Six more Sundays and the Astros will be stretching on a field in Florida...
*Jose Altuve is Buster Olney's best 2B in the game.
*Dallas Keuchel has been out of his walking boot for about ten days. Keuchel:
I'm almost full bore with everything. This year, I'm taking a little cardio off until right around Spring Training time because I'm a year older and trying to be a year wiser and not push myself too early, just because the season is so long and if we are going to be in the playoffs again it's going to be an extra month.
*Lance McCullers organized a camp at MMP for 200 local kids.
*FanGraphs' Sunday Notes: Brady Aiken's career is nearing a crossroads. David Laurilia:
Two years after the Indians drafted him in the first round - and two years post Tommy John surgery - Aiken spent his summer pumping low-octane gas. A heater that touched 96 in high school was now hovering in the high 80s, and only occasionally north of 90. Other numbers were a concern as well. The 21-year old southpaw had a 4.77 ERA and walked 101 batters in 132 innings for low-A Lake County.
*Brandon Barnes: Artist
*The Rangers are interested in trading for Christian Yelich.
*How one collector spent 17 years searching for Moonlight Graham's autograph.
*For the second year in a row my favo(u)rite soccer team was knocked out of the FA Cup by a lower division team.
*USA Hockey is set up for global domination.
*From Kottke.org: Smells Like Teen Spirit tuned to a major key is unsettling:
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label Brandon Barnes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brandon Barnes. Show all posts
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Saturday Morning Hot Links
*South Florida workers are looking at 20-hour days on the Astros/Nationals Spring Training Complex in order to be ready by 1st pitch.
*Brian McTaggart advises you not to sleep on the importance of Nori Aoki, who will see a lot of time in left field against right-handed pitching. Hinch:
Originally, when we got him, there was a great attraction to his at-bat quality that he could add to our feast-or-famine notoriety. We had a lot of guys that swung and missed, and a lot of guys that hit home runs. And Aoki is one of the toughest outs in the big leagues, and that type of balance to our order was attractive.
*Jeff Bagwell is on 48 of 54 known ballots (about 12.4% of total estimated ballots are known, expect a huge glut of ballots to be released between Christmas and New Year.) He still needs to pick up about 12 votes to ensure election.
Chicago's Rick Morrissey is the latest writer to not vote for Bagwell, with his ballot checking boxes for Trevor Hoffman, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, and Larry Walker. Here is Morrissey's perfectly reasonably, open-minded lede:
It's Hall of Fame voting time, and you know what that means: anger, rage, apoplexy, nervous breakdowns, general blubbering - and that's just from the fans who attach their self-worth to whether a particular former baseball player gets a plaque in Cooperstown.
This is even better:
If there is a suspicion a former player might have juiced during his career, I withhold a checkmark on my ballot. And I don't care if he never tested positive or if he was never implicated in any official investigation.
*The Marlins signed former Astros outfielder Brandon Barnes to a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.
*The Pirates signed former Astros minor-league outfielder Eury Perez to a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.
*Rod Carew had a heart transplant and a kidney transplant yesterday, and is expected to make a full recovery
*David J. Roth: Craig Sager and the Radical Act of Caring
*Brian McTaggart advises you not to sleep on the importance of Nori Aoki, who will see a lot of time in left field against right-handed pitching. Hinch:
Originally, when we got him, there was a great attraction to his at-bat quality that he could add to our feast-or-famine notoriety. We had a lot of guys that swung and missed, and a lot of guys that hit home runs. And Aoki is one of the toughest outs in the big leagues, and that type of balance to our order was attractive.
*Jeff Bagwell is on 48 of 54 known ballots (about 12.4% of total estimated ballots are known, expect a huge glut of ballots to be released between Christmas and New Year.) He still needs to pick up about 12 votes to ensure election.
Chicago's Rick Morrissey is the latest writer to not vote for Bagwell, with his ballot checking boxes for Trevor Hoffman, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, and Larry Walker. Here is Morrissey's perfectly reasonably, open-minded lede:
It's Hall of Fame voting time, and you know what that means: anger, rage, apoplexy, nervous breakdowns, general blubbering - and that's just from the fans who attach their self-worth to whether a particular former baseball player gets a plaque in Cooperstown.
This is even better:
If there is a suspicion a former player might have juiced during his career, I withhold a checkmark on my ballot. And I don't care if he never tested positive or if he was never implicated in any official investigation.
*The Marlins signed former Astros outfielder Brandon Barnes to a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.
*The Pirates signed former Astros minor-league outfielder Eury Perez to a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.
*Rod Carew had a heart transplant and a kidney transplant yesterday, and is expected to make a full recovery
*David J. Roth: Craig Sager and the Radical Act of Caring
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Thursday Morning Hot Links
Things were going great until, very quickly, they were not. Doug Fister turned in another Kazmir and the Astros lost 6-5 at Cleveland. David Paulino makes his major-league debut today.
*Who Won Yesterday: Seattle, Yankees, Red Sox
Who Lost Yesterday: Astros, Rangers, Orioles, Tigers, Blue Jays, Royals,
In other words, the Astros could have picked up a game on just about everybody in front of them last night. The Wild Card race remains:
WC1: Toronto +1
WC2: Baltimore +/-
Detroit -1
Houston: -2
*FanGraphs gives the Astros a 22% chance of getting in the playoffs. FiveThirtyEight puts it at 24%.
*Thanks, midges.
*Yulieski Gurriel hit his first home run, in the 8th inning off Andrew Miller. Gurriel:
I feel happy I got the first one out of the way. It's been a little while. I was glad that I was able to drive in two runs but a little unhappy that we fell short.
*Brian McTaggart notes that over the past seven games Astros starters have an 8.01 ERA. In his last six starts, Fister is 2-4 with a 7.12 ERA. Hinch:
He's having a hard time ending at-bats. There are a lot of pitch counts. There are a couple of misfires that aren't normal for him. He rarely yanks a cutter and hits guys, especially to left-handed hitters. He did that a couple of times today. Execution is key in his game when he's good, and certainly he stands out when he struggles.
*Carlos Correa is out until at least Friday with shoulder inflammation which, by my count*, has sidelined 23 members of the active roster. Correa flew to Houston prior to Wednesday's game to get checked out by doctors. Hinch:
We're optimistic that he's going to be able to play this weekend against the Cubs at some point. I'm happy to report that, but we're obviously going to lose him for the next couple of games.
This is Astros-speak for "Carlos Correa's arm will be amputated following the conclusion of the 2016 season.
*could be wrong
*That Correa couldn't play last night, on Roberto Clemente Day, means we weren't able to see these amazing cleats in action:
*Corpus lost Game 1 of their Texas League playoff series to Midland, 6-2. Francis Martes threw 6IP, 10H/3ER, 6K:1BB; Ryan Thompson allowed 1H/0ER in 2IP. Kevin Comer gave up three late runs in the 9th to put the game out of reach. The Hooks got 12 hits and five walks and were 1x15 w/RISP. Drew Ferguson, Garrett Stubbs, J.D. Davis, Nick Tanielu, and Roberto Pena all had two hits each. Game 2 is tonight.
*Lancaster and Rancho Cucamonga traded runs throughout the game but it was Rancho Cucamonga who plated the walk-off run in the bottom of the 16th inning for a 4-3 win over Lancaster in Game 1. Brock Dykxhoorn allowed 4H/2ER, 7K:2BB in 7IP. Kevin McCanna gave up an unearned run in 4IP, Andrew Thome allowed 3H/0ER, 2K:0BB in 3IP and Alex Winkelman took the loss with 3H/1ER, 2K:1BB in 1.1IP. Johnny Sewald went 4x7 and Jamie Ritchie was 3x6. Aaron Mizell was 2x5 with two walks and a home run. Kyle Tucker was 0x8 with 3Ks. Game 2 is tonight.
*A swarm of bees caused a delay at Round Rock's playoff game.
*Brandon Barnes is still the same guy.
*Eight dummies are interested in Tim Tebow.
*Molina's Cantina is celebrating it's 75th anniversary.
*Today in Whatever, Bro:
*Who Won Yesterday: Seattle, Yankees, Red Sox
Who Lost Yesterday: Astros, Rangers, Orioles, Tigers, Blue Jays, Royals,
In other words, the Astros could have picked up a game on just about everybody in front of them last night. The Wild Card race remains:
WC1: Toronto +1
WC2: Baltimore +/-
Detroit -1
Houston: -2
*FanGraphs gives the Astros a 22% chance of getting in the playoffs. FiveThirtyEight puts it at 24%.
*Thanks, midges.
*Yulieski Gurriel hit his first home run, in the 8th inning off Andrew Miller. Gurriel:
I feel happy I got the first one out of the way. It's been a little while. I was glad that I was able to drive in two runs but a little unhappy that we fell short.
