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 Streilein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Streilein. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2012
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
2010 Greeneville Astros Progress Reports
This wraps up the progress reports of former G-Stros for this off season. It's only been a year but lets look at the progress made by the 2010 G-Stros. Thirty nine players spent time in Greeneville playing in 2010. Twenty six of those players were playing affiliated ball in 2011 for 66%.
Let's look at how high they climbed. They are listed by the highest level they appeared in and the percentage by each level is out of the full roster.
AA (1 - 3%)
Chris Wallace started the year in Low A Lexington but was double promoted to AA Corpus Christi to finish out the year. With him turning 23 years of age in April and him having solid success in Lexington, it was not surprising the Astros challenged him by putting him on a fast track. Wallace hit .244 in 36 games in AA. he also found out that base runners were better there. He only threw out 10% of attempted stolen bases. Wallace spent part of the fall in instructionals.
High A (2 - 5%)
Bryce Lane spent most of the season in Lexington but did appear in Lancaster for five games during the year. He was hit less during his stint in Lancaster and hit .222 in 67 games in Lexington. He will be 22 when spring training begins.
Hector Rodriguez bounced around three levels this year. He started in Lancaster, then was sent to Tri Cities and finished the year in Lexington. He never got much consistent playing time in those stops appearing in only 35 games through the year. He combined to hit just .163 on the season. He will be 22 when spring training rolls around.
Low A (13- 33%)
Ruben Alaniz had an inconsistent year in Lexington. He had a rough April, sporting a 8.78 ERA after the first month of the season. However in June, he sported a solid 2.28 ERA. Overall, he finished with a 4.44 ERA in 27 games (21 starts). He fanned 96 batters in 115 2/3 innings pitched. He gave up 11 home runs, with only four in the second half of the season. He earned an invite to instructionals. Alaniz will be 20 when he reports to spring training.
Garrett Bullock see 2009 write up.
Jeiler Castillo see 2008 write up.
Delino Deshields Jr. only appeared in 16 games in 2010 for Greeneville. However, he was impressive in those games as just a 17 year old. This year, as he continued to make the transition to becoming a second baseman, he struggled in the first half of the year hitting just .197 before the All Star break. DeShields had a great July (.320) and finished the second half of the season with a respectable .242 average. His power dropped in the second half but his on base percentage climbed. All promising signs for a young man who won't turn 20 until next August. He got a bit of extra work in this fall in instructionals.
Mike Foltynewicz appeared to run out of gas as the long Sally League season of bus trips ground to an end. After keeping his ERA in the upper three and low four range for May, June & July; it jumped to the seven and eight range for August and September. He was on the instructional league roster. He is still seen as a top prospect and will just be 20 when next season begins.
Gabriel Garcia pitched out of the pen in 31 games for the Legends. Garcia struck out 68 batters in 69 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA was 3.76 on the season. He is pitching in his home country for Winter Ball and through his first 11 appearances in the Dominican League, he is sporting a 2.84 ERA. He will still be 22 when next season rolls around.
Emilio King had a break out year in Lexington. In Greeneville, he showed good defense with a great arm but very little with the bat. In 2011, he hit .293 and 34 of his 106 hits went for extra bases. He also had 14 outfield assist on the year. King will be 22 at the start of spring training.
Ryan McCurdy appeared in just one game for Lexington. He spent most of his season in TriCities. There he hit .324 which is an impressive jump from the .148 combined between Greeneville & TriCities in 2010. He will turn 24 in December.
Jhonny Medrano hit .203 in 60 games for the Legends this season. He is a minor league free agent and will likely not be playing affiliated ball next season. Injuries limited his potential.
Telvin Nash got his 2011 season of to a bang with an impressive April where he hit .310 with an OPS of .997 but then broke the hamate bone in his hand and missed all of May and almost but three games of June. In the second half, Nash was okay but not as spectacular as his April. He finished the year with a .269 average and a .858 OPS in Lexington. It is expected that recovery from a hamate fracture can take some time to recover hand strength so we have to take that into account. Nash has very good power. Of his 72 hits this season in Lexington, 30 of them were for extra bases. Here is a video of his power stroke. He will need to cut down on the strike outs as he continues to climb up the ladder. He also was learning a new position this year, playing 37 games at 1st base. He got some extra work in at instructionals. Nash will turn 21 just before spring training begins.
