February 27, 2013

Minor League Update

Spring Training Games (February 26, 2013)

by Jason Martinez

the archives are now free. All Baseball Prospectus Premium and Fantasy articles more than a year old are now free as a thank you to the entire Internet for making our work possible. Not a subscriber? Get exclusive content like this delivered hot to your inbox every weekday. Click here for more information on Baseball Prospectus subscriptions or use the buttons to the right to subscribe and get instant access to the best baseball content on the web.

Subscribe for $4.95 per month Recurring subscription - cancel anytime. Subscribe for $39.95 for one year a 33% savings over the monthly price! Purchase a $39.95 gift subscription a 33% savings over the monthly price! Already a subscriber? Click here and use the blue login bar to log in.

GAMES OF FEBRUARY 26, 2013

NL EAST

ATL

• Evan Gattis, OF: 2-for-3, 2B. Now 5-for-9 with two doubles and a homer as he tries to work his way into the team’s Opening Day plans. The fact that the Upton bros and Jason Heyward don’t need a platoon partner and Reed Johnson is a lock as the fourth outfielder, the odds aren’t great.

NYM

• Travis d’Arnaud, C: 1-for-1, RBI. The Mets’ “Catcher of the Very Near Future” had his second single of the spring to go along with a sac fly. 
• Cory Mazzoni, SP: 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K. Has pitched one-hit ball over five scoreless innings in his two spring appearances. The 23 year-old could work his way into the mix for a bullpen spot but he’s more likely ticketed for the Triple-A or Double-A rotation.

PHI

• Tommy Joseph, C: 1-for-1, HR (1), 2 RBI. Starting to look more and more like Carlos Ruiz’s heir apparent behind the plate in Philly, possibly as early as 2014.
• Cody Asche, 3B: 1-for-3, 2B. Like Joseph, Asche could find himself in position to claim a starting job next spring.

WAS

• Anthony Rendon, 3B: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI. I’m sure I made a similar comment in yesterday’s report but nothing’s changed. All he does is hit and play a position where he’s blocked from getting to the majors anytime soon.

 

NL CENTRAL

CIN

• Henry Rodriguez, IF: 2-for-2, 2B, RBI. Blocked from a big league job right now with Jason Donald and Jack Hannahan expected to fill the backup infield roles, but he’s trying to turn heads with four hits in seven at-bats.

STL

• Matt Adams, 1B: 1-1, HR (1), 3 RBI. Looks healthy after undergoing season-ending elbow surgery last August, singling twice in his first game of the spring before homering and drawing an RBI walk on Tuesday.
• Ryan Jackson, IF: 2-for-5, 3 RBI. Versatile infield prospect got a start at first base, where he’s started exactly zero games in his pro career.
• Oscar Taveras, OF: 3-for-5, RBI. The #2 prospect in baseball, according to Baseball Prospectus, Taveras is widely considered to be big league ready but he has nowhere to play as long as the Cards have a healthy outfield.

 

NL WEST

ARI

• Adam Eaton, OF: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, CS. Eaton has now reached base in six of 13 at-bats but was caught stealing in his first attempt.
• Alfredo Marte, OF: 2-for-4. Added to the 40-man roster after posting an .886 OPS in Double-A last season, Marte has three hits in his first nine spring at-bats.

LAD

• Alex Castellanos, OF: 1-for-2, HR (1), 3 RBI. Is he a second baseman, third baseman, or an outfielder? Well, it may have to be all three if he’s gonna get to the majors and stay there anytime soon. The 26 year-old has nothing left to prove in the minors, though.

SD

• Jedd Gyorko, 2B: 1-for-1, HR (3), RBI. Another day, another homer for Gyorko, who is battling it out with Logan Forsythe for the starting second base job.

SF

• Roger Kieschnick, OF: 2-for-3, 2B. Off to a blazing starting last season in Triple-A (.980 OPS, 15 HR in 55 games) before his season was cut short by a shoulder injury, Kieschnick is back on the field and in the mix for a roster spot this spring.

AL EAST

NYY

• JR Murphy, C: 2-for-2, HR (1), 2B, 2 RBI. Former 2nd round draft pick is likely to start the season with Double-A Trenton, where he had a .706 OPS in 43 games last season.

TB

• Wil Myers, OF: 2-for-3. Three hits in seven spring at-bats for the guy who is way too good for Triple-A but will start the season there, anyways.

AL CENTRAL

CWS

• Josh Phegley, C: 1-for-2, HR (1). In the mix for the backup catcher job, Phegley has a hit and a strikeout in each of his first three spring games.
• Nestor Molina, SP: 2 IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, 0 K.  Had a disappointing debut season with the Sox in 2012 (4.55 ERA, 11.7 H/9 between Triple-A and Double-A) after being acquired from Toronto in the Sergio Santos deal but he starts strong in 2013.

KC

• Yordano Ventura, SP: 2 IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, 2 K. Bounced back from rough first outing last Friday when Nelson Cruz took him deep for a two-run homer.
• Donnie Joseph, RP: IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K. Acquired from the Reds in last season’s Jonathan Broxton trade, Joseph had an 11.2 K/9 between Triple-A and Double-A in 2012 so it’s no shocker that he’s struck out all six hitters he’s faced this spring.

MIN

• Eddie Rosario, 2B: 2-for-2, HR (1), 2 RBI. Now 5-for-8 in the spring, the left-handed hitting Rosario continues to open some eyes with his bat.
• Joe Benson, OF: 1-for-2, HR (1), 2 RBI. Returning from a fractured kneecap and an overall mediocre 2012 season, Benson homered off Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero in his first at-bat in Tuesday’s game.
• Aaron Hicks, OF: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI. While a jump from Double-A to the Twins’ starting lineup isn’t out of the question, expect the Twins to keep Hicks in Triple-A for a few months.

AL WEST

HOU

• Josh Fields, RP: 1.1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, BB, 0 K. The top pick in the Rule 5 draft, Fields is a near lock to win a bullpen spot in Houston. A scoreless debut doesn’t hurt.

OAK

• Addison Russell, SS: 2-for-3, RBI. The 11^th pick of last year’s draft and the 22^nd ranked prospect in BP’s Top 101, Russell doesn’t seem overwhelmed in big league camp as a 19 year-old. He’s on the fast track to the majors.

TEX

• Mike Olt, 3B: 1-for-2, HR (1), 2 RBI. After going hitless in his first seven at-bats of the spring, Olt connected for a two-run bomb against White Sox lefty Santos Rodriguez.