Showing posts with label Under-the-Radar Roster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Under-the-Radar Roster. Show all posts

Friday, August 28, 2015

WTHB Under-the-Radar Roster: Position Players

Yesterday, I caught up with my long-neglected Under-the-Radar Pitchers. Today, let's take a look at how the position players are faring.

 CATCHERS:

Tyler Heineman S/R
.283/.322/.355 in 22 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks and 47 games for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies (promoted 5/22)
15-2B; 1HR; 27 RBI; 2 SB; 14 BB; 18 SO
36% Caught Stealing (25 SB; 14 CS)

Heineman has been a little slow to catch up with AAA pitching, but he has managed to hold his own. A switch-hitter, he is hitting better from the left (.286/.323/.370 with one home run and 13 of his 15 doubles), and he is hitting .300/.344/.433 with two outs and RISP.

Alfredo Gonzalez R/R
.322/.410/.383 in 13 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and 27 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted on 5/7) and 26 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks (promoted 7/5)

6-2B; 1-3B; 2 HR; 34 RBI; 5 SB; 1 CS; 34 BB; 46 SO
48% Caught Stealing (26 SB; 24 CS)

Gonzalez had previously established his defensive bona fides, but this season his bat has caught fire. He doesn't have a lot of power (but should develop a bit more on that front), but his on-base percentage has been consistently high as has his batting average.

Alfredo Gonzalez - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen


CATCHING RESERVES:

Jacob Nottingham R/R (Traded to the A's in July)
.326/.387/.543 in 59 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and .324/.368/.606 in 17 games for High A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted 6/30)
24-2B; 2-3B; 14 HR; 60 RBI; 1 SB; 2 CS; 21 BB; 61 SO
40% Caught Stealing (30 SB; 20 CS)

This could very well be one of those trades that comes back to bite the Astros one day with Nottingham going to the A's.

INFIELDERS:

1B/3B Matt Duffy R/R
.305/.380/.488 in 118 games for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies (68 games at 3B and 33 at 1B)
28-2B; 2-3B; 17 HR; 99 RBI; 4 SB; 1CS; 48 BB; 82 SO

Duffy started off the season a little slowly, but has gotten better and better throughout the season. (Click the chart to enlarge it.)



One very good sign is that he has walked 29 times while striking out 28 times in July and August. In the first three months of the season, he walked only 19 times to 54 strikeouts. That improvement in plate discipline was really the last piece of the puzzle for him.

Matt Duffy - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen

1B/DH Chase McDonald R/R
.283/.359/.586 in 96 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
26-2B; 1-3B; 27 HR; 73 RBI; 2 SB; 1CS; 40 BB; 109 SO

McDonald has had an uneven season. In August, he is hitting .258/.314/.688 with five doubles, one triple and 11 home runs in 25 games.

3B Nick Tanielu R/R
.309/.356/.429 in 107 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
26-2B; 4-3B; 5 HR; 68 RBI; 2 SB; 7 CS; 30 BB; 61 SO

Tanielu, on the other hand, has been consistently good since getting past that first cold Midwest month of April. He was recently named a Midwest League Postseason All-Star.

SS/2B Mott Hyde R/R
.294/.379/.425 in 50 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and 66 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted 6/9)
37-2B; 5-3B; 3 HR; 63 RBI; 5 SB; 6 CS; 57 BB; 102 SO

In 23 games in August, Hyde is hitting .380/.469/.570, and he leads the Astros minor league system in doubles.

2B/SS Kristian Trompiz R/R
.251/.286/.363 in 103 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
18-2B; 4-3B; 5 HR; 37 RBI; 7 SB; 2 CS; 18 BB; 74 SO

Trompiz is almost two and a half years younger than the average Midwest League position player and it has shown at times. He is hitting .296/.329/.366 in 21 games in August.

IF Joe Sclafani S/R
.292/.371/.340 in 66 games for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies and 3 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks (currently at Fresno)
2-2B; 3-3B; 21 RBI; 4 SB; 1 CS; 25 BB; 35 SO

Sclafani got a slow start this season, likely adjusting to his role as more of a bench player, but in July and August, he has been hitting .360 in his 24 games.

INFIELD RESERVES:

3B/1B Tyler White R/R
.327/.446/.496 in 59 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks and 47 games for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies (46 games at 3B, 26 at 1B and 32 at DH)
24-2B; 1-3B; 12 HR; 88 RBI; 1 SB; 1 CS; 77 BB; 65 SO

White was on my reserves because he left the team early in the season for a family matter and I wasn't sure of his status. Otherwise, he would have been a starter on my Under-the-Radar roster and, in looking at his stats, you can probably see why! He is hitting .373/.479/.571 since his promotion to Fresno and just recently debuted at #30 in MLB Pipeline's Top 30 prospect list.

SS/2B Chan Moon S/R
.263/.353/.350 in 17 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks, 70 games for AA Corpus Christi and 2 games for AAA Fresno (currently at Corpus Christi)
11-2B; 2-3B; 3 HR; 24 RBI; 20 SB; 7 CS; 39 BB; 56 SO

OUTFIELD:

LF/RF Brandon Meredith R/R - Released in July
.248/.331/.369 in 40 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
4-2B; 1-3B; 4 HR; 23 RBI; 2 SB: 4 CS; 18 BB; 38 SO

Shortly after being activated from the DL in early July, Meredith was released.

RF/LF Ronnie Mitchell L/L
.295/.364/.515 in 102 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
26-2B; 10-3B; 12 HR; 69 RBI; 1 SB; 3 CS; 41 BB; 81 SO

Mitchell is hitting .344/.380/.613 in 24 games in August and, with Brett Phillips having been traded, now leads the Astros minor league system in triples.