Marcus Nidiffer was released by the Astros and subsequently signed by the Angels organization. They moved him back to catcher and he hit .230 for Cedar Rapids this year. He threw out 29% of potential base stealers. He will be 25 when spring training opens.
Roberto Pena was impressive behind the plate in Lexington this season. He threw out 39% of the potential base burglars. He wasn't as impressive at the plate, hitting just .217 but showed improvement over his numbers in Greeneville last year. He is seen as a solid catching prospect by the Astros as evidenced by them sending him for a brief stint in the Arizona Fall League. He was also in instructionals. Pena won't turn 20 until June of next year.
Brian Streinlein appeared in 40 games for the Legends and amassed a 3.99 ERA. Streinlein will be 24 when spring training begins.
Tri Cities (6 - 15%)
Ryan Cole finished 22 of the 26 games he appeared in for the ValleyCats. He was credited with 10 saves. He will be 24 when pitchers report to spring training.
Jermaine Cotton started 2011 in Greeneville in the bullpen. However, he was moved into the starting rotation and was solid there. He was promoted to Tri Cities and finished the year with a 3.68 ERA in five starts for the ValleyCats. He earned an invitation to fall instructional league. He will be 21 when next season begins.
Euris Quezada is a big righty who when he has his control is fun to watch. for the ValleyCats this year, sometime he had it, some times he didn't. He was shut down after just one start in August. He finished the year with a 6.95 ERA with 24 Ks and 24 BB in 33 2/3 IP. He will turn 23 next April.
Travis Smink appeared in 23 games for the ValleyCats this season. He amassed a 4.37 ERA in 45 1/3 IP. He will turn 25 shortly after the 2012 season begins.
Rafael Valenzuela continues to show he can hit. After being injured for much of the first half of the season, he reported to Tri Cities and hit .316 in 31 games for the ValleyCats. The non drafted free agent will be 24 when spring training begins.
Bubby Williams see 2009 write up.
Greeneville (2 - 5%)
Richardo Batista the lefty returned to Greeneville for the 2011 season and showed improvement. He finished the season strong with a 3.57 ERA for the month of August. During that month, opponents hit just .192 off of him. During August he also struck out 20 batters in 22 1/2 innings but he also walked 18. He was invited to instructionals. He will still be 20 when next season begins.
Rodney Quintero returned to Greeneville for the 2011 season. He struck out 32 batters in 28 2/3 IP out of the pen. Even though the numbers aren't great, he was invited to fall instructional league. He will turn 22 before pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Injury/DL (2- 5%)
Vincent Velasquez and Jonathon Merritt both spent their year rehabbing from injuries. Velasquez was on the instructional league roster.
I expect the number of active players to drop pretty heavily next year with the large number of guys already in the 24 to 25 range in this group.
Let's look at how high they climbed. They are listed by the highest level they appeared in and the percentage by each level is out of the full roster.
AA (1 - 3%)
Chris Wallace started the year in Low A Lexington but was double promoted to AA Corpus Christi to finish out the year. With him turning 23 years of age in April and him having solid success in Lexington, it was not surprising the Astros challenged him by putting him on a fast track. Wallace hit .244 in 36 games in AA. he also found out that base runners were better there. He only threw out 10% of attempted stolen bases. Wallace spent part of the fall in instructionals.
High A (2 - 5%)
Bryce Lane spent most of the season in Lexington but did appear in Lancaster for five games during the year. He was hit less during his stint in Lancaster and hit .222 in 67 games in Lexington. He will be 22 when spring training begins.
Hector Rodriguez bounced around three levels this year. He started in Lancaster, then was sent to Tri Cities and finished the year in Lexington. He never got much consistent playing time in those stops appearing in only 35 games through the year. He combined to hit just .163 on the season. He will be 22 when spring training rolls around.
Low A (13- 33%)
Ruben Alaniz had an inconsistent year in Lexington. He had a rough April, sporting a 8.78 ERA after the first month of the season. However in June, he sported a solid 2.28 ERA. Overall, he finished with a 4.44 ERA in 27 games (21 starts). He fanned 96 batters in 115 2/3 innings pitched. He gave up 11 home runs, with only four in the second half of the season. He earned an invite to instructionals. Alaniz will be 20 when he reports to spring training.
Garrett Bullock see 2009 write up.
Jeiler Castillo see 2008 write up.
