, he is hitting .436 and is getting on base at a .500 clip. For a player who is know for his glove first, this is an eye opening start to his season.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
What To Watch For In 2011 - Former G-Stros Outfield
Wrapping up our what to watch for series, we go to the expanse of the outfield. Here, we have several older players who are in other organizations now and a bunch of younger guys working their way to the top. Again the years they played in Greeneville, highest level and age on opening day will be in parenthesis.
Outfielders:
Jay Austin (2008 - High A - 20) - Austin was one of the youngest players both in the California League and in the Arizona Fall League. He showed the ability to adjust pretty well to the Cal. League but struggled in the AFL. He has seen alittle big league spring training action this year and even made the highlights once with his defense. Will he repeat high A or be moved on to AA? Can he use his speed to find more ways to reach base?
Brandon Barnes (2005,06 - AAA - 24) - Barnes keeps climbing the later as many of his peers fall to the side. In 2005, he played in the shadow of Eli Iorg & Josh Flores in Greeneville. Now, he is the only one left. Will his power hold up in the higher levels? Can he cut down on strikeouts? Will he be squeezed out playing time by the crush of OF in the system at the AA level?
Bryce Lane (2010 - High A - 21) Lane had a yo yo season last year. He started in Greeneville, was sent down to Gulf Coast League only to be promoted to High A Lancaster to finish the year. There, he found his groove and hit .356 in 15 games, with an OPS of over 1.000. Where will he start the season, Lex or Lancaster? Was his end of the year burst for real or just a flash in the pan?
J. D. Martinez (2009 - AA - 23) - Martinez's stock continues to rise. After skipping straight from low A to AA this year and continuing to hit over .300, he was invited to attend Major League Spring Training. He was slowed with a slight injury but was there primarily for the experience. At AAA, will he continue to show his solid average? Can his BB/SO rates hold up to more advance pitching? How will his power be after he suffered a bit of a power drop at AA? Will they experiment with him at first base any?
Telvin Nash (2010 - Rookie - 20) Nash was the 2010 MVP in Greeneville. He has raised some eyebrows in BP this spring with his power. That is by far the strongest (weak pun intended) part of this game. Can he improve his strike out rate? How much time does he have to improve his OF play before he is moved to 1B? How many HR will he his this year?
Others to watch:
Grant Hogue (2009 - Low A - 24) Can he make it to AA before the year is out? Will younger prospects block his movement?
Emilio King (2010- Rookie - 21) Will he repeat Greeneville or land higher? Can he bring his hitting up to the level of his defense? How will teams respect the arm of a guy who had 14 OF assist in just 148 chances?
Jordan Parraz (2004 - AAA - 26) Will he get a chance to play in a big league game this year? After being in 4 organizations in his career, how long will he be with the Yankees?
Beau Torbert (2004 - AAA - 27) Will he stick with the Braves organization or be released from spring training?
Will They Make It Out Of Spring Training?
Ryan Humphrey (2009 - Rookie - 22)
Wilton Infante (2008, 09 - SS A - 23)
Renzo Tello (2008 - Low A - 23)
Outfielders:
Jay Austin (2008 - High A - 20) - Austin was one of the youngest players both in the California League and in the Arizona Fall League. He showed the ability to adjust pretty well to the Cal. League but struggled in the AFL. He has seen alittle big league spring training action this year and even made the highlights once with his defense. Will he repeat high A or be moved on to AA? Can he use his speed to find more ways to reach base?
Brandon Barnes (2005,06 - AAA - 24) - Barnes keeps climbing the later as many of his peers fall to the side. In 2005, he played in the shadow of Eli Iorg & Josh Flores in Greeneville. Now, he is the only one left. Will his power hold up in the higher levels? Can he cut down on strikeouts? Will he be squeezed out playing time by the crush of OF in the system at the AA level?
Bryce Lane (2010 - High A - 21) Lane had a yo yo season last year. He started in Greeneville, was sent down to Gulf Coast League only to be promoted to High A Lancaster to finish the year. There, he found his groove and hit .356 in 15 games, with an OPS of over 1.000. Where will he start the season, Lex or Lancaster? Was his end of the year burst for real or just a flash in the pan?
J. D. Martinez (2009 - AA - 23) - Martinez's stock continues to rise. After skipping straight from low A to AA this year and continuing to hit over .300, he was invited to attend Major League Spring Training. He was slowed with a slight injury but was there primarily for the experience. At AAA, will he continue to show his solid average? Can his BB/SO rates hold up to more advance pitching? How will his power be after he suffered a bit of a power drop at AA? Will they experiment with him at first base any?
