September 4, 2012

Minor League Update

Games of September 3

by Bradley Ankrom

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Notes on top prospects in the minors and majors. 

• Oswaldo Arcia, RF, Twins (Double-A New Britain): 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI. Has hit even better (.328/.398/.557) since a mid-season promotion from Advanced Class A, where he hit .309/.376/.517 in the hitter-averse Florida State League.
• Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies (Double-A Tulsa): 3-for-5, 2 2B, SO. Five multi-hit games out of his last six contests; hitting .520 with three doubles and a home run since August 28.
• Phillippe Aumont, RHP, Phillies: 1 IP, 2 H, R: picks up the first save of his career despite also allowing the first run of his career; owned a 6.9 BB/9 mark at Triple-A this year, but hasn’t issued a free pass in either of his last two outings.
• Javier Baez, SS, Cubs (Advanced Class-A Daytona): 2-for-3, 2 HR (16), 2 RBI, BB, SO. The first multi-home run game of Baez’s career.
• Dante Bichette, 3B, Yankees (Low-A Charleston): 3-for-4, 2 R, 2B. Back-to-back three-hit games raised his season batting average eight points; final season line sabotaged by miserable July in which he hit .173/.229/.286 in 98 PA.
• Greg Bird, 1B, Yankees (Short-season Staten Island): 4-for-5, 2B, R, RBI, SO. Yankees’ 2011 fifth-rounder has fared much better with the bat in his second year; in line to make his full-season debut in 2013.
• Xander Bogaerts, SS, Red Sox (Double-A Portland): 1-for-4, 2B, 2 SO: Collected his 37th double of the year; has 10 two-baggers in 97 Double-A PA.
• Cody Buckel, RHP, Rangers (Double-A Frisco): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 SO. His second-consecutive scoreless appearance; has an 0.83 ERA, 26-4 SO-BB in his last four starts.
• Tyler Cloyd, RHP, Phillies: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 9 SO, HR: Earns his first major-league win in his second start; plus command and moxie are Cloyd’s greatest attributes and he doesn’t project as much more than a fifth starter or middle reliever, but it’s hard to dislike the early results (1-1, 2.77 ERA, 14-2 SO-BB in 13 IP).
• ​Delino DeShields, 2B, Astros (Advanced-A Lancaster): 0-for-2, BB, 2 SB, CS. DeShields' prowess on the base paths as flown under the radar in The Year Of Hamilton, but crossing the 100-steal threshold is still quite rare. He started the year repeating the South Atlantic League, but hit his way up to Lancaster in August. Scouts have praised his improved approach and, despite repeating a level, DeShields remains on schedule.
• Matt Dominguez, 3B, Astros: 2-for-4, SO: Still getting himself out by swinging at pitches he should let go, but providing better results in his second call-up of the year (.316/.350/.632 in 20 PA).
• Kelly Dugan, RF, Phillies (Low-A Lakewood): 3-for-3. Went 11-for-24 to close out a year in which he set career highs across the board and more than doubled his PA total from 2009-11. Injuries have taken their toll, and he isn’t particularly athletic, but a .300/.387/.470 season puts him back on the map for 2013.
• Adam Eaton, CF, Diamondbacks (Triple-A Reno): 1-for-2 R, 2B. Stroked his PCL-leading 46th double of the season.
• Michael Foltynewicz, RHP, Astros (Low-A Lexington): 3.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 4 SO, 2 HR. Back-to-back five-run outings have pushed his season ERA above three (3.14) and put a damper on what has otherwise been a bounceback year.
• Nolan Fontana, SS, Astros (Low-A Lexington): 0-for-1, 4 BB, SO. Had he enough plate appearances to qualify, Fontana’s .464 on-base percentage would have led the South Atlantic League while his .225 batting average would have placed last.
• Sean Gilmartin, LHP, Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 4 IP, 4 R, 3 HR, BB, 5 SO. Struck out more than fourt batters for only the second time in seven Triple-A starts; the three home runs allowed are a new career-high.
