The playoffs start tonight.
*Five years into the Jeff Luhnow Era, Brian T. Smith writes that it's time for the Astros to start thinking bigger.
*A.J. Hinch ain't happy with 84-78. Hinch:
I'm not handling it very well at all, to be honest. I hate losing. I don't like being here and having this meeting when I know there's a game being played tomorrow, but I'm proud of the fact that 84 wins isn't good enough. I'm proud of the fact where the standards have been raised in two years since I've been here to have those emotions.
*Brian McTaggart has a good breakdown of what happened in 2016.
*The Astros announced that they'll retain their entire coaching staff for 2017. Yes, the hitting coach, too.
*Jeff Luhnow said yesterday that he would have approached the trade deadline differently had he known they'd lose Keuchel and McCullers. Luhnow:
I can't control what happened after the deadline. But we're certainly going to continue to look at every opportunity going forward to give ourselves maybe a little more breathing room so if we do lose a player or we have some underperformance, that we've got more of a margin to still have a successful campaign.
*Luhnow doesn't agree with the conventional wisdom that this year's free agent class is weak. Luhnow:
We're going to explore all avenues, and I think there's more quality free agents in this class than it's being given credit for at this time. There's going to be some really good signings, so we want to make sure we participate in those.
*Luhnow is looking for a "Corey Kluber-type" rebound from Dallas Keuchel in 2017. And that he's not sure "if or how" Colby Rasmus fits into the Astros' 2017 plans (he doesn't).
*The Lancaster JetHawks have formally announced a Player Development Contract with the Colorado Rockies, meaning the Astros need to find themselves a High-A team - most likely in the Carolina League.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label Lancaster JetHawks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lancaster JetHawks. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
It defies logic. There's no reason a team can lose this many games - this many one run games - to another single team over the course of a season. I don't know how to explain it, so at this point I'm not even going to try. But if you had "Tying run gets on 1st because of a Ken Giles Strikeout/Wild Pitch (cough passed ball cough) followed by RBI triple" then you are a sadist because there is no way to plan for that kind of heartbreak.
Giles:
It was my responsibility to shut the guys down and I didn't do my job today. I take full responsibility for that. I didn't make the pitches when I needed to.
Hinch, on waiting for disaster when playing the Rangers:
We have a lot of intensity in our competitiveness. We have a lot of winning players. To follow the narrative of 'There's doomsday coming' is just not going to be accepted, it's not going to be how it is. They came out and beat us by putting together a really good ninth inning against a really good pitcher and no more than that. We can't replay the games that we've faced these guys, but to concede or to think that something bad is going to happen is garbage.
And that's where you're wrong, A.J. Hinch. Something bad is going to happen. To not be at least aware of it is to fix your fence and hope that a gaggle of ghosts think your house looks nice. If you're not willing to concede that there is some sort of spell at work here between Euless and Houston, then you're missing something.
Hinch:
I've seen and been in some tough ones. This one's pretty hard. We had every chance to win the game and obviously strange things happen when we play these guys.
*This guy was escorted out of Minute Maid, saying in very NSFW terms what we're all thinking.
Hey but Altuve busted out of his slump with a three-hit night. Considering the Astros only had four hits, that's pretty good.
You know who hasn't busted out of a slump yet? George Springer, who is 1x14 with 5K:3BB on this home stand.
WC1/2: Toronto/Baltimore
Detroit: -2
New York: -2
Seattle: -2.5
Houston: -4.5
*FanGraphs: 4.5%.
*Lourdes Gurriuel, Yulieski's younger brother, will hold a showcase today in Panama. And Yuli wants Lourdes in Houston:
Of course I would love for him to sign here. But there's a lot of variables that go into it and a lot of things can change. But yeah, selfishly, I would love for him to sign here.
*That'll do it for Lancaster's season. The JetHawks were eliminated last night in a 7-2 loss to High Desert...the...Rangers affiliate. /throws computer out the window.
*Here's Ken Hoffman with an update on an actually-viable Astrodome reclamation proposal.
*For the 7th straight year the Hooks' umpires locker room was named the best in the Texas League.
*These two Astros fans...
Giles:
It was my responsibility to shut the guys down and I didn't do my job today. I take full responsibility for that. I didn't make the pitches when I needed to.
Hinch, on waiting for disaster when playing the Rangers:
We have a lot of intensity in our competitiveness. We have a lot of winning players. To follow the narrative of 'There's doomsday coming' is just not going to be accepted, it's not going to be how it is. They came out and beat us by putting together a really good ninth inning against a really good pitcher and no more than that. We can't replay the games that we've faced these guys, but to concede or to think that something bad is going to happen is garbage.
And that's where you're wrong, A.J. Hinch. Something bad is going to happen. To not be at least aware of it is to fix your fence and hope that a gaggle of ghosts think your house looks nice. If you're not willing to concede that there is some sort of spell at work here between Euless and Houston, then you're missing something.
Hinch:
I've seen and been in some tough ones. This one's pretty hard. We had every chance to win the game and obviously strange things happen when we play these guys.
*This guy was escorted out of Minute Maid, saying in very NSFW terms what we're all thinking.
Hey but Altuve busted out of his slump with a three-hit night. Considering the Astros only had four hits, that's pretty good.
You know who hasn't busted out of a slump yet? George Springer, who is 1x14 with 5K:3BB on this home stand.
WC1/2: Toronto/Baltimore
Detroit: -2
New York: -2
Seattle: -2.5
Houston: -4.5
*FanGraphs: 4.5%.
*Lourdes Gurriuel, Yulieski's younger brother, will hold a showcase today in Panama. And Yuli wants Lourdes in Houston:
Of course I would love for him to sign here. But there's a lot of variables that go into it and a lot of things can change. But yeah, selfishly, I would love for him to sign here.
*That'll do it for Lancaster's season. The JetHawks were eliminated last night in a 7-2 loss to High Desert...the...Rangers affiliate. /throws computer out the window.
*Here's Ken Hoffman with an update on an actually-viable Astrodome reclamation proposal.
*For the 7th straight year the Hooks' umpires locker room was named the best in the Texas League.
*These two Astros fans...
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
Friday, April 29, 2016
Friday Morning Hot Links
*Just like you, the Astros are frustrated with their 7-15 record.
*Collin McHugh's fastball Wednesday night averaged 92.39mph - his highest of the season.
*Speaking of McHugh, he is one of ten professional athletes to sign with Fantex, a stock exchange of sorts in which he will receive $3.96m now in exchange for 10% of all future on- and off-field earnings.
*You MUST read this story about Colby Rasmus buying cattle.
[Rasmus] said he wanted [cows] more for personal satisfaction. He wanted to look out his window at his place and see some really good cows.
*Little update on the rumblings around the minors: A Fayetteville, North Carolina city official confirmed that the Astros are looking to bring a High-A Carolina League team to the city. Reid Ryan toured Fayetteville and nearby Fort Bragg on Monday.
-Meanwhile, California League president Charlie Blaney offered a "no comment" when asked if the California League - where the Astros have their High-A affiliate in Lancaster - was planning to contract and lose two teams to the Carolina League. In order for the Astros to move to the Carolina League, they would have to buy their own Cal League franchise. This is something the Rangers apparently tried to do, but the deal fell apart this winter.
*Astros/A's/Astros/A's great Jed Lowrie is really looking forward to this weekend series against the Astros.
Oh yeah, I want to beat them for sure.
*Viva El Birdos has an interesting story about free agency, and when the Astros tried to sign Ozzie Smith in 1992.
*And speaking of the cheatin-ass Cardinals, MLB is "not close" to a ruling on how to punish them for their criminal mastermind Chris "Moriarty" Correa breaking in to Ground Control. And it's taking so long that insiders don't think the Cardinals' 2016 draft class will be impacted.
*Collin McHugh's fastball Wednesday night averaged 92.39mph - his highest of the season.
*Speaking of McHugh, he is one of ten professional athletes to sign with Fantex, a stock exchange of sorts in which he will receive $3.96m now in exchange for 10% of all future on- and off-field earnings.
