Minor Happenings: Pomeranz off to rocking start

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

"Minor Happenings" is a weekly column which recaps the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. While most of the information in this report is from my own research and through interviews I have conducted with organizational personnel, some information in this report is collected and summarized from the various news outlets that cover each team.

Ah, the first Minor Happenings report of the 2011 season. Now the baseball season has officially started, at least for me.

I’m sorry to say that the season debut of Minor Happenings is kind of abbreviated today as I did not have the time to devote to the piece like I usually do because of my recent health issues. Nonetheless the show must go on and I have pretty much summarized everything that was noteworthy in the first week of action in the Indians farm system.

At the moment I still plan to visit Triple-A Columbus this weekend, so I am looking forward to some last minute baseball and seeing some old friends before my big surgery next Thursday which will lay me up for awhile and prevent me from going to any games in the short term. Hope to see some of you Clippers and Indians fans in Columbus this weekend!

Onto the Happenings…

Indians Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from April 7th to April 13th)

Drew Pomeranz (Left-handed pitcher – Kinston)
0-0, 2 G, 0.00 ERA, 11.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 17 K, .088 AVG

High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz has had about as perfect a professional debut as a pitcher can have. He has been nearly flawless on the mound allowing no earned runs and just three hits and two walks in 11 innings while blowing away 17 hitters for strikeouts. He has had two no decisions, but a lot of that is due to some poor run support and an 80-pitch count which has prevented him from being able to finish six full innings in either start.

In his debut in the Kinston season opener last Friday, Pomeranz threw 5.1 two-hit, shutout innings with no walks and nine strikeouts. He relied heavily on a low 90s fastball in the initial outing where he threw just a few curveballs and only one changeup all game. In his follow up outing yesterday he was excellent once again going 5.2 innings allowing one hit, an unearned run, two walks and eight strikeouts. This time he had a much more balanced pitch mix where he mixed in his plus curveball a lot more and featured his developing changeup a lot more.

Right now it is all about developing Pomeranz’s strike throwing ability so he is more consistent with pounding the zone with all of his pitches. He also needs to focus on developing his changeup. With the way he pitched in spring training and so far in his first two outings, there is no doubt that if you were to have a running Top 10 prospect list for the Indians all season that he is the #1 player in the Indians’ system right now.  He is simply just dominating hitters right now and has the stuff that hitters just can't recreate when hitting against pitching machines.

With two dominating starts in the books Pomeranz is not being challenged at the High-A level, and if he keeps this up another few starts the Indians may have to find a way to push him up to Double-A Akron. That may be tough because at the moment the rotation in Akron is stacked with the likes of Kelvin De La Cruz, Matt Packer, Austin Adams, Scott Barnes, and Joe Gardner, which are all high profile pitching prospects for the Indians. Injuries and performance will factor into things, so it remains to be seen what the Indians may do with Pomeranz until those things occur, but it looks like barring an injury to one of the aforementioned five pitchers in Akron that Pomeranz will be in Kinston for awhile and may potentially be there through May.

Honorable Mentions:

Cord Phelps (INF – COL): .440 (11-25), 5 R, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K, 1.317 OPS
Lonnie Chisenhall (3B – COL): .292 (7-24), 3 R, 5 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, 1.018 OPS
Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP – AKR): 2-0, 2 G, 0.90 ERA, 10.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 7 BB, 12 K
Adam Abraham (3B – KIN): .353 (6-17), 3 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 1.419 OPS
Jason Smit (OF – LC): .462 (12-26), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 8 K, 1.202 OPS
Giovanny Urshela (3B – LC): .393 (11-28), 6 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K, .969 OPS
Tyler Cannon (INF – LC): .350 (7-20), 5 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, 1.009 OPS
Mike Rayl (LHP – LC): 2-0, 2 G, 0.00 ERA, 11.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K
Michael Goodnight (RHP – LC): 1-1, 2 G, 0.90 ERA, 10.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K.

Director’s Cuts

Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins has been out at Double-A Akron taking in games this week, and here are some quotes from a recent interview this week:

On the Akron rotation: “They have all been really good, each guy to a man. Scott Barnes, Kelvin De La Cruz, Austin Adams, Matt Packer, and Joe Gardner, they have all looked very strong and like major league pitchers. They are limited by their pitch counts at this point and are not going deep into games. They have had strikeouts and have put the ball consistently over the plate and seem to be in a good position to start the season. The strikeouts are high but we need to get the walks down. They are all putting the ball on the ground and in play and seem to be heading in the right direction.”

