MINORS FINAL 8/5: Peraza's readiness
Brave nation, to a man it seems, is ready for Jose Peraza to make the jump from Double-A to the leadoff spot and centerfiield for the big club. Money and Upton issues aside, how feasible is it for a 20-year-old who's never played the position to move into this kind of pressure-packed role?
Ask the Cincinnati Reds. Their base stealing phenom, Billy Hamilton, needed a place to play in the big leagues, and the Reds were able to accommodate him by dealing Stubbs. And, overnight, a shortstop became a centerfielder. But he is just a bit older (22) and he had an entire season in Triple-A to learn the position (seven errors). The year paid off; Hamilton is a fine CF -- only one error so far this season. The plan is sound; Peraza needs to spend 2015 playing CF in Gwinnett, and Opening Day 2015, you have a 22-year-old leadoff man/CF ready to hold down the position for a decade.
But the Braves can't wait, can they? Consider they once traded for Kenny Lofton as Andruw Jones grew into the CF role. They traded for Michael Bourn (and don't we wish he re-signed?) for two decent years. The Phlllies did it for Revere; the Nationals did for Span. Can't the Braves find a rental? And have they already in Bonafacio? He's played 48 games there this year, the most ever in his major league career, with only two errors.
If he and La Stella fix the top of the order, there's still the Freeman/Upton RISP problem But somethings require supernatural skills to repair.
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In just 37 games with Mississippi, Peraza has 24 stolen bases. That leaves him just nine shy of the Southern League lead.
When he left Lynchburg, he had 35 stolen bases, and only this week lost that league lead (37).
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Kyle Kubitza's .408 OBP leads the Southern League. He's struck out 106 times, but his 65 walks are second in the league. Teammate Cedric Hunter now has over 360 plate appearances but has struck out only 43 times (with 41 walks).
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Stats in the DSL mean little, but it's worth reporting that closer Ramon Moreno leads that massive league with 12 saves. In 24 games (31 innings), he has 24 strikeouts, only two walks (but 26 hits allowed).
Before losing 2-0 last night, all-star Dilmer Mejia (4-0, 1.37) had the league's 3rd-best WHIP (0.85). Only 35 hits in 52 innings, and he just turned freaking 17 in July. That means he was born in July of 1997!!!
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TUESDAY BOXES LINK
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CLASS AAA
Charlotte 10, Gwinnett 1
LP: Schlosser (7-6) 3.1 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 2 HR.
Avilan 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER(2R), 1 BB, 0 K.
E. Reyes 2-3, 2 2B.
Cunningham 1-4, 2B.
Constanza 1-4, R.
CLASS AA
Mississippi, idle.
ADVANCED CLASS A
Lynchburg 13, Salem 5
SP: J. Miller 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.
Martinez 3-6, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 4 RBIs. (.335)
Skinner 2-5, R, 2 RBIs.
Hyams 2-4, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBIs.
Landoni 1-3, 2 R.
Tewell 2-5, 2B, R.
Carroll 3-5, 2 R, RBI.
CLASS A
Rome 3, Lexington 2
SP: C. Diaz 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, HBP, WP.
WP: Swanner (4-1) 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K.
P. Perez (Save, 5) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
C. Franco 1-3, HR (7th), 2 RBIs.
Godfrey 1-4, HR (2nd), RBI.
Lien 2-4.
Reed Harper 1-4, 2B.
SHORT-SEASON
Princeton 5, Danville 4
5-run 8th (Error, WP, PB)
SP: Cordero 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K.
Emmons 0.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER(4R), 0 BB, 2 K.
LP: Miranda (BS 1. 2-1) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.
Black 1-3, HR (1st), 2 RBIs.
Daris 3-5, R, RBI.
Piloto 1-4, RBI.
Nevarez 1-3, 2B, R.
GCL Phillies 7, GCL Braves 4
SP: Webb 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K.
Silva 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
LP: Dettman (BS, 0-3) 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
Dykstra 1-5, RBI, SB.
Davidson 0-4, RBI, 2 K.
Didder 2-3, R, RBI, SB.
Monasterio 2-4, RBI.
DSL Brewers 2, DSL Braves 0
LP: Mejia (4-1) 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. (1.86)
Willems 2-3.
Castro 1-3, BB.
