Former Astros in Independent/International Leagues (2018)

There are several former Astros already playing internationally or who are slated to play with the Indy League clubs that start up between late April and mid-May. I'll update this post with any late additions I see as the independent baseball season gets closer. If you see any former Astros or former Astros farm hands that I missed, leave a note in the comments and I'll include them in my next update.

Each year MLB affiliates pick up players from independent baseball. Last year, RHP Kevin McCanna (Astros 2015 13th round pick; 2015-2016 Astros farm system) started his season with the independent Sioux City Explorers club, but was picked up by the Diamondbacks organization and 1B Conrad Gregor (Astros 2013 4th round pick; 2013-2016 Astros farm system) was picked up by the Red Sox from the New Jersey Jackals. And 3B  Bobby Wernes (Astros 2015 30th round pick; 2015-2016 Astros farm system) had signed with the Traverse City Beach Bums, but was picked up by the Rockies organization before playing a single game for the Bums. There are several players on this list that could very well make their way back into affiliated baseball ... I wish them all the best of luck!

Jio Mier - April 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

JAPAN CENTRAL LEAGUE

Yakult Swallows
OF Nori Aoki (2017 Astros)

JAPAN PACIFIC LEAGUE

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
1B/DH Japhet Amador (2013-2014 Astros farm system)

Fukuoka Softbank Hawks
RHP Dennis Sarfate (2007 Astros)
It is Sarfate's 8th season playing in Japan.

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
3B Brandon Laird (2012-2013 Astros system)

Saitama Seibu Lions
IF Kaz Matsui (2008-2010 Astros)

KOREAN BASEBALL ORGANIZATION

Doosan Bears
OF Jimmy Paredes (2010-2013 Astros system)

LG Twins
RHP Henry Sosa (2011-2012 Astros system)
Sosa is in his 7th season with the KBO.

MEXICAN LEAGUE

Diablos Rojas del Mexico
RHP Gonzalo Sanudo (2013-2016 Astros farm system)
C Carlos Corporan (2011-2014 Astros)

Guerreros de Oaxaca
RHP Arcenio Leon (2005-2012 Astros farm system)

Leones de Yucatan
RHP Paul Clemens (2011-2014 Astros system)
OF Leo Heras (2013-2016 Astros farm system)
OF/2B Ruben Sosa (Astros 2011 23rd round pick; 2011-2014 Astros farm system)

Olmecas de Tabasco
RHP Cesar Valdez (2016 Astros farm system)

Pericos de Puebla
LHP Mitch Lambson (Astros 2011 19th round pick; 2011-2015 Astros farm system)
C Bernardo Heras (2016-2017 Astros farm system)

Saraperos de Saltillo
LHP Raul Valdes (Astros 2014)

Sultanes de Monterrey
RHP Edgar Gonzalez (2012-2013 Astros)

Tecolotes de los Dos Loredos
IF Anderson Hernandez (2010-2011 Astros system)

Tigres de Quintana Roo
OF Jason Bourgeois (2010-2011 Astros)

Toros de Tijuana
RHP Hector Ambriz (2012-2013 Astros)
RHP Gerardo Sanchez (2012-2013 Astros farm system)
3B Jio Mier (Astros 2009 1st round pick; 2009-2015 Astros farm system)

ATLANTIC LEAGUE

Lancaster Barnstormers
IF Rico Noel (2018 Astros farm system)
LHP Tommy Shirley (Astros 2010 9th round pick; 2010-2016 Astros farm system)

York Revolution
1B/OF Michael Burgess (2013 Astros farm system)
RHP Zac Grotz (Astros 2015 28th round pick, 2015 Astros farm system)
RHP Jay Gause (Astros 2014 10th round pick; 2014 Astros farm system)

New Britain Bees
LHP Kevin Chapman (2012-2016 Astros system)
RHP Sam Gervacio (2005-2011 Astros system)
RHP Mark Hamburger (2013 Astros farm system)
LHP Andy Van Hekken (2008-2011 Astros farm system)
IF Reid Brignac (2017 Astros farm system)

Long Island Ducks
LHP Ashur Tolliver (2017 Astros system)

Pennsylvania Road Warriors
LHP Luis Cruz (Astros 2008 9th round pick; 2008-2015 Astros farm system)
C Marlon Avea (2011-2016 Astros farm system)
OF/1B Edwin Gomez (2012-2013 Astros farm system)

Somerset Patriots
LHP Brett Oberholtzer (2011-2015 Astros system)

Sugar Land Skeeters
RHP Jared Mortensen (Astros Rule 5 draft pick in December 2016; appeared in 3 games for Fresno in April 2017)
RHP Felipe Paulino (2003-2010 Astros system)
RHP Mitch Talbot (Astros 2002 2nd round pick; 2003-2006 Astros system)
OF Luke Scott (2004-2007 Astros system)
OF Willy Taveras (2004-2006 Astros system)

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
RHP Travis Ballew (Astros 2012 23rd round pick; 2012-2015 Astros system)
LHP Sebastian Kessay (Astros 2013 22nd round pick; 2013-2017 Astros farm system)

Gary Southshore Railcats
RHP Daniel Minor (Astros 2012 9th round pick; 2012-2105 Astros farm system)

Sioux Falls Canaries
LHP Joe Bircher ( Astros 2012 10th round pick, 2012-2013 Astros farm system)
IF Tyler Wolfe (Astros 2016 39th round pick; 2016-2017 Astros farm system)

Winnipeg Goldeyes
OF Reggie Abercrombie (2008-2009 Astros system)

Kansas City T-Bones
C Christian Correa (2015-2017 Astros system)

Sioux City Explorers
OF Jay Austin (Astros 2008 2nd round pick, 2008-2012 Astros farm system)
RHP Andrew Thurman (Astros 2013 2nd round pick, 2013-2014 Astros farm system)

