Random Observations: RHP Akeem Bostick and RHP Austin Chrismon

A Tale of Two Pitchers ...

RHP Akeem Bostick was promoted from Quad Cities to Lancaster on June 28th. In three appearances (two starts) since then, he has a 2.30 ERA and a 1.277 WHIP in 15.2 innings. Pretty good, right? BUT all of those starts have been on the road and none have been at either of the two most hitter-friendly parks in the League (Lancaster and High Desert).

RHP Austin Chrismon was promoted from Quad Cities to Lancaster on June 14th. In five appearances (three starts) since the promotion, he has a 4.12 ERA and 1.583 WHIP in 24 innings. Fairly mediocre, right? HOWEVER, Chrismon has a terrific record of 3-0 with a 0.47 ERA and a 1.158 WHIP in his three starts on the road. At Lancaster's home ballpark, The Hangar, Chrismon has not fared quite so well; he is 0-1 with a 18.00 ERA and a 3.200 WHIP in 2 relief appearances (5 IP).

The moral of the story? Context is always important. It will be interesting to see if Chrismon can start adjusting better to his home ballpark (he's scheduled to start at home tonight) and whether or not Bostick will become another pitching victim of The Hangar when he finally pitches there in a game situation.

Lancaster JetHawks Season Preview

The JetHawks won their second California League Championship in three years in 2015, ending the season with a 78-62 record. 14 players on the opening day roster were on that Championship team, including MVP Tyler Brunnemann, Astros Top 10 prospect Brett Phillips and Danry Vasquez, among others. They will be joined by another Top 10 prospect, Michael Feliz, as well as highly touted prospects J.D. Davis, A.J. Reed and Adrian Houser.

Brett Phillips - September 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

In looking at the lefty pitchers, Brian Holmes will likely anchor the rotation until a presumed promotion to Corpus Christi at some point later in the season. He pitched the entire 2014 season at Lancaster with good results. Evan Grills got his feet wet at the level last season and should improve on his mostly solid results. Randall Fant, who struggled somewhat in 2014, and Blaine Sims, who as a knuckleballer is predictably unpredictable, will be making their Lancaster debuts. Chris Cotton struggled out of the bullpen for Lancaster after his promotion at the very end of the season, but did well in the postseason.

Righthanders (and presumed starters) Michael Feliz, Adrian Houser, Troy Scribner and Edison Frias will all be new to the level and and will all likely have to make adjustments to California League conditions. There may be some ugliness for a couple of these players in April, but I think they are all capable of adapting. On paper, Houser should be helped out by his high groundball rate. They will be joining Gonzalo Sanudo and Zach Morton, both of whom spent a good chunk of 2014 at Lancaster, both of whom spent time in both starting and relief roles and both of whom showed vast improvement at the end of the season. Brunnemann, who had a phenomenal 2014 at Quad Cities and Lancaster, will be joined in the bullpen by Frederick Tiburcio who converted to relief in 2014.

As to the position players, 2014 draft picks J.D. Davis and A.J. Reed are being fast-tracked because of their advanced bats and should enjoy the hitter-friendly confines of The Hangar as well as road trips to High Desert. They will be joining Chase McDonald, who was promoted to Lancaster at the end of 2014, in manning the corner outfield positions. That trio looks to provide a lot of fireworks. The middle infield will be held down by returning players Chan Moon and Jack Mayfield who will be joined by Jose Fernandez who is new to the level. Marc Wik is listed on the roster as a third baseman, but he is actually a utility player who can also play the outfield and second base as well.

All four listed outfielders spent time at Lancaster last year. Look for Danry Vasquez to have a breakthrough season. Look for Brett Phillips to get a mid-season (or earlier) promotion to Corpus Christi. Look for Ronnie Mitchell to continue to surprise people. And look for James Ramsay to continue showing off his excellent defense; the only question is whether or not his bat can catch up on a consistent basis.

Behind the dish, Jobduan Morales will provide solid defense with an emerging bat and Brian Holberton will provide a solid bat with emerging defense.

The Advanced A Lancaster team has the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels), Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres), Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, (Dodgers) and High Desert Mavericks (Rangers) as division rivals. High Desert changed affiliations from Seattle in 2014 to Texas in 2015. Baseball America has organizational talent rankings for these five teams as Dodgers (#3), Rangers (#11), Astros (#14), Padres (#24), and Angels (#28).

I honestly don't know what to expect from this team. I think the offense will be strong, but not quite as strong as last year's ridiculously talented team. But, for me, the pitching is a huge question mark at this point. It will be a matter of how quickly the pitchers who are new to the level will adjust to the level and to the conditions. The team will need someone to step up like Kyle Westwood did in 2014 and provide a steady nucleus to the rotation. Omar Lopez, Quad Cities Manager last season, will be taking the reins at Lancaster and will have the luxury of having already worked with most of these players. Lopez inherits a solid coaching staff and, together, they will undoubtedly field a very competitive team.

The JetHawks will host the San Jose Giants on Thursday, the 9th at 8:30 p.m. CST to open the season. If you are a new JetHawks fan, I guarantee that you will enjoy listening to Jason Schwartz bringing you the action! He is an excellent broadcaster and has become a fan favorite.

You will find more detailed information on virtually every player in the Astros minor league system in the 2015 Houston Farm System Handbook. Purchase your copy today!

PRELIMINARY JETHAWKS ROSTER (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

PITCHERS

RHP Tyler Brunnemann
LHP Chris Cotton
LHP Randall Fant
RHP Michael Feliz
RHP Edison Frias
LHP Evan Grills
LHP Brian Holmes
RHP Adrian Houser
RHP Zach Morton
RHP Gonzalo Sañudo
RHP Troy Scribner
LHP Blaine Sims
RHP Frederick Tiburcio
RHP Andrew Walter (Restricted list)

CATCHERS

*Brian Holberton
#Jobduan Morales

INFIELDERS

J.D. Davis
Jose Fernandez
Jack Mayfield
Chase McDonald
#Chan-Jong Moon
*A.J. Reed
*Marc Wik

OUTFIELDERS

*Ronnie Mitchell
*Brett Phillips
*James Ramsay
*Danry Vásquez

*Left-handed hitter
#Switch-hitter

For more information on where these players came from, see Dustin's post from last week.