Ronnie Mitchell - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen

CF/LF Bobby Boyd L/R
.280/.349/.345 in 107 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
15-2B; 4-3B; 1 HR; 35 RBI; 33 SB; 11 CS; 43 BB; 95 SO

Boyd is another player having a hot August; he is hitting .350/.430/.388 in 20 games. He is also second only to Jonathan Villar in stolen bases in the Astros minor league system.

CF/RF James Ramsay L/L
.315/.379/.459 in 119 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
28-2B; 4-3B; 10 HR; 57 RBI; 16 SB; 11 CS; 49 BB; 82 SO

Ditto on the Hot August ... .375/.442/.548 in 25 games.

OF/IF Marc Wik L/R
.266/.370/.424 in 86 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
17-2B; 4-3B; 7 HR; 39 RBI; 9 SB; 5 CS; 47 BB; 94 SO

And yet another good August ... .320/.393/.440 in 21 games.

OUTFIELD RESERVES:

RF/LF Jon Kemmer L/L
.326/.420/.572 in 97 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
25-2B; 3-3B; 17 HR; 59 RBI; 8 SB; 1 CS; 45 BB; 83 SO

Did I mention something about hot Augusts??? Try .386/.485/.699 with 11 doubles, three triples and three home runs in 23 games.

With several teams heading into postseason play, and all these hot bats, things could get very interesting!!!

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

For background information on these players and more information regarding their selection, see my prior posts on Pitchers and Position Players.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Thursday, August 27, 2015

WTHB Under-the-Radar Roster: Pitchers

I have woefully neglected my WTHB Under-the-Radar Roster. It's been two months since I checked in with them! Let's take a look at their progress ... pitchers today and position players tomorrow (I hope).

STARTING PITCHERS:

7-4 with 2 saves in 22 games (15 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
2.80 ERA and 1.244 WHIP in 109.1 IP (31 BB:92 SO)

The bad news is that Devenski had a terrible July, allowing over twice as many earned runs across in that one month as he had in the rest of the months combined! The good news is that he has been largely back on track in August. The best news is that his dominant performances earlier in the season led to his inclusion on MLB Pipeline's Top 30 Astros prospect list where he is currently ranked as Number 18.

3-5 in 13 games (9 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
7.20 ERA and 1.667 WHIP in 45.0 IP (16 BB:36 SO)

Grills briefly came off the DL to pitch one inning on July 3rd and was promptly placed back on the disabled list where he remains. His numbers at The Hangar, Lancaster's home ballpark, were simply awful -- a 10.72 ERA and a 2.162 WHIP as compared to a 3.63 ERA and a 1.119 WHIP on the road. Let's hope that the road Grills shows up when he is activated from the DL.

5-6 with 2 saves in 5 games (3 starts) for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and 18 games (14 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted on 5/8)
3.48 ERA and 1.264 WHIP in 106 IP (41 BB:97 SO)

Radziewski has adjusted to Lancaster reasonably well and has a respectable 3.86 ERA and a 1.357 WHIP with the JetHawks. He has also fared better on the road where he is 3-3 with a 2.26 ERA and a 1.190 WHIP in 59.2 innings. He was just placed on the DL retroactive to 8-23

RHP Troy Scribner
2-5 in 25 games (12 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
5.55 ERA and 1.511 WHIP in 94 IP (53 BB:104 SO)

Scribner has lacked consistency this season but, other than a tough outing last week against Inland Empire, has been showing more progress on that front over his last several outings.

9-6 with 3 saves in 23 games (16 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
4.58 ERA and 1.421 WHIP in 114 IP (23 BB:59 SO)

Westwood hasn't been able to really break out this season and his high batting average allowed is going to be a problem for him if he can't manage to miss more bats going forward.

STARTING RESERVES:

11-4 with 1 save in 10 games (8 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks and 12 games (12 starts) for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies (promoted 6/14)
3.33 ERA and 1.216 WHIP in 121.2 IP (28 BB:97 SO)

Hauschild has been a true success story this season. He currently leads the Astros minor leagues in innings pitched and has had an excellent month of August in Fresno, going 2-0 with a 2.10 ERA and a 1.013 WHIP in four starts.

Mike Hauschild - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen

LHP Brian Holmes 7-day DL
7-7 with 1 save in 7 games (4 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks and 15 games (14 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks (promoted 5/18)
4.35 ERA and 1.399 WHIP in 99.1 IP (38 BB:113 SO)

Holmes has struggled of late and was put on the DL 8-16.

BULLPEN:

4-1 with 5 saves in 38 appearances for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks and 2 appearances for the Corpus Christi Hooks (promoted 8-20)
3.71 ERA and 1.302 WHIP in 63 IP (24 BB:71 SO)

Allowing only one run in his final 9 appearances for Lancaster likely led to Brunnemann's recent promotion to Corpus Christi.

RHP Jordan Jankowski
8-3 with 3 saves in 50 appearances for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies
3.54 ERA and 1.464 WHIP in 56 IP (31 BB:69 SO)

Jankowski has had a particularly good August thus far, going 3-0 with 2 saves in 8 appearances. During that span, he has a 0.00 ERA and a 0.808 WHIP, walking 3 and striking out 15 in 8.2 innings of work. He has not allowed a home run this season.

Jordan Jankowski - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen

LHP Mitch Lambson - Traded to the Braves 7/6
2-1 in 11 appearances for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks and 13 appearances for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies (promoted 5/23)
2.60 ERA and 1.125 WHIP in 34.2 IP (9 BB:30 SO)

RHP Tyson Perez
1-3 with 6 saves in 3 appearances for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks and 39 appearances for the AAA Fresno Grizzles (promoted 4/21)
2.45 ERA and 0.986 WHIP in 47.2 IP (13 BB:34 SO)

Perez has not allowed an earned run in his last 9 appearances.