Texas Airhogs
LHP Michael Freeman (Astros 2015 7th round pick; 2015-2017 Astros farm system)

CAN-AM LEAGUE

Ottawa Champions
RHP Austin Chrismon (Astros 2013 26th round pick, 2013-2015 Astros farm system)

Rockland Boulders
RHP Ryan Deemes (Astros 2015 36th round pick; 2015-2017 Astros farm system)
C Marcus Nidiffer (2010 Astros farm system)

Sussex County Miners
LHP David Rollins (2012-2014 Astros farm system)
C Martin Figueroa (Astros 2017 32nd round pick; 2017 Astros farm system)

Trois-Rivieres Aigles
RHP Chris Murphy (Astros 2015 24th round pick; 2015-2016 Astros farm system)
C Anthony Hermelyn (Astros 2015 4th round pick; 2015-2017 Astros farm system)

FRONTIER LEAGUE

Schaumberg Boomers
RHP Kyle Westwood (2013 13th round pick; 2013-2015 Astros farm system)
On the suspended list

Washington Wild Things
OF Hector Roa (2012-2016 Astros farm system)

Windy City Thunderbolts
RHP Devin Raftery (2016-2017 Astros farm system)

Evansville Otters
LHP Austin Nicely (Astros 2013 10th round pick; 2013-2016 Astros farm system)

River City Rascals
RHP Reggie Johnson (2016-2017 Astros farm system)
RHP Lucas Williams (Astros 2016 40th round draft pick; 2016-2017 Astros farm system)

Lake Erie Crushers
LHP Ben Smith (Astros 2014 17th round pick; 2016-2017 Astros farm system)
(Pro debut was delayed due to recovery from Tommy John surgery followed by a battle with Burkitt lymphoma)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, September 2, 2016

Sacramento 5, Fresno 1

W- Dan Slania (2-0)
L- Evan Grills (1-2, 9-8 season)

Fresno home runs: None.

The RiverCats got the jump on Evan Grills with 3 runs in the 3rd to take a 4-0 lead.

Grills went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits, one of which was a solo homer. Brad Peacock pitched the final 2 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5.

Tyler Heineman finished 2-4, and his RBI double in the 6th was Fresno's only scoring play. D.J. Fisher also went 2-4 with a double, and Alejandro Garcia, who scored the only Fresno run, finshed 3-4.

Frisco 7, Corpus Christi 6

W- Juan Grullon (3-3)
L- Michael Freeman (3-4)
S- Luke Jackson (1)

CC home runs: Nick Tanielu (7, 11 season; 2-run in 3rd)

The Hooks attempted to force extra innings, but they stranded the tying run on 3rd to end the game.

Nick Tanielu opened the scoring with a 2-run homer in the 3rd inning. Later in the frame, Ramon Laureano and Conrad Gregor added RBI singles. Chase McDonald hit an RBI single in the 5th and added another one to his ledger in the 9th, but Gregor was left 90 feet away in the end.

Rogelio Armenteros went 5.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him), walked 2, and struck out 5. Michael Freeman and Kevin Comer both went 1.1 innings; Freeman had 2 inherited runners charged to him, both unearned, and walked 1. Comer allowed a run of his own on 3 hits and struck out 1.

Lancaster 4, Inland Empire 1

W- Akeem Bostick (5-3, 6-4 season)
L- Jake Jewell (2-15)
S- Andrew Thome (4, 8 season)

Lancaster home runs: None.

With the win, the JetHawks clinched a playoff berth.

Akeem Bostick shook off an unearned run in the 1st inning and delivered 6 solid innings, allowing 7 hits, walking 1, and striking out 5. Kevin McCanna allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2 innings, and Andrew Thome worked around 2 htis and a walk to secure the victory.

All 4 Lancaster runs on Friday came on RBI doubles. Three of them came in the 1st inning, off the bats of Kyle Tucker, Bryan Muñiz, and Jason Martin. In the 5th, Martin ripped another RBI double for the final run of the evening.

Kane County 2, Quad Cities 1

W- Sam McWilliams (3-6)
L- Enrique Chavez (0-2, 3-4 season)
S- Keegan Long (7)

QC home runs: None.

Both teams scored in the 2nd inning... but the Cougars had the more productive half.

The Banditos' run in the 2nd came on an Arturo Michelena groundout. Dex McCall, who scored that run, doubled to lead off the inning.

Enrique Chavez went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 9. Carlos Sierra allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4 over the final 3 innings.

Tri-City 6, Staten Island 3

W- Salvador Montaño (2-0, 3-1 season)
L- Raynel Espinal (0-1)
S- Tyson Perez (1)

TC home runs: Chuckie Robinson (2, 2-run in 1st), Taylor Jones (8, solo in 4th)

The ValleyCats ensured a win in their final home series of the year by doubling up the Yankees.

Chuckie Robinson opened the scoring with a 2-run homer in the 1st and added an RBI double to his ledger in the 3rd inning. Taylor Jones led off the 4th with a homer, Rodrigo Ayarza led off the 5th with a triple and scored on a wild pitch. Robinson drew a walk later in the inning, advanced to 3rd on a Ronnie Dawson double, and scored the final run of the evening on another wild pitch. Robinson and Connor Goedert finished 2-3 on the evening.

Tyler Britton went 3 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. Salvador Montaño was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen, and in 2 innings, he allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3. Kevin Hill allowed 2 hits and struck out 2 over 3 scoreless, and Tyson Perez threw a 1-2-3 9th to get the save.

