Oklahoma City RedHawks Season in Review

In my ongoing season reviews of the various Astros minor league teams, today we'll look at the AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks.

The team finished with a 74-70 record (.514 win percentage) and was tied for second place in the division, two and a half games out of first.

Oklahoma City Team Batting

.283 BA - 6th out of 16 teams

.356 OBP - 4th

.417 SLG - 10th

Oklahoma City Team Pitching

4.19 ERA - 4th

1.36 WHIP - 4th

1089 SO - 10th

454 BB - 11th

Yet again, I was woefully wrong in my prediction for this team's record to end the season. Their win-loss record did not come close to my eternally optimistic speculation. However, I was correct in my assumption that they would be better across the board in ERA, WHIP, BA, OBP and SLG over the team's 2013 numbers.

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. I won't be including any players who spent substantial time with the major league club during the season.

CATCHERS

Carlos Perez - 23; 7th season

Perez was one of the 10 players who changed hands in the July 2012 trade between Houston and the Blue Jays. An above average defensive catcher, Perez hit .259/.323/.385 with 16 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 34 RBI in 88 games. He walked 29 times and struck out 54 times. In 74 games behind the dish, Perez had a 32% caught stealing rate.

Max Stassi - 23; 6th season

Stassi received his call-up back to Houston after the RedHawks season concluded, spending his entire season in Oklahoma City prior to that. In 101 games, he hit .247/.296/.378 with 20 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 45 RBI, walking 22 times and striking out 103 times. On paper, I would characterize his work in 72 games behind the plate as average to slightly above average; his 26% caught stealing rate keeps me from rating him higher, particularly considering some of the other very strong defensive catchers in the system. Stassi came to the Astros system in the February 2013 trade that sent Jed Lowrie to Oakland.

INFIELDERS

3B/2B/SS Jio Mier - (24; 6th season)
Mier seems to have gotten a second wind after his promotion to Oklahoma City in July. In 41 games with the RedHawks, he hit .250/.348/.310 as opposed to his .216/.281/.302 batting line with Corpus Christi in the first 79 games of the season. In 120 total games, he collected 16 doubles, four home runs, 35 RBI and 37 walks, while striking out 89 times. Mier was the Astros first round draft pick in 2009. He also held his own defensively as he spent significant time at third base and second base for the first time in his professional career.

2B/3B/DH Joe Sclafani - 24; 3rd season

Drafted by Houston in the 14th round in 2012, Sclafani had a very good season at the plate between his first 36 games in Corpus Christi (.285/.333/.361) and his final 62 games in Oklahoma City (.339/.420/438). In the 98 games combined, Sclafani hit seven doubles, three triples and two home runs, walking 26 times to 27 strikeouts. Drafted as a middle infielder, his defense is much stronger at second base than it is at third base. He is a switch-hitter who hits better from the left side of the plate, but also has solid numbers as a right-handed bat.

1B/3B Matt Duffy - 25; 4th season
Duffy played in 136 games this season, second in the system to only Preston Tucker, and his time was evenly split between first base and third base. He was very solid defensively at both positions. Duffy started his season at Corpus Christi (49 games), hitting .302/.340/.455 before earning his promotion to Oklahoma City in late May. In 87 games for the RedHawks, he hit .279/.333/.448. For the season, he collected 22 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, 84 RBI and walked 28 times while striking out 106 times. Duffy was the Astros 20th round draft pick in 2011.

2B Ronald Torreyes - 22 (as of 9/2): 5th season
Torreyes played far more games at second base than any other position, but did get his hand in at third base, short, left field and center field as well and provided solid defense at all of those positions. In 126 games for Oklahoma City this season, he hit .298/.345/.376 with 20 doubles, five triples, two home runs and 46 RBI. He snagged 12 bases and was caught in the act nine times. Torreyes was also one of the hardest outs in the system as he struck out only 26 times while walking 25 times. Originally from Venezuela, Torreyes came to the Astros system from the Cubs in 2013 in exchange for two international bonus slots.

OUTFIELDERS

Preston Tucker - 24; 3rd season

Drafted by Houston in the 7th round in 2012, Tucker appeared in 65 games with Corpus Christi and was promoted a couple of days after he hit two home runs in a showcase game against the Missions in Minute Maid Park. He played in another 73 at Oklahoma City, and his 138 total games led the system. For the season, the lefty hit .282/.352/.481 with 35 doubles, 24 home runs and 94 RBI, walking 57 times and striking out 120 times. Although Tucker played a handful of games at first base, he spent the vast majority of his time in right field and left field, and has progressed nicely with his defensive skills.

