Meet the Fayetteville Woodpeckers

Wrapping up the Meet the Team series is the Fayetteville Woodpeckers!

Photo from Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.Net

Unfortunately, with the glut of minor league clubs in the Southeastern United States and the contraction of Minor League Baseball, some clubs in the region having to move down a level would be inevitable. The Fayetteville Woodpeckers, who entered MiLB as a Class A Advanced club, were one of the clubs to draw the short stick and dropped to Class A as a result. Fayetteville will begin its season on the road against the Carolina Mudcats Tuesday night.

The Woodpeckers will now compete in Low-A East, which consists of seven teams from the Carolina League and five from the South Atlantic League. It's a 12-team league split into three divisions of four. Fayetteville is in the Central division, which consists of the four North Carolina teams. Their division rivals are the Carolina Mudcats (Brewers), Down East Wood Ducks (Rangers), and the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox). The Cannon Ballers were known as the Intimidators until 2020.

The South division consists of the four teams located in South Carolina: the Charleston RiverDogs (Rays, formerly a Yankees affiliate), Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs), Columbia Fireflies (Royals, formerly a Mets affiliate), and the Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta, formerly a Giants affiliate). Augusta, best known as the site of the Masters, is located in Georgia, but the GreenJackets' ballpark is located across the Savannah River in North Augusta, South Carolina.

The North has all the teams not located in the Carolinas: three Virginia teams and one club in Maryland. The Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles), Salem Red Sox (guess their parent club), Lynchburg Hillcats (Cleveland), and the Fredericksburg (formerly Potomac) Nationals (again, guess who their parent club is).

Opened in 2019, Segra Stadium serves as Fayetteville's home park. Segra also owns the naming rights to Columbia's ballpark, but their stadium is called Segra Park. 

Fayetteville is home to a major U.S. Army installation, Fort Bragg, and the Woodpeckers have drawn inspiration from the city's military history, as evidenced by their special "Black Ops" alternate uniforms. The city is located on the Cape Fear River, in North Carolina's coastal plain. 

In 1789, Fayetteville was the site of a state convention to ratify the United States Constitution; by a 194-77 decision, the Constitution was ratified and North Carolina became the 12th state in the Union.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Official website: fayettevillewoodpeckers.com

Twitter: @WoodpeckersNC

Instagram: fayettevillewoodpeckers

COACHING STAFF

Manager: Ray Hernandez

Pitching Coach: Todd Naskedov

Hitting Coach: Sean Godfrey

Development Coach: Bryan Muniz

Athletic Trainer: Takeaki Ando

Strength Coach: Michael Hoffman

Former Astros farmhand Bryan Muniz will get his first coaching opportunity in the minors. Muniz, a 22nd-round pick out of Southeastern, an NAIA school in Lakeland, Florida, played in the Astros system from 2014-17, topping out at Corpus Christi.

ROSTER

Matt Barefoot, a 6th-round pick back in 2019, gets to play close to home. He's from Dunn, which is literally the next town after Fayetteville on Interstate 95 and played at Campbell University, which temporarily hosted the Buies Creek Astros before they moved to Fayetteville. 

Zach Daniels, a 4th-round pick in last year's draft, has explosive athleticism and the Astros are banking on his tools to translate to the professional level.

You may know J.C. Correa's older brother. I hear he's not bad at baseball. 

Jayson Schroeder had a rough 2019, which saw him get sent down to the complex-level Gulf Coast League. Now that he's gotten a chance to reset, he'll give Class A another try. The 2018 second-rounder from a high school in the Seattle area, Schroeder has plenty of talent, but this could be a pivotal year in his development. 

Ernesto Jaquez caught my attention in 2018 when he completely dominated the Dominican Summer League. Unfortunately, his encore would be delayed as he missed all of the 2019 season. Can he recapture that dominant form?

Joe Perez has shown some of the best power in the system, but has also had some injury issues since entering the Astros system. Fortunately, he made it through 2019 without any major health scares. It's now time for him to become a more complete hitter. He should form one half of a pretty potent left side of the infield with Shay Whitcomb, the final pick of the 2020 draft. Whitcomb was drafted for his bat and that should get him plenty of playing time all over the infield.

Nerio Rodriguez took a big step forward with his bat in 2019. Can he continue to make progress on offense?

Janos "Johnny" Meszaros is a minor league free agent signing with a very interesting back story. A native of Alaska, he was originally drafted in the 39th round by the Rays out of high school but did not sign. He went to junior college but his career ended up getting derailed by injuries. Meszaros, who still tried to keep his dream alive, got the attention that had long eluded him with one video of him throwing upper-90s heat and a wicked slider. He caught Brent Strom's eye and was signed basically on Strom's recommendation. Now, seven years later, at the age of 26, Meszaros is finally getting his chance to play professional baseball. 

Italics - player bats/throws left-handed

Bold - player is a switch-hitter

Pitchers

Brayan De Paula - Acquired via trade along with Adonis Giron from Marlins for future considerations, 2018; De Paula mainly played for the GCL Astros in 2019 and appeared in two games with Tri-City.

Whit Drennan - 29th round, 2019 draft (Rollins College); GCL Astros

Freylin Garcia - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2016; last played in 2018 with the GCL Astros

Cesar Gomez - Undrafted free agent (UT-Arlington), 2020; making pro debut

Kevin Holcomb - 13th round, 2019 draft (Glendale CC), GCL Astros

Ernesto Jaquez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2017; last played in 2018 with DSL Astros, GCL Astros, and Tri-City

Alfredi Jimenez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2017; GCL Astros

Angel Macuare - International free agent (Venezuela), 2016; Tri-City

Christian Mejias - International free agent (Venezuela), 2016; Tri-City/GCL Astros

Johnny Meszaros - Minor league free agent signing, 2021; making pro debut

Cristofer Mezquita - International free agent (Dominican Republic); DSL Astros

Mark Moclair - 12th round, 2019 draft (Tampa); Quad Cities

Manny Ramirez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2017; Quad Cities/Tri-City

Jayson Schroeder - 2nd round, 2018 draft (Juanita HS, Kirkland, Washington); Quad Cities/Tri-City/GCL

Jonathan Sprinkle - Undrafted free agent (Central Missouri), 2020; making pro debut

Misael Tamarez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2019; GCL Astros/DSL Astros

Catchers

Luke Berryhill - Acquired via trade from Reds for Cionel Perez, 2021; Greeneville (Reds)

Juan Paulino - 27th round, 2018 draft (Western Oklahoma State); Tri-City

Nerio Rodriguez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2016; GCL Astros

Infielders

J.C. Correa - Undrafted free agent (Lamar), 2020; making pro debut

Joe Perez - 2nd round, 2017 draft (Archbishop McCarthy HS, Southwest Ranches, Florida); Tri-City

Yeuris Ramirez - International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2015; Tri-City/GCL

Ronaldo Urdaneta - International free agent (Venezuela), 2015; Tri-City/GCL

Shay Whitcomb - 5th round, 2020 draft (UC San Diego); making pro debut

Outfielders

Matthew Barefoot - 6th round, 2019 draft (Campbell); Tri-City

Kenedy Corona - Acquired via trade along with Blake Taylor from Mets for Jake Marisnick, 2019; Brooklyn/GCL Mets/DSL Mets 2

Zach Daniels - 4th round, 2020 draft (Tennessee); making pro debut

Justin Dirden - Undrafted free agent (Southeast Missouri State); making pro debut

2018 WTHB Players of the Year

Now that the minor league season is in the rearview mirror, the ring chasing is done and the players have scattered to all corners of the United States and Latin America, it's time to take a look at those players who really stepped up to the plate (or toed the mound) in a big way in 2018. System leaders in various categories have been highlighted in blue. Players are considered full season players or short season players based on where they started their seasons. A key to the levels (FNO, CC, BC, etc.) is at the end of this post.