RHP Eric Peterson
6-4 with 6 saves in 31 appearances for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
2.91 ERA and 1.365 WHIP in 55.2 IP (22 BB:69 SO)

Peterson has had a very nice August with a 1.80 ERA and a 0.900 WHIP in his six appearances.

3-1 in 11 games (7 starts) for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies
3.07 ERA and 1.049 WHIP in 41 IP (11 BB:37 SO)

I originally listed Shirley as a reliever on this roster because he has been used as both a starter and a reliever; however, his last three appearances were in a starting capacity. Unfortunately, those three outings were followed by a stint on the DL. He has not pitched since May 29th.

4-2 with 5 saves in 38 appearances for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and 1 appearance for the High A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted 8-25)
2.89 ERA and 1.089 WHIP in 56 IP (15 BB:55 SO)

Thompson had a 1.31 ERA and a 0.823 WHIP in 15 appearances for Quad Cities in July and August prior to his promotion.

BULLPEN RESERVES:

3-4 with 2 saves in 6 appearances for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and 27 appearances for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted first of May)
3.78 ERA and 1.376 WHIP in 52.1 IP (18 BB:46 SO)

Minnis bounced back from a very bad June to put up respectable numbers in July and August. He is the exception to the rule in that his home splits at the Hangar are actually better than his road splits.

RHP Daniel Minor - Released
0-1 in 7 appearances for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
3.48 ERA and 1.355 WHIP in 10.1 IP (7 BB:8 SO)

Minor was the victim of the depth of the Astros minor league system. There simply weren't enough innings to go around (particularly when the starting rotation was performing well), and Minor found himself to be the odd man out.

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

For background information on these players and more information regarding their selection, see my prior posts on Pitchers and Position Players.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Thursday, June 25, 2015

WTHB Under-the-Radar Roster Update

It has been a while since we've checked in on the WTHB Under-the-Radar Roster. Let's take a look at their progress.

Kyle Westwood - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen

STARTING PITCHERS:

7-1 with 1 save in 13 games (9 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
1.23 ERA and 0.955 WHIP in 66 IP (16 BB:55 SO)

Devenski had one rough outing last week and literally doubled his total of earned runs for the season from four to eight before bouncing back with a more Devenski-like outing this week. He has been lights out all season, but apparently he will need to obtain compromising pictures of Jeff Luhnow with a goat in order to receive a promotion. That he has been passed over time and again is, to me, inexplicable.

3-5 in 12 games (8 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
6.55 ERA and 1.545 WHIP in 44 IP (14 BB:35 SO)

Grills is still struggling at The Hangar, Lancaster's home ballpark, where he has a 9.55 ERA and a 1.985 WHIP as compared to a 3.63 ERA and a 1.119 WHIP on the road. He is currently on the DL.

1-2 with 2 saves in 5 games (3 starts) for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and 8 games (6 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted on 5/8)
3.14 ERA and 1.291 WHIP in 57.1 IP (19 BB:33 SO)

Radziewski has been struggling somewhat with a tough June and will be looking to turn things around as he comes back from the All-Star break.

RHP Troy Scribner
2-3 in 13 games (9 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
5.40 ERA and 1.463 WHIP in 53.1 IP (30 BB:61 SO)

Scribner is another pitcher who hopes to benefit from the All-Star break as he puts a couple of rough June outings in the rearview mirror.

5-3 with 3 saves in 13 games (7 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
4.13 ERA and 1.376 WHIP in 56.2 IP (11 BB:28 SO)

On the other hand, June has been very good to Kyle Westwood (2.79 ERA and 1.138 WHIP in four appearances).

STARTING RESERVES:

6-2 with 1 save in 10 games (8 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks and 2 games (2 starts) for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies (promoted 6/14)
3.41 ERA and 1.269 WHIP in 60.2 IP (12 BB:42 SO)

LHP Brian Holmes
3-3 with 1 save in 7 games (4 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks and 6 games (5 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks (promoted 5/18)
2.61 ERA and 1.091 WHIP in 58.2 IP (20 BB:72 SO)

BULLPEN:

3-0 with 2 saves in 25 appearances for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
4.32 ERA and 1.272 WHIP in 41.2 IP (15 BB:50 SO)

RHP Jordan Jankowski
3-2 with 1 save in 29 appearances for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies
4.01 ERA and 1.782 WHIP in 33.2 IP (20 BB:37 SO)

Jankowski appears to have finally gotten his walks under control (3 in 9 appearances in June vs. 11 in 10 appearances in May), but hasn't quite put all of the pieces together in his time at AAA yet.

2-1 in 11 appearances for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks and 11 appearances for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies (promoted 5/23)
2.67 ERA and 1.154 WHIP in 30.1 IP (7 BB:27 SO)

RHP Tyson Perez
0-2 with 6 saves in 3 appearances for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks and 22 appearances for the AAA Fresno Grizzles (promoted 4/21)
2.15 ERA and 0.784 WHIP in 29.1 IP (6 BB:20 SO)

Perez has been Mr. Consistent out of the bullpen since his promotion to Corpus Christi last season. He has carried last year's success forward quite nicely.

RHP Eric Peterson
3-3 with 4 saves in 16 appearances for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
3.45 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in 28.2 IP (13 BB:36 SO)

Peterson has not gotten regular work thus far in June and the rust has shown.

3-1 in 11 games (7 starts) for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies
3.07 ERA and 1.049 WHIP in 41 IP (11 BB:37 SO)

I originally listed Shirley as a reliever on this roster because he has been used as both a starter and a reliever; however, his last three appearances were in a starting capacity. Unfortunately, those three outings were followed by a stint on the DL. He has not pitched since May 29th.