Previous Post
AAA Fresno Grizzlies Season Preview
AA Corpus Christi Hooks Preview

High A Lancaster JetHawks Season in Review

In my ongoing season reviews of the various Astros minor league teams, the final team up is the High A Lancaster JetHawks.

The team finished with a 78-62 record (.557 win percentage), first place overall, won the first half of the season, swept the South Division playoffs and walked away from the Finals with some bling!

And the @JetHawks WIN the 2014 California League Championship! pic.twitter.com/EjFbSvDoIu
— JetHawksBooster (@suzieslick) September 16, 2014

Lancaster Team Batting

.285 BA - 2nd out of 10 teams

.366 OBP - 1st

.452 SLG - 2nd

They also led the league in doubles, triples and walks, and were last in the league in strikeouts.

Lancaster Team Pitching

4.75 ERA - 8th

1.381 WHIP - 3rd

1134 SO - 5th

391 BB - 9th

This is the only team for which my prediction was not only close, but right on the money. I predicted precisely 78-62 and a return to the California League Championship Finals. I also correctly predicted a bit of a drop off in their offensive numbers and an improvement in the pitching numbers over the 2013 team. But I don't plan on breaking my arm patting myself on the back since I botched my Corpus Christi prediction so badly. The team had their best ERA and WHIP in six years of playing at The Hangar.

Now, on to individual achievements. Below I am indicating the player's current age as well as information as to how many years the player has been playing.

CATCHERS

Roberto Peña - 22; 5th season

Peña has long been called the best defensive catcher in the Astros system and for good reason. He had a .996 fielding percentage, 9.02 range factor and a 57% caught stealing rate in 93 games behind the dish in Lancaster this season. In those 93 games, he hit .249/.306/.414 with 19 doubles, 13 home runs, 54 RBI, and had 25 walks to 63 strikeouts. Peña was drafted by the Astros in the seventh round in 2010 out of Puerto Rico.

Jobduan Morales - 23; 6th season

Originally drafted by the Marlins in the 9th round in 2009, Morales came to the Houston system in the May 2012 Justin Ruggiano trade. He isn't quite the elite defensive catcher that Peña is, but he is a solid backstop and managed a very nice 35% caught stealing rate in his 56 games as catcher (18 at Quad Cities and 38 at Lancaster). In a total of 65 games at the plate, Morales hit .244/.318/.376 with 5 doubles, one triple, five home runs and 39 RBI. In Quad Cities, he hit .310/.390/.451 in 20 games prior to his promotion.

INFIELDERS

SS Carlos Correa - 19; 3rd season
Correa broke his fibula on June 21st and missed the remainder of the season, but what he did before that? Oy. The 2012 number one overall pick hit .325/.416/.510 with 16 doubles, six triples, six home runs and 57 RBI in only 61 games. He swiped 20 bags and was caught four times, walked 36 times and had 45 strikeouts. His range factor at shortstop was a whopping 5.32. Be still, my heart.

3B Rio Ruiz - 20; 3rd season

Drafted by Houston in the 4th round in 2012, Ruiz had an extremely solid season defensively and at the plate at Lancaster. Ruiz hit over .290 every month from April through July before dropping off somewhat in August. For the season, he hit .293/.387/.436 with 37 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 77 RBI in 131 games. He walked 82 times and struck out 91 times. A left-handed hitter, Rio hit .286 against right-handed pitchers and .312 against his fellow lefties.

3B/1B Tyler White - 23; 2nd season
White played mostly third base in his time with Quad Cities (71 games) and mostly first base after his promotion to Lancaster (43 games), and handled both positions adeptly. In a total of 114 games, he had a .290/.410/.501 batting line, with 33 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 64 RBI. White collected 63 walks while striking out 67 times. White was the 33rd round pick in 2013.

SS/2B Chan Moon - 23; 5th season
Moon was called up to Lancaster from Quad Cities after the injury to Carlos Correa to fill in at short and handled the task well, although his defensive numbers at second base while in Quad Cities were superior to his numbers at short in Lancaster. In a total of 127 games between the two venues, Moon hit .283/.352/.401 with 18 doubles, 10 triples, six home runs and 60 RBI. He stole 35 bases (13 caught stealing) and walked 52 times while striking out 100 times. Moon was signed by the Astros out of South Korea prior to the 2010 season.

IF Jack Mayfield - 23: 2nd season
Mayfield played more of his games at second base, his best position defensively, but also spent time at short and third. He received his promotion from Quad Cities (39 games) in early June and played in an additional 66 games for Lancaster. In a total of 105 games, Mayfield hit .282/.341/.440 with 31 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 55 RBI. Mayfield signed with Houston as a non-drafted free agent in 2013.

2B Austin Elkins - 23; 3rd season
Elkins, a switch-hitter drafted in the 19th round in 2012, followed Mayfield from Quad Cities to Lancaster in late June. He missed approximately six weeks early in the season and only appeared in 62 games (26 at Quad Cities; 36 at Lancaster), hitting a combined .254/.369/340. In August, he was hitting his stride at the plate, hitting .309/.449/.400 for that month. He provided plus defense at second base.

1B/DH Chase McDonald - 22; 2nd season
The 12th round 2013 draft pick played all but one of his 103 games at Quad Cities, getting the call to California just in time for the playoffs. In 102 games with the River Bandits, he hit .279/.363/.481 with 25 doubles, 16 home runs, 67 RBI, 44 walks and 116 strikeouts. Often used as a DH, McDonald excelled defensively in the 65 games he played at first base. In the post season, McDonald hit .323/.364/.710.

OUTFIELDERS

All of the following players are left-handed hitters.

Danry Vasquez - 20; 4th season.
Vasquez played his entire season with the JetHawks. In 114 games, he hit .291/.353/.407 with 30 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 47 RBI and 40 walks (to 68 strikeouts). Vasquez had better defensive numbers in left field than he did in right field (and having seen him play both, I will say that he looks more comfortable playing in left field). Vasquez came into the Astros system in the July 2013 trade with Detroit for Jose Veras. He is from Venezuela.

