Astros Farm Report: 11/27

Checking in on the Astros playing in Winter Leagues and some news and links, but first things first ...

WISHING A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Kristian Trompiz - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

11-27: LHP Luis Ramirez (22)
11-28: 3B Yeuris Ramirez (19)
11-29: RHP Dean Deetz (24)
11-29: 1B/C Rhandall Sanchez (19)
12-1: RHP Jean Reyes (20)
12-2: RHP Ronny Garcia (18)
12-2: SS Miguelangel Sierra (20)
12-2: IF Kristian Trompiz (22)

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE (AFL) - SEASON OVER

The Mesa Solar Sox ended their fall campaign with a 16-13-1 record to lead the East, but ultimately fell 8-2 to the West in the Arizona Fall League Championship game on 11/18.

RHP Dean Deetz - 8G 4.91 ERA/1.182 WHIP 11.0IP 4BB:23SO
RHP Riley Ferrell - 9G 4.66 ERA/1.552 WHIP 9.2IP 9BB:7SO
RHP Brendan McCurry - 5G 4.05 ERA/1.350 WHIP 6.2IP 3BB:5SO (last played 10/30)
LHP Framber Valdez - 6G/6ST 3.20 ERA/1.627 WHIP 19.2IP 8BB:14SO
1B Yordan Alvarez - 4G .313/.353/.438 3B 1BB:6SO (last played 10/14)
3B/2B Nick Tanielu - 2G .000/.000/.000 (last played 10/16)
OF Kyle Tucker - 22G .214/.305/.310 6-2B 3B 9RBI 9BB:22SO 2SB:0CS

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE (LVBP)

Alfredo Angarita is the only active Astros player currently playing in this league, and he is only barely playing as of right now. His week consisted of three appearances as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement in which he was 1-for-3 with an RBI single and a strikeout.

Other Astros minor leaguers may be and likely are still with the teams and working out with them even if they aren't getting any playing time. In years past, the Liga Paralela (the Venezuelan version of the minor league) featured many Astros minor leaguers, but due to the current economic issues in Venezuela, the league was roughly cut in half and very few Astros players are participating this year.

Aguilas de Zulia (20-19 4th place)
SS Kristian Trompiz - 10G .227/.320/.227 3BB:4SO (last played 10/28)
RHP Elieser Hernandez - 5G/5ST 2.11 ERA/0.844 WHIP 21.1IP 6BB:22SO (last played 11/6)

Bravos de Margarita  (15-25 8th place)
2B Alfredo Angarita - 29G .304/.396/.337 2B 3B 8RBI 13BB:27SO 4SB:3CS

Leones del Caracas (25-16 1st place)
RHP Diosward Gonzalez - 2G 6.75 ERA/2.251 WHIP 1.1IP 2BB:0SO (last played 10/19)
RHP Yoanys Quiala - 4G/2ST 7.45 ERA/1.448 WHIP 9.2IP 5BB:8SO (last played 10/31)
C Gabriel Bracamonte - 3G .125/.125/.125 0BB:2O (last played 10/28)

MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LMP)

Akeem Bostick - April 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Akeem Bostick is back from his foot injury and has had two starts this past week; the first of those went decidedly better than the second. Last Tuesday, Bostick threw five shutout innings, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out seven. Last night didn't go quite so easily for Bostick. He allowed only four hits, but two of them happened to be two-run home runs, the second of which was hit by old friend Jason Bourgeois. In 4.1 innings, he allowed four hits, three walks, four earned runs and struck out eight batters.

Jacob Dorris only appeared once this week, successfully throwing 1.1 scoreless innings and stranding an inherited runner. He still has a ways to go to make up for one really rough outing last week though and his numbers reflect that.

Similarly, Drew Ferguson got off to a rough start as he has been unable to (initially) replicate his successful 2016 winter season in Puerto Rico. He was 1-fer his first four games as a lead-off hitter and was rewarded with sitting on the bench for the next two games.

Caneros de la Mochis (16-25 Tied for 8th)
RHP Akeem Bostick - 8G/8ST 3.09 ERA/1.188 WHIP 32IP 11BB:40SO
OF Drew Ferguson - 4G .056/.056/.111 0BB:8SO

Naranjeros de Hermosillo (24-17 2nd place)
RHP Jacob Dorris - 5G 7.94 ERA/2.293 WHIP 5.2IP 7BB:2SO

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE (ABL)

Rodrigo Ayarza - July 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Utility switch-hitter Rodrigo Ayarza continues to impress down under. In his second week of play, he was 5-for-17 with three doubles, a home run, two RBI and three runs scored. The only chink in the armor is that Ayarza has yet to draw a walk to go with his 12 strikeouts.