*Brian McTaggart notes that over the past seven games Astros starters have an 8.01 ERA. In his last six starts, Fister is 2-4 with a 7.12 ERA. Hinch:
He's having a hard time ending at-bats. There are a lot of pitch counts. There are a couple of misfires that aren't normal for him. He rarely yanks a cutter and hits guys, especially to left-handed hitters. He did that a couple of times today. Execution is key in his game when he's good, and certainly he stands out when he struggles.
*Carlos Correa is out until at least Friday with shoulder inflammation which, by my count*, has sidelined 23 members of the active roster. Correa flew to Houston prior to Wednesday's game to get checked out by doctors. Hinch:
We're optimistic that he's going to be able to play this weekend against the Cubs at some point. I'm happy to report that, but we're obviously going to lose him for the next couple of games.
This is Astros-speak for "Carlos Correa's arm will be amputated following the conclusion of the 2016 season.
*could be wrong
*That Correa couldn't play last night, on Roberto Clemente Day, means we weren't able to see these amazing cleats in action:
*Look for David Paulino to throw between 85-95 pitches when the Astros take on the Indians today at 11:10am..@TeamCJCorrea honors his hero on #RobertoClementeDay with custom @adidasBaseball cleats. https://t.co/J2FOti2sPI pic.twitter.com/9po9IUlWIJ— Paul Murphy (@PabloMurphy) September 7, 2016
*Corpus lost Game 1 of their Texas League playoff series to Midland, 6-2. Francis Martes threw 6IP, 10H/3ER, 6K:1BB; Ryan Thompson allowed 1H/0ER in 2IP. Kevin Comer gave up three late runs in the 9th to put the game out of reach. The Hooks got 12 hits and five walks and were 1x15 w/RISP. Drew Ferguson, Garrett Stubbs, J.D. Davis, Nick Tanielu, and Roberto Pena all had two hits each. Game 2 is tonight.
*Lancaster and Rancho Cucamonga traded runs throughout the game but it was Rancho Cucamonga who plated the walk-off run in the bottom of the 16th inning for a 4-3 win over Lancaster in Game 1. Brock Dykxhoorn allowed 4H/2ER, 7K:2BB in 7IP. Kevin McCanna gave up an unearned run in 4IP, Andrew Thome allowed 3H/0ER, 2K:0BB in 3IP and Alex Winkelman took the loss with 3H/1ER, 2K:1BB in 1.1IP. Johnny Sewald went 4x7 and Jamie Ritchie was 3x6. Aaron Mizell was 2x5 with two walks and a home run. Kyle Tucker was 0x8 with 3Ks. Game 2 is tonight.
*A swarm of bees caused a delay at Round Rock's playoff game.
*Brandon Barnes is still the same guy.
*Eight dummies are interested in Tim Tebow.
*Molina's Cantina is celebrating it's 75th anniversary.
*Today in Whatever, Bro:
Jonathan Villar: 1st player with 15 HR and 50 SB in a season since Carl Crawford in 2009— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 8, 2016
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Revisiting the Dexter Fowler Trade*
* - The one that brought Fowler to Houston, not the one that sent him to Chicago.
On December 3, 2013, the Astros sent Jordan Lyles and Brandon Barnes to Colorado in exchange for Dexter Fowler and a PTBNL. The PTBNL was later revealed to be 25k in cash, so it is fair to say that this represented a very minor part of the trade only. I seem to recall rumblings around the time of the trade that the PTBNL would be a "significant" piece, but in the end it amounted to only a negligible amount of money, at least in terms of the monetary amounts that we talk about in baseball.
The recent Fowler trade has essentially altered the equation to something more like:
On December 3, 2013, the Astros sent Jordan Lyles and Brandon Barnes to Colorado in exchange for Dexter Fowler and a PTBNL. The PTBNL was later revealed to be 25k in cash, so it is fair to say that this represented a very minor part of the trade only. I seem to recall rumblings around the time of the trade that the PTBNL would be a "significant" piece, but in the end it amounted to only a negligible amount of money, at least in terms of the monetary amounts that we talk about in baseball.
The recent Fowler trade has essentially altered the equation to something more like:
Jordan Lyles + Brandon Barnes for 116 games from Fowler + Luis Valbeuna, Dan Straily and 25k
I recently wrote a little about the pieces coming back to Houston, and I won't revisit those guys at all. I remain happy with second Fowler the trade, especially because of the Astros' depth in CF in the Majors (Marisnick, Rasmus, Presley and perhaps Springer), as well as the minors, which includes some good prospects (Brett Phillips, Jason Martin), some potentially good prospects (Teoscar Hernandez), some guys potentially returning from the wasteland of Arlington (Delino DeShields), and some guys that may simply need to be given a chance but aren't going to excite many pundits in the process (Andrew Aplin). I can't think of another position where the Astros have as many possible candidates. No one here is a sure thing, but the chances of someone emerging from this pack on occupying CF in MMP until 2021 are high.
But with the Astros 5th - and probably 4th - starting pitching slots open for auditions, it seems reasonable to review the Fowler trade, especially with regards to the progress of Jordan Lyles. He could have looked pretty good on the SP depth chart about now. Plus, it is often kind of fun to see how ex-Astros have fared after leaving the organisation, because really, the Astros can't afford to leak much talent if they want to contend.
Let's deal with Barnes first. He became the starting CF on a miserable 2013 Astros team, and gained some admiration for his all-out style of play. He carries an above-average glove in CF, and has occasional pop from the right side. He has not walked much (career rate 4.8%) and has struck out waaaay too much (just shy of 30%). Sarcasm alert... he would fit nicely on the 2015 K-stros!
Barnes appeared in 132 games for the Rockies, earning 313 plate appearances. His 2014 triple-slash was .257/.293/.425 for an overall wRC+ of 83. Note that wRC+ is park adjusted, so this factors in his Coors Field splits, which were significant. Barnes hit .299/.338/.552 in 142 PA's at Coors, and .222/.255/.316 in 171 PA's away. So perhaps worth keeping around, especially given the need to rotate players for extended home series because of the altitude and associated longer recovery times.
But Barnes was never going to be the main piece of the trade for Colorado. The Rockies were most interested in Jordan Lyles, who ended to season with 126 and two-thirds innings thrown in the bigs in 2014. He broke his left (non-pitching) hand in a home-plate collision with then-Arizona's Martin Prado in early June. As a result, he missed the next two months, returning in early August.
Lyles started the season well, as noted by the odd fantasy baseball article (ignore the title). His first appearance of the season was on the road against Miami, and it wasn't great (4ER in 5IP). After that, he was pretty much nails for the next six weeks: 1ER in 6.2IP (home), 3ER in 5IP, 0ER in 7IP (home), 2ER in 7IP, 1ER in 6IP, 2ER in 8IP (home) and 2ER in 6IP. Then he got beaten up by the San Diego offensive juggernaut (6ER in 3.1), but rebounded, giving up 2ER in each of the next three, throwing 4, 5 and 6 innings in the three games. The 4 inning game was the game in which he broke his hand.
Lyles was not quite as strong after the injury, giving up three or less earned runs in six of the remaining 10 starts. He did not manage a scoreless outing in that time - in fact, didn't throw one all season (the 0ER in 7IP outing listed above had an unearned run credited). He finished the season with an ERA of 4.62, and an FIP of 4.30. He was valued by Fangraphs as having a 1.3 WAR on the season.
Lyles continued to exhibit a poor strikeout rate (6.39 K/9) and middling walk rate (3.27 BB/9), so the major peripherals remain uninspiring. He restricted home-runs well (0.85/9), and did relatively well keeping the ball on the ground (just over 50%). He doubtless benefitted from human-vacuum-cleaners Nolan Arenado and Troy Tulowitzki on the left side of the infield, both who are rated as premium defenders.
But really, there is nothing that would have indicated that Lyles took a giant step forward, or would have demanded a place in the Astros' 2015 rotation. The Astros have a number of other intriguing options, and being one or who pitchers short of a rotation isn't the worst thing in the world for a month or two. It gives someone the chance to step up, like McHugh and Keuchel did last year. Plus, Appel or another of the Astros' interesting arms could have a rotation spot come the second half of 2015.
Now all we need is for Brandon Beachy to sign with the Astros as an NRI, and go nuts as the fifth starter. That would complete a fascinating Astros offseason, and assist greatly in achieving a record above .500.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Hot Links
A few things not really worthy of a separate post:
*Cesar Izturis would have received $100,000 by today (Tuesday) if he wasn't on the 25-Man roster. Since he wouldn't go to the minors, the Astros released him.
*Rule 5 pick Ravel Santana still isn't in camp because of visa issues in the Dominican Republic.
*From the previous link, it looks as though Correa and Appel will open the season in Lancaster, while Foltynewicz looks to be a lock for the OKC rotation.
*Here's a fun article from the Denver Post's Troy Renck on Rockies spring training co-MVP Brandon Barnes.