Friday's Stars

Photo from MiLB.com

Akeem Bostick, RHP, Lancaster

W (5-3, 6-4 season), 6 IP, 7 H, unearned run, BB, 5 K

Chuckie Robinson, C, Tri-City

2-3, 2B, 2-R HR (2), 3 RBI, 2 R

Kevin Hill, RHP, Tri-City

3 IP, 2 H, 2 K

Enrique Chavez (top) and Carlos Sierra, RHPs, Quad Cities

Chavez: L (0-2, 3-4 season), 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 9 K

Sierra: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Jason Martin, OF, Lancaster

2-2, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB (20)

Results for Saturday, September 3, 2016

Fresno 10, Sacramento 5

W- Kevin Chapman (3-4)
L- Jake Dunning (3-4)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (18, grand slam in 8th)

The RiverCats scored 3 in the 7th to tie the game at 5, but the Grizzlies quickly regained control with 5 runs in the 8th; Jon Kemmer's grand slam was the knockout blow.

Keegan Yuhl went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Brendan McCurry got 2 outs in the 7th, but he also allowed 3 runs on 4 hits and walked 1. Kevin Chapman stopped the bleeding by throwing 2.1 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 6.

Danny Worth opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 1st inning. Jack Mayfield added an RBI single in the 2nd, and Jon Singleton drove in the next three Fresno runs with an 2-run double in the 3rd and a sac fly in the 5th. Mayfield walked to lead off the 8th, and Colin Moran and Worth joined him after getting plunked and drawing a walk, respectively. This prompted a pitching change, and Kemmer greeted the new Sacramento pitcher, Vin Mazzaro, with a grand slam that put Fresno back in front. Singleton drove in the final run of the evening with an RBI double later in the inning.

D.J. Fisher (2 2B, R), Alejandro Garcia (3 R), and Max Stassi (R, SB) all finished with 3 hits. Both of Singleton's hits were doubles, and Kemmer only had one hit, but it was massive.

Mike Hauschild will start game 3 of this series. He'll face Chris Stratton at 5:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 7, San Antonio 1

W- Dean Deetz (2-0, 8-5 season)
L- Seth Simmons (3-4)
S- Kyle Smith (3)

CC home runs: Drew Ferguson (3, 17 season; solo in 1st)

Dean Deetz dominated the Missions on Saturday with 6 shutout innings, allowing just one hit, walking 2, and striking out 8. The Missions spoiled the shutout with a run off Kyle Smith in the 9th. Smith went 3 innings and allowed 4 hits and struck out 3.

Drew Ferguson opened the scoring with a solo blast in the 1st inning. In the 4th inning, J.D. Davis ripped an RBI double and Conrad Gregor drove in another run with a groundout. Garrett Stubbs hit an RBI double of his own in the 5th, and Davis smacked a 2-run double in the 7th.

In addition to his homer, Ferguson walked 3 times and scored 4 runs. Davis and Stubbs both finished 2-4, and both of their hits were doubles.

Kent Emanuel will take on Jerry Keel in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 6:05.

Lancaster 7, Inland Empire 6

W- Scott Weathersby (6-6, 7-6 season)
L- Adam Hofacket (1-2)
S- Andrew Thome (5, 9 season)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks scored 5 in the 7th inning and staved off a late 66ers rally to hang on for the win. With this victory, the JetHawks clinched the second-half title in the California League South, which gives them home-field advantage in the South Division mini-series.

Bryan Muñiz opened the scoring with an RBI groundout in the 1st, and Marc Wik drove in another run with another groundout in the 4th to tie the game at 2.

Wik walked to lead off the bottom of the 7th, and he would eventually score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch that was ball 4 to Johnny Sewald. With Osvaldo Duarte at the plate, Sewald and Myles Straw executed a double steal that saw Straw steal home. Duarte wound up walking, and he and Sewald did the double steal once again. Sewald scored on another wild pitch, and Muñiz followed with an RBI triple. Jamie Ritchie finished 3-4 and drove in the final Lancaster run with an RBI single to cap off the huge 7th inning.

Straw and Aaron Mizell both had 2 hits; Straw finshed the night with 3 stolen bases (4, 21 season), while Sewald finished with 2, giving him 23 with Lancaster and 39 on the year. Duarte's steal gives him 4 with Lancaster and 19 on the season.

Elieser Hernandez went 6 innings and the two runs he allowed came on a homer from Taylor Ward in the 2nd. He allowed 5 other hits and struck out 4. Scott Weathersby went 2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Juan Carlos Santos got an out in the 9th via strikeout, but he also allowed 2 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 2 hits. Andrew Thome got the final 2 outs of the game; he walked 1 and struck out 1.

Albert Abreu gets the start for Lancaster tonight, and he'll take on Justin Anderson at 5:05 Pacific.

Burlington 5, Quad Cities 0

W- Jose Rodriguez (7-5)
L- Yoanys Quiala (2-12)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos got blanked on Saturday.

Their only 3 hits were singles hit by Stephen Wrenn, Hector Roa, and Anthony Hermelyn.

Yoanys Quiala allowed 8 hits and had a bare minimum quality start. Sebastian Kessay allowed 2 unearned runs on 2 hits.

Franklin Perez will face Luis Peña in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 2:00.

Staten Island 5, Tri-City 4

W- Chad Martin (4-0)
L- Carlos Sanabria (1-1, 2-3 season)
S- Justin Kamplain (6)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats scored 4 runs in the 6th to cut the deficit to one run, but they could not quite get over the hump.

Carlos Sanabria went 3.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (3 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 7 hits (solo homer) and struck out 2. Sean Stutzman was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen, and in 1.2 innings, he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3. Ricardo Castro allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 7 over the final 4 innings.

Carmen Benedetti scored the first Tri-City run on an error that allowed Chuckie Robinson to advance to 3rd and Ronnie Dawson to take 2nd. Taylor Jones followed with a 2-run single, and Bryan De La Cruz hit an RBI groundout. Benedetti finished 2-4.

The ValleyCats will wrap up 2016 with two games in Connecticut. Ryan Hartman will take on Gregory Soto at 4:05 Eastern.

