6/14/15 SUNDAY MINORS FINAL ... 4-hit day for Davidson

[rico43]

SUNDAY GAMES

ALL GAMES EDT

CLASS AAA

Indianapolis 4, Gwinnett 2

SP: C. Martin 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.
EYJ 1-4, 3B, R; A. Garcia 1-4, 3B, R; Peraza 1-4, RBI; Terdoslavich 0-2, 3 BB, SB.

CLASS AA

Biloxi 9, Mississippi 0

LP: Hursh (2-5) 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K.
But Hursh in 6th: 1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
Ahrens 1-3, BB; Hyams 1-1 (PH) (.333). Only 2 hits!

ADVANCED CLASS A

Winston-Salem 5, Carolina 2

SP: Gil 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K.
LP: Otero (0-2) 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.
Godfrey 1-4, RBI; Camargo 1-3, R, RBI; D. Peterson 1-3; Curcio 2-4, SB.

CLASS A

Rome 5, Greenville 2 (11)

SP: Beech 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.
Calceido 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K.
WP: Emmons (1-4) 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.
Kinman (Save, 10) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K.
Albies 2-5, 2B (.320); Davidson 4-5, 2 2B, 2 Rm 2 RBI (.279); De La Rosa 2-5, HR (3rd), RBI.

SHORT-SEASON

DSL Braves, idle.

[Garmel]

Davidson's BA is going up every time I see it. Good to see.

[cajunrevenge]

Albies/Braxton are the best 2 position prospects we hack had at the same level since Heywood and Freeman.

[Julio3000]

I was at that game and pleased to say not one of the 4 was a cheapie. He stung the ball to all fields today.

[jpx7]

But Hursh in 6th: 1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.

Shucks.

[chop2chip]

I was at that game and pleased to say not one of the 4 was a cheapie. He stung the ball to all fields today.

It seems like Davidson is really starting to breakout. I remember his swing got comparisons to Freddie Freeman's when he was drafted. Lofty praise.

[jimsnores]

It seems like Davidson is really starting to breakout. I remember his swing got comparisons to Freddie Freeman's when he was drafted. Lofty praise.

Yes, and somewhat young for his league, but with great plate discipline (OPB .400+). Power numbers aren't breathtaking, but at his age, not bad, either. I am becoming a little more optimistic about him.

[Julio3000]

It seems like Davidson is really starting to breakout. I remember his swing got comparisons to Freddie Freeman's when he was drafted. Lofty praise.

I can't say much of substance about him after two games, but I did notice that he can get a level swing plane on balls all over the zone. He's not as loose as Freddie. He also seems to go up to the plate with a plan—first couple of ABs today were against a lefty, and both times he waited on breaking balls and rapped them between SS and 3rd.

Another thing that was apparent is that Albies looks comfortable and capable at SS. He looked sure-handed and heady, always seeming to know how much time he had to make throws. His arm is surprisingly good for his size.

No one else really stood out for Rome. Edgerton had a nice rip and a good defensive play in yesterday's game (also an error). Connor Oliver had two standout defensive plays, including an over-the-shoulder running grab of a shot to the warning track.

[sturg33]

Having never seen him - would be fair to hope that Davidson turns into a Nick Swisher type?

[Heyward]

Albies/Braxton are the best 2 position prospects we hack had at the same level since Heywood and Freeman.

Probably, im not sure what they do with Albies with Simba locked up for awhile, and if Jace keeps progressing, hes good at 2B.

And i think they want some more power at 3B............

[thethe]

Davidson is about to get real interesring. It will be fun to follow Davidson and Albies together for the next couple of years. Maybe they are ready opening day 2018 After we've won the world series.

[Tapate50]

Big Dave (AR): Banuelos started out with the Yankees having excellent control of lower velocity stuff. Then his velocity ticked up quite a bit and he never was able to get good control of it and the elbow went out. What kind of pitcher can Banny be if his control starts to click for his current stuff?
Josh Norris: Back of the rotation guy, probably.

[Tapate50]

Dan (Atlanta): How come Mallex Smith didn't make the Carolina League All Star Roster? What's up with that!
Josh Norris: Because he’s in the Southern League.

Matt (Virginia): Hey Josh, Kolby Allard and the Braves already have an agreement, via John Hart. Once he signs, where will he land on the Braves top prospects list?
Josh Norris: Within the Top 5 somewhere, I’d guess, depending on who graduates.

[clvclv]

Having never seen him - would be fair to hope that Davidson turns into a Nick Swisher type?

Davidson's likely to turn out to be a good bit better defensively than Swisher - covers much more ground out there. Power-wise, Swisher might be a pretty good comp. I think he's maybe a little more like Freeman (topping out at 22-25 HRs regularly) unless they really push him to hit more balls over the fence (which would be a mistake IMO). Swisher never really hit for average like Freddie (only hit over .272 twice in his career) so I think Freeman's a better comp personally, but Swisher is like them both when you look at selectivity - none of them swing at very many pitches that they can't hit somewhere really hard.

