Minor League Wrap (7/26-8/1/10)
After Sunday’s game, the Mariners are on pace to score 526 runs this season. Incidentally, this is three fewer runs than the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who lost 134 games and were famously dismantled prior to the season in an effort to provide players for the St. Louis Perfectos, a conflict of interest stemming from the owners being responsible for two teams at once. The Spiders played eight fewer games than the Mariners will and the designated hitter rule wouldn’t appear for another seven decades. The good news is that the M’s aren’t going to be contracted from the league.
Well, let’s get to it, shall we? If you didn’t get down to Tacoma last time Pineda was up, DO IT TONIGHT and print your tickets BEFORE you go.
To the jump!
Tacoma Rainiers (3-4 this week, 60-48 overall)
The Week in Review:
Monday, July 26th 2010
Sacramento 4 (OAK + 11), Tacoma 5 (ten innings)
W: Speigner (4-6, 5.08) L: Hunton (5-3, 3.23)
Tuesday, July 27th 2010
Tacoma 9. Fresno 3 (SF + 10)
W: Petit (3-2, 5.62) L: Sosa (6-3, 3.95)
Wednesday, July 28th 2010
Tacoma 1, Fresno 2 (SF + 11) (ten innings)
W: Espineli (5-2, 2.47) L: Speigner (4-7, 5.08)
Thursday, July 29th 2010
Tacoma 4, Fresno 6 (SF + 12)
W: Wellemeyer (1-0, 2.25) L: Baldwin (7-5, 5.22)
Friday, July 30th 2010
Tacoma 3, Fresno 9 (SF + 13)
W: Pucetas (3-6, 6.02) L: Snell (3-3, 5.80)
Saturday, July 31st 2010
Reno 2 (ARI – 16), Tacoma 8
W: Medina (1-0, 0.00) L: Mulvey (5-7, 5.11)
Sunday, August 1st 2010
Reno 3 (ARI – 15), Tacoma 2
W: Marte (2-2, 5.40) L: Patterson (2-1, 2.70)
Hitter of the Week:
3B Matt Mangini, L/R, 12/21/1985
7 G, 31 AB, 4 R, 9 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 7/1 K/BB, HBP, .290/.333/.581
At this point, we’re still waiting on Mangini to reproduce a month like he had in May, when through twenty-one games, he battered .324/.382/.632, but the good news is that he’s not yet had a single month where his OPS was below .800. More walks would probably be nice, as he managed seven walks back in his best month and has yet to surpass that, despite logging more time in June and July. On the plus side, he had nine doubles last month, which is more than double what he had in any one prior. He still looks like he’ll be more useful against right-handers, as he has an OPS differential of about two hundred points, so I’d still peg him as more of bench guy and role player than a starting option.
More Walks than Ks at Triple-A Mention:
2B Dustin Ackley, L/R, 2/26/1988
7 G, 21 AB, 6 H, 5 R, 2B, 3B, CS, 5/7 K/BB, HBP, .286/.483/.429
.667 BABIP Mention:
CF Gregory Halman, R/R, 8/26/1987
7 G, 26 AB, 5 R, 8 H, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, SB, CS, 15/2 K/BB, .307/.357/.615
Pitcher of the Week:
RHP Michael Pineda, 1/18/1989
0-0, GS, 1.50 ERA in 6.0 IP, 4 H (HR), R, 4/1 K/BB, 10/3 G/F, HB
It may be useful to employ relative terms here. It was in the 90s in Fresno throughout the series. In game three, Baldwin let five runs score on seven hits and five walks in five+ innings. The next day, Ian Snell had nine score against him through five and two-thirds after nine hits and three walks, two of those hits leaving the park. Outside of the climates that are known to be utterly ridiculous, such as Albuquerque, Vegas, Reno, and Colorado Springs, Fresno has one of the best offenses in the league, walks a bunch, and doesn’t strike out a whole lot. Pineda kept it winnable for the Rainiers, going through six innings against the Grizzlies using only eighty-six pitches, and twenty-five of those came in a bumpy first inning. He’s still really good.
