MONDAY MINORS 4/10 ... A.M. Baseball in Mississippi; Touki awesome

rico43

rico43

<B>Director of Minor League Reports</B>


MONDAY SCOREBOARD

CLASS AAA

Norfolk 3, Gwinnett 0

LP: L. Jackson (0-1) 4.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K.
Albers 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Freeman 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.

Albies 1-4, SB
Avery 1-4, SB
Ruiz 1-3

LINK

CLASS AA

Mississippi 7, Jacksonville 4

WP: Soroka (1-0) 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K
Biddle 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Parsons 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Franco 3-4, 2B, HR (1st), 5 RBI
Demeritte 1-3, 2 R, HR (1st), RBI
Valenzuela 1-4, 3B, R, RB

LINK

ADVANCED CLASS A

Florida 4, Dunedin 0

WP: Toussaint (1-0) 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Salazar 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K
Johnson-Mullins 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Watts 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Acuna 2-4, R, SB
Didder 1-3, HR (1st), RBI
A. Jackson 1-3, HR (2nd), 2 RBI

LINK

CLASS A

Kannapolis 5, Rome 1

LP: Wentz (0-1) 4 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.
McCreery 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
B.S. White 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER. 1 BB, 0 K

Yepez 3-4, 2B, SB
Ventura 2-4, SB
Sehymour 1-4, SB

LINK

All times Eastern
 
That is 4 starters worth watching. So far it has been a mixed bag with all the high ceiling prospect pitchers, and this is the last round of them for the opening week.

Everyday is a good day to pay attention to the minor league pitching.
 
It's really crazy that all four starters are an interesting watch. Just like the majors though, if you took the ten top pitchers in MLB....not all will have good games. Some will do great, some will do ok and one or two will get shelled. That's how it goes and some is just bad luck or bad fielding (especially in the minors) behind them. I want to see where we are sitting after say ten starts with some of these guys.
 
I think the high ceiling guys have done well overall. Fried got shelled, but I'm not worried about him. Beyond that, it's been pretty good.

Newcomb - results weren't great, but I'll take 8 K/2 BB from him in 4.1 all day.
Allard - good 1st start in AA; we have to remember that just decent results from him and Soroka this year would be a phenomenal sign.
Anderson - looked good; 8 K, just 2 H in 4.2
Gohara - tore it up
Sims - good start
Sanchez - results were iffy, but Badler was really impressed
Touki, Wentz, Soroka - haven't pitched yet

To me, that's a pretty good start overall. Blair and Wisler aren't guys I consider to be high-ceiling.
 
smootness said:
I think the high ceiling guys have done well overall. Fried got shelled, but I'm not worried about him. Beyond that, it's been pretty good.

Newcomb - results weren't great, but I'll take 8 K/2 BB from him in 4.1 all day.

Allard - good 1st start in AA; we have to remember that just decent results from him and Soroka this year would be a phenomenal sign.

Anderson - looked good; 8 K, just 2 H in 4.2

Gohara - tore it up

Sims - good start

Sanchez - results were iffy, but Badler was really impressed

Touki, Wentz, Soroka - haven't pitched yet

To me, that's a pretty good start overall. Blair and Wisler aren't guys I consider to be high-ceiling.
Click to expand...

I agree that the first week has been mostly good. Add Weigel and Withrow to the list. I believe that Blair and Wisler were once rated top 100 prospects. That's the thing about prospects. They are highly rated until they stop being highly rated. The highest ratings for those two guys exceeded the highest rating to date of most of the other pitching prospects we have.
 
They are just to old to even be rated anymore and Wisler isn't even a prospect now. Honestly, Sims has a better chance than those two at this point. I think Wisler and Blair will be traded by the mid season (or definitely the offseason), unless they start being more consistent. They have both show flashes.
 
nsacpi said:
I agree that the first week has been mostly good. Add Weigel and Withrow to the list. I believe that Blair and Wisler were once rated top 100 prospects. That's the thing about prospects. They are highly rated until they stop being highly rated. The highest ratings for those two guys exceeded the highest rating to date of most of the other pitching prospects we have.
Click to expand...