[Note: it is my arbitrary rule that I do not consider players for these awards who have made their major league debuts. There will be one notable exception plus I will include notes on a few more of those players throughout this post in order to give a fuller picture of how some of their performances compare to my winners.]

FULL SEASON STARTERS OF THE YEAR

RHP Corbin Martin - September 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

LHP Ryan Hartman - September 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

This was an incredibly difficult task because, despite my best efforts, I could not pick just one of these pitchers as the Full Season Starter of the Year. LHP Ryan Hartman and RHP Corbin Martin threw roughly equivalent numbers of innings. All but four of Martin's outings were in AA and all of Hartman's were at AA so they faced the same level of competition. Hartman had the edge on wins, walk rate and strikeout rate. Martin had the edge on ERA, WHIP and hits allowed per nine innings. In the postseason, Martin had a 0.00 ERA and a 0.353 WHIP in 5.2 innings while Hartman had a 0.00 ERA and a 0.391 WHIP in 7.2 innings. If you throw out the worst outing of the season by each pitcher, you have Hartman with a 2.21 ERA and 1.008 WHIP and Martin with a 2.18 ERA and 0.978 WHIP. That is just too close for me to single out one over the other. Both Hartman and Martin had extremely good, extremely consistent seasons and Astros fans should be excited to see these two pitchers make their way closer to Houston.

As a side note, this could easily have been a 3-way tie with Tyler Ivey as the third wheel, but ultimately since Ivey threw fewer innings for the season and was not quite as dominant in the postseason, I went with Martin and Hartman.

RHP Corbin Martin (BC/CC): 9-2 with 1 save in 25 G/21 GS, 2.51 ERA, 1.008 WHIP, 35 BB:122 K in 122 IP

LHP Ryan Hartman (CC): 11-4 in 25 G/18 GS, 2.69 ERA, 1.077 WHIP, 26 BB:143 K in 120.2 IP

Honorable Mention (sorted by WHIP)

RHP Enoli Paredes (QC/BC): 6-4 with 2 saves in 24 G/5 GS, 1.43 ERA, 0.913 WHIP, 29 BB:90 K in 69 IP

RHP Tyler Ivey (QC/BC): 4-6 with 3 saves in 24 G/18 GS, 2.97 ERA, 1.027 WHIP, 29 BB:135 K in 112 IP

RHP Peter Solomon (QC/BC): 9-1 in 24 G/13 GS, 2.32 ERA, 1.093 WHIP, 32 BB:114 K in 100.2 IP

RHP Cristian Javier (QC/BC): 7-6 with 1 save in 25 G/18 GS, 2.70 ERA, 1.109 WHIP, 50 BB:146 K in 110 IP

RHP J.B. Bukauskas (QC/GCL/TC/QC/BC/CC): 4-2 in 14 GS, 2.14 ERA, 1.119 WHIP, 24 BB:71 K in 59 IP

RHP Brandon Bielak (BC/CC): 7-8 with 2 saves in 25 G/17 GS, 2.23 ERA, 1.154 WHIP, 39 BB:131 K in 117 IP

RHP Brandon Bailey (BC/CC): 6-8 with 1 save in 25 G/17 GS, 2.80 ERA, 1.161 WHIP, 52 BB:136 K in 122.1 IP

RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (CC/FNO/CC/FNO): 9-4 in 25 G/21 GS, 3.97 ERA, 1.165 WHIP, 39 BB:125 K in 127 IP

LHP Brett Adcock (BC/CC): 9-5 with 1 save in 25 G/14 GS, 2.89 ERA, 1.170 WHIP, 58 BB:95 K in 106 IP

LHP Parker Mushinski (QC): 4-2 with 2 saves in 27 G/12 GS, 2.33 ERA, 1.202 WHIP, 45 BB:114 K in 89 IP

RHP Luis Garcia (QC/TC/QC): 7-2 in 24 G/13 GS, 2.00 ERA, 1.242 WHIP, 41 BB:98 K in 85.1 IP

RHP Cy Sneed (3.83 ERA/1.362 WHIP) was tied with Brock Dykxhoorn for the most innings pitched in the Astros minors in the regular season with 127 innings. RHP Josh James (3.23 ERA/1.120 WHIP) led the Astros minors with 171 strikeouts in 114.1 innings prior to being called up to Houston.

FULL SEASON RELIEVER OF THE YEAR

Justin Ferrell - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Relievers aren't as clear cut as starters and I considered everything from total saves to converted save opportunities to inherited runners stranded to batting line allowed to innings pitched and number of appearances to postseason success to consistency. I strongly considered saves leader Brendan McCurry and Willy Collado (who had an excellent season but pitched fewer innings), but in the end I felt that Justin Ferrell had the best overall season. Had Ferrell not had a simply awful final game of the regular season (6 runs in 1.1 innings), I would have found this decision much easier. Backing out that appearance, Ferrell had a dominant 2.13 ERA, a 1.010 WHIP and allowed a .179/.264/.278 batting line. He converted 4 of 5 save opportunities and stranded 77% of inherited runners. Ferrell was promoted to Fresno for the postseason and pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in two games with a 0.818 WHIP.

RHP Justin Ferrell (BC/CC): 7-3 with 4 saves in 34 G, 2.92 ERA, 1.082 WHIP, 25 BB:82 K in 64.2 IP, .193/.276/.313 line allowed

Honorable Mention (sorted by WHIP)

RHP Willy Collado (QC): 1-4 with 6 saves in 23 G, 2.23 ERA, 0.942 WHIP, 10 BB:55 K in 40.1 IP

RHP Tanner Duncan (QC/BC/QC): 4-3 with 6 saves in 31 G, 2.82 ERA, 1.049 WHIP, 30 BB:67 K in 54.1 IP

RHP Matt Ramsey (FNO): 3-2 in 38 G, 2.04 ERA, 1.113 WHIP, 16 BB:63 K in 53 IP

RHP Humberto Castellanos (QC/TC/QC): 3-2 with 5 saves in 23 G, 2.00 ERA, 1.156 WHIP, 11 BB:50 K in 45 IP

LHP Kit Scheetz (BC/CC): 2-1 with 7 saves in 38 G, 2.24 ERA, 1.171 WHIP, 17 BB:87 K in 38 IP

RHP Ronel Blanco (BC/CC): 7-1 with 5 saves in 32 games, 3.65 ERA, 1.235 WHIP, 29 BB:71 K in 56.2

Blanco inherited the most runners during the season. Of the 37 runners he inherited, he stranded all but eight, including stranding inherited bases loaded on three separate occasions.

RHP Brendan McCurry (FNO): 6-7 with 14 saves in 46 G, 3.69 ERA, 1.279 WHIP, 17 BB:73 K in 63.1 IP

RHP Brendan Feldmann (FNO/CC/QC/BC): 2-2 with 8 saves in 33 G, 2.91 ERA, 1.338 WHIP, 20 BB:57 K in 46.1 IP

RHP Dean Deetz had a 0.89 ERA and a 1.230 WHIP in his 27 bullpen appearances with Fresno prior to being called up to Houston.

FULL SEASON POSITION PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Myles Straw - June 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

J.J. Matijevic - May 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Once again, my arbitrary rule that MLB debuts cancel out eligibility* for WTHB awards leaves 3B Tyler White (70 G, .333/.444/.569/.1.013),  OF Kyle Tucker (100 G, .332/.400/.590/.989),  3B J.D. Davis (85 G, .342/.406/.583/.988) and 1B A.J. Reed (123 G, .255/.344/.506/.851) out in the cold, but they all had excellent seasons. Reed led the Astros minor league affiliates with 28 home runs and 108 RBI. [*Since I had already written the following prior to Myles Straw's MLB debut last night, and since he has yet to collect his first MLB at-bat, I'm making an exception to my own rule. I don't think Matijevic will mind too much!]

