Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 5-1-19

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Box Scores:

 

Iowa won game one 6-1 (7 innings) Box Score

 

Iowa won game two 3-2 (7 innings) Box Score

 

Tennessee won 3-2 (10 innings) Box Score

 

Myrtle Beach lost 8-3 Box Score

 

South Bend lost game one 2-1 (7 innings) Box Score

 

South Bend won game two 2-0 (7 innings) Box Score

[Guancous]

[CubsWin]

What is Bryan Smith thinking?? You don't do that? Why tempt the fates!?

 

Miller gives up two singles to lead off the 7th...

[Regular Show]

 

He might end up being the best pitcher selected by the Cubs in the 2016 draft. Tyson Miller, Dakota Mekkes or maybe Matt Swarmer. I'm not that high on Hatch.

 

Real shame they didn't sign their 14th round pick (RHP Parker Dunshee) that year. He's a solid prospect in the A's system.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.milb.com/milb/news/chicago-cubs-prospect-tyson-miller-flirts-with-perfection/c-306767924?tcid=tw_article_306767924

 

Analytics helped. This spring, Miller has watched frame-by-frame videos of himself. He's seen the moment the ball leaves his hand and what a different grip can do to his spin rate. He's analyzed pitch sequencing and how best to tunnel -- that is, make various pitches appear the same to the hitter's eye.

 

In Double-A, Miller said, numbers have become an even larger part of how he prepares. Before each start, he, the catchers, pitching coach Ron Villone and one of the team's hitting coordinators meet to view film of opponents' swings and browse data -- a lot of data. It's a much more "individualized" approach than Miller was used to at the Minors' lower levels.

 

"We look at their percentage of first-pitch swinging and first-pitch swinging with runners in scoring positions," Miller said. "If it's high, then we know we could work him with off-speed stuff. And then we go over where they swing when they chase. Like, where I can attack with fastballs? If we need to mix up. Where he's hitting percentage wise and average-wise off of off-speed. All that stuff. We have tons.

 

"It's a lot of information for a 20-minute session, but now I'm starting to get the hang of it."

 

The reports this time produced a plan to pitch inside to a lineup that featured five lefties. An eight-pitch first inning was followed by back-to-back four-pitch strikeouts of top D-backs prospect Jazz Chisholm and 15th-ranked Drew Ellis that got him through the second. Then the right-hander put it on cruise control.