The Dominican Summer League Astros Orange and Blue Teams are a little over one month into their seasons. Let's check in on who the early standouts are ...
OF Angel Tejeda - .347/.479/.480 in 21 games
.347 BA: 18th in the league
.479 OBP: 2nd in the league
.959 OPS: 8th in the league
1B Anthony Rodriguez - 24 games
.434 OBP: 14th in the league
22 Walks: T-6th in the league
SS Deury Carrasco - 26 games
.427 OBP: T-20th in the league
22 Walks: T-6th in the league
11 Stolen Bases: T-7th in the league
OF Ramiro Rodriguez - .324/.405/.529 in 19 games
.529 SLG: 8th in the league
.934 OPS: 15th in the league
SS Ronaldo Urdaneta - .315/.425/.461 in 22 games
22 Runs: T-12th in the league
11 Stolen Bases: T-7th in the league
OF Ronny Rafael - 12 games (promoted to the Gulf Coast League 7/1)
3 Home Runs: T-9th in the league
2B Kendy Moya - 22 games
19 Walks: T-19th in the league
RHP Diosward Gonazlez - 25.2 IP (6 games/4 starts)
1.75 ERA: Highest ranking ERA of qualified DSL Astros pitchers at 31st in the league
1.013 WHIP: Highest ranking WHIP of qualified DSL Astros pitchers at 36th in the league
RHP Jairo Solis - 2.73 ERA/1.063 WHIP in 6 games/4 starts (26.1 IP)
28 Strikeouts: T-15th in the league
Other pitchers with particularly good starts, but not enough innings to qualify as league leaders:
RHP Renny Ugarte: 1.72 ERA and 1.021 WHIP in 4 games/2 starts (15.2 IP)
RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez: 0.43 ERA and 0.952 WHIP in 5 games/3 starts (21 IP)
LHP Antonio Pujols: 1.42 ERA and 0.842 WHIP in 5 games/1 start (19 IP)
RHP Luis de Paula: 0.90 ERA and 1.110 WHIP in 8 relief appearances (10 IP)
RHP Ronaldo Marrero: 1.47 ERA and 0.709 WHIP in 4 games/3 starts (18.1 IP) prior to his promotion to the Gulf Coast League
A LOOK AT THE ASTROS MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM
Showing posts with label Dominican Summer League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dominican Summer League. Show all posts
Friday, July 7, 2017
Saturday, June 3, 2017
2017 Dominican Summer League Astros Primer
The Dominican Summer League will begin its season today. This is the only foreign rookie league affiliated with Minor League Baseball since the Venezuelan Summer League ceased operations following the 2015 season.
Since I'm known to be lazy, I will copy and paste what I wrote from last year.
Since I'm known to be lazy, I will copy and paste what I wrote from last year.
As the name implies, the league is located in the Dominican Republic, and all 30 Major League teams have bases set up throughout the country. The rosters of these teams primarily consist of international signings from Latin America and the Caribbean, and for many of these players, it is their first foray into professional baseball. They have spent countless hours preparing for this day, and today, they finally have an opportunity to showcase their skills. Although this is the lowest rung on the Minor League ladder, these players are just like the guys in Corpus or Quad Cities: They're chasing their dreams of becoming Major League Baseball players.
For many of us, this is the first time that we have heard of guys like Jonger Ochoa, Angel Macuare, Jervic Chavez, or Nerio Rodriguez. It may not be the last time, either. From here, Minute Maid Park seems like it's a universe away and many of these players may never advance past this league. Even Corpus Christi feels like a world away.
On the other hand, some of these kids may emerge to become top prospects, and we will be able to talk about them in the same vein as Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers, Kyle Tucker, and Franklin Perez. Some may even become stars in the majors, whether it is with the Astros or another organization. We are seeing some of these DSL alums such as Framber Valdez, Hector Perez, Marcos Almonte, and Yordan Alvarez begin to make an impact in the system.
You just never know who might emerge from this level to become an impact player. You may not know their names yet, but you might end up remembering a few of them a few years from now. Oz Ocampo and his team are excellent at what they do, and that is infusing young talent into the Houston Astros organization.
We at What the Heck, Bobby? would like to wish the Dominican Summer League Astros best of luck on the upcoming season. We hope to see some of you guys in Houston down the road, as well.
The Houston Astros field two teams in the Dominican Summer League, which underwent a bit of a realignment this offseason. They will be one of nine teams with more than one DSL affiliate in 2017. First up... a look at the Blue team.
DSL ASTROS BLUE
The Blue team will play in the Dominican Summer League Northwest Division against the A's, Braves, Dodgers 1, Marlins, Rays 1, Red Sox, and Royals.
In 2016, they finished 42-23. While that is an outstanding record, they somehow missed the DSL playoffs. They will start their campaign against the Braves at 10:30 AM Eastern. All DSL games will begin at 10:30 AM Eastern.
Yorbin Ceuta, a highly touted infielder from Venezuela, will be one of the feature attractions in the Blue team lineup. He signed for $1 million last July 2 and has been a proven performer on the international circuit. Fellow Venezuelan RHP Angel Macuare was cited as a sleeper in the 2017 Baseball America Prospect Handbook.
Asterisk: Player bats/throws left-handed
Italics: Player is making professional debut
For many of us, this is the first time that we have heard of guys like Jonger Ochoa, Angel Macuare, Jervic Chavez, or Nerio Rodriguez. It may not be the last time, either. From here, Minute Maid Park seems like it's a universe away and many of these players may never advance past this league. Even Corpus Christi feels like a world away.
On the other hand, some of these kids may emerge to become top prospects, and we will be able to talk about them in the same vein as Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers, Kyle Tucker, and Franklin Perez. Some may even become stars in the majors, whether it is with the Astros or another organization. We are seeing some of these DSL alums such as Framber Valdez, Hector Perez, Marcos Almonte, and Yordan Alvarez begin to make an impact in the system.
You just never know who might emerge from this level to become an impact player. You may not know their names yet, but you might end up remembering a few of them a few years from now. Oz Ocampo and his team are excellent at what they do, and that is infusing young talent into the Houston Astros organization.
We at What the Heck, Bobby? would like to wish the Dominican Summer League Astros best of luck on the upcoming season. We hope to see some of you guys in Houston down the road, as well.
The Houston Astros field two teams in the Dominican Summer League, which underwent a bit of a realignment this offseason. They will be one of nine teams with more than one DSL affiliate in 2017. First up... a look at the Blue team.
DSL ASTROS BLUE
The Blue team will play in the Dominican Summer League Northwest Division against the A's, Braves, Dodgers 1, Marlins, Rays 1, Red Sox, and Royals.
In 2016, they finished 42-23. While that is an outstanding record, they somehow missed the DSL playoffs. They will start their campaign against the Braves at 10:30 AM Eastern. All DSL games will begin at 10:30 AM Eastern.
Yorbin Ceuta, a highly touted infielder from Venezuela, will be one of the feature attractions in the Blue team lineup. He signed for $1 million last July 2 and has been a proven performer on the international circuit. Fellow Venezuelan RHP Angel Macuare was cited as a sleeper in the 2017 Baseball America Prospect Handbook.
Asterisk: Player bats/throws left-handed
Italics: Player is making professional debut
Bold: Player is a switch-hitter
All players are Dominican unless stated otherwise. If there is signing information available for the player, it will be listed as well.
Coaching Staff
Manager: Charlie Romero
Pitching Coach: Rick Aponte
Hitting Coaches: Omar Rosario and Evaristo Lantigua
Coach: Erik Acevedo Rojas
Athletic Trainer: Ambiorix Reyes
Strength & Conditioning: Miguel Angel Cabrera
Charlie Romero begins his second stint with the Blue team; he managed the club in 2015.
Pitchers
Gustavo Almonte (6/3/1998); Astros' transaction page says he signed June 1. The contract may have been formalized on this date, he may have signed before June 1.
Yulian Frontado (Venezuela, 12/29/1998); signed March 2016
Freylin Garcia (12/6/1997); signed July 2016, was eligible to play immediately after signing
Ronny Garcia (12/2/1999); signed July 2016
Fredis Guerrero (2/16/1996); signed December 2016
Jose Antonio Hernandez (Venezuela, 6/18/1999); signed May 2016
Denilson Lugo* (nationality unknown, 12/22/1997); signed February 2017
Angel Macuare (Venezuela, 3/3/2000); signed July 2016 for $695,000
Ronaldo Marrero (2/7/1996); signed May 2017, originally signed by Phillies in 2013 as an IF
Angel Matos (7/21/1997); signed May 2016
Jonger Ochoa (Venezuela, 1/16/1997); signed July 2016
Kilvio Peralta (3/6/1997); signed March 2016
Antonio Pujols* (1/27/1998); signed September 2016
Fabricio Reina (nationality unknown, 2/26/2000); signed March 2017
Jean Reyes (Venezuela, 12/1/1997); signed May 2016
Nivaldo Rodriguez (Venezuela, 4/16/1997); signed June 2016
Oscar Severino (2/26/1998); signed July 2016
Renny Ugarte (Venezuela, 2/27/1997); signed September 2016
Nathanael Ventura (nationality unknown, 12/15/1995); signed February 2017
Catchers
Brandon Benavente (Venezuela, 9/3/1997); signed July 2014 for $262,500
Freddy Chirino (Venezuela, 12/15/1999); signed December 2016
Nerio Rodriguez Jr. (9/21/1999); born in New York, signed July 2016 for $450,000
Rhandall Sanchez (Panama, 11/29/1998); signed May 2016
Infielders
Alfredo Angarita (Venezuela, 11/16/1996); signed November 2015
Yorbin Ceuta (Venezuela, 1/14/2000); signed July 2016 for $1 million
Jonathan Matute (Venezuela, 4/28/1997); signed July 2013 for $215,000
Kendy Moya (12/14/1998); signed sometime before June 2016
Yeuris Ramirez (11/28/1998); signed July 2015 for $500,000
Anthony Rodriguez (7/23/1996); signed February 2015
Ozziel Sanchez-Galan (Panama, 10/30/1997); signed July 2014
Ronaldo Urdaneta (Venezuela, 11/18/1998); signed July 2015 for $60,000
Outfielders
Luis Coronel (Venezuela, 7/11/1997); signed June 2016
César Cortez (Panama, 4/1/1999); signed July 2015 for $100,000
Ronny Rafael (10/14/1997); signed July 2014 for $1.5 million
Angel Tejeda* (1/22/1997); signed May 2015
DSL ASTROS ORANGE
The Orange team will play in the DSL North Division alongside the Cubs 1, Dodgers 2, Indians, Pirates, Rangers 1, Rays 2, and a combined team consisting of players from the Indians and Brewers academies.
In 2016, the Orange team finished with a 31-37 record. Their first game in 2017 will be against the combined Indians/Brewers squad at 10:30 AM Eastern.
Freudis Nova will start his pro career with the Orange team. He signed with Houston for $1.2 million after a deal with the Marlins fell through. Nova has been touted as the best athlete in the 2016-17 international class. Also, Jairo Solis could be an arm to watch. Solis saw his stuff tick up after signing; his fastball has reportedly reached 94.
Bryan Solano is apparently the first Costa Rican to sign with a Major League club in eight years. He's starting off the season on the restricted list.