Brett Phillips - 20; 3rd season
Phillips was named the Astros minor league Player of the Year for good reason. In 130 games (103 with Quad Cities and 27 with Lancaster), Phillips put up a .310/.375/.529 batting line and collected 29 doubles, 14 triples, 17 home runs, 68 RBI, 23 stolen bases (14 caught stealing), and 50 walks (to 96 strikeouts). He had an outstanding season defensively with 10 outfield assists while playing right field and seven more in center. Phillips was drafted by Houston in the 6th round in 2012.

James Ramsay - 22; 2nd season
Another plus defensive outfielder, Ramsay received his promotion to Lancaster in late August, playing only five regular season games with the team. In a total of 123 games, the 7th round 2013 pick hit .246/.340/.374 with 27 doubles, 11 triples, three home runs and 34 stolen bases (caught stealing eight times).

Ronnie Mitchell - 23; 2nd season
The Astros 38th round 2013 draft pick received his call up to Lancaster at the end of July. In a total of 99 games between Quad Cities and Lancaster, Mitchell hit .274/.353/.466 with 17 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, 57 RBI, and 41 walks to 85 strikeouts. Another very good defensive outfielder, his best numbers came in right field.

Jon Kemmer - 23; 2nd season

Drafted by Houston in the 21st round in 2013, Kemmer played in 52 games at Quad Cities before his July call up to Lancaster. In a total of 91 games, he hit .291/.345/.523 with 25 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs and 50 RBI. While in Quad Cities, Kemmer was tasked with playing first base for a number of games, a position that he handled extremely well. In Lancaster, he returned to the outfield and provided solid defense in right field. He suffered a broken fibula in late August and was shut down for the season.

Jordan Scott - 22; 5th season
The 14th round 2010 draft pick played all but four of his 62 games with Lancaster (four in Corpus Christi) before being shut down on July 16th for a thumb injury that eventually required surgery. Scott put up a .294/.350/.431 batting line with 13 doubles, seven triples, a home run and 31 RBI. On paper, his outfield defense appears to be more or less average.

Tanner Mathis - 23; 2nd season
Mathis was also shut down early due to a foot/ankle injury suffered on August 20th. Mathis started his season with Quad Cities (36 games) before earning an early June promotion to Lancaster. In a total of 76 games, he hit .259/.362/.371 with 14 doubles, four triples, two home runs and 26 RBI. He walked 38 times while striking out 46 times, and stole 10 bases with eight caught stealing. Mathis played all three outfield positions this season and had stronger defensive numbers in center and right than he did in left. Mathis signed with the Astros as a non-drafted free agent in 2013.

LEFTY PITCHERS

Kent Emanuel - 22; 2nd season
Drafted by Houston in the third round in 2013, Emanuel started his season for Quad Cities with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.091 WHIP in six games (four starts). Following his early May promotion to Lancaster, Emanuel went 9-5 with a 4.59 ERA and a 1.275 WHIP in 21 games (14 starts). In his six appearances in August, he improved to a 3.09 ERA and a 1.250 WHIP. In 124 innings of work, he walked only 23 batters while striking out 93. Emanuel also has one of the best (if not the best) pick off moves in the system.

Brian Holmes - 23; 3rd season
Holmes played his entire season for Lancaster and went 5-2 with a 4.53 ERA (3.00 in August) and a 1.248 WHIP in 20 games (10 starts). He walked 23 batters and struck out 82 in 87.1 innings of work. Holmes was a 13th round draft pick in 2012.

Evan Grills - 22; 5th season
Grills started his season with Quad Cities, going 3-3 with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.239 WHIP in 16 games (10 starts) and was promoted to Lancaster in early July. In 10 games (six starts) for the JetHawks, Grills was 2-3 with a 4.70 ERA and a 1.409 WHIP. For the season, he fared better in relief (2.67 ERA/1.099 WHIP). In 120.2 innings, he walked only 15 batters and struck out 73. Grills was drafted in the 10th round in 2010.

Chris Cotton - 23; 2nd season

Cotton only appeared with Lancaster three times at the end of the season (2.2IP) with forgettable results. In his 32 appearances with Quad Cities (including one spot start), Cotton had a 3.40 ERA and a 1.186 WHIP. In August, prior to his promotion, he had a 0.00 ERA and a 0.692 WHIP in six appearances. For the season, Cotton walked only 11 batters and struck out 50 in 58.1 innings. He was drafted in the 14th round in 2013.

RIGHT-HANDED PITCHERS

Kyle Westwood - 23; 2nd season
Drafted in the 13th round in 2013, Westwood spent his entire 2014 season with Lancaster. He started out the season extremely well, but encountered some struggles in the middle of the season and ended with a 4.23 ERA and a 1.303 WHIP, 26 walks to 88 strikeouts in 132 innings.

Lance McCullers - 20; 3rd season
The Astros supplemental first round pick in 2012 also got off to a good start (2.51 ERA and 1.151 WHIP in April), but then encountered some turbulence to end the season with a 5.47 ERA and a 1.557 WHIP. When pitching the back half of a piggyback, McCullers fared much, much better. In relief he had a 2.16 ERA and a 1.240 WHIP, holding batters to a .191 average. He walked 56 batters and struck out 115 in 97 innings of work.

Vince Velasquez - 22; 4th season (DNP in 2011)
Velasquez is still one of the most exciting players to watch in the Astros system; he just needs to stay healthy! Velasquez missed over two months of the season with a groin injury. He ended the season with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.172 WHIP in 18 games (13 starts), including three rehab starts in the Gulf Coast League. In 64 innings, Velasquez walked 25 batters and struck out 91. He was drafted in the second round in 2010 and missed all of 2011 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Zach Morton - 24; 2nd season
Drafted in the 36th round in 2013, Morton was used exclusively as a reliever in his first 12 appearances of the season in Quad Cities, compiling a 2.86 ERA and a 1.182 WHIP. Following his promotion to Lancaster in mid May, he was used in both a starting role and relief (often long relief) and ended his regular season for the JetHawks with a 4.94 ERA and a 1.437 WHIP in 22 games (seven starts). By August, he had improved to a 2.91 ERA and a 1.292 WHIP in six games (three starts). For the season, Morton allowed 29 free passes while striking out 47 batters in 93 innings.

