rico43
<B>Director of Minor League Reports</B>
Newcomb "Still Adjusting"
From MILB
Of all Atlanta Braves' trades in recent years, sending Gold Glove shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Los Angeles Angels may have been the one most questioned by fans. Left-hander Sean Newcomb, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2015 Draft, was the prime return from the deal, and that meant heightened expectations for the pitcher.
"You definitely feel pressure when you are part of a trade like that," Newcomb said. "It made the adjustment a little harder, and I feel that I'm still adjusting."
Installed as Atlanta's new No. 1 pitching prospect, the New England native struggled with his control in two Grapefruit League outings for Atlanta, and it hasn't been smooth sailing with Double-A Mississippi either. The Braves, though, believe in the burly, 6-foot-5 former University of Hartford pitcher. You don't find many potential left-handed starters who can throw in the high-90s and have a Major League curveball and promising changeup.
"We're very happy with Sean," Braves general manager John Coppolella said. "He's made a lot of progress. There is still room to go. We are working with him on being more consistent. I don't know if he is ever going to be perfect, but there is a lot of upside with Sean."
To realize his full potential, Newcomb has to improve his control -- and not just by a little bit. Newcomb, who turned 23 on June 12, has 101 strikeouts in 100 1/3 innings over his first 20 starts for Mississippi. That was the good news. He also walked 57 -- a main reason for his 5-7 record and 4.57 ERA.
"If I can't command my fastball, I can't have success with my other pitches," Newcomb said. "And if I keep missing with my curve and change, my fastball isn't as successful."
Newcomb didn't pitch a lot of innings in high school or in his three seasons at Hartford, meaning he is behind where most former college pitchers would be.
"I'm playing catch-up," he said. "I've been reminded of that."
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TUESDAY'S MINOR LEAGUE RESULTS
CLASS AAA
Gwinnett 11, Indianapolis 2
WP: Ellis (2-4) 5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 7 K, HBP
Cunniff 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Ramirez 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Wooten 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Rojas 2-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Kazmar 1-4, HR (3rd), 3 RBI
Bonifacio 2-3, 3 RBI
Ruiz 1-4, 2B, R
CLASS AA
Mississippi 4, Birmingham 0
WP: Povse (3-0) 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Minter 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Dirks 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Peterson 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Albies 1-4, RBI, SB
Schrader 1-4, HR (10th), 3 RBI
Meneses 1-3, 2B, R
Swanson 0-3, BB
ADVANCED CLASS A
Carolina 8, Myrtle Beach 6
SP: Franco 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
WP: McLaughlin (4-4) 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Pfeifer 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Portuondo (Save, 1) 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Edgerton 4-4, HR (4th), 4 RBI
Curcio 2-3, 3B, 3 R, 2 BB
Valenzuela 2-5, R, RBI
Mendez 3-5, 2B, R
CLASS A
Rome 6, West Viriginia 5
WP: Toussaint (3-7) 6 IP, 6 H, 0 ER(1R), 2 BB, 4 K
Graham 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Johnson-Mullins 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Watts (Save, 2) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Didder 0-3, R, BB, HBP
Riley 2-3, 2 R, HR (9th), 3 RBI
Ellison 1-3, RBI, SB
Morales 1-3, RBI, SB
SHORT-SEASON
GCL Pirates 2, GCL Braves 1
SP: Simmons 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (rehab)
LP: Wilson (1-1) 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Greene 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (rehab)
Mejia 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Cruz 1-4 2B
Benson 2-3
Ventura 0-4
Michel 1-4 (GCL debut)
Schumpert 0-4, 3 K
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Danville 10, Johnson City 8
SP: Stantion 2.1 IP, 9 H, 3 ER(7R), 1 BB, 0 K
Rice 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
WP: Hyssong 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Lara 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Matos (Save, 1) 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Cumberland 3-5, 2 2B, HR (3rd), 6 RBI
Wilson 2-4, 3 R, 2 RBI
Mooney 2-3, 2B, 3 R
O'Malley 1-4, 2B, RBI
Gonzalez 2-4
James 1-5, RBI
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DSL Nationals 7, DSL Braves 3
LP: Julian (0-6) 3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Sepulveda 3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Joaquin 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Vasquez 2-4, 2B, R
Bermudez 2-5
Ramos 1-5, RBI
J.C. Encarnacion 1-1
Y. Lopez 0-5, 5 K
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MOVES: Raysheandall Michel moved from DSL to GCL
From MILB
Of all Atlanta Braves' trades in recent years, sending Gold Glove shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Los Angeles Angels may have been the one most questioned by fans. Left-hander Sean Newcomb, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2015 Draft, was the prime return from the deal, and that meant heightened expectations for the pitcher.