Coaching Staff
Manager: Carlos Lugo
Pitching Coaches: Gerardo Olivares and Darwin Peguero
Hitting Coach: René Rojas
Coaches: Alejandro Martinez and Selin Aquino
Athletic Trainer: Roman Rendon
Strength & Conditioning: Mike Myers and Geremias Guzman
Pitchers
Jesus Bernaez (Venezuela, 5/6/1997); signed March 2016
Jervic Chavez* (Venezuela, 2/8/1997); signed July 2016
Luis De Paula (11/15/1996); signed November 2016
Christopher Javier (7/16/1998); signed June 2016
Ronny Jimenez (9/19/1994); signed prior to 2015 season, former infielder converting to pitcher
Miguel Matos (9/29/1996); signed December 2015
Fredy Medina (9/26/1997); signed July 2015, former infielder converting to pitcher
Christian Mejias (Venezuela, 5/19/1999); signed June 2016
Cristofer Melendez (9/16/1997); signed July 2014
Wender Oberto (Venezuela, 12/9/1999); signed November 2016
Angel Ortega (Venezuela, 11/18/1999); signed July 2016 for $180,000
Carlos Quintero (Venezuela, 1/11/2000); signed December 2016
Jose Alberto Rivera (2/14/1997); signed October 2016
Mauricio Santana (2/3/1997); signed July 2015 for $17,000
Bryan Solano (Costa Rica, 1/25/1998); signed March 2017, currently on restricted list
Jairo Solis (Venezuela, 12/22/1999); signed July 2016 for $450,000
Asael Uribe (5/4/1996); signed March 2016
Catchers
Jose Alvarez (Venezuela, 6/4/2000); signed July 2016 for $195,000
Luis Barajas (Mexico, 7/13/1998); signed January 2017
Jose Carrillo (Venezuela, 1/24/1998); signed May 2015
Gerry Castillo (10/3/1997); signed May 2016
Kelvin Perez (Venezuela, 12/8/1998); signed June 2016
Infielders
Samir Caraballo (Colombia, 9/12/1998); signed November 2015
Deury Carrasco* (9/20/1999); signed July 2016 for $480,000
Jeury Castillo* (1/14/2000); signed July 2016 for $400,000
Michael Garcia (9/10/1997); signed May 2016
Sean Mendoza (Venezuela, 6/2/2000); signed July 2016
Freudis Nova (1/12/2000); signed July 2016 for $1.2 million
Outfielders
Euclides Chavez* (Venezuela, 7/1/1997); signed April 2016
Leonardo Gonzalez* (Venezuela, 5/27/2000); signed July 2016
Hector Martinez (7/6/1998); signed July 2014 for $300,000
Renaigel Martis* (Curaçao, 11/26/1997); signed November 2015
Ramiro Rodriguez (Panama, 2/2/1998); signed October 2015
BY THE NUMBERS
68 total players (35 Blue, 33 Orange) representing 7 countries; 3 players of unknown origin
10 players born in 2000
Youngest: Jose Alvarez, born June 4, 2000
Oldest: Ronny Jimenez, born September 19, 1994
Largest bonus: Ronny Rafael, signed for $1.5 million in 2014
Hitting Coaches: Omar Rosario and Evaristo Lantigua
Coach: Erik Acevedo Rojas
Athletic Trainer: Ambiorix Reyes
Strength & Conditioning: Miguel Angel Cabrera
Charlie Romero begins his second stint with the Blue team; he managed the club in 2015.
Pitchers
Gustavo Almonte (6/3/1998); Astros' transaction page says he signed June 1. The contract may have been formalized on this date, he may have signed before June 1.
Yulian Frontado (Venezuela, 12/29/1998); signed March 2016
Freylin Garcia (12/6/1997); signed July 2016, was eligible to play immediately after signing
Ronny Garcia (12/2/1999); signed July 2016
Fredis Guerrero (2/16/1996); signed December 2016
Jose Antonio Hernandez (Venezuela, 6/18/1999); signed May 2016
Denilson Lugo* (nationality unknown, 12/22/1997); signed February 2017
Angel Macuare (Venezuela, 3/3/2000); signed July 2016 for $695,000
Ronaldo Marrero (2/7/1996); signed May 2017, originally signed by Phillies in 2013 as an IF
Angel Matos (7/21/1997); signed May 2016
Jonger Ochoa (Venezuela, 1/16/1997); signed July 2016
Kilvio Peralta (3/6/1997); signed March 2016
Antonio Pujols* (1/27/1998); signed September 2016
Fabricio Reina (nationality unknown, 2/26/2000); signed March 2017
Jean Reyes (Venezuela, 12/1/1997); signed May 2016
Nivaldo Rodriguez (Venezuela, 4/16/1997); signed June 2016
Oscar Severino (2/26/1998); signed July 2016
Renny Ugarte (Venezuela, 2/27/1997); signed September 2016
Nathanael Ventura (nationality unknown, 12/15/1995); signed February 2017
Catchers
Brandon Benavente (Venezuela, 9/3/1997); signed July 2014 for $262,500
Freddy Chirino (Venezuela, 12/15/1999); signed December 2016
Nerio Rodriguez Jr. (9/21/1999); born in New York, signed July 2016 for $450,000
Rhandall Sanchez (Panama, 11/29/1998); signed May 2016
Infielders
Alfredo Angarita (Venezuela, 11/16/1996); signed November 2015
Yorbin Ceuta (Venezuela, 1/14/2000); signed July 2016 for $1 million
Jonathan Matute (Venezuela, 4/28/1997); signed July 2013 for $215,000
Kendy Moya (12/14/1998); signed sometime before June 2016
Yeuris Ramirez (11/28/1998); signed July 2015 for $500,000
Anthony Rodriguez (7/23/1996); signed February 2015
Ozziel Sanchez-Galan (Panama, 10/30/1997); signed July 2014
Ronaldo Urdaneta (Venezuela, 11/18/1998); signed July 2015 for $60,000
Outfielders
Luis Coronel (Venezuela, 7/11/1997); signed June 2016
César Cortez (Panama, 4/1/1999); signed July 2015 for $100,000
Ronny Rafael (10/14/1997); signed July 2014 for $1.5 million
Angel Tejeda* (1/22/1997); signed May 2015
DSL ASTROS ORANGE
The Orange team will play in the DSL North Division alongside the Cubs 1, Dodgers 2, Indians, Pirates, Rangers 1, Rays 2, and a combined team consisting of players from the Indians and Brewers academies.
In 2016, the Orange team finished with a 31-37 record. Their first game in 2017 will be against the combined Indians/Brewers squad at 10:30 AM Eastern.
Freudis Nova will start his pro career with the Orange team. He signed with Houston for $1.2 million after a deal with the Marlins fell through. Nova has been touted as the best athlete in the 2016-17 international class. Also, Jairo Solis could be an arm to watch. Solis saw his stuff tick up after signing; his fastball has reportedly reached 94.
Bryan Solano is apparently the first Costa Rican to sign with a Major League club in eight years. He's starting off the season on the restricted list.
Asterisk: Player bats/throws left-handed
Italics: Player is making professional debut
Italics: Player is making professional debut
Bold: Player is a switch-hitter
Coaching Staff
Manager: Carlos Lugo
Pitching Coaches: Gerardo Olivares and Darwin Peguero
Hitting Coach: René Rojas
Coaches: Alejandro Martinez and Selin Aquino
Athletic Trainer: Roman Rendon
Strength & Conditioning: Mike Myers and Geremias Guzman
Pitchers
Jesus Bernaez (Venezuela, 5/6/1997); signed March 2016
Jervic Chavez* (Venezuela, 2/8/1997); signed July 2016
Luis De Paula (11/15/1996); signed November 2016
Christopher Javier (7/16/1998); signed June 2016
Ronny Jimenez (9/19/1994); signed prior to 2015 season, former infielder converting to pitcher
Miguel Matos (9/29/1996); signed December 2015
Fredy Medina (9/26/1997); signed July 2015, former infielder converting to pitcher
Christian Mejias (Venezuela, 5/19/1999); signed June 2016
Cristofer Melendez (9/16/1997); signed July 2014
Wender Oberto (Venezuela, 12/9/1999); signed November 2016
Angel Ortega (Venezuela, 11/18/1999); signed July 2016 for $180,000
Carlos Quintero (Venezuela, 1/11/2000); signed December 2016
Jose Alberto Rivera (2/14/1997); signed October 2016
Mauricio Santana (2/3/1997); signed July 2015 for $17,000
Bryan Solano (Costa Rica, 1/25/1998); signed March 2017, currently on restricted list
Jairo Solis (Venezuela, 12/22/1999); signed July 2016 for $450,000
Asael Uribe (5/4/1996); signed March 2016
Catchers
Jose Alvarez (Venezuela, 6/4/2000); signed July 2016 for $195,000
Luis Barajas (Mexico, 7/13/1998); signed January 2017
Jose Carrillo (Venezuela, 1/24/1998); signed May 2015
Gerry Castillo (10/3/1997); signed May 2016
Kelvin Perez (Venezuela, 12/8/1998); signed June 2016
Infielders
Samir Caraballo (Colombia, 9/12/1998); signed November 2015
Deury Carrasco* (9/20/1999); signed July 2016 for $480,000
Jeury Castillo* (1/14/2000); signed July 2016 for $400,000
Michael Garcia (9/10/1997); signed May 2016
Sean Mendoza (Venezuela, 6/2/2000); signed July 2016
Freudis Nova (1/12/2000); signed July 2016 for $1.2 million
Outfielders
Euclides Chavez* (Venezuela, 7/1/1997); signed April 2016
Leonardo Gonzalez* (Venezuela, 5/27/2000); signed July 2016
Hector Martinez (7/6/1998); signed July 2014 for $300,000
Renaigel Martis* (Curaçao, 11/26/1997); signed November 2015
Ramiro Rodriguez (Panama, 2/2/1998); signed October 2015
BY THE NUMBERS
68 total players (35 Blue, 33 Orange) representing 7 countries; 3 players of unknown origin
10 players born in 2000
Youngest: Jose Alvarez, born June 4, 2000
Oldest: Ronny Jimenez, born September 19, 1994
Largest bonus: Ronny Rafael, signed for $1.5 million in 2014
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Dominican Summer League Astros: A Primer
The Dominican Summer League kicks off later this morning. With the closure of the Venezuelan Summer League, this is the only foreign Rookie league in Minor League Baseball.
As the name implies, the league is located in the Dominican Republic, and all 30 Major League teams have bases set up throughout the country. The rosters of these teams primarily consist of international signings from Latin America and the Caribbean, and for many of these players, it is their first foray into professional baseball. They have spent countless hours preparing for this day, and today, they finally have an opportunity to showcase their skills. Although this is the lowest rung on the Minor League ladder, these kids are just like the guys in Corpus or Quad Cities: They're chasing their dreams of becoming Major League Baseball players.
For many of us, this is the first time that we have heard of guys like Renaigel Martis, or Jose Orta, or Samir Caraballo. It may not be the last time, either. From here, Minute Maid Park seems like it's a universe away, and many of these players may never advance past this league. On the other hand, some of these kids may emerge to become top prospects, and we will be able to talk about them in the same vein as Carlos Correa, A.J. Reed, Joe Musgrove, and Lance McCullers. Some may even become stars in the majors, whether it is with the Astros or another organization. You just never know who might emerge to become an impact player.
Plug time: Some of these players have already been mentioned in the 2016 Houston Farm System Handbook, and to celebrate DSL Opening Day, the book is now available on Amazon for the scant price of $6.04.
We at What the Heck, Bobby? would like to wish the Domincan Summer League Astros best of luck on the upcoming season. We hope to see some of you guys in Houston down the road, as well.
For the third year running, the Astros will field two teams in the DSL; they will be one of 11 teams that will have 2 DSL squads. Let's start off with the Blue team.
Asterisk: Player bats or pitches left-handed.
Bold italics: Player is making professional debut.
Hashtag: Player is a switch hitter.
All players are Dominican unless otherwise noted. If there is signing information available for the player, it will be listed as well. These are the rosters listed on MiLB.com.
DSL Astros Blue
The Blue team will play in the DSL Northwest division. The 8-team division will also include the Marlins, A's, Phillies, Royals, Rays 1, Red Sox 1, and Dodgers 2. They are the team that usually has the more advanced players.
Last year, the Blue team finished 43-29 and won the Boca Chica Northwest division. They fell to the Rangers 1 in the playoffs. They'll start their campaign against the Dodgers 2 at 10:30 A.M. Eastern.