*You MUST read this story about Colby Rasmus buying cattle.
[Rasmus] said he wanted [cows] more for personal satisfaction. He wanted to look out his window at his place and see some really good cows.
*Little update on the rumblings around the minors: A Fayetteville, North Carolina city official confirmed that the Astros are looking to bring a High-A Carolina League team to the city. Reid Ryan toured Fayetteville and nearby Fort Bragg on Monday.
-Meanwhile, California League president Charlie Blaney offered a "no comment" when asked if the California League - where the Astros have their High-A affiliate in Lancaster - was planning to contract and lose two teams to the Carolina League. In order for the Astros to move to the Carolina League, they would have to buy their own Cal League franchise. This is something the Rangers apparently tried to do, but the deal fell apart this winter.
*Astros/A's/Astros/A's great Jed Lowrie is really looking forward to this weekend series against the Astros.
Oh yeah, I want to beat them for sure.
*Viva El Birdos has an interesting story about free agency, and when the Astros tried to sign Ozzie Smith in 1992.
*And speaking of the cheatin-ass Cardinals, MLB is "not close" to a ruling on how to punish them for their criminal mastermind Chris "Moriarty" Correa breaking in to Ground Control. And it's taking so long that insiders don't think the Cardinals' 2016 draft class will be impacted.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
This week in... Lancaster!
This year at Astros County we going to report on the Minor League affiliates in a slightly different way. Instead of regular daily recaps, we have agreed to adopt an affiliate each, and review how they have done at regular intervals over the season. I have been assigned the Astros' Hi-A team affiliate, the Lancaster JetHawks. After all, it is the closest affiliate to my home - just a 12 hour flight, followed by a two hour drive, and I am there!! I should pop across for a game or two!
Lancaster has been the Astros' affiliate since 2009, and they have been blessed with some strong teams. The 2009 and 2010 teams weren't strong, but they had some legitimate future stars in them, including José Altuve and Dallas Keuchel, and a couple of other major leaguers no longer in the Astros' system (Jonathan Villar and David Carpenter). Those teams struggled to break the 55-win barrier (the minor-league season is 140 regular season games). Things started looking better in 2012, with the arrival of Kiké Hernandez, Domingo Santana, George Springer and Delino DeShields, with that team finishing 8 games above .500 and winning the California League. The serious talent arrived in 2014, however, with the JetHawks boasting a roster with Carlos Correa, Tyler White, Vincent Velasquez and Lance McCullers Jr as the talent who has already made the major-leagues, and highly rated prospects like Brett Phillips and Mark Appel backing them up. They also secured the California League title.
The JetHawks this year have a different feel to them. The Crawfish Boxes thinks they are young, but lacking any obvious star-power, whereas WTHB sees a lot of similarities between the 2016 Lancaster roster and the 2015 Quad Cities roster, while predicting that they will struggle due to inexperience and a lack of left-handed pitching.
It is worthwhile noting, at this point, that the JetHawks aren't that young, at least not as far as the position players go. The California League has an average age of around 22-and-one-half for position players, and 23 years for pitchers. The JetHawks have four position players (out of 13) younger than the league average and seven pitchers (out of 15) aged 22 or less. There is a noticeable lack of high draftees at Lancaster this year, with reliever Riley Ferrell (2015 third rounder) being the highest player taken Ferrell is also the highest of Fangraphs' prospects in Lancaster (Akeem Bostick is the other popular prospect, and he sits at number 18 on John Sickels' list). So Lancaster could struggle a bit, particularly with their young pitching.
And struggle they have. The JetHawks currently sit 5-8 on the season, scoring a total of 56 runs while allowing 75. Hot starts with the bat to Jason Martin, the lefty hitting 20-year-old outfielder, who has 50 plate appearances, and is slashing to the tune to .349/.440/.535. Nick Taneilu is hitting for power and average (.300/.321/.480 in 53 plate appearances), whatever that means at Lancaster. Hi-A repeater and super-utility guy, Marc Wik, is also off to a solid start (.267/.371/.400).
Another position player worth mentioning is Garrett Stubbs, the left-handed hitting catcher who the Astros drafted in the eighth round last year. Stubbs seems to be demonstrating a strong eye at the plate, but little else, with a .212/.341/.303 line in 41 plate appearances. Given Jason Castro is a free agent at the end of the year (if he makes it to the end of the year), catcher is a position worth watching in the Astros' system, and if Stubbs shows enough bat, he could have himself a career. That said, he has just been placed on the minor-league 7-day DL.
Kristian Trompiz, the shortstop / infielder from Venezuela is the last position player that I will mention here, purely by virtue of his age. Trompiz is struggling, with a .186/.239/.209 triple-slash through 46 plate appearances, but his age (20) is the is the other outstanding feature of the Lancaster position players. I mention him because this is an aggressive promotion, and it will be worth watching his progression.
As mentioned previously, perhaps the highest-rated prospects are two pitchers, Riley Ferrell and Akeem Bostick. Ferrell is off to a good starting, allowing no runs - earned or otherwise - through five frames. He has walked one, struck out nine, and has allowed three hits. I recall that pundits mentioned that he was potentially on the fast-track to the major leagues when he was drafted last year. People also said that they saw batters swinging at pitches that later hit them in the stomach, such is Ferrell's movement and deception. We will certainly keep watching him, but I would expect that he will be in Corpus by mid-season.
Akeem Bostick has struggled in three appearances, allowing six runs (all earned) in 10.2 innings of work. Home runs have hurt him (3) as have walks (8). He has also managed to strike out only 5. Botick, like Stubbs, has also been recently added to the DL. Doing better among the pitching ranks are starters Brock Dykxhoorn (4R/3ER in 9.2IP, 1 walk versus 10 strikeouts) and Dean Deetz (4ER in 14 innings pitched, but 6BB versus 9K) with reliever Ryan Thompson (2ER in 6.1IP, walking two while striking out 7) also doing well.
That wraps up the first 13 games of the JetHawks' season. We have some names to watch going forward, and I will try to provide a review on a weekly basis. Like I said, some useful future ML pieces currently reside at Lancaster, but they are low on star power and highly rated prospects. Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave comments or feedback below.
Lancaster has been the Astros' affiliate since 2009, and they have been blessed with some strong teams. The 2009 and 2010 teams weren't strong, but they had some legitimate future stars in them, including José Altuve and Dallas Keuchel, and a couple of other major leaguers no longer in the Astros' system (Jonathan Villar and David Carpenter). Those teams struggled to break the 55-win barrier (the minor-league season is 140 regular season games). Things started looking better in 2012, with the arrival of Kiké Hernandez, Domingo Santana, George Springer and Delino DeShields, with that team finishing 8 games above .500 and winning the California League. The serious talent arrived in 2014, however, with the JetHawks boasting a roster with Carlos Correa, Tyler White, Vincent Velasquez and Lance McCullers Jr as the talent who has already made the major-leagues, and highly rated prospects like Brett Phillips and Mark Appel backing them up. They also secured the California League title.
The JetHawks this year have a different feel to them. The Crawfish Boxes thinks they are young, but lacking any obvious star-power, whereas WTHB sees a lot of similarities between the 2016 Lancaster roster and the 2015 Quad Cities roster, while predicting that they will struggle due to inexperience and a lack of left-handed pitching.
It is worthwhile noting, at this point, that the JetHawks aren't that young, at least not as far as the position players go. The California League has an average age of around 22-and-one-half for position players, and 23 years for pitchers. The JetHawks have four position players (out of 13) younger than the league average and seven pitchers (out of 15) aged 22 or less. There is a noticeable lack of high draftees at Lancaster this year, with reliever Riley Ferrell (2015 third rounder) being the highest player taken Ferrell is also the highest of Fangraphs' prospects in Lancaster (Akeem Bostick is the other popular prospect, and he sits at number 18 on John Sickels' list). So Lancaster could struggle a bit, particularly with their young pitching.