Delino Deshields Jr. only appeared in 16 games in 2010 for Greeneville. However, he was impressive in those games as just a 17 year old. This year, as he continued to make the transition to becoming a second baseman, he struggled in the first half of the year hitting just .197 before the All Star break. DeShields had a great July (.320) and finished the second half of the season with a respectable .242 average. His power dropped in the second half but his on base percentage climbed. All promising signs for a young man who won't turn 20 until next August. He got a bit of extra work in this fall in instructionals.
Mike Foltynewicz appeared to run out of gas as the long Sally League season of bus trips ground to an end. After keeping his ERA in the upper three and low four range for May, June & July; it jumped to the seven and eight range for August and September. He was on the instructional league roster. He is still seen as a top prospect and will just be 20 when next season begins.
Gabriel Garcia pitched out of the pen in 31 games for the Legends. Garcia struck out 68 batters in 69 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA was 3.76 on the season. He is pitching in his home country for Winter Ball and through his first 11 appearances in the Dominican League, he is sporting a 2.84 ERA. He will still be 22 when next season rolls around.
Emilio King had a break out year in Lexington. In Greeneville, he showed good defense with a great arm but very little with the bat. In 2011, he hit .293 and 34 of his 106 hits went for extra bases. He also had 14 outfield assist on the year. King will be 22 at the start of spring training.
Ryan McCurdy appeared in just one game for Lexington. He spent most of his season in TriCities. There he hit .324 which is an impressive jump from the .148 combined between Greeneville & TriCities in 2010. He will turn 24 in December.
Jhonny Medrano hit .203 in 60 games for the Legends this season. He is a minor league free agent and will likely not be playing affiliated ball next season. Injuries limited his potential.
Telvin Nash got his 2011 season of to a bang with an impressive April where he hit .310 with an OPS of .997 but then broke the hamate bone in his hand and missed all of May and almost but three games of June. In the second half, Nash was okay but not as spectacular as his April. He finished the year with a .269 average and a .858 OPS in Lexington. It is expected that recovery from a hamate fracture can take some time to recover hand strength so we have to take that into account. Nash has very good power. Of his 72 hits this season in Lexington, 30 of them were for extra bases. Here is a video of his power stroke. He will need to cut down on the strike outs as he continues to climb up the ladder. He also was learning a new position this year, playing 37 games at 1st base. He got some extra work in at instructionals. Nash will turn 21 just before spring training begins.
Marcus Nidiffer was released by the Astros and subsequently signed by the Angels organization. They moved him back to catcher and he hit .230 for Cedar Rapids this year. He threw out 29% of potential base stealers. He will be 25 when spring training opens.
Roberto Pena was impressive behind the plate in Lexington this season. He threw out 39% of the potential base burglars. He wasn't as impressive at the plate, hitting just .217 but showed improvement over his numbers in Greeneville last year. He is seen as a solid catching prospect by the Astros as evidenced by them sending him for a brief stint in the Arizona Fall League. He was also in instructionals. Pena won't turn 20 until June of next year.
Brian Streinlein appeared in 40 games for the Legends and amassed a 3.99 ERA. Streinlein will be 24 when spring training begins.
Tri Cities (6 - 15%)
Ryan Cole finished 22 of the 26 games he appeared in for the ValleyCats. He was credited with 10 saves. He will be 24 when pitchers report to spring training.
Jermaine Cotton started 2011 in Greeneville in the bullpen. However, he was moved into the starting rotation and was solid there. He was promoted to Tri Cities and finished the year with a 3.68 ERA in five starts for the ValleyCats. He earned an invitation to fall instructional league. He will be 21 when next season begins.
Euris Quezada is a big righty who when he has his control is fun to watch. for the ValleyCats this year, sometime he had it, some times he didn't. He was shut down after just one start in August. He finished the year with a 6.95 ERA with 24 Ks and 24 BB in 33 2/3 IP. He will turn 23 next April.
Travis Smink appeared in 23 games for the ValleyCats this season. He amassed a 4.37 ERA in 45 1/3 IP. He will turn 25 shortly after the 2012 season begins.
Rafael Valenzuela continues to show he can hit. After being injured for much of the first half of the season, he reported to Tri Cities and hit .316 in 31 games for the ValleyCats. The non drafted free agent will be 24 when spring training begins.
Bubby Williams see 2009 write up.