Coaching Staff
Manager: Russ Steinhorn
Pitching Coach: Rick Aponte
Hitting Coaches: Omar Rosario and Danny Ortega
Coaches: Erik Acevedo and Melvi Ortega
Russ Steinhorn is now embarking on a new chapter of his baseball career, as this is his first opportunity to manage a team, and he's doing it in the Dominican Republic. He was previously the hitting coach at Tri-City (2013-15). Before joining the Astros organization, Steinhorn was an assistant coach at Delaware State and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Rick Aponte has been a member of the Houston Astros organization for nearly 40 years as a player, manager, and coach. He played in the Astros system from 1976-81, reaching Triple-A on three separate occations.
Pitchers
Johsson Arias (4/3/94); signed December 2015
Jesus Bernaez (Venezuela, 5/6/97); Astros' transaction page says he signed on March 1. The contract may have been formalized on that date; he most likely signed before March 1.
Ronel Blanco (8/31/93); oldest player on either DSL roster, signed April 2016
Jheyson Caraballo (Venezuela, 10/16/95); signed November 2015
Juan Corniel (1/2/96); signed October 2015
Robert Corniel (6/23/95); signed July 2012
Juan Cuevas (5/4/94); signed April 2014
Edwin Fidel (12/14/94); signed in September 2015
Harlen Florencio (9/24/95); signed in December 2014
Yulian Frontado (Venezuela, 12/29/97); signed March 2016
Jose Antonio Hernandez (Venezuela, 6/18/1999); youngest player on either DSL roster
Adoni Kery (2/18/96); signed April 2016
Juan Lopez (Mexico, 6/25/97); signed in March 2015
Ezequiel Madera (3/22/96); signed November 2013
Javier Navas* (Venezuela, 2/3/98); signed July 2014 for $175,000
Jose Orta* (Venezuela, 5/22/99); signed April 2016
Carlos Perdomo (4/25/98); signed November 2015
Leovanny Rodriguez (6/13/96); signed June 2015
Maikel Sepulveda* (12/31/96); signed February 2015
Felipe Tejada (2/27/98); signed sometime before 2015 season
Luidin Toribio (2/13/96); signed February 2015
Catchers
Carlos Canelon (Venezuela, 12/14/94); signed April 2014
Jose Carrillo (Venezuela, 1/24/98); signed sometime before 2015 season
#Gerry Castillo (10/3/97); signed May 2016
Orlando Marquez (Venezuela, 3/12/96); signed July 2014
Infielders
#Alfredo Angarita (Venezuela, 11/16/96); signed November 2015
#Samir Caraballo (Colombia, 9/12/98); signed November 2015
Eduardo Guzman (Venezuela, 12/6/94); Astros' transaction page says he signed on March 1. The contract may have been formalized on that date; he most likely signed before March 1.
Ronny Jimenez (9/19/94); signed sometime before 2015 season
Felix Lucas (3/27/97); signed July 2013 for $225,000
Nicolas Miranda (Panama, 6/12/96); signed February 2015
#Anardo Peralta (5/11/96); signed June 2014
Juan Piñeda (Panama, 1/31/98); signed July 2014 for $100,000
Ozziel Sanchez-Galan (Panama, 10/30/97); signed July 2014
Outfielders
Jose Benjamin (12/16/95); singed July 2014
Cesar Cortez (Panama, 4/1/99); signed July 2015 for $100,000
Angel De Leon (5/26/96); signed July 2014
Ronny Rafael (10/14/97); signed July 2014 for $1.5 million
Nestor Tejada* (Venezuela, 4/17/97); signed July 2013 for $300,000
Angel Tejeda* (1/22/97); signed sometime before 2015 season
DSL Astros Orange
The Orange team is the Astros' 2nd Dominican Summer League team and mostly consists of the rawer players. In 2015, they finished 28-44, which put them in 9th place in the 11-team Boca Chica North division. They will now be in the Northeast division, a 6-team division that also includes the Phillies 2, Rays 2, Mets 2, Rangers 2, and Red Sox 2.
Gilberto Celestino, who signed for $2.5 million last July, is the name to watch on this team. In addition, Yeuris Ramirez and Enmanuel Valdez are a couple of other kids who received sizeable bonuses on July 2.
The Orange team will open the 2016 season against the Rangers 2 at 10:30 A.M. Eastern.
Coaching Staff
Manager: Carlos Lugo
Pitching Coach: Gerardo Olivares
Hitting Coach: René Rojas
Coaches: Alejandro Martinez and Selin Aquino
Carlos Lugo is also a first-time manager. A catcher during his playing days, Lugo was signed by the Angels in 2007 and played in their minor league system until 2012, mostly in the lower levels. He played in one game at Inland Empire in the California League in 2012.
Gerardo Olivares was originally signed as a catcher by the Devil Rays in 2007. He played in the Rays system until 2011, reaching Hudson Valley in the New York-Penn League. The Red Sox signed him in 2012 and converted him into a pitcher. Olivares played two seasons in the Red Sox system; in 2013, his final season as a player, he pitched at both of Boston's Class A affiliates, Greenville and Salem.
Alejandro Martinez played for the DSL Angels from 2006-08. He played all four infield positions, but was primarily a third baseman.
Pitchers
Gerardo Bojorquez (Mexico, 10/23/97); signed December 2015
Humberto Castellanos (Mexico, 4/3/98); signed July 2015
Luis Castro (5/11/95); signed February 2015
Carlos Espinoza* (Mexico, 8/16/94); signed May 2015
Diosward Gonzalez (7/7/95); signed sometime in 2015
Miguel Matos (9/29/96); signed December 2015
Cristofer Melendez (9/16/97); signed July 2014
Hansel Paulino (1/3/96); signed January 2014
Kilvio Peralta (3/6/97); Astros' transaction page says he signed on March 1. The contract may have been formalized on that date; he may have signed before March 1.
Gabriel Pirela (Venezuela, 5/1/94); signed December 2013
Yonatan Quintin (11/18/96); signed sometime before 2015 season
Jose Ramos (Panama, 8/4/96); signed December 2013
Michael Richez (5/15/97); signed March 2014
Cesar Rosado (6/22/96); signed December 2014
Jacques Sambo (Curaçao, 7/27/98); signed May 2015
Cosme Zapata (Venezuela, 10/23/96); signed July 2015
Catchers
Alvaro Alvarez (Venezuela, 11/23/97); signed January 2016
Bernardo Heras (Mexico,11/3/95); signed September 2015, played 27 games in the Mexican League in 2015
Vicente Mota (6/8/94); signed July 2015 for $7500
Infielders
Fredy Medina (9/26/97); signed July 2015
Kendy Moya (12/14/98); Astros' transaction page says he signed on Wednesday. He probably actually signed earlier.
Yeuris Ramirez (11/28/98); signed July 2015 for $500,000
Anthony Rodriguez (7/23/96); signed February 2015
#Ronaldo Urdaneta (Venezuela, 11/18/98); signed July 2015 for $60,000
Enmanuel Valdez* (12/28/98); signed July 2015 for $450,000
Outfielders
Gilberto Celestino (2/13/99); signed July 2015 for $2.5 million
Darlin Figueroa (9/9/95); signed July 2015
Jose Miguel Hernandez (3/12/96); signed February 2015
Juan Infante (Venezuela, 11/9/96); Astros' transaction page says he signed on March 1. The contract may have been formalized on that date; he may have signed before March 1.
Hector Martinez (7/6/98); signed July 2014 for $300,000
Renaigel Martis* (Curaçao, 11/26/97); signed November 2015
Ramiro Rodriguez* (Panama, 2/2/98); signed October 2015
As the name implies, the league is located in the Dominican Republic, and all 30 Major League teams have bases set up throughout the country. The rosters of these teams primarily consist of international signings from Latin America and the Caribbean, and for many of these players, it is their first foray into professional baseball. They have spent countless hours preparing for this day, and today, they finally have an opportunity to showcase their skills. Although this is the lowest rung on the Minor League ladder, these kids are just like the guys in Corpus or Quad Cities: They're chasing their dreams of becoming Major League Baseball players.
For many of us, this is the first time that we have heard of guys like Renaigel Martis, or Jose Orta, or Samir Caraballo. It may not be the last time, either. From here, Minute Maid Park seems like it's a universe away, and many of these players may never advance past this league. On the other hand, some of these kids may emerge to become top prospects, and we will be able to talk about them in the same vein as Carlos Correa, A.J. Reed, Joe Musgrove, and Lance McCullers. Some may even become stars in the majors, whether it is with the Astros or another organization. You just never know who might emerge to become an impact player.
Plug time: Some of these players have already been mentioned in the 2016 Houston Farm System Handbook, and to celebrate DSL Opening Day, the book is now available on Amazon for the scant price of $6.04.
We at What the Heck, Bobby? would like to wish the Domincan Summer League Astros best of luck on the upcoming season. We hope to see some of you guys in Houston down the road, as well.
For the third year running, the Astros will field two teams in the DSL; they will be one of 11 teams that will have 2 DSL squads. Let's start off with the Blue team.
Asterisk: Player bats or pitches left-handed.
Bold italics: Player is making professional debut.
Hashtag: Player is a switch hitter.
All players are Dominican unless otherwise noted. If there is signing information available for the player, it will be listed as well. These are the rosters listed on MiLB.com.
DSL Astros Blue
The Blue team will play in the DSL Northwest division. The 8-team division will also include the Marlins, A's, Phillies, Royals, Rays 1, Red Sox 1, and Dodgers 2. They are the team that usually has the more advanced players.
Last year, the Blue team finished 43-29 and won the Boca Chica Northwest division. They fell to the Rangers 1 in the playoffs. They'll start their campaign against the Dodgers 2 at 10:30 A.M. Eastern.
Coaching Staff
Manager: Russ Steinhorn
Pitching Coach: Rick Aponte
Hitting Coaches: Omar Rosario and Danny Ortega
Coaches: Erik Acevedo and Melvi Ortega
Russ Steinhorn is now embarking on a new chapter of his baseball career, as this is his first opportunity to manage a team, and he's doing it in the Dominican Republic. He was previously the hitting coach at Tri-City (2013-15). Before joining the Astros organization, Steinhorn was an assistant coach at Delaware State and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Rick Aponte has been a member of the Houston Astros organization for nearly 40 years as a player, manager, and coach. He played in the Astros system from 1976-81, reaching Triple-A on three separate occations.
Pitchers
Johsson Arias (4/3/94); signed December 2015
Jesus Bernaez (Venezuela, 5/6/97); Astros' transaction page says he signed on March 1. The contract may have been formalized on that date; he most likely signed before March 1.
Ronel Blanco (8/31/93); oldest player on either DSL roster, signed April 2016
Jheyson Caraballo (Venezuela, 10/16/95); signed November 2015
Juan Corniel (1/2/96); signed October 2015
Robert Corniel (6/23/95); signed July 2012
Juan Cuevas (5/4/94); signed April 2014
Edwin Fidel (12/14/94); signed in September 2015
Harlen Florencio (9/24/95); signed in December 2014
Yulian Frontado (Venezuela, 12/29/97); signed March 2016
Jose Antonio Hernandez (Venezuela, 6/18/1999); youngest player on either DSL roster
Adoni Kery (2/18/96); signed April 2016
Juan Lopez (Mexico, 6/25/97); signed in March 2015
Ezequiel Madera (3/22/96); signed November 2013
Javier Navas* (Venezuela, 2/3/98); signed July 2014 for $175,000
Jose Orta* (Venezuela, 5/22/99); signed April 2016
Carlos Perdomo (4/25/98); signed November 2015
Leovanny Rodriguez (6/13/96); signed June 2015
Maikel Sepulveda* (12/31/96); signed February 2015
Felipe Tejada (2/27/98); signed sometime before 2015 season
Luidin Toribio (2/13/96); signed February 2015
Catchers
Carlos Canelon (Venezuela, 12/14/94); signed April 2014
Jose Carrillo (Venezuela, 1/24/98); signed sometime before 2015 season
#Gerry Castillo (10/3/97); signed May 2016
Orlando Marquez (Venezuela, 3/12/96); signed July 2014
Infielders
#Alfredo Angarita (Venezuela, 11/16/96); signed November 2015
#Samir Caraballo (Colombia, 9/12/98); signed November 2015
Eduardo Guzman (Venezuela, 12/6/94); Astros' transaction page says he signed on March 1. The contract may have been formalized on that date; he most likely signed before March 1.