Saturday's Stars

Jon Singleton, 1B, Fresno

2-3, 2 2B, 4 RBI

Kevin Chapman, LHP, Fresno

W (3-4), 2.1 IP, H, BB, 6 K

Dean Deetz, RHP, Corpus Christi

W (2-0, 8-5 season), 6 IP, H, 2 BB, 8 K

J.D. Davis, 3B, Corpus Christi

2-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, R

Ricardo Castro, RHP, Tri-City

4 IP, H, BB, 7 K

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Let's play 2 in Lancaster!

Fresno 9, Salt Lake 8 in 11 innings

W- Kevin Chapman (1-1)
L- Ryan Mattheus (0-2)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies staked Jake Buchanan to a 7-0 lead after the first inning, and everything was academic from there, right? Nope. That lead was dented when the Bees scored 3 in the top of the 7th and vanished in the 9th as they put up 5 to tie the game after the Grizz stopped the bleeding for a moment with a run in the 8th. Ugh. However, as the old adage goes... a win is a win is a win.

Matt Duffy got things started with an RBI single. After Preston Tucker lined out for the 2nd out of the 1st inning, the Grizzlies got three RBI singles in a row from Matt Dominguez, Max Stassi, and Ronald Torreyes. Stassi scored, and Torreyes advanced to third on an error that allowed Andrew Aplin to reach. Aplin proceeded to steal 2nd, his 2nd stolen base of the season. And then, Joe Sclafani clubbed a 2-run triple. Duffy, who finished with a career-high 5 hits, added another RBI single in the 8th. He then doubled to lead off the bottom of the 11th, and then Nolan Fontana was summoned to pinch-run. Preston Tucker was given a pass to 1st base, which brought up Matt Dominguez. Craziness ensued, as Dominguez laid down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by Salt Lake 3B Kyle Kubitza and thrown away, allowing Fontana to come home with the winning run. Dominguez, L.J. Hoes (3B, 2 R), and Sclafani (2-R 3B, R) had 2 hits apiece; Ronald Torreyes went 3-5.

Jake Buchanan pitched 7 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Jordan Jankowski struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 8th. James Hoyt came on to finish it off... but the Bees had other plans. He failed to retire any of the 5 batters he faced in the 9th, allowing 5 runs (3 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits and walking 1. Kevin Chapman didn't help matters by allowing the Bees to empty the bases off of him, which in turn put 3 runs on James Hoyt's account, but he made amends for that by shackling them in extra innings. Chapman wound up throwing 3 scoreless (well, there is that matter of allowing 3 inherited runners to scored), allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 6.

The Grizzlies will look for the sweep as Dan Straily squares off against our old friend Nick Tropeano. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks are preparing for their first game at Whataburger Field as they welcome Springfield for 3 games. In the opener, Mark Appel will take on Mike Mayers at 7:05.

Game 1: Lancaster 5, Stockton 1

W- Edison Frias (2-0)
L- Dylan Covey (1-1)
S- Tyler Brunnemann (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks got on the board in the series thanks to an outstanding start from Edison Frias, who allowed just 1 hit, walked 2, and struck out 5 over 5 shutout innings. Adrian Houser came on for his season debut in the 6th and had a tough go of it, but then again, it was the first time he came out this year. An error and a wild pitch didn't exactly help his cause, and he faced not one, but two separate bases-loaded situations. He allowed a run on a force out play, a single, and walked 2. Tyler Brunnemann was called on to get the JetHawks out of this jam, and he did so by inducing an inning-ending double play. That's clutch. He worked around a 1-out walk to finish off the first game of the twinbill, striking out 1.

J,D. Davis had a big game 1 as he went 3-3 with a double and 2 RBI singles. The first RBI single was the first run of the game, and he added another one in the 5th. Chase McDonald hit an RBI double in the 4th. The other 2 JetHawks runs were scored by Danry Vásquez in the 1st on a double play, and A.J. Reed in the 4th on another double play.

What would game 2 hold in store for Lancaster?

Game 2: Stockton 7, Lancaster 3

W- Jonathan Joseph (1-0)
L- Brian Holmes (0-1)
S- Brendan McCurry (2)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks had to settle for the split, and they dropped the series.

They had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th, but all they could muster up was a sac fly from Davis. James Ramsay hit a sac fly in the 3rd, and McDonald hit an RBI single in the 6th. Jose Fernandez went 2-3 with a run scored, and Jobduan Morales finished 3-3 with a run scored.

Brian Holmes went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. In his season debut, Ambiorix De Leon pitched a scoreless 6th, but the wheels fell off for him in the 7th as he allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and walked 2 while striking out 1. Chris Cotton cleaned up the mess as he retired all 3 batters he faced after coming on, striking out 2.

The JetHawks hit the road for the first time this season. First stop, High Desert for 4. Zach Morton will face Luis Parra in game 1 at 6:35 Pacific.

Quad Cities 2, Beloit 2 through 4.5 innings

This game was suspended due to a problem with the lighting. They'll finish this one up tomorrow, and then a 7-inning game will follow. Joe Musgrove will take on Jordan Schwartz in that game. The 2 Quad Cities runs came courtesy of a double hit by Ryan Bottger in the 4th that tied this game.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Joe Sclafani, UTIL, Fresno

2-6, 3B, 2 RBI, R

2. 

His MiLB.com profile picture.

J.D. Davis, 3B, Lancaster

Doubleheader: 4-6, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, SB (1)

1. 

Matt Duffy, 3B/1B, Fresno

5-6, 2B, 2 RBI, R

*The 5 hits are a career-high.

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Kevin Chapman, LHP, Fresno

W (1-1), 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 6 K

*There's a small penalty for allowing inherited runners to score.

2. 

Tyler Brunnemann, RHP, Lancaster

Save (1) in game 1 of doubleheader; 1.2 IP, BB, K

1. 

Edison Frias, RHP, Lancaster

W (2-0) in game 1; 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K

Honorable Mentions

- Chase McDonald continues his fine start to the season.
- The Fresno offense has been on a torrid start to their year.