I looked long and hard at the remaining candidates and, once again, I felt compelled to declare a tie because the two players who stood out most for me are such different types of players. J.J. Matijevic displayed elite power. His 52 extra base hits lagged behind only Reed (56) and Tucker (54) in the Astros system. And his OPS trailed only Tucker for players who had played in a minimum of 100 games for the season. On the other hand, although he collected 13 stolen bases, he was also caught stealing 13 times and he ranked in the top 10 in the system in strikeouts. Myles Straw's game was of a different variety. He led the system in runs scored, stolen bases and walks, and had the third highest average and second highest on base percentage for players appearing in 100 or more games in the system (with Tucker leading in both of those categories). Straw doesn't provide the power of someone like Matijevic, but he is a defensive web gem waiting to happen, collecting a system-leading 17 outfield assists for the season. Both of these players have bright futures ahead of them.

OF Myles Straw (CC/FNO): 131 G, .291/.381/.353/.734, 17 2B, 6 3B, HR, 31 RBI, 95 R, 70 SB:9 CS, 73 BB:102 K, 17 outfield assists

OF J.J. Matijevic (QC/BC): 101 G, .277/.350/.538/.887, 26 2B, 4 3B, 22 HR, 62 RBI, 66 R, 13 SB:13 CS, 44 BB:113 K

Honorable Mention (sorted by OPS)

OF Yordan Alvarez (CC/FNO): 88 G, .293/.369/.534/.904, 21 2B, 20 HR, 74 RBI, 6 SB:2 CS, 42 BB:92 K (spent 6 weeks +/- on DL; had he remained healthy all season, he would likely have been a top candidate for POTY)

OF Drew Ferguson (FNO): 71 G, .304/.432/.443/.874, 14 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 6 SB:6CS, 49 BB:68 K

1B Taylor Jones (CC/FNO/CC): 123 G, .281/.374/.480/.854, 32 2B, 2 3B, 18 HR, 80 RBI, 2 SB:0 CS, 61 BB:124 K

OF Carmen Benedetti (CC): 80 G, .277/.365/.443/.808, 17 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 49 RBI, 11 SB:5 CS, 39 BB:82 K

OF Jake Meyers (QC/BC): 121 G, .278/.363/.423/.786, 31 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 46 RBI, 16 SB:14 CS, 51 BB:83 K

IF Jack Mayfield (FNO): 113 G, .270/.324/.457/.782, 31 2B, 3B, 16 HR, 66 RBI, 5 SB:4 CS, 33 BB:92 K

3B Abraham Toro (BC/CC): 133 G, .247/.345/.435/.779, 35 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 78 RBI, 8 SB:4 CS, 62 BB:108 K

3B Randy Cesar (CC): 116 G, .296/.348/.428/.777, 25 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 3 SB:4 CS, 36 BB:112 K (put together a 42-game hitting streak from May 5th to June 28th in which he hit .391/.428/.627/1.055)

SS Alex De Goti (CC/FNO): 125 G, .283/.335/.440/.775, 29 2B, 3 3B, 12 HR, 62 RBI, 8 SB:7 CS, 28 BB:80 K

3B Nick Tanielu (CC/FNO): 105 G, .288/.336/.418/.755, 22 2B, 3B, 9 HR, 59 RBI, 3 SB:2 CS, 28 BB:50 K

OF Bryan de la Cruz (QC/BC): 119 G, .289/.367/.375/.742, 22 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 62 RBI, 10 SB:7 CS, 51 BB:97 K

I had to cut this off somewhere, but shout out to a few guys whose speed on the bases really helped out their respective teams: IF/OF Josh Rojas (130 G, 84 R, 34 2B, 6 3B, 38 SB), OF Corey Julks (125 G, 79 R, 30 2B, 4 3B, 30 SB), OF Stephen Wrenn (121 G, 79 R, 23 2B, 4 3B, 44 SB) and OF Ronnie Dawson (119 G, 69 R, 24 2B, 2 3B, 35 RBI). IF/OF Osvaldo Duarte (BC) and SS Jonathan Arauz (QC/BC) led the Astros affiliates with nine triples each.

FULL SEASON CATCHER OF THE YEAR

Garrett Stubbs - June 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Finally, an easy one!! I like to single out a catcher who shines both offensively and defensively in a season and this one was a no-brainer. Stubbs struggled with injury issues in 2017; subsequently, although he was still solid defensively, his season at the plate was somewhat lackluster. And, although Stubbs was shelved for 12 days in May on the DL this year, he appears to have put the injury and durability questions behind him by season's end as he caught up to the AAA level in a big way both offensively and defensively.

C Garrett Stubbs (FNO): 84 G, .310/.382/.455/.836, 19 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 6 SB:0 CS, 35 BB:53 K, 45% CS rate (19 of 42)

Honorable Mention (sorted by OPS)

C Lorenzo Quintana (CC): 70 G, .254/.316/.484/.799, 19 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 42 RBI, 7 SB:4 CS, 15 BB:47 K, 30% CS rate (17 of 56)

C Jamie Ritchie (CC/FNO): 70 G, .293/.390/.405/.795, 16 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 3 SB:1 CS, 31 BB:57 K, 32% CS rate (20 of 62)

C Ruben Castro (QC): 38 G, .299/.395/.381/.776, 7 2B, 2 3B, 10 RBI, 1 SB:4 CS, 19 BB:27 K, 43% CS rate (17 of 40)

SHORT SEASON STARTER OF THE YEAR

There were so many great performances among those who started their seasons with short season clubs, but no one was quite so dominant as Ernesto Jaquez ... well, at least until he got to Tri-City! Jaquez started his season with the Dominican Summer League (4-0 in 9 G/4 GS, 0.25 ERA, 0.528 WHIP), then was promoted to the Gulf Coast League on August 1st (0-0 in 5G/1 GS, 1.06 ERA, 0.824 WHIP), and ended his season with two games for Tri-City (the second of which he would likely try to take back - 8 ER in 0.1 IP). Take out that final appearance and Jaquez had an astonishing 0.48 ERA and a 0.621 WHIP in 15 of his 16 games. The 19-year old Jaquez signed in July 2017 out of the Dominican Republic for $95,000. Serious consideration was also given to Chad Donato (see below). He was certainly equally deserving, but I was trying to avoid another tie.

RHP Ernesto Jaquez (DSL/GCL/TC): 5-1 in 16 G/6 GS, 1.75 ERA, 0.741 WHIP, 17 BB:74 K in 56.2 IP, .129 BA

Honorable Mention (sorted by WHIP)

RHP Heitor Tokar (DSL): 0-1 in 13 G/8 GS, 1.66 ERA, 0.762 WHIP, 6 BB:35 K in 43.1 IP

RHP Franny Cobos (DSL): 1-2 with 1 save in 14 G/5 GS, 0.60 ERA, 0.800 WHIP, 7 BB:39 K in 45 IP

RHP Brett Daniels (TC): 3-0 in 11 G/2 GS, 1.62 ERA, 0.840 WHIP, 7 BB:36 K in 33.1 IP

RHP Alfredi Jimenez (DSL/GCL): 1-3 with 2 saves in 14 G/5 GS, 1.63 ERA, 0.867 WHIP, 13 BB:63 K in 55.1 IP

RHP Valente Bellozo (DSL): 2-1 with 1 save in 14 G/8 GS, 1.74 ERA, 0.871 WHIP, 16 BB:42 K in 51.2 IP

RHP Chad Donato (TC/QC): 9-0 with 2 saves in 15 G/12 GS, 1.62 ERA, 0.876 WHIP, 22 BB:98 K in 77.2 IP

RHP Austin Hansen (TC): 2-3 with 2 saves in 14 G/2 GS, 1.76 ERA, 0.880 WHIP, 13 BB:45 K in 30.2 IP