*Cesar Izturis would have received $100,000 by today (Tuesday) if he wasn't on the 25-Man roster. Since he wouldn't go to the minors, the Astros released him.
*Rule 5 pick Ravel Santana still isn't in camp because of visa issues in the Dominican Republic.
*From the previous link, it looks as though Correa and Appel will open the season in Lancaster, while Foltynewicz looks to be a lock for the OKC rotation.
*Here's a fun article from the Denver Post's Troy Renck on Rockies spring training co-MVP Brandon Barnes.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Astros trade Barnes, Lyles for Dexter Fowler
Exactly one hour after I wrote about how the Astros haven't done anything, they did something. The Astros traded outfielder Brandon Barnes and starting pitcher Jordan Lyles to the Rockies for center fielder Dexter Fowler and a player to be named later.
So what about this Dexter Fowler? He'll be 28 by Opening Day 2014, a switch-hitting outfielder how hit .263/.369/.407, and FanGraphs gave him a 2.2 WAR in 2013 (2.0 WAR from Baseball-Reference). Seeing as how Astros' outfielders as a whole hit .242/.294/.367 for a -1.6 WAR, Fowler is clearly an upgrade for the Astros.
Astros' leadoff hitters totaled a .249/.310/.321 slash line. Fowler, as a leadoff hitter, hit .263/.378/.411. Against RHP, Fower hit .237/.349/.392. The Astros, as a whole, hit .238/.288/.366 against RHP. But if we look at Fowler vs. LHP, we see he hit .323/.417/.444; whereas the Astros hit .259/.313/.382.
The big question is how will Fowler hit outside of the lunar surface that is Coors Field? In 2013 he hit .311/.396/.478 with a .358 BABIP in Colorado; that dropped precipitously to .214/.343/.335 on the road, with a .283 BABIP - in line with his .880 career Home OPS and his .694 career Road OPS, and he has a career .189/.338/.270 slash line in 13 games (51 PAs) at Minute Maid Park (too small of a sample size to get anything from).
So obviously, the Astros upgraded their outfield, which should next year feature George Springer in the corner and one of a number of options (L.J. Hoes, Robbie Grossman, to name two options) in the other corner. From a contract standpoint, Fowler will make $7.35m in 2014, will be arbitration-eligible for a third time in 2015, and won't be a free agent until 2016.
The Astros will now be in search of two starting pitchers, to replace Bedard and Lyles. Lyles, the Astros' 38th overall pick in 2008, has had trouble in the Majors: In 377IP (72 appearances, 65 starts) Lyles had a 5.35 ERA/1.45 WHIP, and had the worst season of his young career in 2013.
Are there questions? Sure. Is it an upgrade? Yes, on paper at least (which is all we have to go on, anyway). My biggest concern is how Fowler will play outside of Colorado, but that would be true of any player leaving Colorado. Ultimately, we wanted the Astros to upgrade at the outfield, but not at the long-term expense of the impressive farm system they've built - and it seems the Astros have done just that.
With trading away Barnes - the Astros' 2005 6th Round pick - the player on the 40-Man roster who has been with the organization the longest is now David Martinez, who signed as a 17-year old amateur free agent in 2005.
So what about this Dexter Fowler? He'll be 28 by Opening Day 2014, a switch-hitting outfielder how hit .263/.369/.407, and FanGraphs gave him a 2.2 WAR in 2013 (2.0 WAR from Baseball-Reference). Seeing as how Astros' outfielders as a whole hit .242/.294/.367 for a -1.6 WAR, Fowler is clearly an upgrade for the Astros.
Astros' leadoff hitters totaled a .249/.310/.321 slash line. Fowler, as a leadoff hitter, hit .263/.378/.411. Against RHP, Fower hit .237/.349/.392. The Astros, as a whole, hit .238/.288/.366 against RHP. But if we look at Fowler vs. LHP, we see he hit .323/.417/.444; whereas the Astros hit .259/.313/.382.
The big question is how will Fowler hit outside of the lunar surface that is Coors Field? In 2013 he hit .311/.396/.478 with a .358 BABIP in Colorado; that dropped precipitously to .214/.343/.335 on the road, with a .283 BABIP - in line with his .880 career Home OPS and his .694 career Road OPS, and he has a career .189/.338/.270 slash line in 13 games (51 PAs) at Minute Maid Park (too small of a sample size to get anything from).
So obviously, the Astros upgraded their outfield, which should next year feature George Springer in the corner and one of a number of options (L.J. Hoes, Robbie Grossman, to name two options) in the other corner. From a contract standpoint, Fowler will make $7.35m in 2014, will be arbitration-eligible for a third time in 2015, and won't be a free agent until 2016.
The Astros will now be in search of two starting pitchers, to replace Bedard and Lyles. Lyles, the Astros' 38th overall pick in 2008, has had trouble in the Majors: In 377IP (72 appearances, 65 starts) Lyles had a 5.35 ERA/1.45 WHIP, and had the worst season of his young career in 2013.
Are there questions? Sure. Is it an upgrade? Yes, on paper at least (which is all we have to go on, anyway). My biggest concern is how Fowler will play outside of Colorado, but that would be true of any player leaving Colorado. Ultimately, we wanted the Astros to upgrade at the outfield, but not at the long-term expense of the impressive farm system they've built - and it seems the Astros have done just that.
With trading away Barnes - the Astros' 2005 6th Round pick - the player on the 40-Man roster who has been with the organization the longest is now David Martinez, who signed as a 17-year old amateur free agent in 2005.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Exit Music (For A Player): Brandon Barnes
We're taking a look at the Astros who are still on the 40-Man Roster as part of our off-season Exit Music (For A Player) recap of 2013. Read the (small, for now) archive here. Today we take on Brandon Barnes.
Acquired: Drafted, 6th Round - 2005
Summary:
136 games played, 445 PAs, .240/.289/.346, 76 OPS+
Baseball-Reference WAR: 1.7
FanGraphs WAR: 1.0
Walk Percentage: 4.7%
Strikeout Percentage: 28.5%
2013 Salary: $491,700
One of the Astros' legitimate feel-good stories, 2005 6th Round pick Brandon Barnes finally made his Major-League debut on August 7, 2012 against the Nationals. In 43 games (105 Plate Appearances), Barnes hit .204/.250/.265 with 29 strikeouts and five walks. His second Major-League hit left the yard on August 13 as a pinch-hitter in the 6th in a 7-1 loss at Chicago.
Barnes enjoyed an almost-full-time role in 2013, playing all three outfield positions in 136 games (but mainly in Center Field), and hit .240/.289/.346. His first 34 games of the season including a lot of defensive replacement/pinch-hitter/runner. In those 34 games, Barnes hit .323/.405/.477 with an other-worldly .475 BABIP.
From May 28 forward, when Barnes started 97 of his remaining 102 games, he hit .224/.266/.321 with a more-normalized .302 BABIP, with 104K:14BB in 369 plate appearances. In other words, Barnes hit .375/.468/.525 in March/April (.483 BABIP), and didn't post an OPS over .659 in any other month, and didn't break a .600 OPS in May, July, or August. In only one of those months, July, was Barnes' BABIP under .300 (.241).
High-Water Mark of 2013: July 19 vs. Seattle. Barnes goes 5x5 to hit for the cycle in a 10-7 loss to Seattle.
Honorable Mention: September 3 vs. Minnesota. Barnes went 3x4 with a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the 9th off Twins closer Glen Perkins to tie the game, and finished the day with 5RBI. Of course, the Astros lost when the Twins scored three runs in the top of the 12th.
What Went Well:
*April. Things were great in April for Barnes. As we've already mentioned, he hit .375/.468/.525.
*Barnes' fielding routinely made the Astros' highlight reels, and the (somewhat-unreliable) fielding data backed that up. He improved his 2013 UZR rating to 5.9 from his 5.3 in 2012. He's a great fielding outfielder, and Baseball-Reference gave him a 1.1 defensive WAR rating.
*Barnes' occasional power was up in 2013. His Isolated Power was a .105 in 2013, up from an .061 in 2012, and his HR/flyball percentage was 9.1%, up from 5.0% in 2012.
What Didn't:
*Barnes cut down on the number of pitches he offered at outside the zone, and overall swung less in 2013 than in 2012, but he also made less contact (-4.0% outside the zone, -5.0% inside the zone, and -3.8% overall) in 2013. His swinging strike rate went up from 12.3% to 13.8% in 2013. This was the 18th-highest percentage among MLB players with at least 400 plate appearances. (Hint: Chris Carter was 4th in MLB at Swinging-Strike%)
*Hitting breaking pitches. Barnes improved his wFB (Runs above average on fastballs) to a 4.5, way up from the -4.1 in 2012. But he struggled against sliders (-7.3), cutters (-1.0), and changeups (-4.4) in 2013.
