SB Nation User Blog: rghan

Angels Minor League Report: Advanced Rookie Ball

rghan — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:12:38 -0000

Advanced Rookie Ball, Orem Owlz

Jean Segura - .440/.462/.720 with 2 HR and 1 Dbl

The 20-year old Segura shared the keystone with Alexi Amarista in the DSL back in 2007, then followed that up with a tepid ASL showing last summer. The Halos obviously think very highly of him, as they sent him to the PCL briefly before the Pioneer League began. His combined 2009 stat line from AAA and rookie ball? An eye-popping .432/.444/.636 over 44 AB's.

Michael Wing - .333/.469/.542 with 1 HR, 2 Dbls and 6 BB's

Wing is a local kid, having graduated from Upland High School before the Halos drafted him in the 26^th round in 2008. He's a converted shortstop, so he should have the defensive skills to make a solid third baseman. He's got a good eye and some pop at the plate, but will have to limit the K's this year if he's going to remain one of the Owz' big boppers.

Dillon Baird - .313/.500/.438 with 1 triple

Baird led the PAC 10 in hitting this year before the Halos drafted him in the 11^th round. I think the only reasons why such a talented hitter could fall that far are (1) scouts don't believe his average power in college (8 homeruns this season) is going to carry over to wooden bats, and (2) scouts don't think he has the defensive chops to stick at third. Those points may or may not be true, but his bat and keen eye are going to carry him to the upper minors at least, and possibly further. I really like him.

Buddy Boshers - 5 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 3 K/2 BB

In terms of ERA, groundball ratio, and batting average against, the 6'3" Boshers out-pitched more widely known rotation mate Will Smith last year. But here he is, returning to Orem for an encore. I imagine he'll be the first promoted when the Halos send Ryan Chaffee to the Quakes.

Tyler Kehrer - 7.1 IP, 9 hits, 2 ER, 9 K/0 BB

Kehrer, the Halos' third supplementary round pick and top-drafted pitcher to sign so far, had a great debut, but then gave up a lot of hits in his second outing. The scouting report on him lists a solid fastball and a decent slider, while his other pitches are works in progress.

Orangel Arenas - 4 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 3 K/0 BB

Arenas was the ace of the 2008 DSL Angels' staff of aces. I haven't yet found a scouting report on him, but futureangels.com has a video clip from extended spring training. Arenas locates his fastball low in the zone and on the corners. Interestingly, three of four balls hit into play in the video came off of his breaking pitch, which appeared to be a slider with good horizontal movement. It didn't miss any bats, however: one was roped into center for a hit, the next popped up to left, and the last grounded to the left side, so Arenas is still looking for an out pitch. That matches Arenas' stat profile from last year: he throws strikes and avoids hard contact but will never lead a league in K's.

I'm traveling for the next couple of weeks, so normal coverage won't resume until the second week of July.

Road Tripper Looking For Advice

rghan — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:51:42 -0000

I finish the school year on Friday and immediately go to Pittsburgh for a weekend of baseball watching in PNC Park with friends and family. Following PA, I hit up Cincinnati and Milwaukee for two more MLB games, then go to Beloit to watch the Kernels take on the Snappers, then to Appleton for another Midwest League game, and finally to Cedar Rapids to see the Kernels at home on the Fourth of July.

I haven’t been to any of these cities, so I have a request for anyone who knows them: what are the can’t miss attractions, food and otherwise? What is your advice for the curious traveler?

Angels Minor League Report: Trevor Bell's AAA debut a success

rghan — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:51:12 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Sean O'Sullivan's gem was just one of many successful debuts this week throughout the Angels organization. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Browse more photos »

AAA Salt Lake Bees, 38 and 32

Trevor Bell, rhsp – 9 IP, W, 2 hits, 0 ER, 4 K/0 BB

Bell made pitching in the PCL look easy, facing the minimum while yielding only two hits and one hit batsman through nine. This season’s increase in velocity and command has raised Bell's ceiling to potential mid-rotation workhorse in the big leagues.