Also Did Well in Fresno Mention:
RHP Yusmeiro Petit, 11/22/1984
1-0, 2 GS, 3.27 ERA in 11.0 IP, 9 H (HR), 4 R, 11/2 K/BB, 4/9 G/F
Greyhound Mention:
RHP Yoervis Medina, 7/27/1988
1-0, GS, 0.00 ERA in 5.2 IP, 3 H, 4/4 K/BB, 3/9 G/F
From The Training Room:
RHP Joe Nelson was released, which came as RHP Mumba Rivera left the DL… LHP Ryan Feierabend is also on the DL as of Friday, not a particularly surprising development considering the reports that were coming back on him… The deadline came and went without much trade action on the M’s part, but 1B Justin Smoak was optioned and 3B Matt Tuiasosopo and RHP Sean White recalled. I wish I had great things to tell you about what they have been up to, but I don’t. RHP Yoervis Medina arrived the same day to make a spot start, along with RHPs Blake Beavan and Josh Lueke from West Tenn. Lueke’s debut was pretty awesome, as he allowed one hit in two innings and struck out four. A day later, Medina moved out to Clinton and RHP Steven Shell, who hadn’t pitched since May 28th, was activated from the DL… Sweendog is now batting .324/.422/.405 in 37 at-bats of rehab work… Winfree hasn’t played since the 27th.
Strange Happenings:
It took until Tuesday for Moore to log his first passed ball… Tui had been playing short before being called up. Eep… I noted Halman’s strikeouts this week as a source of horror, but if you prefer hope, he has thirty-one walks now, which is as many as he had all of last season in spite of over two-hundred fewer plate appearances… Carp, who has been playing the outfield lately, had an assist out there this week, and has three on the season.
West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (3-4 this week, 54-51 overall)
The Week in Review:
Monday, July 26th 2010
Birmingham 4 (CHW – 11), West Tenn 9
W: Hill (2-1, 5.87) L: Heath (2-3, 3.75)
Tuesday, July 27th 2010
Off day
Wednesday, July 28th 2010
West Tenn 8, Tennessee 5 (CHC + 4)
W: Beavan (2-1, 5.00) L: Carpenter (7-5, 3.35)
Thursday, July 29th 2010
West Tenn 3, Tennessee 9 (CHC + 5)
W: Muschko (5-3, 4.04) L: Bray (5-7, 4.21)
Friday, July 30th 2010
West Tenn 4, Tennessee 5 (CHC + 6)
W: Muyco (4-2, 3.67) L: Robles (6-6, 4.24)
Saturday, July 31st 2010
West Tenn 1, Tennessee 9 (CHC + 7)
W: Archer (5-1, 0.27) L: Hensley (7-9, 3.89)
Sunday, August 1st 2010
West Tenn 4, Tennessee 6 (CHC + 8 )
W: Smit (1-0, 0.00) L: Grube (2-4, 2.98)
Hitter of the Week:
2B Matt Lawson, R/R, 11/18/1985
5 G, 21 AB, 5 R, 10 H, 2 2B, 3 RBI, SB, 4/1 K/BB, .476/.522/.571
It’s not quite on the level of what Seager’s been doing in High Desert, partly because for Seager it’s been a month and change, whereas Lawson has thirteen games of hitting .389/.431/.593. I don’t think I hear anyone complaining otherwise though. One reason to think that there might be a bit of luck involved is that he’s walking at a lower rate in West Tenn than he was for Frisco (he should have close to six, but only has three) and his xbh rate has dropped from 34.6% to 28.6%. This current streak may be a little bit of him playing over his head. I still think he has a chance to go on the 40-man this winter though.
Lesser .400+ Hitter Mention:
1B/OF Johan Limonta, L/L, 8/4/1983
6 G, 23 AB, 3 R, 10 H, 2 2B, 6 RBI, 3/3 K/BB, .434/.481/.522
Still Adjusting Mention:
LF Nate Tenbrink, L/R, 12/21/1986
5 G, 18 AB, 5 R, 7 H, 2B, RBI, SB, 7/3 K/BB, .389/.476/.444
Pitcher of the Week:
LHP Mauricio Robles, 3/5/1989
0-1, GS, 5.14 ERA in 7.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R (4 ER), 9/1 K/BB, 7/5 G/F, HB
This doesn’t look quite right, but the Jaxx were giving up six runs a game for the past week and had no outing where they gave up fewer than four, so here we are. Robles, I bring up in part because it allows me to build upon something that I mentioned last week. For July, he had a 27/3 K/BB, a far cry from walking a man every other inning as he had been, or two out of three innings as it was in June. He also saw his average return to .221, the level it was his first two months when hitters didn’t necessarily need to get a hit off him. On top of all that, he was averaging five and a third innings for the month, which was where he was in May. If this month’s command is to be believed as legitimate, then the only real thing that’s missing is him going deep into starts regularly.