*It's telling that Dave Clark was let go after the end of the season, as he was also the baserunning coach. Despite Barnes' obvious speed, he was only 50% on stolen base attempts. How much of that can be chalked up to Clark is unknown, but with Altuve leading the AL in getting thrown out trying to steal, Barnes' eleven CS was 3rd in the AL.
2014 Contract Status: 2nd Year of Pre-Arbitration, will be Arbitration-Eligible in 2016.
2014 Outlook: It will be interesting to see if George Springer pushes Barnes to a corner-outfielder position, but he'll need to hit better to justify it. Barnes clearly showed value in the field, and had a hot month mainly off the bench in April 2013.
Acquired: Drafted, 6th Round - 2005
Summary:
136 games played, 445 PAs, .240/.289/.346, 76 OPS+
Baseball-Reference WAR: 1.7
FanGraphs WAR: 1.0
Walk Percentage: 4.7%
Strikeout Percentage: 28.5%
2013 Salary: $491,700
One of the Astros' legitimate feel-good stories, 2005 6th Round pick Brandon Barnes finally made his Major-League debut on August 7, 2012 against the Nationals. In 43 games (105 Plate Appearances), Barnes hit .204/.250/.265 with 29 strikeouts and five walks. His second Major-League hit left the yard on August 13 as a pinch-hitter in the 6th in a 7-1 loss at Chicago.
Barnes enjoyed an almost-full-time role in 2013, playing all three outfield positions in 136 games (but mainly in Center Field), and hit .240/.289/.346. His first 34 games of the season including a lot of defensive replacement/pinch-hitter/runner. In those 34 games, Barnes hit .323/.405/.477 with an other-worldly .475 BABIP.
From May 28 forward, when Barnes started 97 of his remaining 102 games, he hit .224/.266/.321 with a more-normalized .302 BABIP, with 104K:14BB in 369 plate appearances. In other words, Barnes hit .375/.468/.525 in March/April (.483 BABIP), and didn't post an OPS over .659 in any other month, and didn't break a .600 OPS in May, July, or August. In only one of those months, July, was Barnes' BABIP under .300 (.241).
High-Water Mark of 2013: July 19 vs. Seattle. Barnes goes 5x5 to hit for the cycle in a 10-7 loss to Seattle.
Honorable Mention: September 3 vs. Minnesota. Barnes went 3x4 with a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the 9th off Twins closer Glen Perkins to tie the game, and finished the day with 5RBI. Of course, the Astros lost when the Twins scored three runs in the top of the 12th.
What Went Well:
*April. Things were great in April for Barnes. As we've already mentioned, he hit .375/.468/.525.
*Barnes' fielding routinely made the Astros' highlight reels, and the (somewhat-unreliable) fielding data backed that up. He improved his 2013 UZR rating to 5.9 from his 5.3 in 2012. He's a great fielding outfielder, and Baseball-Reference gave him a 1.1 defensive WAR rating.
*Barnes' occasional power was up in 2013. His Isolated Power was a .105 in 2013, up from an .061 in 2012, and his HR/flyball percentage was 9.1%, up from 5.0% in 2012.
What Didn't:
*Barnes cut down on the number of pitches he offered at outside the zone, and overall swung less in 2013 than in 2012, but he also made less contact (-4.0% outside the zone, -5.0% inside the zone, and -3.8% overall) in 2013. His swinging strike rate went up from 12.3% to 13.8% in 2013. This was the 18th-highest percentage among MLB players with at least 400 plate appearances. (Hint: Chris Carter was 4th in MLB at Swinging-Strike%)
*Hitting breaking pitches. Barnes improved his wFB (Runs above average on fastballs) to a 4.5, way up from the -4.1 in 2012. But he struggled against sliders (-7.3), cutters (-1.0), and changeups (-4.4) in 2013.
*It's telling that Dave Clark was let go after the end of the season, as he was also the baserunning coach. Despite Barnes' obvious speed, he was only 50% on stolen base attempts. How much of that can be chalked up to Clark is unknown, but with Altuve leading the AL in getting thrown out trying to steal, Barnes' eleven CS was 3rd in the AL.
2014 Contract Status: 2nd Year of Pre-Arbitration, will be Arbitration-Eligible in 2016.
2014 Outlook: It will be interesting to see if George Springer pushes Barnes to a corner-outfielder position, but he'll need to hit better to justify it. Barnes clearly showed value in the field, and had a hot month mainly off the bench in April 2013.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Buy Brandon Barnes' shirt
Brandon Barnes drew up a design and created a t-shirt that will benefit the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.
Via McTaggart:
This cause has extra special meaning for Barnes, whose younger stepbrother battled neuroblastoma when he was about 11 months old. At 13 months old, his stepbrother underwent a serious surgery to remove a tumor about the size of a grown man's fist. Thomas French is now a healthy 19-year-old in California.
You can order the shirt here.
Via McTaggart:
This cause has extra special meaning for Barnes, whose younger stepbrother battled neuroblastoma when he was about 11 months old. At 13 months old, his stepbrother underwent a serious surgery to remove a tumor about the size of a grown man's fist. Thomas French is now a healthy 19-year-old in California.
You can order the shirt here.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
From the Office of the County Clerk - G95: Mariners @ Astros
Well. That...ugh.
Let's start with the good:
*Brandon Barnes became the 2nd player this season - and the 8th player in Astros history - to hit for the cycle. The last Astro to hit for the cycle was Luke Scott, on May 28, 2006.
*Barnes also had five hits, the first Astro to collect five hits in a game since Hunter Pence did it back in May of 2008.
*The Astros, as a team, have gotten five or fewer hits in a game 22 times this season.
*Brandon Barnes and Justin Maxwell scored six of the Astros' seven runs.
*Jason Castro hit his 26th double of the season, surpassing Brad Ausmus' record for doubles by an Astros catcher in team history. Castro is hitting .367/.424/.600 in his last eight games, beginning with the road-trip at Texas.
*Brett Wallace hit the first home run of his career as a sub, when he mercifully replaced Ronny Cedeno at DH. Since getting called back up in June, Wallace is hitting .300/.344/.667. Eleven of his 18 hits have gone for extra-bases.
Now:
*The Astros are now 12-3 when scoring seven or more runs in a game.
*Ronny Cedeno, who was 0x2 with a strikeout before getting pulled for Brett Wallace, is hitting .141/.179/.172 in 25 June/July games. And he was the designated hitter.
*Bud Norris had a rough fourth inning in a 5.2IP, 6H/6ER, 2K:4BB outing. In his last two starts (10.2IP), Norris has allowed 17H/13ER, 7K:5BB.
*His 120 pitches last night were the most since his 2nd start of the season, when he threw 122 against Oakland.
*Norris gave up 13 earned runs from June 1-July 3 (seven starts).
*Josh Fields gave up 2H/3ER, 1K:2BB in 1IP. He has given up at least one earned run in six of his last eight appearances.
*And Ambriz gonna Ambriz! Justin Smoak welcomed Hector Ambriz back to the Majors by taking him deep with the first pitch of the first AB. Ambriz then went on to allow a single, flyout, wild pitch, walk, flyout, strikeout.
Man of the Match: Brandon Barnes
Goat of the Game: Anyone who tried to throw a pitch.
Let's start with the good:
*Brandon Barnes became the 2nd player this season - and the 8th player in Astros history - to hit for the cycle. The last Astro to hit for the cycle was Luke Scott, on May 28, 2006.
*Barnes also had five hits, the first Astro to collect five hits in a game since Hunter Pence did it back in May of 2008.
*The Astros, as a team, have gotten five or fewer hits in a game 22 times this season.
*Brandon Barnes and Justin Maxwell scored six of the Astros' seven runs.
*Jason Castro hit his 26th double of the season, surpassing Brad Ausmus' record for doubles by an Astros catcher in team history. Castro is hitting .367/.424/.600 in his last eight games, beginning with the road-trip at Texas.
*Brett Wallace hit the first home run of his career as a sub, when he mercifully replaced Ronny Cedeno at DH. Since getting called back up in June, Wallace is hitting .300/.344/.667. Eleven of his 18 hits have gone for extra-bases.
Now:
*The Astros are now 12-3 when scoring seven or more runs in a game.
*Ronny Cedeno, who was 0x2 with a strikeout before getting pulled for Brett Wallace, is hitting .141/.179/.172 in 25 June/July games. And he was the designated hitter.
*Bud Norris had a rough fourth inning in a 5.2IP, 6H/6ER, 2K:4BB outing. In his last two starts (10.2IP), Norris has allowed 17H/13ER, 7K:5BB.
*His 120 pitches last night were the most since his 2nd start of the season, when he threw 122 against Oakland.
*Norris gave up 13 earned runs from June 1-July 3 (seven starts).
*Josh Fields gave up 2H/3ER, 1K:2BB in 1IP. He has given up at least one earned run in six of his last eight appearances.