RHP Bryan Abreu (TC/QC): 6-1 with 3 saves in 14 G/7 GS, 1.49 ERA, 1.031 WHIP, 23 BB:90 K in 54.1 IP

RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez (TC): 4-1 with 1 save in 14 G/7 GS, 2.91 ERA, 1.042 WHIP, 13 BB:50 K in 55.2 IP

RHP Jojanse Torres (DSL): 1-2 with 1 save in 13 G/8 GS, 2.20 ERA, 1.073 WHIP, 8 BB:48 K in 41 IP

RHP Brett Conine (TC): 1-1 in 11 G/3 GS, 1.99 ERA, 1.074 WHIP, 11 BB:37 K in 31.2 IP

RHP R.J. Freure (TC): 3-0 in 11 G/3 GS, 0.98 ERA, 1.084 WHIP, 13 BB:29 K in 27.2 IP

RHP Fredy Medina (GCL): 1-1 in 9 G/3 GS, 2.25 ERA, 1.107 WHIP, 14 BB:34 K in 28 IP

RHP Wender Oberto (DSL): 4-3 with 1 save in 15 G/6 GS, 1.91 ERA, 1.112 WHIP, 18 BB:39 K in 56.2 IP

RHP Jose Luis Herndandez (TC/BC): 2-2 in 13 G/11 GS, 2.35 ERA, 1.134 WHIP, 10 BB:48 K in 57.1 IP

RHP Jose Antonio Hernandez (DSL): 4-4 in 15 G/7 GS, 1.90 ERA, 1.246 WHIP, 18 BB:41 K in 47.1 IP

SHORT SEASON RELIEVER OF THE YEAR

Tim Hardy - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I originally had Joey Gonzalez in the top spot in large part due to his very impressive batting line allowed (see below), but ultimately, Tim Hardy was more effective in a couple of areas, converting all of his save opportunities and allowing only one inherited runner to score on his watch. And he appeared in three more games and 11 more innings than Gonzalez, also finishing the season at a higher level. The one qualm I had with Hardy was his somewhat high walk rate, but when I dug down and saw that four of those free passes came in just one outing (in which he presumably had a case of the yips), I decided to give him his own free pass. He appeared in just one game in the postseason, allowing only one hit and striking out two in his 1.1 innings.

LHP Tim Hardy (TC/QC): 2-2 with 4 saves in 18 G, 2.05 ERA, 1.304 WHIP, 15 BB:49 K in 30.2 IP

Honorable Mention (sorted by WHIP)

RHP Joey Gonzalez (GCL/TC): 4-2 with 3 saves in 15 G, 1.37 ERA, 0.864 WHIP, 4 BB:25 K in 19.2 IP, .176/.222/.230 batting line allowed

RHP J. P. France (TC/QC): 2-0 with 2 saves in 10 G, 0.50 ERA, 0.889 WHIP, 6 BB:28 K in 18 IP

RHP Hansel Paulino (TC/QC): 2-2 with 2 saves in 18 G, 3.57 ERA/1.041 WHIP, 11 BB:45 K in 40.1 IP

SHORT SEASON POSITION PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Seth Beer - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

The first round draft pick came as advertised, shooting up through three levels of the system in his first professional season. And, although his numbers at the highest level weren't quite as gaudy as they were at the two lower levels, he was still very productive. Beer isn't known for his defensive prowess, but he certainly didn't embarrass himself in that regard as he got some great experience under his belt at both first base and the corner outfield positions. But it is Beer's bat that got him drafted and he truly excelled in hitting for average and getting on base. And I think we'll only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his developing power. Seth Beer would have been my pick for this award even if I hadn't had the chance to see him in person, but I really enjoyed seeing what a consummate professional he is and how dedicated he is to becoming the best player he is capable of being. Alex McKenna was also extremely impressive, but since he played in 23 fewer games than Beer, it made my decision easier.

OF/1B/DH Seth Beer (TC/QC/BC): 67 G, .304/.389/.496/.885, 14 2B, 12 HR, 42 RBI, 1 SB:1 CS, 25 BB:49 K

Honorable Mention (sorted by OPS)

OF Alex McKenna (TC/QC): 44 G, .311/.394/.512/.906, 8 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 6 SB:5 CS, 14 BB:40 K

SS Freudis Nova (GCL): 41 G, .308/.331/.466/.797, 3 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 9 SB:5 CS, 6 BB:21 K

OF Andy Pineda (TC/CC/TC): 46 G, .288/.362/.423/.785, 6 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 12 SB:6 CS, 14 BB:43 K

OF Carlos Machado (TC): 52 G, .304/.346/.412/.758, 10 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 5 SB:2 CS, 14 BB:26 K

SHORT SEASON CATCHER OF THE YEAR

Another catcher no-brainer! Jose Alvarez, who signed with the Astros in July 2016 out of Venezuela for $195,000 played his second season in the DSL in 2018. Alvarez repeated the 50% caught stealing rate from his first season while substantially lowering the number of passed balls he allowed. But it was his offense that the 18-year old improved on most. In 2017, Alvarez started out strong but faded badly down the stretch, but in 2018, he was able to sustain his success throughout the season. Look for Alvarez to make his U.S. debut in 2019. He will be 19 years old next June.

C Jose Alvarez (DSL): 44 G, .359/.434/.420/.854, 8 2B, 15 RBI, 5 SB:2 CS, 17 BB:27 K, 50% CS rate (26 of 52)

Honorable Mention

Although there are several other extremely good defensive catchers in the lower levels of the system, no one really stood out when looking at defense and offense combined. Many of these younger catchers have shown flashes of offensive potential, but most are works in progress.

FNO = Fresno (AAA)
CC = Corpus Christi (AA)
BC = Buies Creek (High A)
QC = Quad Cities (Low A)
TC = Tri-City (Short Season A)
GCL = Gulf Coast League (Domestic Rookie League)
DSL = Dominican Summer League (Dominican Rookie League)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Fresno 15, Memphis 14

W- Dean Deetz (1-0)
L- Tommy Layne (2-1)
S- Riley Ferrell (2, 9 season)

Fresno home runs: Nick Tanielu (4, 8 season; 2-run in 2nd), Jack Mayfield (13, solo in 5th), Kyle Tucker (16, 2-run in 7th), A.J. Reed (24, 3-run in 8th)

29 runs, 27 hits, six home runs. Fortunately, when the dust settled, the Grizzlies emerged on top. Just barely.

The four home run hitters for Fresno also accounted for 14 RBI. The one run that was not driven in came in the 7th when Yordan Alvarez scored on an error following a sac bunt from Garrett Stubbs.

The pitchers allowed 14, but the offense scored 15 and that's all that matters. Matt Ramsey allowed a hit and struck out two over two scoreless. Dean Deetz struck out one in a 1-2-3 7th, and Riley Ferrell got Carson Kelly to fly out to end the game.

Fresno has Wednesday off as they make the journey back to the Central Valley. They'll start a four-game series with Albuquerque on Thursday.

Corpus Christi 4, Tulsa 1

W- Ryan Hartman (10-3)
L- Justin DeFratus (4-4)
S- Akeem Bostick (3)

CC home runs: Ronnie Dawson (2, 12 season; solo in 5th)

Ryan Hartman and Akeem Bostick kept the Drillers in check as they played crucial roles in snapping the Hooks' four-game skid.

The one run that Hartman allowed in his five innings came on a home run in the 4th inning. He allowed three other hits and struck out six. Bostick took it home with four no-hit innings; he walked one and struck out six.

Ryne Birk opened the scoring by ripping a two-run double in the 2nd inning. Ronnie Dawson smacked a solo homer in the 5th and Chas McCormick followed with a single. McCormick then stole second and scored the final run of the evening on an error that allowed Randy César to reach. Dawson and Birk had two hits apiece; McCormick's steal gives him 8 with Corpus Christi and 15 on the season.