Brad Coon, cf - .483/.516/.586 with 1 Dbl, 1 Trpl, and 7 runs

After a miserable May slump, Coon is back to raking. With his speed, left-handed clutch bat, OBP skills, and the ability to play center, he'd make a fine fourth outfielder, especially in the National League.

Brandon Wood, 3b, ss– .379/.379/.690 with 4 Dbls, 1 Trpl, 1 HR, and 7 RBI's

Walks were down, K's were up. Still showing loads of power.

Matt Brown, 4 C - .391/.462/.565 with 1 Dbl and 1 HR

After being the king of consistency in his eight year minor league career, Brown has been intermittently slumping since his sizzling spring training. He's currently a valuable insurance policy for the Halos, but I bet he's wishing for a change in scenery.

AA Arkansas, 27 and 40

Tim Kiely, rhsp – 16 IP, 1 W, 10 hits, 6 ER, 17 K/3 BB

O'Sullivan and Bell got all of the ink for their respective debuts, but how about Kiely's complete game effort for the Travs last Monday? He transformed from A-ball innings eater into the next coming of Nolan Ryan (not to belittle the difficulty of eating innings in the California League!). Looks like the nerves caught up with him in his second start last night, but he recovered from a rocky first three innings, and the Travs picked him up with a stunning eighth inning comeback.

Jordan Walden, rhsp – 6.2 IP, 1 L, 7 hits, 1 ER, 6 K/3 BB

The May elbow injury cost him a shot at AAA, but Walden looks dominant so far in June. His ERA for the month is 1.02, his K per nine is over 11, the opposition is batting .219 against him and his ground out to fly out ratio is back up to a strong 1.42.

Tommy Mendoza, rhsp – 13 P, 1 W, 1 L, 9 hits, 4 ER, 12 K/5 BB

The numbers may not bowl you over, but Mendoza’s consistency demands recognition: he’s put up quality starts in eight of his last nine games. His season ERA now sits at 3.05.

High A Rancho Cucamonga, 30 and 39

Alex Torres, lhsp – 14 IP, 2 W, 9 hits, 14 K/2 BB

The plummet in his walk rate from 6.3 per 9 IP in April and May to just under 2 per 9 in June helped Torres lower his season ERA to a stellar 2.79. Despite giving the opposition more strikes, he’s remained very difficult to hit – the opposition’s batting just .170 against him this month. That's testament to the quality of his stuff. Kiely’s ability to go deeper into games may have earned him the earlier promotion, but Torres is looking every bit as ready for AA.

Ismael Carmona, rhrp – 3 IP, 3 Sv, 0 hits, 5 K/1 BB

Carmona slammed the door shut in a series of tight Quakes victories this week.

Jeremy Thorne, rp – 8.1 IP, 7 hits, 2 ER, 9 K/5 BB

Thorne's a 23-year-old groundball guy who worked primarily out of the pen in Cedar Rapids before this week's promotions opened up a rotation slot in Rancho. He's experienced success at every level since the Halos drafted him in the 29^th round last year, so the Halos FO will likely continue to challenge him.

A Cedar Rapids, 40 and 29

Ryan Chaffee, rhsp – 12 IP, 1 L, 7 hits, 3 ER, 12 K/4 BB with a season ERA of 2.83

Manaurys Correa, rhsp – 7 IP, 1 W, 5 hits, 0 ER, 2 K/1 BB with a season ERA of 3.74

Will Smith, lhsp –14.1 IP, 1 W, 10 hits, 6 ER, 14 K/4 BB with a season ERA of 3.69.

Seems like I write about these guys every week, so I won't say anything more than gee-wiz, have we got pitching depth in the lower minors.

Matthew Crawford, of – .360/.360/.440 with 1 Trpl, 7 RBI's, and 4 SB's

Crawford had an 11 game hit streak running before going 0 for 3 last night.