Andrew Aplin - 23; 3rd season
The fifth round 2012 draft pick played in 98 games for Corpus Christi before receiving an August 1st promotion to Oklahoma City for his last 28 games of the season. Splitting his time between right field and center field, he continued to show off his impressive defensive skills and collected 15 outfield assists for the season. At the plate, the lefty hit a combined .265/.372/.345 with 14 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 65 RBI and 26 stolen bases (caught 11 times). He also walked (80 times) more than he struck out (71 times).

Domingo Santana - 22; 6th season

Aside from two very brief (and forgettable) stints in Houston, Santana played the rest of his season at Oklahoma City, hitting .296/.384/.474 with 27 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs and 81 RBI in 120 games. He walked 64 times and struck out 149 times. Santana held his own defensively, splitting his time between right field and left field. Santana, from the Dominican Republic, came to the Astros system as the PTBNL in the Hunter Pence trade.

Ruben Sosa - 23; 4th season

A switch-hitter, Sosa played in 40 games at Lancaster, 50 games in Corpus Christi and his final 26 games in Oklahoma City. Sosa played a few games at second base, but was used primarily in left field, putting up decent defensive numbers. For the season, he hit .257/.340/.402 with 18 doubles, 10 triples, five home runs, 47 RBI and 39 stolen bases (caught stealing 10 times). In 116 games, he struck out 103 times while walking 46 times. Sosa was drafted by the Astros in the 23rd round in 2011.

LEFTY PITCHERS

Rudy Owens - 26; 8th season
Owens made one spot start in Houston, but otherwise spent his entire season with Oklahoma City, leading the Astros minor league system in innings pitched only a year removed from a season-ending foot injury in early 2013. Owens appeared in 25 games (21 starts) with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.252 WHIP for the season, and 35 walks to 105 strikeouts in 140.2 innings. He had a terrific final month of the season as he went 3-0 in 6 starts (40 innings) with a 2.93 ERA and a 1.100 WHIP. Batters hit .217 against him for the month. Owens, a 26th round draft pick by Pittsburgh in 2006, came to the Astros system in the July 2012 Wandy Rodriguez trade.

Tommy Shirley - 25; 5th season
A 9th round draft pick in 2010, Shirley started his season with Corpus Christi. In 17 games (13 starts) for the Hooks, he had a very stingy 1.88 ERA and 0.927 WHIP leading to his early July promotion. After three starts in Oklahoma City, he was relegated to bullpen duties for his next 10 appearances, presumably due to the large increase in workload from the prior season. When all was said and done, he ended the season with a 2.53 ERA and a 1.099 WHIP, striking out 100 batters while walking 32 in 117.1 innings pitched.

Luis Cruz - 24 (as of 9/10); 7th season

Drafted by the Astros in the 9th round in 2008 out of Puerto Rico, Cruz spent the majority of his seaason with Corpus Christi before being promoted to OKC in early August. In 21 appearances (17 starts) with the Hooks, Cruz had a 3.14 ERA, a 1.106 and held batters to a .231 average. After five starts for the RedHawks, he ended the season with a 3.68 ERA and a 1.243 WHIP. In 124.2 inning, he issued 38 walks while striking out 118.

Patrick Urckfitz - 26; 7th season

Urckfitz pitched out of the bullpen in Corpus Chrisit for 22 games and in Oklahoma City for 25 games, ending the season with a 2.68 ERA and a 1.323 WHIP. Predominantly a ground ball pitcher, he walked 20 batters and struck out 42 in 53.2 innings. He was more adept at keeping righties in check when he pitched for the Hooks than he was after the promotion. Urckfitz was a non-drafted free agent signed by the Astros in 2008.

RIGHT-HANDED PITCHERS

Nick Tropeano - 24; 4th season
Until Tropeano's call-up after the minor league season had concluded, he spent his entire 2014 season in Oklahoma City, putting up some of the best numbers in the Pacific Coast League. In 23 games (20 starts), the 5th round 2011 draft pick went 9-5 with a 3.03 ERA and a 0.987 WHIP while holding hitters to a .203 batting average. In 124.2 innings, he walked 33 batters and struck out 120. Tropeano missed approximately a month on the DL in the middle of the season.

Asher Wojciechowski - 25; 5th season
Wojo got a late start to his season as he battled back from injury. In a total of 15 games (14 starts), he compiled a 4-4 record with a 4.74 ERA and a 1.447 WHIP. However, he was coming on strong at the end of the season; in six starts in August, he was 3-1 with a 3.11 ERA and a 1.115 WHIP. A first round draft pick by the Blue Jays in 2010, Wojciechowski came to the Astros system in the July 2012 10-player trade with that team.