1-2 with 2 saves in 21 appearances for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
3.94 ERA and 1.395 WHIP in 29.2 IP (9 BB:32 SO)

BULLPEN RESERVES:

1-2 with 1 save in 6 appearances for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and 13 appearances for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted first of May)
3.81 ERA and 1.231 WHIP in 26 IP (9 BB:30 SO)

Let's just say that Minnis didn't have a very good month of June so far and leave it at that.

RHP Daniel Minor - Released
0-1 in 7 appearances for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
3.48 ERA and 1.355 WHIP in 10.1 IP (7 BB:8 SO)
Minor was the victim of the depth of the Astros minor league system. There simply weren't enough innings to go around (particularly when the starting rotation was performing well), and Minor found himself to be the odd man out. He has since joined the Independent League Laredo Lemurs in the American Association.

CATCHERS:

Tyler Heineman S/R
.306/.350/.374 in 22 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks and 16 games for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies (promoted 5/22)
10-2B; 13 RBI; 1 SB; 9 BB; 7 SO
44% Caught Stealing (10 SB; 8 CS)

Heineman has only struck out once in 16 games for Fresno and only 7 times all season.

Alfredo Gonzalez R/R
.346/.430/.434 in 13 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and 24 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted on 5/7)
4-2B; 1-3B; 2 HR; 22 RBI; 3 SB; 1CS; 19 BB; 27 SO
60% Caught Stealing (10 SB; 15 CS)

Gonzalez is definitely among the top 5 best players in the system that nobody's heard of. Start paying attention to him!

CATCHING RESERVES:

Jacob Nottingham R/R
.330/.387/.560 in 56 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
18-2B; 1-3B; 10 HR; 44 RBI; 1 SB; 1 CS; 16 BB; 48 SO
52% Caught Stealing (14 SB; 15 CS)

Nottingham is on fire at the plate! His Midwest League All-Star selection was well deserved.

INFIELDERS:

1B/3B Matt Duffy R/R
.278/.331/.437 in 62 games for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies
13-2B; 1-3B; 8 HR; 53 RBI; 1 SB; 16 BB; 47 SO

Duffy started off the season a little slowly, but appears to be in full Duffy mode now. He is hitting .296/.358/.481 through 20 games in June.

1B/DH Chase McDonald R/R
.278/.347/.521 in 45 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
14-2B; 9 HR; 27 RBI; 1 SB; 18 BB; 61 SO

Following a disappointing May, McDonald is back with a hot bat in June.

3B Nick Tanielu R/R
.298/.346/.400 in 57 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
12-2B; 2-3B; 2 HR; 30 RBI; 2 CS; 17 BB; 36 SO

Another Midwest League All-Star, Tanielu has been solid all season.

SS/2B Mott Hyde R/R
.296/.379/.417 in 50 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and 12 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted 6/9)
21-2B; 2-3B; 1 HR; 29 RBI; 4 SB; 4 CS; 30 BB; 45 SO

Hyde was also an All-Star, but his promotion to Lancaster kept him from participating in this week's Midwest League All-Star game.

2B/SS Kristian Trompiz R/R
.249/.276/.383 in 56 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
11-2B; 2-3B; 4 HR; 21 RBI; 1 SB; 1 CS; 7 BB; 45 SO

Trompiz is almost two and a half years younger than the average Midwest League position player and it has shown at times.

IF Joe Sclafani S/R
.254/.355/.299 in 38 games for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies and 3 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks (currently at Fresno)
2-2B; 2-3B; 10 RBI; 1 SB; 1 CS; 19 BB; 21 SO

Sclafani was hitting better from the right earlier in the season, but now he seems to favor the left (.274/.365/.321).

INFIELD RESERVES:

3B/1B Tyler White R/R
.281/.411/.416 in 55 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
6-2B; 6HR; 36 RBI; 1 SB; 38 BB; 31 SO

SS/2B Chan Moon S/R
.261/.335/.363 in 17 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks, 30 games for AA Corpus Christi and 2 games for AAA Fresno (currently at Corpus Christi)
8-2B; 1-3B; 2 HR; 16 RBI; 14 SB; 2 CS; 18 BB; 33 SO

James Ramsay - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen

OUTFIELD:

LF/RF Brandon Meredith R/R (on the DL)
.268/.355/.415 in 33 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
4-2B; 1-3B; 4 HR; 21 RBI; 2 SB: 4 CS; 16 BB; 27 SO

Meredith last played on June 4th and is currently on the DL.

RF/LF Ronnie Mitchell L/L
.232/.349/.419 in 47 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
9-2B; 1-3B; 6 HR; 18 RBI; 1 SB; 2 CS; 29 BB; 38 SO

Mitchell had a very forgettable month of May, but has been bouncing back in June. He has vastly improved his OBP from May (.293) to June (.423) by drastically cutting down on his strikeouts.

CF/LF Bobby Boyd L/R
.266/.321/.332 in 57 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
10-2B; 2-3B; 16 RBI; 13 SB; 6 CS; 17 BB; 57 SO

CF/RF James Ramsay L/L
.309/.364/.466 in 61 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
15-2B; 1-3B; 6 HR; 32 RBI; 5 SB; 4 CS; 21 BB; 44 SO

Ramsay has had a dramatic turnaround at the plate since last we checked in with him. He has been hitting in excess of .330 since getting through his subpar April.

OF/IF Marc Wik L/R
.250/.396/.384 in 36 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
4-2B; 1-3B; 3 HR; 14 RBI; 5 SB; 1 CS; 26 BB; 40 SO

Wik has been doing a good Luis Valbuena impression in May. In 12 games, he has 8 hits (.205 batting average), but 6 of those hits were for extra bases (.538 slugging percentage).