*And Ambriz gonna Ambriz! Justin Smoak welcomed Hector Ambriz back to the Majors by taking him deep with the first pitch of the first AB. Ambriz then went on to allow a single, flyout, wild pitch, walk, flyout, strikeout.
Man of the Match: Brandon Barnes
Goat of the Game: Anyone who tried to throw a pitch.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
The New York Times does some digging
We made fun of Andy Pettitte yesterday morning (which was easier to do, since the Astros won G26) for not knowing Brandon Barnes' name. The New York Times has a nice follow-up piece this morning, pointing out that Pettitte had actually faced Barnes before, in Spring Training 2006.
Barnes:
“He struck me out on three pitches. Three heaters. I just looked at all three of them; whooom, whooom, whooom.”
Barnes:
“He struck me out on three pitches. Three heaters. I just looked at all three of them; whooom, whooom, whooom.”
Employees of the Month: April 2013
And so the Astros finished April with a record of 8-19. Which is five games better than what one of Danny Knobler's Scout Buddies predicted for the Astros in April. So with one month (plus one March game) in the books, let's get to the Astros' Employees of the Month. (Minor-League Employees of the Month will come later today).
Hitter:
Jose Altuve
This one could have gone one of two ways. But Altuve did what Altuve does, and that's rack up hits - his 37 hits are tied the Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera and Adam Jones for the Major-League lead. With Altuve as the only Astro with 50+ PAs to hit over .300, as well as being tied for team-lead in extra-base hits, and whose nine walks are third on the team, the honor goes to Altuve.
Honorable Mention:
Marwin Gonzalez
But it could have just as easily gone to Marwin Gonzalez. If you had Gonzalez leading the team (among players with 50+ PAs) in OPS, then you should be burned for witchcraft. Gonzalez is hitting .297/.338/.516 with three homers in April. That's 72 plate appearances. In 219 plate appearances in 2012, Gonzalez hit two homers. He's already over halfway to his 2012 extra-base hit total in a third of his PAs.
Brandon Barnes
In 18 games (47PAs), Barnes is hitting .375/.468/.525 with 10K:6BB and a team-high three stolen bases.
Pitcher:
Lucas Harrell:
By default we have to go with Lucas Harrell. In six starts, Harrell was 3-2 with a 3.60 ERA/1.54 WHIP. In his last four starts, Harrell threw 24.2IP, 25H/5ER, 18K:9BB with a 1.82 ERA. In five of his six starts, Harrell has kept the opposition to two runs or less.
Honorable Mention:
Nobody.
Hitter:
Jose Altuve
This one could have gone one of two ways. But Altuve did what Altuve does, and that's rack up hits - his 37 hits are tied the Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera and Adam Jones for the Major-League lead. With Altuve as the only Astro with 50+ PAs to hit over .300, as well as being tied for team-lead in extra-base hits, and whose nine walks are third on the team, the honor goes to Altuve.
Honorable Mention:
Marwin Gonzalez
But it could have just as easily gone to Marwin Gonzalez. If you had Gonzalez leading the team (among players with 50+ PAs) in OPS, then you should be burned for witchcraft. Gonzalez is hitting .297/.338/.516 with three homers in April. That's 72 plate appearances. In 219 plate appearances in 2012, Gonzalez hit two homers. He's already over halfway to his 2012 extra-base hit total in a third of his PAs.
Brandon Barnes
In 18 games (47PAs), Barnes is hitting .375/.468/.525 with 10K:6BB and a team-high three stolen bases.
Pitcher:
Lucas Harrell:
By default we have to go with Lucas Harrell. In six starts, Harrell was 3-2 with a 3.60 ERA/1.54 WHIP. In his last four starts, Harrell threw 24.2IP, 25H/5ER, 18K:9BB with a 1.82 ERA. In five of his six starts, Harrell has kept the opposition to two runs or less.
Honorable Mention:
Nobody.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
MiLB's Organizational All-Stars
So Minor League Baseball posted the Astros' organizational All-Stars today, and it's well worth your time. You can click the link and read the full descriptions for yourselves, but here's the short list:
C: Tyler Heineman
1B: Jon Singleton
2B: Delino DeShields
3B: Matt Duffy
SS: Angel Sanchez
OF: George Springer, Domingo Santana, Brandon Barnes
DH: Erik Castro
RHP: Mike Foltynewicz
LHP: Brian Holmes
Closer: Jason Stoffel
C: Tyler Heineman
1B: Jon Singleton
2B: Delino DeShields
3B: Matt Duffy
SS: Angel Sanchez
OF: George Springer, Domingo Santana, Brandon Barnes
DH: Erik Castro
RHP: Mike Foltynewicz
LHP: Brian Holmes
Closer: Jason Stoffel
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Schafer to DL, Juan Abreu DFA'd
It's a bad day for Ed Wade's Michael Bourn trade. To make room on the active roster for Brandon Barnes, Jordan Schafer has been put on the 15-day DL with shoulder separation, and to make room on the 40-man roster, Juan Abreu has been designated for assignment.
Abreu, of course, came to the Astros along with Schafer, Paul Clemens, and Brett Oberholtzer in exchange for Bourn last season. He pitched in 7 games for Houston last season, posting a 2.70 ERA over 6.2 IP. But he never made it back to the bigs this season, putting up an ugly 7.09 ERA in 45.2 IP (38 games) with Oklahoma City.
Barnes, meanwhile, is in Houston and will make his ML debut tonight.
Abreu, of course, came to the Astros along with Schafer, Paul Clemens, and Brett Oberholtzer in exchange for Bourn last season. He pitched in 7 games for Houston last season, posting a 2.70 ERA over 6.2 IP. But he never made it back to the bigs this season, putting up an ugly 7.09 ERA in 45.2 IP (38 games) with Oklahoma City.
Barnes, meanwhile, is in Houston and will make his ML debut tonight.
Brandon Barnes called up
The Hooks, oddly enough, have tweeted that Brandon Barnes has been called up from Oklahoma City.
Barnes has hit .323/.383/.477 for Oklahoma City in 263 plate appearances (62 games) in 2012. He was the 6th Round pick by the Astros in 2005, and will join Brian Bogusevic and Tommy Manzella as the only 2005 picks to make it to Houston.
What does this mean for the 25-Man roster? Hard to say, but it will likely spark a domino effect of moves up and down the system.
Update: OR HAS HE! Zachary Levine just tweeted:
A guess, just a guess: Barnes told of callup. Astros were going to send a guy out when they arrived at MMP. Premature tweet, since deleted...
...Astros have not verified the Barnes callup. Don't have info on any corresponding move, whether DL, DFA, trade or option. Should know today.
Updated Update: Oh yes, Barnes is coming up. Corresponding move to come later today.
Barnes has hit .323/.383/.477 for Oklahoma City in 263 plate appearances (62 games) in 2012. He was the 6th Round pick by the Astros in 2005, and will join Brian Bogusevic and Tommy Manzella as the only 2005 picks to make it to Houston.
What does this mean for the 25-Man roster? Hard to say, but it will likely spark a domino effect of moves up and down the system.
Update: OR HAS HE! Zachary Levine just tweeted:
A guess, just a guess: Barnes told of callup. Astros were going to send a guy out when they arrived at MMP. Premature tweet, since deleted...
...Astros have not verified the Barnes callup. Don't have info on any corresponding move, whether DL, DFA, trade or option. Should know today.
Updated Update: Oh yes, Barnes is coming up. Corresponding move to come later today.
Monday, June 25, 2012
PreStros Farm Report: June 24
PreStros: June 24
The RedHawks couldn’t match up with journeyman Omaha (KC) pitcher Doug Davis as they lost 6-2..
Paul Clemens went 7 innings and gave up 4 R on 8 H and 3 BB.
Hector Ambriz threw the last 2 innings and allowed 2 R on 3 H and 1 BB with 2
K.
CF-Brandon Barnes was 2x4 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. LF-Scott Moore was
1x2 with 2 BB.
Man of the Match: Brandon Barnes
*Notes: Pitcher Chris Hicks was released by the Astros.
The Hooks held off a late rally by Frisco (TEX) to win 3-2.
Jarred Cosart threw 6 scoreless innings with 4 H, 2 BB, and 1 K.
Kevin Chapman pitched 2.2 innings and allowed 2 R on 2 H with 1 K. Jason
Stoffel got the final out for his 11th save.
3B-Andrew Simunic was 2x5. 2B-Jose Martinez
Man of the Match: Jarred
Cosart
*Notes: Cosart has not allowed a run in his last two starts. He
was named to the Texas League South Division All-Star Team, joining teammates
Jose Martinez, Jon Singleton, Austin Wates, Kevin Chapman, Brett Oberholtzer,
Jason Stoffel, and Jonathan Villar. Singleton was also named to the MLB
All-Star Futures Game.
The JetHawks dropped their fourth straight since the All-Star break, losing 4-3 in 14 innings to Lake Elsinore (SD).
David Martinez turned in 7 innings, allowing 1 R on 5 H with 7 K.
