Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 6-9-17

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Box Scores

 

Iowa lost 7-3 Box Score

 

CF J. Hannemann 0/4, K, outfield assist at third base

2B C. Young 1/4, R

RF M. Zagunis 1/3, R, HR (9), 2 RBI, BB, K

3B J. Candelario 0/4, 2 K

1B V. Caratini 3/4, R, E (5, fielding)

LF J. Andreoli 0/3, BB

SP W. Perez 4/2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, 7-2 GO_FO, 93-53 pitches-strikes

RP D. Berg 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2-0 GO-FO

RP P. Johnson 2 IP,3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 0-1 GO-FO

 

Tennessee won 4-2 Box Score

 

LF C. Burks 1/4, R, K

SS A. Ely 2/3, R, 2B (9), BB, K

2B D. Bote 1/3, R, 2B (9)

3B J. Vosler 0/3, RBI, K

RF Je. Baez 0/4, K

SP T. Clifton 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1-6 GO-FO, 93-59 pitches-strikes

RP C. Brooks 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 0-1 GO-FO

RP D. Torrez 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1-1 GO-FO

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

 

Myrtle Beach lost 1-0 Box Score

 

1B B. Flete 0/3, K

C PJ Higgins 0/4, pickoff at first base

LF E. Jimenez 0/4

2B J. Hodges 1/3

1B M. Rose 0/2, BB, K

SP T. Hatch 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 3-9 GO-FO, 93-60 pitches-strikes; pickoff at first base

 

South Bend lost 4-0 Box Score

 

2B Z. Short 0/3, BB, K

DH Y. Peguero 0/4

C A. Mineo 1/3, BB

1B W. Galindo 0/3, BB, K

SS I. Paredes 1/4, K, E (4, fielding)

LF K. Mitchell 0/2, BB

CF L. Ayala 1/3, 2 K

SP D. Robinson 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 9-3 GO-FO, 86-54 pitches-strikes

 

DSL Cubs 1 won 8-4 Box Score

 

SS L. Diaz 0/3, 2 BB, K, E (1, throw)

3B C. Morel 1/3, 2 R, BB, K, 2 SB (2), CS (1)

LF C. Pacheco 1/1, R, 2 BB, CS (2)

C Hen. Perez 0/3, R, PB (1)

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

2B Her. Perez 0/3, R, BB, 3 SB (4)

SP Y. Cruz 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 4-1 GO-FO

 

DSL Cubs 2 lost 6-3 Box Score

 

SS J. Huma 1/4

3B O. Nuñez 2/4, R, SB (3)

CF R. Verenzuela 1/4, 3B (1), 2 K

RF C. Alfonzo 1/4,R, K

SP D. Correa 2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 3-3 GO-FO

RP F. Heredia 3 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 5-0 GO-FO

[Bear Cub]

Can someone explain why Williams Perez is still in the organization?

[davell]

[CubsWin]

Mekkes to Myrtle, I presume?

[davell]

Can someone explain why Williams Perez is still in the organization?

 

Eh, his peripherals are only bad, not awful. He's got ML experience and Iowa's rotation is a complete train wreck to begin with. He's probably gone, if he's not pitching better when Zastryzny and Mills get healthy and Tseng and Hedges are promoted.

[davell]

Mekkes to Myrtle, I presume?

 

Doesn't look like it. Some dude named Pearson is being activated. I even had Mekkes to Myrtle already written and deleted it.

[CubsWin]

Mekkes to Myrtle, I presume?

 

Doesn't look like it. Some dude named Pearson is being activated. I even had Mekkes to Myrtle already written and deleted it.

Tyler Pearson. Catcher. Welp, Mekkes will be promoted soon, I'm sure.

 

Cubs have a growing list of viable major league relief prospects and most of them are in AA.

 

Daury Torrez

Craig Brooks

Dillon Maples

Ryan McNeil

Brad Markey

 

...are all in AA. That's not a bad bullpen for the Smokies especially when you throw in guys like Pugliese (who doesn't have the stuff of the previous guys but has great numbers as a reliever this year - 0.84 WHIP, .161 BAA, a K per inning and a 0.47 ERA) and David Garner who's been solid.

 

Michael Rucker, now in High A, is being stretched out, but he's been lights out. Pedro Araujo is up to his old tricks and Mekkes is Mekkesing.

 

Sadly, both Pierce Johnson and Felix Pena are struggling in AAA and Jake Stinnett (who I still think would be best out of the pen) is injured so the Cubs will need this latest crop of relievers to step up and prove themselves in AAA, if and when the get there.

