Fresno Grizzlies: 2015 Season in Review

Fresno ended the season with a 84-59 record and they earned their playoff spot the old-fashioned way ... by winning their division. No messing about with wild cards and mini-series and semifinals, just an outright division win. And they won it convincingly, 13.5 games over their closest competitor. The Grizzlies then defeated the El Paso Chihuahuas 3-1 in a best-of-five to win the Conference and advance to the finals against Round Rock. Fresno lost Game 1 of the finals to Round Rock in painful (for me since I was attending) fashion in 12 innings, followed by a win in Game 2 and a loss in Game 3, leading to TWO must-win games. Which they did, thank you very much! And they went on to win the Gildan Triple A National Championship game against the Columbus Clippers on Tuesday so they are officially the Kings of the World!!! (Or at least of the minor leagues.) Now let's see how the team performed within the league and who the team standouts were ...

James Hoyt - September 2015

Note all rankings are out of 16 total teams

FRESNO GRIZZLIES TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .274 (8th)
On-base percentage: .357 (1st)
Slugging percentage: .416 (8th)
Doubles: 243 (13th)
Triples: 36 (8th)
Home runs: 124 (T7th)
Walks: 606 (1st)
Strikeouts: 1014 (10th)
Stolen bases: 157 (T1st)

FRESNO GRIZZLIES TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 4.24 (9th)
WHIP: 1.369 (7th)
Walks: 417 (14th)
Strikeouts: 1096 (3rd)

FRESNO GRIZZLIES BATTING LEADERS (minimum 50 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: Tyler White (.362)
On-Base Percentage: Tyler White (.467)
Slugging Percentage: Tyler White (.559 - after Santana who was traded)
Doubles: Matt Duffy (29)
Triples: Nolan Fontana (6)
Home Runs: Jon Singleton (22 - T7th in the league)
RBI: Matt Duffy (104 - 2nd in the league)
Stolen Bases: Jonathan Villar (35 - 1st in the league)
Walks: Nolan Fontana (74 - 2nd in the league)
Runs: Matt Duffy (94 - 1st in the league)

Tyler White didn't have enough at-bats at the level to qualify as a league leader, but old friend Domingo Santana (traded to the Brewers) ended the season as third in the league in average, second in the league in on-base percentage and first in the league in slugging. Now let's look a little closer at some of the team standouts.

3B/1B Matt Duffy (26)
Shortly after earning MVP honors for the Pacific Coast League, Duffy was called up to Houston as recognition of his great season. In 127 games, Duffy hit .294/.366/.484 with 29 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs and 104 RBI.

1B Jon Singleton (24)
In 102 games for Fresno, Singleton hit .254/.359/.505 with 25 doubles, two triples, 22 home runs and 83 RBI. He walked 64 times to 99 strikeouts.

OF L.J. Hoes (25)
Hoes had a great season for Fresno. In his 99 regular season games for the team, he hit .295/.383/.400 with 24 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 53 RBI. He also stole 26 bases to 8 caught stealing and walked 52 times to 62 strikeouts.

OF Alex Presley (30)
In 89 games for Fresno, Presley hit .292/.345/.367 with 14 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 49 RBI and 15 stolen bases.

3B Tyler White (24)
White did well in his 59 games with Corpus Christi (.284/.415/.426), but he kicked it into overdrive following his early July promotion to Fresno (.362/.467/.559 in 57 games). He ended the season with a combined 25 doubles, one triple, 14 home runs and 99 RBI. He walked 84 times and struck out 73.

IF/UT Joe Sclafani (25)
As a bench/utility player, Sclafani didn't see regular playing time, but he hit a very nice .300/.381/.345 in 72 games and got stronger at the plate as the season progressed.

In the Corpus Christi season review, I touched on three players who spent parts of their seasons with Corpus Christi and put up very good numbers at the lower level, but all three also put up very respectable numbers at Fresno and I look for them to build on that experience next year: IF Tony Kemp (.273/.334/.362 in 71 games), OF Andrew Aplin (.275/.392/.348 in 74 games) and C Tyler Heineman (.271/.312/.370 in 56 games).

FRESNO GRIZZLIES PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 50IP for ERA and WHIP)
ERA: Jordan Jankowski (3.18 in 62.1IP)
WHIP: Brett Oberholtzer (1.186 in 70IP)
Strikeouts: Dan Straily (124 - 1st in the league)
Saves: James Hoyt (9)

In looking at the standouts for the season, let's start with Team Rehab. RHP Tyson Perez had a terrific season before going on the DL in late August. For the season (including three appearances for Corpus Christi, Perez had a 2.45 ERA and a 0.986 WHIP in 42 appearances. Perez underwent surgery this week. I believe that it was Tommy John surgery, but I have not seen that confirmed yet. LHP Tommy Shirley was building on his great 2014 season when he disappeared to Weiland Island at the end of May. In 11 games (7 starts), he had a 3.07 ERA and a 1.049 WHIP. Unfortunately, I don't know his status.

RHP Mike Hauschild (25)
Hauschild started the season with Corpus Christi, compiling a 3.20 ERA and a 1.204 WHIP in 10 games (8 starts) before earning a mid-June promotion to Fresno. Following the promotion, Hauschild had a 3.49 ERA and a 1.289 WHIP in 15 starts. His 138.1 total innings pitched were the most in the Astros minor leagues this season.

RHP Jordan Jankowski (26)
Jankowski had a really solid season for Fresno (3.18 ERA/1.428 WHIP) anchoring their bullpen. He ended the season on a high note as he didn't allow a run in his final 13 appearances of the regular season. He also didn't allow a home run in 55 regular season appearances (62.1 innings), a streak which came to an end in the postseason.

RHP James Hoyt (28)
Hoyt missed almost a month on the DL from mid-May to mid-June. After his return from the DL, Hoyt allowed only six earned runs in his final 33 appearances to end the season with 3.49 ERA, a 1.204 WHIP and nine saves.

LHP Brett Oberholtzer (26)
In 12 starts for the Grizzlies, Oberholtzer had a 3.86 ERA and a 1.186 WHIP. He walked only 12 and struck out 52 in 70 innings at the level.

There was a whole group of pitchers at the level that had uneven seasons and could be brilliant one day and struggle the next, including LHP Luis Cruz, RHP Mark Appel, RHP Brady Rodgers, LHP Kevin Chapman, RHP Jake Buchanan, RHP Dan Straily, and RHP Asher Wojciechowski. No one exemplifies this better than Mark Appel. On August 12th, Appel went eight innings, allowing only four hits, one walk, one run and he struck out eight. In his next start he lasted only 4.2 innings and allowed nine runs (six earned) on 12 hits and two walks and struck out three.

In an interview with Kevin Chapman a couple years ago, he told me that the main difference between the minor leagues and the major leagues is consistency, the difference between doing well 90% of the time and doing well 95% of the time. It is also the thing that drives minor league fans crazy as they want to see a favorite player find that consistency and succeed. It is my sincere belief that each of these talented pitchers are capable of making that final leap and that each one will have a successful major league career.

Previous Season Reviews:
Dominican Summer League Astros
Gulf Coast League Astros
Greeneville Astros

Tri-City ValleyCats
Quad Cities River Bandits

Lancaster JetHawks
Corpus Christi Hooks

Corpus Christi Hooks: 2015 Season in Review

Corpus Christi ended the season with a 89-51 record, which was the most wins in the minors in 2015. The Hooks clinched their playoff berth by virtue of winning the first half of the season and although they won the first game of the Southern Division playoffs, they lost the next three in the best of five to Midland. Midland went on to sweep the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in the Texas League finals. Let's take a look at the team performance within the league and some of the individual standouts.