Pat Urckfitz and Jose Trinidad each threw 2 scoreless innings. Andrew Robinson
gave up 2 R in .1 innings on 2 H and 2 BB with 1 K. Kirk Clark
went 2.1 innings and gave up 1 R on 3 H with 1 K.
1B-Erik Castro was 2x5 with 1 HR and 2 R. 3B-Jonathan Meyer was
2x5 with 2 RBI.
Man of the Match: David Martinez
*Notes: The JetHawks have only been caught stealing in 17 of 64
attempts this season. They have also struck out (647) more than any other team
in the California League. Telvin Nash has already struck out 123 times in just
242 at bats. George Springer is next with 83 strikeouts, followed by Erik
Castro (82), and Domingo Santana (74).
The Legends bats lead the way to a 9-3 victory over West Virginia
(PIT).
Nick Tropeano lasted 6 innings, allowing just 2 H and 3 BB with 6
K. Nathan Pettus threw the next 2 scoreless innings with 3 K. Euris Quezada
went .2 innings and gave up 3 R on 3 H and 2 BB. Evan Grills got the final out.
2B-Delino DeShields was 2x5 with 1 HR and 2 R. CF-Jordan Scott was
2x4 with 1 BB, 1 HR, and 2 RBI. 3B-Chan Moon was 3x4 with 1 2B and 3 R. RF-Mike
Kvasnicka went 1x5 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. LF-Brandon Meredith was 2x4 with 1 HR
and 2 RBI.
Man of the Match: Nick Tropeano
*Notes: Delino DeShields now holds the
single season stolen base record for Lexington
Tri-City (4-3)
The ValleyCats took the series against Connecticut (DET) with a 6-5 come-from-behind victory.
The ValleyCats took the series against Connecticut (DET) with a 6-5 come-from-behind victory.
Vincent Velasquez threw 4.1 innings and gave up 2 R on 6 H and 1
BB with 3 K. Juan Minaya pitched 1 inning and gave up 1 R on 3 H and 1 BB. Brad
Propst went 1.2 innings and allowed 1 R on 4 H. John Neely threw .1 innings and
gave up 1 R on 2 H. Kenny Long turned in .1 innings. Blake Ford earned the save
with 1.1 innings and 1 K.
C-Jobduan Morales was 2x5 with 2 R. 3B-Ryan Dineen was 2x4. LF-Dan
Gulbransen went 3x5 with 2 2B, 2 R, and 3 RBI. SS-Joe Sclafani was 1x3 with 1
BB, 1 2B, 1 R, and 1 RBI.
Man of the Match: Dan Gulbransen
*Notes: Through seven games, the ValleyCats are leading the
NY-Penn League in ERA (2.98).
Greeneville (4-2)
The Kingsport (NYM) bats were too much for the G-Stros, leading to a 8-3 loss by Greeneville.
The Kingsport (NYM) bats were too much for the G-Stros, leading to a 8-3 loss by Greeneville.
Adrian Houser lasted 4.1 innings and gave up 7 R (6 earned) on 10
H with 2 K. Tanner Bushue threw 2.2 innings, allowing 1 R on 4 H and 2 BB with
3 K. Scott Zuloaga pitched the final inning with 1 H and 2 K.
CF-D’Andre Toney was 2x5. 1B-Michael Martinez
Man of the Match: Michael Martinez
*Notes: The Astros are first in the league so far in doubles (16)
but last in home runs (1).
GCL Astros (3-3)
The Astros beat the Nationals 4-1 to bring their record back to .500.
The Astros beat the Nationals 4-1 to bring their record back to .500.
Chia-Jen Lo threw 1 inning with 2 K. Michael Feliz went 4.1
scoreless innings with 4 H, 2 BB, and 7 K. Ambiorix De Leon threw 2 innings and
allowed 1 R on 4 H with 2 K. Erick Gonzalez pitched the final 1.2 innings with
1 H.
SS-Juan Santana was 2x4 with 1 SB, 1 R, and 1 RBI. CF-Austin Wates
was 2x3 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. 3B-Darwin Rivera was 2x4 with 1 RBI.
Man of the Match: Michael Feliz.
*Notes: The Astros are hitting just .189/.239/.256 so far as a
team.
The Astros won a tough pitchers’ duel, beating the Royals 1-0.
Samil De Los Santos threw 7 scoreless innings, giving up 3 H and 4
BB with 5 K. Elieser Hernandez finished out the final 2 scoreless innings with
2 H, 1 BB, and 2 K.
SS-Arturo Michelena was 2x3. DH-Luis Reynoso was 1x2 with 1 BB and
1 SB. CF-Jarico Reynoso was 1x4 with 1 R and 1 outfield assist.
Man of the Match: Samil De Los Santos
Saturday, June 16, 2012
PreStros: June 15
Oklahoma City (40-28)
Round Rock got two runs in the bottom of the 1st, and that was all the scoring, as the RedHawks were held to four hits, and 0x7 w/RISP. Brian Bass allowed 9H/2ER, 1K:4BB in 6IP, and Mickey Storey struck out two in 2IP.
Brandon Barnes was the only JetHawk to get an XBH, and also to get a hit and a walk.
Man of the Match: Brandon Barnes
Corpus (34-32)
Frisco scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 8th for a 3-2 win over Corpus. Ross Seaton allowed 7H/2ER, 7K:0BB in 7IP; Kevin Chapman took the loss with 1s across the board.
Carlos Lee continued his rehab with a 2x3 game; Kody Hinze hit his 7th homer of the season, and Jon Singleton added the other RBI.
Man of the Match: Ross Seaton.
Lancaster (36-33)
The JetHawks flat-out went off on Inland Empire, scoring runs in seven of eight innings in a 14-4 win. David Martinez threw 7IP, 2H/0ER, 5K:0BB, WP; Brad Dydalewicz allowed 7H/4ER, 1K:2BB in 2IP to raise his ERA to 8.49.
Four players had three-hit games: George Springer (2B, BB, RBI, OF-assist), Erik Castro (2B, 3RBI), Domingo Santana (2B, BB, 3RBI),and Chris Epps (3B, HR, 4RBI). Rafael Valenzuela was 2x4 with a triple and an RBI; Ben Heath was 2x5.
Man of the Match: Chris Epps.
Lexington (37-30)
Rough one for the Legends as they took a 3-2 lead into the top of the 9th, and ended up losing 5-3 to Asheville. Luis Cruz threw eight strong innings: 7H/2ER, 5K:1BB, 2WP, HBP, and two pickoffs; but Carlos Quevedo blew it up, getting the BS/L with 3H/3ER, 2K:0BB.
Delino DeShields was 2x4 with an RBI, and stole two more bases to take (I think) sole possession of 3rd place in all of minor league baseball with 45 steals, only about 120 behind Willie Mays-Hayes in the Reds' organization. Justin Gominsky was also 2x4 with a double and an RBI. Matt Duffy was 1x3 with a walk. And Jay Austin is back! He was 1x4 with an RBI, stolen base, and an outfield assist.
Man of the Match: Luis Cruz.
Round Rock got two runs in the bottom of the 1st, and that was all the scoring, as the RedHawks were held to four hits, and 0x7 w/RISP. Brian Bass allowed 9H/2ER, 1K:4BB in 6IP, and Mickey Storey struck out two in 2IP.
Brandon Barnes was the only JetHawk to get an XBH, and also to get a hit and a walk.
Man of the Match: Brandon Barnes
Corpus (34-32)
Frisco scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 8th for a 3-2 win over Corpus. Ross Seaton allowed 7H/2ER, 7K:0BB in 7IP; Kevin Chapman took the loss with 1s across the board.
Carlos Lee continued his rehab with a 2x3 game; Kody Hinze hit his 7th homer of the season, and Jon Singleton added the other RBI.
Man of the Match: Ross Seaton.
Lancaster (36-33)
The JetHawks flat-out went off on Inland Empire, scoring runs in seven of eight innings in a 14-4 win. David Martinez threw 7IP, 2H/0ER, 5K:0BB, WP; Brad Dydalewicz allowed 7H/4ER, 1K:2BB in 2IP to raise his ERA to 8.49.
Four players had three-hit games: George Springer (2B, BB, RBI, OF-assist), Erik Castro (2B, 3RBI), Domingo Santana (2B, BB, 3RBI),and Chris Epps (3B, HR, 4RBI). Rafael Valenzuela was 2x4 with a triple and an RBI; Ben Heath was 2x5.
Man of the Match: Chris Epps.
Lexington (37-30)
Rough one for the Legends as they took a 3-2 lead into the top of the 9th, and ended up losing 5-3 to Asheville. Luis Cruz threw eight strong innings: 7H/2ER, 5K:1BB, 2WP, HBP, and two pickoffs; but Carlos Quevedo blew it up, getting the BS/L with 3H/3ER, 2K:0BB.