Telvin Nash (2010 - Rookie - 20) Nash was the 2010 MVP in Greeneville. He has raised some eyebrows in BP this spring with his power. That is by far the strongest (weak pun intended) part of this game. Can he improve his strike out rate? How much time does he have to improve his OF play before he is moved to 1B? How many HR will he his this year?
Others to watch:
Grant Hogue (2009 - Low A - 24) Can he make it to AA before the year is out? Will younger prospects block his movement?
Emilio King (2010- Rookie - 21) Will he repeat Greeneville or land higher? Can he bring his hitting up to the level of his defense? How will teams respect the arm of a guy who had 14 OF assist in just 148 chances?
Jordan Parraz (2004 - AAA - 26) Will he get a chance to play in a big league game this year? After being in 4 organizations in his career, how long will he be with the Yankees?
Beau Torbert (2004 - AAA - 27) Will he stick with the Braves organization or be released from spring training?
Will They Make It Out Of Spring Training?
Ryan Humphrey (2009 - Rookie - 22)
Wilton Infante (2008, 09 - SS A - 23)
Renzo Tello (2008 - Low A - 23)
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?
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Another Top 10, Scouting Jordan Lyles, Going to Camp, & More
A great deal has been going on with former Greeneville Astros over the past week or so. I have not been able to keep up with getting it up here. Let's do some catching up.
The Hardball Times Top 10
Top 10 list continue to come out. The most recent one is from the folks at The Hardball Times. With six former G-Stros, their top 10 contains the most former G-Stros of any list so far. Here is their list:
1. Jordan Lyles ('08)
2. Jio Mier ('09)
3. Delino Deshields ('10)
4. Mike Foltynewicz ('10)
5. Tanner Bushue
6. Jonathon Villar
7. Jimmy Parades
8. Austin Wates
9. J. D. Martinez ('09)
10. Jay Austin ('08)
Don't forget the combined top 10 list spreed sheet I have compiled here.
What folks are saying about Jordan Lyles
Jordan Lyles is the clear #1 prospect in the Astros organization. He is regularly seen as one of the top 50 prospects in all of Minor League Baseball. One list even had him as high as #3. AstroAndy over at The Crawfish Boxes, has compiled a compilation of all the scouting reports on Jordan Lyles. So if you have any questions about what he throws, that is a great one stop place to check.
Spring Training Invites
While getting the call up to the big leagues is the ultimate call up, getting to go to big league spring training is an honor as well. This year, several former Greeneville Astros will be in big league camp in Kissimmee in a few weeks. Last week, 10 minor leaguers were invited to spend camp with the big boys. Six of those minor league players are former G-Stros. They are:
Koby Clemens (05)
Rene Garcia (08)
Jordan Lyles (08)
Jio Mier (09)
J. D. Martinez (09)
Patrick Urckfitz (08)
The only one that was a total surprise was Jio Mier since he is possibly going to repeat low A ball in Lexington this year. It was explained that his inclusion was due to a contractual agreement.
The rational behind these young guys going to big league camp was explained by Astros General Manager Ed Wade:
Fernando Abad (07)
Jorge De Leon (08)
Arcenio Leon (07-08)
Henry Villar (08)
J.R. Towles (04)
That makes 13 of the 62 players on the spring roster are former G-Stros.
Last Link - Jermaine Cotton is keeping fit playing winter ball in his native St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. The paper thinks he played last year in South Carolina and not Tennessee. I would be willing to go set them straight on the geography, if someone would finance a trip for me to the Virgin Islands. Tough job but someone needs to do it. Jermaine did capture the small town feel of Greeneville well.
The Hardball Times Top 10
Top 10 list continue to come out. The most recent one is from the folks at The Hardball Times. With six former G-Stros, their top 10 contains the most former G-Stros of any list so far. Here is their list:
1. Jordan Lyles ('08)
2. Jio Mier ('09)
3. Delino Deshields ('10)
4. Mike Foltynewicz ('10)
5. Tanner Bushue
6. Jonathon Villar
7. Jimmy Parades
8. Austin Wates
9. J. D. Martinez ('09)
10. Jay Austin ('08)
Don't forget the combined top 10 list spreed sheet I have compiled here.
What folks are saying about Jordan Lyles
Jordan Lyles is the clear #1 prospect in the Astros organization. He is regularly seen as one of the top 50 prospects in all of Minor League Baseball. One list even had him as high as #3. AstroAndy over at The Crawfish Boxes, has compiled a compilation of all the scouting reports on Jordan Lyles. So if you have any questions about what he throws, that is a great one stop place to check.