Jason Stoffel - 26 (as of 9/15); 6th season
Stoffel was the workhorse of the RedHawks bullpen, appearing in a system-leading 54 games. In 64.2 innings of work, Stoffel was 5-4 with 11 saves, a 3.20 ERA, a 1.485 WHIP and he walked 28 batters (six intentionally) to 68 strikeouts. Stoffel was drafted by the Giants in the 4th round in 2009 and came to the Houston system in the July 2011 Jeff Keppinger trade.

Richard Rodriguez - 24; 5th season
Rodriguez was moved up and down a bit this season, and spent time in Lancaster (seven appearances) and Corpus Christi (11 games) before landing in Oklahoma City permanently in July. In a total of three stints with Oklahoma City, Rodriguez was 2-0 with a 3.49 ERA and a 0.882 WHIP in 16 games. For the season, he had a 3.62 ERA, a 1.006 WHIP and walked 10 batters while striking out 67 in 59.2 innings. Rodriguez is from the Dominican Republic.

Jorge de Leon - 27; 9th season (5th season as a pitcher)
After spending some of last August in the Houston bullpen, de Leon found himself back in Corpus Christi to start the season. After 15 appearances, he was promoted to Oklahoma City where he spent the remainder of the season prior to his post-season callup back to the big league club. In 46 total appearances, he had a 3.01 ERA and a 1.267 WHIP, walking 23 and striking out 61 in 68.2 innings. De Leon is from the Dominican Republic.

Next up will be the final installment in the series on the Lancaster team.

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

Oklahoma City RedHawks 2014 Season Preview

Earlier this week, I posted my Season Previews for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks and for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks. Today, we'll look at the AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks.

[NOTE: This is all subject to change as rosters are not 100% final at this point. Additionally, LHP Raul Valdes made it through waivers and was outrighted to OKC which complicates matters a little further.]

The pitching for the RedHawks should be very strong, anchored by several pitchers who played in a significant number of games at that level in 2013. The four initial tandem pairs will be Rudy Owens and Mike Foltynewicz; Jake Buchanan and Paul Clemens; David Martinez and Bobby Doran; and Nick Tropeano and Collin McHugh. That's an impressive line-up of talent, plus Asher Wojciechowski, Alex White and Kyle Weiland are all waiting in the wings. That trio will start the season on the DL.

Of those starters, Buchanan, Clemens, Doran, Owens and McHugh have all had enough time at AAA that they should benefit from the experience and be able to build on it. The collective team ERA for Oklahoma City last season was 4.29 and the WHIP was 1.395. Buchanan and Doran were able to beat those marks in their time with the RedHawks in 2013, as did McHugh in his time at AAA in 2013. Clemens had a slightly higher ERA (4.50) than the collective, but a lower WHIP (1.267), plus his experience at the major league level should serve him well.

Owens only appeared in four games before injury derailed his season, but his 2012 AAA ERA was 3.48 with a WHIP of 1.190. Owens also pitched extremely well in winter ball in the Dominican Republic during the off-season. David Martinez has the least experience at AAA of those pitchers mentioned thus far. He struggled in two of his three outings at the level, but Martinez dominated in AA, putting up a 2.02 ERA and a 0.997 WHIP in 26 games (18 starts) at Corpus Christi.

Mike Foltynewicz and Nick Tropeano have no prior AAA experience. Tropeano had a 4.11 ERA and a 1.339 WHIP in 28 appearances in Corpus Christi while Folty had a 2.87 ERA and a 1.229 WHIP in 23 appearances at Corpus, after starting his season in Lancaster. Both will likely need to make adjustments to the AAA level, but I have no reason to believe that won't happen. In Folty's case, based upon his Spring Training performance, that adjustment may not take long.

The bullpen should be pretty steady, anchored by Josh Zeid and Jason Stoffel, both of whom had significant experience at AAA last season. And of course Zeid, Darin Downs, Chia-Jen Lo and Jose Cisnero all have major league experience as well. Lo actually leap-frogged Oklahoma City last season, getting the call directly from Corpus so this will be his first experience at the level. Patrick Urckfitz only pitched in 10 games at AAA last season, but his transition was solid. One key to the success of this particular group is keeping their walks down. In particular, Cisnero and Zeid tended to walk more than their share of batters last season.