Ronny Jimenez (9/19/94); signed sometime before 2015 season
Felix Lucas (3/27/97); signed July 2013 for $225,000
Nicolas Miranda (Panama, 6/12/96); signed February 2015
#Anardo Peralta (5/11/96); signed June 2014
Juan Piñeda (Panama, 1/31/98); signed July 2014 for $100,000
Ozziel Sanchez-Galan (Panama, 10/30/97); signed July 2014
Outfielders
Jose Benjamin (12/16/95); singed July 2014
Cesar Cortez (Panama, 4/1/99); signed July 2015 for $100,000
Angel De Leon (5/26/96); signed July 2014
Ronny Rafael (10/14/97); signed July 2014 for $1.5 million
Nestor Tejada* (Venezuela, 4/17/97); signed July 2013 for $300,000
Angel Tejeda* (1/22/97); signed sometime before 2015 season
DSL Astros Orange
The Orange team is the Astros' 2nd Dominican Summer League team and mostly consists of the rawer players. In 2015, they finished 28-44, which put them in 9th place in the 11-team Boca Chica North division. They will now be in the Northeast division, a 6-team division that also includes the Phillies 2, Rays 2, Mets 2, Rangers 2, and Red Sox 2.
Gilberto Celestino, who signed for $2.5 million last July, is the name to watch on this team. In addition, Yeuris Ramirez and Enmanuel Valdez are a couple of other kids who received sizeable bonuses on July 2.
The Orange team will open the 2016 season against the Rangers 2 at 10:30 A.M. Eastern.
Coaching Staff
Manager: Carlos Lugo
Pitching Coach: Gerardo Olivares
Hitting Coach: René Rojas
Coaches: Alejandro Martinez and Selin Aquino
Carlos Lugo is also a first-time manager. A catcher during his playing days, Lugo was signed by the Angels in 2007 and played in their minor league system until 2012, mostly in the lower levels. He played in one game at Inland Empire in the California League in 2012.
Gerardo Olivares was originally signed as a catcher by the Devil Rays in 2007. He played in the Rays system until 2011, reaching Hudson Valley in the New York-Penn League. The Red Sox signed him in 2012 and converted him into a pitcher. Olivares played two seasons in the Red Sox system; in 2013, his final season as a player, he pitched at both of Boston's Class A affiliates, Greenville and Salem.
Alejandro Martinez played for the DSL Angels from 2006-08. He played all four infield positions, but was primarily a third baseman.
Pitchers
Gerardo Bojorquez (Mexico, 10/23/97); signed December 2015
Humberto Castellanos (Mexico, 4/3/98); signed July 2015
Luis Castro (5/11/95); signed February 2015
Carlos Espinoza* (Mexico, 8/16/94); signed May 2015
Diosward Gonzalez (7/7/95); signed sometime in 2015
Miguel Matos (9/29/96); signed December 2015
Cristofer Melendez (9/16/97); signed July 2014
Hansel Paulino (1/3/96); signed January 2014
Kilvio Peralta (3/6/97); Astros' transaction page says he signed on March 1. The contract may have been formalized on that date; he may have signed before March 1.
Gabriel Pirela (Venezuela, 5/1/94); signed December 2013
Yonatan Quintin (11/18/96); signed sometime before 2015 season
Jose Ramos (Panama, 8/4/96); signed December 2013
Michael Richez (5/15/97); signed March 2014
Cesar Rosado (6/22/96); signed December 2014
Jacques Sambo (Curaçao, 7/27/98); signed May 2015
Cosme Zapata (Venezuela, 10/23/96); signed July 2015
Catchers
Alvaro Alvarez (Venezuela, 11/23/97); signed January 2016
Bernardo Heras (Mexico,11/3/95); signed September 2015, played 27 games in the Mexican League in 2015
Vicente Mota (6/8/94); signed July 2015 for $7500
Infielders
Fredy Medina (9/26/97); signed July 2015
Kendy Moya (12/14/98); Astros' transaction page says he signed on Wednesday. He probably actually signed earlier.
Yeuris Ramirez (11/28/98); signed July 2015 for $500,000
Anthony Rodriguez (7/23/96); signed February 2015
#Ronaldo Urdaneta (Venezuela, 11/18/98); signed July 2015 for $60,000
Enmanuel Valdez* (12/28/98); signed July 2015 for $450,000
Outfielders
Gilberto Celestino (2/13/99); signed July 2015 for $2.5 million
Darlin Figueroa (9/9/95); signed July 2015
Jose Miguel Hernandez (3/12/96); signed February 2015
Juan Infante (Venezuela, 11/9/96); Astros' transaction page says he signed on March 1. The contract may have been formalized on that date; he may have signed before March 1.
Hector Martinez (7/6/98); signed July 2014 for $300,000
Renaigel Martis* (Curaçao, 11/26/97); signed November 2015
Ramiro Rodriguez* (Panama, 2/2/98); signed October 2015
Monday, September 14, 2015
Dominican Summer League: 2015 Season in Review
The seasons for the two Astros Dominican Summer League teams could not have played out much differently. The Blue team won their division, ended the season with a 43-29 record and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. (As a side note, it was the first time in 14 years that one of the Astros DSL teams had made the playoffs.) The Orange team, however, ended the season in 5th place (22 games behind the leader) in their division with a record of 28-44. Let's dig a little deeper and look at the team performances and some of the individual standouts.
Note all rankings are out of 38 total teams
DSL ASTROS BLUE TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .243 (27th)
On-base percentage: .356 (6th)
Slugging percentage: .349 (17th)
Doubles: 129 (3rd)
Triples: 26 (T17th)
Home runs: 24 (T10th)
Walks: 352 (4th)
Strikeouts: 480 (28th)
Stolen bases: 113 (T10th)
DSL ASTROS ORANGE TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .253 (17th)
On-base percentage: .339 (21st)
Slugging percentage: .358 (11th)
Doubles: 125 (T5th)
Triples: 20 (T29th)
Home runs: 30 (T4th)
Walks: 234 (30th)
Strikeouts: 611 (6th)
Stolen bases: 75 (28th)
Based on some of these numbers, it appears that the Orange team had more raw power than the Blue team, but the Blue team was much more disciplined at the plate, but neither team exhibited a lot of speed as a whole.
DSL ASTROS BLUE TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 3.47 (14th)
WHIP: 1.342 (15th)
Walks: 252 (26th)
Strikeouts: 549 (14th)
DSL ASTROS ORANGE TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 4.21 (30th)
WHIP: 1.526 (37th)
Walks: 334 (3rd)
Strikeouts: 532 (20th)
Based on the team standings in the various categories and the fact that the average age of the Orange team was somewhat younger than the Blue team, it appears that the differences between the two teams was mostly by design with the younger, rawer players placed on the Orange team and those who were a little more well-developed in baseball skills being placed on the Blue team. That is just a broad generalization, though, since numerous players were shuttled back and forth between the two teams.
BLUE TEAM BATTING LEADERS (minimum 45 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: Andy Pineda (.293)
On-Base Percentage: Andy Pineda (.417 - 9th in the league)
Slugging Percentage: Christopher Luciano (.402)
Doubles: Christopher Luciano (19 - T7th in the league)
Triples: Wilson Amador (6)
Home Runs: Reiny Beltre (6 - T8th in the league)
RBI: Christopher Luciano (51 - T4th in the league)
Stolen Bases: Andy Pineda (30 - T3rd in the league)
Walks: Christopher Luciano (54 - 3rd in the league)
Runs: Andy Pineda (51 - T11th in the league)
ORANGE TEAM BATTING LEADERS (minimum 45 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: Carlos Machado (.344)
On-Base Percentage: Carlos Machado (.410)
Slugging Percentage: Miguelangel Sierra (.439)
Doubles: Miguelangel Sierra and Randy Vasquez (17 - T13th in the league)
Triples: Angel Tejeda (4)
Home Runs: Marcos Almonte and Felix Lucas (5)
RBI: Randy Vasquez (34)
Stolen Bases: Juan Fuentes (17)
Walks: Randy Vasquez (35)
Runs: Randy Vasquez (34)
As you can see, certain players appear numerous times. Let's look at a few in more detail:
OF Andy Pineda (18)
69 games: .293/.417/.378 10-2B 4-3B 1HR 29RBI 30SB 16CS 46BB 44SO
1B Christopher Luciano (19)
72 games: .266/.409/.402 19-2B 2-3B 4HR 51RBI 11SB 7CS 54BB 51SO
OF Carlos Machado (17)
49 games: .344/.410/.383 2-2B 2-3B 20RBI 10SB 4CS 13BB 17SO
1B/C Randy Vasquez (19)
64 games: .309/.405/.448 17-2B 1-3B 4HR 34RBI 2SB 4CS 35BB 42SO
SS Miguelangel Sierra (17)
45 games: .302/.406/.479 17-2B 2-3B 3HR 19RBI 8SB 5CS 20BB 48SO
Sierra also played in 24 games with the Gulf Coast League Astros after a late July promotion and he struggled at the higher level. However, considering that he won't be 18 until December, I think that was to be expected. IF Marcos Almonte (19) also received a promotion to the GCL in early August. Almonte fared better at the higher level and ended his season hitting a combined .270/.343/.404 between the two venues.
BLUE TEAM PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 30IP+/- or 10 appearances for ERA and WHIP)
Starter ERA: Michel Martinez (1.06 in 34.1IP)
Relief ERA: Dariel Aquino (0.51 in 17.1IP/13G)
Starter WHIP: Hector Perez (0.876 in 29.2IP)
Relief WHIP: Dariel Aquino (1.019)
Strikeouts: Felipe Tejeda (45 in 51.1IP)
Saves: Dariel Aquino (6)
ORANGE TEAM PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 30IP for ERA and WHIP)
ERA: Juan Robles (1.49 in 36.1IP)
WHIP: Jose Ramos (0.970 in 44.1IP - 7th in the league)
Strikeouts: Bryan Abreu (48 in 51.2IP)
Saves: Josue Uribe (7 for Orange team/8 total - T7th in the league)
Also of note for the Orange team was 17-year old RHP Franklin Perez whose 11.3 strikeout per nine rate in 35 innings was the best mark for the Astros DSL teams before his promotion to the GCL in August.
Virtually every one of these team leaders was subsequently promoted to the GCL. Let's look a little more closely:
RHP Michael Martinez (21)
The 21-year old Cuban had a 1.06 ERA and a 1.294 WHIP in 34 innings with the DSL. After his late July promotion to the GCL, he had a 4.82 ERA and a 1.607 WHIP in 18.2 innings.
RHP Dariel Aquino (19)
The converted shortstop had a 0.51 ERA, a 1.019 WHIP and 6 saves in 13 appearances (17.1IP) for the DSL and a 18.90 ERA and a 3.600 WHIP in 7 appearances (6.2IP) for the GCL after his late July promotion.
RHP Hector Perez (19)
Perez was promoted twice (mid-July to the GCL and late August to Greeneville) and was very successful at all levels, ending the season with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.964 WHIP in 55 innings.
RHP Juan Robles (17)
The 17-year old Mexican born Robles also received double promotions (early August to the GCL and late August to Quad Cities) and also did quite well at the higher levels with the exception of one stumble for Quad Cities. He ended the season with a 1.81 ERA and a 1.171 WHIP in 54.2 innings.
RHP Jose Ramos (19)
Ramos, who just turned 19 last month, did not receive a promotion. However, he excelled with the DSL, playing on both the Orange and Blue teams, and ended the season with a 1.93 ERA and a 0.949 WHIP in 65.1 innings pitched. His ERA ranked 13th in the league and his WHIP ranked 7th.