Same Basic Story Mention:
RHP Blake Beavan, 1/17/1989
1-0, GS, 5.14 ERA in 7.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R (4 ER), 5/0 K/BB, 5/8 G/F, HB
From the Training Room:
Lueke and Beavan going to Tacoma bent LHP Anthony Vasquez and RHP Wes Littleton coming in. Vasquez is moving up in the world.
Strange Happenings:
Cortes finally had his first bad relief outing, where he gave up a run on two walks and a wild pitch in an inning of work. He has three hits allowed and a 10/3 K/BB in 6.2 relief innings.
High Desert Mavericks (5-1 this week, 58-49 overall)
The Week in Review:
Monday, July 26th 2010
Off day
Tuesday, July 27th 2010
Inland Empire 5 (LA – 2), High Desert 6 (eleven innings)
W: Moran (2-0, 2.25) L: Sartor (2-4, 3.28)
Wednesday, July 28th 2010
Inland Empire 7 (LA – 1), High Desert 5
W: Aguasviva (3-4, 4.47) L: Penney (4-3, 3.38)
Thursday, July 29th 2010
Inland Empire 6 (LA – 2), High Desert 12
W: Hann (2-5, 6.66) L: Martin (9-9, 5.53)
Friday, July 30th 2010
Rancho Cucamonga 7 (ANA + 5), High Desert 11
W: Nation (4-4, 4.90) L: Hurst (1-2, 9.00)
Saturday, July 31st 2010
Rancho Cucamonga 4 (ANA + 6), High Desert 3
W: Richards (1-0, 1.59) L: Kasparek (7-3, 3.17)
Sunday, August 1st 2010
Rancho Cucamonga 2 (ANA + 5), High Desert 7
W: Carraway (8-5, 4.99) L: Correa (1-9, 6.85)
Hitter of the Week:
RF Johermyn Chavez, R/R, 1/26/1989
5 G, 22 AB, 6 R, 11 H, 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 2/1 K/BB, .500/.500/.954
Three home runs in April were not exactly inspiring, especially considering he’s done that in just this week. Nor were the five in May. Seven in June started to get intriguing. Eleven in July? That’s insane, but it happened. It’s no longer unreasonable to think that Chavez will clear thirty for the season. I’d be shocked if he didn’t at this point. What’s cool about this is that through July, his eye numbers started to pull close to even, 22/17 over the course of twenty-eight games, and as you can see, this past week he put his power on display while hardly striking out at all. Sure, he’s better at home. Most Mavericks hitters tend to be. But that he lacks a left/right split? That makes him interesting.
New Position Not Affecting Hitting Mention:
3B Rich Poythress, R/R, 8/11/1987
6 G, 25 AB, 9 R, 13 H, 5 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 7/4 K/BB, .520/.586/.840
Streak Ended Mention:
2B Kyle Seager, L/R, 11/3/1987
6 G, 25 AB, 7 R, 10 H, 4 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 SB, 3/4 K/BB, .400/.483/.680
Pitcher of the Week:
RHP Andrew Carraway, 9/4/1986
1-0, 2 GS, 1.93 ERA in 14.0 IP, 14 H, 3 R, 9/4 K/BB, 19/13 G/F, BK
Here’s a date for you: July 5th. That was the last time Carraway pitched fewer than six innings. Since then, he’s averaged nearly seven innings. Looking just at his most recent ten starts, before and including July 5th, he was averaging fewer than four innings over five starts. In the same span, we have a 16/5 K/BB in 19.2 innings, and a 23/5 K/BB in 34.1 innings since. That one July 5th outing, where he gave up ten runs in 2.1 innings, including three home runs, drags his overall line down. Aside from that, July wasn’t a bad month.
Star Southpaw Reliever:
LHP Brian Moran, 9/30/1988
1-0, 2 G, 0.00 ERA in 4.1 IP, 2 H, 7/0 K/BB, 3/3 G/F
From the Training Room:
LHP Jimmy Gillheeney and RHP Ryan Moorer both arrived in town on Saturday to replace Vasquez and Littleton. Gillheeney lost his last outing before getting called up, allowing two runs to score on six hits, a walk, and five Ks in seven innings. Raben also hit the DL again on the same day. SUCK.
