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| Luigi Rodriguez (Photo: IPI) |
"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.
All the All Star games are done, and now it is time to officially begin the second half of the minor league baseball season….even though we are almost two thirds of the way through already. It is hard to believe that the regular season for all the minors will end in roughly seven weeks. Where did this season go?
In case you missed it, I posted a piece on shortstop
Tony Wolters on Wednesday. Also, I provided a separate update yesterday on left-hander
Scott Barnes who injured his knee on Sunday and is expected to miss the rest of the season.
I actually left for Florida today for my annual family reunion trip to the beach so will be off line a lot more for the next week; however, I still plan to provide updates and some articles while I am away. That said, Jim Pete will thankfully be taking on more day to day stuff with the game recaps and any news updates that occur while I am away.
Onto the
Happenings…
IPI Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from July 7th through July 13th)
Luigi Rodriguez (Outfielder – Arizona League Indians)
.500 (9-18), 7 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K, 3 SB, 1.418 OPS
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| Luigi Rodriguez |
Not a bad stateside debut so far for rookie level Arizona outfielder Luigi Rodriguez. He is an 18-year old out of the Dominican Republic who in 12 games with Arizona is hitting .395 with 2 HR, 10 RBI, 5 stolen bases, and a 1.034 OPS. The hot start comes off a very successful pro debut last year in the Dominican Summer League (DSL) where in 63 games he hit .301 with 2 HR, 27 RBI, 31 stolen bases, and a .864 OPS.
Rodriguez’s good start in Arizona is no surprise as coming into the season he was considered the Indians top Latin American prospect making his stateside debut (shameless plug alert: He was my #1 Latin American prospect in my book this year). While he has been a run producer in the early going, that is not really his game as he is more of a top of the lineup table-setter with his excellent speed, bat to ball ability, and advanced approach at the plate.
The speed is intriguing with Rodriguez as Scouting Director John Mirabelli once mentioned to me shortly after signing him in September of 2009 that he was probably the fastest player they had ever brought into the system during his tenure. He has a lot of raw speed, but now is learning all the finer points of using that speed in the right way and being a more efficient runner by learning to read pitchers and be a smarter baserunner.
Rodriguez has below average power, but as he has shown so far he has some good bat speed and some occasional pop in his bat. His approach for a Latin player is surprisingly good as he has walked 38 times while striking out only 43 times in 244 career at bats. Defensively, he was originally signed as a second baseman, but after some struggles there he was moved to the outfield and since then has flourished.
Players like Rodriguez are always a lot of fun to follow and see how all the upside translates as he moves up the minor league chain. There is no doubt that he is performing very well in the early going in Arizona, and if he continues to rake he could see some time in short season Single-A Mahoning Valley or Low-A Lake County near the tail end of the season.
Honorable Mentions:
Jason Donald (SS – COL): .429 (6-14), 3 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.429 OPS
Beau Mills (1B – AKR): .412 (7-17), 4 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, 1.265 OPS
Raul Padron (C – AKR): .389 (7-18), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 1.122 OPS
Abner Abreu (OF – KIN): .313 (5-16), 4 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 1.326 OPS
Cody Elliott (OF – MV): .375 (6-16), 2 R, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, .974 OPS
Jose Ramirez (INF – AZL): .500 (8-16), 6 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 SB, 1.063 OPS
Joseph Colon (RHP – MV): 2-0, 1.64 ERA, 2 G, 11.0 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 5 K, .184 BAA
Previous Winners:
06/30 to 07/06: Elvis Araujo (LHP – AZL Indians)
06/23 to 06/29: Kirk Wetmore (LHP – Mahoning Valley)
06/16 to 06/22: Zach McAllister (RHP - Columbus)
06/09 to 06/15: Scott Barnes (LHP – Columbus)
06/02 to 06/08: Beau Mills (1B - Akron)
05/26 to 06/01: Anthony Gallas (OF - Lake County)
05/19 to 05/25: Tim Fedroff (OF – Akron)
05/12 to 05/18: Steven Wright (RHP – Lake County)
05/05 to 05/11: Cord Phelps (INF – Columbus)
04/28 to 05/04: Chun Chen (C – Akron)
04/21 to 04/27: Chad Huffman (OF – Columbus)
04/14 to 04/20: Alex White (RHP – Columbus)
04/07 to 04/13: Drew Pomeranz (LHP – Kinston)
IPI Minor League Player of the Month
(for June)
Jesus Aguilar (First Baseman – Lake County)
.373 AVG (31-for-83), 16 R, 8 2B, 0 3B, 8 HR, 18 RBI, 6 BB, 23 K, 1.195 OPS
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| Jesus Aguilar |
If you want a top candidate for biggest breakthrough as a prospect at the midpoint of the season, it would be hard to argue against that person being Low-A Lake County first baseman Jesus Aguilar. In 84 games so far this season he is hitting .292 with 18 HR, 59 RBI, and a .916 OPS.