Brock Dykxhoorn will take on Dustin May in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek 5, Down East 1 in 11 innings

W- Enoli Paredes (2-1, 4-4 season)
L- Josh Altmann (0-2)

BC home runs: J.J. Matijevic (13, 16 season; 2-run in 11th)

Down to their final out, the Carolina Stros managed to tie the game and then erupted for four runs in the 11th to win the series opener in Kinston. With this victory, Buies Creek has won the first edition of the Lone Star Series in North Carolina; they currently lead the season series 12-8 with two games remaining.

Buies Creek had the bases loaded in the 8th but Seth Beer struck out to end the threat. Jake Adams led off the 9th and advanced to second on a balk. Cody Bohanek drew a walk and they both advanced on a sac bunt from Carlos Canelón. Jonathan Arauz got a free pass to first to set up a double play anywhere and that prompted the Wood Ducks to make a pitching change. Corey Julks popped out in foul territory for the second out and it was all up to J.J. Matijevic. He fell behind 1-2 but took three straight balls to tie the game. The real fun began in the 11th inning.

Bohanek led off the inning in scoring position and advanced to third on another sac bunt from Canelón. Arauz drew another walk. Down 0-2, Julks put Buies Creek in front with a two-run double and Matijevic provided the cherry with a two-run home run. They won this game despite striking out 20 times. Julks finished 2-6 and was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

Gabriel Valdez got the start and he allowed the Wood Ducks' one run on five hits and struck out six in five innings. Peter Solomon tagged in to throw four scoreless, allowing two hits and fanning six. Enoli Paredes got the two extra innings and struck out one in a perfect outing (aside from the leadoff runners) to get the win.

Game two of this series will kick off at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

The Banditos will start a four-game series in Beloit at 6:00. The first game is actually a suspended game that originally started on July 3, but was stopped because the lights went out.

Tri-City 5, Connecticut 2

W- Austin Hansen (2-1)
L- Gio Arriera (2-3)
S- J.P. France (2)

TC home runs: Oscar Campos (1, grand slam in 2nd)

The ValleyCats bullpen mowed the Tigers down in the finale and they wound up getting a big series win on the road.

Cody Deason went three innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits, walked one, and struck out three. Austin Hansen allowed a hit in his two innings and all six outs he recorded came via the strikeout. R.J. Freure struck out four over three perfect innings, and J.P. France allowed a hit and struck out the side in the 9th inning to earn the save.

Oscar Campos opened up the scoring by clubbing a grand slam in the 2nd inning. Tri-City's other run came in the 7th when Enmanuel Valdez hit a sac fly. Campos finished 2-4 and was the only man on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

The ValleyCats will kick off a three-game series with Hudson Valley at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 4, GCL Mets 3

W- Angel Macuare (3-3)
L- César Loaiza (0-1)
S- Jervic Chavez (5)

GCL home runs: Juan Paulino (1, 2-run in 5th)

The Palm Beach Stros got a run in the 9th to break a 3-3 tie.

Ernesto Jaquez continues to post the same mind-boggling numbers he's put up all year as he allowed a hit and struck out seven over five shutout innings. Jaquez has allowed two runs (one earned) on 11 hits in 44 innings this season between the DSL and the Gulf Coast League. Angel Macuare was the first man out of the GCLstros bullpen and allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits, walked two, and struck out four in three innings. Jervic Chavez worked around a walk to close out the game.

Andrés Santana reached on an error to start the 4th and he scored the first run of the day on another error that also allowed Wilyer Abreu to reach. Juan Paulino launched his first career homer, a two-run blast in the 5th. Hector Martinez led off the 9th with a single, advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw, and scored what turned out to be the winning run on a sac fly from Freúdis Nova.

DSL Dodgers Robinson 9, DSL Astros 8

W- Jonathan Vasquez (1-0)
L- Jeremy Molero (0-4)
S- Axel Acevedo (2)

DSL home runs: None.

The Dodgers Robinson scored four runs in the top of the 9th to snatch the victory from the Astros.

Jose Mendoza went 2-3 with a couple of stolen bases (8) and a couple of runs scored. He hit an infield single in the 1st and scored the Academy's first run thanks to three wild pitches. Victor Mascai ripped an RBI double and he also scored on a couple of wild pitches. Mascai drove in another run on a fielder's choice in the 7th inning.

Jojanse Torres went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits, walked one, and struck out six.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Ernesto Jaquez, RHP, GCL Astros: 5 IP, H, 7 K

Tri-City ValleyCats bullpen: W 5-2 @ Connecticut

6 IP, 2 H, 13 K

Austin Hansen: W (2-1), 2 IP, H, 6 K

R.J. Freure: 3 IP, 4 K

J.P. France: Save (2), IP, H, 3 K

Oscar Campos, C, Tri-City

2-4, grand slam (1)

Ronnie Dawson, OF, and Ryne Birk, 2B, Corpus Christi

Dawson: 2-4, solo HR (2, 12 season)

Birk: 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 4-1 vs. Tulsa

9 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 12 K

Ryan Hartman: W (10-3), 5 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 6 K
Akeem Bostick: Save (3), 4 IP, BB, 6 K

Enoli Paredes' photo taken by Bryan Green.

Buies Creek Astros pitchers: W 5-1 (11 innings) @ Down East

11 IP, 7 H, ER, 13 K

Gabriel Valdez: 5 IP, 5 H, ER, 6 K

Peter Solomon: 4 IP, 2 H, 6 K

Enoli Paredes: W (2-1, 4-4 season), 2 IP, K

Corey Julks' photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.

Corey Julks, OF, and J.J. Matijevic, OF, Buies Creek

Julks: 2-6, go-ahead 2-RBI 2B in 11th, R

Matijevic: 1-4, game-tying RBI BB in 9th, 2-R HR (13, 16 season), 2 BB

Kyle Tucker, OF, Nick Tanielu, IF, Jack Mayfield, IF, and A.J. Reed, 1B, Fresno

Tucker: 4-6, 2B, 2-R HR (16), 3 RBI, 4 R

Tanielu: 3-5, 2-R HR (4, 8 season), 2 R

Mayfield: 3-5, 2B, 3B, solo HR (13), 4 RBI, 3 R

Reed: 2-4, 2B, 3-R HR (24), 5 RBI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Nashville 5, Fresno 2

W- Eric Jokisch (4-9)
L- Cy Sneed (9-6)
S- Raúl Alcántara (4)

Fresno home runs: Nick Tanielu (3, 7 season; 2-run in 4th)

Nick Tanielu's two-run shot gave the Grizzlies the lead in the 4th inning, but the Sounds responded with a pair of two-run innings of their own to take the first game of this series.

Tanielu went 2-4 and his homer turned out to be Fresno's only scoring play of the evening. Garrett Stubbs went 4-4 with a stolen base (6).

Cy Sneed went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits (solo homer), walked five, and struck out four. Kent Emanuel allowed two runs on four hits in the 6th inning. Cionel Perez got two outs in the 7th, one via strikeout, but ran into trouble after allowing a hit and issuing a couple of walks to load the bases. Matt Ramsey bailed Cionel out by getting the last out of the 7th without incident and he went on to throw a scoreless 8th, walking one.

Rogelio Armenteros will get the start in game two. He'll take on James Naile at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 3, San Antonio 2 in 10 innings

W- Ralph Garza Jr. (6-0, 6-1 season)
L- T.J. Weir (2-1)

CC home runs: Randy César (10, solo in 3rd)

The Hooks walked off with a victory and earned the sweep. Corpus also gained a measure of revenge with the sweep; they were swept out of San Antonio last week after losing three one-run games.

Ryan Hartman went seven innings and allowed two runs on three hits (solo homer) and tied a career high by striking out 11. He also struck out 11 against San Antonio back on May 17. Kit Scheetz struck out three over 2.2 perfect innings and Ralph Garza Jr. got a grounder to record the final out of the 10th inning.