Gonzalo Sanudo - 22; 4th season
Obtained from the Twins in the March 2013 Mike Kvasnicka trade, Sanudo started his season appearing in seven games (two starts) for Quad Cities with a 1.14 ERA and a 0.887 WHIP. After his mid-May promotion to Lancaster, Sanudo struggled in several starts and worked solely from the bullpen for his final 11 appearances. In looking at his splits, it is abundantly obvious that Sanudo is not a fan of The Hangar. At home he had a 7.22 ERA and a 1.545 WHIP; on the road, he had a 3.86 ERA and a 1.179 WHIP. For the season, he ended with a 4.50 ERA, 1.250 WHIP and 15 walks to 55 strikeouts in 76 innings.

Daniel Minor - 23; 3rd season
Minor, the Astros 9th round draft pick in 2012, did not get off to a good start in 2014. In his first season with Lancaster and first season being used solely in relief, Minor got hammered in his first three appearances (30.86 ERA and 4.715 WHIP), but then turned around and gave the JetHawks 12 straight scoreless appearances. He ended the season with a 9-3 record, three saves, a 4.25 ERA and a 1.302 WHIP (2.45 ERA/0.727 WHIP in August/September) in 36 appearances. He walked 17 batters and struck out 51 in 53 innings. One of his saves was in a combined no-hitter on May 13th. He also played a huge role in the JetHawks post-season success.

Jamaine Cotton - 23; 5th season
Cotton pitched for Lancaster the entire season and ended with a 4.60 ERA and a 1.511 WHIP with 12 saves. Those numbers were inflated by a bad month in August. Prior to August, Cotton had a 3.38 ERA and a 1.392 WHIP. He walked 15 batters and struck out 29 in 45 innings. Cotton was the Astros 15th round draft pick in 2010.

Tyler Brunnemann - 23; 2nd season
This 40th round 2013 draft pick had a storybook season. After playing most of his season with Quad Cities, Brunnemann received a promotion to Lancaster for his final eight appearances of the regular season. For the season, he had a 1.90 ERA, 0.892 WHIP, 15 walks and 69 strikeouts in 61.2 innings (33 appearances). He pitched brilliantly in the postseason, leading to his being named MVP of the Championship Series.

Andrew Walter - 23; 4th season
Walter received his promotion to Lancaster in mid-August. In his first 33 appearances of the season with Quad Cities, he had a 3.21 ERA and a 1.259 WHIP. In 40 total appearances, he had a 3.46 ERA and a 1.354 WHIP with 12 saves, and 20 walks to 56 strikeouts in 54.2 innings of work. Walter was another integral part of the JetHawks post-season success. He signed with the Astros as a non-drafted free agent in 2011.

Patrick Christensen - 23; 2nd season
Christensen split his season fairly evenly between Quad Cities and Lancaster. Unfortunately, his results in Quad Cities (2.39 ERA and 1.253 WHIP) didn't exactly translate well to Lancaster (5.60 ERA and 1.939 WHIP). All told, the 27th round 2013 draft pick ended the season with a 4.02 ERA, 1.602 WHIP and 18 walks to 46 strikeouts in 53.2 innings (30 appearances).

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Earlier season reviews ~

Dominican Summer League offensive standouts

Dominican Summer League Pitching Standouts

Gulf Coast League Astros

Rookie League Greeneville Astros

Short Season A Tri-City ValleyCats

Full Season Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
AA Corpus Christi Hooks
AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks

Funky Fotos from Lancaster

This week I'm going to post some of my "funkified" photos courtesy of  BeFunky.com. Today, photos from my Lancaster trip in May. The untouched photos can be found here.

Carlos Correa

Jamaine Cotton

Danry Vasquez

Vasquez, Gulbransen, Scott

Lance McCullers

Teoscar Hernandez

Rio Ruiz

Ruben Sosa

Tyson Perez

All photos property of Jayne Hansen. All rights reserved.

Lancaster JetHawks 2014 Season Preview

Yesterday, I posted the season preview for Corpus Christi. With the Advanced A Lancaster preliminary roster coming out yesterday, let's move on to previewing the JetHawks. This one isn't going to be as easy to predict as last year's, but I'll give it a go.

This morning Eric Smith of the Antelope Valley Press tweeted out the information on how the tandem rotation will line up. Vincent Velasquez and Kyle Westwood will be paired up. Lance McCullers and Kyle Smith; Josh Hader and Chris Devenski; and Mark Appel and Mike Hauschild  will round things out. Two things stand out when I look at the rotation ... youth and the distinct absence of lefties. Josh Hader, who will be 20 next month, is the only lefty in the mix. Kyle Smith with 24 Advanced A starts under his belt (but only 5 in the California League) and Chris Devenski with 21 appearances (10 starts) in High A will be the grizzled veterans, followed by Mike Hauschild (8 games/7 starts) and Vincent Velasquez (3 starts).

Lance McCullers - March 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Right or wrong, the first thing I look at when it comes to the pitching staff in Lancaster is the pitcher's ground ball rate. Keeping the ball on the ground isn't a guarantee of success there, but extreme flyball pitchers can get hurt quickly in the California League unless they have very good command and can locate their pitches well. With that said, a few of the starters appear to be well suited to pitch in The Hangar, at least on paper.

Of the eight starters, Mark Appel, Lance McCullers, Kyle Westwood and Mike Hauschild have the most pronounced ground ball tendencies. Velasquez was a groundball pitcher at Quad Cities, but that didn't translate to his three 2013 starts for Lancaster. Josh Hader had a high groundball rate at Quad Cities as well, but over the season prior to coming to the Astros, the rate of ground ball outs to fly ball outs was much more even. McCullers and Hader had the highest walk rates of the group of eight starters in 2013 and that is something to keep an eye on.

Chris Devenski and Kyle Smith have slight tendencies toward fly ball outs, and they will both give up a few long balls at The Hangar. Devenski allowed 13 home runs in 75+ innings at Lancaster last season and Smith allowed four in his 23+ innings there. The key for each of them will be to limit the damage as much as possible to solo shots. Both pitchers let their walk rates creep up a bit in their time in Lancaster which could present a problem if they don't keep the free passes in check, but Smith and Devenski are also both capable of getting a timely strikeout when they need one. Devenski is probably the biggest question mark in the rotation as he did not fare particularly well in Lancaster in 2013.