[clvclv]

Big Dave (AR): Banuelos started out with the Yankees having excellent control of lower velocity stuff. Then his velocity ticked up quite a bit and he never was able to get good control of it and the elbow went out. What kind of pitcher can Banny be if his control starts to click for his current stuff?
Josh Norris: Back of the rotation guy, probably.

There were a lot of complaints about this year's draft, but I personally think the front office still views Folty and Banuelos as dominant late-inning RPs eventually. Folty's really struggling (IMO yesterday could at least be partially blamed on Bethancourt's game-calling - you simply don't continue to call for your Pitcher's second and third-best pitches when he has a 98 MPH fastball and you've got a 5 run lead) - he's just "wild in the zone" like Joe mentioned. You take his best pitch away when you ask him to stop overpowering hitters. Make him your Closer, tell him to keep throwing 95-98 at the top of the zone, ask him to throw a slider once-in-awhile when the few that can eventually catch up to it up there have fouled 2 or 3 off, and watch him take off. Both of those guys will likely be better served if you just tell them to go out there and mow hitters down rather than trying to develop that third pitch that they haven't been able to thus far.

If you move them to the pen, you've still got Miller/Wood/Teheran/Wisler/Perez/Martin with Brigham and Jenkins behind them plus Fried and Minter (who could move quickly when they're healthy), PLUS Allard and Soroka who could move quickly through the system.

[yeezus]

Shreve would really help this BP right now, he's pitching great. If Man-Ban ends up a reliever (likely), that trade looks bad in hindsight IMO.

[Tapate50]

Not sure why Man Ban would be bullpen bound. A BOR starter with some upside is way more valuable. I think most of us would be a little down on that BOR projection though.

[Deester11]

I go to Rome once a week unless I get to go to Orlando or a few rookie games just to see what we have. Braxton can hit balls out if that were his concentration. He's about being a balanced hitter, but from what I see he adjusts from AB to AB. If a pitcher tries to get him out with the same pitch, he's apt to hit it hard the second time. I've seen it in eight games to date. Julio said it best...he has a plan. He can be overly selective if that's a term as many of his strikeouts come from behind in the count pitchers pitches. (The occasional terrible strike zones don't help). All in all, he's getting there.

Albies...meh. LOL. (Short stick of dyn o mite)!

[smootness]

There were a lot of complaints about this year's draft, but I personally think the front office still views Folty and Banuelos as dominant late-inning RPs eventually. Folty's really struggling (IMO yesterday could at least be partially blamed on Bethancourt's game-calling - you simply don't continue to call for your Pitcher's second and third-best pitches when he has a 98 MPH fastball and you've got a 5 run lead) - he's just "wild in the zone" like Joe mentioned. You take his best pitch away when you ask him to stop overpowering hitters. Make him your Closer, tell him to keep throwing 95-98 at the top of the zone, ask him to throw a slider once-in-awhile when the few that can eventually catch up to it up there have fouled 2 or 3 off, and watch him take off. Both of those guys will likely be better served if you just tell them to go out there and mow hitters down rather than trying to develop that third pitch that they haven't been able to thus far.

If you move them to the pen, you've still got Miller/Wood/Teheran/Wisler/Perez/Martin with Brigham and Jenkins behind them plus Fried and Minter (who could move quickly when they're healthy), PLUS Allard and Soroka who could move quickly through the system.

There's no way we can move Folty to the pen at this point given what he's flashed at times as a starter. Banuelos and Hursh, sure. But Folty should be given every chance to succeed in the rotation.

[clvclv]

There's no way we can move Folty to the pen at this point given what he's flashed at times as a starter. Banuelos and Hursh, sure. But Folty should be given every chance to succeed in the rotation.

I'd love to see him make it as a starter as well, but what he's "flashed" is that he's extremely hittable when he throws anything other than gas. His WHIP isn't 1.56 because he's walking the world (like our bullpen is) - he's only given up less than 5 hits in 2 of his 9 starts, and he's averaging less than 6 IP per start. If you throw out the one good start he had against the Brewers, he's given up 61 hits in 44.1 IP. His secondary pitches simply aren't ready for primetime. His overall strike/ball ratio is bad (531/313), and everything he throws other than his fastball is getting clobbered.

We all understand the upside if he can ever develop at least one solid secondary pitch, but he's going to continue to get crushed at this level until he does. You can already see he's lost in his reactions. If they're going to try to continue developing him as a starter, he needs to go back to Gwinnett and throw nothing but offspeed stuff before he loses confidence in himself.