• Taylor Guerrieri, RHP, Rays (Short-season Hudson Valley): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 SO. The three walks Guerrieri issued were more than he’d given up in 11 previous starts combined; the Rays’ top pick last year finishes his debut season with a sparkling 1.04 ERA, 45-5 SO-BB in 52 innings.
• Billy Hamilton, SS, Reds (Double-A Pensacola): 2-for-4, 2B. One stolen base in two tries over his last four games; finishes the season leading both the Southern (51) and California (104) Leagues in stolen bases.
• Adeiny Hechavarria, SS/3B, Blue Jays: 1-for-3, SO: Currently maintains a modest three-game hit streak and has hit in eight of his last nine games; drew a walk in his major-league debut on August 4 and hasn’t walked since (67 PA).
• Aaron Hicks, CF, Twins (Double-A New Britain): 1-for-3, 3 RBI, 2 BB: Set career-highs in triples (11), home runs (13) and stolen bases (32) in a back-from-the-dead season at the age of 22.
• Danny Hultzen, LHP, Mariners (Triple-A Tacoma): 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 3 SO. Consistent command of the strike zone continues to elude Hultzen, who threw just 40 of 74 pitches for strikes in what turned out to be his most encouraging start August 19.  After throwing 63 percent strikes in Double-A, Hultzen has slipped to just 58 percent in a dozen Pacific Coast League starts (53 percent in his last three outings).
• Jose Iglesias, SS, Red Sox: 0-for-2, SO. Has five strikeouts in 16 hitless at-bats this year; Tampa Bay’s Stephen Vogt is the only player to have gone longer (17 AB) without a hit this year.
• Jeff Locke, LHP, Pirates: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, BB, 6 SO, 1 HR. Is now 0-4 in seven career games (four starts).
• Jake Marisnick, CF, Blue Jays (Double-A New Hampshire): 2-for-4, HR (8), BB. His second Double-A home run, and first since July 16, capping an underwhelming season (.249/.321/.399 in Advanced Class A and Double A) for Toronto’s third-best prospect.
• Collin McHugh, RHP, Mets: 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, HR: Beat around by the National League’s best offense, taking the first loss of his major-league career.
• Alexander Mercedes, CF, Orioles (Short-season Aberdeen): 4-for-6, 2B. New York-Penn League debut; 20-year old speedster signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2009.
• Bryan Mitchell, RHP, Yankees (Low-A Charleston): 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO. Has made strides with his control over his last several starts, walking only four batters in 18 innings since August 17. A 92-94 mph fastball and low-80s power curve give Mitchell two plus pitches, but his command will determine whether he’s able to stay in the rotation.
• Telvin Nash, LF, Astros (Advanced Class-A Lancaster): 1-for-5, HR (29), 4 SO. Finishes just two strikeouts shy of 200 for the season, but still leads all of baseball with 198 whiffs.
• Kevin Plawecki, C, Mets (Short-season Brooklyn): 3-for-4, R, RBI. Supplemental first-round pick moves well behind the plate, but scouts aren’t sold on his ability to hit as he moves up the ladder; 24-25 SO-BB in 248 PA.
• Addison Reed, RHP, White Sox: 1 IP, H, SO. Chicago’s top prospect by a mile entering the year, Reed has struggled a bit of late, surrendering seven hits and five runs in 3.0 innings since August 24.
• Anthony Rendon, 3B, Nationals (Double-A Harrisburg): 2-for-3, HR (6). Hit his third Double-A home run, and second in three days.
• Miguel Sano, 3B, Twins (Low-A Beloit): 1-for-3, HR (28), SO. Sano concludes a very TTO-friendly season, homering, walking, or striking out in 45 percent of his plate appearances; Sano finishes the year leading the Midwest League in home runs and placing second in strikeouts (144).
• Josh Vitters, 3B, Cubs: 0-for-3, BB, SO: Hitless in his last 24 PA.
• Zack Von Rosenberg, RHP, Pirates: (Low-A West Virginia): 9 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR. Had a 13.09 ERA through his first three starts in August, but a 1.80 in four starts since. Has a knack for finishing the year strong: threw six perfect innings in his last start in 2011.