It is probably a given that Mark Appel will not linger long at the level, and I can see Kent Emanuel taking his place if he does well at Quad Cities, giving the JetHawks another lefty rotation arm. Lefty Brian Holmes is another possibility after he completes his current rehab. The sleeper in this rotation is Kyle Westwood. His first season with Tri-City was nothing short of remarkable and I think he is an excellent fit for this team and this league.

There is a tremendous amount of talent in this rotation, but no matter how much talent these players have, they will have to make adjustments. The California League is a tougher environment than the Midwest League, the competition is tougher and the players have to get used to conditions ranging from cold, cold nights in April to brain-scorching sun and heat in August. They have to get used to long commutes to many of the venues, sitting on a hot bus for a couple of hours after a game instead of getting to crash in a comfy hotel room. With all of that said, however, I fully expect this rotation to make those adjustments and to be the biggest strength of this team.

I have a couple of concerns about the JetHawks bullpen. Jamaine Cotton has flyball tendencies and his low strikeout to walk rate gives me pause. He may struggle initially, but I am hoping that he can make the necessary adjustments quickly. Similarly, Mitch Lambson is definitely a flyball pitcher, but Lambson is more prone to get a strikeout when needed. His walk rate ticked up in 2013 and I'd like to see him get a handle on that. I think newcomers J.D. Osborne and Juan Minaya are much better suited to pitching at The Hangar. Osborne has very high ground ball and strikeout rates (but needs to work on his walks), as does Minaya to a lesser extent.

That leaves us with Michael Dimock, Tyson Perez and Daniel Minor. Dimock shows what a flyball pitcher can do in the California League with decent command. His numbers weren't flashy, but he limited walks and only allowed five home runs in 41+ innings for Lancaster. He should be able to build on that and will likely anchor the bullpen. Perez and Minor have both started extensively (and were a part of tandems last season), but both were more effective in relief. Perez had a 4.25 ERA and 1.323 WHIP with 15 walks to 42 strikeouts as a reliever as compared to a 7.69 ERA and 2.046 WHIP with 28 walks to 22 strikeouts as a starter. Minor had a 2.49 ERA and a 1.362 WHIP and his strikeout rate was almost double when he appeared in relief at Quad Cities.

The cumulative ERA for the 2013 Lancaster team was 5.09 and the WHIP was 1.447. I think the 2014 starting rotation will improve on those marks easily, but I'm not quite so sure about the bullpen.

On the offensive side, only four of these position players have spent any time at Lancaster in the past. Brandon Meredith has the most experience at Lancaster, having played there all last season. Despite a slow start in 2013, he ended the season hitting .279/.399/.507 with 25 doubles, five triples, 16 home runs and 68 RBI in 105 games. Reports are that Meredith will be converting to first base. I have full faith in Meredith's bat, but getting comfortable at first base will be an adjustment for him.

The others with experience at Lancaster include Carlos Perdomo, Dan Gulbransen and Roberto Pena. Perdomo is a utility player who hit a very solid .294/.369/.385 in Lancaster in 2013. Gulbransen got a late start to his season, but breezed through first Tri-City and then Quad Cities before playing his final 16 games in Lancaster and hitting .302/.333/.540 (.502 slugging for his season). Pena has only played in 21 games in Lancaster and that was back in 2012. In 86 games in 2013 in Quad Cities, he hit .249/.297/.354. Pena does have a little pop in his bat and he has made incremental improvements at the plate, but it is his excellent skills behind the plate that give any team he plays on a distinct edge at that position.

Then you have Justin Gominsky who missed all of 2013 with a wrist injury and will likely have to shake off some rust; Jake Rodriguez who has only played 32 professional games, hitting .209/.320/.291 at Tri-City; and Tony Kemp who has only played in 75 professional games, hitting a combined .273/.366/.345 for Tri-City and Quad Cities. I think Kemp will adjust quickly with his aggressive style of play, but the other two are wild cards at this point.

They are joined by four-year minor league veteran Jordan Scott who hit .255/.342/.321 in 125 games in Quad Cities. Scott has decent on-base skills and provides some good speed in the outfield and on the base paths, but he would not be considered a power hitter. California League conditions may provide him with a little more pop though.

The final four on the roster have enormous potential, but they are all very young. The least of my worries is Carlos Correa. As a matter of fact, my only worry with Carlos is what happens to the team when he is quickly promoted to Corpus Christi. Correa hit .320/.405/.467 in 117 games at Quad Cities in 2013, and he will hit in Lancaster with no problem. Rio Ruiz is also 19 (he'll be 20 in May). Ruiz didn't have quite the slash line that Correa did in Quad Cities (.260/.335/.430 in 114 games), but he showed continuous improvement throughout the season culminating in a fantastic post-season.

Danry Vasquez just turned 20 in January. He hit .284/.331/.400 in 129 games in the Midwest League in 2013. Teoscar Hernandez, at 21, is the greybeard of this foursome. Hernandez hit a solid .271/.328/435 in 123 games for Quad Cities, but he also struck out 135 times. Correa, Ruiz, Hernandez and Vasquez are all considered among the top prospects in the organization, but there will likely be a period of adjusting to the level.

I think I'm valid in having some concerns about this offense, at least initially, simply due to inexperience, youth or a combination of those two factors. I am not saying that they won't succeed (the California League is, after all, a very good hitter's league overall), but I do think that Hitting Coach Darryl Robinson will have his work cut out for him to maximize the potential for each of these hitters.

The 2013 Lancaster team had a cumulative batting line of .289/.384/.469. That will not be repeated with this group of players, primarily because that kind of cumulative OBP is almost unheard of. The 2013 team was very special in that regard. Meredith and Correa may get on-base at that clip, and Kemp and Perdomo may come close, but the others are not as likely to get on base at that impressive a pace. I think batting average and slugging may be down slightly from 2013 as well, but not by a wide margin.

Before I make my predictions, I would like to caution against irrational exuberance when it comes to this team. Yes, you have two first overall draft picks on the team (along with a number of top prospects), but those two will likely not be in Lancaster very long. Secondly, I would like to reiterate this one point. THEY ARE YOUNG. I went back to look at my season preview for the team last year. The average age of the preliminary roster from last year on opening day was approximately 23 years, 1 month for pitchers and 23 years, 4 months for position players. The average age of the 2014 preliminary roster on opening day? Approximately 21 years, 4 months for pitchers and 22 years, 1 month for position players. Let me repeat. THEY ARE YOUNG. Please adjust your expectations accordingly.