OUTFIELD RESERVES:

RF/LF Jon Kemmer L/L
.316/.392/.535 in 45 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
7-2B; 9 HR; 30 RBI; 2 SB; 1 CS; 16 BB; 46 SO

Kemmer also had a slow start to his season, but has turned that around dramatically, hitting .397/.435/.635 so far in June (18 games).

For background information on these players and more information regarding their selection, see my prior posts on Pitchers and Position Players.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Monday, May 11, 2015

WTHB Astros MiLB Under-the-Radar Roster: YTD Stats

Several weeks ago, I introduced the WTHB Under-the-Radar Roster. Let's check in on their progress.

Brian Holmes

STARTING PITCHERS:

2-0 with 1 save in 5 games (3 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
0.00 ERA and 0.814 WHIP in 23.1 IP (9 BB:22 SO)

Believe it or not, that stingy WHIP represents a spike from the last time we checked in on Devenski, mostly due to 5 walks issued in his last outing. And believe it or not, that 0.00 ERA is not a typo.

1-3 in 6 games (4 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
7.17 ERA and 1.875 WHIP in 21.1 IP (10 BB:17 SO)

Grills is not having the best start to his season and is really struggling in his home ballpark (9.58 ERA and 2.129 WHIP).

1-0 with 1 save in 5 games (3 starts) for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and 1 game (1 start) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted on 5/8)
1.67 ERA and 0.889 WHIP in 27 IP (5 BB:30 SO)

Radziewski performed so well for the River Bandits that he received a promotion last week to the JetHawks. In his first appearance for that team on Saturday, he allowed 4 hits, 1 unearned run and no walks (5 strikeouts) in 5 innings of work.

RHP Troy Scribner
1-1 in 6 games (4 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
6.17 ERA and 1.371 WHIP in 23.1 IP (11 BB:31 SO)

Scribner's numbers took a hit due to one particularly rough outing against the Quakes. As a starter, he has a 2.55 ERA and a 0.906 WHIP in 17.2 innings.

1-2 with 3 saves in 6 games (3 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
3.42 ERA and 1.367 WHIP in 26.1 IP (6 BB:10 SO)

Westwood had a couple of marginal outings prior to a very strong appearance on Saturday.

STARTING RESERVES:

3-1 in 5 games (4 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
4.18 ERA and 1.563 WHIP in 23.2 IP (4 BB:24 SO)

Since last we checked in, Hauschild has lowered his ERA significantly while his WHIP has inched up slightly.

2-1 in 6 games (4 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
2.73 ERA and 1.063 WHIP in 26.1 IP (8 BB:38 SO)

Of all these starters, Holmes has improved his stock the most over the last 2 weeks. He has allowed no runs in his last 3 appearances and has walked 2 batters while striking out 22 over his last 15 innings.

BULLPEN:

1-0 with 1 save in 11 appearances for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
2.70 ERA and 1.300 WHIP in 20 IP (7 BB:23 SO)

Brunnemann allowed one run in his first 8 appearances and 5 in the next 2 before reverting to form with a perfect appearance on Sunday.

3-0 in 13 appearances for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies
1.69 ERA and 1.688 WHIP in 16 IP (12 BB:18 SO)

In his last 7 appearances, Jankowski has allowed only 1 run, but has walked 11 batters. He will need to get his walk rate down or those walks will likely come back to haunt him.

2-1 in 8 appearances for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
4.35 ERA and 1.548 WHIP in 10.1 IP (2 BB:9 SO)

Lambson has allowed 5 runs thus far in the 2015 season. Unfortunately for him, 4 of those came in one abbreviated outing (0.1IP), causing his numbers to spike significantly since the last time we checked in with him.

0-1 with 3 saves in 3 appearances for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks and 9 appearances for the AAA Fresno Grizzles (promoted 4/21/15)
2.40 ERA and 0.667 WHIP in 15 IP (2 BB:10 SO)

Perez has been perfect in 5 of his 9 outings for Fresno, allowed only one hit in each of 2 other outings, and has allowed 2 runs each in the remaining 2 outings. He has not walked a batter since his promotion.

RHP Eric Peterson
1-0 with 3 saves in 7 appearances for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
1.42 ERA and 1.342 WHIP in 12.2 IP (5 BB:14 SO)

With the starting rotation in Quad Cities having an incredible amount of success, Peterson has only been called upon to make 2 appearances in the last 2 weeks. In both of those appearances, he earned the save.

3-1 in 7 games (4 starts) for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies
4.63 ERA and 1.243 WHIP in 23.1 IP (4 BB:17 SO)

Shirley has been used as both a starter and a reliever with mixed results. Let's just say that his last start on Saturday was not one of his best and leave it at that.

0-0 with 1 save in 10 appearances for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
0.64 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in 14 IP (3 BB:16 SO)

Since last we checked, Thompson's ERA skyrocketed from 0.00 to 0.64 (yes, I'm being facetious) as he finally allowed his first run of the season on Saturday.

BULLPEN RESERVES:

0-1 with 1 save in 6 appearances for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and 4 appearances for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted first of May)
2.25 ERA and 0.583 WHIP in 12 IP (1 BB:16 SO)

Minnis allowed three runs in his first appearance with the Lancaster team (two of those as a result of runners who scored after he was pulled from the game). Those are the only runs he has allowed this season.

0-1 in 6 appearances for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
4.32 ERA and 1.320 WHIP in 8.1 IP (5 BB:7 SO)

Minor has gotten very little work so far this season, going 10 days between appearances at one point. After Sunday's appearance, he went from a 1.17 ERA and 0.913 WHIP to what you see above. Such is the life of a relief pitcher.

Alfredo Gonzalez


CATCHERS:

.313/.378/.403 in 17 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
6-2B; 4 RBI; 6 BB; 5 SO
50% Caught Stealing (5 SB; 5 CS)

Heineman's hitting numbers have held up well since we last checked, but his caught stealing rate came back down to earth from an unsustainable 80% rate.