The 2013 RedHawks team had a collective batting average of .271/.347/.403. This group should outperform that line. Just look at an opening day roster that features Max Stassi, Carlos Perez and Ryan McCurdy behind the dish as compared to Cody Clark, Jason Jaramillo and Chris Wallace on last year's opening day roster. That is definitely an offensive (and defensive) upgrade. Perez played 75 games at AAA last season and was solid offensively and Stassi crushed pitching at AA Corpus before making his major league debut. McCurdy isn't flashy with the bat, but he can get on base consistently.

George Springer and Jon Singleton should provide a lot of offense, at least until they hit Houston. Springer will presumably move up first, but Singleton shouldn't be too far behind. Utility player Ruben Sosa has a little prior experience at AAA in which he held his own. Gregorio Petit hit a very nice .292/.344/.380 in 134 games at AAA in 2013. Adron Chambers had a .252/.338/.387 batting line at AAA in 2013, but actually hit better at that level in 2012 -- .319/.405/.403. Austin Wates only played in 15 games at Oklahoma City last year before a fractured forearm derailed his season, but Wates has always been able to hit at every level. I don't think AAA will deter the career .304/.377/.424 hitter. Japhet Amador got 10 games under his extra large belt in Oklahoma City last year. How he will adjust over the long run as he transitions from the Mexican League is a wild card.

George Springer - March 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

That leaves Erik Castro, Jonathan Meyer, Ronald Torreyes and Domingo Santana as the only remaining players on the team with no experience above AA. Castro is one of those under-the-radar guys. He hit .280/.368/.480 in AA in 2013, and I think he will make the quickest adjustment of these four to the AAA level. I don't have a good enough feel for Torreyes to say how quickly he will adjust. Torreyes hit a combined .269/.329/.368 at AA with the Cubs and Astros organizations. Santana (.252/.345/.498 at AA) and Meyer (.260/.318/.403 at AA) will likely be slower to make the necessary adjustments to AAA pitching than Castro, but I feel certain that both will quickly provide some extra-base excitement for the team.

One thing that I am struck by is that Singleton and Castro are the only left-handed hitters in this line-up. They are joined by the switch-hitter Sosa as the only real options from the left side of the plate. Left-handed OF Preston Tucker, who will start the season at Corpus, could very well be slated for Oklahoma City as soon as Springer gets to Houston.

It is very difficult to predict any minor league team's season, but it is most difficult to predict AAA as the opening day roster and closing day roster will look very, very different. Several of these players will end the season in Houston. Some will likely be traded or released. However, with that said, I'm game to make a prediction.

Last season, the RedHawks ended the year with a 82-62 record or a .569 win percentage. I think that the 2014 team will be an upgrade over 2013 in both pitching and offense, but particularly in pitching with Wojciechowski, White and Weiland adding their contributions at some point. I'm going out on a limb and saying that the RedHawks will end the season with an 86-54 record and will bring home some hardware this season.

This is the opening day roster as we know it today. I will update it with any changes that may be made before tonight's opening game which will be on the road vs. Round Rock. The schedule can be found here and all games will be available on MiLB.tv.

PITCHERS
Jake Buchanan
Jose Cisnero
Paul Clemens
Bobby Doran
Darin Downs*
Mike Foltynewicz
Chia-Jen Lo
David Martinez
Collin McHugh
Rudy Owens*
Jason Stoffel
Nick Tropeano
Pat Urckfitz*
Josh Zeid

CATCHERS
Ryan McCurdy
Carlos Perez
Max Stassi

INFIELDERS
Japhet Amador
Erik Castro*
Jonathan Meyer
Gregorio Petit
Jon Singleton*
Ruben Sosa#
Ronald Torreyes

OUTFIELDERS
Adron Chambers
Domingo Santana
George Springer
Austin Wates

* - denotes left-hander

# - denotes switch-hitter

AAA Oklahoma City Skipper to Miss Start of the Season

According to a very brief post from Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle this afternoon, the Astros have announced that Tony DeFrancesco, Manager of the AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks has been diagnosed with cancer and will miss the beginning of the season. No further information has been released at this time.

UPDATE: It is now being reported that Tom Lawless will be interim manager of the OKC team while DeFrancesco undergoes treatment at M.D. Anderson Center Center in Houston. Treatment is expected to take five to six weeks. DeFrancesco is expected to make a full recovery and to be able to resume his duties as Manager of the RedHawks in mid-May. Good news indeed!