Jon Kemmer - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Note all rankings are out of 8 total teams

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .275 (2nd)
On-base percentage: .365 (virtual tie for 1st)
Slugging percentage: .413 (3rd)
Doubles: 243 (3rd)
Triples: 29 (3rd)
Home runs: 117 (T2nd)
Walks: 569 (2nd)
Strikeouts: 997 (5th)
Stolen bases: 148 (2nd)

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 3.62 (2nd)
WHIP: 1.330 (3rd)
Walks: 409 (8th)
Strikeouts: 1042 (4th)

The team was strong across the board in terms of both pitching and offense. Let's take a look at some who excelled at the level.

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS BATTING LEADERS (minimum 50 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: Tony Kemp (.358)
On-Base Percentage: Tony Kemp (.457)
Slugging Percentage: Jon Kemmer (.574 - 1st in the league)
Doubles: Conrad Gregor (29 - T8th in the league)
Triples: Jon Kemmer, Brett Phillips and Andrew Aplin were tied with 4 each
Home Runs: Jon Kemmer (18 - T2nd in the league)
RBI: Conrad Gregor (73 - 5th in the league)
Stolen Bases: Teoscar Hernandez (33 - 3rd in the league)
Walks: Conrad Gregor (65 - 6th in the league)
Runs: Teoscar Hernandez (92 - 2nd in the league)

The batting average and on-base leader is a bit misleading due to my arbitrary 50 game minimum. Jon Kemmer in his 104 games at the level was the actual league leader in average and ranked second in on-base percentage for all qualified players.

OF Jon Kemmer (24)
Kemmer had a remarkable season and silenced any detractors that felt his 2014 numbers were impacted by the Lancaster effect. In 104 games, he hit .327/.414/.574 with 28 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, 65 RBI and nine stolen bases. He also walked 45 times to 89 strikeouts. Kemmer won the batting title for the Texas League and was named the Hooks Player of the Year.

3B Colin Moran (22)
Moran started off the season a little slowly (for him) and ended up missing a month due to a freak jaw injury he suffered in a game at the end of April. It took a while for him to get back up to speed, but he kicked it into high gear after the All-Star break, hitting .333/.416/.526 in 59 games after the break and .306/.381/.459 with 25 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 67 RBI in 96 total games for the season. Moran was called up to AAA for the playoffs when Matt Duffy got the call to Houston.

C Alfredo Gonzalez (23)
Gonzalez started the season with Quad Cities (.326/.482/.395 in 13 games), was promoted to Lancaster in early May (.340/.388/.425 in 27 games) and was promoted again to Corpus Christi in early July (.300/.395/.320 in 32 games). Gonzalez is a good defensive catcher as well and had a 47% caught stealing rate for the season (although there is that matter of the 11 passed balls).

3B Tyler White (24)
White spent roughly half of his season with Corpus Christi (.284/.415/.426 in 59 games) before his early July promotion to Fresno (.362/.467/.559 in 57 games). He ended the season with a combined 25 doubles, one triple, 14 home runs and 99 RBI. He walked 84 times and struck out 73.

Jack Mayfield (24)
Mayfield fared better in his 66 games at Lancaster (.303/.370/.458) than he did in his first 48 games with Corpus Christi (.260/.330/.416), but he ended the season with a very respectable .286/.354/.441 for the season. Mayfield had a combined 19 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs and 65 RBI in 114 games.

Three other players spent portions of their seasons with Corpus and did very well at the level: IF Tony Kemp (.358/.457/.420 in 50 games), OF Andrew Aplin (.343/.458/.448 in 31 games) and C Tyler Heineman (.318/.383/.400 in 22 games). 1B A.J. Reed hit .332/.405/.571 in 53 games at Corpus following his mid-July promotion. See the Lancaster season in review (link below) for much more information about Reed.

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 50IP for ERA and WHIP)
ERA: Jandel Gustave (2.15 in 58.2IP)
WHIP: Michael Feliz (0.915 in 78.2IP)
Strikeouts: Chris Devenski (104 - 6th in the league)
Saves: Jandel Gustave (20 - 2nd in the league)

The 2015 Corpus Christi pitching class was mostly known for a trio of pitchers who were called directly to the big leagues from there: RHP Michael Feliz (2.17 ERA and 0.915 WHIP in 78.2IP); RHP Vince Velasquez (1.91 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in 33IP); and RHP Lance McCullers (0.56 ERA and 0.938 WHIP in 32IP). But there were others who had excellent seasons at the level as well.

RHP Chris Devenski (24)
Devenski got a little off track in the middle of the season, but he started it with a bang and ended it with a bang too! Before the All-Star break, Devenski was 7-1 with a 1.16 ERA and a 0.914 WHIP in 70 innings pitched. He ended the season with a callup to Fresno to help out with their postseason needs and an MVP award in his back pocket for his start in the AAA National Championship. For the season, Devenski had a 3.01 ERA (2nd in the league) and a 1.253 WHIP (5th in the league) in 119.2 innings of work. Devenski was recently named the Hooks Pitcher of the Year.

RHP Jandel Gustave (22)
The Astros front office has got to be VERY happy that Gustave was returned after being claimed in the Rule 5 draft last December. In 46 appearances for the Hooks (58.2IP), Gustave had a 2.15 ERA, a 1.295 WHIP and 20 saves.

RHP Aaron West (25)
After an injury shortened season in 2014, West came back to shine in 2015. After a few early starts, he was moved to the bullpen with excellent results and ended the season with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.126 WHIP in 84.1 innings pitched (30 appearances/4 starts).

RHP Joe Musgrove (22)
I touched on Musgrove in my Lancaster season review, but the young right-hander continued to impress after his mid-June promotion to Corpus Christi where he compiled a 2.20 ERA and a 0.911 WHIP in eight appearances (seven starts). For the season, Musgrove had a 1.88 ERA and a 0.924 WHIP in 100.2 innings, walking only eight batters all season while striking out 99. And, if you missed my awards post from yesterday, he was also my Pitcher of the Year.

LHP Chris Cotton (24)
After Cotton's late May promotion to Corpus Christi, he had a 3.05 ERA and a 1.185 WHIP in 33 bullpen appearances. Cotton received another promotion to Fresno at the end of the season and ended the year with a combined 2.60 ERA and a 1.139 WHIP in 48 appearances.

Starter RHP Mike Hauschild (3.20 ERA and 1.204 WHIP in 50.2IP) did well at the level prior to his mid-June promotion to Fresno as did bullpen pitcher RHP Juan Minaya (3.25 ERA and 1.331 WHIP in 44.1IP) prior to his late August promotion to AAA.

Previous Season Reviews:
Dominican Summer League Astros
Gulf Coast League Astros
Greeneville Astros

Tri-City ValleyCats
Quad Cities River Bandits

Lancaster JetHawks

Lancaster JetHawks: 2015 Season in Review

Lancaster ended the season with a 75-65 record in third place in their division, three games behind High Desert and Rancho Cucamonga who were tied for first. The JetHawks made it to the playoffs as a wild card and, although they won the first game in the three-game South Division mini-series which would have sent them to the Division Finals, they ultimately dropped the next two games to High Desert and did not advance. Let's take a look at the team performance within the league and some of the individual standouts.