.340/.476/.420 in 13 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits and 2 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks (promoted on 5/7)
2-2B; 1-3B; 9 RBI; 2 SB; 11 BB; 8 SO
59% Caught Stealing (7 SB; 10 CS)

Gonzalez has had an excellent start to his season, leading to his promotion to Lancaster.

CATCHING RESERVES:

.273/.349/.532 in 22 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
3-2B; 1-3B; 5 HR; 18 RBI; 8 BB; 17 SO
56% Caught Stealing (4 SB; 5 CS)

Nottingham has been on a roll at the plate, hitting .400/.438/.733 over the last week.

INFIELDERS:

.247/.307/.370 in 21 games for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies
4-2B; 2 HR; 13 RBI; 5 BB; 15 SO

Duffy suffered a dry spell, not getting a hit in 6 consecutive games before righting the ship. Unfortunately, 3 games later he was placed on the 7-day DL.

.261/.320/.478 in 24 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
5-2B; 5 HR; 14 RBI; 1 SB; 9 BB; 35 SO

After a red-hot start to the season, McDonald came thudding back to earth. He has only had one hit in his last 8 games.

.284/.326/.352 in 23 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
4-2B; 1-3B; 14 RBI; 2 CS; 5 BB; 15 SO

Tanielu is hitting very well so far in May: .370/.379/.444 with 2 doubles, 7 RBI, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts in 7 games.

.319/.415/.473 in 25 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
12-2B; 1-3B; 10 RBI; 1 SB; 3 CS; 15 BB; 13 SO

Despite cooling off a little bit over the last week, Hyde is still putting up very good numbers for the season.

.287/.323/.437 in 25 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
5-2B; 1-3B; 2 HR; 9 RBI; 3 BB; 21 SO

Trompiz has hit .286/.348/.524 against left-handed pitching and .288/.314/.409 against right-handers so far this season.

.235/.333/.324 in 19 games for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies and 3 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
2-2B; 2-3B; 7 RBI; 1 SB; 9 BB; 13 SO

Sclafani started out the season in Fresno, was sent to Corpus for 3 games at the end of April and is now back with the Grizzlies. Sclafani has had a slow start to the season and is hitting much better as a right-handed batter this season: .261/.370/.348.

INFIELD RESERVES:

.327/.493/.400 in 17 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
1-2B; 1HR; 11 RBI; 1 SB; 18 BB; 10 SO

So far in May, White is hitting .355/.474/.452.

.315/.395/.493 in 17 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks, 3 games for AA Corpus Christi and 2 games for AAA Fresno
5-2B; 1-3B; 2 HR; 14 RBI; 6 SB; 2 CS; 10 BB; 16 SO

Moon got called to Corpus Christi when Jio Mier was on the DL and then was sent almost immediately to Fresno when Ronald Torreyes was DFA'd.

OUTFIELD:

.287/.358/.447 in 25 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
4-2B; 1-3B; 3 HR; 16 RBI; 1 SB: 3 CS; 10 BB; 20 SO

Meredith apparently likes those away games as he's hitting .378/.440/.578 on the road this season.

.280/.337/.480 in 20 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
6-2B; 3 HR; 10 RBI; 1 CS; 7 BB; 13 SO

Mitchell is another hitter who has cooled considerable since his hot start to the season as he struggles against his fellow lefties.

.273/.325/.355 in 27 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
5-2B; 2-3B; 5 RBI; 5 SB; 4 CS; 8 BB; 25 SO

Boyd is hitting .300/.364/.433 so far in May, but more importantly, has cut down on his strikeout rate during the month.

.213/.286/.338 in 24 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
5-2B; 1-3B; 1 HR; 8 RBI; 2 SB; 1 CS; 9 BB; 21 SO

Ramsay is hitting .279/.365/.465 at The Hangar.

.171/.356/.200 in 12 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
1-2B; 4 RBI; 1 CS; 10 BB; 15 SO

Wik is hitting .250/.444/.300 at The Hangar.

OUTFIELD RESERVES:

.229/.362/.354 in 15 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
2 HR; 6 RBI; 8 BB; 21 SO

Kemmer has had a slow start to the season, but is showing some signs of coming around, having hit home runs in back-to-back games last week.

For background information on these players and more information regarding their selection, see my prior posts on Pitchers and Position Players.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Monday, April 27, 2015

YTD Stats for WTHB's Under-the-Radar Roster

Last week I introduced the WTHB Under-the-Radar Roster. This week, let's check in and see how those players have fared thus far in the 2015 season.

STARTING PITCHERS:

2-0 in 3 games (2 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
0.00 ERA and 0.652 WHIP in 15.1 IP (4 BB; 14 SO)

Devenski tossed 5.1 no-hit innings on Saturday night, collecting 8 stikeouts in the process.

1-1 in 3 games (2 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
5.56 ERA and 1.765 WHIP in 11.1 IP (4 BB; 6 SO)

Grills had one excellent start in between two not-so-excellent appearances.