Delino DeShields was 2x4 with an RBI, and stole two more bases to take (I think) sole possession of 3rd place in all of minor league baseball with 45 steals, only about 120 behind Willie Mays-Hayes in the Reds' organization. Justin Gominsky was also 2x4 with a double and an RBI. Matt Duffy was 1x3 with a walk. And Jay Austin is back! He was 1x4 with an RBI, stolen base, and an outfield assist.
Man of the Match: Luis Cruz.
Friday, June 15, 2012
PreStros: June 14
Oklahoma City (40-27)
At one point, OKC had an 8-1 lead on Round Rock, and ultimately settled for a 10-6 win. Just as a very satisfying aside, OKC also has an 11.5 game lead on Round Rock. It's not like we're going to start talking smack to Rangers fans, but there's a petty part of me who is laughing at the Round Rock citizens who wanted the Rangers' affiliate "because they win." Anyhow: Sergio Perez allowed 2H/1ER, 2K:5BB in 3.2IP; Adalberto Flores got the win, allowing two walks in 2.1IP; Jonnathan Aristil got the Ugly with 3H/5ER, 2K:2BB in 1.1IP (in his last 2.1IP, Aristil has allowed 6H/7ER, 2HR), and Enerio Del Rosario recorded his 1st save with 2H/0ER in 1.2IP.
Scott Moore was 4x4 with a walk and 2RBI; Brandon Barnes (3R, 2B, HR, 4RBI) and Jimmy Paredes (2B) had three hits each. Mike Hessman added two RBIs. Everyone got a hit, except Landon Powell, who at least drew a walk.
Man of the Match: Brandon Barnes
Corpus (34-31)
Corpus jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st on a rehabbing Carlos Lee's 2-run homer, but Frisco scored the next four runs for a 4-3 win. Jarred Cosart allowed 5H/4R (3ER), 2K:3BB in 6IP; Arcenio Leon threw the final 2IP, allowing 2H/0ER, 2K:0BB.
Jair Fernandez was 2x3 with a double and an RBI; Andy Simunic and Jon Singleton had hits. Adam Bailey drew a walk and stole a base.
Man of the Match: I'm not giving a Double-A Man of the Match to Carlos Lee, so Jair Fernandez.
Lancaster (35-33)
Wild one in Lancaster as Inland Empire and the JetHawks traded 5-run innings in the 4th. The JetHawks scored the final six runs of the game for a 12-8 win over the 66ers. Ruben Alaniz had a rough time, allowing 11H/8ER, 5K:2BB, 3HR in 4IP; Brian Streilein picked up the win with 1H/0ER, 2K:0BB in 2.2IP; Pat Urckfitz and Andrew Robinson held Inland Empire scoreless over the last 2.1IP.
Despite going 3x14 w/RISP, the JetHawks put up some offense. George Springer and Alex Todd each went 3x4 with a walk, with Springer hitting his 13th and 14th homers, and Todd hitting his 1st. Jonathan Meyer (2x5, 2RBI) and Enrique Hernandez (2x5, 2RBI) each hit homers, as well. Telvin Nash was 0x2, but drew three walks.
Man of the Match: George Springer.
Lexington (37-29)
Asheville scored a run in the top of the 9th for a 5-4 win over the Legends. Luis Ordosgoitti allowed 9H/4ER, 4K:1BB in 6IP; Blake Ford gave up two hits, but held the Tourists scoreless; Murilo Gouvea took the loss with 2H/1ER, 1K:1BB in the final 2IP.
Jesse Wierzbicki was 2x4 with a double and an RBI, Justin Gominsky was 2x4 with an outfield assist. Matt Duffy hit his 11th homer of the season, and Delino DeShields was 1x5 with his 43rd stolen base of the season. Brandon Meredith was 1x4 with an RBI and an outfield assist.
Man of the Match: Justin Gominsky.
At one point, OKC had an 8-1 lead on Round Rock, and ultimately settled for a 10-6 win. Just as a very satisfying aside, OKC also has an 11.5 game lead on Round Rock. It's not like we're going to start talking smack to Rangers fans, but there's a petty part of me who is laughing at the Round Rock citizens who wanted the Rangers' affiliate "because they win." Anyhow: Sergio Perez allowed 2H/1ER, 2K:5BB in 3.2IP; Adalberto Flores got the win, allowing two walks in 2.1IP; Jonnathan Aristil got the Ugly with 3H/5ER, 2K:2BB in 1.1IP (in his last 2.1IP, Aristil has allowed 6H/7ER, 2HR), and Enerio Del Rosario recorded his 1st save with 2H/0ER in 1.2IP.
Scott Moore was 4x4 with a walk and 2RBI; Brandon Barnes (3R, 2B, HR, 4RBI) and Jimmy Paredes (2B) had three hits each. Mike Hessman added two RBIs. Everyone got a hit, except Landon Powell, who at least drew a walk.
Man of the Match: Brandon Barnes
Corpus (34-31)
Corpus jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st on a rehabbing Carlos Lee's 2-run homer, but Frisco scored the next four runs for a 4-3 win. Jarred Cosart allowed 5H/4R (3ER), 2K:3BB in 6IP; Arcenio Leon threw the final 2IP, allowing 2H/0ER, 2K:0BB.
Jair Fernandez was 2x3 with a double and an RBI; Andy Simunic and Jon Singleton had hits. Adam Bailey drew a walk and stole a base.
Man of the Match: I'm not giving a Double-A Man of the Match to Carlos Lee, so Jair Fernandez.
Lancaster (35-33)
Wild one in Lancaster as Inland Empire and the JetHawks traded 5-run innings in the 4th. The JetHawks scored the final six runs of the game for a 12-8 win over the 66ers. Ruben Alaniz had a rough time, allowing 11H/8ER, 5K:2BB, 3HR in 4IP; Brian Streilein picked up the win with 1H/0ER, 2K:0BB in 2.2IP; Pat Urckfitz and Andrew Robinson held Inland Empire scoreless over the last 2.1IP.
Despite going 3x14 w/RISP, the JetHawks put up some offense. George Springer and Alex Todd each went 3x4 with a walk, with Springer hitting his 13th and 14th homers, and Todd hitting his 1st. Jonathan Meyer (2x5, 2RBI) and Enrique Hernandez (2x5, 2RBI) each hit homers, as well. Telvin Nash was 0x2, but drew three walks.
Man of the Match: George Springer.
Lexington (37-29)
Asheville scored a run in the top of the 9th for a 5-4 win over the Legends. Luis Ordosgoitti allowed 9H/4ER, 4K:1BB in 6IP; Blake Ford gave up two hits, but held the Tourists scoreless; Murilo Gouvea took the loss with 2H/1ER, 1K:1BB in the final 2IP.
Jesse Wierzbicki was 2x4 with a double and an RBI, Justin Gominsky was 2x4 with an outfield assist. Matt Duffy hit his 11th homer of the season, and Delino DeShields was 1x5 with his 43rd stolen base of the season. Brandon Meredith was 1x4 with an RBI and an outfield assist.
Man of the Match: Justin Gominsky.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
PreStros Farm Report: May 23
PreStros: May 23
Postponed. Will be made up as part of a doubleheader today
*Notes: Brett Wallace has a six game hitting streak. He’s hit
three home runs in his last four games, all to center field. Jordan Lyles is
tied for most batters hit this season (6) in the Pacific Coast League.
Jake Buchanan pitched a gem for eight innings and came two outs away from a complete game as he led the Hooks to a 9-5 victory over Arkansas (LAA).
Buchanan went 8.1 innings and was charged with 5 R (3 earned) on 8
H and 1 BB with 4 K. Josh Zeid was wild in relief, but got the final two outs
on strikeouts, along with 1 BB and 2 WP.
LF-Austin Wates was 2x4 with 1 2B and 2 R. SS-Jonathan Villar was
1x4 with 1 HR, 2 R, and 2 RBI. 1B-Jon Singleton was 2x4 with 1 2B, 2 R, and 1
RBI. CF-Brandon Barnes went 3x4 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. 3B-Andrew Simunic was 2x4.
C-Jair Fernandez was 2x4 with 1 RBI.
Man of the Match: Brandon Barnes
*Notes: The Hooks are second in the Texas League in runs scored
(224) despite being next to last in home runs (31). Jonathan Villar is tied for
the league lead in stolen bases (18).
OFF
*Notes: George Springer currently has a 13 game hitting streak. Tyson
Perez was named California League pitcher of the week after his complete game
two-hitter last Thursday.
Luis Ordosgiotti led the Legends pitching staff in shutting out
the Power (PIT) 4-0.
Ordosgiotti went 7.1 innings and allowed 4 H and 3 BB with 4 K.
Murilo Gouvea threw .2 innings with 1 BB. Dayan Diaz threw the final inning
with 2 BB and 2 K.