Strange Happenings:
Manager Jim Horner stepped down this past week, taking up an offer to coach at Texas Tech. Horner, a former catcher of the system, won Cal League Manager of the Year last season and had more wins than any other manager in Mavericks history. The move is a bit of a surprise to us, but had a long thought process going into it for Horner, who cited family reasons for the movie. Mariners infield coordinator Darrin Garner is taking his spot at the helm. Incidentally, Rich Poythress has been playing third now, so I guess that justifies it partially… Kyle Seager had a thirty-two game hit streak. It ended this week.
Clinton Lumberkings (2-4 this week, 53-50 overall)
The Week in Review:
Monday, July 26th 2010
Clinton 5, Lansing 9 (TOR + 4)
W: Molina (6-2, 2.88) L: Jimenez (2-4, 2.58)
Tuesday, July 27th 2010
Off day
Wednesday, July 28th 2010
Cedar Rapids 5 (ANA + 8), Clinton 3
W: Kenney (3-2, 2.70) L: Josselyn (2-3, 3.43)
Thursday, July 29th 2010
Cedar Rapids 2 (ANA + 9), Clinton 1
W: Locke (6-3, 3.68) L: Gillheeney (8-8, 2.83)
Friday, July 30th 2010
Cedar Rapids 4 (ANA + 8), Clinton 10
W: Czyz (3-2, 3.95) L: Martinez Mesa (7-3, 3.92)
Saturday, July 31st 2010
Clinton 10, Wisconsin 0 (MIL – 4)
W: Ramirez (8-4, 2.51) L: Arnett (0-8, 6.27)
Sunday, August 1st 2010
Clinton 1, Wisconsin 6 (MIL – 3)
W: Bucci (5-5, 3.50) L: Lewis (3-2, 6.50)
Hitter of the Week:
SS Nick Franklin, S/R, 3/2/1991
6 G, 25 AB, 8 H, 2B, 3B, RBI, CS, 5/1 K/BB, .320/.346/.440
The offense was pretty darned efficient during the week, but as for individual standouts it was lacking, save perhaps Cerione and the catching duo, neither of whom would qualify. Talking about Franklin again does give me the opportunity to go into something I’ve been thinking about the past month, and that’s switch-hitting. As a right-hander facing southpaws, he’s batted .231/.271/.363 (just 97 at-bats), whereas as a left-handed hitter he’s .308/.380/.571. I like to give switch-hitters an opportunity to do it as long as they can, but Franklin is one of those guys that has a really different swing from one side of the plate to the other, which makes me entertain the idea that he could be better left-on-left than he is right-on-left currently. This probably isn’t going to happen any time soon, just something I’ve been thinking about.
Small Sample Mention:
OF Matt Cerione, 1/4/1988
5 G, 13 AB, 3 R, 7 H, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, SB, 3/2 K/BB, HBP, 538/.600/.846
Pitcher of the Week:
RHP Taylor Stanton, 1/15/1988
0-0, GS, 1.50 ERA in 6.0 IP, 5 H, R, 8/0 K/BB, 6/3 G/F, HB
I’m partially counting this on the basis of it being a sign of progress against a Cedar Rapids offense which has been potent, though much of this may have been the presence of the now-promoted Mike Trout. It’s also because this was Stanton’s best start in a few months, and you’d need to go back to June 9th against Lake County to get something that even roughly compares. It’s like this: through April and May, Stanton only walked five men total, and through June and July he walked nineteen. Combined with a slight uptick in hits and a drop off in Ks for July (5.67 K/9, to nearly seven before), the past couple of months have been pretty unpleasant for him. I can’t make a single start into a full-scale turnaround, but at least it’s a confidence builder against a good team.
Still Very Good Mention:
RHP Erasmo Ramirez, 5/2/1990
1-0, GS, 0.00 ERA in 6.2 IP, 6 H, 4/1 K/BB, 11/4 G/F, 2 HB
Also a Good Showing Against the Kernels Mention:
LHP Nick Czyz, 4/10/1987
1-0, GS, 1.50 ERA in 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (ER), 5/0 K/BB, 6/6 G/F, WP
From the Training Room:
RHP Forrest Snow was added to the Clinton roster from Everett. He finally gave up a run, but he has seven Ks in three innings so that’s something. A few days later, RHP Nolan Gallagher hit the DL. This can only bode ill for hopes of his triumphant comeback…. After losing Gilheeney and Moorer on Saturday, they picked up Medina and RHP Tom Wilhelmsen from Everett on Sunday.