On Austin Adams: “He is a converted shortstop who is extremely athletic. He has a natural delivery that really allows for him to not only have power but also throw strikes. The power and tilt of his breaking ball has really progressed. There is not a lot with his delivery that we would like to change, but the subtle things we have asked him to do he has been able to do because of his athleticism. He has been up to 99 MPH and his first outing was exceptional as he went six innings and allowed no runs with seven or eight punchouts. Sometimes the Double-A transition is somewhat of a bottleneck for guys, but the early signs are that has not been a problem for him.”

Captains No-No

The Low-A Lake County Captains final home game last year was a thrilling on-field celebration after claiming the 2010 Midwest League Championship. It would be hard to top that magical night, but on Monday night the Captains arguably did just that. In their first home game since the 2010 championship clincher, three pitchers combined for a no-hitter in the Captains’ 2011 home opener.

Right-handed fire-baller Trey Haley got things started throwing the first three innings before leaving because of a 55-pitch limit and allowed a run on no hits, two walks, and had four strikeouts. The one run came as the result of a bout of wildness where he had two walks and two wild pitches in the third inning. If he can ever harness his command he arguably has the best arm in the system and can go places, and he showed some great power on Monday night by getting his two-seam fastball up to 99 MPH.

Left-hander Francisco Jimenez pitched the next 4.0 shutout-hitless innings and allowed just one walk and had two strikeouts. He picked up the victory and continues to live up to his vulture status in the bullpen as he is now 16-1 out of the bullpen in 51 career relief appearances with Lake County. Right-handed closer Clayton Ehlert pitched the final 2.0 innings of shutout-hitless ball and did not allow a walk or record a strikeout.

De La Cruz-ing

Double-A Akron left-handed pitcher Kelvin De La Cruz is looking to re-establish himself as one of the Indians’ top pitching prospects. He is still very much in the long term plans of the organization since he is still on the 40-man roster, but he had an inconsistent season last year where in 26 combined starts between Akron and High-A Kinston he went 7-8 with a 5.01 ERA (127.2 IP, 120 H, 72 BB, 105 K).

De La Cruz had problems all last season with his consistency, mostly with throwing strikes which led to a high walk rate. Some of that was due to some apprehension on his part in coming back from a serious elbow injury in 2009 which sidelined him almost all season and nearly resulted in Tommy John surgery. In his struggle to regain confidence with his health, his command suffered. The hope right now is that he is in a good frame of mind to go out and attack and not worry about reinjuring himself, and so far this spring that has been the case.

De La Cruz looks like a more confident pitcher this year. The velocity has been there this spring and he looks to be in the best shape of his career thanks to a dedicated offseason workout routine. He has really shown a lot of confidence in the early going with his two-seam fastball and slider, though his changeup is still inconsistent. It’s hard not to like his numbers after two starts where he is 0-2 with a 0.90 ERA (10.0 IP, 3 H, 7 BB, 12 K), but the walks are still a concern as seven in twelve innings of work is not good. He is still working on some of his inconsistencies with repeating his delivery and finding a consistent release point, and the hope is that when he does a noticeable spike in his command will follow.

Soto keeps impressing

High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Giovanni Soto continues to impress since being picked up from the Detroit Tigers last July for infielder Jhonny Peralta. The 19-year old had a very good Carolina League debut on Monday where he went 5.2 innings and allowed two runs on three hits, one walk, and had eight strikeouts.

Soto’s cutter is a major league quality offering and one of the best in all the minors, but is also a pitch he tends to rely on too much. The Indians have instructed him to cut back some on the use of the cutter and instead have him incorporate more fastballs into his pitch mix. The hope is that by featuring his fastball more he will show more velocity, and so far he has as he has been up to 93 MPH this season. The improved velocity and usage of his fastball should only help the effectiveness of his curveball, changeup and cutter.

Considering Soto has seen some velocity gains this year, if he continues to carry over his success from last year into this season he is going to shoot up the Indians prospect rankings by the end of the season. The High-A level and the age 19 to 20 year is when right-hander Hector Rondon saw huge velocity gains, so perhaps some of the same at least happens with Soto this year.

Random Notes

Triple-A infielder Cord Phelps has been a man of many positions so far this season as he has played two games at shortstop, two games as the designated hitter, one game at third base, and one game at second base. His rotation among those spots should continue as it allows him the opportunity to be an everyday player and keep his hot stick in the lineup where in six games so far this year he is hitting .440 with 2 HR, 7 RBI and a 1.317 OPS.

