October 29, 2012

Minor League Update

Games of October 28

by Bradley Ankrom

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Like last Monday, I’m including some notes from Saturday’s Arizona Fall League games because the league doesn’t schedule games on Sundays:

• Chase Anderson, RHP, Diamondbacks (24) (Salt River-AFL): 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 8 K. More polish than stuff, Anderson has great control of an average fastball and plus changeup.
• Engel Beltre, OF, Rangers (22) (Licey-DWL): 4-for-4, 3B (2), 2 R, CS. Doubled his season hit total with this four-hit effort; .500/.529/.813 with a 4-0 K-BB in the Dominican Republic.
• Tyler Bortnick, 2B, Diamondbacks (25) (Salt River-AFL): 4-for-5, 2B (1), 2 R, 4 RBI. Grinder can play multiple positions, but doesn’t profile as an everyday player anywhere; acquired from Tampa Bay in the Ryan Roberts deal, Bortnick is hitting .296/.394/.333 overall.
• Alex Castellanos, OF, Dodgers (26) (La Guaira-VWL): 0-for-4, 4 K. Struck out more than twice in a game six times during the regular season, and all but one of those came after August 9. He’s hitting .375/.444/.813 with a 5-1 K-BB in 18 PA.
• Mauro Gomez, 1B, Red Sox (28) (Escogido-DWL): 2-for-4, 2B (1), 3B (1), 4 RBI, K. His eight RBI on the season have come in a pair of four-RBI efforts; batting .129/.270/.323 with a 10-4 K-BB overall.
• Brian Goodwin, OF, Nationals (21) (Salt River-AFL): 2-for-4, 2 3B (2), 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, K. Eight hits in his last 12 AB, batting .349/.440/.744 with a 13-7 K-BB overall.
• Hak-Ju Lee, SS, Rays (21) (Phoenix-AFL): 3-for-5, RBI, BB, K. Starting to heat up a bit after a slow start; 5-for-10 over his last three games, but just one extra-base hit in 45 AB; hitting .289/.385/.333 overall.
• Chris Martin, RHP, Red Sox (26) (Surprise-AFL): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 4 K. Matches his longest outing of the fall with two perfect innings; tall, thin righty signed out of the independent American Association in 2011, Martin has an above-average fastball that can reach the mid-90s and profiles as a middle reliever in the majors.
• Mike O’Neill, OF/DH, Cardinals (24) (Surprise-AFL): 3-for-3, RBI. Former USC standout and 2012 Florida State League batting champion can hit (.337 career batting average), but doesn’t offer much else.
• Chris Reed, LHP, Dodgers (22) (Mesa-AFL): 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K. Has an 11.81 ERA in 5.1 innings, but his RA is 20.38 (12 runs allowed).
• Darin Ruf, 1B/OF, Phillies (26) (La Guaira-VWL): 2-for-4, 2 HR (8), K. The power is very real, but so are his struggles to make contact against right-handed pitching (.189/.300/.605 in 50 PA).
• Cory Spangenberg, 2B, Padres (21) (Peoria-AFL): 2-for-4, HR (1), K. Had a disappointing full-season debut, but is trying to make up for it in Arizona, where he’s hitting .333/.520/.500.
• Matt Szczur, OF, Cubs (23) (Mesa-AFL): 2-for-4, 3B (1), 2 R, BB, K. Drawing lots of walks, but failing to hit with any authority – Saturday’s triple was Szczur’s first extra-base hit since October 15, a span of seven games; hitting .264/.371/.321 with a 6-8 K-BB overall.
• Trayce Thompson, OF, White Sox (21) (Salt River-AFL): 2-for-4, HR (2), 2 RBI, BB. Two home runs in three days and he has his slash line up to .200/.368/.400.
• Travis Witherspoon, OF, Angels (23) (Scottsdale-AFL): 2-for-4, 2B (2), HR (3), 3 RBI, BB, K. A sleeper in the Angels system, Witherspoon has all of the tools to succeed, but has struggled to put them together for extended periods. Hitting .333/.429/.917 over his last three games.