And struggle they have. The JetHawks currently sit 5-8 on the season, scoring a total of 56 runs while allowing 75. Hot starts with the bat to Jason Martin, the lefty hitting 20-year-old outfielder, who has 50 plate appearances, and is slashing to the tune to .349/.440/.535. Nick Taneilu is hitting for power and average (.300/.321/.480 in 53 plate appearances), whatever that means at Lancaster. Hi-A repeater and super-utility guy, Marc Wik, is also off to a solid start (.267/.371/.400).
Another position player worth mentioning is Garrett Stubbs, the left-handed hitting catcher who the Astros drafted in the eighth round last year. Stubbs seems to be demonstrating a strong eye at the plate, but little else, with a .212/.341/.303 line in 41 plate appearances. Given Jason Castro is a free agent at the end of the year (if he makes it to the end of the year), catcher is a position worth watching in the Astros' system, and if Stubbs shows enough bat, he could have himself a career. That said, he has just been placed on the minor-league 7-day DL.
Kristian Trompiz, the shortstop / infielder from Venezuela is the last position player that I will mention here, purely by virtue of his age. Trompiz is struggling, with a .186/.239/.209 triple-slash through 46 plate appearances, but his age (20) is the is the other outstanding feature of the Lancaster position players. I mention him because this is an aggressive promotion, and it will be worth watching his progression.
As mentioned previously, perhaps the highest-rated prospects are two pitchers, Riley Ferrell and Akeem Bostick. Ferrell is off to a good starting, allowing no runs - earned or otherwise - through five frames. He has walked one, struck out nine, and has allowed three hits. I recall that pundits mentioned that he was potentially on the fast-track to the major leagues when he was drafted last year. People also said that they saw batters swinging at pitches that later hit them in the stomach, such is Ferrell's movement and deception. We will certainly keep watching him, but I would expect that he will be in Corpus by mid-season.
Akeem Bostick has struggled in three appearances, allowing six runs (all earned) in 10.2 innings of work. Home runs have hurt him (3) as have walks (8). He has also managed to strike out only 5. Botick, like Stubbs, has also been recently added to the DL. Doing better among the pitching ranks are starters Brock Dykxhoorn (4R/3ER in 9.2IP, 1 walk versus 10 strikeouts) and Dean Deetz (4ER in 14 innings pitched, but 6BB versus 9K) with reliever Ryan Thompson (2ER in 6.1IP, walking two while striking out 7) also doing well.
That wraps up the first 13 games of the JetHawks' season. We have some names to watch going forward, and I will try to provide a review on a weekly basis. Like I said, some useful future ML pieces currently reside at Lancaster, but they are low on star power and highly rated prospects. Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave comments or feedback below.
Monday, June 1, 2015
PreStros Morning Report: May 31
TL;DR
*Org goes 2-2 on the day; 123-77 on the season
*Domingo Santana went 2x3 with a walk as Fresno loses 4-1.
*Corpus came back to beat Arkansas 4-2 on the road behind Chan Moon's 3-hit day.
*Lancaster went bananas again, scoring 20+ for the second time this season on the back of eight home runs (tying a league record) at High Desert.
*Quad Cities dropped their 6th of their last eight with a 3-1 loss.
Fresno (28-22)
Oklahoma City scored the first four runs of the game and Fresno didn't get on the board until the 9th, losing 4-1. Alex White threw 6IP, 6H/3ER, 3K:2BB; Murilo Gouvea gave up 1H/1ER, HBP in 1IP, and Mitch Lambson threw a perfect 9th inning.
Domingo Santana was 2x3 with a walk and an outfield assist; Carlos Correa was 1x3 with a triple and was thrown out at home; Joe Sclafani, Jon Singleton (2B), L.J. Hoes (RBI) and Matt Dominguez had your other hits.
Man of the Match: Domingo Santana
Corpus (33-16)
Corpus rallied from 2-1 down to defeat Arkansas 4-2 on the road. Mike Hauschild threw 6IP, 3H/2ER, 1K:3BB; Josh Hader threw 3IP, 1H/0ER, 3K:0BB.
Chan Moon was 3x5 with a double; Leo Heras was 2x4 with a double and an RBI; Andrew Aplin was 0x4 with a walk and 2RBI; Brett Booth, Conrad Gregor, and Tyler White each had a hit and a walk; Roberto Pena (RBI) and Danry Vasquez added hits.
Man of the Match: Chan Moon
Lancaster (27-23)
Jiminy Christmas, Lancaster. Eight home runs and a ten-run 6th inning leads to the second time the JetHawks put up 20+ on an opponent, this time with a 21-6 win at High Desert. Edison Frias threw 4IP, 7H/4ER, 5K:1BB; Zach Morton threw 1IP, 1H/0ER; Joe Musgrove allowed 5H/2ER, 5K:0BB in the last 4IP.
The JetHawks were actually trailing 3-2 heading into the 4th, but then got seven runs in the top half, and ten runs two innings later. Ten of Lancaster's 18 hits were for extra bases. Alfredo Gonzalez (4RBI) homered twice - in the 6th inning - and Chase McDonald added two homers, himself. Derek Fisher (BB, 3RBI), A.J. Reed (BB, 2RBI), Jack Mayfield (3BB, 1RBI), and James Ramsay (2B, RBI) added your other homers. J.D. Davis was 3x5 with a double, walk, and 4RBI; Jose Fernandez was 2x4 with 2BB.
Man of the Match: Impossible. Everyone with a bat.
Quad Cities (35-16)
Maybe they *are* mortals. Quad Cities dropped a 3-1 game at Burlington, their 6th loss in their last eight games. Brandon McNitt allowed 6H/3ER, 5K:1BB in 5IP; Aaron Greenwood gave up 1H/0ER, 2K:1BB in 2IP, and Angel Heredia threw a perfect 8th inning.
Jason Martin was 2x4 from the leadoff spot; Jamie Ritchie was 1x3 with a walk. Ramon Laureano, playing in his 3rd game of the season, got his first hit - a solo homer - in the 8th.
Man of the Match: Hmmmm. Laureano.
*Org goes 2-2 on the day; 123-77 on the season
*Domingo Santana went 2x3 with a walk as Fresno loses 4-1.
*Corpus came back to beat Arkansas 4-2 on the road behind Chan Moon's 3-hit day.
*Lancaster went bananas again, scoring 20+ for the second time this season on the back of eight home runs (tying a league record) at High Desert.
*Quad Cities dropped their 6th of their last eight with a 3-1 loss.
Fresno (28-22)
Oklahoma City scored the first four runs of the game and Fresno didn't get on the board until the 9th, losing 4-1. Alex White threw 6IP, 6H/3ER, 3K:2BB; Murilo Gouvea gave up 1H/1ER, HBP in 1IP, and Mitch Lambson threw a perfect 9th inning.
Domingo Santana was 2x3 with a walk and an outfield assist; Carlos Correa was 1x3 with a triple and was thrown out at home; Joe Sclafani, Jon Singleton (2B), L.J. Hoes (RBI) and Matt Dominguez had your other hits.
Man of the Match: Domingo Santana
Corpus (33-16)
Corpus rallied from 2-1 down to defeat Arkansas 4-2 on the road. Mike Hauschild threw 6IP, 3H/2ER, 1K:3BB; Josh Hader threw 3IP, 1H/0ER, 3K:0BB.
Chan Moon was 3x5 with a double; Leo Heras was 2x4 with a double and an RBI; Andrew Aplin was 0x4 with a walk and 2RBI; Brett Booth, Conrad Gregor, and Tyler White each had a hit and a walk; Roberto Pena (RBI) and Danry Vasquez added hits.
Man of the Match: Chan Moon
Lancaster (27-23)
Jiminy Christmas, Lancaster. Eight home runs and a ten-run 6th inning leads to the second time the JetHawks put up 20+ on an opponent, this time with a 21-6 win at High Desert. Edison Frias threw 4IP, 7H/4ER, 5K:1BB; Zach Morton threw 1IP, 1H/0ER; Joe Musgrove allowed 5H/2ER, 5K:0BB in the last 4IP.