Greeneville (2 - 5%)
Richardo Batista the lefty returned to Greeneville for the 2011 season and showed improvement. He finished the season strong with a 3.57 ERA for the month of August. During that month, opponents hit just .192 off of him. During August he also struck out 20 batters in 22 1/2 innings but he also walked 18. He was invited to instructionals. He will still be 20 when next season begins.
Rodney Quintero returned to Greeneville for the 2011 season. He struck out 32 batters in 28 2/3 IP out of the pen. Even though the numbers aren't great, he was invited to fall instructional league. He will turn 22 before pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Injury/DL (2- 5%)
Vincent Velasquez and Jonathon Merritt both spent their year rehabbing from injuries. Velasquez was on the instructional league roster.
I expect the number of active players to drop pretty heavily next year with the large number of guys already in the 24 to 25 range in this group.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Wet Trip To Lexington & the End of the Season
Took a road trip with the family to Lexington to try to catch the last two games of the season. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. I got to spend about 4 hours at Whitaker Bank Ballpark but didn't get to see any baseball. However, their grounds crew pulled the tarp impressively.
Sunday night was rained out and they planned a double header to start at 11:00 on Monday. Monday, we were able to chat with a few players while waiting out the rain delay. For guys who are away from home, sometimes a familiar face can make them smile. Several of the former G'ville players recognized us and chatted. We chatted about the weather and how their seasons had gone. We talked about home. One of the players heading to instructs said he was going to get 12 days at home before he had to report. He was trilled with the idea of time at home.
However, as a family, we had decided that 2:30 would be our departure time for G-ville. Sure enough, 1st pitch of the double header was shortly after 2:30 PM. We were already on the road and were able to listen to a few of the innings via radio.
When I got home, I hated we had to leave. The box score showed a good showing by former G-Stros in the double header sweep. In game 1, Hector Rodriquez went 1-2 with an RBI, Emilio King went 1 for 3 with an RBI and Jorge De Leon got his 16th save. In game 2, former G-Stros accounted for all three RBI (King, Nash & Sosa), the win (Alaniz), a hold (Gouvea) and the save (Streinlein).
Thanks to Ryan (@eFIVE Tweets) for all his help during the trip. It is great that you can travel to an unfamiliar place and have some one who makes sure you have a great time regardless of the weather.
Hopefully next season we can make a visit for an actual game.
The End of the Season
Baseball America today put the end of the season well:
The Legends were supposed to have a 12:00 start time on Sunday. Those driving home could have been on the road by 4:00. Several of those flying had 5:30 fights. Due to having to play both halves of the double header, their plans changed. By the time they played both games, it was after 6:30. Some were frustrated by the events. Yet, several of the players still took time out to talk to fans. My son left with a few extra souvenirs. He also got to spend time with some guys who put their frustrations aside to make an 11 year olds day. So today we give a special thank you to Hector Rodriguez, Domingo Santana, Ben Heath, and Jhonny Medrano for going above and beyond on a cold wet day when their thoughts were on home.
Sunday night was rained out and they planned a double header to start at 11:00 on Monday. Monday, we were able to chat with a few players while waiting out the rain delay. For guys who are away from home, sometimes a familiar face can make them smile. Several of the former G'ville players recognized us and chatted. We chatted about the weather and how their seasons had gone. We talked about home. One of the players heading to instructs said he was going to get 12 days at home before he had to report. He was trilled with the idea of time at home.
However, as a family, we had decided that 2:30 would be our departure time for G-ville. Sure enough, 1st pitch of the double header was shortly after 2:30 PM. We were already on the road and were able to listen to a few of the innings via radio.
When I got home, I hated we had to leave. The box score showed a good showing by former G-Stros in the double header sweep. In game 1, Hector Rodriquez went 1-2 with an RBI, Emilio King went 1 for 3 with an RBI and Jorge De Leon got his 16th save. In game 2, former G-Stros accounted for all three RBI (King, Nash & Sosa), the win (Alaniz), a hold (Gouvea) and the save (Streinlein).
Thanks to Ryan (@eFIVE Tweets) for all his help during the trip. It is great that you can travel to an unfamiliar place and have some one who makes sure you have a great time regardless of the weather.
Hopefully next season we can make a visit for an actual game.