Others of note are RHP Yoanys Quiala, a 21-year old Cuban who had a 1.54 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP in 35 innings for the Blue team; 18-year old RHP Cristian Javier with a combined 2.13 ERA and 0.921 WHIP in 42.1 innings pitched for the Blue and Orange teams (14 appearances/4 starts); and 19-year old RHP Ricardo Castro who had a 1.63 ERA and 0.940 WHIP in 27.2 innings for the Blue team.
Miguelangel Sierra - July 2015
Photo Courtesy of Bryan Green
Note all rankings are out of 38 total teams
DSL ASTROS BLUE TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .243 (27th)
On-base percentage: .356 (6th)
Slugging percentage: .349 (17th)
Doubles: 129 (3rd)
Triples: 26 (T17th)
Home runs: 24 (T10th)
Walks: 352 (4th)
Strikeouts: 480 (28th)
Stolen bases: 113 (T10th)
DSL ASTROS ORANGE TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .253 (17th)
On-base percentage: .339 (21st)
Slugging percentage: .358 (11th)
Doubles: 125 (T5th)
Triples: 20 (T29th)
Home runs: 30 (T4th)
Walks: 234 (30th)
Strikeouts: 611 (6th)
Stolen bases: 75 (28th)
Based on some of these numbers, it appears that the Orange team had more raw power than the Blue team, but the Blue team was much more disciplined at the plate, but neither team exhibited a lot of speed as a whole.
DSL ASTROS BLUE TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 3.47 (14th)
WHIP: 1.342 (15th)
Walks: 252 (26th)
Strikeouts: 549 (14th)
DSL ASTROS ORANGE TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 4.21 (30th)
WHIP: 1.526 (37th)
Walks: 334 (3rd)
Strikeouts: 532 (20th)
Based on the team standings in the various categories and the fact that the average age of the Orange team was somewhat younger than the Blue team, it appears that the differences between the two teams was mostly by design with the younger, rawer players placed on the Orange team and those who were a little more well-developed in baseball skills being placed on the Blue team. That is just a broad generalization, though, since numerous players were shuttled back and forth between the two teams.
BLUE TEAM BATTING LEADERS (minimum 45 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: Andy Pineda (.293)
On-Base Percentage: Andy Pineda (.417 - 9th in the league)
Slugging Percentage: Christopher Luciano (.402)
Doubles: Christopher Luciano (19 - T7th in the league)
Triples: Wilson Amador (6)
Home Runs: Reiny Beltre (6 - T8th in the league)
RBI: Christopher Luciano (51 - T4th in the league)
Stolen Bases: Andy Pineda (30 - T3rd in the league)
Walks: Christopher Luciano (54 - 3rd in the league)
Runs: Andy Pineda (51 - T11th in the league)
ORANGE TEAM BATTING LEADERS (minimum 45 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: Carlos Machado (.344)
On-Base Percentage: Carlos Machado (.410)
Slugging Percentage: Miguelangel Sierra (.439)
Doubles: Miguelangel Sierra and Randy Vasquez (17 - T13th in the league)
Triples: Angel Tejeda (4)
Home Runs: Marcos Almonte and Felix Lucas (5)
RBI: Randy Vasquez (34)
Stolen Bases: Juan Fuentes (17)
Walks: Randy Vasquez (35)
Runs: Randy Vasquez (34)
As you can see, certain players appear numerous times. Let's look at a few in more detail:
OF Andy Pineda (18)
69 games: .293/.417/.378 10-2B 4-3B 1HR 29RBI 30SB 16CS 46BB 44SO
1B Christopher Luciano (19)
72 games: .266/.409/.402 19-2B 2-3B 4HR 51RBI 11SB 7CS 54BB 51SO
OF Carlos Machado (17)
49 games: .344/.410/.383 2-2B 2-3B 20RBI 10SB 4CS 13BB 17SO
1B/C Randy Vasquez (19)
64 games: .309/.405/.448 17-2B 1-3B 4HR 34RBI 2SB 4CS 35BB 42SO
SS Miguelangel Sierra (17)
45 games: .302/.406/.479 17-2B 2-3B 3HR 19RBI 8SB 5CS 20BB 48SO
Sierra also played in 24 games with the Gulf Coast League Astros after a late July promotion and he struggled at the higher level. However, considering that he won't be 18 until December, I think that was to be expected. IF Marcos Almonte (19) also received a promotion to the GCL in early August. Almonte fared better at the higher level and ended his season hitting a combined .270/.343/.404 between the two venues.
BLUE TEAM PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 30IP+/- or 10 appearances for ERA and WHIP)
Starter ERA: Michel Martinez (1.06 in 34.1IP)
Relief ERA: Dariel Aquino (0.51 in 17.1IP/13G)
Starter WHIP: Hector Perez (0.876 in 29.2IP)
Relief WHIP: Dariel Aquino (1.019)
Strikeouts: Felipe Tejeda (45 in 51.1IP)
Saves: Dariel Aquino (6)
ORANGE TEAM PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 30IP for ERA and WHIP)
ERA: Juan Robles (1.49 in 36.1IP)
WHIP: Jose Ramos (0.970 in 44.1IP - 7th in the league)
Strikeouts: Bryan Abreu (48 in 51.2IP)
Saves: Josue Uribe (7 for Orange team/8 total - T7th in the league)
Also of note for the Orange team was 17-year old RHP Franklin Perez whose 11.3 strikeout per nine rate in 35 innings was the best mark for the Astros DSL teams before his promotion to the GCL in August.
Virtually every one of these team leaders was subsequently promoted to the GCL. Let's look a little more closely:
RHP Michael Martinez (21)
The 21-year old Cuban had a 1.06 ERA and a 1.294 WHIP in 34 innings with the DSL. After his late July promotion to the GCL, he had a 4.82 ERA and a 1.607 WHIP in 18.2 innings.
RHP Dariel Aquino (19)
The converted shortstop had a 0.51 ERA, a 1.019 WHIP and 6 saves in 13 appearances (17.1IP) for the DSL and a 18.90 ERA and a 3.600 WHIP in 7 appearances (6.2IP) for the GCL after his late July promotion.
RHP Hector Perez (19)
Perez was promoted twice (mid-July to the GCL and late August to Greeneville) and was very successful at all levels, ending the season with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.964 WHIP in 55 innings.
RHP Juan Robles (17)
The 17-year old Mexican born Robles also received double promotions (early August to the GCL and late August to Quad Cities) and also did quite well at the higher levels with the exception of one stumble for Quad Cities. He ended the season with a 1.81 ERA and a 1.171 WHIP in 54.2 innings.
RHP Jose Ramos (19)
Ramos, who just turned 19 last month, did not receive a promotion. However, he excelled with the DSL, playing on both the Orange and Blue teams, and ended the season with a 1.93 ERA and a 0.949 WHIP in 65.1 innings pitched. His ERA ranked 13th in the league and his WHIP ranked 7th.
Others of note are RHP Yoanys Quiala, a 21-year old Cuban who had a 1.54 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP in 35 innings for the Blue team; 18-year old RHP Cristian Javier with a combined 2.13 ERA and 0.921 WHIP in 42.1 innings pitched for the Blue and Orange teams (14 appearances/4 starts); and 19-year old RHP Ricardo Castro who had a 1.63 ERA and 0.940 WHIP in 27.2 innings for the Blue team.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Astros Minor League Snapshot: Dominican Summer League Astros
The Astros have two teams in the Dominican Summer League, the Blue team and the Orange team. The Blue team is doing exceptionally well since their season started on the last day of May. The Orange team, not so much.
Here is how the two teams stack up against other teams in the league in various categories ...
ASTROS BLUE TEAM
The Blue team is currently in first place in the 6-team Boca Chica Northwest Division, leading the second place Phillies by 5 games. Their 22-8 record is in a 3-way tie for second best record in the League, with the Rangers North Division team leading the way with a 25-6 record.
.358 OBP - 10th
.353 SLG - 16th
52 2B - 9th
12 3B - T14th
11 HR - T9th
147 BB - 6th
205 SO - 27th
52 SB - T10th
Since there are so many players and so many teams, I'm going to include any player with stats in the top 30 in a given category as a "league leader"
3B Reiny Beltre (promoted to the GCL 6/24)
.329 BA - T30th in the league
.526 SLG - 15th
3 HR - T11th
19RBI - T30th
1B Cristopher Luciano
.436 OBP - 17th in the league
10 2B - T9th
23 BB T5th
OF Andy Pineda
.418 OBP - 26th in the league
22 Runs Scored - T23rd
21 BB - T11th
18 SB - 2nd
OF Angel de Leon
37 Hits - 12th in the league
3 HR - T11th
35 SO - T12th
C Orlando Marquez
17 BB - T30th
BLUE TEAM PITCHING
3.13 ERA - 6th out of 38 teams
1.234 WHIP - 7th
102 BB - T27th
246 SO - 8th
RHP Hector Perez
1.04 ERA - 9th in the league
0.769 WHIP - 2nd
27 SO - T28th
RHP Michel Martinez
1.13 - T11th in the league
RHP Diogenes Almengo did not have enough innings to qualify, but his 0.51 ERA and 1.075 WHIP over 17.2 innings earned him a promotion to the GCL.
ASTROS ORANGE TEAM
The Orange team is at the other end of the spectrum, in sixth place in the 6-team Boca Chica North Division, 17 games behind the Rangers. Their 8-23 record is the worst in the league. As you can see below, although they don't have the strongest offense, the pitching is more the culprit when it comes to the Orange team's lackluster results.
.325 OBP - 28th
.322 SLG - 28th
53 2B - 8th
5 3B - T36th
10 HR - T11th
109 BB - T21st
250 SO - T6th
44 SB - T17th
IF Marcos Almonte
11 2B - T4th in the league
SS Miguelangel Sierra
10 2B - T9th in the league
32 SO - T18th
OF Ronny Rafael
41 SO - T2nd
1B/DH Felix Lucas
32 SO - T18th
OF Juan Fuente
13SB - T7th
ORANGE TEAM PITCHING
4.57 ERA - 32nd out of 38 teams
1.491 WHIP - 28th
133 BB - T13th
222 SO - 22nd
RHP Juan Robles
0.70 ERA - T4th in the league
1.013 WHIP - 27th
RHP Cesar Rosado did not have enough innings to qualify, but his 0.919 WHIP ranks highly in the league.
Reiny Beltre - Promoted to the GCL in late June
Photo Courtesy of Bryan Green
Here is how the two teams stack up against other teams in the league in various categories ...
ASTROS BLUE TEAM
The Blue team is currently in first place in the 6-team Boca Chica Northwest Division, leading the second place Phillies by 5 games. Their 22-8 record is in a 3-way tie for second best record in the League, with the Rangers North Division team leading the way with a 25-6 record.
BLUE TEAM OFFENSE
.245 BA - 24th of 38 teams.358 OBP - 10th
.353 SLG - 16th
52 2B - 9th
12 3B - T14th
11 HR - T9th
147 BB - 6th
205 SO - 27th
52 SB - T10th
Since there are so many players and so many teams, I'm going to include any player with stats in the top 30 in a given category as a "league leader"
3B Reiny Beltre (promoted to the GCL 6/24)
.329 BA - T30th in the league
.526 SLG - 15th
3 HR - T11th
19RBI - T30th
1B Cristopher Luciano
.436 OBP - 17th in the league
10 2B - T9th
23 BB T5th
OF Andy Pineda
.418 OBP - 26th in the league
22 Runs Scored - T23rd
21 BB - T11th
18 SB - 2nd
OF Angel de Leon
37 Hits - 12th in the league
3 HR - T11th
35 SO - T12th
C Orlando Marquez
17 BB - T30th
BLUE TEAM PITCHING
3.13 ERA - 6th out of 38 teams
1.234 WHIP - 7th
102 BB - T27th
246 SO - 8th
RHP Hector Perez
1.04 ERA - 9th in the league
0.769 WHIP - 2nd
27 SO - T28th
RHP Michel Martinez
1.13 - T11th in the league
RHP Diogenes Almengo did not have enough innings to qualify, but his 0.51 ERA and 1.075 WHIP over 17.2 innings earned him a promotion to the GCL.