DSL Angels, 10 and 8

Eswarlin Jimenez, lhsp – 7 IP, 6 hits, 0 ER, 5 K/0 BB

Jiminez is a 17-year-old, 6’ 1" southpaw. Right now, he’s the youngest pitcher in the DSL Angels’ rotation, so he’s one to keep an eye on.

Angels’ Draft Picks, College World Series

Josh Spence – 14 IP, 15 hits, 4 ER, 16 K/5 BB with a 2.57 ERA over two games

Spence pitched two gritty games against North Carolina. He didn’t figure in either decision, but the Sun Devils won both of them. The soft-tossing lefty threw 122 pitches in the first game, and 126 in the second on only three days rest, so he’s fully stretched out, to say the least.

Carlos Ramirez - .188/.350/.375 with 1 HR , 3 RBI’s, and 4 BB’s in 4 games.

Ramirez was no doubt disappointed with his offensive output for the series, despite the impressive patience and power. The big picture, however, is compelling: the man caught each of ASU’s 62 games this season while anchoring the team’s lineup with a regular season line of .349/.462/.674 and 18 home runs

Poll

Even if Santana's feeling no pain, the Halos' starter on Monday should be...

Ervin. The guy was making progress at the end of May.

37 votes

Sean O'Sullivan. Kid showed balls against the Giants.

70 votes

Matt Palmer. Because of the off day, he'd be pitching on normal rest.

80 votes

187 votes | Poll has closed

Trevor Bell To Make AAA Debut Tonight

rghan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:51:34 -0000

Sean O'Sullivan's promotion opened an AAA rotation spot for Bell, who's been the man in AA this season. The Bees are at home, so he'll be pitching in their bandbox of a stadium. As noted in this week's minor league report, he's handled the hitters' parks of the Texas League just fine, so hopefully the thin air and cozy dimensions won't require too much of an adjustment.

Angels Minor League Report: Sean Rodriguez mashes his way to big leagues

rghan — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:03:26 -0000

AAA Salt Lake Bees, 36 and 27

Sean Rodriguez, u - .286/.318/.619 with 1 dbl, 2 HR and 8 K/1 BB

S-Rod's final hit of the week was a major league knock. My hope is that Rodriguez brings his AAA power - 21 homeruns in only 205 plate appearances - and not his k-rate - he whiffed 33% of the time, up 15% from last year's AAA stint. Rodriguez is a very smart player, and has successfully changed his approach to fit the ballpark before, so it could be that he's consciously swinging from the heals in Salt Lake, knowing that a lot of flyballs will leave the yard, and is going to make the necessary adjustments with the Halos.

Sean O'Sullivan, rhsp - 6 IP, 1 W, 5 hits, 2 ER, 5 K/3 BB

O'Sullivan threw his third quality start in a row on Thursday. He'll have setbacks in the months ahead, of course, but it's beginning to look like he belongs in the Pacific Coast League as a twenty-one year old. There are very few ball players you can say that about.

Rafael Rodriguez, rhrp - 4 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 2 K/2 BB

Rodriguez couldn't bring it in the majors, but he continues to handle the Pacific Coast League with a season ERA of 0.68. His K/BB ratio is uninspiring, but he's generating a lot of ground ball outs.

AA Arkansas, 23 and 37

Jordan Walden, rhsp- 6 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 7 K/2 BB

Walden's finally settling down after elbow problems robbed him of a month. In two June starts he has a 0.82 ERA, 16 K's, and a .189 average against. The groundball ratio still isn't up to his usual standard, but it's now trending in the right direction.

Trevor Bell, rhsp- 6 IP, 1 L, 6 hits, 1 ER, 6 K/3 BB

Another week, another quality start for Bell. His startling consistency isn't just due to pitching in a favorable park: his road ERA is a sterling 2.19 versus 2.25 at home. The 22-year-old is finally beginning to show why the Halos nabbed him in the supplemental first round of the 2005 draft.

