FRIDAY MINORS THREAD 9/1: One last hand, noting but aces

[rico43]

MiLB has a nice piece on Allard's game:

Kolby Allard entered his third professional season with a list of goals, one of which was to reach 150 innings for Double-A Mississippi. The Braves No. 3 prospect came into the opener of Friday night's doubleheader exactly seven innings shy of that mark.

"I told my pitching coach [Derrick Lewis] before the game, 'I got to go seven today,'" Allard recalled. "He was like, 'All right, man. You do you.'"

The left-hander did just that as he allowed one hit and one walk with five strikeouts for his first career shutout in Mississippi's 3-0 win over Birmingham. In 27 starts, Allard (8-11) logged a 3.18 ERA with 129 strikeouts and 45 walks.

"I had my ups and downs just like any year would have," the 20-year-old said. "I think I learned more about myself and more about pitching this year than I have any previous year in my life. This year, I can't thank our pitching coach enough. He's helped me through it and we've done a lot of things and I've become a lot better pitcher because of it."

With the M-Braves' season ending Monday and a callup to the Major Leagues not likely, Allard's third professional season is complete. The California native has tentative plans for the start of the offseason typical of an Orange County resident before his focus shifts back to baseball.

"I might go home for a couple weeks and chill and go surf a little bit," Allard said. "Then going to start back at square one. I'm trying to put on a couple pounds this offseason, trying to get bigger and stronger to hopefully handle a bigger workload next year. That's the goal is to go up and help us win ballgames in Atlanta."

[Enscheff]

The farm system collectively had about as good of a season as you could have hoped for. It really sucks that the major league team didn't get better this year but at least the farm provides hope.

For once I have to agree with a rainbows and sunshine post. All the major prospects held serve or took steps forward (some took major steps forward), and none flopped. Most importantly, almost zero injuries.

[msstate7]

For once I have to agree with a rainbows and sunshine post. All the major prospects held serve or took steps forward (some took major steps forward), and none flopped. Most importantly, almost zero injuries.

Weigel injury sucked to me pretty bad. I think we'd be seeing him in Atlanta right now

[Deester11]

For once I have to agree with a rainbows and sunshine post. All the major prospects held serve or took steps forward (some took major steps forward), and none flopped. Most importantly, almost zero injuries.

What?! But I agree with this post. Very pleased with the progress of our prospects.

[msstate7]

Riley 3-4, 3b
Jackson 2-4

[thewupk]

Riley 3-4, 3b
Jackson 2-4

Riley is the answer!

[thethe]

Riley is the answer!

He's certainly making a case for himself.

[Russ2dollas]

He's certainly making a case for himself.

I'm going to believe this is sss until nxt yr. u don't usually stink in a plus and then get good in aa.

Hope he is good but we will see.

[thethe]

I'm going to believe this is sss until nxt yr. u don't usually stink in a plus and then get good in aa.

Hope he is good but we will see.

Stink is a strong word. He was young for the league and it wasn't an overwhelming sample size.

[msstate7]

I'm going to believe this is sss until nxt yr. u don't usually stink in a plus and then get good in aa.

Hope he is good but we will see.

Acuna raised his ops .114 from A+ to AAA this year. Riley raised his .150 from A+ to AA. Are you wait and see on acuna too?

BTW, I'm not saying riley will play at this level going forward... I do like him, a lot though

[thethe]

Would their be a different perception of Riley if he was never promoted and rippped the cover off the ball in A+ the rest of the year?

I don't get the idea that we completely dismiss a solid performance in AA. Its not a definitive statement about his future but you have to feel better about Riley moving forward after 2017 than you did after 2016.

[Enscheff]

Would their be a different perception of Riley if he was never promoted and rippped the cover off the ball in A+ the rest of the year?

I don't get the idea that we completely dismiss a solid performance in AA. Its not a definitive statement about his future but you have to feel better about Riley moving forward after 2017 than you did after 2016.

You pimp every single good 1 month performance. You have said similar things about almost every prospect in the Braves system whenever they have a good stretch of 100 PAs. You are the boy who cries star, and you're never right about a guy being better than everyone already thinks he is.

That's why nobody puts any stock into anything you have to say about prospects.

[zbhargrove]

Allard really put some questions to rest for the moment in his last 40 innings or so.

Yup... very encouraging. I'd like to know some reliable stats on velocity though.

[zbhargrove]

Would their be a different perception of Riley if he was never promoted and rippped the cover off the ball in A+ the rest of the year?

I don't get the idea that we completely dismiss a solid performance in AA. Its not a definitive statement about his future but you have to feel better about Riley moving forward after 2017 than you did after 2016.

Probably not... he always excels in the second half. Also, don't know if "tearing the cover off the ball" very accurately describes a guy who put up an OPS .869 in the minors with no speed. Still, he's 20 and he has some time, but looking at his walk and K rates... they have virtually stayed the same. That won't cut it.

[zbhargrove]

Acuna raised his ops .114 from A+ to AAA this year. Riley raised his .150 from A+ to AA. Are you wait and see on acuna too?

BTW, I'm not saying riley will play at this level going forward... I do like him, a lot though

Yeah, but Acuna has 4 more tools and has consistently beasted year after year.... he just went to a new level this year. Riley only has power and average defense. He better learn to walk more and hit homers more consistently if he is to become a regular.

[msstate7]

Yeah, but Acuna has 4 more tools and has consistently beasted year after year.... he just went to a new level this year. Riley only has power and average defense. He better learn to walk more and hit homers more consistently if he is to become a regular.

Seems that way, but they both started pro careers in '15. Acuna has career .863 ops and riley has a career .815. Now I'm not saying .048 is an insignificant difference... just saying riley gets sold short imo

[thethe]

Probably not... he always excels in the second half. Also, don't know if "tearing the cover off the ball" very accurately describes a guy who put up an OPS .869 in the minors with no speed. Still, he's 20 and he has some time, but looking at his walk and K rates... they have virtually stayed the same. That won't cut it.

It just seems the perception is that he is more the player he was in A+ (Still better than league average while being younger for the league) as opposed to the guy he was in all of 16 and since being promoted. Riley was also improving prior to his promotion is the improvement was before the small sample. I'm not saying plan around Riley but he needs to be in the discussion which would therefore lead to platooning Camargo/Ruiz at third next season.

[zbhargrove]

It just seems the perception is that he is more the player he was in A+ (Still better than league average while being younger for the league) as opposed to the guy he was in all of 16 and since being promoted. Riley was also improving prior to his promotion is the improvement was before the small sample. I'm not saying plan around Riley but he needs to be in the discussion which would therefore lead to platooning Camargo/Ruiz at third next season.

No he's more the player he's always been thus far. Not very good first half, very good second half... where ever he is. Still... k-rates and bb-rates have shown ZERO growth and his BABIP is the highest its ever been with the exception of rookie ball.

[zbhargrove]

Seems that way, but they both started pro careers in '15. Acuna has career .863 ops and riley has a career .815. Now I'm not saying .048 is an insignificant difference... just saying riley gets sold short imo

Okay, but the 4 other tools Acuna have makes it even more significant. And how he's grown with k and bb rates... Riley has not shown that growth.

[mqt]

Seems that way, but they both started pro careers in '15. Acuna has career .863 ops and riley has a career .815. Now I'm not saying .048 is an insignificant difference... just saying riley gets sold short imo

That is a woefully misleading argument, sir.