Happy Birthday - 2/19

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Kevin Chapman (27)
Originally drafted by the Royals in the fourth round in 2010, Chapman came to the Houston organization in a March 2012 trade with Kansas City. Chapman started the season in Houston and ended it there. In between he made 43 appearances for Oklahoma City, going 2-1 with a 1.28 ERA, a 1.432 WHIP and 9 saves. In 21 appearances for the Astros, he was 2-0 with a 4.64 ERA and a 1.547 WHIP.

RHP Daniel Mengden (22)
Drafted by Houston in the fourth round in 2014, Mengden only made six appearances in his first professional season, four with the GCL Astros and two with Tri-City. In six games (one start), he had a 3.27 ERA and a 0.909 WHIP in 11 innings.

Two former Astros mark the day as well ~

RHP Chris Zachary (died April 19, 2003 at 59)
Signed by Houston as an amateur free agent prior to the 1962 season, Zachary had a less than awe-inspiring career with Houston as he compiled a 6-16 record with a 4.64 ERA and a 1.466 WHIP in 46 appearances over 5 seasons (1963-1967), but he was only 19 when he made his major league debut.  His best season was with Detroit in 1972; in 25 appearances, he was 1-1 with a 1.41 ERA and a 1.096 WHIP.

OF Don Taussig (83)
Drafted by Houston from the Cardinals in the 1961 expansion draft, Taussig only played in 16 games for the Colt 45's in 1962 (.200 BA) after putting up a very respectable .287/.338/.447 batting line for the Cardinals the prior year.  He never got back to the majors after 1962.

Tweet of the Day

Merry Christmas everyone... Hope you guys are feeling this satisfied today pic.twitter.com/aDRXRgMg4V
— Kevin Chapman (@ChapStarr) December 25, 2014

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 8, 2014

Oklahoma City 8, Memphis 3

W- David Martinez (4-2)
L- Scott McGregor (0-5)

OKC home runs: Jon Singleton (11, 2-run in 4th)

After getting their winning streak in late morning/early afternoon games snapped, the RedHawks came back to batter the Redbirds, jumping out to a 7-2 lead after the 4th inning.

Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Robbie Grossman, who walked, scored a run, and stole a base (3) despite going 0-4. The steal (and eventually, the run) occurred in the 1st inning; he ended up on 3rd because the throw from Memphis catcher Ed Easley was errant. Grossman would score the first RedHawks run on a wild pitch from Scott McGregor, which also doubled as a walk to Kiké Hernandez. In the 2nd, OKC got a pair of RBI singles from Erik Castro and Jon Singleton, and Domingo Santana cracked a 2-run double. Singleton, who finished 3-5 with a couple of runs scored, added a 2-run blast (11) in the 4th. His 11 home runs are 2nd in the Minors to Arlington's Joey Gallo, who has 12 in Class A Advanced. Andy Simunic drove in the final RedHawks run of the evening on an RBI single in the 7th. Hernandez hit a double and scored twice.

David Martinez went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Rhiner Cruz allowed a hit and fanned 1 over 2 scoreless. Kevin Chapman allowed a single to Stephen Piscotty to lead off the 8th, but struck out Scott Moore and induced an inning-ending double play from Joey Butler. Jason Stoffel walked Pete Kozma to begin the 9th, but promptly erased him from the bases by getting Easley to GIDP, and Luis Mateo grounded out to Singleton to end it.

In the series finale, Bobby Doran (0-2, 6.83) will take on Boone Whiting (0-4, 5.06) at 7:05.

Frisco 5, Corpus Christi 3

W- Keone Kela (1-0)
L- Luis Cruz (3-3)
S- Phil Klein (1)

Corpus was done in by a 4-run bottom of the 3rd after they left the bases loaded in the top of the inning.

Luis Cruz pitched 4 innings and gave up 4 runs on 7 hits (3-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 3. Jordan Jankowski tagged in for 3 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and fanned 3. Andrew Robinson worked around a single and a walk to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out 1.

M.P. Cokinos finished 2-3 and put the Hooks on the board with an RBI single in the 4th. Matt Duffy was 1-5 with an RBI double in the 5th and a sac fly in the 9th. Nolan Fontana and Andrew Aplin joined Cokinos in the 2-hit club. Both of them drew a walk; Aplin scored a run.

Kyle Smith (0-1, 10.80 with Corpus, 4-1, 3.86 season) will take on Alec Asher (2-3, 4.41) in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Lancaster 3, Lake Elsinore 2

W- Dan Minor (3-1)
L- Cody Hebner (2-1)
S- Tyson Perez (1)

Lancaster home runs: None.

After dropping the opener, the JetHawks took the next 3 games and emerged with the lead in the California League South at the end of the 1st quarter of the season. My night was made when Astros Director of Pro Scouting Kevin Goldstein, who was making a guest appearance in the 6th and 7th innings, plugged Hello Panda cookies. If I'm not mistaken, it's a season-long promotion. Oh great, I feel like getting some. Try the strawberry ones, they're marvelous.

Um... sorry for the sidebar. As for the game, in the words of Morgan Ensberg, Tony Kemp is a Really Good Player. He had a perfect night at the plate, going 4-4 with a double to begin the game, an RBI single in the 7th, and scored 2 of the 3 JetHawks runs. Kemp's .448 on-base percentage leads the California League and is the 5th-best mark in Class A Advanced.

Teoscar Hernandez is now on a 7-game hitting streak, and he's posted multiple hits in 4 of his last 5 contests, not 4 straight as I originally tweeted last night. He went 3-4 with an RBI double in the 3rd. Carlos Correa kicked things off with an RBI single in the 1st and added a steal (6).