Tommy Mendoza, rhsp - 6 IP, W, 5 hits, 2 ER, 3 K/2 BB

Mendoza has lowered his ERA from 5.79 in April, to 3.16 in May, to 2.08 in June. Like Bell, he was drafted in '05, but in the fifth round. He's not a strikeout guy, but is generating plenty of outs for the Travs.

High A Rancho Cucamonga, 25 and 37

Alex Torres, lhsp- 7 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 5 K/1 BB

Torres finally made it through the 7^th inning for the first time this season. After a May slump, he's got a 0.68 ERA in June and 3.41 ERA overall. Opponents are hitting just .228 against him, he's given up only one homerun all season, and he's maintaining a tremendous 3.22 GO/AO. If you want a recipe for success in the California League, that's it.

Carlos Colmenares, u - .500/.560/.500 with 3 walks and 3 SB's.

The 23-year-old utility man collected 11 hits this week, and 35 in a 100 Cal League at bats. He's walking at a decent rate and not striking out much. His versatility and switch-hitting skills should keep him in baseball for a long time.

A Cedar Rapids, 36 and 26

Manaurys Correa, rhsp - 15 IP, W, L, 11 hits, 2 ER, 2 SO/2 BB

Correa has tossed five straight quality starts, and his season ERA is now 4.11, down from a high of 6.55 before the streak. I'm not sure how he's doing it - his ratios are still all over the place - but he is clearly keeping hitters off balance. Last night he threw a complete game shutout.

Beau Brooks, c, DH -263/.417/.684 with 1 trpl and 2 HRs

Brooks continues to hit for lots of power and patience. He's not catching much these days - only once this week - so it's not clear what his path is from here.

Matthew Crawford, of - .364/.500/.409 with 1 dbl, 6 runs, and 1 SB

Crawford won the Arizona Summer League batting title after being drafted in the 23^rd round of last year's draft, and has carried that success over to Cedar Rapids. He's a switch-hitter who plays the small ball game well.

DSL Angels, 6 and 6

Gabriel Perez, rhsp- 7 IP, W, 6 hits, 0 ER, 9 K/0 BB

Perez just turned 18 on June 3^rd. So far he's the DSL Angels frontline guy, leading the rotation in innings pitched and ERA.

Poll

When the Halos promote a position player, I check his...

AAA stats and MLE's

43 votes

His horoscope - PCL stats are F'ing meaningless

59 votes

102 votes | Poll has closed

Angels make some gambles on day two of the draft

rghan — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:27:25 -0000

On day one, commentators speculated that the Halos might not be committing the type of financial resources necessary to fully exploit their advantageous draft position. I was among said detractors. I take it all back now, because it's becoming clear that the Angels have not yet finished sniffing around for top shelf talent, and appear able and willing to pay for it.

Today's drafting followed a predictable pattern - the Halos even snagged their gratuitous undersized middle infielder - until the eighth round, when Eddie Bane picked ASU catcher and middle-of-the-line-up fixture Carlos Ramirez. As a junior with a successful track record in a top program, Ramirez has significant leverage and therefore commands above slot money.

That trend intensified in the 10th and 11th rounds, when the Angels picked Jacob Locker and Dillon Baird respectively. In another year, both those guys have the potential to go much, much higher in the draft, so the Halos are rolling the dice on their ability to get them to commit to professional baseball in 2009. They're setting themselves up to shell out a lot of cash.

4^th Round, 141^st Pick - Wes Hatton, 2b. Norco HS

For those of you who were wondering, here's the Halos next sub-six-foot middle infielder. Hatton's the max effort kind of guy who becomes a team and fan favorite. His right-handed bat has a little pop and he pitched in high school, so his arm should be more than enough for second.