Strange Happenings:
Around the same time that Snow was brought up to Clinton, former M’s farmhand LHP Tony Butler landed in Wisconsin again. He was signed by his hometown team, which is probably good for him. I remember when he had some ability… On Thursday, both Lumberkings pitchers had a pickoff, which is weird because the second one is right-handed… Remember noted statistical freak OF Kalian Sams? His isolated slugging has dropped from .276 in the first half to .127 in the second.
Everett Aquasox (3-3 this week, 29-14 overall)
Monday, July 26th 2010
Salem-Keizer 1 (SF – 4), Everett 4
W: Fernandez (4-2, 3.22) L: Romo (1-2, 4.22)
Tuesday, July 27th 2010
Off day
Wednesday, July 28th 2010
Everett 0, Tri-City 7 (COL)
W: Federico (2-2, 4.74) L: Thomas (1-1, 5.03)
Thursday, July 29th 2010
Everett 2, Tri-City 5 (COL + 2)
W: Mueller (2-0, 1.90) L: Sorce (3-2, 4.30)
Friday, July 30th 2010
Everett 3, Tri-City 0 (COL + 1) (fourteen innings)
W: Diaz (3-1, 8.10) L: Tilford (3-2, 6.12)
Saturday, July 31st 2010
Everett 3, Tri-City 2 (COL 0)
W: Markovitz (2-2, 3.57) L: Cabrera (0-4, 3.23)
Sunday, August 1st 2010
Everett 6, Tri-City 10 (COL + 1)
W: Testa (2-2, 2.70) L: Attard (0-1, 32.40)
Hitter of the Week:
IF Terry Serrano, S/R, 2/6/1987
5 G, 15 AB, 5 H, 3 R, RBI, 2 SB, CS, 5/5 K/BB, .333/.500/.333
Last week, I complained of Serrano’s empty average. So now it’s only partly empty. The offense was unfortunately mostly empty, as they averaged just three runs a game and didn’t score more than four until Sunday. Getting back to Serrano, this week aside, he’s not done as well as I’d hoped for a demotion from the Midwest League. Last year he ran a 69/53 K/BB in seventy-five games. This year he’s at a 32/16 K/BB through thirty-five games. I don’t know what happened to those other walks, but without them, Serrano is nearly worthless, as he’s never exceeded eight doubles or one home run in a single season, and the plus OBP abilities were about all he had going for him.
Walks! Mention:
OF/DH Kevin Rivers, L/R, 8/24/1988
6 G, 18 AB, 2 R, 3 H, 2B, RBI, 2 SB, 9/7 K/BB, .167/.385/.222
Pitcher of the Week:
RHP Tom Wilhelmsen, 12/16/1983
0-0, GS, 0.00 ERA in 5.0 IP, H, 6/0 K/BB, 2/3 G/F WP, HB
It was a one-hitter, so I don’t really feel like I’m putting my thumb on the scale to note Wilhelmsen before he makes his first MWL start. Mostly, I like him because he’s a pretty great story, if you’re a fan of the whole comeback thing. Wilhelmsen trashed the Arizona League, running a 22/2 K/BB through fifteen innings and allowing just four hits. The Northwest League wasn’t so nice until this past outing, but he must have shown enough there to justify the M’s moving him up to Clinton with the wave of promotions. I don’t see him moving past the Midwest League this year, and he may stick around there to start next season too. Suffice to say, I’m curious to see what he might do there.
13/0 G/F on Monday Mention:
LHP Anthony Fernandez, 6/8/1990
1-0, 2 GS, 1.54 ERA in 11.2 IP, 11 H, 3 R (2 ER), 12/2 K/BB, 15/4 G/F
That Thing He Does Mention:
LHP Edlando Seco, 7/23/1988
0-0, GS, 0.00 ERA in 6.0 IP, 2 H, 4/4 K/BB, 5/6 G/F
From the Training Room:
Medina and RHP Tom Wilhelmsen were both promoted to Clinton, Medina in a more roundabout way. RHP Jarett Attard arrived from Peoria to slip into the bullpen. Wiswall hasn’t played since the 19th.