Aguilar, who just turned 21-years old two weeks ago, is having a breakout season as a prospect. He is showing well above average power and an ability to not just sit dead red fastball but to also hit the breaking ball a long way. The plate discipline is an issue as he has 87 strikeouts in 312 at bats, but the ability to be a powerful run producer is certainly there. He is also making some very good strides as a defender at first base, and shows surprising athleticism around the bag and the potential to be an average to above average defender there.
It is possible that Aguilar could see a promotion to High-A Kinston before the season ends, but it appears that the Indians will keep him in Lake County the rest of the season so he can continue to develop his approach at the plate and his defense. With the possibility of a full season in Lake County, it will be very interesting to see what kind of numbers he finishes with and if his numbers go up or down here in the last two months of the season.
Honorable Mentions:
Jason Kipnis (2B – COL): .324 AVG, 28 R, 4 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 16 BB, 23 K, 1.024 OPS
Luis Valbuena (INF – COL): .361 AVG, 19 R, 6 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 13 BB, 17 K, 1.081 OPS
Scott Barnes (LHP – COL): 4-1, 1.66 ERA, 6 G, 38.0 IP, 26 H, 12 BB, 39 K, .190 BAA
Jeanmar Gomez (RHP – COL): 4-1, 2.18 ERA, 6 G, 41.1 IP, 35 H, 14 BB, 36 K, .235 BAA
David Huff (LHP – COL): 5-0, 2.56 ERA, 6 G, 38.2 IP, 33 H, 9 BB, 32 K, .224 BAA
Matt McBride (OF – AKR): .322 AVG, 16 R, 9 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 9 BB, 17 K, .998 OPS
Beau Mills (1B – AKR): .306 AVG, 17 R, 8 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 8 BB, 21 K, .844 OPS
Cory Burns (RHP – AKR): 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 S, 12 G, 12.1 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 12 K, .100 BAA
Tyler Cannon (INF – KIN): .295 AVG, 14 R, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 13 BB, 20 K, .945 OPS
Drew Pomeranz (LHP – KIN): 1-1, 1.38 ERA, 5 G, 26.0 IP, 20 H, 12 BB, 27 K, .213 BAA
Previous Winners:
May: Tim Fedroff (Outfielder – Akron)
April: Tyler Cannon (Infielder – Lake County)
Director’s Cuts
Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins talked this week about Zach McAllister and some players in the lower levels of their system:
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| Zach McAllister |
On Zach McAllister: “It is unusual that we ask a Triple-A player to go to Instructional League [last year to work on his delivery], and even more unusual that we did not get any push back. We got no push back from Zach as he was excited to go out there and there were no reservations or reluctance on his part. He was excited about the potential of some mechanical adjustments. Typically at that point in someone’s career mechanical adjustments are not that significant with huge overhauls. With Zach it was more subtle in looking to maximize his size and athleticism and he was open to doing it and open to creating a little bit more athleticism and power to his delivery and he has taken right to it. He has seen the results, and we are excited to see how it translates to the Major Leagues. Really it was just creating a little bit more lower half involvement which engages his legs and core so that he can get everything out of his body to create more action to his pitches. To the naked eye you wouldn’t see a ton as it is just him loading a little bit better with his hips and lower half. That will lengthen your stride a little bit and create a little more athleticism and leverage. He has done a great job and has been really committed with it. He has overwhelmed and overmatched Triple-A hitters with his fastball. His secondary weapons are still developing, but are certainly weapons that will play. He has really been exceptional for a high school player. He has some pedigree as his dad is a professional scout, so he has been around the game to know the differences in a professional and amateur environment. With how open and committed he has been he has really stood out to us.”