Keegan Yuhl - May 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Note all rankings are out of 10 total teams

LANCASTER JETHAWKS TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .291 (1st)
On-base percentage: .369 (1st)
Slugging percentage: .481 (1st)
Doubles: 288 (T3rd)
Triples: 67 (1st)
Home runs: 174 (1st)
Walks: 588 (1st)
Strikeouts: 1196 (3rd)
Stolen bases: 115 (5th)

As you can see, this team had a ton of power and also drew a lot of walks, but they also struck out at a fairly high clip.

LANCASTER JETHAWKS TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 4.60 (7th)
WHIP: 1.417 (7th)
Walks: 463 (2nd)
Strikeouts: 1183 (5th)

A 4.60 ERA might not sound that impressive to some, but it is very good for a team that played half of their games in The Hangar and another dozen or so games in High Desert. That 4.60 mark was the best for the JetHawks since 2008. That walk rate on the other hand ... not so good. But before we dive any further into the pitching on the team, let's first look at some of the offensive standouts.

LANCASTER JETHAWKS BATTING LEADERS (minimum 50 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: A.J. Reed (.346 - 1st in the league)
On-Base Percentage: A.J. Reed (.449 - 1st in the league)
Slugging Percentage: A.J. Reed (.638 - 1st in the league)
Doubles: James Ramsay (32)
Triples: Ronnie Mitchell (11 - T2nd in the league)
Home Runs: Chase McDonald (30 - T2nd in the league)
RBI: J.D. Davis (101 - 2nd in the league)
Stolen Bases: Derek Fisher (23 - 8th in the league)
Walks: A.J. Reed (59 - 2nd in the league)
Runs: J.D. Davis (93 - 3rd in the league)

1B A.J. Reed (22)
Reed may have been promoted to Corpus Christi in mid-July, but he spent enough time in the California League to lead the league in several categories and to win the league Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player and Postseason All-Star awards. Reed slashed .346/.449/.638 with 16 doubles, four triples, 23 home runs, 81 RBI and 59 walks to 73 strikeouts in his 82 games at that level.

1B Chase McDonald (23)
McDonald's playing time increased following Reed's promotion to Corpus and he ended the season with a .279/.358/.592 line over 105 games with 30 doubles, one triple, 30 home runs and 80 RBI. McDonald's slugging percentage was second in the league behind only A.J. Reed.

3B J.D. Davis (22)
Davis had a great sophomore season, hitting .280/.370/.520 with 28 doubles, three triples, 26 home runs and 101 RBI in 120 games.

OF James Ramsay (23)
Ramsay really came into his own in 2015, hitting a robust .322/.384/.463 with 32 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 64 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 127 games. His average and on-base percentage were third in the league; he was second in the league in hits with 160; and his 88 runs scored were fourth in the league.

OF Ronnie Mitchell (24)
Aside from leading the Astros systems in triples, Mitchell had a very nice season, hitting .286/.356/.496 with 27 doubles, 11 triples, 12 home runs and 72 RBI.

SS Alex Bregman (21)
The 2015 first round draft pick spent only 29 games with Quad Cities before his promotion to Lancaster where he hit .319/.364/.475 with eight doubles, four triples, three home runs, 21 RBI, eight stolen bases to four caught stealing and 12 walks to 17 strikeouts in 37 games. For the season, Bregman hit .294/.366/.415 with 13 doubles, four triples, four home runs, 34 RBI, 13 stolen bases to six stolen bases and 29 walks to 30 strikeouts in 66 total games.

Several other players were promoted to Lancaster during the season as well. Here's a look at their numbers with Lancaster and their season totals:

IF Mott Hyde (23)
.312/.384/.447 24-2B 4-3B 2HR 49RBI in 74 games at Lancaster
.304/.384/.433 40-2B 5-3B 3HR 67RBI in 124 games for the season

OF Derek Fisher (22)
.262/.354/.471 10-2B 7-3B 16HR 63RBI in 84 games for Lancaster
.275/.364/.483 21-2B 8-3B 22HR 87RBI in 123 games for the season

C Jamie Ritchie (22)
.308/.422/.444 11-2B 2-3B 1HR 8RBI in 39 games at Lancaster
.281/.426/.393 21-2B 4-3B 5HR 35RBI in 111 games for the season

OF Sean McMullen (23)
.293/.394/.511 8-2B 3-3B 2HR 16RBI in 25 games at Lancaster
.255/.343/.429 21-2B 6-3B 7HR 48RBI in 91 games for the season

A few other players were promoted from Lancaster to Corpus Christi during the 2015 season. We'll look at Jack Mayfield and Alfredo Gonzalez, in particular, in conjunction with the Corpus season review, but I did want to make a special note regarding OF Danry Vasquez. Vasquez hit .315/.365/.470 in 40 games in Lancaster, but was unable to duplicate those numbers in his 73 games for the Hooks. He was hitting much better by the end of the season, though, and is over three years younger than the average Texas League position player so there is no reason to believe that Vasquez won't be able to make the necessary adjustments to fully catch up with the higher levels at some point.

LANCASTER JETHAWKS PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 50IP for ERA and WHIP)
ERA: Keegan Yuhl (1.94 in 79IP)
WHIP: Keegan Yuhl (1.203 in 79IP)
Strikeouts: Troy Scribner (111 in 100IP)
Saves: Tyler Brunnemann (5)

It is sometimes difficult to gauge how well a pitcher has done in the California League so I'm going to simply point out a few pitchers that thrived at the level, and a few more that did a good job of surviving it.

RHP Keegan Yuhl (23)
Yuhl was promoted from Quad Cities in mid-May and was so successful with the JetHawks that he earned a spot in the starting rotation by mid-July. Yuhl was 4-1 with a 1.94 ERA and a 1.203 WHIP in 24 appearances (8 starts) for Lancaster. For the season, he compiled a 1.74 ERA and a 1.139 WHIP in 98.1 innings of work.

LHP Brian Holmes (24)
Holmes flourished with Lancaster this season leading to his late May promotion to Corpus Christi. In seven games (four starts) at the level, he had a 2.37 ERA and a 0.923 WHIP over 30.1 innings.

RHP Frances Martes (19)
Martes spent the bulk of his season with Quad Cities where he had a 1.04 ERA and a 0.885 WHIP in 52 innings, but he excelled at Lancaster as well with a 2.31 ERA and a 1.114 WHIP in 35 innings. He was promoted to Corpus Christi in late August and ended the season with a 2.04 ERA and a 1.092 WHIP in 101.2 innings over 19 games (16 starts).

RHP Joe Musgrove (22)
Musgrove also climbed the ladder this season and compiled a 2.40 ERA and a 0.967 WHIP in six games (four starts) for Lancaster. (Look for more about Joe in the Hooks season review coming soon.)

LHP Bryan Radziewski (23)
Following Radziewski's early May promotion to Lancaster, he put together a very solid season with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.357 WHIP in 84 innings at the level (18 games/14 starts). For the season, Radziewski had a 3.48 ERA and a 1.264 WHIP in 106 innings of work.

RHP Kevin Comer (23)
Comer's 4.45 ERA and 1.324 WHIP in 62.2 innings pitched for Lancaster following his early June promotion to Lancaster were solid, but he really excelled down the stretch when he was used solely out of the bullpen. In 30.1 innings out of the bullpen for the JetHawks, he had a 1.78 ERA and a 0.857 WHIP.

