November 15, 2013

Minor League Update

AFL and Winter League Recap for Games of November 14

by Jeff Moore

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Hitter of the Day: Brian Cavazos-Galvez, RF, Dodgers (Glendale Desert Dogs): 3-4, R, 3 2B. BCG’s days as a prospect are pretty much over, given that he’ll turn 27 next season, but he still has an interesting bat. He’ll never get regular at-bats in the Dodgers lineup now that they’re spending over $200 million a year, but he could be a useful bench bat with some pop.

Pitcher of the Day: Matt Heidenreich, RHP, Astros (Peoria Javelinas): 4 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K. Heidenreich needed a strong fall to wash the taste of a terrible summer out of his mouth. He’s accomplished just that, with his strong final start lowering his AFL ERA to 2.14.

Seeing it Well

• C.J. Cron, 1B, Angels (Mesa Solar Sox): 2-4, R, 2B. Cron capped off a fantastic AFL with another two-hit day and may very well leave the desert with MVP honors after hitting .413/.467/.700. It’s just the fall he needed after a disappointing regular season.
• Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Astros (Cangrejeros de Santurce, PRWL): 2-4, 2 R, HR, K. Singleton is in Puerto Rico this winter making up for the time he lost during his suspension this spring. After a disappointing season in which he was out of shape and his makeup was questioned, it’s a good sign to see him not only playing but playing well. The best sign, perhaps, is his 10-to-9 BB:K ratio this winter.

Filling the Zone

• Sammy Solis, LHP, Nationals (Mesa Solar Sox): 5 IP, 6 H, R, 4 K. Solis turned in a nice AFL season, with six solid outings in seven trips to the mound. He doesn’t have top-end stuff, but he should provide the Nationals starting pitching depth, perhaps as early as next season when he’ll be waiting in Double-A.
• Jarret Martin, LHP, Dodgers (Glendale Desert Dogs): 2/3 IP, 2 K. Martin battles his control badly, but he was in the strike zone again on Thursday and struck out both batters he faced.
• Kyle Crick, RHP, Giants (Scottsdale Scorpions): 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K. If this outing doesn’t sum up Crick, nothing does. Rarely does he get hit hard, but he has to dance around his walks and can do so by missing a ton of bats. He did all three on Thursday.
• Aaron Sanchez, RHP, Blue Jays (Salt River Rafters): 5 IP, 6 H, R, 2 BB, 3 K. This wasn’t the dominant version of Sanchez that we’ve seen before, but you can get out of a lot of jams with a 95-mph fastball.

Note: The regular season of the Arizona Fall League has ended, but the Minor League Update will not. I will keep you covered throughout the AFL playoffs and go into more detail on the prospects participating in the international winter leagues, which continue through the end of December.

Rough Days at the Plate

• Jake Lamb, 3B, Diamondbacks (Salt River Rafters): 0-3, BB, 2 K. Lamb has always had issues with big strikeout totals, but this fall’s version didn’t come with the same walk rate he produced during the regular season. Still, his .299/.386/.416 line this fall isn’t terrible by any means.
• Austin Hedges, C, Padres (Peoria Javelinas): 0-4, 3 K. A rough day at the plate for Hedges also signifies exactly why he’s going to be a big leaguer for a long time. He still had an effect on the game, throwing a runner out stealing, which is why he’s going to play no matter how he hits.
• Christian Colon, 2B/SS, Royals (Leones de Ponce): 0-5, 2 K. Coming off a season in which he failed to break into the majors despite a hole at 2B for the Royals, Colon is struggling this winter, hitting just .225 through 10 games. He’s playing shortstop this winter, perhaps displaying the versatility that should define his career as a utility player.

Note: The regular season of the Arizona Fall League has ended, but the Minor League Update will not. I will keep you covered throughout the AFL playoffs and go into more detail on the prospects participating in the international winter leagues, which continue through the end of December.