Strange Happenings:
I usually like multiple appearances if I’m picking up on a reliever, but LHP Jason Markovitz had two hits and five Ks in four innings with an unearned run scoring against him. Just so you know… Aquasox pitchers hit four Dust Devils in the first game of the series and it didn’t descend into a brawl that I know of… Vote for Hawkins Gebbers because he’s the only Mariners prospect that made it out of the first round of Moniker Madness.
Pulaski Mariners (3-3 this week, 21-18 overall):
Monday, July 26th 2010
Pulaski 1, Bluefield 11 (BAL – 12)
W: Roth (1-2, 5.18) L: Olivero (0-5, 6.63)
Tuesday, July 27th 2010
Pulaski 9, Bluefield 1 (BAL – 13)
W: Boyce (6-2, 3.25) L: Petitt (2-3, 3.00)
Wednesday, July 28th 2010
Pulaski 4, Bluefield 5 (BAL – 12)
W: Taveras (2-0, 6.62) L: Vancil (1-1, 6.75)
Thursday, July 29th 2010
Kingsport 3 (NYM – 3), Pulaski 11
W: Nava (2-2, 5.67) L: Aldama (1-1, 4.76)
Friday, July 30th 2010
Kingsport 6 (NYM – 2), Pulaski 4 (ten innings)
W: Weldon (1-0, 1.23) L: Bischoff (3-1, 2.18)
Saturday, July 31st 2010
Canceled
Sunday, August 1st 2010
Princeton 2 (TB 0), Pulaski 10
W: Kohlscheen (1-0, 1.23) L: Suero (1-2, 3.12)
Hitter of the Week:
OF Jose Rivero, R/R, 1/8/1990
6 G, 25 AB, 6 R, 9 H, 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 2 SB, 8/3 K/BB, .360/.429/.520
With Wood on the DL and the need being there, there’s not a whole lot of sense at this point in campaigning for Rivero to go back to Everett, to say nothing of Rivers still being there. I’d be more miffed about it, but one thing I do find a bit unusal is that in the last ten games he’s struck out fourteen times, whereas in his first twelve, it was only eight. Similarly, he walked five times in the first twelve, and only has three in the last ten. His K/BB is also about the same in 92 Pulaski ABs as it was in 53 Everett ABs, which suggests his walk rate may just be coming down, for whatever reason.
An XBH or Two Shy Mention:
2B/LF Jorge Agudelo, R/R, 5/30/1989
6 G, 22 AB, 4 R, 7 H, 2 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 2 SB, CS, 4/4 K/BB, .318/.423/.500
Ousted in the First Round Mention:
IF Jetsy Extrano, S/R, 8/13/1988
6 G, 22 AB, 5 R, 7 H, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 4 SB, 9/3 K/BB, .318/.400/.409
SSS Mention:
1B Matt Browning, R/R, 1/7/1988
4 G, 13 AB, 3 R, 7 H, 2B, 4 RBI, CS, 1/3 K/BB, .538/.647/.615
Other SSS Mention:
C Larry Gonzalez, R/R, 2/1/1988
4 G, 11 AB, R, 6 H, 4 RBI, CS, 2/1 K/BB, .545/.615/.545
Pitcher of the Week:
RHP Timothy Boyce, 2/6/1987
1-0, GS, 0.00 ERA in 6.2 IP, 3 H, 6/2 K/BB, 7/5 G/F
Boyce started out the season in the ‘pen for the M’s, running a 13/4 K/BB in ten innings. His switch to the rotation was met with a lower ERA, even though his 4-1 record as a reliever is nothing to make light of, but others of his peripherals didn’t quite carry over. For example, up until this last outing, he had a 2/1 K/BB in 11.0 innings as a starter, which is enough to make one more than a little nervous. This outing represents a bit of a step forward for him, albeit against a team that’s a bit weaker than the one he saw before. Whether he’ll keep it up remains to be seen. His draft profile mentioned decent velocity, but a pretty stressful delivery.
Reliever Turned Starter Mention:
RHP Steve Kohlscheen, 9/20/1988
1-0, 2 G (GS), 1.42 ERA in 6.1 IP, 5 H, R, 5/2 K/BB, 6/8 G/F
From the Training Room:
OF James Wood hit the DL on Wednesday, then RHP Ben Versnick arrived on Sunday to work out of the ‘pen.