RHP Michael Freeman (23)
The 2015 7th round draft pick made quick work of Lancaster following an early August promotion from Quad Cities, compiling a 0.49 ERA and a 0.709 WHIP in seven bullpen appearances (18.1IP) before receiving an early September promotion to Corpus Christi. He ended the season with a combined 1.17 ERA and a 0.991 WHIP in 17 games (38.1IP).

LHP Chris Cotton (24)
Cotton's introduction to Lancaster last season was a tad bit rough, but he came back in 2015 and tamed the beast, putting up a 1.40 ERA and a 1.052 WHIP in 13 appearances (25.2IP) at the level before receiving a late May promotion to Corpus Christi.

RHP Edison Frias (24)
Frias managed a very respectable 4.18 ERA and a 1.280 WHIP in 79.2 innings over his 18 games (14 starts) for Lancaster prior to his August 1st promotion to Corpus Christi.

RHP Michael Feliz (22)
I'll be honest. I totally forgot that Feliz started the season with Lancaster, but he managed a solid 4.41 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP in eight games (five starts) at the level prior to his late May promotion to Corpus Christi.

RHP Tyler Brunnemann (24)
Brunnemann had a 3.50 ERA and a 1.232 WHIP in 38 bullpen appearances for Lancaster prior to a late August promotion to Corpus. He walked 22 and struck out 70 in 61.2 innings.

LHP Steve Naemark (25)
Naemark only tossed 4.1 innings for the JetHawks (2.08 ERA and 0.923 WHIP), but it was the last stop on his remarkable journey that saw him drafted in the 40th round and promoted three times in a little over two month's time. He ended the season with a 1.47 ERA and a 0.880 WHIP in 21 bullpen appearances (30.2 innings).

Previous Season Reviews:
Dominican Summer League Astros
Gulf Coast League Astros
Greeneville Astros

Tri-City ValleyCats
Quad Cities River Bandits

Quad Cities River Bandits: 2015 Season in Review

Quad Cities led the minor leagues for most of the season in wins, but ultimately finished with one fewer win than Corpus Christi. However, due to the fact that they played one fewer game (and had one game declared a tie), Quad Cities ended up leading the way in win percentage over the Hooks .638 to .636. Quad Cities advanced to the playoffs by winning the first half, but fell to Cedar Rapids in the quarterfinals and did not advance. Let's take a look at the team performance within the league and some of the individual standouts.

Nick Tanielu - August 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Note all rankings are out of 16 total teams

QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .265 (3rd)
On-base percentage: .346 (1st)
Slugging percentage: .380 (2nd)
Doubles: 221 (9th)
Triples: 45 (T4th)
Home runs: 72 (T6th)
Walks: 560 (1st)
Strikeouts: 1025 (10th)
Stolen bases: 145 (4th)

QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 2.65 (1st)
WHIP: 1.152 (1st)
Walks: 394 (12th)
Strikeouts: 1075 (5th)

The offense was extremely strong on this team, but the pitching was on a whole different level!!! Let's look at some of the team standouts.

QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS BATTING LEADERS (minimum 50 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: Nick Tanielu (.308 - 5th in the league)
On-Base Percentage: Jamie Ritchie (.428 - promoted to Lancaster after 72 games)
Slugging Percentage: Nick Tanielu (.434)
Doubles: Nick Tanielu (27)
Triples: Ramon Laureano (8 - T3rd in the league)
Home Runs: Jason Martin (8)
RBI: Nick Tanielu (70 - 5th in the league)
Stolen Bases: Bobby Boyd (40 - 3rd in the league)
Walks: Jamie Ritchie (70 - T1st in the league)
Runs: Bobby Boyd (67)

In actuality, C Jacob Nottingham led the team in batting average, slugging and home runs in his 59 games at the level before his promotion to Lancaster and his trade to Oakland. Another player who made his mark prior to his mid-July promotion to Lancaster was C Jamie Ritchie. The fact that Ritchie was tied for first in the league in walks despite having spent almost two months of the season elsewhere is a testament to his on-base skills. Ritchie ended the season with a combined .281/.426/.393 line with 95 walks to 81 strikeouts in 111 games. Let's look at a few of the other team offensive standouts.

3B Nick Tanielu (23)
Tanielu (who just turned 23 on September 4th) emerged as a team leader during his 2015 campaign. In 110 games, the 2014 14th round pick hit a very consistent .308/.354/.434 with 27 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 70 RBI.

OF Bobby Boyd (22)
The 2014 8th rounder put his speed to good use in 2015, collecting 40 stolen bases to 12 caught stealing. He ended the season with a .283/.347/.363 line in 117 games.

1B Bryan Muniz (22)
Muniz did not fare well in his first stint with Quad Cities, but after a detour to Tri-City, he returned and excelled for the Banditos. For the season, the 2014 22nd rounder hit a combined .288/.400/.446 with 22 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 48 RBI and 44 walks to only 43 strikeouts in 74 games between the two venues, 45 with Quad Cities.

OF Jason Martin (20)
Martin just turned 20 earlier this month and was almost two and a half years younger than the average Midwest League position player. With that in mind, Martin's .270/.346/.396 batting line with 12 doubles, seven triples, eight home runs and 57 RBI in 105 games seems just that much more impressive. Martin was drafted in the 8th round in 2013.

Also of particular note are three players who spent part of their seasons with Quad Cities prior to promotions: OF Derek Fisher (.305/.386/.510 in 39 games); IF Mott Hyde (.292/.385/.410 in 50 games); and C Trent Woodward (.294/.363/.33 in 31 games).

QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 50IP for ERA and WHIP)
ERA: Francis Martes (1.04 in 52IP)
WHIP: Francis Martes (0.885 in 52IP)
Strikeouts: Brock Dykxhoorn (94 in 109IP)
Saves: Angel Heredia (13 - 7th in the league)

With 37 pitchers having pitched at least a part of their season and a team ERA of 2.65, it's going to be difficult to write up every single standout on this team, but I'll do my best. Pitching Coach Dave Borkowski did a fantastic job with this crew! First let's look at a few of the pitchers who ended their seasons with Quad Cities:

RHP Josh James (22)
Although Francis Martes had better numbers than James at the level, James managed to sustain his over a team-leading 116.1 innings. The 2014 34th round pick ended the season with a 2.63 ERA (5th in the league for qualified pitchers) and a 1.229 WHIP (12th in the league).

RHP Dean Deetz (21)
Deetz, the 2014 11th round pick, did very well at Tri-City prior to his late July promotion to Quad Cities, putting up a 2.86 ERA and a 1.129 WHIP in 28.1 innings, but he kicked it into overdrive after the promotion. In 35.1 innings for the River Bandits (7 games/6 starts), Deetz had a 0.76 ERA and a 0.849 WHIP. He allowed only one earned run in his last six appearances and pitched seven no-hit innings on August 24th.

RHP Justin Ferrell (21)
Ferrell also had a terrific season for the River Bandits although he didn't join the team until mid-June. In 12 appearances (11 starts) for Quad Cities, he had a 1.98 ERA and a 1.160 WHIP in 64.2 innings. Ferrell was the 36th round pick in 2014.

RHP Eric Peterson (22)
Peterson made 34 bullpen appearances for a total of 62.2 innings with a 2.59 ERA and a 1.340 WHIP. The 37th round 2014 pick had the highest strikeout per nine ratio on the team with 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

RHP Angel Heredia (23)
Heredia appeared in 27 games for the Bandits out of the bullpen. He had a 2.56 ERA and a 1.029 WHIP in 45.2 innings pitched and his 13 saves were second only in the organization to the Hooks Jandel Gustave.