Sure, but that doesn't mean that a guy like Wisler ever had a ceiling as high as somebody like Anderson or even Touki.

Wisler and Blair were the kind of guys who gradually moved up as prospects and finally got to the 50s or 60s at age 21-22 or so. Good prospects for sure, but their star has faded some at this point, and they're not even considered prospects anymore.

So when judging the pitching in our farm system, I honestly don't even consider them a part of it anymore. They're in the 'time to get to the majors and have success' period.
 
smootness said:
Sure, but that doesn't mean that a guy like Wisler ever had a ceiling as high as somebody like Anderson or even Touki.

Wisler and Blair were the kind of guys who gradually moved up as prospects and finally got to the 50s or 60s at age 21-22 or so. Good prospects for sure, but their star has faded some at this point, and they're not even considered prospects anymore.

So when judging the pitching in our farm system, I honestly don't even consider them a part of it anymore. They're in the 'time to get to the majors and have success' period.
Click to expand...

I'm at the point with Wisler that unless he develops an out pitch, I don't see him as anything more than a number 5 starter/swing man. And I don't expect him to suddenly develop an out pitch. Blair, on the other hand, still has some potential. I could still see him becoming an innings eating, middle of the rotation starter type. Not a dominant starter but a workhorse that keeps you in games. He's got the stuff, he just needs to consistency. Whether that ever comes is still an open question but I still see him as having a good chance.
 
looking forward to listening to Soroka toady. I have a 11 am meeting that I need to try and wrap up asap. I don't want this going till noon and miss the first few innings.
 
smootness said:
I think the high ceiling guys have done well overall. Fried got shelled, but I'm not worried about him. Beyond that, it's been pretty good.

Newcomb - results weren't great, but I'll take 8 K/2 BB from him in 4.1 all day.
Allard - good 1st start in AA; we have to remember that just decent results from him and Soroka this year would be a phenomenal sign.
Anderson - looked good; 8 K, just 2 H in 4.2
Gohara - tore it up
Sims - good start
Sanchez - results were iffy, but Badler was really impressed
Touki, Wentz, Soroka - haven't pitched yet

To me, that's a pretty good start overall. Blair and Wisler aren't guys I consider to be high-ceiling.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the arms have been good so far. The bats haven't been. Out of Albies, Ruiz, Acuna, Riley, Demeritte and Pache, none of them have gotten off to a particularly hot start. But again, just four games. I'm sure they'll get going soon.
 
CJ9 said:
Yeah, the arms have been good so far. The bats haven't been. Out of Albies, Ruiz, Acuna, Riley, Demeritte and Pache, none of them have gotten off to a particularly hot start. But again, just four games. I'm sure they'll get going soon.
Click to expand...

Ruiz has 3 errors to go along with poor offense
 
smootness said:
I think the high ceiling guys have done well overall. Fried got shelled, but I'm not worried about him. Beyond that, it's been pretty good.

Newcomb - results weren't great, but I'll take 8 K/2 BB from him in 4.1 all day.
Allard - good 1st start in AA; we have to remember that just decent results from him and Soroka this year would be a phenomenal sign.
Anderson - looked good; 8 K, just 2 H in 4.2
Gohara - tore it up
Sims - good start
Sanchez - results were iffy, but Badler was really impressed
Touki, Wentz, Soroka - haven't pitched yet

To me, that's a pretty good start overall. Blair and Wisler aren't guys I consider to be high-ceiling.
Click to expand...

