September 7, 2012

Minor League Update

Games of September 6

by Bradley Ankrom

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Another light day with major-league teams traveling and the majority of minor leagues playing post-season baseball. 

Around The Majors

• Rob Brantly, C, Marlins: 1-for-4, 2B, K. Hitting .357/.438/.500 with a pair of doubles in 16 September PA.
• Brett Jackson, CF, Cubs: 1-for-3, 2B, BB, 2 K. Jackson has struck out in 16 of his last 18 games and is hitting .184/.344/.510 over that time; his on-base percentage has been boosted by an uncharacteristically-high walk rate of 14.6%; he owns a 10.1% walk rate in Triple-A this year and 12.4% rate for his minor league career.
• Manny Machado, 3B/SS, Orioles: 0-for-4, K. Only Orioles starter without a hit against the Yankees, drops his season line to .274/.286/.463.
• Josh Stinson, RHP, Brewers: 0.1 IP, H. Stinson’s first big-league appearance of the year after going 11-9 with a 3.16 ERA and 91-71 K-BB at Double-A Huntsville; was claimed off of waivers from the New York Mets at the end of spring training.

Around The Minors

• Bryce Brentz, RF, Red Sox (Triple-A Pawtucket): 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B. Started his Triple-A career by going 0-for-12 with five strikeouts, but went 2-for-5 when he finally ran into a left-hander on the final day of the season.
• Gerrit Cole, RHP, Pirates (Triple-A Indianapolis): L (0-1), 2.0 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 0 BB, K, HR. Inarguably Cole’s worst start as a pro; prior to yesterday, he hadn’t given up more than three earned runs in any of his 26 starts across three levels.
• Cheslor Cuthbert, 3B, Royals (Advanced Class-A Wilmington): 3-for-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 2B, K. Bat never really came alive, though he did cut down on his strikeouts in an overall-disappointing .240/.296/.322 campaign.
• David Dahl, CF, Rockies (Short-season A Grand Junction): 3-for-4, 2 HR (9), K. This year’s tenth-overall pick out of an Alabama high school has 41 extra-base hits in 306 PA as an 18-year-old in the college-heavy Pioneer League; hitting .379/.423/.625 overall.
• Chris Hawkins, RF, Blue Jays (Low-A Lansing): 2-for-5, HR (1), 3 RBI. Former third-round pick out of high school has an intriguing approach and average power, though he hasn’t been able to unlock the latter outside of batting practice very often.
• Courtney Hawkins, LF, White Sox (Advanced Class-A Winston-Salem): 2-for-4, HR (2), K. Goes deep for the second time in two games; ten home runs overall in his pro debut.
• Trevor May, RHP, Phillies (Double-A Reading): ND, 5.1 IP, 3 H, R, 2 BB, 6 K, HR. A nice outing for May after an up-and-down regular season in which he battled mechanical inconsistency; reports that he threw an eephus are, at this time, unconfirmed.
• Jio Mier, SS, Astros (Advanced Class-A Lancaster): 2-for-4, R, 2B. One of our preseason prospects on the bubble, Mier had an injury-interrupted season at Lancaster at the age of 21, but likely showed enough in 200-plus PA to earn a 2013 assignment to Double-A; hit .292/.396/.409 with 3 HR, 34-29 K-BB during the regular season.
• Jarrett Parker, CF, Giants (Advanced Class-A San Jose): 3-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB. The Giants selected Parker out of Virginia in the second round of the 2010 draft, but he’s spent two seasons in the California League spinning his wheels; hit .247/.366/.443 with a 175-70 K-BB in 491 PA with San Jose.
• James Paxton, LHP, Mariners (Double-A Jackson): W (1-0), 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K. Continuing his second-half tear after missing all of June with a knee injury.
• Noah Perio, 2B, Marlins (Advanced Class-A Jupiter): 3-for-5, 2 R, K. Athletic college football recruit that the Marlins snagged in the 39th round in 2009, Perio never got his bat going in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League; as a second baseman, he’ll have to hit to remain on the prospect radar.
• Guillermo Pimentel, LF, Mariners (Low-A Clinton). 3-for-4, 2B, HR (1), 4 RBI, BB. Pimentel’s overall numbers (.245/.289/.366) took a step backward in 2012, but he hit much better (.272/.312/.408) in the second half.
• Rob Rasmussen, LHP, Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): ND, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K. Acquired from Miami in the deal that sent Carlos Lee’s talents to South Beach, Rasmussen’s control has been a touch better since joining the Astros (3.0 BB/9 to 3.7 BB/9).
• Miguel Sano, 3B, Twins (Low-A Beloit): 2-for-4, 2B, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 K. Sano’s 29th home run of the year.
• Nicholas Tropeano, RHP, Astros (Advanced Class-A Lancaster): ND, 6.0 IP, 3 H, R, 2 BB, 6 K. Houston’s fifth round pick out of Stony Brook in 2011, Tropeano combined to go 12-7 with a 3.02 ERA and 166-47 K-BB in 158 regular season innings split between Low-A Lexington and Lancaster; fastball can reach the low-90s, but he’s successful because of a plus changeup and deception.
• Christian Yelich, CF, Marlins (Advanced Class-A Jupiter): 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K. Weird line of the day, Yelich never put the ball in play but scored a pair of runs in Jupiter’s 11-7 win over St. Lucie.