3B-Matt Duffy was 2x4 with 1 2B, 1 R, and
2 RBI. CF-Jordan Scott was 1x4 with 1 3B, 1 R, and 1 outfield assist. C-Mike
Kvasnicka went 2x4 with 1 R.
Man of the Match: Luis Ordosgiotti
*Notes: The Legends have won seven of
their last nine games. Zach Johnson was hitting .364 with runners in scoring
position going into last night’s game.
Tri-City (0-0)
Season begins June 18.
Season begins June 18.
Greeneville (0-0)
Season begins June 19.
Season begins June 19.
GCL Astros (0-0)
Season begins June 18.
Season begins June 18.
Season begins June 2nd.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
April PreStros Employees of the Month
The first month of the season is in the books and the improvement in the farm system is already evident. Let's look at some interesting early numbers.
OKC
16-9
1st place in their division by .5 games
As a team, the RedHawks are hitting .285/.356/.429 with a team ERA of 3.42.
Hitter of the Month: Scott Moore
Scott is hitting .397/.519/.714 with 12 doubles, two home runs, 15 runs scored, and 21 runs batted in through 23 games with 13 walks and 14 strikeouts. He's spent most of the season splitting time with Brett Wallace at third base, but he's also seen time at first and second and he's yet to commit an error at any position.
Pitcher of the Month: Dallas Keuchel
Dallas finished April with a 4-1 record and 1.62 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 33.1 innings in five starts. He's struck out 16 while walking just seven.
Honorable Mention:
Fernando Martinez is hitting .315/.374/.517 with four home runs.
Jose Valdez has a 1.74 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 10.1 innings. He has 12 strikeouts and three walks (two were intentional) with four saves.
CC
12-12
3rd in their division, three games back
As a team, the Hooks are hitting .264/.334/.428 with a team ERA of 4.78.
Hitter of the Month: Brandon Barnes
Brandon is hitting .353/.398/.659 with 14 doubles, four home runs, 18 runs scored and 21 runs batted in through 22 games with five walks and 22 strikeouts. He's been the teams primary center fielder where he's had two outfield assists.
Pitcher of the Month: Jason Stoffel
Jason has appeared in nine games in relief with two saves and has a 1.93 ERA and 0.53 WHIP through 9.1 innings. He's racked up ten strikeouts to just one walk, hasn't allowed a home run, and has given up just 3.9 hits per nine innings.
Honorable Mention:
Austin Wates is hitting .340/.392/.457 with five steals.
Jose Cisnero is 2-2 with a 3.80 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. He's struck out 30 in 23.2 innings.
Lancaster
10-14
4th in their division, four games back
The JetHawks are hitting .266/.333/.431 with a team ERA of 5.03.
Hitter of the Month: Telvin Nash
Telvin is hitting .247/.348/.623 with nine home runs, 14 runs and 15 runs batted in through 20 games with 11 walks and 28 strikeouts. He's played mostly left field with a few games at first base with no errors and one outfield assist.
Pitcher of the Month: Ruben Alaniz
Ruben is 2-0 with a 2.80 ERA and 1.10 WHIP through five starts and 31 innings. He's yet to allow a home run and has 26 strikeouts and seven walks.
Honorable Mention:
Jiovanni Mier is hitting .288/.406/.388 with 15 walks in 22 games.
Wes Musick is 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He has 22 strikeouts and five walks in 24.1 innings across four starts.
Lexington
11-14
5th in their division, six games back
The Legends are hitting .238/.324/.344 with a team ERA of 4.78.
Hitter of the Month: Zach Johnson
Zach is hitting .275/.376/.505 with nine doubles, four home runs, 13 runs scored and 30 (!) runs batted in. He's been the clubs main first baseman where he has a .994 fielding percentage.
Pitcher of the Month: Dayan Diaz
Dayan has appeared in nine games in relief with a 4-1 record and two saves with a 0.49 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. He has struck out 19 in 18.1 innings and has not yet allowed a home run.
Honorable Mention:
Matt Duffy is hitting .296/.343/.459 with four home runs.
Nick Tropeano is 1-2 despite a 2.36 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. He hasn't allowed a home run and has 33 strikeouts and eight walks in 26.2 innings.
OKC
16-9
1st place in their division by .5 games
As a team, the RedHawks are hitting .285/.356/.429 with a team ERA of 3.42.
Hitter of the Month: Scott Moore
Scott is hitting .397/.519/.714 with 12 doubles, two home runs, 15 runs scored, and 21 runs batted in through 23 games with 13 walks and 14 strikeouts. He's spent most of the season splitting time with Brett Wallace at third base, but he's also seen time at first and second and he's yet to commit an error at any position.
Pitcher of the Month: Dallas Keuchel
Dallas finished April with a 4-1 record and 1.62 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 33.1 innings in five starts. He's struck out 16 while walking just seven.
Honorable Mention:
Fernando Martinez is hitting .315/.374/.517 with four home runs.
Jose Valdez has a 1.74 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 10.1 innings. He has 12 strikeouts and three walks (two were intentional) with four saves.
CC
12-12
3rd in their division, three games back
As a team, the Hooks are hitting .264/.334/.428 with a team ERA of 4.78.
Hitter of the Month: Brandon Barnes
Brandon is hitting .353/.398/.659 with 14 doubles, four home runs, 18 runs scored and 21 runs batted in through 22 games with five walks and 22 strikeouts. He's been the teams primary center fielder where he's had two outfield assists.
Pitcher of the Month: Jason Stoffel
Jason has appeared in nine games in relief with two saves and has a 1.93 ERA and 0.53 WHIP through 9.1 innings. He's racked up ten strikeouts to just one walk, hasn't allowed a home run, and has given up just 3.9 hits per nine innings.
Honorable Mention:
Austin Wates is hitting .340/.392/.457 with five steals.
Jose Cisnero is 2-2 with a 3.80 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. He's struck out 30 in 23.2 innings.
Lancaster
10-14
4th in their division, four games back
The JetHawks are hitting .266/.333/.431 with a team ERA of 5.03.
Hitter of the Month: Telvin Nash
Telvin is hitting .247/.348/.623 with nine home runs, 14 runs and 15 runs batted in through 20 games with 11 walks and 28 strikeouts. He's played mostly left field with a few games at first base with no errors and one outfield assist.
Pitcher of the Month: Ruben Alaniz
Ruben is 2-0 with a 2.80 ERA and 1.10 WHIP through five starts and 31 innings. He's yet to allow a home run and has 26 strikeouts and seven walks.
Honorable Mention:
Jiovanni Mier is hitting .288/.406/.388 with 15 walks in 22 games.
Wes Musick is 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He has 22 strikeouts and five walks in 24.1 innings across four starts.
Lexington
11-14
5th in their division, six games back
The Legends are hitting .238/.324/.344 with a team ERA of 4.78.
Hitter of the Month: Zach Johnson
Zach is hitting .275/.376/.505 with nine doubles, four home runs, 13 runs scored and 30 (!) runs batted in. He's been the clubs main first baseman where he has a .994 fielding percentage.
Pitcher of the Month: Dayan Diaz
Dayan has appeared in nine games in relief with a 4-1 record and two saves with a 0.49 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. He has struck out 19 in 18.1 innings and has not yet allowed a home run.
Honorable Mention:
Matt Duffy is hitting .296/.343/.459 with four home runs.
Nick Tropeano is 1-2 despite a 2.36 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. He hasn't allowed a home run and has 33 strikeouts and eight walks in 26.2 innings.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
"Like a surfer, you've got to ride the wave and keep going"
Here's a good article from Greg Rajan about Brandon Barnes and the ridiculous start he's had to his 2012 season. The above quote is from Barnes himself.
The average line for batting in the Texas League (in which average age is 24, and Barnes will be 26 next month) is .249/.322/.395, with 34.1% of hits going for extra-bases, and a 2.41 K:BB ratio.
Barnes is hitting .419/.448/.823, with 65.4% of his hits going for extra-bases.
What's preventing him from moving on up? Well, other than that the season is about three weeks old, Oklahoma City is running an outfield of J.B. Shuck, Fernando Martinez, and Justin Ruggiano out on a daily basis, with Brad Snyder getting the occasional appearance. I'd be interested in seeing Barnes replace Ruggiano, but there's no harm in seeing if what Barnes is doing is legit, for a little while longer.
The average line for batting in the Texas League (in which average age is 24, and Barnes will be 26 next month) is .249/.322/.395, with 34.1% of hits going for extra-bases, and a 2.41 K:BB ratio.
Barnes is hitting .419/.448/.823, with 65.4% of his hits going for extra-bases.
What's preventing him from moving on up? Well, other than that the season is about three weeks old, Oklahoma City is running an outfield of J.B. Shuck, Fernando Martinez, and Justin Ruggiano out on a daily basis, with Brad Snyder getting the occasional appearance. I'd be interested in seeing Barnes replace Ruggiano, but there's no harm in seeing if what Barnes is doing is legit, for a little while longer.
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