The Oklahoma City RedHawks Season in Review

Oklahoma City had the best record in the American Southern Division and in the Pacific Coast League, but they fell to Omaha in three straight games in the Conference Finals and did not advance to the League Finals. Here is how the RedHawks 2012 and 2013 seasons compared.

2012 Win Percentage - .545
2013 Win Percentage - .569

2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 764 - 758 = 6
2013 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 677 - 645 = 32

2012 Team ERA & WHIP - 4.89 & 1.508
2013 Team ERA & WHIP - 4.21 & 1.395

2012 Team Batting Line - .282/.349/.434
2013 Team Batting Line - .271/.347/.403

The pitching was definitely an improvement over last season, primarily because there were a few actual prospects pitching there, not just filler and players who had struggled in Houston (although, naturally, there were a few of those as well). Out of 16 teams in the league, the Oklahoma City crew were sixth in ERA, fifth in WHIP, fifth in walks allowed and 14th in strikeouts.

It's hard to make any sweeping generalizations, though, when a whopping 35 pitchers appeared on the RedHawks roster at some point during the season and only a couple pitched more than 100 innings there. I've already talked about some of the pitchers who were promoted to Oklahoma City and, presumably, you're familiar enough with those who were promoted to Houston that I don't need to dwell on those so let's keep this short.

I only briefly mentioned RHP Asher Wojciechowski in my Corpus recap, discussing how he fared at the AA level. In 22 games (21 starts) for AAA Oklahoma City, he went 9-7 with a 3.56 ERA and a 1.194 WHIP. He was seventh in ERA, third in WHIP and in the top 20 in strikeouts in the Pacific Coast League. He finished the season with a combined 11-8 record, 3.32 ERA and 1.150 WHIP.

LHP Eric Berger (27) appeared in 44 games (three starts) and had a 6-3 record with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.288 WHIP. RHP Jason Stoffel, who turned 25 last week, pitched in 44 games with a 3.47 ERA and a 1.267 WHIP.

The offense was first in the league in one category -- stolen bases. They were in the middle of the pack in batting average, on-base percentage, triples and walks and were toward the bottom in slugging, doubles and home runs. Only two teams struck out fewer times than the RedHawks, though.

Similar to the pitching, there are only a few position players that I haven't already talked about who haven't made their major league debuts already. Again, let's keep this short.

CF George Springer, who turned 24 last week, split his season between Corpus Christi (73 games) and Oklahoma City (62 games). Despite only playing in 62 games with the RedHawks, Springer was tied for eighth in home runs and ninth in stolen bases. He hit .311/.425/.626 with seven doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, 53 RBI, and 22 stolen bases in those 62 games and ended his season with a combined .303/.411/.600 batting line, 27 doubles, four triples, 37 home runs, 108 RBI and 45 stolen bases. Strikeouts have been an issue for Springer. He struck out in 29.7% of his plate appearances in Corpus Christi and in 24.4% of his plate appearances in Oklahoma City.

2B Jose Martinez (27) hit .282/.316/.410 with 19 doubles, one triple, six home runs and 42 RBI in 81 games at Oklahoma City. C Carlos Perez (22) hit. 269/.328/.345 in 75 games and threw out 47% of all would-be base stealers.

1B Jonathan Singleton hit .220/.340/.347 with 13 doubles, six home runs and 31 RBI in his 73 games with the RedHawks. He walked 46 times and struck out 89 times in 294 plate appearances. He was starting to heat up toward the end of the season, but overall, it was still somewhat of a disappointing season for him.

Again, it is hard to make any sweeping generalizations about the team since the roster has been a bit of a revolving door. By my count, I believe that there were 28 players who played for both the RedHawks and the Astros this year. As the prospects in the system make their way up through the ranks, the makeup of the AAA roster will continue to evolve. There should be more legitimate prospects coming through the level over the next few years and while there will always be a continuous shuttle of players between Houston and Oklahoma City (or wherever the AAA affiliate will be), I am hoping that, with the addition of a couple of consistent bullpen arms over the offseason (please, please, please Mr. Luhnow), there will be fewer frequent flyer miles awarded next season.

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 Season in Review
Corpus Christi Hooks Season in Review

A Look at the Oklahoma City RedHawks

Last week, I started taking a late season look at the full season Astros minor league affiliates, how their 2013 campaigns have played out and some individual accomplishments. Click on the links to see my take on the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Lancaster JetHawks, and the Corpus Christi Hooks. The final team I will be looking at is the Oklahoma City RedHawks. Coming in to today, the RedHawks are 66-50 with a 4.10 ERA, a 1.391 WHIP and a cumulative batting line of .275/.350/.409.