ASTROS ORANGE TEAM
The Orange team is at the other end of the spectrum, in sixth place in the 6-team Boca Chica North Division, 17 games behind the Rangers. Their 8-23 record is the worst in the league. As you can see below, although they don't have the strongest offense, the pitching is more the culprit when it comes to the Orange team's lackluster results.
ORANGE TEAM OFFENSE
.233 BA - 28th of 38 teams.325 OBP - 28th
.322 SLG - 28th
53 2B - 8th
5 3B - T36th
10 HR - T11th
109 BB - T21st
250 SO - T6th
44 SB - T17th
IF Marcos Almonte
11 2B - T4th in the league
SS Miguelangel Sierra
10 2B - T9th in the league
32 SO - T18th
OF Ronny Rafael
41 SO - T2nd
1B/DH Felix Lucas
32 SO - T18th
OF Juan Fuente
13SB - T7th
ORANGE TEAM PITCHING
4.57 ERA - 32nd out of 38 teams
1.491 WHIP - 28th
133 BB - T13th
222 SO - 22nd
RHP Juan Robles
0.70 ERA - T4th in the league
1.013 WHIP - 27th
RHP Cesar Rosado did not have enough innings to qualify, but his 0.919 WHIP ranks highly in the league.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Dominican Summer League Rosters Announced
The Dominican Summer League kicks off play later this morning. For the kids on the roster of a Dominican Summer League team, this is their first stop as they chase their dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player.
All players are Dominican unless otherwise noted, and their dates of birth are also listed.
Asterisk = player bats or pitches left-handed
Bold Italics = player is making professional debut
Hashtag = player is a switch-hitter
BLUE
The Blue team will play in the 6-team Santo Domingo North division against the Indians, A's, Dodgers, Royals, and Rays. Their first game will take place at the Athletics' complex. The Blue team finished 35-34 in 2014, putting them in 4th place in the division. This year, they'll feature a couple of interesting infielders in Cristopher Luciano and the toolsy Wilson Amador, both returning players; Amador spent all of 2014 with the Orange team.
Coaching Staff
Manager: Charlie Romero
Hitting Coach: Luis Mateo
Pitching Coach: Erick Abreu
All three coaches were former Minor League players.
Romero is the new skipper, replacing Johan Maya. He played in the Blue Jays and the Angels organizations from 1985-90 as an outfielder. He was the longtime manager of the DSL Angels, a position that he first took in 1999.
Mateo, another former outfielder, played in the then-Devil Rays organization from 1999-2005.
Abreu last pitched in the Dominican Winter League for Gigantes in 2014. He was originally signed by the Yankees in 2003, but joined the Astros in 2008, spending the majority of his time at Corpus Christi.
Pitchers
Jorge Alcala (7/28/95)
Diogenes Almengo (6/2/95)
Dariel Aquino (1/30/96)
Joel Belboder (10/5/95)
Luis Castro (5/11/95)
Enrique Chavez (Mexico; 4/13/96)
Robert Corniel (6/23/95)
Yan De La Cruz (8/5/93); oldest player on either DSL squad
Michel Martinez (Cuba; 9/16/93)
Saul Martinez (6/21/95)
Cristofer Melendez (9/16/97)
Hansel Paulino (1/3/96)
Hector Perez (6/6/96)
Jose Rosario (2/15/95)
Felipe Tejada (2/27/98); youngest player on Blue roster
Luidin Toribio (2/13/96)
Framber Valdez* (11/19/93)
Edwin Villarroel* (Venezuela; 5/18/95)
Catchers
Oscar Campos (Venezuela; 12/8/96)
Jose Carrillo (Venezuela; 1/24/98)
Orlando Marquez (Venezuela; 3/12/96)
Oliver Toribio (6/7/96)
Infielders
Wilson Amador (12/14/96)
Reiny Beltre (7/16/96)
Ronny Jimenez (9/19/94)
Cristopher Luciano (5/31/96)
Juan Piñeda (Panama; 1/31/98)
Ozziel Sanchez-Galan (Panama; 10/30/97)
Outfielders
Jose Benjamin (12/16/95)
Angel De Leon (5/26/96)
Jose Hernandez (3/12/96)
Andy Piñeda (11/11/96)
ORANGE
In its 2nd season, the Orange team will feature the big signings from the previous July 2 international signing period; Ronny Rafael, Miguelangel Sierra, and Franklin Perez, the three million-dollar signees, will begin their road to the show with the Orange team.
The Orange team will play in the 11-team Boca Chica North division, the largest division in the DSL. They'll be matched up against the Angels, the Cubs, the Mariners 2, the Marlins, the Mets 2, the Phillies, the Pirates, two Rangers teams, and the Yankees 2. Last year, the Orange team finished 31-39, putting them in a tie for 6th with the Angels. They finished strong after languishing at the bottom of the division for most of the season.
The Orange team's first game is against the Nationals; they are the home team.
Coaching Staff
Manager: Neder Horta
Hitting Coach: René Rojas
Assistant Hitting Coach: Danny Ortega
Pitching Coach: Carlos Gonzalez
Coach/Outfield Specialist: Melvi Ortega
Neder Horta, a native of Colombia, was originally signed by the Yankees, but much of his minor league career was spent in the Astros system. The highest level he reached was Class A, with Asheville; he played there from 1986-88. He last managed in the DSL with the Cardinals, doing so in 2005 and 2006. Horta also served as the hitting coach of the GCL Cardinals in 2009 and served as a coach for the VSL Cardinals in 2010. Horta spent the last two years as a scout for the Astros.
A Panamanian, Carlos Gonzalez played 3 seasons in the Cardinals system and made it to the United States, where he topped out at Johnson City in the Appalachian League in 2008.
Pitchers
Bryan Abreu (4/22/97)
Juan Cuevas (5/4/94)
Harlen Florencio (9/24/95)
Jorge Guzman (1/28/96)
Ezequiel Madera (3/22/96)
Javier Navas* (2/3/98)
Franklin Perez (12/6/97)
Gabriel Pirela (5/1/94)
Yonatan Quintin (11/18/96)
Jose Ramos (Panama; 8/4/96)
Michael Richez (5/15/97)
Juan Robles (Mexico; 11/6/97)
Cesar Rosado (6/22/96)
Maikel Sepulveda* (12/31/96)
Josue Uribe (2/6/95)
Gabriel Valdez (Panama; 10/25/95)
Luis Vasquez (11/21/93)
Catchers
Brandon Benavente# (Venezuela; 9/3/97)
Carlos Canelon (Venezuela; 12/14/94)
Randy Vasquez (3/13/96)
Infielders
Marcos Almonte (3/28/96)
Felix Lucas (3/27/97)
Nicolas Miranda (Panama; 6/12/96)
Anardo Peralta# (5/11/96)
Anthony Rodriguez (7/23/96)
Miguelangel Sierra (Venezuela; 12/7/97)
Outfielders
Juan Fuentes# (11/8/93); oldest player on Orange roster
Carlos Machado (Venezuela; 6/5/98)
Hector Martinez (7/6/98); youngest player on either DSL squad
Ronny Rafael (10/14/97)
Angel Tejeda (1/22/97)
All players are Dominican unless otherwise noted, and their dates of birth are also listed.
Asterisk = player bats or pitches left-handed
Bold Italics = player is making professional debut
Hashtag = player is a switch-hitter
BLUE
The Blue team will play in the 6-team Santo Domingo North division against the Indians, A's, Dodgers, Royals, and Rays. Their first game will take place at the Athletics' complex. The Blue team finished 35-34 in 2014, putting them in 4th place in the division. This year, they'll feature a couple of interesting infielders in Cristopher Luciano and the toolsy Wilson Amador, both returning players; Amador spent all of 2014 with the Orange team.
Coaching Staff
Manager: Charlie Romero
Hitting Coach: Luis Mateo
Pitching Coach: Erick Abreu
All three coaches were former Minor League players.
Romero is the new skipper, replacing Johan Maya. He played in the Blue Jays and the Angels organizations from 1985-90 as an outfielder. He was the longtime manager of the DSL Angels, a position that he first took in 1999.
Mateo, another former outfielder, played in the then-Devil Rays organization from 1999-2005.
Abreu last pitched in the Dominican Winter League for Gigantes in 2014. He was originally signed by the Yankees in 2003, but joined the Astros in 2008, spending the majority of his time at Corpus Christi.
Pitchers
Jorge Alcala (7/28/95)
Diogenes Almengo (6/2/95)
Dariel Aquino (1/30/96)
Joel Belboder (10/5/95)
Luis Castro (5/11/95)
Enrique Chavez (Mexico; 4/13/96)
Robert Corniel (6/23/95)
Yan De La Cruz (8/5/93); oldest player on either DSL squad
Michel Martinez (Cuba; 9/16/93)
Saul Martinez (6/21/95)
Cristofer Melendez (9/16/97)
Hansel Paulino (1/3/96)
Hector Perez (6/6/96)
Jose Rosario (2/15/95)
Felipe Tejada (2/27/98); youngest player on Blue roster
Luidin Toribio (2/13/96)
Framber Valdez* (11/19/93)
Edwin Villarroel* (Venezuela; 5/18/95)
Catchers
Oscar Campos (Venezuela; 12/8/96)
Jose Carrillo (Venezuela; 1/24/98)
Orlando Marquez (Venezuela; 3/12/96)
Oliver Toribio (6/7/96)
Infielders
Wilson Amador (12/14/96)
Reiny Beltre (7/16/96)
Ronny Jimenez (9/19/94)
Cristopher Luciano (5/31/96)
Juan Piñeda (Panama; 1/31/98)
Ozziel Sanchez-Galan (Panama; 10/30/97)
Outfielders
Jose Benjamin (12/16/95)
Angel De Leon (5/26/96)
Jose Hernandez (3/12/96)
Andy Piñeda (11/11/96)
ORANGE
In its 2nd season, the Orange team will feature the big signings from the previous July 2 international signing period; Ronny Rafael, Miguelangel Sierra, and Franklin Perez, the three million-dollar signees, will begin their road to the show with the Orange team.
The Orange team will play in the 11-team Boca Chica North division, the largest division in the DSL. They'll be matched up against the Angels, the Cubs, the Mariners 2, the Marlins, the Mets 2, the Phillies, the Pirates, two Rangers teams, and the Yankees 2. Last year, the Orange team finished 31-39, putting them in a tie for 6th with the Angels. They finished strong after languishing at the bottom of the division for most of the season.
The Orange team's first game is against the Nationals; they are the home team.
Coaching Staff
Manager: Neder Horta
Hitting Coach: René Rojas
Assistant Hitting Coach: Danny Ortega
Pitching Coach: Carlos Gonzalez
Coach/Outfield Specialist: Melvi Ortega
Neder Horta, a native of Colombia, was originally signed by the Yankees, but much of his minor league career was spent in the Astros system. The highest level he reached was Class A, with Asheville; he played there from 1986-88. He last managed in the DSL with the Cardinals, doing so in 2005 and 2006. Horta also served as the hitting coach of the GCL Cardinals in 2009 and served as a coach for the VSL Cardinals in 2010. Horta spent the last two years as a scout for the Astros.
A Panamanian, Carlos Gonzalez played 3 seasons in the Cardinals system and made it to the United States, where he topped out at Johnson City in the Appalachian League in 2008.