5^th Round, 171^st Pick - Casey Haerther, 1b. UCLA

Haerther is a big, right-handed first baseman with above-average pop and contact skills. In three years at UCLA, he's hit .305 with 22 home runs, 34 doubles, and 109 RBI over 147 games. He's a recently converted third baseman, so he's got a shot at being at least average defensively. The only knock on him is his lack of patience. He just wrapped up his junior year and he may be difficult to sign.

6^th Round, 201^st Pick - Daniel Reynolds, rhp. Durango HS

Reynolds is a bit undersized for a pitcher, coming in at just under six feet. As is their habit, the Angels ignored the conventional wisdom regarding pitcher height, and instead focussed on his low to mid 90's fastball and promising slider combination.

7^th Round, 231^st Pick - Jon Karcich, ss. Santa Clara University

At 6'2", Jon's big for a shortstop, but he was touted before the '09 season as being the best defensive infielder in the Western Conference. He hit 12 home runs last year, but dropped off in the power department this season and posted a mediocre 57% stolen base success rate, so he's not the most toolsey guy. Still, between the defense and power potential, he's interesting. He's another junior who won't be the easiest signing in the world.

8^th Round, 261^st Pick - Carlos Ramirez, c. Arizona State University

The Halos selected Ramirez in the 2007 draft, but declined to sign and instead attended Chandler-Gilbert Community College. He transferred to ASU at the end of last year, and went into the draft as one of the better-hitting college catchers, having put up a .349/.462/.674 line with 18 homeruns. Scouts like his defense too, but again, he's a junior, so you can't take signing him for granted.

9^th Round, 291^st Pick - David Carpenter, rhp. Paris Junior College

Carpenter's a 6'3", 215 lb righthander. He pitched a strong season in '09, recording a solid 133 K/22 BB ratio over 109.1 innings.

10^th Round, 321^st Pick - Jacob Locker, cf. University of Washington

This is an interesting one. The Halos drafted him as a pitcher in the 40th round of the '07 draft, but he elected to follow his football scholarship. Locker's a tremendous athlete - he's University of Washington's starting QB - and apparently flirted with baseball again in a summer league last year. He has little track record, but he's very much on the Halos' radar, and could be a tremendous high risk, high reward type signing. As a junior deeply immersed in another sport, it'll take a lot to sign him.

11^th Round, 351^st Pick - Dillon Baird, 3b. University of Arizona

I was going to stop at the tenth round, but then did some homework on Baird, and liked him a lot. First things first: he's only a sophomore, and he's coming off of a phenominal season, so it is going to take a lot of dough to sign him. He hit .433/.504/.716 with 8 homeruns, 34 total extra base hits, and a 25 SO/22 BB ratio. I couldn't find much on his defense, but with a bat like that...

Angels Take Randal Grichuk As Their #1 Pick, 24th Overall

rghan — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:16:30 -0000

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

Frankenstein (L) poses with Michael Trout (R), an outfielder from New Jersey's Millville High School, after being picked 24th by the Los Angeles Angels in the baseball draft at MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, N.J.,Tuesday, June 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Browse more photos »

The Angels kicked off the '09 draft by addressing their longstanding, system-wide shortage of outfielders with power potential. After taking prep mashers Randal Grichuk and Mike Trout with the 24th and 25th overall picks, Eddie Bane and Co returned to their bread and butter by selecting pitchers with each of their next five picks.

Grichuk put himself on the map as a little leaguer, hitting four home runs in the junior-junior circuit's world series. He also projects to hit for average from the right side, despite some pull tendencies, so his game's not just about going deep. Defense has not been his strong point, so he'll likely be limited to left field. The front office has clearly listened to fans' demands for more power.

The Halos next pick, Mike Trout, is a potential five tool player who should stick in centerfield. According to Baseball America, he began to switch-hit recently, meaning the Halos will likely let him work out those skills in Arizona. Together, he and Grichuk form the better part of a rookie league outfield.

