May 13, 2014

Minor League Update

Games of Monday, May 12

by Jeff Moore

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Hitter of the Night: Patrick Leonard, 3B, Rays (Charlotte, A+): 4-4, 3 R, 2 HR, BB, SB. You know Leonard as that other guy the Rays got in the James Shields/Wil Myers deal, but he has plus power and his hit tool is playing better this season than it has in the past.

Pitcher of the Night: Hunter Harvey, RHP, Orioles (Delmarva, A-): 7 IP, H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K.
As the weather warms up, so does Harvey. The Orioles would like to take it slow with last year’s prep first-rounder, but the South Atlantic League has yet to give him an appropriate level of competition. He may force their hand.

Best of the Rest

Michael Feliz, RHP, Astros (Quad Cities, A-): 3 1/3 IP, 2 H, R, 0 BB, 6 K. At this point, Feliz is still a two-pitch pitcher—which, when one of them is a 96-mph fastball, is more than enough to miss bats in Low-A ball. He projects as a reliever down the road, however.

Domingo Santana, OF, Astros (Oklahoma City, AAA): 2-4, R, HR. There will always be some flaws in Santana’s game as a hitter, but not enough to limit his production. His strike out numbers are higher than you’d like, but they always have been, and it’s yet to truly limit his power output. He should pop enough out of the park to justify playing time in right field.

Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Astros (Oklahoma City, AAA): 2-4, R, HR. Singleton, on the other hand, is a much more refined hitter than his Redhawks teammate, and he has answered any questions about his desire or playing shape from last season. He slugged his 12th home run of the season on Monday.

Tyrone Taylor, OF, Brewers (Brevard County, A+): 2-3, R, HR, BB. A doubles machine, Taylor gets one up and over every now and then, but his game right now is more about gap power than home-run production.

Trevor Williams, RHP, Marlins (Jupiter, A+): 8 IP, 8 H, R, 0 BB, 6 K. Williams misses bats with his off-speed stuff, and when his fastball command is on, the entire package can be extremely effective.

Austin Voth, RHP, Nationals (Hagerstown, A+): 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, BB, 7 K. Voth gets by with fastball movement and command at this point, and is experienced enough to set Low-A hitters up effectively. It remains to be seen how his straightforward arsenal will do as he moves up.

Austin Hedges, C, Padres (San Antonio, AA): 3-4, 2B, K. Hedges has struggled to get his bat going this season, but with his glove, he’ll be a major leaguer whenever the Padres decide they need him. The development of his bat will determine whether there are All-Star games in his future or not.

Gregory Polanco, OF, Pirates (Indianapolis, AAA): 2-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, BB, K. Pirates right fielders are hitting .245/.309/.344.

Fight Another Day

Chris Reed, LHP, Dodgers, (Chattanooga, AA): 5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 5 K. It’s outings like this that make some scouts believe Reed is destined for a relief role. His control has improved in his repeat of Double-A this season, but he still has bouts of wildness.

Jason Esposito, 3B, Orioles (Frederick, A+): 0-4, 2 K. No walks and 27 strikeouts in 110 plate appearances tells us just about all we need to know about Esposito’s approach at the plate—and why he won’t hit.

Notable Pitching Performances

• Alberto Tirado, RHP, Blue Jays (Lansing, A-): 3 2/3 IP, H, R, 5 BB, 4 K.
• Taylor Jungmann, RHP, Brewers (Huntsville, AA): 7 IP, 7 H, R, 2 BB, 4 K
• Luke Jackson, RHP, Rangers (Frisco, AA): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K.
• Miguel Almonte, RHP, Royals (Wilmington, A+): 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 7 K.