Gulf Coast League Season Recap

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be looking at some of the standout players from each of the Astros minor league teams. Last week I looked at the offensive standouts and the pitching standouts on the Astros Dominican Summer League teams. Today, let's look at the Gulf Coast League Astros.

The team finished with a 28-32 record (.467 win percentage). As a team they ranked within the league as follows:

GCL Team Batting
.254 BA - 5th out of 16 teams
.337 OBP - 6th
.354 SLG - 6th

They were also first in strikeouts (ouch!) with 490 and second in stolen bases with 91.

GCL Team Pitching
3.90 ERA - 11th
1.425 WHIP - 13th
497 SO - 2nd
227 BB - 4th

Below I am indicating the player's current age with his birthday in parentheses. I am also including information as to how many years the player has been playing and whether or not this is his first season playing in the U.S. Any players who were promoted to Greeneville or above prior to the end of the season will be addressed in the season recap for that team.

CATCHERS

Brian Pena - 20 (6/14); 3rd season/1st in U.S.
The Dominican-born Pena only played in 17 games in the GCL, hitting .260/.315/.300 and catching 29% of would-be base stealers.

Ruben Castro - 18 (7/10); 1st season
Castro was drafted in the 19th round out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy. In 20 games, the lefty hit .241/.349/.259. He only caught in seven games (22% caught stealing rate) and served as the DH in the remainder of the games.

Marlon Avea - 21 (8/31); 4th season/1st in U.S.
Avea, from Nicaragua, has been a plus defender throughout his career and his first stint in the U.S. was no different; he put up nice defensive numbers and caught 41% of base runners in the 15 games in which he caught. In 21 total games, he hit .279/.383/.353.

INFIELDERS

2B Frankeny Fernandez - 17 (12/7); 1st season
Fernandez played his first 50 games in the DSL, hitting .320/.435/.440 before being promoted to the GCL where he hit .250/.329/.294 in 19 games. In total, he hit 13 doubles, four triples and one home run and stole 35 bases. His defensive numbers were somewhat below average, but since he's not even 18 yet, I'm not too worried! Fernandez is from the Dominican Republic.

2B/SS/3B Arturo Michelena - 19 (10/15); 3rd season; 1st in U.S.
This young Venezuelan, however, put up plus defense at second base (average +/- at third and short). In 45 games, he hit .235/.320/.301.

SS Joan Mauricio - 17 (10/22); 1st season
Maurcio started his season in his home country of the Dominican Republic, playing his first 43 games with the DSL and hitting .275/.376/.444. However, the lefty only hit .127/.271/.211 in his 22 games with the GCL and his defense is still a bit rough. Maurcio hit nine doubles, ten triples and one home run for the season.

SS Osvaldo Duarte - 18 (1/18); 1st season
Also from the Dominican Republic, Duarte was having a great season at the plate before he was placed on the 60-day DL in late July. In 15 games in the DSL, he hit .270/.325/.378. After his promotion to the GCL, he hit .280/.341/.347 in 20 games. For the season, he hit seven doubles and three triples while collecting 19 RBI and 16 stolen bases in his 35 games. On paper, his defense at short was somewhat below average.

1B/DH Dexture McCall - 20 (1/29); 1st season
McCall was drafted by Houston in the 31st round this year. In 50 games with the GCL, he hit .258/.338/.343 and was starting to heat up in August when he hit .280/.386/.400. For the season he hit eight doubles, two triples and one home run with 29 RBI. He exhibited plus defensive skills at first base.

2B Will Dupont, who was obtained in a trade from the Blue Jays, only played in six games for the GCL Astros before being placed on the 60-day DL. Dupont was a 16th round pick in 2012, will be 21 in December and is in his third professional season.

OUTFIELDERS

Luis Payano - 18 (5/12); 2nd season/1st in U.S.
Payano was the only notable outfielder from the team who wasn't promoted. In 42 games with the GCL, Payano hit .257/.314/.434 (.284/.326/.494 in August). His defensive numbers skewed above average.

LEFTY PITCHERS

Yhoan Acosta - 19 (6/17); 2nd season/1st in U.S.
Acosta actually performed better after his promotion to the GCL (3.00 ERA and 1.333 WHIP in 8 games/3 starts) than he did with the DSL (5.29 ERA and 1.647 WHIP in 8 games/7 starts). He struck out exactly one batter per inning pitched (67 in 67 innings) while walking only 22. He is from the Dominican Republic.

Kyle Gehrs - 23 (6/10); 1st season
Gehrs, a non-drafted free agent out of Central Missouri, had an unremarkable season, but was coming on strong in August with a 0.90 ERA and a 1.100 WHIP in seven games (10IP).

Cristhopher Santamaria - 18 (6/19); 2nd season; 1st in U.S.
The Panamanian-born Santamaria put up excellent numbers in his first six games (five starts) in the DSL (2.20 ERA and 0.942 WHIP) before his promotion to the GCL. In 10 games (five starts) in the GCL, he had a 4.91 ERA and a 1.485 WHIP. Over a total of 61.2 innings pitched, he walked 11 batters while striking out 55.

RIGHT-HANDED PITCHERS

Francis Martes - 18 (11/24); 2nd season; 1st in U.S.
Martes came to the Astros from the Marlins in the Cosart et. al. trade and only pitched in four games (three starts) for the GCL Astros in which he had a 0.82 ERA and a 0.727 WHIP. He is from the Dominican Republic.

John Gatlin - 23 (12/14); 1st season
Gatlin is a work in progress. A non-drafted free agent out of Ole Miss, he is being converted to a pitcher. For the season, he had a 1.29 ERA and a 1.643 WHIP in 13 games. In August, he had a 2.00 ERA and a 1.444 WHIP in eight games and walked four batters while striking out 11.

Justin Ferrell - 20 (4/21); 1st season
Ferrell was drafted by Houston in the 36th round this year. In 12 games (five starts), he had a 3.67 ERA and a 1.311 WHIP. He walked 12 batters while striking out 39 in 34.1 innings.

Joselo Pinales - 19 (11/16); 2nd season; 1st in U.S.
Pinales started his season with the DSL team, starting four games with a 4.43 ERA and a 0.934 WHIP. He walked four batters and struck out 14 in 20.1 innings. After his promotion to the GCL, he had a 4.66 ERA and a 1.422 WHIP in 13 games (four starts) and walked 18 batters while striking out 24 in 38.2 innings pitched.

Later this week, we'll take a look at the Rookie League Greeneville Astros team.