Pitchers
Bryan Abreu (4/22/97)
Juan Cuevas (5/4/94)
Harlen Florencio (9/24/95)
Jorge Guzman (1/28/96)
Ezequiel Madera (3/22/96)
Javier Navas* (2/3/98)
Franklin Perez (12/6/97)
Gabriel Pirela (5/1/94)
Yonatan Quintin (11/18/96)
Jose Ramos (Panama; 8/4/96)
Michael Richez (5/15/97)
Juan Robles (Mexico; 11/6/97)
Cesar Rosado (6/22/96)
Maikel Sepulveda* (12/31/96)
Josue Uribe (2/6/95)
Gabriel Valdez (Panama; 10/25/95)
Luis Vasquez (11/21/93)
Catchers
Brandon Benavente# (Venezuela; 9/3/97)
Carlos Canelon (Venezuela; 12/14/94)
Randy Vasquez (3/13/96)
Infielders
Marcos Almonte (3/28/96)
Felix Lucas (3/27/97)
Nicolas Miranda (Panama; 6/12/96)
Anardo Peralta# (5/11/96)
Anthony Rodriguez (7/23/96)
Miguelangel Sierra (Venezuela; 12/7/97)
Outfielders
Juan Fuentes# (11/8/93); oldest player on Orange roster
Carlos Machado (Venezuela; 6/5/98)
Hector Martinez (7/6/98); youngest player on either DSL squad
Ronny Rafael (10/14/97)
Angel Tejeda (1/22/97)
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Dominican Summer League Season Recap - Offense
The Dominican Summer League teams ended their seasons a little early due to rainouts of their last couple of games. The Astros Orange team ended the season with a 31-39 record and the Astros Blue team ended with a 35-34 record. But both of the teams were coming on strong in August with 12-7 and 11-6 records, respectively, so they certainly left on a high note.
Since the Astros expanded their presence in the Dominican Summer League to two teams, there are a lot of players from the two teams who deserve a look so I'll be splitting this season recap into offensive performances and pitching performances. First up, the offense ~
Orange Team
.248 BA - 16th out of 36 teams
.377 OBP - 2nd
.342 SLG - 13th
Blue Team
.235 BA - 25th
.358 OBP - 10th
.325 SLG - 20th
The two teams ranked highly in walks. The Orange team was first in drawing walks with 403 and the Blue team was third with 381. In addition, the Orange team was third in stolen bases with 156 in 70 games. By contrast, the Corpus Christi team has stolen 161 bases, but it took them 133 games to do that.
The vast majority of those players having good offensive seasons in the DSL are still only 17 or 18 years old. In my notes on each player, I will indicate the player's current age with his birthday in parentheses. All of the players are in their first season of professional play except for two of them as noted below. Any players who were promoted to the GCL prior to the end of the season will be addressed in the season recap for that team.
CATCHERS
Orlando Marquez - 18 (3/12)
The Venezuelan born Marquez didn't start playing until July 4th. He caught in 15 of his 28 games and had five passed balls, five errors and a 37% caught stealing rate. Marquez hit .296/.381/.429.
Gabriel Bracamonte - 19 (5/15)
Also from Venezuela, Bracamonte showed early promise, but did not play after July 1st. He caught in only 10 of his 15 games with three passed balls, four errors and a 35% caught stealing rate. He hit a robust .378/.481/.511 in that small sampling.
Ihan Bernal - 17 (10/20)
Bernal is, to me, the most intriguing of the group. The young Panamanian may only have hit .200/.411/.284, but he was tied for the league lead with his 51 walks. In 52 games, he walked 51 times and struck out 47 times. Bernal caught in 40 of those games and had a .980 fielding percentage, a 7.33 range factor, 12 passed balls, six errors and a 39% caught stealing rate.
INFIELDERS
2B Jonathan Matute - 17 (4/28)
Another Venezuelan, Matute put up average defensive numbers, but like Bernal, he had a propensity to draw walks. His 43 walks (to 53 strikeouts) in 69 games tied for 10th in the league. His nine sacrifice hits were the most on his team. He had a .245/.369/.327 batting line for the season.
1B Connor MacDonald - 18 (2/27)
One of the young Australians playing for the Astros this year, MacDonald put up a .328/.442/.461 line in 35 games before being shut down on July 10th. His defensive numbers were at or above average.
1B Jake Bowey - 18 (7/16)
MacDonald's fellow Australian Bowey started the season with the Gulf Coast League (6 games) before being sent to the DSL (27 games) to finish the season. A lefty hitter, he hit .221/.362/.375 and walked 24 times while striking out 31 times. His defensive numbers were at or above average.
1B Cristopher Luciano - 18 (5/31)
This young Dominican was third in the league with his 50 walks (to 68 strikeouts) in 62 games. He hit .255/.401/.356 and put up defensive numbers that were at or above average.
3B Wander Franco - 17 (10/11)
Fellow Dominican Franco hit .243/.363/.352 in 68 games and was coming on strong at the end of the season, hitting .323/.392/.431 in August. Franco was tied for fourth in the league in walks with 48 (to 37 strikeouts). Franco is a switch-hitter who hit better from the right side of the plate this season. His defensive numbers were somewhat below average.
3B Reiny Beltre - 18 (7/16)
Beltre also improved toward the end of the season, hitting .294/.422/.368 in August (and .231/.380/.281 for the season). Beltre did not join the team until July 12th and only played in 34 games (walking 20 times and striking out 21). His defensive numbers were somewhat below average. Beltre is from the Dominican Republic.
SS Wilson Amador - 17 (12/14)
This young Dominican has the unenviable honor of currently leading all Astros minor league players in hit by pitches, with 17. He led his team in runs, hits (a tie) and stolen bases, and was tied for 8th in the league in that last category. A .245/.349/.302 hitter in 64 games, he hit .284/.383/.328 in August. With 39 errors to his name, his defense is a work in progress.
IF/OF Marcos Almonte - 18 (3/28)
Almonte is also Dominican. He has played more games at shortstop than any other position, but also played at left field, third base, center field and second base this year. He is tied with Amador (and Andy Pineda below) for the DSL Astros lead in hits, but leads the DSL 'Stros outright in doubles and triples. Almonte is tied for 14th in doubles and walks in the league. He walked 42 times while striking out 44 times in 67 games, as he hit .233/.359/.353. His defensive numbers at short are at or below average.
OUTFIELD
Vincente Sanchez - 17 (10/4)
Sanchez, another Dominican, showed tremendous promise early in the season, but played in only one game after July 8th. The lefty hit .281/.390/.479 in 32 games and his five home runs led the DSL Astros. Another patient hitter, he walked 22 times while striking out 23 times. His defensive numbers are at or slightly below average.
Andy Pineda - 17 (11/11)
Another Dominican lefty, Pineda hit .279/.384/.312 in 65 games and is in a three-way tie for the DSL lead in hits. His defensive abilities appear to be at or above average.
Edgar Lorenzo - 17 (1/15)
Yet another player from the Dominican Republic, Lorenzo showed average or somewhat below defensive abilities while putting up a .236/.361/.363 in 56 games. His bat was coming on strong in August as he hit .302/.431/.453 in August.
Bryan de la Cruz - 17 (12/16)
De la Cruz is also (surprise, surprise) from the Dominican Republic. He hit .346/.435/.481 in August and .262/.387/.317 in 59 games over the season. His defensive numbers are at or somewhat below average.
Jose Benjamin - 18 (12/16)
Benjamin's defense appears to be average to somewhat below average. In 42 games this season, he hit .235/.349/.309 with 20 walks to 24 strikeouts. He is also from the Dominican Republic.
Juan Fuentes - 20 (11/8)
Another average to slightly below average defender (on paper), Fuentes is in his second year as a professional, having played last season in the Blue Jays organization. The switch-hitter hit .300/.423/.367 in 58 games and had the 17th highest OBP in the league. He is from the Dominican Republic.
Rodrigo Ayarza - 19 (2/20)
Ayarza is in his third professional season, but his first with the Astros (after spending two years in the Rangers organization). A switch-hitter from Panama, he led the DSL Astros in RBI and sacrifice flies, and he was tied for 18th in walks in the league (41 walks to 30 strikeouts). On paper, he is an average to above average defender.
Later this week, I'll be taking a look at the DSL pitchers.
Since the Astros expanded their presence in the Dominican Summer League to two teams, there are a lot of players from the two teams who deserve a look so I'll be splitting this season recap into offensive performances and pitching performances. First up, the offense ~
Orange Team
.248 BA - 16th out of 36 teams
.377 OBP - 2nd
.342 SLG - 13th
Blue Team
.235 BA - 25th
.358 OBP - 10th
.325 SLG - 20th
The two teams ranked highly in walks. The Orange team was first in drawing walks with 403 and the Blue team was third with 381. In addition, the Orange team was third in stolen bases with 156 in 70 games. By contrast, the Corpus Christi team has stolen 161 bases, but it took them 133 games to do that.
The vast majority of those players having good offensive seasons in the DSL are still only 17 or 18 years old. In my notes on each player, I will indicate the player's current age with his birthday in parentheses. All of the players are in their first season of professional play except for two of them as noted below. Any players who were promoted to the GCL prior to the end of the season will be addressed in the season recap for that team.
CATCHERS
Orlando Marquez - 18 (3/12)
The Venezuelan born Marquez didn't start playing until July 4th. He caught in 15 of his 28 games and had five passed balls, five errors and a 37% caught stealing rate. Marquez hit .296/.381/.429.
Gabriel Bracamonte - 19 (5/15)
Also from Venezuela, Bracamonte showed early promise, but did not play after July 1st. He caught in only 10 of his 15 games with three passed balls, four errors and a 35% caught stealing rate. He hit a robust .378/.481/.511 in that small sampling.
Ihan Bernal - 17 (10/20)
Bernal is, to me, the most intriguing of the group. The young Panamanian may only have hit .200/.411/.284, but he was tied for the league lead with his 51 walks. In 52 games, he walked 51 times and struck out 47 times. Bernal caught in 40 of those games and had a .980 fielding percentage, a 7.33 range factor, 12 passed balls, six errors and a 39% caught stealing rate.
INFIELDERS
2B Jonathan Matute - 17 (4/28)
Another Venezuelan, Matute put up average defensive numbers, but like Bernal, he had a propensity to draw walks. His 43 walks (to 53 strikeouts) in 69 games tied for 10th in the league. His nine sacrifice hits were the most on his team. He had a .245/.369/.327 batting line for the season.
1B Connor MacDonald - 18 (2/27)
One of the young Australians playing for the Astros this year, MacDonald put up a .328/.442/.461 line in 35 games before being shut down on July 10th. His defensive numbers were at or above average.
1B Jake Bowey - 18 (7/16)
MacDonald's fellow Australian Bowey started the season with the Gulf Coast League (6 games) before being sent to the DSL (27 games) to finish the season. A lefty hitter, he hit .221/.362/.375 and walked 24 times while striking out 31 times. His defensive numbers were at or above average.
1B Cristopher Luciano - 18 (5/31)
This young Dominican was third in the league with his 50 walks (to 68 strikeouts) in 62 games. He hit .255/.401/.356 and put up defensive numbers that were at or above average.
3B Wander Franco - 17 (10/11)
Fellow Dominican Franco hit .243/.363/.352 in 68 games and was coming on strong at the end of the season, hitting .323/.392/.431 in August. Franco was tied for fourth in the league in walks with 48 (to 37 strikeouts). Franco is a switch-hitter who hit better from the right side of the plate this season. His defensive numbers were somewhat below average.
3B Reiny Beltre - 18 (7/16)
Beltre also improved toward the end of the season, hitting .294/.422/.368 in August (and .231/.380/.281 for the season). Beltre did not join the team until July 12th and only played in 34 games (walking 20 times and striking out 21). His defensive numbers were somewhat below average. Beltre is from the Dominican Republic.
SS Wilson Amador - 17 (12/14)
This young Dominican has the unenviable honor of currently leading all Astros minor league players in hit by pitches, with 17. He led his team in runs, hits (a tie) and stolen bases, and was tied for 8th in the league in that last category. A .245/.349/.302 hitter in 64 games, he hit .284/.383/.328 in August. With 39 errors to his name, his defense is a work in progress.