Adelaide Bite (1-7 6th place)
Rodrigo Ayarza - 8G .294/.294/.618 5-2B 2HR 4RBI 0BB:12SO

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LIDOM)

No active Astros are currently playing in this league.

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LBPRC)

I haven't seen that the LBPRC winter season has been officially canceled yet, but with the devastation to that island from Hurricane Maria, I find it likely.

NEWS AND LINKS

After the Astros WON THE WORLD SERIES and before Thanksgiving, I made a quick trip to Arizona to take in a couple of the Arizona Fall League games. (Travel tip: The week before Thanksgiving is a FABULOUS time to travel!!!) I took copious pictures of all of the prospects, not just the Astros in attendance. Here is the 11/14 Glendale (White Sox, Indians, Dodgers, Pirates and Phillies) at Mesa (Cubs, Tigers, Astros, A's and Nationals) game and here is the 11/16 Surprise (Royals, Twins, Cardinals, Rays and Rangers) at Mesa game. The photos aren't labeled yet, so you're on your own.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see very many of my Astros in action, but did get to see Kyle Tucker and a brief outing from Riley Ferrell. Some fans seemed to be worried about Tucker's numbers for the AFL season. Don't be. He looked fine at the plate, but wasn't getting much of anything to hit during the two games I watched. He generally didn't chase out of the zone and put up decent at-bats. But the last game I saw him in (in which he was 1-for-4 with a double) was his 142nd of the season, not counting Spring Training and the Futures game and the Rising Stars game. His season lasted longer than that of his parent team who played through to the World Series. I'm not worried about Tucker and you shouldn't be either. One thing I would like to note, though, is that I really liked him in right field. He gets excellent reads and has tremendous range and a great arm and really shone in right.

Some other random notes from the AFL. Unfortunately, I didn't get the opportunity to see Washington prospect Victor Robles play, but there were a few other players that stood out for me.

Cubs C Ian Rice, a product of the University of Houston, isn't listed as a top Cubs prospect, but I enjoyed watching him work behind the plate. There were some wild pitchers in the two games I saw him catch and he handled them well, blocking balls in the dirt with the best of them, and he handled the wide-ranging pitching staff very well.

Another player with a Houston connection that stood out for me was Kody Eaves, a Pasadena High School product that made good contact at the plate and was solid at second. Eaves, who has played for the Tigers for the last two seasons after being traded from the Angels, is another non-ranked prospect, but I liked what I saw both on and off the field.

Oakland prospect Sheldon Neuse, who was traded to that team by the Nationals in July, did not get cheated at the plate. "Neuse" is pronounced "Noisy," a moniker that described his bat well. Neuse looked good in the field both at third and at short, but his build translates better to the hot corner. In any event, I liked his swing and his power potential.

In the Arizona Fall League, the pitchers often don't stay in long enough to really get a good feel for them, but I did find another non-ranked prospect that I liked in RHP Trevor Bettencourt, a 2016 29th round draft pick playing for the Phillies. I love a pitcher who works quickly, attacks hitters and shows no fear. That's what I saw from Bettencourt.

Several Astros minor leaguers are currently playing in the Pan-Am U-23 Baseball Tournament, including SS Jonathan Arauz (Panama) and RHP Yohan Ramirez, RHP Robert Corniel and UTIL Marcos Almonte for the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find any boxscores for the games, but the World Baseball Softball Confederation site has had a couple of articles on the tournament. Apparently Ramirez is doing the Astros proud. He not only got the Dominican Republic team's first win, he has also recorded the highest velocity of the tournament thus far, hitting 96 on the radar gun.

I found this article on the science behind lefties who excel in sports to be interesting. Take a gander if you're so inclined.

DeAnna, Social Media Goddess for WTHB, dug up this old post from Thanksgiving 2013. I'm thankful that those tough years made us really appreciate this World Series win even more!!!

And finally ... I keep meaning to put a link to my Instagram account if you're interested. I've found that Instagram is a good way to keep in touch with what's going on with the Astros Latin American players, many of whom aren't on Twitter. The account is mostly Astros minor league baseball stuff, but I will occasionally post a travel photo to mix things up.