The RedHawks didn't get to 66 wins last season until August 17th. The team's pitching stats are considerably better than last season's when the RedHawks ended the year with a 4.89 ERA and a 1.508 WHIP. As to offense, this year's team has an almost identical on-base percentage, but lags slightly in batting average and slugging percentage.

The team ranks seventh in batting average in the league (out of 16 teams) and 10th in slugging, but their OBP is tied for fifth which is reflective of their fifth place ranking in walks (they are 14th in strikeouts). The team is toward the very bottom of the rankings in doubles and home runs while they are in the middle of the pack in triples. The only category in which they are in first place is stolen bases.

No RedHawks players are currently in the top 20 in average, on-base percentage or slugging percentage, but that is only because many of the players don't have enough at-bats to qualify as league leaders. OF George Springer (.336/.434/.656) and 1B Brett Wallace (.326/.398/.554) would both be in the top 10 in the league if they qualified. And OF Jimmy Paredes ranks at or near the top 10 with his .319/.375/.504 batting line.

Other top 20 worthy players include IF Ruben Sosa (BA), OF Trevor Crowe (BA and OBP), OF Austin Wates (BA), IF Jake Elmore (BA, OBP, SB), OF Marc Krauss (OBP, SLG), OF Robbie Grossman (OBP, BB), IF Brandon Laird (HR, RBI) and OF Che-Hsuan Lin (BB, SB). Brandon Laird is tied for third in the league in doubles, and SS Jonathan Villar is second in stolen bases and tied for sixth in the league in triples.

Now, let's look at the pitching. The team as a whole ranks sixth in ERA and fourth in WHIP. One of the things that has hurt the team are the walks issued. They have issued the third most walks in the league while ranking 14th in strikeouts.

On an individual level, two RedHawks pitchers stand out as leaders in the Pacific Coast League. RHP Asher Wojciechowski is ranked first in the league in WHIP with a 1.079 mark and his 2.81 ERA is second. RHP Jarred Cosart ranks fourth in ERA (3.29) and 12th in WHIP (1.333). Cosart is also 14th in strikeouts, but is tied for fifth in walks allowed, something he was working to improve prior to his callup.

Two other pitchers would be in the top five in the PCL if they had enough innngs to qualify. RHP Brad Peacock's 2.73 ERA would put him in second place in the league ahead of Asher Wojciechowski and RHP Jake Buchanan's 3.00 ERA would land him in the top five. Peacock's 1.101 WHIP and Buchanan's 1.156 WHIP would rank second and third in the league.

Also of particular note is RHP Jason Stoffel's 2.22 ERA and 1.130 WHIP in 34 appearances out of the bullpen. His stats are actually better than the recently promoted RHP Josh Zeid, although Zeid is tied for eighth in the league in saves, despite moving into the closer role later in the season.

Oklahoma City is making a strong, late push for a division title and playoff berth. A ten-game win streak has pushed them into first place in the division with a three-game lead over Albuquerque. How the RedHawks will do for the remainder of the season and into the playoffs will depend greatly on how the team fares after the recent callups of so many of their players and who else may be called up in September.

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

Random Thoughts on My Oklahoma City Trip

This trip wasn't as successful for me, karma-wise, as most of my minor league sojourns have proven to be. I only brought the RedHawks one win out of three games, but I was still able to get a few pictures and grab a couple of interviews that I'll be posting over the next few days. In the meantime, a few random thoughts and pictures to tide you over ...

First off, do yourself a favor if you go to Oklahoma City to catch a few games. Stay at the Hampton Inn in Bricktown in one of the ballpark view rooms. Here was my view:

It took all my self-control not to run back to the room on Sunday to watch the game rather than sitting through Sunday's excess heat and humidity (with nary a breeze to be found).

By the way, Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark is a very nice park and really incorporates a great deal of Oklahoma baseball history into the park with statues of Johnny Bench, Warren Spahn and Mickey Mantle adorning the exterior, among many other nods to the past.

Note to self: You are apparently allergic to Oklahoma City. Pack extra allergy meds next time.

[NOTE: Serious baseball people, i.e., those with no sense of humor, may want to skip this next part.] I've never seen so many players with beautiful blue eyes on one team before. In particular, I kept staring at Ross Seaton and Robbie Grossman. I was already feeling stalkerish with the camera, but dang, they have pretty eyes. (The picture of Seaton does not do his eyes justice!)

Ross Seaton - June 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Robbie Grossman - June 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Note to Self: Getting on an early morning flight back to Houston and then trying to work a 10-hour day? Bad idea.

