Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 5-27-19

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Box Scores:

 

Iowa won 2-1 (10 innings) Box Score

 

CF-2B I. Happ 1/4, R, K

1B R. García 0/2, BB, K

3B-SS T. Giambrone 0/4, K, E (16, throw)

C-1B T. Davis 1/3, 2 K, HBP

SP A. Alzolay 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 5-4 GO-FO, 79-57 pitches-strikes

RP M. Rucker 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 4-0 GO-FO - AAA debut

RP J. Norwood 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1-3 GO-FO

 

Tennessee had the day off

 

Myrtle Beach lost 1-0 Box Score

 

2B C. Sepulveda 2/3, BB

1B L. Reynods 1/3

SS A. Ademan 0/3, K, E (11, fielding)

LF J. Herron 0/2, BB, K, outfield assist at secocnd base

RF DJ Wilson 1/3, CS (1)

SP J. Assad 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 6-3 GO-FO, 92-59 pitches-strikes

 

South Bend won 1-0 Box Score

 

SS A. Weber 1/3

RF J. Sierra 1/4, 2B (11)

1B T. Durna 0/4

3B C. Morel 1/4, R, 2 K, SB (7)

SP C. Sanders 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 1-7 GO-FO, 61-546 pitches-strikes

RP J. Albertos 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 4-1 GO-FO

[Tim]

It might be time to start talking about what Vimael Machin is doing at Tennessee.

 

As a 25 year old, he's definitely overage. He's progressed through the minors with strong plate discipline, good contact and no power. He had half a season at AA last year and did...okay. But this year, he's walking nearly twice as often as he's striking out (13.8% / 7.7%). Even though he only has one home run, he does have a .161 IsoP, so he's got some doubles power. He's got an unsustainable .396 babip, but he's carrying a .366/.454/.527 line through 130 pa. While he's listed as a 1B/2B, he's started seven games at SS this year and only one at 1B.

 

It's probably nothing. But he's been making an awful lot of solid contact so far this year to go along with a solid walk rate.

 

It's worth noting, anyway. He's definitely been the best performer so far this year even though he's not really a prospect.

[Jaxbro]

Rucker to Iowa

[Jaxbro]

Alzolay’s line

 

6 innings 2 hits 1 run 1bb 9k

 

79 pitches 57 strikes 5-4 go-fo

 

Rucker’s Iowa debut

2 innings 1 hit 0 run 2bb 1k

 

24-12, 4-0 go-fo

[UK]

It might be time to start talking about what Vimael Machin is doing at Tennessee.

 

As a 25 year old, he's definitely overage. He's progressed through the minors with strong plate discipline, good contact and no power. He had half a season at AA last year and did...okay. But this year, he's walking nearly twice as often as he's striking out (13.8% / 7.7%). Even though he only has one home run, he does have a .161 IsoP, so he's got some doubles power. He's got an unsustainable .396 babip, but he's carrying a .366/.454/.527 line through 130 pa. While he's listed as a 1B/2B, he's started seven games at SS this year and only one at 1B.

 

It's probably nothing. But he's been making an awful lot of solid contact so far this year to go along with a solid walk rate.

 

It's worth noting, anyway. He's definitely been the best performer so far this year even though he's not really a prospect.

 

There's a lot of similarities between him and Seal boy (before 2019). He's not as good of a hitter but similar eye and marginal ability to play various IF positions.

[CubsWin]

It might be time to start talking about what Vimael Machin is doing at Tennessee.

 

As a 25 year old, he's definitely overage. He's progressed through the minors with strong plate discipline, good contact and no power. He had half a season at AA last year and did...okay. But this year, he's walking nearly twice as often as he's striking out (13.8% / 7.7%). Even though he only has one home run, he does have a .161 IsoP, so he's got some doubles power. He's got an unsustainable .396 babip, but he's carrying a .366/.454/.527 line through 130 pa. While he's listed as a 1B/2B, he's started seven games at SS this year and only one at 1B.

 

It's probably nothing. But he's been making an awful lot of solid contact so far this year to go along with a solid walk rate.

 

It's worth noting, anyway. He's definitely been the best performer so far this year even though he's not really a prospect.

Ha! I came here to write almost the exact same thing.

 

The Cubs have had a string of guys previously thought to be nothing special break out with the bat in AA the last few years. Bote. Giambrone. And now the aptly named Machin. Heck, you could throw Robel Garcia into that mix and to a somewhat lesser extent Jason Vosler and the all but forgotten Zack Short.

 

Bote was an 18th round pick. Giambrone in the 25th. Vosler in the 16th. Short in the 17th. Garcia out of nowhere, and Machin was taken the highest of the bunch in the 10th round. In keeping with that pattern, is 15th rounder Jared Young next?