Spring Training Invites
While getting the call up to the big leagues is the ultimate call up, getting to go to big league spring training is an honor as well. This year, several former Greeneville Astros will be in big league camp in Kissimmee in a few weeks. Last week, 10 minor leaguers were invited to spend camp with the big boys. Six of those minor league players are former G-Stros. They are:
Koby Clemens (05)
Rene Garcia (08)
Jordan Lyles (08)
Jio Mier (09)
J. D. Martinez (09)
Patrick Urckfitz (08)
The only one that was a total surprise was Jio Mier since he is possibly going to repeat low A ball in Lexington this year. It was explained that his inclusion was due to a contractual agreement.
The rational behind these young guys going to big league camp was explained by Astros General Manager Ed Wade:
These six will be joining former G-Stros Douglas Arguello (04) & Sammy Gervacio (05) who had already received invites after signing new minor league contracts. Those who will be there as a part of the Astros 40 man roster include:“It gives these kids the chance to come in and see what the atmosphere is like on the big league side,” Wade said. “And it gives Millsie and the coaches the chance to see some of the guys we talk about a lot.
“And frankly, it allows us to show that we’re making progress in player development.”
Fernando Abad (07)
Jorge De Leon (08)
Arcenio Leon (07-08)
Henry Villar (08)
J.R. Towles (04)
That makes 13 of the 62 players on the spring roster are former G-Stros.
Last Link - Jermaine Cotton is keeping fit playing winter ball in his native St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. The paper thinks he played last year in South Carolina and not Tennessee. I would be willing to go set them straight on the geography, if someone would finance a trip for me to the Virgin Islands. Tough job but someone needs to do it. Jermaine did capture the small town feel of Greeneville well.
"Basically, there's not a whole lot else to do in Greeneville," Cotton said this week. "It's sleep, eat and baseball."
Friday, January 7, 2011
Baseball America's Top 10 Full of Former Greeneville Astros
Baseball America released their Astros' Top 10 Prospects today. Five out of the six top ranked players were former G-Stros!
Here is the list with the year they played for Greeneville in parenthesis, along with any other accolades BA gave them:
Villar & Paredes joined the Astros organization via trades this year. Buchue was a 2009 draft pick who jumped from the GCL to Lexington, bypassing Greeneville. Wates was a 2010 draftee out of Virginia Tech who started at Tri Cities. Ovando is a young Dominican prospect who was signed this summer for over 2 million dollars. I hope he makes his debut this summer in Greeneville.
Other former G-Stros listed among the best of the organization include:
Telvin Nash - best power
R. J. Alaniz - best curveball
Roberto Pena - best defensive catcher
I have created a google docs spread sheet that combines all the top prospect list I come across. You can access it at this link. Those on the spread sheet highlighted in green & bolded spent some time in Greeneville.
Here is the list with the year they played for Greeneville in parenthesis, along with any other accolades BA gave them:
| 1. | Jordan Lyles, rhp (2008) - best slider, best change, best control |
| 2. | Delino DeShields Jr., of/2b (2010) - fastest base runner, best athlete |
| 3. | Jonathan Villar, ss |
| 4. | Mike Foltynewicz, rhp (2010) - best fastball |
| 5. | Jio Mier, ss (2009) |
| 6. | J.D. Martinez, of (2009) - best hitter for average |
| 7. | Jimmy Paredes, inf |
| 8. | Tanner Bushue, rhp |
| 9. | Austin Wates, of |
| 10. | Ariel Ovando, of |
Villar & Paredes joined the Astros organization via trades this year. Buchue was a 2009 draft pick who jumped from the GCL to Lexington, bypassing Greeneville. Wates was a 2010 draftee out of Virginia Tech who started at Tri Cities. Ovando is a young Dominican prospect who was signed this summer for over 2 million dollars. I hope he makes his debut this summer in Greeneville.
Other former G-Stros listed among the best of the organization include:
Telvin Nash - best power
R. J. Alaniz - best curveball
Roberto Pena - best defensive catcher
I have created a google docs spread sheet that combines all the top prospect list I come across. You can access it at this link. Those on the spread sheet highlighted in green & bolded spent some time in Greeneville.
Monday, December 13, 2010
USA Today Likes Four Former Greeneville Astros
USA Today is out with their organization report for the Astros. It is not too bad other than the editor goof of the heading "where the Royals stand at each position". When they list the five prospects to watch, four of them played in Greeneville in the last three years. Just another indication of the recent depth added to the farm system by Ed Wade & company.
Here is what they say about the former G-Stros:
Meanwhile, Koby Clemens gets Boston love.
Power is not what comes to mind when I think about Brandon Inge. It's the baggy jersey.
Here is what they say about the former G-Stros:
•RHP Lyles: Lyles, who stands 6-4, was 7-9 with a 3.12 ERA and a better than 3-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio at Class AA Corpus Christi (Texas) last season. He had six starts at Class AAA (0-3, 5.40 ERA), and Wade says he'll have a chance to win the fifth-starter's job in spring training.