Ronnie Dawson tripled to lead off the bottom of the 1st and scored Corpus Christi's first run on a sac fly from Stephen Wrenn. Randy César cranked a solo shot in the 3rd. Ryne Birk started the bottom of the 10th in scoring position; he advanced on a deep flyball out from Lorenzo Quintana and won the game when he came home on an Aníbal Sierra sac fly. No one on either side finished with more than one hit.

Brock Dykxhoorn is scheduled to start the first game of a four-game set in Frisco. He'll face Jonathan Hernandez at 7:05.

Wilmington 2, Buies Creek 1

W- Justin Camp (2-1)
L- Tommy DeJuneas (0-1, 2-3 season)
S- Tyler Zuber (7)

BC home runs: Corey Julks (2, 6 season; solo in 1st)

The Blue Rocks came alive with a couple of runs in the 9th to snatch the win from the Carolina Stros.

Corey Julks smacked a solo homer in the 1st that turned out to be Buies Creek's only scoring play of the evening. His home run was the only extra-base hit in this game.

Brandon Bailey turned in eight dominant innings as he allowed just one hit, walked one, and struck out eight. Unfortunately for him, he did not factor into the decision after Wilmington scored twice against Tommy DeJuneas in the final frame. DeJuneas allowed two hits and walked one.

Buies Creek and Wilmington will conclude their series at 6:00 Eastern.\

Quad Cities 9, Clinton 1

W- Jairo Solís (2-4)
L- Ray Kerr (3-10)
S- Edgardo Sandoval (1)

QC home runs: Miguelangel Sierra 2 (9, solo in 2nd, solo in 7th), Marty Costes (2, solo in 3rd)

The Banditos blew this game open with four runs in the 3rd, which gave them a 6-1 lead.

Jairo Solís turned in 5.2 solid innings; the one run he allowed came on a homer. He allowed two other hits, walked one, and struck out seven. Edgardo Sandoval allowed four hits and struck out five over 3.1 scoreless innings to earn the save.

Marty Costes singled to lead off the 1st and Ruben Castro joined him on the bases by drawing a walk. Costes got caught stealing third and Castro took advantage by moving over to second while they were nabbing Costes. Castro advanced to third on a passed ball that was also ball four to David Hensley, who got caught stealing second, but again, Castro seized the opportunity to score the first run of the night.

Miguelangel Sierra smacked a solo homer in the 2nd and Costes launched one in the 3rd. Castro singled, Hensley flew out, and Chandler Taylor walked. Colton Shaver followed by ripping a two-run double and he came around to score on a base hit from Alfredo Angarita. Logan Mattix drew a one-out walk in the 4th, made it to third on Costes' double, and Castro brought them both in with a single. Sierra launched his second solo homer of the evening in the 7th to cap things off. Costes finished 3-4, while Castro, Sierra, and Angarita all turned in two-hit nights.

Chad Donato faces Scott Boches in game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:35.

Brooklyn 3, Tri-City 2

W- Trent Johnson (1-1)
L- Austin Hansen (1-1)
S- Yeudy Colón (3)

TC home runs: Alex McKenna (5, 2-run in 1st)

Both teams had one scoring play apiece and both of these plays were home runs. Unfortunately, the Cyclones' homer yielded more runs.

Alex McKenna opened the scoring with a two-run blast in the 1st inning. He's now homered in three consecutive games. Andy Piñeda finished 3-4 with a double.

R.J. Freure struck out three over three perfect innings. Cody Deason tagged in for 2.2 innings and had two runs charged to him when Austin Hansen allowed a three-run home run in the 6th. Deason allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out three during his stint on the mound. The homer was the only hit that Hansen allowed in 2.1 innings; he also walked one and struck out six.

Tri-City will kick off a three-game set with the Lowell Spinners tonight at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Nationals 3, GCL Astros 1

W- Alfonso Hernandez (1-0)
L- Angel Macuare (1-3)
S- Joan Adon (2)

GCL home runs: Freúdis Nova (4, solo in 4th)

Freúdis Nova's solo blast in the 4th was the Palm Beach Stros' only scoring play. Andrés Santana went 2-4.

Angel Macuare allowed three runs on six hits (two-run homer), walked two, and struck out four. Daniel Bello walked two and struck out two in the 5th, and Ernesto Jaquez got the last three innings in his US debut; he walked one and struck out three.

DSL Astros 2, DSL Red Sox1 1

W- Wender Oberto (2-2)
L- Luis Colmenares (4-2)

DSL home runs: None.

The Academy allowed ten hits to the Red Sox but also held them to one run. They scored in the first inning and walked off with the win by scoring in the last inning of regulation.

Jojanse Torres allowed that run, which was unearned, on eight hits and fanned six in five innings. Wender Oberto allowed two hits and struck out four over four scoreless.

Franklin Pinto went 2-4 and scored both runs; he came home in the 1st when Victor Mascai grounded into a force out. He tripled to lead off the 9th and scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Jose Alvarez finished 2-3.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Ernesto Jaquez, RHP, GCL Astros: 3 IP, BB, 3 K in Gulf Coast League and US debut

DSL Astros pitchers: W 2-1 vs. DSL Red Sox 1
9 IP, 10 H, unearned run, 10 K
Jojanse Torres: 5 IP, 8 H, unearned run, 6 K
Wender Oberto: W (2-2), 4 IP, 2 H, 4 K

Franklin Pinto, OF, DSL Astros: 2-4, 3B, 2 R; scored both of the DSL team's runs, scored game-winning run on wild pitch in 9th

Brandon Bailey, RHP, Buies Creek

8 IP, H, BB, 8 K

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 3-2 (10 innings) vs. San Antonio

10 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 14 K

Ryan Hartman: 7 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), 2 ER, 11 K

Kit Scheetz: 2.2 IP, 3 K

Ralph Garza Jr.: W (6-0, 6-1 season), 0.1 IP

Miguelangel Sierra, IF, Ruben Castro, C, and Marty Costes, OF, Quad Cities

Sierra: 2-3, 2 solo HR (9)

Castro: 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R

Costes: 3-4, 2B, solo HR (2), 2 R

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 9-1 vs. Clinton

9 IP, 7 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 12 K

Jairo Solís: W (2-4), 5.2 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 7 K

 Edgardo Sandoval: Save (1), 3.1 IP, 4 H, 5 K

Alex McKenna, OF, Tri-City

1-2, 2-R HR (5), 2 BB; has homered in three straight games

R.J. Freure, RHP, and Austin Hansen, RHP, Tri-City

Freure: 3 IP, 3 K

Hansen: L (1-1), 2.1 IP, H (3-R HR allowed), ER, BB, 6 K

Nick Tanielu, IF, and Garrett Stubbs, C, Fresno

Tanielu: 2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (3, 7 season)

Stubbs: 4-4, SB (6)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Fresno 2, Iowa 1

W- Josh James (4-4)
L- Rob Zastryzny (3-2)
S- Brendan McCurry (12)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Tacos scored in more innings than the Cubs and Josh James continues to pile up the strikeouts.

James allowed an unearned run on two hits, walked four, and struck out 11 in his six innings. Riley Ferrell, Ken Giles, and Brendan McCurry all pitched scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Ferrell was first and he struck out two in a 1-2-3 7th. Giles and McCurry both allowed a hit and struck out one in the 8th and the 9th, respectively.

Tyler White opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 3rd inning and Nick Tanielu broke the 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the bottom of the 6th. Tanielu, Jack Mayfield, and Myles Straw all finished with two hits on the evening; Straw also stole a base, which gives him 17 in AAA and 52 on the season.

Cy Sneed takes on Casey Coleman in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.


San Antonio 4, Corpus Christi 3 in 10 innings

W- T.J. Weir (2-0)
L- Alex Winkelman (4-3)

CC home runs: Lorenzo Quintana (10, solo in 3rd)

The Hooks erased an early 3-0 deficit... only to walk off with the loss in extras.