The End of the Season
Baseball America today put the end of the season well:
The final day of a minor league season feels a whole lot like the last day of the year at a college.The Legends had last place locked up, to them the games were meaningless. However, they impacted the standings and the league office said they must be played. Sometimes those of us who follow minor league baseball forget these players are humans with families and friends they miss. There is nothing worse that expecting to be home by a certain time and getting delayed. It doesn't matter if that delay is via travel conditions, weather, demanding bosses or the league office saying you have to play a game.
Bags are packed, some parents are milling around to help load up cars. Goodbyes are given along with promises to keep in touch.
And the reality is that some of the players heading home may never be back. For six months, a baseball team is a large family. They travel together, eat together and spend hours wiling away the dead time before games or during rain delays. Then at the end of the season, everyone heads to their respective homes. Some will be back together again next year. But others will be traded, or sign elsewhere as minor league free agents, or get released.
It makes for one of the stranger days of the season. Players who have been grinding their way through a 140-game season and more than six months away from friends and family understandably are excited about the idea of heading home.
By an hour after the game, the bags are packed and the clubhouse is beginning to look like a ghost town. Players are used to traveling light, so with a couple of duffel bags and bat bags loaded up, most of them are ready to hit the road.
The Legends were supposed to have a 12:00 start time on Sunday. Those driving home could have been on the road by 4:00. Several of those flying had 5:30 fights. Due to having to play both halves of the double header, their plans changed. By the time they played both games, it was after 6:30. Some were frustrated by the events. Yet, several of the players still took time out to talk to fans. My son left with a few extra souvenirs. He also got to spend time with some guys who put their frustrations aside to make an 11 year olds day. So today we give a special thank you to Hector Rodriguez, Domingo Santana, Ben Heath, and Jhonny Medrano for going above and beyond on a cold wet day when their thoughts were on home.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Season Recap - The Bullpen
Here is the final installment for the 2010 Season Recap. Let's look at the lovable guys who sit down the right field line at Pioneer Park and try to lure unsuspecting kids into trying to drop a quarter into a cup for a scuffed up game ball. If a single ball is not enough, do it 3 times and you can get a broken bat. If these guys don't have a future in baseball, they might have a future in business or at least on the carnival circuit.
We will list the players by number of game appearances. I think you will notice a much older group of guys than when we looked at the other players.
The guys who were released (B. J. Hagan), promoted (Jack Frawly), demoted (Andrea Lucati) or signed too late in the year (Rodney Quintero) and didn't have more than a handful of appearances are not addressed here.
Ryan Cole appeared in 22 games out of the pen. He had a streak of 8 straight scoreless outings than spanned 12 2/3 IP and had 14 appearances where he didn't give up an earned run. He finished with a season ERA of 2.83 and 2 saves. He had the best WHIP among closers (1.06). His walk totals look high at eight in 35 IP but 4 of those were intentional passes. So 4 in 35 innings is a much truer picture of his control. With his age and his performance, I could see him in the pen in Lexington next season.
Garrett Bullock the lefty NDFA out of Wake Forest repeated at Greeneville this year and showed marked improvement. He lead the bullpen with 41 IP in 21 appearances. He was often the first guy out of the pen, but he did garner two saves. In 16 of his 21 appearances, he didn't allow an earned run. Bullock is able to keep runners close with an excellent pick off move that he refined to reduce the balks called on him. Bullock was too old for the Appy at 24. He was promoted to Tri Cities at the end of the season but didn't get to pitch. With his age, being a lefty with a good pick off move and his ability to keep the ball down (no home runs in a combined 62 1/3 IP for his career, I could see him landing in Lancaster next season but Lexington might be more likely.
Philip Rorabaugh is another NDFA who is in his second pro year. He pitched in the GCL in 09 and at 23 was at the top end of the age for the Appy League. Rorabaugh started the year okay but struggled with a rough stretch in July and 2 bad outings in August that left him with a 4.91 ERA for the year in his 21 appearances. If Rorabaugh is with the organization next season, he will likely be in Tri Cities for some additional depth.
Brian Streilein made his pro debut in Greeneville this year. The big righty appeared in 20 games covering 32 IP and was second on the team with 5 saves. He too had a large number of his walks accounted for with intentional passes (4 out of 8). Streilein was the closer at the end of the season and earned a brief appearance in Tri Cities. At 22 next season, I could see Streilein in Tri Cities working the late innings out of the pen.
