October 15, 2013

Minor League Update

AFL Recap for Games of October 14

by Jeff Moore

Printer-friendly

Hitter of the Day: Byron Buxton, CF, Twins (Glendale Desert Dogs): 2-4, R, HR. It was only a matter of time before Buxton took over an AFL game at the plate. He connected on his first home run of the fall on Monday and now has a hit in all four AFL games.

Pitcher of the Day: Taylor Jungmann, RHP, Brewers (Surprise Saguaros): 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. Jungmann doesn’t miss many bats, so getting four strikeouts is a notable feat for the righty. His control wavered this season as well, so just one walk is also a good sign.

Seeing it Well

• Kenny Wilson, CF, Blue Jays (Salt River Rafters): 3-5, 2 SB. When Wilson can get himself on base, his top-of-the-charts speed can make a real impact. The problem is, he hasn’t hit enough to use it properly. He has, however, hit better as he’s moved up the Blue Jays organizational ladder and is now hitting .556 in four AFL games.
• Stephen Piscotty, RF, Cardinals (Salt River Rafters): 4-4, SB. A day full of singles is about the best the Cardinals have gotten from Piscotty, who has yet to show a whole lot in the way of power. He’s a gap hitter that can do a lot of things on a ball field but none of them exceptionally well. Still, he’s a solid hitter who makes consistent contact, so if he can develop any power he could put something together.
• Taylor Lindsey, 2B, Angels (Mesa Solar Sox): 1-5, R, HR, 2 K. Lindsey is the best prospect in an extremely weak Angels farm system, but his power potential at second base is intriguing.

Finding the Zone

• Alex Meyer, RHP, Twins (Glendale Desert Dogs): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. Meyer has powerful stuff and demonstrated that on opening day in his first start, but after a strong first inning, got hit around. This time out, he had no such problems. His mid-90s fastball can rack up strikeouts in bunches.
• Timothy Berry, LHP, Orioles (Surprise Saguaros): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K. Berry is a low-ceiling lefty who has three average pitches and a basic repertoire and an idea how to use it. He has to be on his game to be effective, but when he is, he has success.

Bad Days at the Plate

• Kyle Parker, 1B, Rockies (Salt River Rafters): 0-5, 3K. Parker has already made it into this category once this fall and another big strikeout day gets him back here again.
• Cory Spangenberg, 2B, Padres (Peoria Javelinas): 0-4, 2 K. Spangenberg struck out 112 times in 2013 which is way too much for a player who not only doesn’t have much power but also doesn’t even try to hit for power. He understands his role as a table-setter, but he doesn’t make enough contact to do it consistently.

Forgettable Outings

• Austin Wright, LHP, Phillies (Peoria Javelinas): 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K. Wright got tagged by Buxton’s home run, which is nothing to hang your head about, but he didn’t pitch well outside of that either. It was his second rough outing in the AFL after a rough season in Double-A. He has major league potential as a back-end guy but it’s been a down year for Wright.
• Ryan Harvey, RHP, Rangers (Surprise Saguaros): 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 K. Harvey has posted big strike out numbers in the past in the minors, but his command is erratic, so even when he does miss mats, he also sometimes finds his fair share.