Lorenzo Quintana led off the 3rd with a homer to put Corpus on the board and Taylor Jones tied the game with a two-run single in the 8th. Quintana went 3-4 and scored two of the Hooks' three runs on the evening. Chas McCormick, who scored on Jones' single, went 2-3 and drew a couple of walks.

Brett Adcock shook off a rocky 1st inning in which he allowed three runs and ended up going four innings, allowing four hits, walking four, and striking out three. Hector Perez tagged in to throw five scoreless, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out four. Alex Winkelman got one out in the 10th; he issued an intentional walk, a single, and the winning run with another walk.

Framber Valdez will get the start as the Hooks look to avoid a sweep. He'll take on Chris Paddack at 7:05.

Buies Creek and Potomac was postponed

Due to rain. A doubleheader will be played Wednedsay with game one scheduled to start at 4:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities was off

The Banditos will start a three-game series in Burlington at 6:30. Leovanny Rodriguez will take on Max Herrmann.

Tri-City 5, Auburn 4 in 10 innings

W- J.P. France (1-0)
L- Tanner Driskill (1-2)

TC home runs: Carlos Machado (1, 3-run in 6th)

The ValleyCats tied it in the 6th and walked off with the win in the first extra frame.

The one hit that Shawn Dubin allowed in his three innings of work was a homer. He struck out five. Mark Moclair's weird debut season continues. He threw 1.1 innings and all four outs he recorded came via strikeout. He also allowed an unearned run on five hits.

Moclair has struck out 24 in just 10.2 innings, but he's also allowed 14 hits, walked eight, and hit four batters. He's not exactly getting shelled but when he's not allowing baserunners in bunches, he's mowing them down with relative ease. Anyway, back to the action.

Hansel Paulino was next and the two runs he gave up in his 3.2 innings came on a homer. He allowed one other hit and fanned five. Tim Hardy walked two and struck out the side in the 9th but walked the first two men he faced in the 10th, which resulted in J.P. France getting summoned to extricate him from this predicament. All France did was strike out the first man he faced and then he induced an inning-ending double play.

Carlos Machado walked to lead off the 3rd and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Oscar Campos wound up reaching on an error and then they both pulled off a double steal. Machado scored Tri-City's first run on a sac fly from Jeremy Peña that turned into a double play. Machado struck again in the 6th when he smacked a three-run homer that tied the game at 4.

Campos started the 10th in scoring position but Austin Dennis took his place. Peña hit a bunt single to move Dennis over and then he took second on defensive indifference. Gilberto Celestino got a free pass to first to load the bases for Alex McKenna.... who went down on strikes. Enmanuel Valdez came through with the winner, however. He poked one through the right side of the infield to bring Dennis in with the winning run. Celestino and César Salazar both finished 2-4.

Tri-City and Auburn will continue their series at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros and GCL Cardinals was suspended

This game was suspended after the 4th inning due to rain with both teams tied 0-0.

Angel Macuare allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out four in 3.1 innings and Jonathan Bermúdez got the last two outs of the 4th.

DSL Astros 8, DSL Royals1 2

W- Jose Antonio Hernandez (3-2)
L- Luis Villar (1-1)

DSL home runs: None.

The Academy busted this one open with four runs in the 5th.

Ernesto Jaquez continues to be absurd, but he turned in his second-worst outing of the year as he allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out seven in four innings. (The one where he allowed an earned run was worse) That was just the second run that he's allowed all season. Flaer Gonzalez allowed a run on two hits and struck out one in the 5th. Jose Antonio Hernandez did not allow a hit over the last four innings; he walked two and struck out two.

The DSL squad got a couple of runs in the 3rd on a Jose Mendoza groundout and a Carlos Hurtado double. Junior Marte singled to lead off the 5th and scored on Yefri Carrillo's double. Carrillo scored on a Mendoza base hit; Mendoza advanced to third on Hurtado's second double of the day and scored on an Enmanuel Morillo groundout. Hurtado came home on a double from Abraham Castillo. Abraham Castillo scored on a wild pitch in the 8th and Carrillo's groundout allowed Jeury Castillo to score the final run of the day.

Abraham Castillo finished 3-4 with a double and scored a run. Carrillo, Mendoza, and Hurtado all finished with two hits.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Ernesto Jaquez, RHP, and Jose Antonio Hernandez, RHP, DSL Astros
Jaquez: 4 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 7 K
Hernandez: W (3-2), 4 IP, 2 BB, 2 K

Carlos Hurtado, C, DSL Astros: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, R
Jose Mendoza, IF, DSL Astros: 2-5, 2 RBI, R
Abraham Castillo, OF, DSL Astros: 3-4, 2B, RBI, R
Yefri Carrillo, OF, DSL Astros: 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R

Shawn Dubin not pictured.

Shawn Dubin, LHP, and Carlos Machado, OF, Tri-City

Dubin: 3 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 5 K

Machado: Game-tying 3-R HR (2) in 6th, 2 R, SB (2)

Hector Perez, RHP, Corpus Christi

5 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K

Lorenzo Quintana, C, Corpus Christi

3-4, solo HR (10), 2 R

Ken Giles' photo taken by Bryan Green

Fresno Grizzlies (dba Fresno Tacos) pitchers: W 2-1 vs. Iowa

9 IP, 4 H, unearned run, 4 BB, 15 K

Josh James: W (4-4), 6 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 4 BB, 15 K

Riley Ferrell: IP, 2 K

Ken Giles: IP, H, K

Brendan McCurry: Save (12), IP, H, K

Astros Farm Report: 7/25

Late edition (my apologies) as Jayne is on her travels. Let's catch up on all the latest happenings in the Astros system...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Jorge Alcala - May 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

7-27: RHP Jacob Billingsley (24)

7-28: RHP Jorge Alcala (23)

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

7-24: RHP Peter Solomon assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities

7-23: OF Andy Piñeda assigned to Tri-City from Corpus Christi

7-23: RHP Edgardo Sandoval (Quad Cities) activated from the 7-day DL

7-23: RHP Ronel Blanco (Corpus) placed on the 7-day DL

7-23: LHP Framber Valdez activated by Corpus Christi; may have been suspended or placed on temporarily inactive list

7-22: 1B Taylor Jones assigned to Corpus Christi from Fresno

7-22: RHP Trent Thornton (Fresno) activated from temporarily inactive list

7-20: 3B J.D. Davis recalled to Houston from Fresno

7-20: RHP J.B. Bukauskas activated from DL and assigned to Quad Cities

7-18: RHP Alex House assigned to Tri-City (2017 24th-round pick)

7-17: RHP Enoli Paredes assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities

7-17: LHP Brett Adcock assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek

7-17: RHP Ralph Garza assigned to Corpus Christi from Fresno

7-17: RHP Jayson Schroeder assigned to GCL (2018 2nd-round pick)

7-17: LHP Javier Navas (GCL) released

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

7/23: RHP Ronel Blanco (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL

7/11: RHP Forrest Whitley (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
7/11: RHP Carlos Sierra (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
6/19: OF Drew Ferguson (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL (hand)
6/1: LHP Yeremi Ceballos (DSL) placed on the 60-day DL
6/1: RHP Carlos Quintero (DSL) placed on the 60-day DL
5/26: RHP David Paulino (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL (retroactive to the 25th)
5/4: RHP Francis Martes (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
5/3+/-: RHP Gerardo Bojorquez had TJ surgery per Instagram post
4/5: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno (starting the season on the 7-day DL); according to Instagram Ryan has had surgery, but I don't know whether or not it was TJ
4/5: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities (starting the season on the 7-day DL; according to Instagram, Ruppenthal had elbow surgery to transpose the ulnar nerve in early April and started to throw mid-June)
4/5: RHP Ángel Heredia (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL (Tommy John)
No date: RHP Alex House (Tri-City) appears to be on the DL per his Instagram account but working his way back (end of June)

ASTROS MILB RESTRICTED LIST

6/22: RHP Yoanys Quiala placed on the restricted list (80 game suspension for performance-enhancing substance); Quiala won't be eligible to play again until approximately mid-April of 2019.

