Minor League Discussion & Boxes 5-25-13

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Scheduled Games (All Times Central)

 

Iowa won 7-3 Box Score

 

2B L. Watkins 1/3, RBI, 2 BB

RF B. Bogusevic 3/5, RBI, 2 K

CF B. Jackson 0/4, BB, 2 K, CS (3)

LF D. Sappelt 0/4, K

1B I. Stewart 0/3, R, BB, K

C L. Flores 2/2, R, 2 2B (3), 2 RBI, 2 BB

SP B. Raley 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, 7-4 GO-FO, 102-65 pitches-strikes

 

Tennessee lost 7-2 Box Score

 

CF M. Szczur 0/4, K, outfield assist at first base

2B A. Alcantara 1/4, R, HR (7), 2 RBI, K, E (16, fielding)

RF R. Silva 1/3, BB, SB (8)

3B C. Villanueva 0/4, 2 K

C R. Lopez 0/2, BB - left game after being hit by foul ball

PH R, Torreyes 0/1

SP A. Cabrera 6 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HBP, 2 WP, 7-5 GO-FO, 100-65 pitches-strikes; batting: 0/1, R, BB, K

 

Daytona won 5-4 Box Score

 

CF Z. DeVoss 0/4, 3 K

SS Ja. Baez 0/4, K

RF J. Soler 1/4, R, 2B (11), 2 K

1B D. Geiger 0/2, R, BB

C C. Krist 1/3, R

DH T. Easterling 1/3, R, 2 RBI

2B T. Saunders 2/3, R, HR (1), 3 RBI, K, E (3, fielding)

SP K. Burke 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 7-5 GO-FO

RP L. Liria 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 0-2 GO-FO

 

Kane County won game one of their doubleheader 4-3 (7 innings) Box Score

 

LF PC Chen 1/4, R, K

CF A. Almora 3/4, 2 R, 2 2B (5), 2 RBI, outfield assist at home

1B D. Vogelbach 2/3, 2B (9), BB, E (8, fielding)

3B J. Candelario 0/3, BB

DH B. Rademacher 0/3, RBI, K - walk-off sac fly

2B G. Amaya 2/3, K

SS M. Hernandez 0/3, K

C W. Contreras 0/3, K, E (7, throw)

SP J. Rosario 4.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 6-2 GO-FO

 

Kane County won game two 7-4 (7 innings) Box Score

 

LF O. Zapata 1/3, R, 2B (5), 2 RBI, BB, 2 K

CF A. Almora 1/3, R, HBP

DH D. Vogelbach 2/4, R, 2B (10), RBI, K

3B J. Candelario 0/4, K

1B R. Shoulders 2/3, 2 R, 2 HR (12), 3 RBI

RF B. Rademacher 2/2, R, 2B (5), BB, SB (4), CS (3)

2B G. Amaya 0/2, BB, K, SB (6)

SP B. Smith 4 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR, 4-6 GO-FO

RP I. Dickson 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 3-2 GO-FO

 

VSL Cubs won 3-2 Box Score

 

SS B. Flete 1/3, R, HBP, CS (3)

RF R. Marcano 0/4, K

3B R. Alcala 0/4, K

C J. Pereda 2/4, K

LF M. Hodwalker 1/4, SB (1), CS (1)

SP A. Alzolay 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 4-5 GO-FO

RP C. Pieters 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 2 WP, 3-1 GO-FO, balk

RP M. Vides 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 3-0 GO-FO

 

OVERALL: 5-1

[Guest]

Probable Starters

 

Iowa: LHP Brooks Raley (43.1 IP ,4.08 FIP, 4.78 ERA, 36 K, 13 BB)

Tennesse: RHP Alberto Cabrera (53.2 IP, 3.52 FIP, 3.69 ERA, 52 K, 19 BB)

Daytona: LHP Kyler Burke (5 IP, 3.60 FIP, 1.80 ERA, 5 K, 2 BB)

Kane County (game one): RHP Jose Rosario (4 IP, 7.20 FIP, 2.25 ERA, 0 K, 1 BB)

Kane County (game two): LHP Brian Smith (22.1 IP, 3.24 FIP, 2.42 ERA, 24 K, 12 BB)

[ctcf]

Pretty jazzed for a KC double header, you guys.

[Guest]

Early rainouts = extra games for Almora!

[ctcf]

Almora begins his DH with a double. I'm starting to think he was anxious to play or something.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Let's just go ahead move Almora to Daytona so I can see him in a lineup with Baez and Soler. =P~

[Guest]

@TonyAndracki23: Almora with a hustle 2B in his first AB at home. Good AB, fouling off a few tough pitches, then drove one to left-center.