Trying to predict this team's record is very difficult for me. I keep going back to the 2013 Quad Cities team since so many of these players were on that team for part or all of the season. Much like that Quad Cities team, I don't think this team will completely dominate the league, and much like that team, I think they will struggle at times. But I think they will just keep hanging in there like that team did last year. They may not win either half of the season, but I do think they'll still get to the playoffs.

Okay, here goes. Last year's team had an 82-58 record. I think the 2014 JetHawks will have a 78-62 record, will find a back door to get into the playoffs and will get their shot at the California League Championship. With that said, I hope that all of my concerns are unfounded, no one struggles, and they surprise me and win 100 games. I guarantee you that is what Manager Rodney Linares and company will be working toward.

This is the opening day roster as we know it today. I will update it with any changes that may be made before Thursday's opening game which will be at home vs. Lake Elsinore. The schedule can be found here and the radio feed is available here with the inimitable (and ever entertaining) Jason Schwartz calling the action.

PITCHERS
Mark Appel
Jamaine Cotton
Chris Devenski
Michael Dimock
Josh Hader*
Mike Hauschild
Mitch Lambson*
Lance McCullers
Juan Minaya
Daniel Minor
J.D. Osborne*
Tyson Perez
Kyle Smith
Vincent Velasquez
Kyle Westwood

CATCHERS
Roberto Pena
Jake Rodriguez

INFIELDERS
Carlos Correa
Tony Kemp*
Brandon Meredith
Carlos Perdomo
Rio Ruiz*

OUTFIELDERS
Justin Gominsky
Dan Gulbransen*
Teoscar Hernandez
Jordan Scott*
Danry Vasquez*

*Left-handed

#Switch hitter

Corpus Christi and Lancaster Photos from September

Okay, so I'll admit it took me a while to get my end-of-season photos uploaded and labeled, but I finally did it! You can find my September photos from Corpus Christi here and my September playoff pictures from Lancaster here. I am also adding a link to the complete collection of all of my Astros MiLB pictures from the 2012 and 2013 seasons here. I will add that link to the front page of the blog for easy access to all of those pictures.

With that said, here are a few of my favorite photos from those last two trips.

Mike Hauschild

Andrew Aplin

Jordan Jankowski

Tanner Mathis

Chris Epps

 

Gera Sanchez

 

Colton Cain

 

Luis Alvarez

R.J. Alaniz

Photos by Jayne Hansen

 All Rights Reserved*

*The players featured in these photos are hereby granted permission to use these photos for personal use. All other uses require permission and acknowledgment.

The Lancaster JetHawks Season in Review

Lancaster dominated the South Division for most of the season. Although the JetHawks could be streaky at times, they ended the season with the only winning record in the South Division and with just one win less than the league-leading San Jose team. In 2012, they squeaked into the playoffs and went all the way. This year, it was another team (the Inland Empire 66ers) who squeaked in, beat Lancaster in five games and went on to win the California League Championship. Here is how the JetHawks 2012 and 2013 seasons compared.

2012 Win Percentage - .529
2013 Win Percentage - .586

2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 843 - 786 = 57
2013 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 976 - 792 = 184

2012 Team ERA & WHIP - 5.00 & 1.458
2013 Team ERA & WHIP - 5.09 & 1.447

2012 Team Batting Line - .283/.353/.448
2013 Team Batting Line - .289/.384/.469

The offense on this team scored 299 more runs than the next Astros affiliate. And that wasn't just because The Hangar is a hitter-friendly ballpark. On-base percentage was the one area that improved the most over 2012 and that showed as more baserunners naturally translated into more runs scored. The JetHawks were ranked first (out of 10 teams) in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, doubles and walks. They were third in home runs, fourth in triples, fifth in stolen bases and they had the fewest number of strikeouts in the league. The list of individuals from the team that ranked in the top 20 in the league in offensive categories is nothing short of astounding.

3B Matt Duffy (24), despite spending his final 24 games in Corpus Christi, still was ranked second in batting average, sixth in OBP, third in slugging, 10th in RBI and was tied for 14th in home runs as he hit .323/.397/.553 with 20 doubles, four triples, 19 home runs and 84 RBI in 100 games at Lancaster. OF Preston Tucker (23) was also still ranked 20th in RBI in the league after having only spent 75 games there before his promotion to Corpus Christi. Tucker hit .326/.384/.544 with 18 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs and 74 RBI in his time with the 'Hawks.

OF Andrew Aplin (22) was all over the league top 20. He was first in RBI, second in walks, second in runs scored, seventh in doubles, tied for 11th in stolen bases, 15th in hits, tied for 15th in triples and 16th in on-base percentage. He finished the season with a .278/.376/.424 batting line with 32 doubles, seven triples, nine home runs, 107 RBI and 24 stolen bases.

2B Delino DeShields (21) ranked third in batting average and second in on-base percentage with his .317/.405/.468 line. He was also second in triples (14), second in stolen bases (51), third in runs scored and 11th in both hits and walks.

1B/DH/C M.P. Cokinos (23) ranked third in batting average, eighth in on-base percentage and 17th in slugging (.313/.395/.475), fourth in RBI (94) and 20th in hits.

IF Joe Sclafani (23) ranked seventh in batting average (.303), seventh in on-base percentage (.396) and 18th in slugging (.474). He was also 13th in runs scored and 17th in walks.

OF Brandon Meredith (23) was fifth in the league in walks and on-base percentage, ninth in slugging, 12th in runs scored and was just outside the top 20 in home runs. He finished the season hitting .279/.399/.507 with 25 doubles, five triples, 16 home runs and 68 RBI. In the post season, he hit .368 with four doubles, four RBI and a stolen base.

Others in the top 20 included OF Chris Epps (24), C Tyler Heineman (22) and SS Nolan Fontana (22). Epps was third in walks, ninth in doubles, 12th in slugging (.503), 13th in on-base percentage (.381), and in the top 20 in runs scored and RBI. Heineman was in the top 20 in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. And Nolan Fontana was first in on-base percentage (.415) and walks (102 in 104 games), ninth in runs scored and in the top 20 in triples. Fontana hit .381 with a double, triple, four walks, three RBI and three runs scored in the postseason.

