Around the Farm: 5/30

(photo: Lake County) 

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday's performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday's game.

Kyle Landis, RP, Akron: 3 IP, 4 K, S (1):


Kinston starter Clayton Cook and relief pitcher Kyle Landis combined to pitch a one-hitter yesterday.  While Cook was extremely good, Landis was perfect.  What's most impressive about his appearance is where he's come from.  Landis was a top 50 prospect for the Tribe after the 2009 season, but a back injury and a rare nerve injury put him on the shelf for the entire 2010 season.  Landis missed the first two months of 2009 with the back injury, and as he was getting ready to make his first appearance, his forearm mysteriously went numb.  He wasn't allowed to throw until the feeling came back, but he continued therapy, which made the arm grow stronger.  Now he's back, and seemingly, better than ever.

• Cord Phelps-2B, Columbus: 2-5, 1 K: Phelps continued his assault on International League hitting with another multi-hit game, raising his average to .319.  He's currently on a fourteen game hit streak, and has multi-hit games in three of his last four.  I would be shocked if Phelps wasn't called up to the big league club in the next couple of weeks.  He plays multi-positions, and can perhaps help re-energize an Indians club that is struggling.
• Lonnie Chisenhall-3B, Columbus: 0-4, 1 K: Chis continues his up and down season.  After catching fire last week with back-to-back-to-back-to-back two hit games, he's now stuck in a 1-15 slump.
• Jason Kipnis-DH, Columbus: 2-4: Kipnis is on a current 12-game hit streak, and while he's not pulling out the long-ball lumber, you almost get the impression that this is the calm before the storm.  Phelps clearly is the guy that goes first, but Chisenhall and Kipnis have more upside.  If Kipnis could put together a June that was similar to the way he ended the season in 2010, the Tribe would almost have to call him up at the break.
• Luis Valbuena-SS, Columbus: 3-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI: Valbuena is on an eight-game hit streak (five of the eight games are multi-hit) in which he's hitting .438.  Valbuena and Phelps are on similar flight plans with regards to a utility role.  Who they choose to bring up when the time is right could show off the thinking of the Chris Antonetti and the Indians front office.  A Phelps call-up could signify the start of a prospect influx.  A Valbuena call-up could signify the brass wanting to continue with veteran players.
• Scott Barnes-SP, Columbus: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 9 K, 1 HR: Barnes has made six starts since May 2, and each start has improved slightly over the previous.  Hopefully, this start is a sign of things to come for one of the Tribe's top lefties.
• Justin Germano-RP, Columbus: 1 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R/ER, 1 BB: Germano gets a hold here, but again, it shows you the stupidity of the stat to begin with.  Germano has made two appearances since the demotion, and has gotten lit up in both.
• Nick Hagadone-RP, Columbus: 2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, BS (1), L (1-1): Hagadone's shortest outing in Columbus so far turns out to be his worst.  A two-out walk led to a two-run homer.  Not what you want to see from the closest "sure-thing" big arm that isn't on the DL, resting, or missing.
• Tim Fedroff-LF, Akron: 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB: Fedroff's hit streak is over, but in the two games after the streak was stopped, he's 4-6.  Move him to Columbus!
• Beau Mills-DH, Akron: 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 K: Mills is batting .239, and it appears as though the "bust" tag stays with him, for now.
• Chun-Hsiu Chen-C, Akron: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K: Chen's double in the bottom of the ninth inning broke a 2-2 tie, and was the game winner.  It gave the largest crowd in Canal Park history (9,328 fans).
• Karexon Sanchez-2B, Akron: 1-3, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB (5): Don't look now, but Sanchez has his average up to .212.  I know, it sounded better in my head.  Sanchez is on a modest eight-game hit streak in which seven of the eight games are of the one-hit variety.  He's not hitting the cover of the ball, but he's hitting...which is a big step up from the beginning of the year.
• Austin Adams-SP, Akron: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 5 K: Adams puts together another solid outing, aside from some control issues with the five walks.
• Matt Langwell-RP, Akron: 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 3 K, W (2-1): Langwell dominated Carolina League pitching for much of last season, before tailing off a bit at the end of the year.  He's slowly starting to shape back into that dominating reliever.
• Tyler Holt-CF, Kinston: 2-5, 2 R, 1 K, SB (11): Holt has his first real big offensive game in weeks.  Hopefully, Havoc is back.
• Casey Frawley-SS, Kinston: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K: Frawley's grand slam broke the game open for Kinston in a 9-1 blow out.  Frawley's only hitting .225 on the season, but has really showcased some interesting power for a shortstop recently.  His six homers and 29 RBI are both tops on the team.  The 29 RBI are tied for seventh in the league.  Certainly, if Frawley could improve his OBP from .313, he'd immediately become a player to watch.  You can't beat power from the shortstop position, right Asdrubal?
• Adam Abraham-3B, Kinston: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI: Abraham's only hitting .239, but I can't help but think that there is a big-time hitter in there somewhere.  His line over the past ten games is .235/.389/.559.  That .940 OPS certainly is interesting, considering his batting average.
• Roberto Perez-C, Kinston: 4-4, 1 R, 2 RBI: Perez had 17 hits coming into the game...
• Clayton Cook-SP, Kinston: 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 4 BB, 5 K: Cook continues to impress.  His 3.42 ERA is reflective of one-bad start.  Other than that, he's been the top-50 prospect many see him as.
• Mike Rayl-SP, Lake County: 3 IP, 6 H, 1 R/ER, 2 K, L (4-1): Rayl wasn't bad, but one-run wasn't enough, as Lake County got three-hit.  Rayl's loss was his first of the season.  I'm not sure why he only went three innings, but it seems as though Indians' management are handling many of their pitchers with kid gloves.  Perhaps the Alex White injury has made them a bit timid.
• Anthony Gallas-LF/RF, Lake County: First Game: 1-3/Second Game 1-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB: Gallas upped his hit streak to 14 games with hits in both ends of the double-header.

Posted in: Around the Farm,Lake County