RHP Riley Ferrell, the 2015 3rd round pick, saw limited action in Quad Cities having spent time on the DL and ended his season with a 1.08 ERA and a 1.380 WHIP in 16 innings of work. RHP Agapito Barrios built on his strong start with Tri-City to end his season with a 1.65 ERA and a 0.768 WHIP in his five starts at the higher level. RHP Rogelio Armenteros was a late promotion to Quad Cities, but pitched nicely in his three starts for the Bandits (2.65 ERA and 0.941 WHIP). Jacob Dorris and Andrew Thome also did very nicely after their late callups to the level.

There were also numerous pitchers who shone at the level before earning promotions:
RHP Joe Musgrove (0.70 ERA and 0.896 WHIP in 25.2IP)
RHP Keegan Yuhl (0.93 ERA and 0.879 WHIP in 19.1IP)
RHP Francis Martes (1.04ERA and 0.885 WHIP in 52IP)
RHP Michael Freeman (1.50 ERA and 1.167 WHIP in 18IP)
RHP Akeem Bostick (1.50 ERA and 0.762 WHIP in 42IP)
LHP Reymin Guduan (0.75 ERA ad 0.750 WHIP in 12IP)
LHP Steve Naemark (1.54 ERA and 1.029 WHIP in 11.2IP)
LHP Bryan Radziewski (2.05 ERA and 0.909 WHIP in 22IP)
RHP David Paulino (1.57 ERA and 0.977 WHIP in 28.2IP)
LHP Jordan Mills (2.25 ERA and 1.312 WHIP in 16IP)
RHP Christian Powell (2.59 ERA and 1.130 WHIP in 48.2IP)
RHP Austin Chrismon (2.96 ERA and 1.027 in 48.2IP)
LHP Albert Minnis (0.00 ERA and 0.522 WHIP in 7.2IP)
RHP Ryan Thompson (2.65 ERA and 1.067 WHIP in 54.1IP)

All told there were 22 pitchers who pitched varying amounts of times on the team who had an ERA below 3.00 AND a WHIP below 1.200. It's really hard to fathom the amount of pitching talent that this team saw in one season.

Previous Season Reviews:
Dominican Summer League Astros
Gulf Coast League Astros
Greeneville Astros
Tri-City ValleyCats

Tri-City ValleyCats: 2015 Season in Review

Tri-City won the Stedler Division for the fourth straight season with their 42-33 record. Unfortunately, they fell to the Staten Island Yankees in the Semifinals and did not advance to the League Championship series. As usual, Tri-City saw quite a few of the first year draftees as well as some talented free agents. Let's take a look at the team performance within the league and some of the individual standouts.

Dexture McCall - August 2014

Photo Courtesy of Bryan Green

Note all rankings are out of 14 total teams

TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .261 (2nd)
On-base percentage: .345 (1st)
Slugging percentage: .367 (2nd)
Doubles: 128 (T4th)
Triples: 14 (13th)
Home runs: 38 (2nd)
Walks: 297 (1st)
Strikeouts: 569 (6th)
Stolen bases: 78 (4th)

TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 3.79 (10th)
WHIP: 1.318 (9th)
Walks: 211 (11th)
Strikeouts: 635 (1st)

The offense was extremely strong on this team, but the pitching was somewhat uneven. Let's look at some of the team standouts.

TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS BATTING LEADERS (minimum 40 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: Bobby Wernes (.346 - 1st in the league)
On-Base Percentage: Bobby Wernes (.434 - 1st in the league)
Slugging Percentage: Aaron Mizell (.423 - 7th in the league)
Doubles: Brooks Marlow and Pat Porter (tied with 15)
Triples: Aaron Mizell (7 - T1st in the league)
Home Runs: Brooks Marlow (6 - T6th in the league)
RBI: Dexture McCall (37 - T6th in the league)
Stolen Bases: Johnny Sewald (31 - 1st in the league)
Walks: Johnny Sewald (46 - T1st in the league)
Runs: Johnny Sewald (57 - 1st in the league)

3B Bobby Wernes (21)
Wernes, the 2015 30th round pick, won the New York-Penn League batting title in his first professional season. In 53 games, he hit .346/.434/.388 with eight doubles, 29 RBI and three stolen bases. He walked 27 times and struck out 27 times.

OF Johnny Sewald (21)
A 14th rounder out of Arizona State, Sewald broke a couple of single season records for Tri-City this season (for runs scored and stolen bases) and ended the season hitting .289/.413/.341 in 70 games.

OF Aaron Mizell (21)
Mizell, the Astros 33rd pick, started his first season with Greeneville but was promoted to Tri-City after only 20 games. For the season, he hit a combined .263/.330/.421 with 14 doubles, a very impressive eight triples, four home runs, 36 RBI and 16 stolen bases.

1B Dexture McCall (21)
McCall is another later round pick (31st round in 2014) who performed quite well for Tri-City this season, hitting .295/.376/.400 with nine doubles, four home runs and 37 RBI in 59 games.

Also of note are a duo who split their time between Tri-City and Quad Cities: OF Drew Ferguson (.328/.418/.586 in 17 games for Tri-City) and 1B Bryan Muniz (.292/.387/.443 in 29 games for Tri-City). Hector Roa slugged .444 in 27 games at the level as well.

TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 30IP for ERA and WHIP)
ERA: Scott Weathersby (2.48 in 32.2IP)
WHIP: Scott Weathersby (1.133)
Strikeouts: Harold Arauz (52)
Saves: Jacob Dorris (6 - T8th in the league)

RHP Scott Weathersby (23)
Weathersby, a 10th round pick, was only given a couple of starts in his 12 appearances for the season, but averaged almost three innings per appearance. He ended the season with a 2.48 ERA, 1.133 WHIP and six walks to 39 strikeouts in his 32.2 innings.

RHP Chris Murphy (22)
Murphy actually had better numbers than Weathersby, but fell just shy of my 30 inning minimum since he started the season with Greeneville. The 24th rounder ended the season with a combined 2.25 ERA and 1.062 WHIP in 48 innings (14 games/6 starts). He walked seven batters and struck out 40.

Jacob Dorris (22)
Dorris, a NDFA out of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, started the season at Greeneville and ended it in Quad Cities, but it was in Tri-City that Dorris earned six of his seven season saves. Dorris had a 1.80 ERA and a 0.700 WHIP in 10 innings with Tri-City and a combined 0.98 ERA and a 0.759 WHIP in his 27.2 innings pitched at the three levels.

Also of particular note were RHP Elieser Hernandez with a 1.31 ERA and a 0.726 WHIP in 20.2 innings prior to his mid-July promotion to Quad Cities; and LHP Steve Naemark with a 1.54 ERA and a 0.857 WHIP in 11.2 innings at the level.

Previous Season Reviews:
Dominican Summer League Astros
Gulf Coast League Astros
Greeneville Astros

Greeneville Astros: 2015 Season in Review

Greeneville squeaked through to the playoffs, winning their spot on the final day of the season as they went 34-33 for the season. They then went on to beat Kingsport in the semifinals and advance to the League Championship series. After getting trounced in Game 1 of the LCS, Greeneville came back to beat Princeton on their own turf in the final two games of the series to claim the Appalachian League crown. Let's take a look at the team performance within the league and some of the individual standouts.

