June 17, 2011

Future Shock Blog

Minor League Update: Games of June 16

by Kevin Goldstein

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Matt Moore, LHP, Rays (Double-A Montgomery): 9 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 K

In case you were wondering who the best left-handed prospect in baseball was, Moore delivered a reminder on Thursday night, with his second career no-hitter, and first of the nine-inning variety. After putting up a 5.18 ERA in April, he has a 1.18 mark in nine starts since, to go with nearly three times as many strikeouts (71) as hits allowed (28) in 53.1 innings. He started the season with 2012 being a more realistic timetable for a big league debut, but now, I'm not so sure.

Others Of Note:

• Jose Altuve, 2B, Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): 2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI. Hits in 14 of 15 Double-A games and .393/.422/.689 since promotion.
• Homer Bailey, RHP, Reds (Triple-A Louisville): 4.1 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 2 K. Not exactly your ideal rehab outing.
• Brandon Beachy, RHP, Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K. Was it officially rehab night in the International League?
• Kyle Blanks, 1B/OF, Padres (Triple-A Tucson): 2-for-4, 2B, HR (2), 2 R, RBI, BB. Hitting .375/.412/.719 in eight games; fun to think about how the Padres shuffle if he keeps mashing.
• Andrew Brackman, RHP, Yankees (Triple-A Scranton): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. 15 pitches, 12 strikes, guarded optimism.
• Matt Carpenter, 3B, Cardinals (Triple-A Memphis): 2-for-3, 2 HR (4), 2 R, 6 RBI, 2 BB, K. Had not hit a home run since April 24; .288/.427/.424 in 54 games.
• Michael Choice, OF, Athletics (High-A Stockton): 2-for-4, HR (14), R, 2 RBI. Three home runs in last five games; .249/.351/.490 line says it all: power, patience, contact issues.
• Jaff Decker, OF, Padres (Double-A San Antonio): 2-for-3, 2 2B, R, 3 RBI, BB, SB. Trying to rebound from miserable slump after great April; bizarre line of .234/.376/.446 in 62 games.
• Rashun Dixon, OF, Athletics (High-A Stockton): 3-for-4, R. Maybe I'm the only one who likes this guy because he looks so damn good in a uniform; 16-for-32 in last eight games and up to .262/.342/.421 overall.
• Brad Emaus, 2B, Rockies (Triple-A Colorado Springs): 3-for-5, 2B, HR (9), 3 R, 3 RBI. In case you were wondering what happened to the Mets opening day second baseman, he's hitting .339/.404/.645 in a bandbox Triple-A environment.
• Freddy Galvis, SS, Phillies (Double-A Reading): 3-for-5, HR (7), 2 R, RBI. Don't look know, but this plus-plus defender is finally showing some life with the bat; .266/.316/.413 in 63 games.
• Jonathan Garcia, OF, Dodgers (Low-A Great Lakes): 3-for-4, 2B, HR (11), R, RBI, K. Went more than a month without a home run and now has gone deep in three straight; .258/.300/.498 in 61 games.
• Luke Jackson, RHP, Rangers (Low-A Hickory): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 10 K. Career-high in strikeouts for last year's supplemental first-round selection; 3.20 ERA in six starts with 29 strikeouts in 25.1 innings.
• Jason Kipnis, 2B, Indians (Triple-A Columbus): 3-for-4, 2B, HR (8), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB. Pressure for callup is becoming unrelenting; 14-for-26 with 30 total bases in last six games and .304/.376/.527 overall to go with 23 straight error-less games.
• Francisco Martinez, 3B, Tigers (Double-A Erie): 3-for-4, R, 2 RBI, K, CS. Zero-for-4 in stolen bases the last eight games, but that's the only knock against him; 13-for-23 in last five games, .303/.349/.458 overall, only 20 years old, and glowing scouting reports offensively.
• Will Myers, OF, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 2-for-5, 2 2B, R, K. Numbers are starting to look like we think they should with three straight multi-hit games; .296/.360/.432 overall.
• James Paxton, LHP, Mariners (Low-A Clinton): 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 13 K. Considering how rarely he had pitched coming into the year, a Low-A assignment made sense; with 47 strikeouts over 27.2 innings in his last five starts, he's ready for a new challenge.
• Jake Peavy, RHP, White Sox (Triple-A Charlotte): 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K. Exactly your ideal rehab outing.
• Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Indians (High-A Kinston): 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K. With a 1.93 ERA in 12 starts and more strikeouts (77) than hits (44) and walks (23) combined in 60.2 innings, there's nothing else to prove at this level.
• Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees (Low-A Charleston): 2-for-3, 2B, HR (5), R, RBI. Injuries and bad behavior have removed some luster from his prospect star, but 7-for-14 with three doubles and a home run in his last four games and up to .255/.335/.427 on the season.
• Brandon Short, OF, White Sox (Double-A Birmingham): 2-for-5, HR (8), R, 3 RBI, K. Hitting .400 in June and .304/.350/.485 overall in tough offensive environment.
• Eric Thames, OF, Blue Jays (Triple-A Las Vegas): 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI. Three straight three-hit games have batting average up 27 points to .355/.423/.629 in 47 games; was hardly over-matched in two-week big league stint.
• Dayan Viciedo, OF/1B, White Sox (Triple-A Charlotte): 3-for-4, 2 2B, HR (11), R, 2 RBI, K. Hitting .404/.436/.635 in June, .325/.370/.542 overall and there is no way in hell he's not better than Juan Pierre right now.
• Nick Weglarz, OF, Indians (Double-A Akron): 2-for-4, 2 HR (2), 2 R, 4 RBI. Oft-injured and trying to make up for lost time; first home runs in eight games this year.

A quick note: With six short-season leagues about to start, the barriers for inclusion in the dailies are about to rise a bit as there is only so much time in a day unfortunately.

Kevin Goldstein is an author of Baseball Prospectus. 
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