In the supplemental round, the Halos took prep lhsp Tyler Skaggs with the 40th overall pick, college righty Garrett Richards with the 42nd pick, and college lefty Tyler Kehrer with the 48th pick. Skaggs is a highly projectable 6'4" lefty who already throws in the low nineties. I love the pick, but it could take a lot of cash to sign him away from his commitment to Cal State Fullerton.

Minutes later the Halos nabbed Richards, a big guy who grew up in Riverside and attended the University of Oklahoma. Not only was he successful as a starter this spring, but he frequently came out of the pen in '08, and a few more times in '09, so he could move quickly as a setup man. Moreover, he's known as raw, so maybe the Angels believe there's more upside to be had as he matures.

Kehrer's another big lefty, though unlike Skaggs, he's a college guy, coming out of University of Eastern Illinois. He's had mixed results, but his stuff is solid: a low nineties fastball and an improving slider. Like Richards, he's a little rough around the edges, so the Halos must envision him taking another step forward as he refines his skills.

In the second round, the Angels selected Patrick Corbin out of Chipola JC, a left handed pitcher who features a decent fastball and a plus slider. Corbin's committed to Southern Mississippi, but the Halos have a tradition of harvesting significant talent out of Chipola, most recently in Ryan Chaffee. Tom Kotchman is likely behind what most folks will consider an overdraft, so there's every reason to be confident.

The Halos ended their evening by grabbing Joshua Spence, a high-performing college lefty out of Arizona State. He's another aussie, not overpowering, but he can put the ball where he wants it. BA had him going in the fifth or sixth round, so I didn't see that one coming.

The common threads for our last four picks are (1) they're college pitchers with some upside left; (2) they're all difficult to hit, despite three of the four's shaky command; (3) they'll likely sign at slot, or at least for reasonable amounts; and (4) they could all move very quickly as relievers. I sense a bullpen makeover on the distant horizon.

Poll

Power outfielders first, then pitching. Your reaction is...

Finally, some guys who mash.

148 votes

Where are the 5'8" middle infielders?

41 votes

Why didn't we get five high school pitchers?

16 votes

Good strategy, but who's this Grichuk guy?

114 votes

319 votes | Poll has closed

Today's Draft

rghan — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:06:01 -0000

They've got five of the top forty-eight picks. This is it: the Halos' shot at restocking a farm system that has lost its once perennial luster.

At least, that's the story line currently being tossed around. Personally, I don't think the present state of the farm is so dire, but five picks are five picks, and tomorrow's draft is going to be exciting. Here are my under-educated predictions of what will unfold:

If power/speed combos Tim Wheeler, Everett Williams, Mike Trout or even Jared Mitchell remain available, look for the Halos to use either of their 24th or 25th picks to secure an athletic, high-upside centerfielder. It's iffy whether those guys will still be around, but I think the Halos will lean towards an outfielder over, say, catcher Max Stassi or shortstop Jiovanni Mier.
Top five pick Kyle Gibson, a big right-handed sinkerballer currently pitching for Missouri, just suffered a stress fracture in his forearm. That makes it possible, if not especially likely, that he's still available towards the end of the first round, giving Bane and Co a chance to pull off their annual high stakes gamble.
I'd be perfectly happy if 6'5" lefty Tyler Skaggs is our best option at pick 25.
I bet the Halos lean towards pitching in their sandwich selections, causing many a Halos' fan to scream into the night. No idea who those arms will be, but I think the scouting team will play to their strengths. Look for two pitchers and a slight overdraft of a power bat - Chris Dominguez fits that mold.
My hunch is that the Halos go after corner power types in the 2nd, 3rd, and/or 4th rounds. Prepsters Jeff Balm (1b), Matt Davidson (3b), Randal Grichuk (of) and Jonathan Singleton (1b), and college kids Chris Dominguez (3b), Tommy Mendonca (3b), Marc Krauss (of), and Kent Matthes (of) are just a few names, but they seem to be the big mashers that the Halos will still have a shot at.