Mike Hauschild had a solid outing, as he allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in 5 innings. He also recorded 8 groundball outs, which is something he's rather adept at doing. Dan Minor, ever since that nightmare outing in which he gave up 5 runs (4 earned) while only getting 1 out on April 18, has now thrown 8.1 scoreless innings over 6 appearances. He got the victory as he allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless. Tyson Perez finished the final 2 innings and gave up a hit, walked 1, and fanned 4.

The JetHawks will be spending the weekend in beautiful Adelanto, where they'll take on High Desert in a 3-game set. Vince Velasquez (4-0, 2.88) will take on Scott DeCecco (1-2, 6.12) at 7:05 Pacific. Velasquez will face the Mavericks for the 3rd time this season; conversely, this is the 3rd time that the JetHawks will see DeCecco on the mound.

Quad Cities 6, Beloit 5

W- Zach Morton (2-1)
L- Stuart Pudenz (0-3)
S- Andrew Walter (3)

QC home runs: None.

The River Bandits rallied from a couple of 3-run deficits (down 3-0 after 4 innings and 5-2 after 7.5) and finally completed the comeback with 4 in the bottom of the 8th.

Michael Feliz, who was activated from the DL prior to this game, started off with 2 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 2. Pat Christensen went 2 innings and allowed 3 runs (all in the 4th) on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Gonzalo Sañudo was next up; he went 2.2 innings and allowed a run (inherited runner charged to him) on 2 hits, walked 2 (!!!!!!, but 1 was intentional), and struck out 2. Zach Morton pitched 1.1 innings and allowed a run (his own; he allowed 1 of the 2 he inherited from Sañudo to score in the 7th) on 3 hits and struck out 1. Andrew Walter finished it off, striking out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Brett Phillips tripled to lead off the 5th for QC and scored on a groundout by Chan-Jong Moon. Conrad Gregor began the 6th with a double and would come home on Ronnie Mitchell's single.

The first 3 batters in the bottom of the 8th reached: Jack Mayfield singled, Gregor walked, and Tyler White drove in Mayfield with a single. They both advanced on a sac bunt from Mitchell, and then Brian Holberton hit a sac fly to score Gregor. Jobduan Morales tied the game at 5 with an RBI double, and Phillips gave the Banditos the lead with an RBI double of his own. White finished 2-4; it's his 3rd consecutive multi-hit game. Phillips and Mayfield also had 2 hits each. Moon had a stolen base (9).

The middle game of this series features TBA (?-?, ?.??) for the River Bandits going up against Chris Lamb (0-0, 2.25). First pitch is at 7:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

Teoscar Hernandez, CF, Lancaster
3-4, 2B, RBI

2.

Jon Singleton, 1B, Oklahoma City
3-5, 2-R HR (11), 3 RBI, 2 R

1.

#169991367 / gettyimages.com

Tony Kemp, 2B, Lancaster
4-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R

Honorable Mentions: Brett Phillips, M.P. Cokinos, Tyler White


Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Michael Feliz, RHP, Quad Cities

2 IP, H, BB, 2 K; first outing since coming off DL

2. OKC's bullpen slams it shut.

#167141434 / gettyimages.com

Rhiner Cruz, RHP
2 IP, H, K

#479763279 / gettyimages.com

Kevin Chapman, LHP

IP, H, K

Jason Stoffel, RHP

IP, BB

1. Lancaster relievers preserve lead.

Dan Minor, RHP

W (2-1), 2 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K

Tyson Perez, RHP

Save (1), 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

Happy Birthday - 2/19

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Kevin Chapman (26)
Originally drafted by the Royals in the fourth round in 2010, Chapman came to the Houston organization in a March 2012 trade with Kansas City. Chapman made his first 45 appearances of the season at Oklahoma City before making his major league debut on August 9, 2013. In 25 appearances in Houston, he was 1-1 with a 1.77 ERA, a 1.279 WHIP and one save.

Two former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Chris Zachary (died April 19, 2003 at 59)
Signed by Houston as an amateur free agent prior to the 1962 season, Zachary had a less than awe-inspiring career with Houston as he compiled a 6-16 record with a 4.64 ERA and a 1.466 WHIP in 46 appearances over 5 seasons (1963-1967), but he was only 19 when he made his major league debut.  His best season was with Detroit in 1972; in 25 appearances, he was 1-1 with a 1.41 ERA and a 1.096 WHIP.

OF Don Taussig (82)
Drafted by Houston from the Cardinals in the 1961 expansion draft, Taussig only played in 16 games for the Colt 45's in 1962 (.200 BA) after putting up a very respectable .287/.338/.447 batting line for the Cardinals the prior year.  He never got back to the majors after 1962.

Tweet of the Day

Leg day: feel terrible while working out and feel even worse after #cantwalk
— Kevin Chapman (@ChapStarr) November 27, 2013

Tweet of the Day

View for the offseason #illtakeit pic.twitter.com/qaUW0iMXrN
— Kevin Chapman (@ChapStarr) October 17, 2013

Tweet of the Day

Kevin Chapman ‏@ChapStarr
@MaxStassi10 is one tough son of a gun! Congrats on your first and most painful RBI of your career. Prayers for a speedy recovery

Tweet of the Day

Kevin Chapman ‏@ChapStarr
27 yr old playing in the MILB #FuturesGame ??? #stillgotachance

Tweet of the Day

Kevin Chapman ‏@ChapStarr
100% chance we play today either in the snow or on the field #snowballfight pic.twitter.com/mz7SmIiYlI

Astros Minor League Recaps

Saturday's Games

Peoria Chiefs 6, Quad Cities River Bandits 8

The River Bandits rallied from behind twice in the game Saturday to take the win at home in Modern Woodmen Park. Jordan Jankowski started the game on the rubber for Quad Cities and after a 1-2-3 first, he got into trouble in the second inning, allowing three runs on five hits in the inning. Jankowski settled down and went another inning and a third, giving up six hits all day, walking one and striking out a pair. Brian Holmes, who came on in the sixth to finish out the match, was charged with his first blown save after allowing three runs on two hits in the sixth (Holmes hit two batters and threw a wild pitch in the sixth to boot). Holmes settled down as well after the sixth frame and retired the final nine batters in order, striking out three overall. At the plate, Jesse Wierzbicki had a nice night, hitting a big, two RBI triple in the third and scoring a run. Wierzbicki has nine RBIs so far this season. Jordan Scott and Chris Perdomo both hit one for three with RBIs and runs scored. Perdomo's run scored added a little insurance and sealed the win in the eighth inning. Joe Sclafani hit two for four on Saturday with an RBI as well.  