Strange Happenings:
Somehow I missed this, but former Tacoma Rainier LHP Andrew Lorraine is Pulaski’s pitching coach… The other Tim, Griffin, struck out six and allowed one hit through three and a third innings… Sunday afternoon, the M’s got ten runs on fifteen hits and three walks. All of those hits were singles.
Dispatches from the Land of Rehabbers and Teens:
RHP Danny Cruz Ayala: 8 G, 3 S, 4.05 ERA in 13.1 IP, 13 H (HR), 6 R, 23/3 K/BB
2B Michael Acevedo: 16 G, 65 AB, 8 R, 22 H, 4 2B, 3B, 5 RBI, 3 SB, 2 CS, 14/2 K/BB, .338/.368/.431
C/1B Ji-Man Choi: 26 G, 86AB, 14 R, 33 H, 7 2B, 3B, 16 RBI, 6 SB, CS, 19/15 K/BB, .384/.471/.488
RHP Jeroen de Haas: 9 G (GS), 3.60 ERA in 20.0 IP, 24 H (HR), 13 R (8 ER), 17/4 K/BB, HB
1B Jose Flores: 22 G, 81 AB, 11 R, 19 H, 8 2B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 2 CS, 26/11 K/BB, .235/.333/.407
LHP Cesar Jimenez: G, 0.00 ERA in 1.0 IP, 1/0 K/BB
RHP Seon Gi Kim: 7 G (5 GS), 6.89 ERA in 31.1 IP, 40 H (HR), 26 R (24 ER), 40/9 K/BB
CF Alfredo Morales: 27 G, 107 AB, 11 R, 22 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 7 RBI, 2 SB, 2 CS, 38/8 /BB, .206/.261/.308
OF Guillermo Pimentel: 27 G, 98 AB, 10 R, 21 H, 3 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, SB, 30/3 K/BB, .214/.243/.357
RHP Jandy Sena: 8 G, 3.38 ERA in 18.2 IP, 20 H, 8 R (7 ER), 16/3 K/BB
RHP Luke Taylor: 5 G, 7.56 ERA in 8.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7/8 K/BB
RHP Dylan Unsworth: 8 G (7 GS), 4.21 ERA in 36.1 IP, 48 H, 21 R (17 ER), 30/0 K/BB, HB
RHP Taijuan Walker: 2 G, 0.00 ERA in 4.0 IP, H, 2 R (0 ER), 6/2 K/BB, HB
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22 Responses to “Minor League Wrap (7/26-8/1/10)”
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Thanks a lot for this. I look forward to this every week.
Hi Jay, Do you think that the problem with the strikeout rate of Halman is possible to improve, or will be impossible his debut in the mayors??
What about Lueke, will be the M´s closer in 2011?? Beavan is reliever or a starter??
Thanks, Jay
Jay, has your ultimate outlook on Tenbrink changed that much this season? Do you see him as more of a second-division regular or is he destined to be a Quad-A, bench-filler type?
Funny thing about that. Per at-bat, his strikeout rate hasn’t changed one bit this season. Only the walks have gone up. So yeah, I’m not happy about that/glad that he has option years remaining.
In that Lueke is physically capable of closing, I think that it’s possible, but whether the M’s want to throw a rookie into the perceived high-leverage spot right away is another matter.
Beav needs a better out pitch versus right-handers. Otherwise, he’s starter all the way.
Well, coming into the season I thought of him as a more defensively versatile Dave Hansen, perhaps, but now his bat has taken off a bit. He wasn’t showing a platoon split in High Desert, which is a positive, even if the context is wonky. More recently, I’ve just been worried about the concussion and what lingering effects it might have, though various people have assured me that he came out of it okay. He strikes out a little much, but the walks help him offset that. I wonder if he has enough power to be a second-division regular though. Fifteen home runs seems reasonable for him.
You are the man, Jay. The amount of work that goes into these is appreciated. Thanks for keeping this going, even when the big club makes you want to jump out of a moving car.
Have you heard what’s up with Burgoon and Wiswall? Are they hurt, or do you think the club is just protecting them after playing college ball this year? Thanks in advance.
Wiswall broke a bone in his foot after fouling two balls into it. Burgoon sprained a ligament in his arm. Kessinger has dead arm, if anyone noticed him.
I can’t help it… whenever I see “Erasmo Ramirez”, I immediately think about Erasmus B. Dragon.
