Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 6-14-15

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Box Scores:

 

Iowa won 8-7 (10 innings) Box Score

 

Tennessee wpm 4-1 Box Score

 

Myrtle Beach won 7-1 Box Score

 

South Bend won 7-3 Box Score

[mul21]

Good results, but not enough strikes for my taste:

 

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[Little Slide Rooter]

So what happens when Turner's ready to go? Does Wada get bumped or do we use the bullpen for storage?

 

Nothing against Wada, but if there's any hope whatsoever for Turner, he's a more valuable asset and should be the in the rotation.

[TruffleShuffle]

gleyber torres home run.

[davell]

Torres 5-5 with a 2B and a HR now

[Guest]

gleyber torres home run.

 

5 hit game.

[Tryptamine]

Nice to see after that 0-8 double header earlier this week.

[ctcf]

Wow, Torres, pretty impressive.

[toonsterwu]

I wonder when they push Torres up. At his age, there's always an argument to let him stay at a level, but he's been so good and Myrtle Beach looks to have a decent shot for the playoffs this year that moving him up makes sense. They don't need to demote Penalver to balance it out - they could move an org guy like Lockhart around. Penalver can still get a start or two each week at short for Myrtle Beach, with Torres getting a day off to DH or rest.

 

Back to back solid enough starts for Beeler. A part of me is mildly curious about him as a pen arm, as a power sinker guy from the pen, akin to the switch Zach Britton made.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Lurker here. I was at the South Bend game in Peoria today. I enjoy all the info I get from here -- especially from the minor league forum. So I figured I would share a little of what I saw. I won't profess to know [expletive] about scouting or anything, so take this for what it is: ramblings from some stranger on the internet.

 

Wow! Gleyber did not disappoint. I've loved what I've seen from box score scouting him, but that was a lot of fun to see him put on a show today. As expected, he showed a great approach at the plate. He worked a couple of deep counts. He fouled off several two-strike pitches. He went the other way on a tough pitch on the outside. He sprayed the ball all over the field. Everything off his bat was on a line. He squared up a couple of balls and made hard, loud contact. On his home run, he got out in front of it and pulled it. It barely got out, but it was on a line and got out pretty fast. His last at bat was probably the most impressive. He got ahead in the count 3-1 and it looked like the pitcher was trying to work around him and keep the ball away -- probably wise with the day he had already put together. But, the 3-1 pitch was left over the plate and Gleyber drove it over the center fielder's head, on a line, and it one-hopped the wall in straight-away center at the 400-feet sign. I imagine the exit velocity was pretty impressive, because it seemed like the center fielder was playing him at a pretty good depth and he had no shot at it. It was launched over his head. He got thrown out stretching at third. But it took a great relay to get him, and it was, as the throw was right there for the third baseman to just get him.

 

I'm not sure how many swings he took today, but I don't recall any whiffs. I don't know if his slightly elevated K-rate is a product of some contact issues or just him working deep counts and maybe being too selective with two strikes -- or a little of both (most likely). He took a couple of borderline pitches for strikes -- pitches with which he would have trouble inflicting much damage. But, he attacked when the ball was left in the zone. And he didn't even bother offering at anything out of the zone. So I'm not sure where the Ks are coming from, since I saw him do nothing but make contact.

 

On defense, he had quite a few balls hit to him and most were routine. He looked composed and solid. There was one ball that he had to range quite a bit to his right and towards the third-base line. He made the scoop and a quick exchange and threw back across his body to get the runner. The throw was slightly off-line and the first baseman left the bag and tagged the runner. It wasn't quite Kris Bryant-like off-line, and Rizzo probably makes that snag with his foot on the bag. But it was an impressive job of making the play and getting a strong toss across the field in a hurry. His arm looked to be his biggest asset defensively. But, he looked to have good instincts and hands (though maybe not double-plus), too.

 

As far as assigning scouting grades, I won't even bother to proffer anything. But, what we've seen seems about right, from my [expletive] back-of-the-envelope scouting perspective. He doesn't have any tools that just wow you. Whereas, after seeing a game in Des Moines a few weeks ago, there were a couple of times I could visually see tools from Javy that far surpassed anyone else's on the field -- his arm on one throw, his bat speed, the sound of the ball off his bat on a hard hit ball -- Gleyber just doesn't have the wow factor. Everything looks pretty good, but nothing amazing. He won't have Javy's power (obviously), Mendy's speed, or Addison's range. I did think he was moving well on the play that he got thrown out at third. He was thinking triple all the way and seemed to have a good read on it. But, he doesn't have blazing speed. He's quick, just not a burner. His arm is for sure good enough for him to stick at short, I think. It's probably not as good as Javy's, but he does have a good arm. I mean, I don't know what to expect from an 18-year-old at short, but there was nothing that stuck out that shouted "second-baseman" or the like. I see no reason that he couldn't stick there.

 

He's got a slight frame, but it's not Mendy-slight. He seemed a tick under 6'1" to me. But what do I know? He just looks kinda unimposing, but there is probably room for him to add power, seeing as he is 6'1" and has some definition. He's just not a home run hitter. He's going to spray line drives all over the field. He's got a bat waggle, but not quite as much noise as Javy's of yesteryear. His swing is smooth and compact. He's quick through the zone and looks to hit the ball on a line.

 

Yes, it's only one game. I've only seen him the once, so it's hard for me to not be so effusive, seeing as he was 5-5 with a double and a homer in my fleeting glance at him. But, he was most certainly impressive. And it's hard to believe he is only 18. He clearly has a different approach at the plate than Starlin. But there are a lot of similarities there to a young Starlin: both with advanced bat-on-ball skills, both lacking any elite tools, both lacking huge upside. But he can hit and has a professional approach at the plate. He just seems like the type that will get the most out of his tools, not in the gritty, David Eckstein-way, but rather, basically, that he is just too good of a hitter to fail.

 

So take all that for what it's worth: nothing. But, he certainly impressed me. If you have any questions on any other guys, I can try to answer them, but there's not much else there at South Bend. And I was too busy fawning over Gleyber to pay attention to anyone else, anyway. I was a little disappointed that Charcer Burks didn't play, as I wanted to catch a glimpse of him, too. And it would have been nice to see Clifton, Stinnett, or Null, but I think I got my money's worth as it is.

[KaiserCesar]

Thanks for the detailed write-up, Duke. I really like reading the first-hand accounts when people post them.

[craig]

Thanks much, Duke. Very helpful.

[Guest]

Yeah, thanks for the great read, Duke Silver!

[Aaron_Kennelly]

No problem, guys. I figured I would share, as he is a bit of an unknown and most people haven't seen him play. My big takeaway is that, while he doesn't have any crazy good tools, he is still very special. With basically everyone else that played in the game being at least 21, he left no doubt that the best player on the field was an 18-year-old kid.

 

It wasn't just that he went 5-5; it was how he went 5-5 that was the most impressive. Pulling the ball with authority, going the other way on a tough pitch, everything on a line, waiting for good pitches to drive... and then driving them; it was a hitting clinic. I'm definitely looking forward to his continued development.

[Quakers]

Thanks for your post Duke =D>