August 26, 2011

Future Shock Blog

Minor League Update: Games of August 25

by Kevin Goldstein

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• Trevor Bauer, RHP, Diamondbacks (Double-A Mobile): 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K. Now 23 strikeouts in 15 Double-A innings; MLB debut this year is still in the range of possibilities.
• Dante Bichette, 3B, Yankees (Rookie-level GCL): 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI. Sixteen doubles in 50 games leads the Gulf Coast League; .339/.442/.503 overall.
• Aaron Brett, 2B, Rays (Rookie-level Princeton): 3-for-5, 2B, HR (3), 2 R, 2 RBI, K, SB. Little guy who can really hit; .300/.368/.462 in 56 games.
• Gary Brown, OF, Giants (High-A San Jose): 5-for-5, 2 2B, 2 HR (12), 5 R, 4 RBI. Already having a great year, yet OPS goes up 25 points in one night; hitting .370/.431/.652 in August and .331/.400/.507 overall.
• Alex Castellanos, OF, Dodgers (Double-A Chattanooga): 3-for-5, 2B, HR (3), 2 R, 2 RBI, K. Maybe early-season explosion with Cardinals wasn't such a fluke; .370/.443/.696 in 23 games since trade.
• Jose Campos, RHP, Mariners (Short-season Everett): 8 IP, 4 H, 2 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 12 K. 19-year-old Venezuelan has plus command and truckloads of projection; 2.12 ERA with 82 Ks in 76.1 innings.
• Zeke DeVoss, 2B/OF, Cubs (Short-season Boise): 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, K. Has been moved to center field over last week; .333/.489/.390 in 30 games.
• Jedd Gyorko, 3B, Padres (Double-A San Antonio): 3-for-6, 2 R, RBI. Up to .276/.364/.400 since promotion, and the overall minor league leader in hits (175).
• Jae-Hoon Ha, OF, Cubs (Double-A Tennessee): 2-for-4, 2B, HR (3), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB. 10-for-18 in last five games and up to .281/.317/.422 in 52 Southern League games.
• Billy Hamilton, SS, Reds (Low-A Dayton): 2-for-5, R, RBI, 3 K. Fourth straight multi-hit game, but no stolen bases, so he's still eight short of 100 with a little more than a week to go.
• Reese Havens, 2B, Mets (Double-A Binghamton): 2-for-3, HR (5), 3 R, 2 RBI, BB. Still provides rare secondary skills for a middle infielder when healthy; .295/.379/.454 in 50 games.
• Manny Machado, SS, Orioles (High-A Frederick): 2-for-4, HR (5), R, 3 RBI. Warming up a bit; .258/.324/.409 line still impressive for a kid who just turned 19.
• Jesus Montero, C, Yankees (Triple-A Scranton): 2-for-3, 2 HR (17), 2 R, 4 RBI, BB, K. Has a 1000 OPS in August and .288/.348/.466 overall line is close to last year's numbers.
• Adrian Nieto, C, Nationals (Low-A Hagerstown): 3-for-3, R, BB. One of the most pleasant surprises of the second half; .333/.382/.587 in 17 games since moving up to Sally League.
• Mike Olt, 3B, Rangers (High-A Myrtle Beach): 2-for-5, 2 HR (13), 2 R, 2 RBI, K. 6-for-18 with three home runs and five walks since return; .290/.302/.541 overall.
• Francisco Peguero, OF, Giants (Double-A Richmond): 4-for-5, 2 R, K. Batting average is up nearly 20 points in last two weeks at .313/.325/.455; that middle figure shows you the problem with his game.
• Julio Rodriguez, RHP, Phillies (7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K). Limiting the Florida State League to a .191 batting average while striking out more than a batter per inning. Solid stuff with movement and deception.
• Eddie Rosario, OF, Twins (Rookie-level Elizabethton): 3-for-5, 2 HR (19), 3 R, 5 RBI, BB. Eight home runs in last nine games and .319/.376/.637 overall; short-season player of the year?
• Keyvius Sampson, RHP, Padres (Low-A Fort Wayne): 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 K. Quietly having a great year; 2.54 ERA, 133 strikeouts in 109.2 innings and opponent’s average of 185.
• Jerry Sands, OF/1B, Dodgers (Triple-A Albuquerque): 4-for-5, 2B, HR (27), 2 R, 3 RBI, SB. Three home runs in last four games and .277/.339/.599 overall; just .183/.235/.415 away from extremely friendly home park.
• Oscar Taveras, OF, Cardinals (Low-A Quad Cities): 4-for-5, R, RBI. 12-for-19 in last four games and up to .376/.437/.562 in 70 games.
• Tyler Thornburg, RHP, Brewers (High-A Brevard County): 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 10 K. Beginning to dominate in High-A; 26 IP, 14 H, 9 BB, 35 K in four August starts.
• Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Cubs (Rookie-level AZL): 3-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 R 3 RBI, BB. First professional home run for over slot draftee.
• Brett Wallace, 1B, Astros (Triple-A Oklahoma City): 4-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, K. Hitting .359/.465/.462 since demotion; still looking for first home run after 22 games.
• Tim Wheeler, OF, Rockies (Double-A Tulsa): 3-for-5, HR (31), 2 R, 2 RBI, K. Goes deep in back-to-back games after month-long drought; .281/.369/.547 overall.
• Joe Wieland, RHP, Padres (Double-A San Antonio): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K. 1.71 ERA in four starts with Padres, but is it sustainable with 12 strikeouts over 21 innings?
• Christian Yelich, OF, Marlins (Low-A Greensboro): 3-for-5, HR (13), R, 3 RBI, 4 BB. This is the kind of line you can put up in a 19-inning game; Hitting a whopping .359/.429/.573 in last 50 games.

Kevin Goldstein is an author of Baseball Prospectus. 
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