 

Of course, this isn't the entirety of relief options. Many of the Cubs minor league starters can/will be moved to the pen at the upper levels. I am interested to see what Underwood can do out of the pen. Jose Paulino and Manuel Rondon have struggled in the rotation this year but have long been seen as future pen arms. Justin Steele may also be destined to be a reliever.

 

I've kind of developed a man crush on Wade Davis and would love to see the Cubs pony up the money to extend him. Having a group of arms that might be able to fill in the bottom half of the bullpen at league minimum would certainly help the Cubs do that.

[davell]

Yovanny Cruz goes 5 4 1 1 0 6 for DSL1. That's his second outing and as the opening day starter, he may be worth paying attention to.

[CubsWin]

Yovanny Cruz goes 5 4 1 1 0 6 for DSL1. That's his second outing and as the opening day starter, he may be worth paying attention to.

Early returns, but yeah. Was just coming here to post exactly that.

 

On the season:

 

2 G, 8 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K.

 

He's 6'1", 190 lbs. and 17.

[CubsWin]

Hatch continues to roll thru 5.

 

This would make 3 consecutive highly effective starts for Hatch if he finishes this out.

[davell]

Based off the extremely limited info out there, Heredia probably is the guy to pay the most attention to. Throws 90+, has a solid curve.....I would be shocked if he made it to Arizona during the season though, same with Cruz. They acclimate guys to US life during EXST and during Instructs. They're not going to bring a guy over during the middle of the season and set him up for possible failure. This FO hasn't done that yet, with a single DSL guy.

 

Promotions for ANY DSL guys during the season are pretty rare, because you've got the new draftees taking up lots of roster spots too. That said, Nunez is easily the pick to get promoted, if they bring anyone over. He's spent time in the US already. And he's only still in the DSL because of a log jam. Rafael Narea is a year older and got promoted to Arizona and I'd guess that age at least partially was the reason. At any rate, an injury occurs.....Nunez is probably here quick.

 

Heredia or Cruz can probably be lights out all year and not make it here until Instructs though, unless I've missed one of them being at Instructs this past off season.

[davell]

Clifton's at 93 pitches, so I think he's likely done. 5 5 2 2 2 5. He needs to get more economical, needs to walk a few less guys too. Still, solid enough outing. But, even though he's clearly the best of our Tennessee rotation, I see Hedges and Tseng both getting promoted before him. In fact, I'm kind of thinking he's in Tennessee all year.

[davell]

Hatch also threw 93 pitches, going 5.2 4 1 1 2 4. Extremely similar line to Clifton lol. Another really solid outing. Just got gassed in the 6th, a bit.

[davell]

6 4 1 1 2 6 on 86 pitches, 9/3 GO/FO for Robinson. If he gets another couple of starts after the ASG, I'll be surprised. Got to move him and Mekkes up.

[Donzo]

SP T. Clifton 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1-6 GO-FO, 93-59 pitches-strikes

 

1-6 GO-FO- dang, that is such a buzz kill to his prospecthood.

 

What can he do to improve on that?

[We Got The Whole 9]

Clifton is working on his 3rd straight stint with a GB rate under 40% and a .80 gb/fb. That's just who he is. But he does a good job of missing barrels, it appears, with his hr/9 hovering around .30-.50 and he gets a significant amount of infield flies, 24% this season so far.

 

He's a decent pitcher. He keeps hitters off balance and induces a lot of weak contact. But that only gets most pitchers so far. I definitely would like to see him get that K% back up a couple ticks.

[davell]

Clifton is our first "legitimate" home grown pitching prospect, since the new FO has taken over. Meaning he's got a true shot at eventually making a future rotation of ours. But, he does have a true wart forming too. He's got to limit the walks.

 

Last year, he had shown improvement on that end. He's back up near 4 per 9 currently. Can you survive at that? Yeah. But, his K rate would be better served to go back up. Its a bit under 8 per 9 now.

 

He's backed off of throwing harder for more control supposedly. He needed to do that. But, he's got to improve it a bit more. A lot of guys say High A to AA is the big talent jump. That's where stats start to matter a bit more. Its looking like the case here. I was kind of hopeful for a potential mid rotation guy, after last year honestly. Now, I'm thinking he's a back end guy. And a frustrating one at that. Hopefully his second half shows a bit of improvement though. He's not tooooo far off from being someone to be genuinely excited about, as the first potential guy to climb thru the system and join the rotation.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

His current BB% is just under 10 and if it stays under 10 then I don't think that's a problem. His K%-BB% is a smidge over 10, he'd be a healthier prospect around 15, and it's more likely that he'll add back some K's than it is that he drops to career best walk prevention.