 

Something in the water down there in Kodak or just a good organizational developmental system/staff and old fashioned hard work paying off? Me thinks it's the latter...

[CubsWin]

Alzolay’s line

 

6 innings 2 hits 1 run 1bb 9k

 

79 pitches 57 strikes 5-4 go-fo

 

Rucker’s Iowa debut

2 innings 1 hit 0 run 2bb 1k

 

24-12, 4-0 go-fo

It's good to see Alzolay re-establish himself as the best pitching prospect in the organization. That's not saying much in this system, but the list of "better than 5th starter/MIR guys" is getting longer.

 

Alzolay, Marquez, Miller, Abbott, Riley Thompson, Yovanny Cruz and Richard Gallardo have the most potential for me at the moment.

 

It was nice to see Albertos have a non-embarrassing, bounce back game today as well, coming into a 1 run game and not allowing a run in 2 innings of work with just 1 hit and 1 walk. He did have a wild pitch, though. Baby steps.

[CubsWin]

Alzolay's curve was devasting to the Marlins' AAA hitters. (The obvious joke here is that the Marlins AAA team is in the majors so he was actually facing a AA team today, but the Babycakes have some decent prospects in their line up like Austin Dean, Lewis Brinson, Isan Diaz, Monte Harrison, etc.) They looked baffled by his breaking ball all day. (The Babycakes announcers were equally as baffled by Alzolay's name calling him Alozay until the 5th inning.)

 

Almost all (or all, I lost track) of his 9 Ks came on his curve. Deven Marrero took a swing at one of his curves that I still can't explain. He swung as if it was a high fastball, kind of hacking at it. Then it broke down into the zone and he was left looking silly. He's got two kinds of breaking balls. One starts lower and could actually be a slider. The other is more of a classic 11-to-5 curve. Both are commanded well.

 

I don't know how Alzolay's breaking stuff will play against major leaguers but I sure would like to find out.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Alzolay’s line

 

6 innings 2 hits 1 run 1bb 9k

 

79 pitches 57 strikes 5-4 go-fo

 

Rucker’s Iowa debut

2 innings 1 hit 0 run 2bb 1k

 

24-12, 4-0 go-fo

 

If Montgomery misses any time, I wonder if Alzolay is coming up (only other viable option is Mills).

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Alzolay's curve was devasting to the Marlins' AAA hitters. (The obvious joke here is that the Marlins AAA team is in the majors so he was actually facing a AA team today, but the Babycakes have some decent prospects in their line up like Austin Dean, Lewis Brinson, Isan Diaz, Monte Harrison, etc.) They looked baffled by his breaking ball all day. (The Babycakes announcers were equally as baffled by Alzolay's name calling him Alozay until the 5th inning.)

 

Almost all (or all, I lost track) of his 9 Ks came on his curve. Deven Marrero took a swing at one of his curves that I still can't explain. He swung as if it was a high fastball, kind of hacking at it. Then it broke down into the zone and he was left looking silly. He's got two kinds of breaking balls. One starts lower and could actually be a slider. The other is more of a classic 11-to-5 curve. Both are commanded well.

 

I don't know how Alzolay's breaking stuff will play against major leaguers but I sure would like to find out.

 

Here’s the Marrero K:

 

[CubsWin]

As AZ Phil reported, Albertos is in better shape this year. He's definitely lost weight.

 

 

In the 6th, he struck out the first batter he faced on his above average change up. His FB was reported between 91-95, mostly 94. The only hit he gave up was a weak ground ball up the middle that was just missed being gloved by the SS Weber. The wild pitch was on a breaking ball that just had some wild break. It didn't start off the plate, it just broke that much, like a wiffle ball. Polanco didn't even come close to getting a glove on it.

 

It was an easy, 1-2-3 7th. A sharply hit flyout to RF off of a fastball sandwiched by two weak ground outs. Albertos looked confident and his delivery seemed under control and consistent pitch to pitch.

[CubsWin]

For comparison, here's an image of Albertos from 2017 while he was in Eugene.

 

[Hrubes20]

Nice to see Albertos lean out a little bit, the tools are plenty there for an impact arm

 

—-

 

Didn’t realize the guy who shut down the Pelicans was Brady Singer until now, but he’s been really really good in the pros. He got promoted to AA today and is basically on the Verlander pace through the minors as an elite college arm, though there’s no shot in hell he makes his ML debut this year because $$. I was not a believer coming out of college but lots of healthy, efficient innings with skills is the way to convert. Another guy absolutely crushing it so far that I didn’t really buy in the 2018 draft is RHP Grayson Rodriguez in the O’s system.

 

I’m going to be a little petty and say Nick Madrigal sucking pleases me, not a fan

 

I didn't like Singer, either. AA will be the proving ground for him, IMO.