HAPPY PINEDA DAY EVERYONE!
Owe.
Jay,
Given the fact that Tacoma has a very good shot at making the playoffs, are we really going to see more than a week or two of Ackley, Pineda, etc. in Seattle? I personally believe who cares about AAA playoffs but I’m sure the organization would rather have them play in high leverage situations in AAA rather than worthless games in the big leagues.
Related to this, when Ackley gets promoted do you see Lawson to Tacoma and Seager to WTenn? I’d also like to see Lawson play some 3B because the cupboard is pretty bare there.
Don’t assume Ackley will be promoted. He’s been playing essentially non-stop for the last 12 months. The organization may just choose to give him a break from baseball for a bit. If he gets called up, it would probably just be for a few days, and he wouldn’t play much.
The same with Halman??
Don’t know as I’m going to be able to get to Tacoma before the end of the AAA season, unfortunately. 🙁 Where’s the best place to find good video of Pineda in action?
Don’t even bother thinking about a promotion for Halman. He’s simply not ready.
To add to what Dave said, the M’s have historically liked having prospects get the experience of being in a playoff race at the minor league level, so I would imagine Ackley sticking around for the Rainiers’ playoff run, which would mean him coming up later in Sept. and only for a few games.
Halman… eh, like I said I’m happy that he’s increased his walks, but his strikeouts are unchanged. I’d consider calling him up just as a reward for some progress and a confidence-building thing.
Speaking of promotions, what do you put the chances of Mike Wilson getting a Sept. callup? The guy is entering his prime and he at least deserves a cup of coffee. He’s been injured in the past, he’s healthy, and shown he can hit AAA pitching.
Jay, I just saw on BA’s transaction list that Jean Tome voluntarily retired. Know anything about that?
So I’m thinking everyone of our major prospects will stay in Tacoma throughout the playoffs and Smoak will definatley be called up while I think Ackley and Pineda will start the season with us. Pineda to keep his #pitches thrown and for those mentioned of Ackley. But I think Lueke gets called up along with Halman to see what we have in him at MLB. What do you think?
Also, imagine BA’s top 100 list now. Ackley Pineda in the top 25 (possibly 15) and Franklin in the top 75. I can’t wait, which is why I kinda don’t want Pineda or Ackley to get the call up.
Johermyn Chavez: Am I crazy to be really excited about this guy? Is he just a product of his hitting environment or does he have some real upside?
The Morrow trade may not end up being bad after all — and not because of Brandon League!
YEEEEEARRRGH*
*Translation: I’ve answered this question nearly every week for months now. Wilson can be added and removed from the 40-man without much trouble, but there are a bunch of prospects that also need to be added in the offseason so it’s a question of whether you want to keep around a guy who’s good at present or take the potential for longer-term contribution.
Mike Wilson is driving me insane. I am thisclose to replacing all Mike Wilson questions with brackets and a stream of references.
Nothing other than I am extremely upset because, hey, viable Brazilian prospect.
My guess is that he got hurt sometime over the course of this season and didn’t know what to do about it. There could be other factors involved though. As an example, the Mariners used to have an arm from Venezuela named Edgar Guaramato, who ended up retiring because his command sucked and he wasn’t moving up and was injured and a whole lot of other things and it made more monetary sense for him to go home and work on the family farm. The door was left open for him to come back and through various weird processes he ended up being released and signing on with the Red Sox where he washed out after a year or so.
Tl;dr: he says he’s retired but the door is probably open for him to come back if he feels like it. I wouldn’t count on it, so I’ll just go paying attention to Felipe Burin now.
I’m not betting on Halman. I think Lueke can come up and Pineda might throw one or two low-stress innings and Ackley might get a few appearances. Dave’s point about him playing baseball nonstop is pretty valid though. It may be one reason to not expect him to turn up in the fall league.
You’re not crazy, but bearing in mind that he’s hit better than two-thirds of his home runs at home, it’s better to conceive of him as a twenty+ home run hitter and not a guy who’s going to hit thirty.
Aquasox press release informs me that Stephen Pryor and Fray Martinez are going to Clinton and Jorden Merry and John Housey are coming back to the NWL. Take note.
I heard Franklin on the radio recently (I think it was KJR). Franklin, in response to a question, said that he hits with better power from the right side of the plate; even though he had 2 home runs right handed and something like 16 home runs left handed.