Yes, the JetHawks had four of the top 10 in batting average, six of the top 10 in on-base percentage, two of the top 10 in slugging percentage, three of the top 10 in runs scored, three of the top 10 in RBI, and four of the top five in walks.

On the other side of the coin, the team ERA ranked 9th out of 10 which is frankly not surprising. The only team with a worse ERA was High Desert which, not coincidentally, has the only ballpark in the California League that is more hitter-friendly than The Hangar. The team WHIP and strikeouts, on the other hand, were in the middle of the pack for the league and the team issued the fewest walks of all 10 teams.

LHP Luis Cruz, who recently turned 23, spent the majority of the season with Lancaster and was seventh in the league in strikeouts, ninth in WHIP (1.332), and 16th in ERA (5.16). His 150 strikeouts for the season led all Astros minor league pitchers for the season. He also pitched the final four innings of a no-hitter started by fellow lefty Kyle Hallock (25) back in May. Cruz went on to pitch his final four games (two starts) for Corpus Christi where he compiled a 2-0 record with an 0.53 ERA and an 0.529 WHIP. One of those starts was a complete game shutout in which he struck out 14 batters.

RHP Brady Rodgers, who turned 23 last week, also ranked in the top 20 in the league in ERA, WHIP and strikeouts. Rodgers had a masterful postseason appearance in which he allowed one run on four hits and no walks while striking out 11 in seven and a third innings. RHP Aaron West was in the top 20 in strikeouts and would have ranked in the top 20 in ERA and WHIP had he pitched just a few more innings. West had the best strikeout to walk ratio (6.59) in the Astros system for anyone on a full season team. Travis Ballew was second in the California League in saves with 21.

LHP David Rollins (23) put up an 8-5 record with a 3.98 ERA and a 1.161 WHIP in 23 games (14 starts) before being called up to Corpus Christi for his final six starts of the season. His fellow lefty Tommy Shirley (24) largely flew under the radar as he managed a 3.35 ERA and a 1.195 WHIP in 27 games (nine starts). He was even better later in the season as he put up a 2.67 ERA and a 1.056 WHIP in 16 appearances (six starts) in June, July and August. He had a 1.69 ERA and a 0.938 WHIP in his only postseason appearance.

There were a lot of comings and goings on the staff, and I've already discussed Colton Cain, Mike Hauschild, Jordan Jankowski and Vincent Velasquez in my Quad Cities season review. Likewise, I will discuss Mike Foltynewicz and Carlos Quevedo in my Corpus review.

But there were a few bullpen pitchers who spent a good chunk of their seasons with Lancaster that merit a mention here. RHP Jonas Dufek (25) had a tough start to his season, but ended up with a very nice 1.80 ERA and a 1.044 WHIP over his last 30 appearances (45 innings) between Lancaster and Corpus Christi. For the season, he had a 3.19 ERA, a 1.241 WHIP and had 74 strikeouts to 20 walks in 67+ innings. LHP T.J. Geith (24) had a 2.86 ERA and a 1.318 WHIP in 31 appearances before his promotion to Corpus Christi. RHP Michael Dimock (23) had a bit of an up and down season with Lancaster after his early season promotion from Quad Cities, but ended the season with a combined ERA of 3.88 and a 1.162 WHIP. LHP Kenny Long (24) struggled with Corpus Christi to start the season, but put up a 2.83 ERA and a 1.012 WHIP in his final 23 outings back with the JetHawks.

24-year old RHP Gera Sanchez only pitched in a few games at Lancaster after his call up from Quad Cities, but managed a very nice 1.69 ERA and 1.219 WHIP. In the postseason, he allowed no hits and only one walk in his three appearances.

RHP Kyle Smith, who recently turned 21, pitched a two-hit complete game shutout for his one win in five starts with Lancaster after being obtained in the Justin Maxwell trade at the end of July. Let's just say that his other four starts did not go quite as well and leave it at that.

A postscript on the playoffs: As I mentioned in the intro, this team could sometimes be a little streaky and that was the case in the playoffs. Players who had been red-hot going into the playoffs didn't benefit from the four days off between the last game of the regular season and the first game of their playoffs (they had a first round bye while the wild card was decided). They were 12 for 53 with runners in scoring position and left 47 men on base in the five game series. But the pitching, for the most part, was very good as they compiled a 3.18 ERA and a 1.254 WHIP with 50 strikeouts (to only 14 walks) in 51 innings.

Seasons in Review for Other Astros Minor League Teams
DSL Season in Review
GCL Season in Review
Greeneville Season in Review
Tri-City ValleyCats Season in Review
Quad Cities River Bandits Season in Review

Lancaster JetHawks Playoff Game #1

Buca is going to bring you the rest of the recaps on what was another stellar day in the Astros minor league system, but since I was already in Lancaster, I thought I really should recap that game. So here we go.

Lancaster 4 over Inland Empire 1
Brady Rodgers got the start and what a start!!! Rodgers pitched seven and a third innings and allowed one run on four hits while striking out 11 batters. It seemed like more. He was simply in control the entire way and so much fun to watch. The 'Hawks scored first in the bottom of the second inning as M.P. Cokinos doubled (2x4) and then advanced and scored on a pair of ground outs. The 66ers answered with a run in the top of the third, but only managed one more hit the rest of the way. Two additional JetHawks runners came across in the fourth on a ground out and a Tyler Heineman sac fly.

The final run came in the eighth on the craziest play I think I've ever seen. Brandon Meredith (1x2 2RBI) doubled and M.P. Cokinos scored on the play. However, Meredith, Tyler Heineman and many in the crowd (actually, pretty much everyone except the umpiring crew) thought that Meredith had hit a home run. It certainly looked like it off of the bat. So, even though Cokinos scored, Meredith and Heineman (who had been on first) both ended up getting caught in rundowns. Heineman was ultimately called out at the plate and this is what the official scorer had to say about it:

• Brandon Meredith doubles (1) on a fly ball to center fielder Andy Workman. MP Cokinos scores. Tyler Heineman out at home on the throw, center fielder Andy Workman to second baseman Alex Yarbrough to pitcher Daniel Tillman to shortstop Eric Stamets to catcher Abel Baker. Brandon Meredith to 3rd on the throw.