MISSING IN ACTION

Now that all of the short season teams have started playing, I've gone through my records and the following players all show as "active" on MiLB, but they haven't played yet this season. If anyone has any info on the following players, please let me know.

RHP Hunter Martin
LHP Javier Navas - made his first appearance of the season for the GCL team 7/16, released 7/17
RHP Kyle Serrano - made his first appearance of the season for the GCL team 7/6

I will be keeping track of all the releases, retirements, trades and signings for the 2018 season here.

FEATURED PLAYERS

This edition of the Farm Report has a triple feature...

Bryan Abreu - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Great to see DR RHP Bryan Abreu coming into his own. Projection guy we signed who threw 84 mph with 12-to-6 CB calling card. Now 93/97 MPH with 4-pitch mix (FB/CB/SL/CH), maybe the best CB in the system. Great kid, another #AstrosSleeperhttps://t.co/IuAxmYHHWR https://t.co/nF1Hobyg7w

— Oz (@OcampoBaseball) July 22, 2018

22yo RHP Jojanse Torres, another #AstrosSleeper to watch. Three-pitch FB/SL/CH mix with FB up to 98, pwr SL at 89, and developing CH. @DSLAstros #Astroshttps://t.co/K9xd8LV8Dt

— Oz (@OcampoBaseball) July 14, 2018

Spoke too soon, velo jump for Ernesto. FF 91, t94 #allJaquezesthrowhard

— Oz (@OcampoBaseball) July 19, 2018

Bryan Abreu, Jojanse Torres, and Ernesto Jaquez are names that very, very few Astros fans know, but they're all starting to gain helium within the system and Oz Ocampo, who is now one of Jeff Luhnow's special assistants and the leader of the Astros' international operations, is extremely excited about the stable of arms that he and his team have unearthed, and are working to unearth, in Latin America. Abreu, Torres, and Jaquez look to be the latest success stories.

Abreu began the 2018 season with Tri-City and was called up to Quad Cities two weeks ago. He was originally signed in November 2013 out of the Dominican Republic at the age of 16 but was not highly regarded, even though he signed in his first year of eligibility. At the time, according to Oz Ocampo, Abreu threw 84 and had a 12-6 curveball as his primary off-speed offering. Ocampo and his team saw plenty of promise in Abreu and it's been a little bit of a slow burn as he spent his first two seasons in the Dominican Summer League and his third in the Gulf Coast League before leaving the complex leagues for good with Greeneville in 2017, where he posted an unsightly 7.98 ERA in eight appearances (six starts). Despite the rough showing in the Appalachian League, Abreu still showed some of the promise that Oz Ocampo saw in him (even though it was often hidden behind some of those four and five-run outings), like when he allowed four hits and struck out eight over five shutout innings on July 27.

Now, Abreu has gained several ticks on his fastball and has two more pitches in his arsenal and he's harnessed his newfound stuff to dominate the New York-Penn League and he's now taken his act to the Quad Cities. His most recent appearance was Saturday and he got the save by allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out seven over four scoreless innings. Obviously, the small sample size caveat applies, but he's taken the hard lessons that he learned in the Appalachian League and honed his craft to become a more complete pitcher.

Jojanse Torres made his pro debut on June 19. According to the Astros' transactions page, he officially signed on April 24. Torres, a native of the Dominican Republic, will turn 23 on August 4, so yes, he's ancient for the Dominican Summer League. With that being said, a mid-to-upper-90s fastball and a potentially plus slider will turn heads, no matter where one plays. He's also gotten a mention in Baseball America's midseason update of the Astros' top 10 prospects. Torres last appeared on Friday and recorded his first professional win by allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out seven over five shutout innings. Ronel Blanco signed as a 22-year-old, turned 23 during his first professional season, and now he's in Corpus. It's entirely possible that Torres could hop on a path similar to Blanco's.

Ernesto Jaquez signed last July for $95,000 out of the Dominican Republic. He turned 19 on June 11 and he's caught my attention mainly for his absurd performance in his second season in the DSL. Jaquez has allowed two runs (one earned) in 36 innings this season. No, that is not a typo. Jaquez is described by Oz Ocampo as having a four-pitch mix and he can throw strikes with all four of his offerings. Since literally like three people have been able to touch Jaquez while he's on the mound, I wonder about the amount of deception that he has in his delivery. He doesn't have the pure stuff of Jojanse Torres, but at 6'2", 190, that doesn't mean that he won't be able to gain another tick or two to his arsenal as he continues to progress through the system. Jaquez has had his way with DSL hitters all season and he might be making his way to the US soon.

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS
Up and down arrows represent increase/decrease in win percentage over the prior week.

Most of the clubs outside of the complex leagues have been a bit uneven as of late, but they've held steady in terms of their position within their divisions.

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)

🠋1st 58-43 .574 -.-GB W1

The Grizzlies currently lead Tacoma by seven games in the PCL Pacific Northern division.

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)

🠋1st 63-37 .630 -.-GB L2 (overall)
1st 20-11 .645 -.-GB L2 (second half)
1st 43-26 .623 -.-GB W5 (first half division winner)

The Hooks have made the playoffs as the first half winners of the Texas League South Division.

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)

2nd 57-44 .564 4.0GB L1 (overall); no change in overall winning percentage
🠋2nd 20-12 .625 1.5GB L1 (second half)
2nd 37-32 .536 3.5GB L1 (first half)

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)

🠋3rd 55-45 .559 2.5GB W1 (overall)
🠋5th 15-15 .500 6.5GB W1 (second half)
1st 40-30 .571 -.-GB W6 (first half division winner)

The River Bandits have made the playoffs as the first half winners of the Midwest League Western Division.

TRI-CITY (New York-Penn League)
🠋1st 20-15 .571 -.-GB W1

Tri-City leads Lowell by a half-game in the New York-Penn League Stedler division.

GCL ASTROS (Gulf Coast League)
🠉3rd 16-14 .533 5.5GB W1

DSL ASTROS (Dominican Summer League Northwest)
🠉6th 20-23 .465 11.0GB W1

NEWS AND LINKS

- MK Bower, in his latest for Forbes, discusses how the Astros clubhouse was an ideal environment for Kyle Tucker to enter.

- Check out Jayne's photos from her recent trip to the Quad Cities.

- Baseball America (subscription required) recently released updated top 10 prospect lists for all thirty teams. Forrest Whitley and Kyle Tucker are holding steady in the top two spots and they've taken notice of Corbin Martin's breakout 2018. 

- Sad news to pass along as former Astros clubhouse manager Dennis Liborio has passed away at the age of 63. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

- In a video package for the All-Star Game discussing the impact of the video game "Fortnite" across the league, George Springer was featured doing the eagle dance that was originally done by Dahyun, a member of the K-pop girl group Twice (and the origins of her doing that dance is a lot deeper and I don't think I have time to go in on that). Apparently the game's dance emotes are influenced by K-pop.

- For the soccer fans: Son Heung-min, my Korean older brother, just signed a contract extension which will keep him at Tottenham Hotspur (England) until 2023.

- It's still gonna be hot.

And in case you missed any of these, here are Jayne's recent interviews:

RHP Corbin Martin (Corpus Christi)
3B Abraham Toro (Corpus Christi)
RHP Trent Thornton (Fresno)
OF Chas McCormick (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
OF J.J. Matijevic (Buies Creek)
RHP Brandon Bielak (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
LHP Brett Adcock (Buies Creek)
SS Alex De Goti (Corpus Christi)
1B Taylor Jones (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)