The JetHawks were actually trailing 3-2 heading into the 4th, but then got seven runs in the top half, and ten runs two innings later. Ten of Lancaster's 18 hits were for extra bases. Alfredo Gonzalez (4RBI) homered twice - in the 6th inning - and Chase McDonald added two homers, himself. Derek Fisher (BB, 3RBI), A.J. Reed (BB, 2RBI), Jack Mayfield (3BB, 1RBI), and James Ramsay (2B, RBI) added your other homers. J.D. Davis was 3x5 with a double, walk, and 4RBI; Jose Fernandez was 2x4 with 2BB.
Man of the Match: Impossible. Everyone with a bat.
Quad Cities (35-16)
Maybe they *are* mortals. Quad Cities dropped a 3-1 game at Burlington, their 6th loss in their last eight games. Brandon McNitt allowed 6H/3ER, 5K:1BB in 5IP; Aaron Greenwood gave up 1H/0ER, 2K:1BB in 2IP, and Angel Heredia threw a perfect 8th inning.
Jason Martin was 2x4 from the leadoff spot; Jamie Ritchie was 1x3 with a walk. Ramon Laureano, playing in his 3rd game of the season, got his first hit - a solo homer - in the 8th.
Man of the Match: Hmmmm. Laureano.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Friday Morning Hot Links!
News, notes, and HOT TAKES regarding yesterday's events:
Dallas Keuchel was sad about Cosart's trade:
It hurts a lot just based on the fact that he's a hometown boy. Also he had a chance to do a lot of special things here. He's only 24 years old and shows a lot of promise. I was kind of shocked by it, but it's a business.
Hernandez:
I don't even know how I feel right now. I'm just shocked, surprised, happy, bummed I'm going to have to say bye to all those guys...It hurts, but at the same time it's a good feeling that another team wants me.
Marlins president of baseball operations:
We all recognize the cost of starting pitching, but you're talking about two, if not two close-to-Major-League-ready bats in those two players (Marisnick and Moran). We wanted to make sure we got value back.
Sports Illustrated:
Overall, Houston appears to have done exceptionally well in this trade. Moran and Marisnick aren't slam-dunk prospects, but they have high upsides, and given that the team is still deep in its rebuilding phase, the compensation pick it received only adds to the value of the club's return here.
Keith Law (Insider-Only):
If we still consider Marisnick a prospect even though he's lost his rookie status, the Astros got two of the five best such prospects to change hands this week. Moran in particular feels like a tremendous return for Cosart, like getting an extra top-10 draft pick, which the Astros could use this year.
Jake Marisnick might be the best defensive outfielder of Springer, Fowler, and himself. Luhnow:
We're going to have three center fielders playing in the outfield. That means not a lot of balls are going to drop and we're going to catch most everything that's hit out there.
Luhnow, on Colin Moran:
If you would have asked me how would you like to have Appel and Moran, I would have thought there was no way to pull that off.
Moran is now the Astros' #5 prospect.
Here's an interesting article in the Visalia paper about how major league teams approach the California League.
Something happened yesterday with CSN Houston, but nobody is saying exactly what.
Dallas Keuchel was sad about Cosart's trade:
It hurts a lot just based on the fact that he's a hometown boy. Also he had a chance to do a lot of special things here. He's only 24 years old and shows a lot of promise. I was kind of shocked by it, but it's a business.
Hernandez:
I don't even know how I feel right now. I'm just shocked, surprised, happy, bummed I'm going to have to say bye to all those guys...It hurts, but at the same time it's a good feeling that another team wants me.
Marlins president of baseball operations:
We all recognize the cost of starting pitching, but you're talking about two, if not two close-to-Major-League-ready bats in those two players (Marisnick and Moran). We wanted to make sure we got value back.
Sports Illustrated:
Overall, Houston appears to have done exceptionally well in this trade. Moran and Marisnick aren't slam-dunk prospects, but they have high upsides, and given that the team is still deep in its rebuilding phase, the compensation pick it received only adds to the value of the club's return here.
Keith Law (Insider-Only):
If we still consider Marisnick a prospect even though he's lost his rookie status, the Astros got two of the five best such prospects to change hands this week. Moran in particular feels like a tremendous return for Cosart, like getting an extra top-10 draft pick, which the Astros could use this year.
Jake Marisnick might be the best defensive outfielder of Springer, Fowler, and himself. Luhnow:
We're going to have three center fielders playing in the outfield. That means not a lot of balls are going to drop and we're going to catch most everything that's hit out there.
Luhnow, on Colin Moran:
If you would have asked me how would you like to have Appel and Moran, I would have thought there was no way to pull that off.
Moran is now the Astros' #5 prospect.
Here's an interesting article in the Visalia paper about how major league teams approach the California League.
Something happened yesterday with CSN Houston, but nobody is saying exactly what.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Lancaster Prospects' Birthday - Briefly, for Mobile Phones
Full analysis is here, but here is the graph in a more mobile-phone friendly format:
-3.5 to -4.5 years: 1 with 1 top 43 prospect
-2.5 to -3.5 years: 4 with 4 top 43 prospects
-1.5 to -2.5 years: 1 with 1 top 43 prospects
-0.5 to -1.5 years: 6 with 4 top 43 prospects
+0.5 to -0.5 years: 16 with 0 top 43 prospects
+1.5 to +0.5 years: 1 with 0 top 43 prospects
+2.5 to +1.5 years: 0 with 0 top 43 prospects.
Thanks for looking.
-3.5 to -4.5 years: 1 with 1 top 43 prospect
-2.5 to -3.5 years: 4 with 4 top 43 prospects
-1.5 to -2.5 years: 1 with 1 top 43 prospects
-0.5 to -1.5 years: 6 with 4 top 43 prospects
+0.5 to -0.5 years: 16 with 0 top 43 prospects
+1.5 to +0.5 years: 1 with 0 top 43 prospects
+2.5 to +1.5 years: 0 with 0 top 43 prospects.
Thanks for looking.
Happy Prospects' Birthday: Lancaster.
This series of articles compares at the age of the Astros Prospects at each level, relative to the average age of the league in which the team is playing. Today, it is the turn of the Lancaster JetHawks, which is where the last two number 1-1 draft picks are currently stashed, as well as a number of other potentially impressive prospects.
The ages are as listed in baseball-reference.com, and are calculated by determining the players age at 1 July, and subtracting the average age of the league. The average age of the California League is 22.7 years, which is comparable to the other two Hi-A leagues. The Carolina League has an average age of 23, and the Florida State League also clocks in at 22.7.
The articles for the affiliates that have already been looked at are here (Corpus) and here (Oklahoma City).
X
XXX
XXX
XXX
X XXX XXX
X XXX X XXX XXX X
Older Age Range: -5.5 | -4.5 | -3.5 | -2.5 | -1.5 | -0.5 | +0.5 | +1.5 | +2.5
(in years)
Younger Age Range: -6.5 | -5.5 | -4.5 | -3.5 | -2.5 | -1.5 | -0.5 | +0.5 | +1.5
What we have already noticed with Oklahoma City and Corpus Christi is that both teams are certainly amongst the youngest in their division. With Oklahoma City, for example, all players except one were more than 6 months younger than the league average. That one player was backup infielder Gregorio Petit.
Corpus was also young, but exhibited an overall different pattern. They didn't show the long left-tail that Oklahoma had (to be expected, because of the number of ML vets pushing the average AAA age upward), but were clustered very much around the -0.4 to -2.4 year range, with smaller tails both sides.
And from that perspective, Lancaster seems to combine the central clustering of Corpus (but now around the average age of the league) with the long-left tail of Oklahoma City. Much of the long tail is the 2012 draft class. Hanging out on the far left is, or course, Carlos Correa, who is 3.7 years younger than average. In the group of four to the right of him are the intriguing quartet of Vincent Velasquez, Rio Ruiz, Lance McCullers Jr, and Josh Hader.