1-0 in 3 games (2 starts) for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
2.77 ERA and 0.923 WHIP in 13 IP (3 BB; 17 SO)

RHP Troy Scribner
1-0 in 3 games (2 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
3.95 ERA and 0.878 WHIP in 13.2 IP (4 BB; 20 SO)

1-0 in 3 games (1 start) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
1.38 ERA and 1.308 WHIP in 13 IP (2 BB; 6 SO)

STARTING RESERVES:

2-1 in 3 games (2 starts) for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
5.54 ERA and 1.538 WHIP in 13 IP (1 BB; 16 SO)

1-1 in 4 games (2 starts) for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
4.70 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in 15.1 IP (6 BB; 21 SO)

BULLPEN:

0-0 with 1 save in 6 appearances for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
0.77 ERA and 1.200 WHIP in 11.2 IP (6 BB; 12 SO)

1-0 in 8 appearances for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies
1.86 ERA and 1.345 WHIP in 9.2 IP (4 BB; 10 SO)

1-0 in 4 appearances for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
1.08 ERA and 0.960 WHIP in 8.1 IP (0 BB; 6 SO)

0-0 with 1 save in 3 appearances for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks and 4 appearances for the AAA Fresno Grizzles (promoted 4/21/15)
2.00 ERA and 0.667 WHIP in 9 IP (2 BB; 5 SO)

RHP Eric Peterson
1-0 with 1 save in 5 appearances for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
1.93 ERA and 1.179 WHIP in 9.1 IP (3 BB; 11 SO)

3-0 in 4 games (3 starts) for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies
2.70 ERA and 1.020 WHIP in 16.2 IP (3 BB; 14 SO)

Used out of the bullpen in his first appearance of the season, Shirley has since made three starts.

0-0 in 7 appearances for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
0.00 ERA and 0.828 WHIP in 9.2 IP (1 BB; 9 SO)

BULLPEN RESERVES:

0-0 with 1 save in 6 appearances for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
0.00 ERA and 0.522 WHIP in 7.2 IP (1 BB; 10 SO)

0-0 in 3 appearances for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
0.00 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in 4 IP (1 BB; 2 SO)

CATCHERS:

.325/.386/.425 in 10 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
4-2B; 2 RBI; 3 BB; 3 SO
80% Caught Stealing (1 SB; 4 CS)

.379/.538/.448 in 9 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
1-3B; 4 RBI; 1 SB; 9 BB; 5 SO
42% Caught Stealing (5 SB; 7 CS)

CATCHING RESERVES:

.233/.340/.512 in 13 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
3-2B; 3 HR; 10 RBI; 6 BB; 12 SO
71% Caught Stealing (2 SB; 5 CS)

INFIELDERS:

1B/3B Matt Duffy R/R
.279/.343/.393 in 15 games for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies
4-2B; 1 HR; 12 RBI; 4 BB; 13 SO

.343/.387/.642 in 17 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
5-2B; 5 HR; 14 RBI; 1 SB; 6 BB; 25 SO

.265/.321/.347 in 13 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
2-2B; 1-3B; 6 RBI 1 CS; 3 BB; 8 SO

.280/.400/.440 in 14 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
8-2B; 4 RBI; 1 SB; 2 CS; 10 BB; 9 SO

.280/.302/.460 in 14 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
3-2B; 2 HR; 7 RBI; 1 BB; 14 SO

IF Joe Sclafani S/R
.258/.378/.355 in 11 games for the AAA Fresno Grizzlies
1-2B; 1-3B; 4 RBI; 1 SB; 5 BB; 8 SO

INFIELD RESERVES:

.333/.619/.417 in 5 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
1-2B; 3 RBI; 1 SB; 9 BB; 4 SO

.314/.400/.451 in 15 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
4-2B; 1 HR; 7 RBI; 5 SB; 2 CS; 7 BB; 13 SO

OUTFIELD:

.288/.362/.481 in 14 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
2-2B; 1-3B; 2 HR; 11 RBI; 3 CS; 5 BB; 9 SO

RF/LF Ronnie Mitchell L/L
.341/.364/.610 in 10 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
2-2B; 3 HR; 7 RBI; 1 CS; 2 BB; 7 SO

CF/LF Bobby Boyd L/R
.290/.333/.362 in 17 games for the Low A Quad Cities River Bandits
3-2B; 1-3B; 3 RBI; 4 SB; 3 CS; 5 BB; 16 SO

CF/RF James Ramsay L/L
.209/.300/.349 in 12 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
4-2B; 1-3B; 3 RBI; 2 SB; 1 CS; 6 BB; 11 SO

.250/.400/.300 in 6 games for the Advanced A Lancaster JetHawks
1-2B; 4 RBI; 1 CS; 5 BB; 7 SO

OUTFIELD RESERVES:

.222/.417/.222 in 6 games for the AA Corpus Christi Hooks
1 RBI; 5 BB; 9 SO

For background information on these players and more information regarding their selection, see my prior posts on Pitchers and Position Players.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Thursday, April 23, 2015

WTHB's Under-the-Radar Roster: Position Players

On Tuesday, I introduced WTHB's Under-the-Radar roster, first looking at the under-the-radar pitching staff. Today, let's see what position players made the cut.

As a reminder, my self-imposed rules were that the player could not be on any of the top prospect lists noted here nor could they be on the 40-man roster nor could they be a draft pick from the top 5 rounds. And the final rule was that each player had to have been assigned to one of the full season team rosters. (I hope to establish another roster when the short season teams break camp.) The plan is to check in on them periodically to see how they are doing as a group for the season.

Ronnie Mitchell - June 2014
Photo by Jayne Hansen

Catchers:

Tyler Heineman (23) S/R
Drafted in the 8th round in 2012 out of the University of California in Los Angeles
Switch-hitter who hits better from the left with a good offensive upside; excellent defensive skills and caught stealing rate

Signed as an international free agent in 2008
Excellent defensive skills with a very good arm; solid offensively with good plate discipline, a little pop and good speed for a catcher

Catching Reserves:

Drafted in the 6th round in 2013 out of Redlands High School, Redlands, California

Roberto Pena wasn't eligible for the roster as he was included as a top prospect in Baseball America's Prospect Handbook. I also strongly considered Jamie Ritchie, but he is also being used at first base and DH. Brett Booth is another under-the-radar guy that intrigues me.