Connor Goedert - July 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Note all rankings are out of 10 total teams

GREENEVILLE ASTROS TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .249 (9th)
On-base percentage: .325 (9th)
Slugging percentage: .359 (9th)
Doubles: 116 (5th)
Triples: 18 (T7th)
Home runs: 31 (9th)
Walks: 232 (3rd)
Strikeouts: 562 (2nd)
Stolen bases: 73 (1st)

GREENEVILLE ASTROS TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 3.18 (2nd)
WHIP: 1.235 (1st)
Walks: 199 (9th)
Strikeouts: 515 (T6th)

It's pretty obvious that pitching, overall, helped to carry this team, but there were some very strong offensive performances as well.

GREENEVILLE ASTROS BATTING LEADERS (minimum 40 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: Connor Goedert (.286)
On-Base Percentage: Myles Straw (.355)
Slugging Percentage: Connor Goedert (.449)
Doubles: Connor Goedert (20 - T3rd in the league)
Triples: Osvaldo Duarte (4 - T10th in the league)
Home Runs: Hector Roa and Connor Goedert (Tied with 6)
RBI: Connor Goedert (43 - 6th in the league)
Stolen Bases: Myles Straw (22 - 1st in the league)
Walks: Myles Straw (29 - T10th in the league)
Runs: Myles Straw (47 - T3rd in the league)

As you can see a couple of names stand out.

1B Connor Goedert (21)
Goedert, the 15th round 2014 draft pick, did not have a very good first season, but he more than made up for it in his sophomore campaign, earning the Team MVP. He ended the season with a .286/.349/.449 slashline in 63 games, and hit .333 in the postseason with two home runs.

OF Myles Straw (20)
Straw, the 12th round 2015 draft pick, had a very solid freshman season, hitting .268/.355/.344 in 58 games and leading the league with 22 stolen bases.

20-year old OF Brauly Mejia also did well at the level, hitting .283/.335/.428 in 42 games. Up and coming outfielders Daz Cameron and Kyle Tucker spent limited time at Greeneville after their August 1st promotion to the level and both had more success in Greeneville than they had with the Gulf Coast League Astros. Cameron hit .272/.372/.350 and stole 11 bases (24 for the season) over 30 games, and Tucker hit .286/.322/.393 with 14 stolen bases (18 for the season) in his 30 games.

Others of note include 2B Rodrigo Ayarza who hit .292/.286/.438 in 16 regular season games for Greeneville and who also contributed a crucial grand slam during the LCS; OF Aaron Mizell who hit a robust .325/.373/.416 prior to his mid-July promotion to Tri-City; and OF Hector Roa who hit .315/.333/.574 in 27 games for Greeneville before returning to Tri-City on August 1st.

GREENEVILLE ASTROS TEAM PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 30IP for ERA and WHIP)
ERA: Andrew Thome (0.87 in 31IP)
WHIP: Erasmo Pinales (0.980 in 32.2IP)
Strikeouts: Yhoan Acosta (56 - T5th in the league
Saves: Samil de los Santos (4 - T9th in the league)

RHP Erasmo Pinales (20)
Pinales did a fantastic job in his first season of domestic ball, putting up a 1.93 ERA and a 0.980 WHIP over 32.2 innings in nine games (five starts) for Greeneville.

RHP Andrew Thome (22)
Thome, a non-drafted free agent, shone in his debut season. He had a 0.87 ERA and a 1.032 WHIP in 31 innings (11 games/4 starts) for Greeneville before making one final regular season appearance with Quad Cities and ending the season with a 0.77 ERA and a 1.029 WHIP over 35 innings.

RHP Albert Abreu (19)
In 13 games (7 starts), Abreu had a 2.51 ERA and a 1.200 WHIP in 46.2 innings. Abreu will turn 20 later this month.

RHP Ryan Deemes (22)
Deemes, the 36th round 2015 draft pick, split his season between Greeneville and Tri-City. He was lights out in the Appy League, recording a 0.75 ERA and a 0.708 WHIP with the team prior to his promotion to Tri-City in early August. He finished the season with a 2.01 ERA and a 0.912 WHIP in 14 games (5 starts). He walked 9 batters and struck out 40 in 49.1 innings of work.

RHP Diogenes Almengo (20)
Almengo started the season with the DSL, receieved a late June promotion to the GCL and a late July promotion to Greeneville. He did well at all three levels and ended the season with a combined 1.98 ERA and a 1.068 WHIP in 63.2 innings over 17 games (12 starts). For Greeneville, he had a 2.31 ERA and a 1.029 WHIP in 23.1 innings (6 games/5 starts).

There were actually quite a number of noteworthy pitching performances at the level, including LHP Matt Bower (2.84 ERA/0.947 WHIP in 19.1IP); RHP Samil de los Santos (0.913 WHIP in 19.1IP); RHP Jacob Dorris (0.84 ERA/0.938 in 10.2IP); RHP Jose Hernandez (2.11 ERA/0.938 WHIP in 21.1IP); RHP Lachlan Madden (2.13 ERA in 12.2IP); Chris Murphy (2.25 ERA/1.000 WHIP in 20IP); RHP Joselo Pinales (2.29 ERA in 19.1IP); and LHP Cristhopher Santamaria (0.900 WHIP in 23.1IP. Phew! In all, 32 pitchers spent at least part of their seasons with the Appy Astros.

Also of note was was RHP Edgardo Sandoval (see GCL review for more) who had a 1.12 ERA and 1.062 WHIP in 16 innings following his mid-August promotion to Greeneville. Sandoval had a 1.13 ERA and a 0.625 WHIP with two saves in his two postseason appearances as well.

Previous Season Reviews:
Dominican Summer League
Gulf Coast League

Gulf Coast League: 2015 Season in Review

With a lowly .317 win percentage (19-41) for their 60-game season, the Astros rookie level Gulf Coast League Astros team had a pretty forgettable season. Keep in mind, however, that the GCL is generally populated with the youngest, rawest players that the Astros field domestically. Let's dig a little deeper and look at the team performance within the league and some of the individual standouts.

Edgardo Sandoval - June 2015

Photo Courtesy of Bryan Green

Note all rankings are out of 16 total teams

GCL ASTROS TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .200 (16th)
On-base percentage: .287 (16th)
Slugging percentage: .262 (16th)
Doubles: 63 (15th)
Triples: 10 (14th)
Home runs: 10 (T12th)
Walks: 201 (6th)
Strikeouts: 511 (2nd)
Stolen bases: 60 (T11th)

I think one can easily see what went wrong with this team. A .200 team batting average? Ouch.

GCL ASTROS TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 3.83 (12th)
WHIP: 1.408 (13th)
Walks: 216 (5th)
Strikeouts: 376 (16th)

That may not look a whole lot better than the team batting, but overall there were more standout performances among the pitchers than among the hitters.

GCL ASTROS BATTING LEADERS (minimum 40 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: Bryan de la Cruz (.242)
On-Base Percentage: Bryan de la Cruz (.313)
Slugging Percentage: Wander Franco (.341)
Doubles: Wander Franco (11 - T9th in the league)
Triples: Kyle Tucker and Joan Mauricio (tied with 2)
Home Runs: Wander Franco (3)
RBI: Wander Franco (26 - T6th in the league)
Stolen Bases: Daz Cameron (13 - T10th in the league)
Walks: Connor MacDonald (20)
Runs: Wander Franco (23)

Only one name appears with any frequency, that of 18-year old 1B Wander Franco. He finished the season hitting .236/.296/.351 with 12 doubles, four home runs and 32 RBI including his seven-game stint with Quad Cities at the end of the season. Rising stars Daz Cameron and Kyle Tucker hit much better after their promotions to Greeneville.