Lancaster JetHawks 4, Modesto Nuts 6

Lancaster dropped their second game in row in Modesto on Saturday night. Mike Foltynewicz pitched the first five innings in shutout fashion, recording 1-2-3 innings in the first and second frames. Folty finished with five Ks and three hits allowed, but missed out on collecting what would have been his first win of the season when the JetHawks lost the lead in the seventh inning. Alex Gillingham, who came on for one and a third after Folty, picked up his first hold of the season and then the loss (1-1), allowing five runs on five hits and striking out one. Jonas Dufek was charged with the blown save, his first, after coming on with one out in the seventh. Dufek allowed one run on one hit, walked one and struck out one as well. The Lancaster bats were active on Saturday. Tyler Heineman hit two for three with an RBI, run scored and a walk. Heineman's RBI got Lancaster on the board in the second inning. Matt Duffy also had an active night at the dish, hitting two for three as well, with a double and a pair of RBI, his 10th and 11th of the season. Duffy was also hit by a pitch in the game and now has been hit five times so far this season. Delino DeShields and Zach Johnson both batted two for five in the game. Johnson scored a run and hit an RBI triple in the seventh.

Corpus Christi Hooks 3, Springfield Cardinals 2

Corpus Christi collected three runs on the road at Hammons Field for the second night in a row, except this time it came with a win too. Jake Buchanan earned his first win of the season Saturday (1-0) after getting off to a rough start and allowing two runs in the first inning. Those runs would turn out to be the only runs allowed all night by the Hooks and Buchanan settled down, tallying two Ks, a walk and 4 hits through the first five innings of work. Carlos Quevedo came on next for two and two thirds and picked up his first hold. Quevedo allowed two hits, a walk and struck out 4 in his time on the mound. Jason Stoffel came on to close out the game in the ninth and earned his third save, getting into a little trouble allowing two hits, but striking out one, the last batter of the game, for the win. Stoffel had help from the arm of catcher Carlos Perez, who gunned down a runner trying to steal second for the first out of the inning. Perez also had a good night offensively, hitting two for four with a double, a run scored and two RBI. Perez's double was the go ahead run in the sixth that sealed the deal for Corpus Christi. Domingo Santana hit two for four too on Saturday, scoring a run.

Memphis Redbirds 8, Oklahoma City RedHawks 7

Oklahoma City fell behind early at home on Saturday after giving up four—run innings in both the second and third innings. The RedHawks kept it scoreless after that and tried to mount a rally, ending up a couple runs shy of the win. Jose Cisnero took the loss (0-1) after a rough start, lasting two and two thirds, walking four, striking out two and giving up eight runs on seven hits. Kevin Chapman came on next and pitched through the fifth frame, striking out a pair and allowing just two hits. Rudy Owens took the mound to finish out the game in the sixth and allowed 3 hits, K—ing 7 batters during his shift. While Chapman and Owens worked on the mound, Brandon Laird and Marc Krauss were busy at the plate, both hitting HRs in the game. Laird went two for five, collecting a double as his other hit, scoring a run and recording 2 RBIs. Krauss ended up one for four after his two run shot in the eighth.  Jimmy Paredes got in on the action too, batting one for four, crossing the plate twice, with and RBI on a double in the three—run eighth inning.

Player of the Day: Carlos Perez takes the cake. Perez helped the Hooks win on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball—and I have to admit, watching a catcher gun down a guy at second never gets old. Good game, Perez.

Pitcher of the Day: This was hard, it was between Chapman/Owens and Folty. After much deliberation, two guys are getting the nod again today: Chapman and Owens. They combined for six and a third innings of shutout baseball, despite what the scoreboard said, and did everything in their power to keep Oklahoma City in the game. Owens K—ing 7 guys didn't hurt either. 

Tweet of the Day

Kevin Chapman ‏@ChapStarr
Tom Hanks had Wilson I have Rawly for this years baseball season #castaway pic.twitter.com/2WL9o7VKEB

Tweet of the Day

Kevin Chapman ‏@ChapStarr
Walking over to MMP with @iLLJAY_SiNG for an exhibition game against the Cubbies

Tweet of the Day

Kevin Chapman ‏@ChapStarr

Always have big plans for off-days, never happens. Being lazy always wins

Spring Training Update

Tuesday consisted of two split squad games. The first was called after six innings due to rain, but not before Jordan Lyles got roughed up to the tune of six runs in two innings. The second game went just a tad bit better  with the offense showing some serious power. Robbie Grossman doubled; Rick Ankiel and Trevor Crowe had triples; and Jason Castro and Brett Wallace both homered in the win.

Spring Training Record: 2-2-1

Spring Training Game 4 Results: Rays 7, Astros (SS) 2 in six innings
Game 4 Minor League Standout: None.

Spring Training Game 5 Results: Astros (SS) 9, Detroit 4
Game 5 Minor League Standout: Robbie Grossman continues to impress with a double and two RBI in this game; he's hitting a brisk .571 so far this spring. LHP Kevin Chapman provided a perfect inning of relief.