Travis Smink returned to Pioneer Park this year and showed improvement. He was the closer to start the season. He got 5 saves out of his first 6 outings. There doesn't appear to be a reason why he stopped getting save opportunities as he continued to be effective through the end of July, giving up just 3 ER in 151/3 IP. But maybe the Astros coaching staff could see something we couldn't because in August, Smink struggled. After posting a 2.25 ERA in 9 outings in July, he put up a 5. 02 ERA in his 7 August outings. For the year, he finished with a 3.34 ERA and 6 saves. Look for Smink to be in Lexington next season.
Jeiler Castillo started the year on the Tri Cities roster but was sent back for his third year with the G-Stros shortly after the season began. He was a solid arm out of the pen pulling two 4 inning stints in long relief. He also spot started 2 games and closed out 4, getting the save in 1 of those. Heading into August, Castillo was putting together a solid season. Then the wheels came off starting on August 11th. Over his next 4 outings, he gave up 9 earned runs in just 3 innings pitched. His ERA for July had been 2.25 and for August it was 8.71. Castillo will turn 23 this off season, I expect him to be in Lexington if he is with the organization next year. Three seasons of short season ball should be sufficient.
Paul Gerrish started his pro career in Greeneville. The former Horned Frog, appeared in 14 games for the G-Stros with mixed results. He finished 6 games and got the save in 1 of those. He held opponents to no earned runs in half of his appearances. He finished with an ERA of 4.56 but he had good control numbers (4 walks in 23 2/3 IP- 1 IBB) and only 2 of the 32 hits he surrendered were doubles or homers. Of the 19 runs he surrendered 7 were unearned. I am not sure if he was more unlucky or ineffective. He finished the year with a great outing, facing the minimum in 3 1/3 IP while striking out 4. He is already 24 so his age is a factor here. Based on his numbers and his age, I expect him to be in Lexington next year.
Jamaine Cotton took the long way to get the Greeneville. He is from St. Thomas, VI but went to college at Western Oklahoma State. This was his second straight year to be drafted (Giants in 09) and the Astros were able to sign him as their 15th pick. Apparently, Jamaine is a man of few words and is still learning the art of pitching. He only appeared in 13 games accounting for only 14 IP. He didn't meet much success. The only exciting stat is that he had more than one strike out per inning. However, he got hit (28 in 14 IP) and hard too (3 HR). He also struggled with control (7 BB & 3 WP). He had already pitched over 60 innings when he got to Greeneville so we don't know how tired he was, that might be a factor here. Jarmaine will probably get a second year in Greeneville.
Justin Harper was the 17th pick of the 2009 draft by the Astros. He had been selected before (Marlins 31st round 07, Yankees 37th round 08) so there is something scouts like when they see Harper pitch. He made 11 appearances in Greeneville totaling all of 18 innings pitched. He only got 6 innings pitched in 2009. So we have a 2 year vet with only 24 IP. Not much of a sample to make much of an assessment. Especially when you consider that 7 of his 10 earned runs occurred in his first three outings. He will be 22 when the season opens next year. I expect he will return to Tri Cities to show continued improvement and to get a full short season of work in.
Assessment None of these guys jump out and scream top prospect. Most will probably be roster fillers for their careers but you never can tell when someone puts it all together and makes it to the show. All of these guys have a long road ahead of them to get to the show, but we are pulling for them to make it.
We will list the players by number of game appearances. I think you will notice a much older group of guys than when we looked at the other players.
The guys who were released (B. J. Hagan), promoted (Jack Frawly), demoted (Andrea Lucati) or signed too late in the year (Rodney Quintero) and didn't have more than a handful of appearances are not addressed here.
Ryan Cole appeared in 22 games out of the pen. He had a streak of 8 straight scoreless outings than spanned 12 2/3 IP and had 14 appearances where he didn't give up an earned run. He finished with a season ERA of 2.83 and 2 saves. He had the best WHIP among closers (1.06). His walk totals look high at eight in 35 IP but 4 of those were intentional passes. So 4 in 35 innings is a much truer picture of his control. With his age and his performance, I could see him in the pen in Lexington next season.
Garrett Bullock the lefty NDFA out of Wake Forest repeated at Greeneville this year and showed marked improvement. He lead the bullpen with 41 IP in 21 appearances. He was often the first guy out of the pen, but he did garner two saves. In 16 of his 21 appearances, he didn't allow an earned run. Bullock is able to keep runners close with an excellent pick off move that he refined to reduce the balks called on him. Bullock was too old for the Appy at 24. He was promoted to Tri Cities at the end of the season but didn't get to pitch. With his age, being a lefty with a good pick off move and his ability to keep the ball down (no home runs in a combined 62 1/3 IP for his career, I could see him landing in Lancaster next season but Lexington might be more likely.
