Minor League Discussion & Boxes, 6-24-26

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Scheduled Games (Central Time):

Iowa vs. Buffalo, 12:08 pm
Knoxville at Birmingham, 7:00 pm
South Bend vs. Quad Cities, 6:05 pm
Myrtle Beach at Salem, 5:35 pm

The ACL and DSL teams have the day off

Probable Starters:

Iowa: RHP Will Sanders (25.1 IP, 4.62 ERA, 5.25 FIP, 34 K, 11 BB)
Knoxville: RHP Yenrri Rojas (43.1 IP, 8.10 ERA, 5.69 FIP, 41 K, 17 BB)
South Bend: RHP Jostin Florentino (20.2 IP, 6.53 ERA, 6.51 FIP, 23 K, 17 BB)
Myrtle Beach: LHP Hayden Frank (43.2 IP, 4.12 ERA, 4.67 FIP, 45 K, 26 BB)

[Bertz]

Another good outing today and I'm definitely going to start wondering about Sanders as a big league bullpen option

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, Bertz said:

Another good outing today and I'm definitely going to start wondering about Sanders as a big league bullpen option

Cubs get to add a player today for the doubleheader and probably bring someone up to replace Cabrera. I might let Sanders start tonight in New York. As it stands now they got Boyd tomorrow then Brown to start the Brewers series. Probably Rea after that. But who does Sunday? If Sanders takes Assad’s spot tonight either everyone can be pushed back a day or after Boyd on Thursday and Brown on Friday they can go Rea, Assad. 

[Bertz]

28 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Another good outing today and I'm definitely going to start wondering about Sanders as a big league bullpen option

Will Sanders splitter has a 

34% Zone Rate (40% outside of 2-strike counts)

37% Chase rate

52% Whiff Rate Overall

48% Whiff Rate In Zone

Open question of whether the splitter is thrown out of the zone so much *because* it's such a good chase pitch or because it's hard to harness, but it's a legit plus pitch.  And I bet it'd play up even more with the extra fastball velo (Will averaged 95.2 in the spring breakout game, which feels like a fair expectation for him in relief).

[JBears79]

1 hour ago, Bertz said:

Another good outing today and I'm definitely going to start wondering about Sanders as a big league bullpen option

He might have to start at this rate. Which I wouldnt mind. Lets give the young guys a shot at this point with the amount of injuries we have. Seems like a good time.

[Jason Ross]

34 minutes ago, JBears79 said:

He might have to start at this rate. Which I wouldnt mind. Lets give the young guys a shot at this point with the amount of injuries we have. Seems like a good time.

I think Sanders struggles too much to get into the zone right now for him to be a starting option. I'm with Bertz; I wouldn't mind getting him a look in the BP: give him some bulk low-leverage innings at the start and see how MLB hitters react. He's doing a really good job of getting Triple-A hitters to chase and whiff, but sits in-zone in the 10th percentile and when he's getting hit, he's getting hit hard. 

Triple-A hitters are just not anywhere near MLB hitters. Think about how good Ballesteros has looked time and time again in Iowa and how much he's struggled in the last month. I've read more than once on here that he's still the "best pure hitter" on the team or something along those lines from people here (for the record, I think maybe he can be that, but he isn't today). 

Sanders has probably done enough, coupled with the terrible Cubs' pitching injuries to force a look that way. But I think as a SP, MLB hitters are going to either use that low zone-% to their walk-advantage or force him into the zone too often and hit him hard. Shorter spurts make it easier to hide poor zone-rate. And low-leverage situations will allow the Cubs to see whether or not he can continue to get whiff and chase against far better and more seasoned hitters to offset the zone issues.

I know we're frustrated right now, but the Cubs are above .500, in the playoff hunt and the Brewers are not an impossible number of games away (the Brewers were roughly this far back from the Cubs last year around the same point of the season, so it can happen). And to be fair to the Cubs only the Dodgers have gone 7-3 in the last 10. They aren't in "just start the kids" territory yet. But with injuries probably are in "well, might as well see what Will Sanders can do down 4 in the 7th inning" territory, too, rather than fill that spot with our 5th recently DFA"d 30 year old journeyman we pick up.

[JBears79]

Oh im not panicking. Just think its a genuine option. That wasnt a dig or anything. Our pitching is decimated right now obviously. I could see him getting some spot starts this year.

[Rcal10]

44 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

I think Sanders struggles too much to get into the zone right now for him to be a starting option. I'm with Bertz; I wouldn't mind getting him a look in the BP: give him some bulk low-leverage innings at the start and see how MLB hitters react. He's doing a really good job of getting Triple-A hitters to chase and whiff, but sits in-zone in the 10th percentile and when he's getting hit, he's getting hit hard. 

Triple-A hitters are just not anywhere near MLB hitters. Think about how good Ballesteros has looked time and time again in Iowa and how much he's struggled in the last month. I've read more than once on here that he's still the "best pure hitter" on the team or something along those lines from people here (for the record, I think maybe he can be that, but he isn't today). 

Sanders has probably done enough, coupled with the terrible Cubs' pitching injuries to force a look that way. But I think as a SP, MLB hitters are going to either use that low zone-% to their walk-advantage or force him into the zone too often and hit him hard. Shorter spurts make it easier to hide poor zone-rate. And low-leverage situations will allow the Cubs to see whether or not he can continue to get whiff and chase against far better and more seasoned hitters to offset the zone issues.