Fried- Yeah, I'm not worried about Fried having a bad start on a night where his back was acting up. I find the back to be more concerning. Hopefully it's just some spasming and nothing serious.
Newcomb- Out of 13 outs, 8 were by K. I like seeing that he's still overpowering batters. We have to find a way for him to avoid his bouts of mechanical breakdown.
Allard- The fact that this kid is already in AA is incredible. I don't even need to see him dominate AA for this season to be a success. If he simply adjusts and does well then it will be amazing.
Anderson- K's were nice, BBs not so much. One start does not a season make so he'll be one to keep an eye on for sure.
Gohara- He's probably my biggest surprise. We heard of that fastball in short stints in the AFL but sitting in the mid 90's and running it up to 99 is impressive. Gotta see how he does over a full season and see how his secondary stuff develops. Still think he's got his future in the back of the bullpen.
Sims- Same old same old. Think he'll end up in the pen this year
Sanchez- Development is more important than results here. This guy was always going to be super long term and that hasn't changed.
 
striker42 said:
I'm at the point with Wisler that unless he develops an out pitch, I don't see him as anything more than a number 5 starter/swing man. And I don't expect him to suddenly develop an out pitch. Blair, on the other hand, still has some potential. I could still see him becoming an innings eating, middle of the rotation starter type. Not a dominant starter but a workhorse that keeps you in games. He's got the stuff, he just needs to consistency. Whether that ever comes is still an open question but I still see him as having a good chance.
Click to expand...

I hope Wisler's not Fool's Gold, but I agree with you in that he's one of those guys who just ate up the lower minors because he was always around the plate with enough velocity and it's always important to remember that the talent is pretty uneven in the minors and a pitcher can get by without a solid "out pitch." I think the thing that is most impressive about Wisler's minor league performance is that he pitched very well in the California and Texas Leagues, which have always been considered to be hitter-friendly, but my main point still stands. If you have the requisite level of command, you can really shine in the lower minors, but as you move up the line, you either have to have pinpoint control or a pitch that can keep hitters off-balance.
 
striker42 said:
Fried- Yeah, I'm not worried about Fried having a bad start on a night where his back was acting up. I find the back to be more concerning. Hopefully it's just some spasming and nothing serious.
Newcomb- Out of 13 outs, 8 were by K. I like seeing that he's still overpowering batters. We have to find a way for him to avoid his bouts of mechanical breakdown.
Allard- The fact that this kid is already in AA is incredible. I don't even need to see him dominate AA for this season to be a success. If he simply adjusts and does well then it will be amazing.
Anderson- K's were nice, BBs not so much. One start does not a season make so he'll be one to keep an eye on for sure.
Gohara- He's probably my biggest surprise. We heard of that fastball in short stints in the AFL but sitting in the mid 90's and running it up to 99 is impressive. Gotta see how he does over a full season and see how his secondary stuff develops. Still think he's got his future in the back of the bullpen.
Sims- Same old same old. Think he'll end up in the pen this year
Sanchez- Development is more important than results here. This guy was always going to be super long term and that hasn't changed.
Click to expand...

*Anderson was brilliant... he fought his curve early on and it made him struggle just a bit in the first 2 innings. For him not to completely fall apart was impressive, but to find it and just dominate after that was spectacular.. he would have gone 6 if not for the hard pitch count...

*Sims was great. aggressive early. Just ran out of gas or lost it going into the sixth. We need to remember he is 22 --> 23 in AAA.. He could make his debut this season as a 23 year old. although not a baby, still impressive.

completely agree on everyone else. Newk was impressive imo.. I missed Weigel.. but results were great.
 
CJ9 said:
Yeah, the arms have been good so far. The bats haven't been. Out of Albies, Ruiz, Acuna, Riley, Demeritte and Pache, none of them have gotten off to a particularly hot start. But again, just four games. I'm sure they'll get going soon.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was really responding to it being a mixed bag for our high-ceiling pitching prospects. I saw the first starts for those guys as generally very positive.

It's 4 games, like you said. They're all adjusting to a new level. I'm not worried about Albies or Acuna, and I don't yet have enough expectations for the others to be very disappointed, even if they struggle all year.

And Albies does have 5 hits, including a 2B and a 3B, in 4 games. I'll take that.
 
Soroka's first AA out is via a swinging K... 1-2 fastball..

2nd out.. 0-2 hook that froze Dean.. 2 Ks

Infield single (should have been an error and ump jobbed him on the 2-1 pitch too)

great curve to get Vidal to pop up to shallow center.
 
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