Triple-A Columbus third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall is off to a solid start at Columbus in what is expected to be a tune up for a potential call to Cleveland in June or July. In six games he is hitting .292/.393/.625 with six of his seven hits going for extra bases. He is pure hitter in every sense as he pounds the ball to all parts of the field and wears out the gaps.

Don’t look now, but Triple-A Columbus infielder Luis Valbuena looks to be the first player in line for a callup to Cleveland if the need for an infielder arises. The Indians have to figure out how to add infielder Jason Donald back into the mix here real soon, and he may not even be a sure thing to go to Cleveland when he is healthy. Valbuena is showing he can hit Triple-A pitching where in five games he is hitting .412/.474/.647, which may be a very small sample size but he did hit .313/.427/.604 in 25 games at Columbus last year too.

Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher Austin Adams is being featured as a full time starter this season which increases his value a ton and puts him into top ten prospect consideration. In his first game as a full fledged starter he did not disappoint on Sunday going six shutout innings and allowing just two hits, one walk, and struck out six. He was a strike machine all night throwing 50 of his 73 pitches for strikes (68.5%) and first pitch strikes to 17 of the 21 batters he faced.

Double-A right-handed pitcher Joe Gardner has had a solid start to the season. In two starts he is 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA, and in 11.0 innings has allowed eight hits, eight walks, and has five strikeouts. He really struggled in the first two innings of his first start due to him being a bit overanxious in his Double-A debut, but since then he has settled in. The walks are a concern and something to monitor, and it will be interesting to see what happens to his good K-rate now that he is in Double-A.

Double-A Akron right-handed reliever Connor Graham had a tough luck injury on the eve of the season opener when he had to leave the exhibition game between Akron and Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday April 6th. He complained of discomfort in his right shoulder, and has since been removed from the Akron roster. There is no ETA on when he will return.

Double-A Akron left-hander Matt Packer has made one start so far going 5.2 innings and allowing four runs on five hits, one walk and has three strikeouts. He actually had a dandy of a game going as he had a one hit shutout going through five innings before he tired in the sixth inning to allow four runs on four hits and a walk.

High-A Kinston third baseman Adam Abraham is off to a nice start hitting .353 with 3 HR, 6 RBI and a 1.419 OPS in six games to start the season. He is a grinder type who comes to the field every day and is a good guy in the clubhouse, and appears to have established himself as a favorite in the organization due to his versatility to where he can play third base, first base, and catcher. He’s looking like the next Jerad Head-type player in the system.

High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher T.J. House had a rough first start to his season on Tuesday night where he lasted just 2.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, one walk, and had four strikeouts. He did not leave early because of injury, but was just gassed as he was in trouble all night and had to pitch out of a lot of jams and had to be removed because of his pitch count. He left the game throwing 73 pitches.

Right-hander Jason Knapp is expected to join Kinston sometime in the coming weeks, potentially once Drew Pomeranz is promoted. He is currently in extended spring training building himself up and to be ready to pitch when called upon. He is not hurt, but since he only pitched 28.1 innings last year the Indians are delaying the start of his season in order to control his workload this year since he will only pitch 80-100 innings this season.

If not for lefty Drew Pomeranz’s sensational start, all the talk right now might be on the great start by Low-A Lake County left-handed pitcher Mike Rayl. In two games he is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, and in 11.0 innings has allowed two hits, no runs, three walks, and has 11 strikeouts. He is a soft-tossing command and control lefty, and is a guy the organization likes and who has some helium. Could he be in line for a Matt Packer-like breakout this year?

Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher Michael Goodnight is putting the foundation together for a big year. In two starts he is 1-1 with a 0.90 ERA, and in 10.0 innings he has allowed three hits, one earned run, three walks, and has eight strikeouts. He was a high profile draft signing last year getting $315,000 to sign, which was well overslot for a 13th round pick.

Outfielder LeVon Washington will probably join Low-A Lake County soon once he is cleared and considered game ready. He had offseason surgery on his hip and was slowed in spring training by a minor knee injury, so he is working himself into regular game shape since he was a few weeks behind the players when they broke camp two weeks ago. He may just stay in extended spring training and play games there until short-season leagues kick up in June, but I have a feeling we will see him in Lake County soon.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

Posted in: Adam Abraham,Austin Adams,Connor Graham,Cord Phelps,Drew Pomeranz,Giovanni Soto,Jason Knapp,Kelvin De La Cruz,LeVon Washington,Lonnie Chisenhall,Michael Rayl,T.J. House,Trey Haley