I know we're frustrated right now, but the Cubs are above .500, in the playoff hunt and the Brewers are not an impossible number of games away (the Brewers were roughly this far back from the Cubs last year around the same point of the season, so it can happen). And to be fair to the Cubs only the Dodgers have gone 7-3 in the last 10. They aren't in "just start the kids" territory yet. But with injuries probably are in "well, might as well see what Will Sanders can do down 4 in the 7th inning" territory, too, rather than fill that spot with our 5th recently DFA"d 30 year old journeyman we pick up.

I agree with you, but for right now, who is pitching the rest of the week? Are they really going to have a bullpen day in Milwaukee? That would suck. They have to either bring someone up for a start in Milwaukee or a start in New York. Who would that be? After this week, sure, they can go with Rea and Assad filling the back end of the rotation. Not great, but it is what they have. 

[Jason Ross]

6 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I agree with you, but for right now, who is pitching the rest of the week? Are they really going to have a bullpen day in Milwaukee? That would suck. They have to either bring someone up for a start in Milwaukee or a start in New York. Who would that be? After this week, sure, they can go with Rea and Assad filling the back end of the rotation. Not great, but it is what they have. 

Probably a bullpen day, yes. To be fair, I think starting Will Sanders in Milwaukee is essentially waiving a white flag and throwing a bullpen day as is. Can't really expect him to go into Milwaukee against the NL Central division leaders and expect a good outcome. So I think regardless of what they do, when Cabrera's spot pops back up, it's probably going to be a long one.

Maybe they'll rush job Matthew Boyd back, but I'd rather take an L in Milwaukee in June than rush him back. Let him build up...they need healthy SPs.

[Jason Ross]

26 minutes ago, JBears79 said:

Oh im not panicking. Just think its a genuine option. That wasnt a dig or anything. Our pitching is decimated right now obviously. I could see him getting some spot starts this year.

Didn't mean to suggest you were saying it's panic time, just in general, I don't think it's panic time. I think starting Will Sanders right now is probably panic-time move. But I do think getting Will Sanders MLB looks is probably better than finding the next Jayden Murray.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

Cubs get to add a player today for the doubleheader and probably bring someone up to replace Cabrera. I might let Sanders start tonight in New York. As it stands now they got Boyd tomorrow then Brown to start the Brewers series. Probably Rea after that. But who does Sunday? If Sanders takes Assad’s spot tonight either everyone can be pushed back a day or after Boyd on Thursday and Brown on Friday they can go Rea, Assad. 

It’s Vince Velázquez, apparently 

[Bertz]

I would kick Thornton to the curb, continue allocating one spot to the Murray/Ferguson optionable types, and give the Thornton spot to Wicks or Sanders for long relief.

We're going to have to white knuckle it with the pen a bit until Palencia is back, but in the meantime I'd like to at least bet on guys who can miss bats.

[Rcal10]

44 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Probably a bullpen day, yes. To be fair, I think starting Will Sanders in Milwaukee is essentially waiving a white flag and throwing a bullpen day as is. Can't really expect him to go into Milwaukee against the NL Central division leaders and expect a good outcome. So I think regardless of what they do, when Cabrera's spot pops back up, it's probably going to be a long one.

Maybe they'll rush job Matthew Boyd back, but I'd rather take an L in Milwaukee in June than rush him back. Let him build up...they need healthy SPs.

To be clear, I wasn’t advocating for Sanders in Milwaukee. He is scheduled to pitch today. I was suggesting bringing him up to  pitch the 2nd game today. They would have had to make arrangements as soon as Cabrera went down. If the Cubs went with Shota in game one they could then use Sanders in game 2. They would have Rea, Assad, Brown and Boyd to fill the last NY game and the Mike series. Not in that order. But all would be abailable.

Edited Wednesday at 03:20 PM by Rcal10

[mul21]

There's just no good way to line up the starting pitchers.  Assad in game 1, maybe Velasquez in game 2 and they just let him wear it to save as many arms as possible?  That leaves you with Rea or Shota for tomorrow and then the other one of those guys, Ben and probably Boyd for the weekend with Milwaukee with a very likely tired pen that already isn't very good.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

We're facing Mis and Harrison first two games in Mil so the pitching probably won't matter anyway

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, mul21 said:

There's just no good way to line up the starting pitchers.  Assad in game 1, maybe Velasquez in game 2 and they just let him wear it to save as many arms as possible?  That leaves you with Rea or Shota for tomorrow and then the other one of those guys, Ben and probably Boyd for the weekend with Milwaukee with a very likely tired pen that already isn't very good.

I doubt they leave Shota for Milwaukee. So maybe him tomorrow. Then Boyd, Brown and Rea? Or just Velequez tomorrow. Still Boyd, Brown and Rea. 

[Bertz]

In his last two months of minor league games, Kevin Alcantara has a 26.8% K rate, 13.7% BB rate, wRC+ in the 140s, and is swatting dongs at a 39 per season pace

He's still 23, I don't understand why we've completely written him off.

[Bertz]

It was a super rough start, but Jostin Florentino appears to have gotten his footing at SB

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Jefferson Rojas has two homers. Here’s the first:

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Rojas HR #2 tonight:

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Hartshorn HR:

 

[Bertz]

These two (and Ayers) are so fun

 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

28 minutes ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Hartshorn HR:

 

First slump worked through. EZ

[craig]

goodbye cole mathis

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

2 minutes ago, craig said:

goodbye cole mathis

wish him a healthy and successful career, hope he makes it