Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 6-18-21

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Box Scores:

 

Iowa won 6-5 Box Score

 

SS D. Strange-Gordon 2/4

CF M. Hermosillo 0/5, 2 K

RF T. Thompson 1/3, R, RBI, BB, 2 K, HR (7)

1B N. Martini 2/4, R

C T. Wolters 2/4, R, 4 RBI, HR (1)

SP M. Hauschild 2.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0-4 GO-FO

RP D. Mekkes 1.1 IP, 2H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, 0-0 GO-FO

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

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

 

Tennessee won 6-5 Box Score

 

2B C. Sepulveda 2/3, R, RBI, BB

SS C. Morel 0/3, BB, 3 K

RF D. Hill 1/4, R, K

3B C. Strumpf 1/4, R, 2 RBI, K, HR (2)

CF B. Davis 1/3, R, RBI, BB

SP E. Uelmen 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 HBP, 7-4 GO-FO

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

 

South Bend lost 6-2 Box Score

 

SS D. Zinn 0/4, K, 2 E (6, fielding, throw)

DH B. Beesley 2/3, R, BB, 3 SB (7)

1B T. Durna 0/4, RBI, K

CF N. Velázquez 0/4, K

RF Y. Perlaza 1/3, BB, 2 K

LF E. Americaan 0/4, K

SP D. Casey 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 1 HBP, 3-4 GO-FO

 

Myrtle Beach lost 4-0 Box Score

 

SS E. Howard 0/2, 2 K

PH-SS F. Pertuz 0/2, K

C P. Aliendo 1/4

3B A. Verdugo 0/4, 2 K

LF J. Nowgu 0/3, 2 K

CF J. Wetzel 2/3, HBP, CS (3)

RF J. Sierra 1/3, K

SP D. Vargas 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 6-0 GO-FO

RP J. González 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 4-3 GO-FO

RP J. Estrada 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1-0 GO-FO

[CubsWin]

There's no room for him with the current 40-man roster crunch, but if he were on it, Ben Leeper might just be major league ready. I still need to see more of this excellence consistently (20 minor league innings ain't gonna cut it), but this is a meteoric rise. Another data point on how the Cubs pitching development/infrastructure has turned the corner.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Ed Howard starting today.

[Hrubes20]

Ed Howard starting today.

 

And struck out both ABs. This MFer needs to go back to Mesa. He’s horribly overmatched in A ball right now.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Ed Howard starting today.

 

And struck out both ABs. This MFer needs to go back to Mesa. He’s horribly overmatched in A ball right now.

 

Once they made the decision to keep him at Myrtle Beach, I'd stick with him a bit more than 4 ABs since he's coming off a missed month.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.thecubreporter.com/06182021/hot-bats-produce-slugfest-fitch-park

 

Rafael Morel belted a two-run HR, Ismael Mena ripped a two-run double and a single, Reggie Preciado tripled, walked, and scored a run, Jose Lopez smacked a PH RBI triple, Wally Soto laced an RBI double, and Alfonso Rivas drilled an RBI single, walked, reached base on an HBP, stole a base, and scored two runs for the Cubs

 

Joel Machado got roughed up: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP.

[Hrubes20]

Ed Howard starting today.

 

And struck out both ABs. This MFer needs to go back to Mesa. He’s horribly overmatched in A ball right now.

 

Once they made the decision to keep him at Myrtle Beach, I'd stick with him a bit more than 4 ABs since he's coming off a missed month.

It’s just an extension of how poorly he’s been before the injury. There’s a young player taking his lumps and learning, and then there is a young player striking out 50% of the time and being the worst hitter in the respective league. Howard is absolutely the latter.

 

But I suppose the possibility does exist that a demotion at this point could hurt Howard mentally more than just continuing to get eaten alive by A ball pitching. Definitely have to trust the FO on that one. It really hurts not having SS ball anymore.

[Hrubes20]

 

I don’t understand this thinking. Is he not learning? Like it can’t be both that the player needs to take lumps and then shock and outrage that there are lumps

 

It's more to do with the fact that the list of above average big leaguers that completely fell on their face in A ball, regardless of age, is incredibly small. Lumps are VERY rarely taken at the lowest full season level by guys that end up as solid contributors; and I honestly can't remember a guy that panned out that has started as badly as Howard has in Low A ball. He's putting the term "taking lumps" to a whole different level so far.

 

But you're right that the Covid stuff really did throw a big wrench in what we can/should be expecting right now. It's a very legit point that there are older pitchers in the low minors this year that normally wouldn't be there. Just have to hope that this variable is big enough to overlook all the historical examples not in Howard's favor right now.