(And as an aside, with the recent Ground Control leaks, the haul from the Bud Norris deal has been described as "underwhelming" in various snarky analyses. Remember that Hader is young, L.J. Hoes could be considered to be a streaky, possibly adequate major league player with positional flexibility, and the Astros picked up Derek Fisher in the 2014 draft as well. I guess that deal is underwhelming if the Front Office was successful in prying Kevin Gausman and/or Dylan Bundy loose from from O's)
But again, it should be considered impressive that the Lancaster team is doing as well as it is, given the fact that the overall age of the team is less than average, and many of their good players are way younger than average. But note is made as as we progress down toward the lower levels of the organisation, these players are definitely riskier as prospects.
Stay tuned for Quad Cities tomorrow.
The ages are as listed in baseball-reference.com, and are calculated by determining the players age at 1 July, and subtracting the average age of the league. The average age of the California League is 22.7 years, which is comparable to the other two Hi-A leagues. The Carolina League has an average age of 23, and the Florida State League also clocks in at 22.7.
The articles for the affiliates that have already been looked at are here (Corpus) and here (Oklahoma City).
Lancaster, Age of Prospects, as at 29 June 2014
XXX
XXX
XXX
X XXX XXX
X XXX X XXX XXX X
Older Age Range: -5.5 | -4.5 | -3.5 | -2.5 | -1.5 | -0.5 | +0.5 | +1.5 | +2.5
(in years)
Younger Age Range: -6.5 | -5.5 | -4.5 | -3.5 | -2.5 | -1.5 | -0.5 | +0.5 | +1.5
What we have already noticed with Oklahoma City and Corpus Christi is that both teams are certainly amongst the youngest in their division. With Oklahoma City, for example, all players except one were more than 6 months younger than the league average. That one player was backup infielder Gregorio Petit.
Corpus was also young, but exhibited an overall different pattern. They didn't show the long left-tail that Oklahoma had (to be expected, because of the number of ML vets pushing the average AAA age upward), but were clustered very much around the -0.4 to -2.4 year range, with smaller tails both sides.
And from that perspective, Lancaster seems to combine the central clustering of Corpus (but now around the average age of the league) with the long-left tail of Oklahoma City. Much of the long tail is the 2012 draft class. Hanging out on the far left is, or course, Carlos Correa, who is 3.7 years younger than average. In the group of four to the right of him are the intriguing quartet of Vincent Velasquez, Rio Ruiz, Lance McCullers Jr, and Josh Hader.
(And as an aside, with the recent Ground Control leaks, the haul from the Bud Norris deal has been described as "underwhelming" in various snarky analyses. Remember that Hader is young, L.J. Hoes could be considered to be a streaky, possibly adequate major league player with positional flexibility, and the Astros picked up Derek Fisher in the 2014 draft as well. I guess that deal is underwhelming if the Front Office was successful in prying Kevin Gausman and/or Dylan Bundy loose from from O's)
But again, it should be considered impressive that the Lancaster team is doing as well as it is, given the fact that the overall age of the team is less than average, and many of their good players are way younger than average. But note is made as as we progress down toward the lower levels of the organisation, these players are definitely riskier as prospects.
Stay tuned for Quad Cities tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
PreStros Morning Report: May 13
TL;DR
*Organization goes 2-2 on the day; Composite 82-72 record.
*OKC gets a solo homer from Domingo Santana for a 1-0 win over Colorado Springs in a game with six total hits that finished in under two hours.
*Luis Cruz lasted just 0.1IP as San Antonio beats Corpus, 7-4.
*Three JetHawks pitchers combine for a no-hitter against Bakersfield in a 1-0 win.
*Quad Cities gets down early and can't recover in a 10-4 loss. .
Oklahoma City (22-18)
Leather: Jake Buchanan threw 7.2IP, allowing 2H/0ER, 4K:2BB, and recording 14 groundball outs. Jason Stoffel allowed a hit in 0.1IP and Josh Fields struck out the side in the 9th to record his first save for the RedHawks.
Wood: The RedHawks only got three hits themselves, including Domingo Santana's blast (and a walk for Santana). Adron Chambers and Enrique Hernandez had your other hits.
Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan.
Corpus (19-19)
San Antonio scored five first-inning runs in a 7-4 win over Corpus.
Leather: Luis Cruz lasted just 0.1IP, giving up 2H/5ER, 0K:3BB. Andrew Robinson threw 3.2IP, 3H/0ER, 3K:0BB; Alex Sogard allowed 3H/2ER in 2IP, and Michael Dimock struck out three in 2IP.
Wood: Rene Garcia was 3x4 with two doubles; Matt Duffy (2B, RBI) and Joe Sclafani (RBI) had two hits each. Nolan Fontana was 0x1 with 2BB; Telvin Nash hit his 3rd homer of the season, and Andrew Aplin added a double.
Man of the Match: Rene Garcia
Lancaster (23-16)
Lancaster scored a run in the bottom of the 2nd, which would be all they needed as Josh Hader, J.D. Osborne, and Daniel Minor held Bakersfield hitless.
Leather: Hader threw 6IP, striking out six and walking four; Osborne threw 2IP, striking out one and walking one; and Daniel Minor struck out two in 1IP.
Wood: Jordan Scott had the RBI that scored Danry Vasquez for the lone JetHawks run; Dan Gulbransen had a double and a walk. Rio Ruiz added a single.
Man of the Match: Gotta go with Hader, Osborne, and Minor.
Quad Cities (18-19)
Wisconsin jumped out to a 6-0 lead by the time Quad Cities got on the board. The RiverBandits cut it to 6-4, but Wisconsin answered with two in the 6th and two more in the 8th.
Leather: Edison Frias gave up 8H/6ER, 3K:0BB in 4IP; Zach Morton allowed 3H/2ER, 3K:1BB in 2IP, and Andrew Walter allowed 1H/2R (1ER), 2K:1BB in 2IP.
Wood: The RiverBandits were 1x10 w/RISP, and everybody in the lineup had at least one hit. Tanner Mathis was 2x4 with a triple; Tyler White was 1x4 with a two-run homer. Brett Booth added a double. Ronnie Mitchell had a single and a stolen base.
Man of the Match: How about Tyler White?
*Organization goes 2-2 on the day; Composite 82-72 record.
*OKC gets a solo homer from Domingo Santana for a 1-0 win over Colorado Springs in a game with six total hits that finished in under two hours.
*Luis Cruz lasted just 0.1IP as San Antonio beats Corpus, 7-4.
*Three JetHawks pitchers combine for a no-hitter against Bakersfield in a 1-0 win.
*Quad Cities gets down early and can't recover in a 10-4 loss. .
Oklahoma City (22-18)
Leather: Jake Buchanan threw 7.2IP, allowing 2H/0ER, 4K:2BB, and recording 14 groundball outs. Jason Stoffel allowed a hit in 0.1IP and Josh Fields struck out the side in the 9th to record his first save for the RedHawks.
Wood: The RedHawks only got three hits themselves, including Domingo Santana's blast (and a walk for Santana). Adron Chambers and Enrique Hernandez had your other hits.
Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan.
Corpus (19-19)
San Antonio scored five first-inning runs in a 7-4 win over Corpus.
Leather: Luis Cruz lasted just 0.1IP, giving up 2H/5ER, 0K:3BB. Andrew Robinson threw 3.2IP, 3H/0ER, 3K:0BB; Alex Sogard allowed 3H/2ER in 2IP, and Michael Dimock struck out three in 2IP.
Wood: Rene Garcia was 3x4 with two doubles; Matt Duffy (2B, RBI) and Joe Sclafani (RBI) had two hits each. Nolan Fontana was 0x1 with 2BB; Telvin Nash hit his 3rd homer of the season, and Andrew Aplin added a double.
Man of the Match: Rene Garcia
Lancaster (23-16)
Lancaster scored a run in the bottom of the 2nd, which would be all they needed as Josh Hader, J.D. Osborne, and Daniel Minor held Bakersfield hitless.
Leather: Hader threw 6IP, striking out six and walking four; Osborne threw 2IP, striking out one and walking one; and Daniel Minor struck out two in 1IP.