IF/OF Marcos Almonte - 18 (3/28)
Almonte is also Dominican. He has played more games at shortstop than any other position, but also played at left field, third base, center field and second base this year. He is tied with Amador (and Andy Pineda below) for the DSL Astros lead in hits, but leads the DSL 'Stros outright in doubles and triples. Almonte is tied for 14th in doubles and walks in the league. He walked 42 times while striking out 44 times in 67 games, as he hit .233/.359/.353. His defensive numbers at short are at or below average.
OUTFIELD
Vincente Sanchez - 17 (10/4)
Sanchez, another Dominican, showed tremendous promise early in the season, but played in only one game after July 8th. The lefty hit .281/.390/.479 in 32 games and his five home runs led the DSL Astros. Another patient hitter, he walked 22 times while striking out 23 times. His defensive numbers are at or slightly below average.
Andy Pineda - 17 (11/11)
Another Dominican lefty, Pineda hit .279/.384/.312 in 65 games and is in a three-way tie for the DSL lead in hits. His defensive abilities appear to be at or above average.
Edgar Lorenzo - 17 (1/15)
Yet another player from the Dominican Republic, Lorenzo showed average or somewhat below defensive abilities while putting up a .236/.361/.363 in 56 games. His bat was coming on strong in August as he hit .302/.431/.453 in August.
Bryan de la Cruz - 17 (12/16)
De la Cruz is also (surprise, surprise) from the Dominican Republic. He hit .346/.435/.481 in August and .262/.387/.317 in 59 games over the season. His defensive numbers are at or somewhat below average.
Jose Benjamin - 18 (12/16)
Benjamin's defense appears to be average to somewhat below average. In 42 games this season, he hit .235/.349/.309 with 20 walks to 24 strikeouts. He is also from the Dominican Republic.
Juan Fuentes - 20 (11/8)
Another average to slightly below average defender (on paper), Fuentes is in his second year as a professional, having played last season in the Blue Jays organization. The switch-hitter hit .300/.423/.367 in 58 games and had the 17th highest OBP in the league. He is from the Dominican Republic.
Rodrigo Ayarza - 19 (2/20)
Ayarza is in his third professional season, but his first with the Astros (after spending two years in the Rangers organization). A switch-hitter from Panama, he led the DSL Astros in RBI and sacrifice flies, and he was tied for 18th in walks in the league (41 walks to 30 strikeouts). On paper, he is an average to above average defender.
Later this week, I'll be taking a look at the DSL pitchers.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Lots-O-Links
Lots of news over the last couple of days and unfortunately too little time to post it all so here are some links for your perusal ...
The Astros are in the process of signing RHP Jerome Williams to a major league contract, pending his physical. A cut will have to be made from the 40-man roster to make room for him as it currently stands at 40 without the addition of Williams.
Astros County has the scoop (from me) on a June 10th Futures Game at Minute Maid Park between the Corpus Christi Hooks and the San Antonio Missions.
The Astros have announced the addition of a second Dominican Summer League team. Oh joy! Dustin, Buca and I will now have nine teams to cover with recaps this summer.
And CSN Houston has been placed in Chapter 11 bankruptcy which throws a huge monkey wrench into the process for trying to get the Astros games back on TV for those 60-percenters (like me) who don't currently get the games.
And who said there was nothing going on in the off season?
The Astros are in the process of signing RHP Jerome Williams to a major league contract, pending his physical. A cut will have to be made from the 40-man roster to make room for him as it currently stands at 40 without the addition of Williams.
Astros County has the scoop (from me) on a June 10th Futures Game at Minute Maid Park between the Corpus Christi Hooks and the San Antonio Missions.
The Astros have announced the addition of a second Dominican Summer League team. Oh joy! Dustin, Buca and I will now have nine teams to cover with recaps this summer.
And CSN Houston has been placed in Chapter 11 bankruptcy which throws a huge monkey wrench into the process for trying to get the Astros games back on TV for those 60-percenters (like me) who don't currently get the games.
And who said there was nothing going on in the off season?
Monday, August 26, 2013
The Dominican Summer League Astros Season in Review
The DSL season is over and what an improvement over last year! Let's look at how their season compares to 2012.
2012 Win Percentage - .319
2013 Win Percentage - .557
2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 254 - 383 = (129)
2013 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 270 - 230 = 40
2012 Team ERA & WHIP - 4.19 & 1.494
2013 Team ERA & WHIP - 2.35 & 1.127
2012 Team Batting Line - .215/.301/.285
2013 Team Batting Line - .231/.317/.313
The offense was still a bit lackluster, but that pitching? Wow! Let's look at the offense first, though. Out of 35 teams, the DSL Astros ranked 20th in batting average, 27th in on-base percentage and 19th in slugging percentage. They ranked 29th in drawing walks (bad) and 29th in striking out (good). But even though the team numbers weren't at the top offensively, there were a few standouts on the team.
2B Jean Estrella ranked 19th in the league in batting average with a .341 mark. He also led the DSL Astros in batting average and in on-base percentage (.380) for those with significant playing time. It is small wonder that the Astros promoted him to the Gulf Coast League recently so that he can get his feet wet before next season. And did I mention that Estrella doesn't turn 18 until next April? Yeah.
CF Luis Payano also provided some excitement for the DSL team. Although, he only had a .226 batting average, he ranked high on the team in terms of slugging percentage. Payano led the team in doubles with 13, and also had three triples and three home runs, and was the RBI leader on the team. Payano was also second on the team in stolen bases and ranked 19th in the league in runs scored. He won't turn 18 until next May.
1B/OF Hector Roa led the team with a .423 slugging percentage and seven home runs. He also hit 11 doubles and three triples in his 56 games. Roa was also recently promoted to the GCL. He will be 19 in March.
C Marlon Avea and C Brian Pena tied for the second highest on-base percentage on the team behind Jean Estrella and both showed good defensive skills as well with Avea catching 44 of 90 (49%) would be base-stealers and Pena catching 27 of 61 (44%). Avea will turn 20 in August and Pena turned 19 in June.
Now, for that pitching ... the team ranked second out of 35 teams in ERA (2.35) and WHIP (1.127). They were sixth in the league in strikeouts and 21st in issuing free passes. And there were several pitchers on the team that bear watching going forward.
RHP Harold Arauz was 17th in the league in ERA (1.91) and second in WHIP with a very stingy 0.894 mark. Opposing batters only hit .195 against him. He walked 12 batters while striking out 43 in his 66 innings. He just turned 18 in May.
LHP Edwin Villarroel, who also turned 18 in May, had a 2.51 ERA and a 1.144 WHIP in his 14 starts. He walked 14 and struck out 44 in 64+ innings.
RHP Elieser Hernandez fell just short of the innings requirement to be a league leader. Had he not, his 1.26 ERA would rank third in the league and his 0.994 WHIP would rank eighth. He walked 21 and struck out 46 in 57+ innings, and batters only hit .184 against him. Hernandez also turned 18 in May. In addition, 20-year old RHP Gerardo Juarez put up a 1.86 ERA in 53+ innings, and a WHIP of 0.884 that would have ranked him second in the league if he had enough innings to qualify. Juarez was also promoted to the GCL recently.
RHP Angel Heredia was tied for third in the league in saves with 13. He sported a 1.18 ERA and a 1.211 WHIP and a 46:15 SO:BB ratio. Rounding out the bullpen were RHP Yonquelys Martinez (1.74 ERA/.0839 WHIP in 19 appearances), LHP Cristhopher Santamaria (0.73 ERA/0.730 WHIP in 15 appearances) and relative newcomer LHP Starlyng Sanchez (1.12 ERA/1.000 WHIP in 8 appearances) with particularly good seasons. Santamaria is yet another young player who won't turn 18 until next June.
In addition to those named, there were another five pitchers with a 3.00 ERA or lower and four of those five had WHIP's topping out at 1.108. That's impressive to say the least!
All in all, the Astros front office has to be happy with the improvements to the DSL team over last season. Long-time Astros Pitching Coach Rick Aponte certainly seems to have made an impact with the young staff in his first season back with the DSL in several years.
2012 Win Percentage - .319
2013 Win Percentage - .557
2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 254 - 383 = (129)
2013 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 270 - 230 = 40
2012 Team ERA & WHIP - 4.19 & 1.494
2013 Team ERA & WHIP - 2.35 & 1.127
2012 Team Batting Line - .215/.301/.285
2013 Team Batting Line - .231/.317/.313
The offense was still a bit lackluster, but that pitching? Wow! Let's look at the offense first, though. Out of 35 teams, the DSL Astros ranked 20th in batting average, 27th in on-base percentage and 19th in slugging percentage. They ranked 29th in drawing walks (bad) and 29th in striking out (good). But even though the team numbers weren't at the top offensively, there were a few standouts on the team.
2B Jean Estrella ranked 19th in the league in batting average with a .341 mark. He also led the DSL Astros in batting average and in on-base percentage (.380) for those with significant playing time. It is small wonder that the Astros promoted him to the Gulf Coast League recently so that he can get his feet wet before next season. And did I mention that Estrella doesn't turn 18 until next April? Yeah.
CF Luis Payano also provided some excitement for the DSL team. Although, he only had a .226 batting average, he ranked high on the team in terms of slugging percentage. Payano led the team in doubles with 13, and also had three triples and three home runs, and was the RBI leader on the team. Payano was also second on the team in stolen bases and ranked 19th in the league in runs scored. He won't turn 18 until next May.
1B/OF Hector Roa led the team with a .423 slugging percentage and seven home runs. He also hit 11 doubles and three triples in his 56 games. Roa was also recently promoted to the GCL. He will be 19 in March.
C Marlon Avea and C Brian Pena tied for the second highest on-base percentage on the team behind Jean Estrella and both showed good defensive skills as well with Avea catching 44 of 90 (49%) would be base-stealers and Pena catching 27 of 61 (44%). Avea will turn 20 in August and Pena turned 19 in June.
Now, for that pitching ... the team ranked second out of 35 teams in ERA (2.35) and WHIP (1.127). They were sixth in the league in strikeouts and 21st in issuing free passes. And there were several pitchers on the team that bear watching going forward.
RHP Harold Arauz was 17th in the league in ERA (1.91) and second in WHIP with a very stingy 0.894 mark. Opposing batters only hit .195 against him. He walked 12 batters while striking out 43 in his 66 innings. He just turned 18 in May.
LHP Edwin Villarroel, who also turned 18 in May, had a 2.51 ERA and a 1.144 WHIP in his 14 starts. He walked 14 and struck out 44 in 64+ innings.
RHP Elieser Hernandez fell just short of the innings requirement to be a league leader. Had he not, his 1.26 ERA would rank third in the league and his 0.994 WHIP would rank eighth. He walked 21 and struck out 46 in 57+ innings, and batters only hit .184 against him. Hernandez also turned 18 in May. In addition, 20-year old RHP Gerardo Juarez put up a 1.86 ERA in 53+ innings, and a WHIP of 0.884 that would have ranked him second in the league if he had enough innings to qualify. Juarez was also promoted to the GCL recently.
RHP Angel Heredia was tied for third in the league in saves with 13. He sported a 1.18 ERA and a 1.211 WHIP and a 46:15 SO:BB ratio. Rounding out the bullpen were RHP Yonquelys Martinez (1.74 ERA/.0839 WHIP in 19 appearances), LHP Cristhopher Santamaria (0.73 ERA/0.730 WHIP in 15 appearances) and relative newcomer LHP Starlyng Sanchez (1.12 ERA/1.000 WHIP in 8 appearances) with particularly good seasons. Santamaria is yet another young player who won't turn 18 until next June.
In addition to those named, there were another five pitchers with a 3.00 ERA or lower and four of those five had WHIP's topping out at 1.108. That's impressive to say the least!
All in all, the Astros front office has to be happy with the improvements to the DSL team over last season. Long-time Astros Pitching Coach Rick Aponte certainly seems to have made an impact with the young staff in his first season back with the DSL in several years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)