Philip Rorabaugh is another NDFA who is in his second pro year. He pitched in the GCL in 09 and at 23 was at the top end of the age for the Appy League. Rorabaugh started the year okay but struggled with a rough stretch in July and 2 bad outings in August that left him with a 4.91 ERA for the year in his 21 appearances. If Rorabaugh is with the organization next season, he will likely be in Tri Cities for some additional depth.
Brian Streilein made his pro debut in Greeneville this year. The big righty appeared in 20 games covering 32 IP and was second on the team with 5 saves. He too had a large number of his walks accounted for with intentional passes (4 out of 8). Streilein was the closer at the end of the season and earned a brief appearance in Tri Cities. At 22 next season, I could see Streilein in Tri Cities working the late innings out of the pen.
Travis Smink returned to Pioneer Park this year and showed improvement. He was the closer to start the season. He got 5 saves out of his first 6 outings. There doesn't appear to be a reason why he stopped getting save opportunities as he continued to be effective through the end of July, giving up just 3 ER in 151/3 IP. But maybe the Astros coaching staff could see something we couldn't because in August, Smink struggled. After posting a 2.25 ERA in 9 outings in July, he put up a 5. 02 ERA in his 7 August outings. For the year, he finished with a 3.34 ERA and 6 saves. Look for Smink to be in Lexington next season.
Jeiler Castillo started the year on the Tri Cities roster but was sent back for his third year with the G-Stros shortly after the season began. He was a solid arm out of the pen pulling two 4 inning stints in long relief. He also spot started 2 games and closed out 4, getting the save in 1 of those. Heading into August, Castillo was putting together a solid season. Then the wheels came off starting on August 11th. Over his next 4 outings, he gave up 9 earned runs in just 3 innings pitched. His ERA for July had been 2.25 and for August it was 8.71. Castillo will turn 23 this off season, I expect him to be in Lexington if he is with the organization next year. Three seasons of short season ball should be sufficient.
Paul Gerrish started his pro career in Greeneville. The former Horned Frog, appeared in 14 games for the G-Stros with mixed results. He finished 6 games and got the save in 1 of those. He held opponents to no earned runs in half of his appearances. He finished with an ERA of 4.56 but he had good control numbers (4 walks in 23 2/3 IP- 1 IBB) and only 2 of the 32 hits he surrendered were doubles or homers. Of the 19 runs he surrendered 7 were unearned. I am not sure if he was more unlucky or ineffective. He finished the year with a great outing, facing the minimum in 3 1/3 IP while striking out 4. He is already 24 so his age is a factor here. Based on his numbers and his age, I expect him to be in Lexington next year.
Jamaine Cotton took the long way to get the Greeneville. He is from St. Thomas, VI but went to college at Western Oklahoma State. This was his second straight year to be drafted (Giants in 09) and the Astros were able to sign him as their 15th pick. Apparently, Jamaine is a man of few words and is still learning the art of pitching. He only appeared in 13 games accounting for only 14 IP. He didn't meet much success. The only exciting stat is that he had more than one strike out per inning. However, he got hit (28 in 14 IP) and hard too (3 HR). He also struggled with control (7 BB & 3 WP). He had already pitched over 60 innings when he got to Greeneville so we don't know how tired he was, that might be a factor here. Jarmaine will probably get a second year in Greeneville.
Justin Harper was the 17th pick of the 2009 draft by the Astros. He had been selected before (Marlins 31st round 07, Yankees 37th round 08) so there is something scouts like when they see Harper pitch. He made 11 appearances in Greeneville totaling all of 18 innings pitched. He only got 6 innings pitched in 2009. So we have a 2 year vet with only 24 IP. Not much of a sample to make much of an assessment. Especially when you consider that 7 of his 10 earned runs occurred in his first three outings. He will be 22 when the season opens next year. I expect he will return to Tri Cities to show continued improvement and to get a full short season of work in.
Assessment None of these guys jump out and scream top prospect. Most will probably be roster fillers for their careers but you never can tell when someone puts it all together and makes it to the show. All of these guys have a long road ahead of them to get to the show, but we are pulling for them to make it.
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