GCL ASTROS TEAM PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 30IP for ERA and WHIP)
ERA: Moreno Polanco (0.60)
WHIP: Moreno Polanco (0.967)
Strikeouts: Enrique Chavez (40 in 48.2)
Saves: Lachlan Madden (3)

RHP Moreno Polanco (21)
Polanco led the way with his 0.60 ERA and 0.967 WHIP in the 30 innings he pitched for the team prior to his August 1st promotion to Greeneville.

LHP Starlyng Sanchez (21)
Sanchez had a solid tenure out of the bullpen for the GCL team (3.60 ERA and 0.800 WHIP) prior to his late July promotion to Greeneville where he had mixed results.

RHP Edgardo Sandoval (19)
Sandoval spent the bulk of the season with the GCL, putting up a 2.45 ERA and a 1.030 WHIP in 33 innings (9 games/5 starts) prior to his mid-August promotion to Greeneville where he was instrumental in that team's playoff run. He ended the season with a 2.02 ERA and a 1.041 WHIP in 49 innings.

Other pitchers of note include 20-year old Diogenes Almengo (2.78 ERA and 1.103 WHIP) and RHP Lachlan Madden (2.00 ERA and 1.111 WHIP) prior to their promotions to Greeneville, as well as RHP Juan Robles (1.80 ERA and 1.067 WHIP) and RHP Hector Perez (1.16 ERA and 1.114 WHIP) who were written up in the DSL Season Review. RHP Enrique Chavez received a late callup to High A Lancaster to help out and acquitted himself nicely at the (much) higher level; he ended the season with a 3.19 ERA and a 1.309 WHIP between the DSL, GCL and Lancaster.

Previous Season Reviews:
Dominican Summer League

Dominican Summer League: 2015 Season in Review

The seasons for the two Astros Dominican Summer League teams could not have played out much differently. The Blue team won their division, ended the season with a 43-29 record and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. (As a side note, it was the first time in 14 years that one of the Astros DSL teams had made the playoffs.) The Orange team, however, ended the season in 5th place (22 games behind the leader) in their division with a record of 28-44. Let's dig a little deeper and look at the team performances and some of the individual standouts.

Miguelangel Sierra - July 2015

Photo Courtesy of Bryan Green

Note all rankings are out of 38 total teams

DSL ASTROS BLUE TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .243 (27th)
On-base percentage: .356 (6th)
Slugging percentage: .349 (17th)
Doubles: 129 (3rd)
Triples: 26 (T17th)
Home runs: 24 (T10th)
Walks: 352 (4th)
Strikeouts: 480 (28th)
Stolen bases: 113 (T10th)

DSL ASTROS ORANGE TEAM BATTING
Batting average: .253 (17th)
On-base percentage: .339 (21st)
Slugging percentage: .358 (11th)
Doubles: 125 (T5th)
Triples: 20 (T29th)
Home runs: 30 (T4th)
Walks: 234 (30th)
Strikeouts: 611 (6th)
Stolen bases: 75 (28th)

Based on some of these numbers, it appears that the Orange team had more raw power than the Blue team, but the Blue team was much more disciplined at the plate, but neither team exhibited a lot of speed as a whole.

DSL ASTROS BLUE TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 3.47 (14th)
WHIP: 1.342 (15th)
Walks: 252 (26th)
Strikeouts: 549 (14th)

DSL ASTROS ORANGE TEAM PITCHING
ERA: 4.21 (30th)
WHIP: 1.526 (37th)
Walks: 334 (3rd)
Strikeouts: 532 (20th)

Based on the team standings in the various categories and the fact that the average age of the Orange team was somewhat younger than the Blue team, it appears that the differences between the two teams was mostly by design with the younger, rawer players placed on the Orange team and those who were a little more well-developed in baseball skills being placed on the Blue team. That is just a broad generalization, though, since numerous players were shuttled back and forth between the two teams.

BLUE TEAM BATTING LEADERS (minimum 45 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: Andy Pineda (.293)
On-Base Percentage: Andy Pineda (.417 - 9th in the league)
Slugging Percentage: Christopher Luciano (.402)
Doubles: Christopher Luciano (19 - T7th in the league)
Triples: Wilson Amador (6)
Home Runs: Reiny Beltre (6 - T8th in the league)
RBI: Christopher Luciano (51 - T4th in the league)
Stolen Bases: Andy Pineda (30 - T3rd in the league)
Walks: Christopher Luciano (54 - 3rd in the league)
Runs: Andy Pineda (51 - T11th in the league)

ORANGE TEAM BATTING LEADERS (minimum 45 games for BA, OBP and SLG)
Batting Average: Carlos Machado (.344)
On-Base Percentage: Carlos Machado (.410)
Slugging Percentage: Miguelangel Sierra (.439)
Doubles: Miguelangel Sierra and Randy Vasquez (17 - T13th in the league)
Triples: Angel Tejeda (4)
Home Runs: Marcos Almonte and Felix Lucas (5)
RBI: Randy Vasquez (34)
Stolen Bases: Juan Fuentes (17)
Walks: Randy Vasquez (35)
Runs: Randy Vasquez (34)

As you can see, certain players appear numerous times. Let's look at a few in more detail:

OF Andy Pineda (18)
69 games: .293/.417/.378 10-2B 4-3B 1HR 29RBI 30SB 16CS 46BB 44SO

1B Christopher Luciano (19)
72 games: .266/.409/.402 19-2B 2-3B 4HR 51RBI 11SB 7CS 54BB 51SO

OF Carlos Machado (17)
49 games: .344/.410/.383 2-2B 2-3B 20RBI 10SB 4CS 13BB 17SO

1B/C Randy Vasquez (19)
64 games: .309/.405/.448 17-2B 1-3B 4HR 34RBI 2SB 4CS 35BB 42SO

SS Miguelangel Sierra (17)
45 games: .302/.406/.479 17-2B 2-3B 3HR 19RBI 8SB 5CS 20BB 48SO

Sierra also played in 24 games with the Gulf Coast League Astros after a late July promotion and he struggled at the higher level. However, considering that he won't be 18 until December, I think that was to be expected. IF Marcos Almonte (19) also received a promotion to the GCL in early August. Almonte fared better at the higher level and ended his season hitting a combined .270/.343/.404 between the two venues.

BLUE TEAM PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 30IP+/- or 10 appearances for ERA and WHIP)
Starter ERA: Michel Martinez (1.06 in 34.1IP)
Relief ERA: Dariel Aquino (0.51 in 17.1IP/13G)
Starter WHIP: Hector Perez (0.876 in 29.2IP)
Relief WHIP: Dariel Aquino (1.019)
Strikeouts: Felipe Tejeda (45 in 51.1IP)
Saves: Dariel Aquino (6)

ORANGE TEAM PITCHING LEADERS (minimum 30IP for ERA and WHIP)
ERA: Juan Robles (1.49 in 36.1IP)
WHIP: Jose Ramos (0.970 in 44.1IP - 7th in the league)
Strikeouts: Bryan Abreu (48 in 51.2IP)
Saves: Josue Uribe (7 for Orange team/8 total - T7th in the league)

Also of note for the Orange team was 17-year old RHP Franklin Perez whose 11.3 strikeout per nine rate in 35 innings was the best mark for the Astros DSL teams before his promotion to the GCL in August.

