Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 5-13-16

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Box Scores:

 

Iowa won 3-2 on an Albert Almora walk-off double Box Score

 

RF S. Victorino 0/4

DH W. Contreras 1/4, R, HR (3), RBI, K

1B D. Vogelbach 0/3, BB, E (2, pickoff)

CF A. Almora 2/4, 2B (7), 3B (2)

2B L. Watkins 0/3, K

SS M. Kawasaki 1/2, BB

SP R. Williams 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 3-2 GO-FO, 99-66 pitches-strikes

RP G. Concepcion 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1-0 GO-FO

RP C. Edwards Jr 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2-0 GO-FO

 

Tennessee won 12-5 Box Score

 

CF J. Hannemann 1/5, 3B (3), 2 RBI, K, HBP, E (2, fielding)

2B C. Young 1/5, R, BB

3B J. Candelario 1/4, 2B (9), 2 BB, K

LF M. Zagunis 0/4, R, RBI, 2 BB, K

C V. Caratini 1/4, R, 2B (7), RBI, 2 BB

RF B. McKinney 2/4, 2 R, 2B (4), RBI, BB

SP B. Markey 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 3-3 GO-FO, 77-44 pitches-strikes

RP S. Peralta 3 IP 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 2-3 GO-FO

RP D. Garner 1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 3-0 GO-FO

 

Myrtle Beach won 8-3 Box Score

 

LF C. Burks 2/5, R, 2B (5), HR (2), 2 RBI, 3 K, E (3, fielding)

SS G. Torres 1/4, R, HR (4), 3 RBI, K

2B I. Happ 0/4, R, BB, K

1B Y. Balaguert 1/4, R, HR (4), 2 RBI

3B J. Vosler 2/3, R, 2 2B (9), BB

RF Je. Baez 0/4, K, outfield assist at second base

SP E. Leal 7.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 7-8 GO-FO, 86-67 pitches-strikes

 

South Bend won 15-2 Box Score

 

CF D. Dewees 4/6, 2 R, 2B (9), 3B (7), 6 RBI, K, SB (9)

C PJ Higgins 1/3, R, 2B (9), 2 RBI, BB, K

3B J. Hodges 1/6, R, 2 RBI, K

LF E. Jimenez 2/4, R, 2B (11), HR (2), 2 RBI, BB, K

RF E. Martinez 0/3, R, 2 BB

1B M. Rose 0/5, R, K

DH T. Alamo 3/5, 2 R, RBI, K

SP A. Alzolay 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, 6-6 GO-FO, 87-54 pitches-strikes

RP C> Bloomquist 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K, 2-0 GO-FO

 

A perfect day in the system!

[CubinNY]

I'll be at the Smokies game tonight. Is Markey a legitimate prospect or filler? He has a good record and decent ERA, but his walks are concerning.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I'll be at the Smokies game tonight. Is Markey a legitimate prospect or filler? He has a good record and decent ERA, but his walks are concerning.

 

Prior to this year I had some hope that Ryan Williams and/or Markey would be the next version of Hendricks. Both have had crummy starts to their season to take a lot of the wind out of those sails. So he's not filler but you aren't going to see great velocity or killer secondary stuff either.

[CubsWin]

I'll be at the Smokies game tonight. Is Markey a legitimate prospect or filler? He has a good record and decent ERA, but his walks are concerning.

Out of the pen, he's shown some added velocity. Possible middle reliever in my book, but he's got some development left for sure.

[CubinNY]

TIL; Chesney Young is Caucasian.

[David]

TIL; Chesney Young is Caucasian.

 

i would never have even thought otherwise

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Gleyber Torres homer. Yay! He's showing some pop.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Gleyber Torres homer. Yay! He's showing some pop.

 

Gleyber's been on a tear lately. Good to see. Very good to see.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Eloy with a homer, too.

[TruffleShuffle]

yeah south bend are piling on, it's 15-2. 14 of their runs came in the last 3 innings.

 

dewees 4-6 with a double, triple (his 7th of the year?!?) and 6 rbi

jimenez 2-4 with a double, homer and walk

eddy julio martinez 0-3 but walked twice

 

they also have a guy named sutton whiting on their team. sounds like a trust fund baby.