But there were probably about a dozen throws (or more) all together between the two rundowns happening simultaneously. I was not envying the official scorer in trying to sort that all out.

Anywho, Kenny Long and Travis Ballew finished things off without allowing another 66ers hit, and the good guys won.

Following the game, there were fireworks. The last time I was at The Hangar, the fireworks ended up shooting into the crowd. This time the fireworks caused a couple of small brush fires. Maybe JetHawks management should just rely on the team to provide the fireworks from now on. They seem to do a pretty fair job of it.

A Look at the Lancaster JetHawks

This week I'm taking a late season look at the full season Astros minor league affiliates, how their 2013 campaigns have played out and some individual accomplishments. Yesterday, I looked at the Quad Cities River Bandits. Today it is the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks turn. Coming in to today, the JetHawks are 63-46 with a 5.07 ERA, a 1.440 WHIP and a cumulative batting line of .291/.385/.474.

Lancaster was the first Astros affiliate to 60 wins in 2013. They got there on July 23rd, a full two and a half weeks before they achieved that feat in 2012. This year's team is roughly equivalent to last year's in terms of pitching stats, but the 2013 offense is clearly ahead of the 2012 team's cumulative batting line of .283/.353/.448. And the difference is the depth of talent. The California League top 20 list for offensive categories is littered with JetHawks players.

OF Preston Tucker, who has been in Corpus Christi for the last 31 games, is still in the top 20 in batting average (3rd), OBP (14th), SLG (6th), home runs (17th), and RBI (5th), but once he falls off the list, there will be plenty of JetHawks to take his place:

3B Matt Duffy - BA (4th), OBP (9th), SLG (7th), Runs (5th), Hits (7th), HR (T10th), RBI (T2nd)
DH M.P. Cokinos - BA (8th), OBP (8th), SLG (16th), 2B (T7th), RBI (T7th)
OF Chris Epps - BA (10th), OBP (10th), SLG (4th), 2B (T4th), HR (T20th), RBI (20th), BB (T9th)
2B Delino DeShields - BA (11th), OBP (12th), Runs (9th), Hits (19th), 3B (T5th), BB (13th), SB (2nd)
OF Brandon Meredith - BA (20th), OBP (6th), SLG (9th), Runs (14th), HR (T18th), BB (T9th)
SS Nolan Fontana - OBP (3rd), Runs (6th), BB (1st)
OF Andrew Aplin - OBP (16th), Runs (1st), Hits (6th), 2B (T2nd), 3B (T20th), RBI (1st), BB (2nd), SB (T14th)
1B Telvin Nash - HR (T15th)
IF Joe Sclafani - BB (T15th)

In addition, if Joe Sclafani had enough at-bats to qualify, he would rank fourth in the league in batting average and second in on-base percentage. Ridiculous, huh? An embarrassment of riches. The team leads the league in every single offensive category except triples (fifth out of 10), home runs (second) and stolen bases (fifth). One of the best stats? The JetHawks have drawn a total of 519 walks, 116 more than the next highest team total.

Yes, some of the hitters don't fare as well away from the hitter-friendly confines of The Hangar, but Duffy and DeShields, in particular, have very good home/road splits and Nolan Fontana and M.P. Cokinos actually do better away from The 'Caster.

Now, let's look at the pitching. The staff as a whole ranks tenth out of ten teams in ERA, seventh in WHIP and sixth in strikeouts. On the good side, they have issued the fewest free passes of any team in the league. Overall, the staff hasn't been bad at all, but many of the pitchers have struggled for consistency. A good example of this would be LHP Luis Cruz who has been simply brilliant at times, including participating in a tandem no-hitter in May, but looking at his ERA by month from April through July (3.47, 9.28, 1.97, 8.14), you can see that he has lacked consistency. But his 1.365 WHIP ranks 14th in the very tough California League, and he is third in the league in strikeouts with 114 in just over 100 innings.

Other pitchers who rank in the top 20 in the league are LHP David Rollins, and RHP Brady Rodgers. Rollins has been the breakout star of the starting rotation this season. His 3.98 ERA ranks sixth in the league and his 1.161 WHIP ranks fourth. Rodgers is 15th in WHIP (1.431). RHP Aaron West lacks enough innings to qualify, but would be in the top 20 in both ERA and WHIP if he did have the innings.

Relievers LHP T.J. Geith and RHP Jonas Dufek both recently graduated to Corpus Christi. In his return to Lancaster, LHP Kenny Long (1.59 ERA/0.618WHIP in 10 games) is showing a return to his 2012 and early 2013 form. RHP Michael Dimock and Cameron Lamb have done solid work out of the 'pen as well. Travis Ballew is second in the league in saves, but has struggled during July.

Two others of note are LHP Tommy Shirley and LHP Blair Walters. Shirley has really come on strong in his last 10 outings with a 2.53 ERA and a 1.125 WHIP. He has been used as both a reliever and a starter and has thrived in the starting role. Unfortunately, he left the game last night after two innings with what was characterized as arm discomfort. I am hoping that he will bounce back quickly. Walters has a 2.53 ERA and a 0.938 WHIP in his last seven appearances out of the bullpen.

New to the staff is RHP Mike Hauschild who, after struggling in his first outing, was terrific in his next two. I look forward to seeing what the extreme ground ball pitcher can do in a ballpark for which he was made.

It's a little bit hard to get a handle on this pitching staff. There are a lot of moving parts and most of them are moving in different directions with one player doing well while another struggles. Most of the pitchers on the staff have performed extremely well at one point or another. The talent is there. The consistency of that talent remains the question mark.

Lancaster is guaranteed a playoff berth, having won the first half of the season. They have the best record in the South Division at 63-46 as compared to the North Division leader San Jose who has a 64-45 record. Lancaster also leads the South Division in the second half of the season, two games ahead of second place team Inland Empire. Both the offense and the pitching on this club have been streaky at times. If they can get into a groove during this last few weeks of the season, it will go a long way toward getting them back to the California League Finals and a chance at back-to-back rings. The talent is definitely there. As Morgan Ensberg would say, "They are really good players."

For my earlier take on the short season teams ~
DSL Astros
GCL Astros
Greeneville Astros
Tri-City ValleyCats