Virtually every one of these team leaders was subsequently promoted to the GCL. Let's look a little more closely:

RHP Michael Martinez (21)
The 21-year old Cuban had a 1.06 ERA and a 1.294 WHIP in 34 innings with the DSL. After his late July promotion to the GCL, he had a 4.82 ERA and a 1.607 WHIP in 18.2 innings.

RHP Dariel Aquino (19)
The converted shortstop had a 0.51 ERA, a 1.019 WHIP and 6 saves in 13 appearances (17.1IP) for the DSL and a 18.90 ERA and a 3.600 WHIP in 7 appearances (6.2IP) for the GCL after his late July promotion.

RHP Hector Perez (19)
Perez was promoted twice (mid-July to the GCL and late August to Greeneville) and was very successful at all levels, ending the season with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.964 WHIP in 55 innings.

RHP Juan Robles (17)
The 17-year old Mexican born Robles also received double promotions (early August to the GCL and late August to Quad Cities) and also did quite well at the higher levels with the exception of one stumble for Quad Cities. He ended the season with a 1.81 ERA and a 1.171 WHIP in 54.2 innings.

RHP Jose Ramos (19)
Ramos, who just turned 19 last month, did not receive a promotion. However, he excelled with the DSL, playing on both the Orange and Blue teams, and ended the season with a 1.93 ERA and a 0.949 WHIP in 65.1 innings pitched. His ERA ranked 13th in the league and his WHIP ranked 7th.

Others of note are RHP Yoanys Quiala, a 21-year old Cuban who had a 1.54 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP in 35 innings for the Blue team; 18-year old RHP Cristian Javier with a combined 2.13 ERA and 0.921 WHIP in 42.1 innings pitched for the Blue and Orange teams (14 appearances/4 starts); and 19-year old RHP Ricardo Castro who had a 1.63 ERA and 0.940 WHIP in 27.2 innings for the Blue team.

Astros Playing Winter Ball in Puerto Rico

Regular season play in Puerto Rico ended on Tuesday with Wednesday's makeup game cancelled. Here is how your Astros fared:

C Carlos Corporan
Corporan hit .228/.257/.359 with TWELVE DOUBLES in 27 games for Carolina. He walked three times and struck out 20 times.

C Jobduan Morales
Also playing for Carolina, Morales hit .179/.281/.214 with two doubles in 23 games. He walked eight times and struck out 14 times.

2B Nolan Fontana
Fontana, whose 2014 season ended early due to a broken finger, played for the San Juan team, last playing on November 28th. In 11 games, he hit .129/.243/.194 with one triple. He walked four times, struck out seven times and stole two bases.

OF Edwin Medina
Also playing for San Juan was Edwin Medina (33rd round draft pick in 2014). Medina got very limited playing time. In eight games (eight at-bats), he hit .125/.125/.125, struck out twice and stole one base.

C Roberto Pena
Pena appeared for the Caguas team, hitting .167/.219/.183 with one double in 20 games. He walked three times and struck out nine times.

LHP Luis Cruz
Cruz started five games for Caguas, going 0-2 with a 5.48 ERA and a 1.453 WHIP in 21.1 innings. He walked six batters and struck out 20.

OF Ruben Sosa
After finishing his season playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, Sosa scurried on over to Puerto Rico to get in three more games for Santurce in which he hit .300/.364/.300 with two stolen bases, one walk and three strikeouts.

RHP Travis Ballew
Travis Ballew was headed to play in Panama and somehow ended up in Puerto Rico instead. Ballew appeared out of the bullpen for Santurce in four games and was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 1.846 WHIP in 4.1 innings. He walked three batters and struck out four.

RHP Juan Santos
Santos (the Astros 39th draft pick in 2013) appeared in one game (0.1IP) for Santurce on November 9th and let's just say that it did not go well and leave it at that.

We still have Astros playing in Australia and Panama.

Previously posted:
Astros in the Arizona Fall League
Astros in the Dominican Winter League
Astros in the Mexican Pacific Winter League
Astros in the Venezuelan Winter League

Astros Playing in the Venezuelan Winter League

And yet another winter league ended its regular season yesterday. Three Astros players plied their wares for the Caracas team in Venezuela. Here is how they fared:

Danry Vasquez
Vasquez had a particularly good winter campaign. In 48 games, he hit .304/.371/.443 with four doubles, SIX TRIPLES(!), two home runs and 22 RBI. He walked 18 times, struck out 30 times and was caught stealing three times.

L.J. Hoes
Hoes played in 14 games, hitting .322/.344/.441 with four doubles, one home run, 12 RBI, two walks to 12 strikeouts and was caught stealing once.

Gregorio Petit
In 31 games, Petit had a .252/.308/.297 batting line with five doubles and seven RBI. He walked seven times and struck out 23 times.

Previously posted:
Astros in the Arizona Fall League
Astros in the Dominican Winter League
Astros in the Mexican Pacific Winter League

Astros Playing in the Mexican Pacific League

One more winter league ended its regular season yesterday and the two Astros playing in the Mexican Pacific League both had excellent winter campaigns:

Leo Heras
Playing for Jalisco, Heras hit .289/.429/.513 with 20 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 38 RBI in 64 games. He drew 55 walks while striking out 58 times. Heras also swiped 14 bags and was caught four times.

Gonzalo Sanudo
Sanudo appeared in 27 games for Culiacan and ended with a 3-1 record, 0.64 ERA and 0.953 WHIP. He walked eight batters and struck out 34 in 28.1 innings of work.

Previously posted:
Astros in the Arizona Fall League
Astros in the Dominican Winter League

Astros Playing in the Dominican Winter League

The seasons for many of the winter league clubs are starting to wind down. The Dominican Winter League finished up over the weekend. Here is the scoop on how your Astros fared. Click on the player's name to see their full winter stats line.

Asher Wojciechowski

Wojo had three great outings and two not-so-great outings for Licey. In five games (five starts), he had a 5.31 ERA and a 1.328 WHIP in 20.1 innings. He walked eight batters and struck out 22.

Richard Rodriguez

Rodriguez did a nice job in his five bullpen appearances for Aguilas. He was 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.091 WHIP in 3.2 innings, walking one and striking out five.

Jonathan Villar

Villar also appeared for Aguilas. In 38 games, he hit .233/.310/.333 with four doubles and three home runs, walking 14 times while striking out 37.

Domingo Santana

Santana appeared in 36 games for Licey, hitting .284/.400/.422 with seven doubles, four triples and no home runs. He walked 17 times while striking out 44 times.

Ruben Sosa

Sosa also played for Licey, appearing in 29 games and hitting .231/.302/.308 with one double, one triple, two walks and six strikeouts. Sosa only had 39 at-bats in his 29 games as he was often used as a pinch runner or defensive replacement.

Teoscar Hernandez

Hernandez appeared in 34 games for the Toros, hitting .228/.279/.354 with four doubles and two home runs. Like Sosa, Hernandez was frequently used as a defensive replacement and/or pinch runner, but did manage to get 79 at-bats in. He walked five times and struck out 28 times.

Luis Flores

Flores, a catcher who was picked up in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft earlier this month, appeared in eight games for the Estrellas team, hitting .125/.300/.125 with two walks and five strikeouts.

Previously posted: Astros in the Arizona Fall League

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