•2B-OF Delino DeShields Jr.: Taken out of high school with the eighth overall pick in June's draft, DeShields has the speed you'd expect from the son of someone who stole 463 bases in the majors. DeShields, 18, has a bit more power than his father did. The Astros are converting him from outfielder to second baseman.
•OF J.D. Martinez: The Astros' minor league player of the year in 2010, Martinez hit a combined .341 with 18 homers and 89 RBI in low-A and AA, mostly as a 22-year-old.
"He has a chance to be a real solid big-leaguer for a long time," Wade says.
•RHP Mike Foltynewicz: The Illinois high school star was the Astros' first-round compensation pick in June (19th overall) for losing reliever Jose Valverde to the Detroit Tigers as a free agent.
Foltynewicz, 19, can touch 96 mph with his fastball and also has a good changeup. He started 12 games for an Astros rookie-level team and went 0-3 with a 4.03 ERA, but he has the mechanics and the arm to move quickly through the system.
Meanwhile, Koby Clemens gets Boston love.
Koby Clemens, 1B, Astros farm system — Nobody took him in the Rule 5 draft, but that wasn’t surprising. The 24-year-old Clemens hit 26 homers and knocked in 85 runs while hitting .241 at Double A, but he struck out 143 times in 452 at-bats. Astros manager Brad Mills raved about him, though. “I saw him hit a home run through this incredibly stiff wind during an intrasquad game at spring training last year,’’ Mills said. “He’s got power.’’ Clemens played first base last season for the first time after being used as catcher/third baseman. The Astros still believe he can be a Brandon Inge type of player and he will get to play at Triple A in 2011.
Power is not what comes to mind when I think about Brandon Inge. It's the baggy jersey.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Niddifer Heads Back To Lex, J. D. Gets More Hardware & Devon Torrance Update
Marcus Niddifer went to college in Lexington at the University of Kentucky. Now it looks like he might become the first former UK player to wear the L2 of the Legends. The UK athletics blog published a story on him this week. Here are the highlights:
On the move from catcher to first:
On the pride the UK coaches take in Marcus' success:
His assessment of Niddifer's character was shared by those around the team here in Greeneville as well. He appeared to be a genuinely good teammate and person.
More Hardware for J. D.
In other news from Lexington, the Lexington Herald Leader is reporting that J. D. Martinez has been awarded a George M. Trautman Award as South Atlantic League Player of the Year. This award is given by the Topps baseball card company. If I am not mistaken, he is the first Astros farm hand to win a Trautman since Mitch Einertson did it back in 2004.
Devon Torrence Update
It looks like the move to pause his minor league career and focus on Ohio State football is working out pretty well for Torrence. The Morning Journal had this feature on him recently. The main gist is that he is getting better as a corner back and hoping he can get a shot at the NFL. He indicates the door isn't closed on baseball but it sounds like a fall back in stead of plan A. I am sure struggling for two years in the Appy might have played a role in that line of thinking.
On the move from catcher to first:
"I tell you what, playing first base is a lot easier on your body," Nidiffer said. "I feel fresh every day. It's not as much wear and tear on your body like catching is. Catching is just a whole different position, a whole different mindset. At first base you may get a groundball every four innings and catching you're in every pitch. It certainly makes hitting a lot easier."
On the pride the UK coaches take in Marcus' success:
"A lot of us get a lot of pride in seeing Marcus be successful," UK assistant coach and offensive coordinator Brian Green said. "Marcus and I had a really special relationship and watching him do what he did in the minor leagues was really enjoyable for me. Marcus deserves to be successful, he is a good person, he was a great Wildcat and he was a leader. He showed up every day, he played hurt, he gave it his all on a daily basis. I wasn't surprised, but at the same time I was. I was fired up to see him do what he did."
His assessment of Niddifer's character was shared by those around the team here in Greeneville as well. He appeared to be a genuinely good teammate and person.
More Hardware for J. D.
In other news from Lexington, the Lexington Herald Leader is reporting that J. D. Martinez has been awarded a George M. Trautman Award as South Atlantic League Player of the Year. This award is given by the Topps baseball card company. If I am not mistaken, he is the first Astros farm hand to win a Trautman since Mitch Einertson did it back in 2004.
Devon Torrence Update
It looks like the move to pause his minor league career and focus on Ohio State football is working out pretty well for Torrence. The Morning Journal had this feature on him recently. The main gist is that he is getting better as a corner back and hoping he can get a shot at the NFL. He indicates the door isn't closed on baseball but it sounds like a fall back in stead of plan A. I am sure struggling for two years in the Appy might have played a role in that line of thinking.
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