"You definitely feel pressure when you are part of a trade like that," Newcomb said. "It made the adjustment a little harder, and I feel that I'm still adjusting."
Installed as Atlanta's new No. 1 pitching prospect, the New England native struggled with his control in two Grapefruit League outings for Atlanta, and it hasn't been smooth sailing with Double-A Mississippi either. The Braves, though, believe in the burly, 6-foot-5 former University of Hartford pitcher. You don't find many potential left-handed starters who can throw in the high-90s and have a Major League curveball and promising changeup.
"We're very happy with Sean," Braves general manager John Coppolella said. "He's made a lot of progress. There is still room to go. We are working with him on being more consistent. I don't know if he is ever going to be perfect, but there is a lot of upside with Sean."
To realize his full potential, Newcomb has to improve his control -- and not just by a little bit. Newcomb, who turned 23 on June 12, has 101 strikeouts in 100 1/3 innings over his first 20 starts for Mississippi. That was the good news. He also walked 57 -- a main reason for his 5-7 record and 4.57 ERA.
"If I can't command my fastball, I can't have success with my other pitches," Newcomb said. "And if I keep missing with my curve and change, my fastball isn't as successful."
Newcomb didn't pitch a lot of innings in high school or in his three seasons at Hartford, meaning he is behind where most former college pitchers would be.
"I'm playing catch-up," he said. "I've been reminded of that."
------------------
TUESDAY'S MINOR LEAGUE RESULTS
CLASS AAA
Gwinnett 11, Indianapolis 2
WP: Ellis (2-4) 5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 7 K, HBP
Cunniff 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Ramirez 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Wooten 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Rojas 2-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Kazmar 1-4, HR (3rd), 3 RBI
Bonifacio 2-3, 3 RBI
Ruiz 1-4, 2B, R
CLASS AA
Mississippi 4, Birmingham 0
WP: Povse (3-0) 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Minter 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Dirks 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Peterson 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Albies 1-4, RBI, SB
Schrader 1-4, HR (10th), 3 RBI
Meneses 1-3, 2B, R
Swanson 0-3, BB
ADVANCED CLASS A
Carolina 8, Myrtle Beach 6
SP: Franco 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
WP: McLaughlin (4-4) 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Pfeifer 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Portuondo (Save, 1) 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Edgerton 4-4, HR (4th), 4 RBI
Curcio 2-3, 3B, 3 R, 2 BB
Valenzuela 2-5, R, RBI
Mendez 3-5, 2B, R
CLASS A
Rome 6, West Viriginia 5
WP: Toussaint (3-7) 6 IP, 6 H, 0 ER(1R), 2 BB, 4 K
Graham 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Johnson-Mullins 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Watts (Save, 2) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Didder 0-3, R, BB, HBP
Riley 2-3, 2 R, HR (9th), 3 RBI
Ellison 1-3, RBI, SB
Morales 1-3, RBI, SB
SHORT-SEASON
GCL Pirates 2, GCL Braves 1
SP: Simmons 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (rehab)
LP: Wilson (1-1) 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Greene 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (rehab)
Mejia 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Cruz 1-4 2B
Benson 2-3
Ventura 0-4
Michel 1-4 (GCL debut)
Schumpert 0-4, 3 K
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Danville 10, Johnson City 8
SP: Stantion 2.1 IP, 9 H, 3 ER(7R), 1 BB, 0 K
Rice 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
WP: Hyssong 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Lara 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Matos (Save, 1) 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Cumberland 3-5, 2 2B, HR (3rd), 6 RBI
Wilson 2-4, 3 R, 2 RBI
Mooney 2-3, 2B, 3 R
O'Malley 1-4, 2B, RBI
Gonzalez 2-4
James 1-5, RBI
------------
DSL Nationals 7, DSL Braves 3
LP: Julian (0-6) 3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Sepulveda 3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Joaquin 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Vasquez 2-4, 2B, R
Bermudez 2-5
Ramos 1-5, RBI
J.C. Encarnacion 1-1
Y. Lopez 0-5, 5 K
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MOVES: Raysheandall Michel moved from DSL to GCL