I tweeted on Friday that Justin Maxwell was NOT wearing high socks, a fact that caused much consternation among some of his Houston fans who follow me on twitter. I asked him about it the next day, and he had a very simple explanation. He didn't have the right socks to wear with the RedHawks uni. His orange socks would have clashed.

Josh Zeid and Brett Oberholtzer are both really nice guys. I enjoyed talking with both of them about all things baseball. I also met Zeid's wife of roughly five months. Let me just say this ... he did good (and they are going to have some very tall children).

I really enjoy watching Jake Elmore play. He puts maximum effort into everything he does and he has fun doing it. Jonathan Villar also stood out for me. Not only was he pretty impressive with the bat, he now also seems much more comfortable in the field. I have been tough on Villar in the past, but he looks much more polished and ready now than what I've seen from him in the past.

Note to Self: Traveling two weekends in a row? Another bad idea.

It seems as though something noteworthy always happens when I visit a minor league venue. On Sunday I got to see Jon Singleton's AAA debut in which he hit two doubles that were very close to leaving the ballpark.

Jon Singleton - June 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

But it was Friday night's pitching that was probably the most unusual feature of my visit. The game was a lopsided losing proposition and the bullpen was taxed by extra innings from the prior night, so outfielders Andy Simunic and Che-Hsuan Lin were called upon to pitch and did quite nicely, thank you very much! I recorded a portion of the action. I also talked to Andy the next day and my interview with him will be coming out later this week. 

In addition to the interview with Simunic, I'll have interviews with Jarred Cosart and Asher Wojciechowski coming out this week as well. Many thanks to Alex and Lisa for their assistance!

Oklahoma City Season Preview and Opening Day Roster

Pitching, pitching, pitching. That's what stands out on the opening day roster of the Oklahoma City RedHawks team. It will be an adjustment for the pitchers and an adjustment for minor league aficionados as the starting pitchers piggyback for the early part of the season, but it is a reflection of the increasing depth of the Astros minor league system.

Last season, the collective ERA for the RedHawks team was 4.89 and the WHIP was 1.508. Eight out of the nine pitchers on this year's roster who got starts at AAA last season had a lower ERA and seven out of the nine had a lower WHIP. Those nine had a collective 46-34 record at AAA.

John Ely, who went 14-7 in the Dodgers system in 2012, may regress somewhat, but everyone else looks to either hold steady or improve. Dallas Keuchel and Jordan Lyles should dominate back in AAA. Brett Oberholtzer spent significant time at AAA last year and was stronger toward the end of the season, so look for his numbers to improve. Rudy Owens should remain effective in his third season at AAA. Jarred Cosart and Jose Cisnero both spent limited time at AAA last season and should benefit from more time at the level. I look for Cisnero to make large strides toward the end of the season and for Cosart to be Cosart. It is doubtful that Wes Musick will be used as a starter unless someone stumbles, but he had success in his limited time as a starter at Oklahoma City in 2012.

That leaves us with Paul Clemens. Clemens put up an 8-8 record at Oklahoma City in 2012 with a 6.73 ERA and a 1.741 WHIP before ending the season back at Corpus Christi. He will either improve on those numbers or he will end up in the bullpen, which may end up being a very good thing based on his dazzling work out of the bullpen during Spring Training.

As to the bullpen, C.J. Fick and Jose Valdez both have significant experience at AAA and some MLB experience as well. Valdez was highly effective at AAA last season but for a stretch during which he was injured. Josh Zeid and Kevin Chapman will be getting their first taste of AAA and will likely have to adjust somewhat, but having the experience of pitching successfully in the very tough Texas League should help to ease that transition.

The 2012 RedHawks team had a collective batting average of .282/.349/.434. I don't look for this team to do that well, at least not initially. Jimmy Paredes, Trevor Crowe, Brandon Laird and Jake Elmore will likely be the best overall hitters to start the season. The collective catching staff will likely hit around .250/.330/.370 or so, and Che-Hsuan Lin has only hit .256/.347/.344 in his six minor league seasons.

The keys to the offense are two-fold. First, Marc Krauss, Jose Martinez and Jake Goebbert will all need to catch up to the AAA level. Each of those players struggled somewhat in limited time at Oklahoma City last season. If they can recreate their success at the lower levels, it will go a long way toward shoring up the offense. Secondly, this year will be the first taste of AAA for Robbie Grossman and Jonathan Villar and there is no way of knowing how they will handle that challenge. I'm not counting on Jon Singleton's contributions as I don't think he will spend much time at Oklahoma City after his suspension ends; I expect him to be fast-tracked to Houston shortly thereafter.