Again, this is the first draft that I've really combed over, so these are just hunches. We'll see what happens!

Minor League Report: Brandon Wood walking his way to the majors

rghan — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 20:40:55 -0000

Brandon Wood is doing everything he can to earn that next cup of coffee, including lending a hand with the bullpen. Photo courtesy of BryanHarvey'sMustache cdn0.sbnation.com

View full size photo uploaded June 8, 2009

AAA Salt Lake Bees, 32 and 25

Chris Pettit, of - .431/.431/.924 with 3 Dbls, 1 Trpl, and 1 HR in 4 games.

Pettit just went on the disabled list with a broken hamate bone. Those of you who know more about this injury, please throw up projections for missed time; my understanding is it'll be anywhere from 4 weeks to a year, depending on the severity of the injury and whether or not surgery is necessary. Tough luck, to say the least.

Brandon Wood, ss, 3b - .320/.433/.480 with 1 Dbl, 1 HR and 6 K/5 BB

Wood's pulled out of a two-week slump that saw his average dip about forty points. His power hasn't been outstanding recently, but this season's 31 K / 20 BB ratio is a significant improvement over his previous minor league performances. He's the most complete hitter on the SL squad these days, and will likely get the next call-up.

Sean O'Sullivan, rhsp - 5.2 IP, 5 hits, 1 ER, 5 K/0 BB

Sean pitched his third quality start in four tries. Granted, the PCL swatted him around last month, the opposition is hitting .309 off of him, and his groundball ratio is in the tank, but he remains one of the youngest players in the league. His control is solid and he's stringing together some good outings, so I think the Halos' decision to promote him was a good one.

Jeremy Hill, rhrp- 4.2 IP, 1 Sv, 4 hits, 1 ER, 5 K/0 BB

The man looks good. His k rate and k/bb ratio are strong, and no one's going to quibble with a 1.88 ERA in the PCL.

AA Arkansas, 22 and 31

Trevor Bell, rhsp - 7 IP, W, 5 hits, 1 ER, 3 K/3 BB

Bell threw his third seven-inning game in his last four outings. That makes five straight quality starts. More impressively, he's 10 for 11 in quality starts on the year.

Peter Bourjos, cf - .357/.357/.571 with 1 HR and 1 SB.

The 18 game hit streak may have ended on May 30^th, but his on base streak is still alive at 24 games. Unfortunately, a sore wrist has kept Bourjos on the bench for the last four games. No news yet on how long it'll be before he can swing the bat, but word is he's out for at least another series (hat tip Phil Elson of the Travs). Bourjos went onto the DL Monday.

Brandon Florence, dh and of - .412/.412/.529 with 2 Dbls and 5 RBI's in 5 games

Florence took a week to get acclimated, but he's now doing what he was signed to do: knock in runs for the Travs.

Tommy Mendoza, rhsp - 7 IP, 5 hits, 1 ER, 4 K/1 BB

That's Mendoza's second consecutive gem. The twenty-one-year-old was a fifth round pick in the '05 draft and had a very good pro debut, reaching the California League that summer. However, he followed that up with two uninspiring seasons in the Midwest league and a so-so campaign with Rancho Cucamonga. Right now, he's looking real good against advanced hitters.

Hank Conger and Jordan Walden are both making progress coming off of their respective injuries. Hank caught four games this week, allowing only one steal while maintaining good average and OBP. He hasn't hit for a lot of power, but given his progress behind the plate, I don't think anyone's worried about him. Walden struck out nine this week in his second best start of the year - injuries have limited him to just six games - so hopefully he's settling into a groove.

High A Rancho Cucamonga, 24 and 32

Tim Kiely, rhsp - 8 IP, W, 2 ER, 5 K/0 BB

Kiely's strong outing this week came on the heals of an 8 run thrashing where he lasted just 2 and a third innings, but that followed a complete game gem. Despite the month's inconsistencies, the 23-year-old has done a great job at eating difficult California League innings.