Wood: Jordan Scott had the RBI that scored Danry Vasquez for the lone JetHawks run; Dan Gulbransen had a double and a walk. Rio Ruiz added a single.
Man of the Match: Gotta go with Hader, Osborne, and Minor.
Quad Cities (18-19)
Wisconsin jumped out to a 6-0 lead by the time Quad Cities got on the board. The RiverBandits cut it to 6-4, but Wisconsin answered with two in the 6th and two more in the 8th.
Leather: Edison Frias gave up 8H/6ER, 3K:0BB in 4IP; Zach Morton allowed 3H/2ER, 3K:1BB in 2IP, and Andrew Walter allowed 1H/2R (1ER), 2K:1BB in 2IP.
Wood: The RiverBandits were 1x10 w/RISP, and everybody in the lineup had at least one hit. Tanner Mathis was 2x4 with a triple; Tyler White was 1x4 with a two-run homer. Brett Booth added a double. Ronnie Mitchell had a single and a stolen base.
Man of the Match: How about Tyler White?
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Lancaster had a team meeting
Eric Smith wrote that Lancaster had a team meeting before last night's game where Lance McCullers and Kyle Smith struck everybody out. Some interesting quotes:
Manager Rodney Linares:
Some guys spoke up and said some things...we can't have distractions on the team. It wasn't like somebody wanted to kill somebody...Maybe the guy next to you went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts...I wouldn't want to hear somebody laughing if that happened.
Dan Gulbransen:
We could have a better environment around here. The work ethic is there but the attitude and concentration can be improved.
The JetHawks came into last night's game having lost three in a row (outscored 24-10) and five of their last six, which isn't the end of the world. These two comments say a lot...
Manager Rodney Linares:
Some guys spoke up and said some things...we can't have distractions on the team. It wasn't like somebody wanted to kill somebody...Maybe the guy next to you went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts...I wouldn't want to hear somebody laughing if that happened.
Dan Gulbransen:
We could have a better environment around here. The work ethic is there but the attitude and concentration can be improved.
The JetHawks came into last night's game having lost three in a row (outscored 24-10) and five of their last six, which isn't the end of the world. These two comments say a lot...
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Where Did These Guys Come From: Lancaster
How the Lancaster JetHawks (High-A California League) were acquired:
Pitchers
Mark Appel: 1st Round pick, 2013
Jamaine Cotton: 15th Round pick, 2010
Chris Devenski: Acquired via trade with Matt Heidenreich and Blair Walters from Chicago White Sox for Brett Myers - July 2012
Michael Dimock: 37th Round pick, 2012
Josh Hader: Acquired via trade with L.J. Hoes and a 2014 competitive balance draft pick from Baltimore for Bud Norris - July 2013.
Mike Hauschild: 33rd Round pick, 2012
Mitchell Lambson: 19th Round pick, 2011
Lance McCullers: 1st Round (supplemental) pick, 2012
Juan Minaya: Signed as free agent prior to 2009 season
Daniel Minor: 9th Round pick, 2012
J.D. Osborne: 36th Round pick, 2013
Tyson Perez: 17th Round pick, 2011
Kyle Smith: Acquired via trade from Kansas City for Justin Maxwell - July 2013
Vince Velasquez: 2nd Round pick, 2010
Kyle Westwood: 13th Round pick, 2013
Catchers
Roberto Pena: 7th Round pick, 2010
Jake Rodriguez: 19th Round, 2013
Infielders
Carlos Correa: 1st Round pick, 2012
Tony Kemp: 5th Round pick, 2013
Brandon Meredith: 6th Round pick, 2011
Carlos Perdomo: Signed as minor-league free agent, 2013
Rio Ruiz: 4th Round pick, 2012
Outfielders
Justin Gominsky: 11th Round pick, 2011
Dan Gulbransen: 16th Round pick, 2012
Teoscar Hernandez: Signed as amateur free agent, 2011
Jordan Scott: 14th Round pick, 2010
Danry Vasquez: Acquired via trade with David Paulino from Detroit for Jose Veras - July 2013
Be sure to check out What The Heck Bobby's season preview of the 2014 JetHawks
Pitchers
Mark Appel: 1st Round pick, 2013
Jamaine Cotton: 15th Round pick, 2010
Chris Devenski: Acquired via trade with Matt Heidenreich and Blair Walters from Chicago White Sox for Brett Myers - July 2012
Michael Dimock: 37th Round pick, 2012
Josh Hader: Acquired via trade with L.J. Hoes and a 2014 competitive balance draft pick from Baltimore for Bud Norris - July 2013.
Mike Hauschild: 33rd Round pick, 2012
Mitchell Lambson: 19th Round pick, 2011
Lance McCullers: 1st Round (supplemental) pick, 2012
Juan Minaya: Signed as free agent prior to 2009 season
Daniel Minor: 9th Round pick, 2012
J.D. Osborne: 36th Round pick, 2013
Tyson Perez: 17th Round pick, 2011
Kyle Smith: Acquired via trade from Kansas City for Justin Maxwell - July 2013
Vince Velasquez: 2nd Round pick, 2010
Kyle Westwood: 13th Round pick, 2013
Catchers
Roberto Pena: 7th Round pick, 2010
Jake Rodriguez: 19th Round, 2013
Infielders
Carlos Correa: 1st Round pick, 2012
Tony Kemp: 5th Round pick, 2013
Brandon Meredith: 6th Round pick, 2011
Carlos Perdomo: Signed as minor-league free agent, 2013
Rio Ruiz: 4th Round pick, 2012
Outfielders
Justin Gominsky: 11th Round pick, 2011
Dan Gulbransen: 16th Round pick, 2012
Teoscar Hernandez: Signed as amateur free agent, 2011
Jordan Scott: 14th Round pick, 2010
Danry Vasquez: Acquired via trade with David Paulino from Detroit for Jose Veras - July 2013
Be sure to check out What The Heck Bobby's season preview of the 2014 JetHawks
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Peter Gammons' annual poll
I'll let Peter Gammons introduce his annual exercise here:
In the closing days of March annually, I poll general managers, scouts, managers and other baseball sages on a number of spring training observations. The first was: “Were there any young players you watched and said, ‘this guy has a chance to be a star?’”
Not to give anything away, but Carlos Correa came in #1. Gammons:
Scary skills, highly intelligent, work ethic off the scales, 6-3, but putting him in Lancaster may create bad hitting habits that set him back.
I'll disagree with that last part. What we've seen is that Luhnow simply doesn't believe in skipping levels. Also, if you recall our posts from last season, the Astros seem to be interested in (and this is my speculation) making sure their top prospects make it to all the minor-league affiliates and, by extension, their fan bases. See Appel, Mark; Springer, George, and Singleton, Jon (remember when he was reinstated after the 50-game suspension, he started at Quad Cities).
There is an interesting note on Byron Buxton:
One very good evaluator thinks “George Springer’s best six years will be better than Buxton’s six best but Buxton’s career may be 15 years of excellence.”
In the closing days of March annually, I poll general managers, scouts, managers and other baseball sages on a number of spring training observations. The first was: “Were there any young players you watched and said, ‘this guy has a chance to be a star?’”
Not to give anything away, but Carlos Correa came in #1. Gammons:
Scary skills, highly intelligent, work ethic off the scales, 6-3, but putting him in Lancaster may create bad hitting habits that set him back.
I'll disagree with that last part. What we've seen is that Luhnow simply doesn't believe in skipping levels. Also, if you recall our posts from last season, the Astros seem to be interested in (and this is my speculation) making sure their top prospects make it to all the minor-league affiliates and, by extension, their fan bases. See Appel, Mark; Springer, George, and Singleton, Jon (remember when he was reinstated after the 50-game suspension, he started at Quad Cities).
There is an interesting note on Byron Buxton:
One very good evaluator thinks “George Springer’s best six years will be better than Buxton’s six best but Buxton’s career may be 15 years of excellence.”
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.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Winter Meetings Day 1 running post
We'll be keeping track of events of some importance at the Winter Meetings here...