 

@TonyAndracki23: Almora reaches on an error, and shows off his hustle again by stretching it to 2B, even though the ball stayed in play.

[Guest]

@WayneRandazzo: Almora 9-for-16 so far with @KCCougars and just made best def. play of the year in CF. Sliding grab on shallow fly, threw out runner at HP.

 

@TonyAndracki23: You guys, Albert Almora is having a day. Just tied up the game with a 2-run 2B to left-center. He's now 2-for-3 and accounted for all 3 runs

[TruffleShuffle]

keeping him at the top of my cubs prospect list.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

I've still got Soler at the top unless Almora shows a way better walk rate the rest of the year.

[RammyFanny]

Almora single. Taking a page from the Jorge Soler and Dustin Geiger book of doubleheaders.

[TruffleShuffle]

‏@TonyAndracki23: Almora extends his hand in the air and pumps his fist as he scores the winning run. He accounted for all Cougars 4 runs this afternoon.

 

<3

[illiniguy]

Can Albert develop enough power to have a chance to be better than what Soler is likely to become?

[davell]

Wow, what a start to his season! :D

 

Personally, he's still going to be 3rd for me, based on likely upside. That said, I'm not going to be the least bit concerned with his walk rate, due to his ability to make contact. Plus, there's not been a single report of him swinging at everything. He seems very, very coachable and I do think he'll be much easier to control than Javy ever will be. But the upside of Javy will keep him higher on my personal list for a while. Not a knock on Almora either, as I can see him being a gold glove, .850ish OPS type. Better chance of him becoming that than Javy becoming a .900+ OPS SS or 3B(or 2B), but the fact that it IS a possibility will have me going down swinging(just like Javy) until its apparent he won't become that, which is still 2 years or so from now of him continuing to hack away.

 

So Javy needs to keep up what he's done these last 10 games or so. At any rate, the minor league season is finally becoming fun, thanks largely to Almora's start.

[Guest]

i love you albert

[Little Slide Rooter]

Damned if AA isn't making up for lost time. Any chance we see Soler, Almora, Baez, Vogelbach, Johnson, and Maples at the same level at some point for the ultimate raging prospect boner?

[davell]

Damned if AA isn't making up for lost time. Any chance we see Soler, Almora, Baez, Vogelbach, Johnson, and Maples at the same level at some point for the ultimate raging prospect boner?

no

[TruffleShuffle]

Can Albert develop enough power to have a chance to be better than what Soler is likely to become?

 

he could be better than soler by on playing premium defense at a more demanding position. if his defense/baserunning/hitting is all plus at the big league level, he'll really only have to develop average power, which most people expect him to have.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Cabrera with 1/7 BB/K through 5.

[TruffleShuffle]

That said, I'm not going to be the least bit concerned with his walk rate, due to his ability to make contact.

 

didn't everyone say that vitters' greatest strength is being able to make contact? granted almora should have a big leg up on vitters due to his defense and baserunning, but being able to put pitchers' pitches into play isn't necessarily a positive.

[davell]

That said, I'm not going to be the least bit concerned with his walk rate, due to his ability to make contact.

 

didn't everyone say that vitters' greatest strength is being able to make contact? granted almora should have a big leg up on vitters due to his defense and baserunning, but being able to put pitchers' pitches into play isn't necessarily a positive.

To me, the differences are Vitters was considered a guy that'd hit anything. I don't think Almora has a rep of chasing pitches. Secondly, I think Almora's makeup is off the charts and think he'll be much more willing to change any potential bad habits than Vitters would. Vitters is/was very laid back and has had the rep of floating by on talent, unless I'm mistaken.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that Kyler Burke's been 25 for several years now.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Can Albert develop enough power to have a chance to be better than what Soler is likely to become?

 

Almora's never going to match Soler in the power department, but most baseball guys have said he can be a 50 power guy. Soler probably has 70 power potential.

 

I haven't heard much about Soler's defense in RF, but I know he's supposed to have a plus arm.

[davell]

Pretty sure I've read Soler takes very good routes to the ball as well. No deficiencies defensively, as far as I know.

 

On the other hand, I'm completely positive Alcantara just hit his 7th HR. For those that aren't getting pretty excited, I think it's time to jump on board.

[TruffleShuffle]

@TonyAndracki23: Almora re-inventing "The Catch." Shades of Willie Mays with a nice over-the-shoulder catch. Not flashy, but very solid play.

 

@MidwayJME: Almora with another over-the-shoulder running catch.