Infielders:

Drafted in the 20th round in 2011 out of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee
Solid defensively at both first and third and can hit for average and for power

Drafted in the 12th round in 2013 out of East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina
Has some serious power potential; can hit to all fields; handles first base adeptly

3B Nick Tanielu (22) R/R
Drafted in the 14th round in 2014 out of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington
Solid hitter with developing power; has transitioned to third base well

SS/2B Mott Hyde (23) R/R
Drafted in the 26th round in 2014 out of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia
Low strikeouts, high walks and decent power; very good defensively

Signed as an international free agent in 2012
Good doubles power and plate discipline; can play third base in addition to the middle infield

IF Joe Sclafani (25 yesterday) S/R
Drafted in the 14th round in 2012 out of Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire
Better defensively in the middle infield, but can handle third base and the outfield in a pinch; hits for average with good on-base skills, a little pop and good instincts on base; low strikeouts and high walks

Infield Reserves:

Drafted in the 33rd round in 2013 out of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina

SS/2B Chan Moon (24) S/R
International free agent signed in 2009

White would likely have been on my starting roster, but he was only activated a couple of days ago. Alex Hernandez and Jack Mayfield also received consideration.

Outfield:

Drafted in the 6th round in 2011 out of San Diego State University in San Diego, California
Can hit for power with manageable strikeouts and a good walk rate; can play a solid first base in addition to the outfield

RF/LF Ronnie Mitchell (23) L/L
Drafted in the 30th round in 2013 out of Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Texas
Good developing power and great on-base skills; good defense with a plus arm

CF/LF Bobby Boyd (22) L/R
Drafted in the 8th round in 2014 out of West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia
Good bat speed, good speed on the bases and good range in centerfield

CF/RF James Ramsay (23) L/L
Drafted in the 7th round in 2013 out of the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida
Excellent defensively with great routes and a good arm; great speed that results in lots of doubles, triples and stolen bases

OF/IF Marc Wik (22) L/R
Drafted in the 21st round in 2012 out of Chabot College in Hayward, California
Super utility with good on-base skills, a little pop and a little speed; solid defensively at several positions with a strong, accurate arm

Outfield Reserves:

Drafted in the 21st round in 2013 out of Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia

I also considered Sean McMullen and would have put Jason Martin on the roster in a heartbeat if he had broken camp with the full season teams.

The best part of this exercise is seeing how much depth there is in the system. There are a ton of good players in this system who do not technically qualify as top prospects!
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

WTHB's Under-the-Radar Roster: Pitching Staff

One of the things that I have enjoyed most in conjunction with writing this blog is looking for the under-the-radar guys. Anybody can write about Carlos Correa and Mark Appel because there is so much information out there about them. I like to dig deeper in order to find a few players who aren't necessarily on the tip of the average fan's tongue, but who are interesting nonetheless.

So, over the last couple of weeks, I've been trying to come up with an "Under-the-Radar" roster. My self-imposed rules were that the player could not be on any of the top prospect lists noted here nor could they be on the 40-man roster nor could they be a draft pick from the top 5 rounds. And the final rule was that each player had to have been assigned to one of the full season team rosters. (I hope to establish another roster when the short season teams break camp.) The plan is to check in on them periodically to see how they are doing as a group for the season.

Today, let's look at the pitchers. I went back and forth a lot on establishing my rotation and my bullpen, but ultimately, I came up with five starters, seven bullpen pitchers and four reserves to take over in the event of a prolonged DL list stint (or a call-up to the big leagues!).

Troy Scribner - April 2014
Photo by Jayne Hansen

First the Starting Pitchers (alphabetically):

Drafted in the 25th round in 2011 out of Cal State Fullerton
High strikeout guy with a fastball that can hit the mid 90's and a major league changeup

Drafted in the 10th round in 2010 out of Sinclair High School in Whitby, Ontario
Exceptional walk rate, high groundball rate and controls the running game

Drafted in the 9th round in 2014 out of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida
Ability to miss a lot of bats with an excellent slider and a fastball with developing velocity

Signed as a NDFA in June 2013 out of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut
Excellent command and high strikeout rate; uses the strike zone to his advantage; highly motivated

Drafted in the 13th round in 2013 out of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida
A innings-eater workhorse with an excellent walk rate, high groundball rate and off-the-charts competitiveness

Starting Reserves:

Drafted in the 33rd round in 2012 out of the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio

Drafted n the 13th Round in 2012 out of Wake University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Aaron West, Keegan Yuhl and Edison Frias also received serious consideration. (I almost added Edison Frias because of his tremendous start, but he wasn't on my original list so it felt like cheating to add him. But keep an eye on him!)

The Bullpen (alphabetically):

Drafted in the 40th round in 2013 out of Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas
Off-the-charts intangibles and work ethic with a funky delivery that deceives and distracts the hitter

Drafted in the 34th round in 2012 out of Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina
Ability to relieve, start, handle long relief; completely dominates when he is on

Drafted in the 19th round in 2011 out of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona
Good command to both sides of the plate and hides the ball well; stingy walk rate and very good at stranding runners

Drafted in the 17th round in 2011 out of Fresno City College in Fresno, California
Bullpen leader with (excuse the vernacular) a brass pair

Drafted in the 37th round in 2014 out of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina
Intriguing start to his career in 2014; low walk rate, good curveball and a lot of upside

Drafted in the 9th round in 2010 out of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio
Deceptive delivery and funky movement with high strikeouts and the ability to miss bats; can also start

Drafted in the 23rd round in 2014 out of Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina
Deceptive delivery with a high groundball rate; equally effective against lefties and excellent at stranding runners

Bullpen Reserves:

Drafted in the 25th round in 2013 out of Wichita State in Wichita, Kansas

Drafted in the 9th round in 2012 out of Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

I also considered Travis Ballew, who I expect to have a comeback season; Jason Stoffel, who is currently on the DL; and Jonas Dufek, who has not yet been activated from the DL.

Later this week (I hope), I'll introduce the position players for the Under-the-Radar Roster.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)