It is very difficult to predict any minor league team's season, but it is most difficult to predict AAA as the opening day roster and closing day roster will look very, very different. Several of these players could end the season in Houston. Some may be traded or released. However, with that said, I'm game to make a prediction.

Last season, the RedHawks ended the year with a 78-65 record in 143 games or a .545 win percentage. I think that the 2013 team will win fewer games with their bats, but the pitching depth will more than make up for that so I predict the team will improve on that record. Let's say somewhere between 82-62 and 85-59 and playoff bound.

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 on the road vs. Memphis. The schedule can be found here and all games will be available on MiLB.tv.

PITCHERS

Kevin Chapman*

Jose Cisnero

Paul Clemens

Jarred Cosart

John Ely

C.J. Fick

Dallas Keuchel*

Jordan Lyles

Wes Musick*

Brett Oberholtzer*

Rudy Owens*

Jose Valdez

Josh Zeid

CATCHERS

Cody Clark

Jason Jaramillo#

Chris Wallace

INFIELDERS

Jake Elmore

Marc Krauss*

Brandon Laird

Jose Martinez

Jonathan Villar#

OUTFIELDERS

Trevor Crowe#

Jake Goebbert*

Robbie Grossman#

Che-Hsuan Lin

Jimmy Paredes#

* - denotes left-hander

# - denotes switch-hitter

Next Up: Season Preview for Corpus Christi (tomorrow or whenever I get it written)

The Futurists - OKC Starting Pitchers

Over at The Futurists blog, I look at how the Oklahoma City pitching staff stacks up so far.  I think you'll be happy with what you'll see!

Oklahoma City Preview

Based on this opening day roster for Oklahoma City, I feel pretty confident in saying that they will be better than their 2011 counterparts, but how much better may be a little more difficult for me to predict.

If I tell you that the five pitchers representing the most starts at OKC in 2011 were Sergio Perez, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Andy Van Hekken, Nelson Figueroa and Jordan Lyles, and I go on to tell you that the 2012 starters are projected to be Paul Clemens, Aneury Rodriguez, Henry Sosa, Dallas Keuchel and Jordan Lyles, would you agree that 2012 is an upgrade?  Yeah, I thought so.

Not only did your starting rotation go from an average age of 28.4 years to 23.8 years, three of those pitchers received significant MLB experience in 2011.  In addition, Keuchel and Clemens got their feet wet in AAA last season which should help them adjust to the level.

If you projected wins and losses for the entire 2012 OKC pitching staff based on their 2011 numbers with zero improvement, they would emerge at the end of the season with roughly the same number of wins and losses.  But I absolutely expect improvement with this group.

In looking at the offense, the 2012 roster projects to be an upgrade in terms of batting average and slugging percentage over the 2011 group.  I think that projection will hold because there are a number of individuals with significant experience at the level on the roster who have a history of success at that level.

In 2011, Oklahoma had a record of 68 wins and 75 losses, a .476 win percentage, and that was with Ryan Rowland-Smith going 2-10.  I know this group can do better than that.  The wild card on this is that the PCL looks to be a stronger league this season than last season with some of the talent that didn't quite make the cut on the big league rosters.  But with that said, I think the worst case scenario for the season is 76 wins and 68 losses, a .527 win percentage.

Oklahoma City Roster

OPENING DAY ROSTER FOR OKLAHOMA CITY REDHAWKS
CURRENT ROSTER (REFLECTING ANY CHANGES AFTER OPENING DAY)
OKLAHOMA CITY SEASON PREVIEW

PITCHERS
RHP Juan Abreu
RHP Jonathan Aristil
LHP Xavier Cedeno - started on DL
RHP Paul Clemens
RHP Enerio del Rosario
RHP Adalberto Flores
LHP Dallas Keuchel
RHP Jordan Lyles
RHP Sergio Perez
RHP Aneury Rodriquez
RHP Henry Sosa
RHP Mickey Storey
RHP Jose Valdez

CATCHERS
Carlos Corporan#
Landon Powell

INFIELDERS
Diory Hernandez
Mike Hessman
Scott Moore
Jimmy Paredes#
Angel Sanchez
Brett Wallace*

OUTFIELDERS
Collin Delome*
Jake Goebbert* - sent to CC 2nd day of season
Fernando Martinez*
Justin Ruggiano
J.B. Shuck*
Brad Snyder*

*Bats left
#Switch-hitter