Spring Training Game 6:
Astros at Blue Jays at 12:05 CST

SPRING TRAINING RESULTS
Spring Training Game 1 Results: Astros 8, Phillies 3
Spring Training Game 2 Results: Astros 7, Mets 7
Spring Training Game 3 Results: Cardinals 10, Astros 2

Happy Birthday - 2/19

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Kevin Chapman (25)
Originally drafted by the Royals in the fourth round in 2010, Chapman came to the Houston organization in a March 2012 trade with Kansas City. Chapman spent the season with Corpus Christi where he and RHP Jason Stoffel quickly became a terrific 1-2 punch to close out games. In 49 games, he was 6-3 with a 2.64 ERA and a 1.397 WHIP and was a Texas League mid-season All-Star.

No future Astros, only former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Chris Zachary (died April 19, 2003 at 59)
Signed by Houston as an amateur free agent prior to the 1962 season, Zachary had a less than awe-inspiring career with Houston as he compiled a 6-16 record with a 4.64 ERA and a 1.466 WHIP in 46 appearances over 5 seasons (1963-1967), but he was only 19 when he made his major league debut.  His best season was with Detroit in 1972; in 25 appearances, he was 1-1 with a 1.41 ERA and a 1.096 WHIP.

OF Don Taussig (81)
Drafted by Houston from the Cardinals in the 1961 expansion draft, Taussig only played in 16 games for the Colt 45's in 1962 (.200 BA) after putting up a very respectable .287/.338/.447 batting line for the Cardinals the prior year.  He never got back to the majors after 1962.

Tweet of the Day

Kevin Chapman ‏@ChapStarr

Whoever thought of the idea to make people run 26.2 miles and have them pay for it is a genius

Corpus Christi Hooks Season Recap

So far we have looked at the seasons for the DSL Astros, the GCL Astros, the Greeneville Astros, the Lexington Legends, and the Oklahoma City Redhawks. Now let's take a look at the AA Corpus Christi Hooks. Here's a quick look at how the 2011 and 2012 teams compare.

2011 Wins-Losses/Win Percentage: 50-90/.357
2012 Wins-Losses/Win Percentage: 81-59/.579

2011 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential: 605 - 761 = (156)
2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential: 736 - 628 = 108

2011 Team ERA & WHIP: 5.01 & 1.460
2012 Team ERA & WHIP: 4.07 & 1.332

2011 Team Batting Line: .258/.320/.388
2012 Team Batting Line: .268/.342/.410

This team not only won 31 more games than last season, they also had a 264-run swing in their run differential and made their first post-season appearance since 2006. I knew they would be a better team than last season, but Wow! In the Texas League, Corpus ranked first (out of eight teams) in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs, hits, doubles and RBI.

Let's look at just a few of the outstanding position players for the Corpus team.

1B Jon Singleton finished the regular season hitting .284/.396/.497 with 27 doubles, four triples and 21 home runs. He was second in the league in walks and runs, and in the top 10 in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, doubles, home runs and RBI.

The triumverate of 2B Jose Martinez, OF Austin Wates and OF Jake Goebbert tied for fourth in the league in batting average. Martinez' .304/.362/.464 was good enough to land him in the top 10 in the league in SLG and OPS, and although he was at Oklahoma City for the final 23 games of the season, he was still in the top 10 in runs and RBI. Wates was tenth in the league in OBP with a batting line of .304/.375/.429. Goebbert quietly went about hitting fourth in the league in OBP, sixth in OPS and eighth in SLG as he hit .304/.399/.473 with 23 doubles, six triples and nine home runs. 3B Andy Simunic (.297/.349/.345) also ranked in the top 10 in batting average.

I will look at CF George Springer and 2B Kike Hernandez when I look at the Lancaster team since they played the majority of the season there, and we'll see how their stats stacked up in the California League.

Other players of note include SS Ben Orloff who only played in 39 games for the Hooks after playing the bulk of the season in Lancaster. He hit .295/.360/.352 at Corpus and .288/.362/.316 at Lancaster. And OF Drew Locke, playing in 68 games for the Hooks after a June pick-up, hit .295/.347/.456 and, it should be noted, provided the fans with a little extra excitement as he hit grand slams in back-to-back games.

As far as pitchers go, there were several very good pitchers for Corpus Christi who were promoted to Oklahoma City (Jarred Cosart, Jose Cisnero and Brett Oberholtzer) and I looked at their seasons in conjunction with the Oklahoma City season recap. However, one other starter at Corpus who came into his own this season was RHP Ross Seaton. Seaton was young for the Texas League last season. It showed at times and he repeated the level. In 25 starts for the Hooks this season, he was 8-8 with a 4.07 ERA (11th in the league among qualified pitchers) and a 1.274 WHIP (tied for 6th) and was also 7th in strikeouts. He dipped a toe in with four starts at Oklahoma City and was 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA and a 1.329 WHIP in those starts.

The relief corps was dominated by the one-two punch of LHP Kevin Chapman and RHP Jason Stoffel who pitched many an eighth and ninth innings for the Hooks with great results. Chapman was 6-3 with a 2.64 ERA and a 1.397 WHIP in 49 appearances while Stoffel was 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA, a 0.982 WHIP and a league-leading 27 saves in 56 appearances.

In limited time for the Hooks, newcomers RHP Asher Wojciechowski and RHP Matt Heidenreich had good results. Wojciechowski was 2-2 in eight starts with a 2.06 ERA and a 1.008 WHIP while Heidenreich was 3-1 with a 3.93 ERA and a 1.340 WHIP in eight games (seven starts). RHP Paul Clemens also fared well in his return to Corpus, after struggling in Oklahoma City this season, as he went 3-2 with a 3.98 ERA and a 1.248 WHIP in seven starts to end the season. I will look at RHP Bobby Doran in conjunction with the Lancaster recap.

Although the playoffs were disappointing, LHP Rob Rasmussen's performance was outstanding as he pitched seven shutout innings with a 1.143 WHIP.

I will look at the final two teams, Lancaster and Tri-City, when they finish post-season play.