6:12pm: For whatever reason, the Chronicle decided to ask Ron Washington what he thought about the Astros. He likes Bo Porter, and he likes Scott Feldman. Also, Jeff Luhnow and the Astros promised their new acquisitions that they wouldn't become immediate trade bait.
6:05pm: If you saw What The Heck Bobby's cumulative Winter Ball stats, you would see that Jon Singleton is hitting .283/.405/.565. That doesn't mean that the Astros aren't willing to *try* to upgrade at 1B - even with "Chris Carter" and "Brett Wallace" on the 40-Man.
5:31pm: Jayson Stark says the Astros are looking for a reliever who might be able to close. Among them? Jose Veras.
4:57pm: Apparently Lucas Harrell is drawing some trade interest.
4:14pm: Three execs talked to Buster Olney, all of whom guessed David Price would end up in Seattle.
4:09pm: Jonathan Mayo has a Rule 5 preview
3:00pm: Astros officially announce the release of Eric Thames
2:00pm: Alex White is throwing off the mound in Kissimmee and is on track to begin Spring Training healthy.
1:30pm: One GM says Chris Sale isn't really on the market.
12:51pm: According to McTaggart, the Astros will "take a flier" on a Rule 5 pick
11:58am: The White Sox would want a package better than what David Price will get to trade Chris Sale.
11:56am: The Phillies are shopping Domonic Brown. (Brown hit .272/.324/.494 with 97K in 540 PAs in 2013).
11:10am: Angels outfielder Mark Trumbo is "in play."
10:18am: Lancaster GM Derek Sharp was named the California League Executive of the Year
10:12am: White Sox pitcher Chris Sale is available for a ridiculous package of players in return.
10:03am: Astros announce they have hired Tom Koch-Weser as Coordinator of Advance Information, and will be responsible for advanced scouting, with an emphasis on video. Koch-Weser has written for Yahoo Sports as well as the blog for STATS.
9:56am: Roy Halladay is retiring.
9:10am: Joe Torre, Wife-beatin' Bobby Cox, and Drunk Drivin' Tony LaRussa have been unanimously elected by the Veterans' Committee to the Hall of Fame.
8:10am: Rakuten's president may not post Masahiro Tanaka this season.
7:19am: Matt Kemp's agent will be surprised if he isn't traded this off-season.
6:11am: Jon Heyman says Reid Ryan is a nice guy. (Ed. Note: Today needs to get going.)
Brian McTaggart: Luhnow looking at another reliver and a bat this week.
Evan Drellich: Astros preparing for Thursday's Rule 5 draft.
6:12pm: For whatever reason, the Chronicle decided to ask Ron Washington what he thought about the Astros. He likes Bo Porter, and he likes Scott Feldman. Also, Jeff Luhnow and the Astros promised their new acquisitions that they wouldn't become immediate trade bait.
6:05pm: If you saw What The Heck Bobby's cumulative Winter Ball stats, you would see that Jon Singleton is hitting .283/.405/.565. That doesn't mean that the Astros aren't willing to *try* to upgrade at 1B - even with "Chris Carter" and "Brett Wallace" on the 40-Man.
5:31pm: Jayson Stark says the Astros are looking for a reliever who might be able to close. Among them? Jose Veras.
4:57pm: Apparently Lucas Harrell is drawing some trade interest.
4:14pm: Three execs talked to Buster Olney, all of whom guessed David Price would end up in Seattle.
4:09pm: Jonathan Mayo has a Rule 5 preview
3:00pm: Astros officially announce the release of Eric Thames
2:00pm: Alex White is throwing off the mound in Kissimmee and is on track to begin Spring Training healthy.
1:30pm: One GM says Chris Sale isn't really on the market.
12:51pm: According to McTaggart, the Astros will "take a flier" on a Rule 5 pick
11:58am: The White Sox would want a package better than what David Price will get to trade Chris Sale.
11:56am: The Phillies are shopping Domonic Brown. (Brown hit .272/.324/.494 with 97K in 540 PAs in 2013).
11:10am: Angels outfielder Mark Trumbo is "in play."
10:18am: Lancaster GM Derek Sharp was named the California League Executive of the Year
10:12am: White Sox pitcher Chris Sale is available for a ridiculous package of players in return.
10:03am: Astros announce they have hired Tom Koch-Weser as Coordinator of Advance Information, and will be responsible for advanced scouting, with an emphasis on video. Koch-Weser has written for Yahoo Sports as well as the blog for STATS.
9:56am: Roy Halladay is retiring.
9:10am: Joe Torre, Wife-beatin' Bobby Cox, and Drunk Drivin' Tony LaRussa have been unanimously elected by the Veterans' Committee to the Hall of Fame.
8:10am: Rakuten's president may not post Masahiro Tanaka this season.
7:19am: Matt Kemp's agent will be surprised if he isn't traded this off-season.
6:11am: Jon Heyman says Reid Ryan is a nice guy. (Ed. Note: Today needs to get going.)
Brian McTaggart: Luhnow looking at another reliver and a bat this week.
Evan Drellich: Astros preparing for Thursday's Rule 5 draft.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Six Hooks make Texas League All-Star team
So six Hooks players made the Texas League All-Star team:
Rene Garcia and George Springer will start, with Domingo Santana in reserve; pitchers Jake Buchanan, David Martinez and Mike Foltynewicz will, um, pitch.
A few days ago it was announced that four JetHawks players made the California League All-Star team: Preston Tucker, Andrew Aplin, and Matt Duffy representing the position players, and Brady Rodgers as the lone JetHawks pitcher to make the team.
Rene Garcia and George Springer will start, with Domingo Santana in reserve; pitchers Jake Buchanan, David Martinez and Mike Foltynewicz will, um, pitch.
A few days ago it was announced that four JetHawks players made the California League All-Star team: Preston Tucker, Andrew Aplin, and Matt Duffy representing the position players, and Brady Rodgers as the lone JetHawks pitcher to make the team.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Randy Harvey's Western Adventure
The Chronicle's Randy Harvey is apparently in Lancaster, California. How do we know this? Because there are two excellent pieces today on the JetHawks.
Here's his piece on Mike Foltynewicz, with your money quote:
"I've been a No. 1 since high school. My goal is to be a No. 1 at the highest level. That's something I can see myself doing in five or six years: being No. 1 for the Astros.''
(If he wants to shorten that to "two or three" years, that'd be cool.)
And on Delino DeShields, who doesn't seem too thrilled to not be in Corpus. DeShields, who is just two years younger than Jose Altuve:
“Altuve is the guy right now. I accept that. He’s a good player, a really good player. I do think they’ve given me a fair chance to prove myself. But that doesn’t affect my mindset. I’m going to play hard every day and try to take his job.”
Here's his piece on Mike Foltynewicz, with your money quote:
"I've been a No. 1 since high school. My goal is to be a No. 1 at the highest level. That's something I can see myself doing in five or six years: being No. 1 for the Astros.''
(If he wants to shorten that to "two or three" years, that'd be cool.)
And on Delino DeShields, who doesn't seem too thrilled to not be in Corpus. DeShields, who is just two years younger than Jose Altuve:
“Altuve is the guy right now. I accept that. He’s a good player, a really good player. I do think they’ve given me a fair chance to prove myself. But that doesn’t affect my mindset. I’m going to play hard every day and try to take his job.”