[CubinNY]

Smokies taking their walks like the big boys.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Contreras homer! And Almora tripled earlier.

[TruffleShuffle]

willson just donged. almora tripled - those are iowa's only two hits.

 

ryan williams had a solid outing: 6+ ip, 6 h, 2 r, 1 er, 2 bb, 8 k, 1 hr. mini hendricks? his walk rate is up this year, which maybe suggests that he's nibbling more against better hitters as he moves up the ladder.

 

williams allowed 2 baserunners to lead off the 7th but geraldo concepcion (who apparently has been called up from tennessee) bailed him out by striking out the next 3 batters.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Concepcion becoming a major league pitcher would be funny.

[ScrubMD]

Who is this Bloomquist fellow for SB? 3 perfect innings in relief with 7 k's.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Candelario appears to be on a mission to illustrate that Spring Training is meaningless in the most extreme way possible. He's trending towards a .600 OPS at Tennessee.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Carl Edwards Jr. with another clean outing. He went 1-2-3 and got a K.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

That would be quite delightful if maybe Edwards and Concepcion could step into bullpen roles with how dreadful the bottom of our pen has been.

[TruffleShuffle]

almora two-run, two-out walkoff double :stickman: i-cubs win 3-2

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Excellent night on the farm, after a great day for the big league club.

 

I am so excited about Contreras, and Almora, too, to lesser extent. But, Contreras could be really good if he has a semblance of an idea on how to catch.

[Little Slide Rooter]

That would be quite delightful if maybe Edwards and Concepcion could step into bullpen roles with how dreadful the bottom of our pen has been.

 

Wouldn't shock me at all if Edwards were up in the very near future. As in the next few days.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Yes, the relief pitcher whose prospects of starting went by the wayside, and who proceeded to walk 6 guys per 9 innings out of the pen is the only one who has earned a spot on our major league roster. Our catcher who was named our organization's Minor League Player of the Year last year, after hitting .333 and carrying an 11% BB-rate and 12% K-rate hasn't earned a job as a major league player. Never mind that he has been even better this year.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Yes, I know, we've been through this interminable loop before: It doesn't matter that he walks a metric ton of guys because minor league hitters are unable to hit him. And who cares that he is but a relief pitcher?

 

And lol at Logan Watkins. I don't see what that has to do with this. Willson Contreras is an actual prospect that was named the organization's Minor League Player of the Year. He's pretty clearly earned it -- which was my point, not that earning that award says anything of a player's future prospects. I mean, the guy was named by practically every outlet as the best catching prospect in baseball, even though there was trepidation that he was a one-year wonder. And, yet, he's been even more impressive at the start of this season.

 

I don't care what you think of Willson Contreras as a prospect. Granted, I think you are wrong. But to act as if he hasn't earned something is downright loony.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Well, it sounds like you think Edwards is just the most talented arm (player?) in the system. I don't think he's really earned anything, as he has been trending down for awhile. My complaint is merely in your use of the word "earned." I won't go any farther in an argument over semantics. And I really don't care to debate Edwards/Contreras any longer. I hope they both are amazing and that they both help us in the immediate-to-near future.

[CubsWin]

April Showers Bring May Flowers

 

Ryan Williams - In his last 6 starts (all except his AAA debut): 4-0, 2.27, 35.2 IP, 31 H, 10 BB, 26 K, 1.15 WHIP. He's 2-0, 1.80, 20 IP, 16 H, 3 BB, 16 K, 0.95 in 3 May starts.

 

Carl Edwards, Jr. - In his last 5 appearances (since 4/28): 1-0, 0.00, 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 9 K.

 

Albert Almora - Has a 10 game hitting streak in which he's hit .362 with 3 doubles and 2 triples but not drawn a single walk. At least his K% is low during that span and if you're hitting .362 (and raising your SLG to from .460 to .488), do we really care if you go a stretch without taking a walk?

 

Willson Contreras - The Iowa Cubs have played a game every day so far in May, and Willson has gotten on base in every one with 15 hits and 8 walks (against just 5 Ks) in 13 games. It's not just walks and singles either. His SLG at the end of April was .410. After 2 doubles and 3 HRs this month, he's raised it to .500.