Alex Torres, lhsp - 6.1 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 5 K/3 BB

This week's outing was Torres' longest of the year. That's important because he's made it to the sixth in just 3 of his 10 starts. He's walked over 6 guys per nine innings, but I'm drooling over the 9.74 K/9 IP and 3.13 GO/AO ratios. I think it's likely he'll shift to the bullpen, but that probably won't happen until AAA.

Chris Walker, c - .357/.357/.714 with 2 Dbls and 1 HR

Walker also threw out a solid 36% of base stealers this week. The almost-24-year-old was a 2007 29^th round draft pick out of the University of Arkansas. He's striking out less than he did last year and has put up a solid .840 OPS as one of the Quakes most consistent hitters.

Eddie McKiernan - 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 hits, 5 K/0 BB

He's the Quakes primary set-up man, and he's a good one: he's only 20-years old, he's k'ing more than a batter an inning, and his GO/AO is now sitting at a healthy 1.59.

Ismael Carmona - 3 IP, 2 Svs, 2 hits, 4 K/2 BB.

The Quake's closer, signed out of the DR in '03, is a little older than McKiernan. He's struggled with his control throughout his career, but he's k'd 22 over just 15 and two-thirds innings, so you know he's got an arm.

I was sad to see the Halos let go Anthony Norman this week. He's a guy I've been pulling for, and I know some folks on this site know him personally. He hadn't been getting regular at bats this season, but the numbers were coming around in May. Hopefully he'll get a shot with another organization.

A Cedar Rapids, 33 and 22

Tyson Auer- .520/.538/.680 with 2 Dbls, a Trpl, and 3 SB's (though 2 caught stealings)

Auer's solid work as leadoff man for the Kernel's earned him a spot onto the Midwest League's allstar roster, where he'll join fellow top-of-the-order stud Alexi Amarista. Pretty good for an undrafted free agent fresh out of college.

Manuarys Correa - 8 IP, 1 W, 4 hits, 1 ER, 6 K/0 BB

This was Correa's third consecutive quality start. The twenty-year old's improvement means that the Kernels' rotation boasts five legitimate prospects, and that's special.

Ryan Chaffee- 6 IP, 1 W, 1 hit, 0 ER, 6 K/3 BB

Chaffee has rattled off five consecutive wins, and now looks like a third round steal for the Halos, who may promote the 21-year-old in the near future. First, he's headed for the Midwest League Allstar game.

Tyler Chatwood- 5.2 IP, 1 W, 2 hits, 0 ER, 7 K/6 BB

He got knocked around today, so let's give him his due for last week's outing. He's joining Auer, Amarista, Chaffee, Manuel Flores, and Michael Kohn in the allstar game.

DSL Angels, 4 and 2

Pedro Toribio, 2b/ss - .391/.517/.652 with 2 Dbls, 2 Trpls, 6 SB's and 8 runs in 6 games

At almost 19, Toribio is on the older side for the DSL, but he's been stuck behind the likes of Alexi Amarista and Eduardo Soto. The guy can play some short too, so that and the superb 6 BB/1 SO ratio makes him interesting.

The DSL has just began, so it's a little early to identify the most interesting prospects. The seventeen year olds I'm going to keep my eye on are outfielders Domingo Rodriguez and Glen Beltran, and pitchers Eswarlin Jiminez, Renedin Mesa, Daniel Hurtado, and Yancarlos Santiago. We'll have the opportunity to add to this group when the international signing period begins on July 2^nd.

Kernels win twelfth straight

rghan — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:49:18 -0000

The Kernels just won their twelfth straight on the back of Manaurys Correa's eight inning gem. He gave up only one run on four hits and no walks while striking out six. Correa retired the last twelve batters he faced in order. Adam Younger struck the big blow for the Kernels with a two run single in the eighth.