Monday, April 1, 2013
Where Did These Guys Come From: Lancaster
Pitchers
Travis Ballew - Selected in the 23rd Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Luis Cruz - Selected in the 9th Round of the 2008 amateur draft
Chris Devenski - Acquired as the PTBNL in the Brett Myers trade with Chicago on August 3, 2012
Jonas Dufek - Selected in the 9th Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Mike Foltynewicz - Selected in the 1st Round of the 2010 amateur draft
T.J. Geith - Acquired in the Ben Francisco trade with Tampa Bay on August 31, 2012
Alex Gillingham - Acquired in the Wilton Lopez trade with Colorado on December 4, 2012
Tyson Perez - Selected in the 17th Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Carlos Quevedo - Signed as an amateur free agent prior to the 2007 season
Brady Rodgers - Selected in the 3rd Round of the 2012 amateur draft
David Rollins - Acquired in the ten player trade with Toronto on July 20, 2012
Tommy Shirley - Selected in the 9th Round of the 2010 amateur draft
Blair Walters - Acquired in the Brett Myers trade with Chicago on July 21, 2012
Aaron West - Selected in the 17th Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Catchers
M.P. Cokinos - Selected in the 31st Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Tyler Heineman - Selected in the 8th Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Infielders
Delino DeShields - Selected in the 1st Round of the 2010 amateur draft
Matt Duffy - Selected in the 20th Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Nolan Fontana - Selected in the 2nd Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Zach Johnson - Selected in the 15th Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Raoul Torrez - Signed as a free agent in March 2013
Rafael Valenzuela - Signed as an undrafted free agent on June 28, 2010
Outfielders
Andrew Aplin - Selected in the 5th Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Chris Epps - Selected in the 45th Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Brandon Meredith - Selected in the 6th Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Drew Muren - Selected in the 22nd Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Preston Tucker - Selected in the 7th Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Travis Ballew - Selected in the 23rd Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Luis Cruz - Selected in the 9th Round of the 2008 amateur draft
Chris Devenski - Acquired as the PTBNL in the Brett Myers trade with Chicago on August 3, 2012
Jonas Dufek - Selected in the 9th Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Mike Foltynewicz - Selected in the 1st Round of the 2010 amateur draft
T.J. Geith - Acquired in the Ben Francisco trade with Tampa Bay on August 31, 2012
Alex Gillingham - Acquired in the Wilton Lopez trade with Colorado on December 4, 2012
Tyson Perez - Selected in the 17th Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Carlos Quevedo - Signed as an amateur free agent prior to the 2007 season
Brady Rodgers - Selected in the 3rd Round of the 2012 amateur draft
David Rollins - Acquired in the ten player trade with Toronto on July 20, 2012
Tommy Shirley - Selected in the 9th Round of the 2010 amateur draft
Blair Walters - Acquired in the Brett Myers trade with Chicago on July 21, 2012
Aaron West - Selected in the 17th Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Catchers
M.P. Cokinos - Selected in the 31st Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Tyler Heineman - Selected in the 8th Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Infielders
Delino DeShields - Selected in the 1st Round of the 2010 amateur draft
Matt Duffy - Selected in the 20th Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Nolan Fontana - Selected in the 2nd Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Zach Johnson - Selected in the 15th Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Raoul Torrez - Signed as a free agent in March 2013
Rafael Valenzuela - Signed as an undrafted free agent on June 28, 2010
Outfielders
Andrew Aplin - Selected in the 5th Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Chris Epps - Selected in the 45th Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Brandon Meredith - Selected in the 6th Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Drew Muren - Selected in the 22nd Round of the 2011 amateur draft
Preston Tucker - Selected in the 7th Round of the 2012 amateur draft
Friday, September 14, 2012
Astros extend with Lancaster
Brian McTaggart says the Astros have extended their PDC with the California League's Lancaster JetHawks for two years through the 2014 season.
That leaves Lexington as the only affiliate not yet to re-up. And, I'm afraid, the longer this goes, the worse of a chance there is of the Astros re-upping with the Legends.
That leaves Lexington as the only affiliate not yet to re-up. And, I'm afraid, the longer this goes, the worse of a chance there is of the Astros re-upping with the Legends.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Playoff Report: Sept 11
Two good nights for the Astros affiliates...
Lancaster
Heading into Game 4 against High Desert, up 2-1, the JetHawks didn't get off to a great start, allowing three first inning runs. The JetHawks got one back in the bottom of the inning, but it was 3-1 High Desert going into the 4th. The teams traded runs, with the JetHawks scoring one in the bottom of the 5th and two in the bottom of the 6th inning to take a 5-4 lead. High Desert answered with two runs in the top of the 7th for a 6-5 lead. Then the 8th inning happened, and Lancaster scored four runs to provide the final margin - 9-6 - and clinch the South Division Championship.
Nick Tropeano allowed 9H/4R (3ER), 6K:1BB; Carlos Quevedo allowed 1H/2ER, 2K:2BB in 0.2IP (both runs allowed by Pat Urckfitz). Jorge De Leon got the win with 1.2IP, 0H/0ER, 1K:1BB.
Rafy Valenzuela was 3x4 with a double and 2RBI, Delino DeShields (BB, 3R) and Erik Castro (2B, BB, 3R) had two hits each. Jio Mier had 2RBI.
Man of the Match: Rafael Valenzuela.
The Cal League Championship Series begins Saturday against an opponent to be determined.
Tri-City
Hudson Valley's Luke Maile hit a two-run homer in the top of the 1st, and the Hudson Valley ValleyGirls (I'm 99% sure that's not what they're called) added another on to give them a 3-0 lead after the 1st. Tri-City roared back (get it?) with two runs in the 2nd and 3rd for a 4-3 lead that held up until the 9th, when Hudson Valley tied it up at 4-4. The ValleyCats got three straight singles to lead off the bottom of the 10th and Preston Tucker hit a deep fly ball to right, scoring Ryan Dineen from 3rd, and putting them one win away from their 2nd NYPL title in three years.
Juri Perez allowed 3H/3ER, 4K:3BB; Vincent Velasquez allowed just 2H/1ER (the game-tying homer in the top of the 9th), 2K:1BB in 3.1IP of relief, and John Neely got the final five outs for the win.
Austin Elkins (HR, 2RBI) and Ryan Dineen (2B) had two hits each; Joe Sclafani was 1x3 with 2BB. Dan Gulbransen hit a two-run homer in the 2nd inning.
Man of the Match: Everyone gets the MotM.
Lancaster
Heading into Game 4 against High Desert, up 2-1, the JetHawks didn't get off to a great start, allowing three first inning runs. The JetHawks got one back in the bottom of the inning, but it was 3-1 High Desert going into the 4th. The teams traded runs, with the JetHawks scoring one in the bottom of the 5th and two in the bottom of the 6th inning to take a 5-4 lead. High Desert answered with two runs in the top of the 7th for a 6-5 lead. Then the 8th inning happened, and Lancaster scored four runs to provide the final margin - 9-6 - and clinch the South Division Championship.
Nick Tropeano allowed 9H/4R (3ER), 6K:1BB; Carlos Quevedo allowed 1H/2ER, 2K:2BB in 0.2IP (both runs allowed by Pat Urckfitz). Jorge De Leon got the win with 1.2IP, 0H/0ER, 1K:1BB.
Rafy Valenzuela was 3x4 with a double and 2RBI, Delino DeShields (BB, 3R) and Erik Castro (2B, BB, 3R) had two hits each. Jio Mier had 2RBI.
Man of the Match: Rafael Valenzuela.
The Cal League Championship Series begins Saturday against an opponent to be determined.
Tri-City
Hudson Valley's Luke Maile hit a two-run homer in the top of the 1st, and the Hudson Valley ValleyGirls (I'm 99% sure that's not what they're called) added another on to give them a 3-0 lead after the 1st. Tri-City roared back (get it?) with two runs in the 2nd and 3rd for a 4-3 lead that held up until the 9th, when Hudson Valley tied it up at 4-4. The ValleyCats got three straight singles to lead off the bottom of the 10th and Preston Tucker hit a deep fly ball to right, scoring Ryan Dineen from 3rd, and putting them one win away from their 2nd NYPL title in three years.
Juri Perez allowed 3H/3ER, 4K:3BB; Vincent Velasquez allowed just 2H/1ER (the game-tying homer in the top of the 9th), 2K:1BB in 3.1IP of relief, and John Neely got the final five outs for the win.
Austin Elkins (HR, 2RBI) and Ryan Dineen (2B) had two hits each; Joe Sclafani was 1x3 with 2BB. Dan Gulbransen hit a two-run homer in the 2nd inning.
Man of the Match: Everyone gets the MotM.
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