 

Dan Vogelbach - After walking 57 times to 61 strikeouts last year in AA, Dan got off to a rough start in AAA striking out 13 times with just 2 walks in his first 9 games. Since then, he's K'd 19 times and drawn 15 walks. He's hitting .324 with 4 HRs, 5 BB and 6 Ks in his last 10 games.

 

Vic Caratini - In nine May games, he's hitting .333/.462/.433 with 8 BB and 7 Ks. As a 22-year-old in AA, he's already a year young for his league and much younger than the average catcher at that level. He's the 2nd youngest catcher in the Southern League. Only Jacob Nottingham (Brewers) is younger, but he's currently hitting .210/.275/.290 with 8 BB against 25 Ks.

 

Mark Zagunis - He's heating up along with the weather hitting .286/.400/.476 in May with 2 doubles and 2 HRs. He's known for his excellent K/BB ratio, and that's holding true this season with 18 BB to 25 Ks. Last year, in High-A, he walked 80 times and struck out 86.

 

Gerardo Concepcion - His season has been one long encouraging trend. In 19.2 IP (over AA & AAA now), he's allowed 5 hits, no runs (earned or otherwise), walked 4 while striking out 20. His scoreless streak, including the last 5 appearances of 2015, extends back to August 22nd.

 

Gleyber Torres - Started the season horribly hitting .113/.266/.226 in his first 14 games, striking out in every one for a total of 20. In the 17 games since, he's hit .338/.371/.569 with 4 SBs without getting caught.

 

Jason Vosler - After getting off to a great start hitting .311/.402/.392 in April, Vosler's topping that in the 1st half of May with a .405/.442/.676 slash, 5 doubles and 1 HR. As an age appropriate player in High-A (he'll be 22 until Sept. 6th), Jason is opening some eyes. The Cubs developmental staff LOVES him.

 

Trevor Clifton - He turned 21 two days ago but has been pitching in High-A all season. He was drafted as a raw prep arm but has improved his mechanics and come a long way. He still struggles to command his 95 mph FB and above average breaking ball, but things might be coming together for him. Since the calendar flipped to May, he's 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA allowing 10 hits in 11 IP with 18 Ks and just 3 walks.

 

Eddy Julio Martinez - The most expensive IFA signing this season got off to an inauspicious start striking out 17 times in his first 16 games without drawing a walk and hitting .235/.246/.353. The hitting hasn't taken off yet, but he's improved that K/BB ratio striking out 13 times while drawing 8 walks since. Martinez has shown some pop, however, leading South Bend with 4 HRs

 

Eloy Jimenez - For a 19-year-old in the Midwest League, Eloy has acquitted himself nicely thus far. He still is learning to control the strike zone, but he hit .284/.326/.420 in April with 6 doubles and a HR in 20 games. In 11 May games, he's up his production to .317/.333/.512 with 5 doubles and a HR.

 

James Norwood - An elbow strain stunted his development after being selected in the 7th round in 2014. James has a mid-90s FB that he's struggled to control in his first 2 seasons. The Cubs moved him to the pen this year, but he got off to a rough start giving up 6 ER in his first 5 IP. Since then, he's been stellar. In his next 8.1 IP, he's allowed 1 ER on 7 H, 0 BB and 11 Ks.

 

Carson Sands - He had a rough April walking 7 with just 7 Ks in 14.1 IP and a 6.28 ERA. He's won both May starts, pitching 11 shoutout innings, giving up 8 hits and 3 walks with 7 Ks for a BAA of .211.

 

Justin Steele - As bad as Sands' start was, Steele's was worse. His April ERA of 9.49 was driven by a BAA of .414. 8 walks in 12.1 IP contributed to a 2.59 WHIP last month. He must have made an adjustment because since the new month arrived, he's 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA with 10 Ks and 3 walks in 8 IP. In April, guys were getting the ball in the air hitting a lot of line drives and 11 fly ball outs to just 10 on the ground. In his 2 starts in May, he's caused 14 ground ball outs to just 1 in the air and a BAA of .219.