On developing in the rookie league environment: “We have tried to do as much as we can to create structure for those young players because they are usually coming out of a high school environment and out of their homes going in to playing baseball for three to four hours a day and having a lot of down time. Anything that we can do to educate them on maturity, professionalism and certainly the game of baseball we look for those opportunities. [Sending them to a game to see us play the Diamondbacks] was a layup as that was an easy one to take them into that environment. It is powerful for them to see it a little bit closer than they probably have seen it before. Hopefully what they see is they are not that far away and the players are not that more talented than they are. The magic word being is that [the Major Leaguers] are much more consistent than these young players. Physically and just from a pure raw ability standpoint hopefully they see that one day they will be able to do that if they are more consistent. That was a big part of our vision in creating a facility closer to Major League players and our young players see them each day and can learn from them and aspire to be just like them at some point. Anthony Medrano has done an unbelievable job with those guys and we are a much more disciplined group than we were two years ago. It is much more than just coaching a team and managing a team as these kids are young. They need a ton of structure and guidance and he has done a good job at providing it.”
On the difference between Mahoning Valley and Arizona: “Typically the Arizona League predominantly has high school and Latin American players. In the NY-Penn League you predominantly have college players, and sometimes some very accomplished college players. Depending on the time of the year some say that level is stronger than the South Atlantic League and Midwest League because you have some of the more accomplished college players and a greater number of them than you do at the next step levels. They are very different levels. The biggest difference is consistency as the raw abilities are similar, but the college pitcher may have a better feel for breaking pitches, more exposure to wooden bats because of summer leagues, and will certainly be a better decision maker as they have played baseball for three or more years than the other person. There is a very wide gap not only from an execution standpoint, but also an experience standpoint with not only three years of college baseball but the college life with that experience leaving their homes, being away and in a new environment, and playing with a new group of people.”
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| Tony Wolters |
On Tony Wolters: “He is off to a great start. He had a hamate fracture earlier in the year so he missed the bulk of spring training and really missed the first half. He is just now returning to full strength and is off to an incredible start offensively hitting for power, hitting for average, getting on base, and is a lot of fun to watch at shortstop.”
On Jake Lowery: “There is a lot to the emotions in this game and the immediate reactions and immediate assessments and you try not to put a ton of weight into what could be an emotional evaluation. Having said that, when someone stands out immediately to our Player Development group as being above the norm, that is a good sign even if it is a quick look. He has stood out to our Player Development group right out of the gates as being much more advanced and polished and having some leadership ability, but the one thing that has really stood out is the bat and he has shown that objectively as well.
On Bryson Myles: “That is scouting showing some confidence in player development as we are getting a very raw athlete and hopefully we can help him refine his baseball skills. He is different with his physical attributes but is similar with his raw abilities to someone like LeVon Washington. He is someone who is going to need player development and need the process to go level to level and all of the Instructional Leagues. If he takes advantage of them he has a great chance based on his athleticism.
Pomeranz gears up for Akron debut
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| Drew Pomeranz |
As reported earlier in the week, High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz has been called up to Double-A Akron. After attending the Futures Game on Sunday he made his way to Akron to join the team before they travelled to Harrisburg on Wednesday. As of this writing no official word has been provided on when he will make his Double-A debut, but there is a good chance that may happen tonight (Friday).
Pomeranz, 22, was stellar in 15 starts with Kinston where he went 3-2 with a 1.87 ERA, and in 77.0 innings allowed 56 hits, 32 walks, and had 95 strikeouts. At the time of his promotion his 1.87 ERA was tops in the Carolina League, and he also ranked 4th in strikeouts (95) and 8th in the league in WHIP (1.14).
From a statistical standpoint the promotion was long overdue, but the Indians wanted him to develop a solid base to pitch from and show improvement in his changeup and controlling the running game. The changeup is showing more consistency and his delivery is improved. The biggest change is his work out of the stretch where he lowered his leg kick which has taken almost a whole half second off his times to home plate (1.7 to 1.23 seconds), which in turn helps him control the running game. With the strides he has made, the timing with the Futures Game and All Star break was a perfect time to make the long awaited move to Akron.
Sturdevant now on the radar
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| Tyler Sturdevant |
Double-A Akron right-handed reliever Tyler Sturdevant is now a part of what is a deep mix of potential Major League bullpen options for the Indians at the Double-A level or above. After an impressive season at High-A Kinston where in 21 games he went 4-2 with a 1.98 ERA (41.0 IP, 31 H, 8 BB, 44 K), the Indians felt it was time to challenge the 25-year old at the next level by promoting him to Akron at the end of June. In six appearances with Akron he is 2-1 with a 4.22 ERA, and in 10.2 innings he has allowed 14 hits, 3 walks, and has 11 strikeouts.
Since starting pitchers get most of the priority and a lot of them are turned into relievers late in their career, it is extremely tough for career minor league relievers to make enough waves to get consideration as a prospect and the attention of the big league team. Sturdevant has done a good job of beating the odds to date as he was not a high priority guy when he initially came into the system (27th round, 2009) and is an older prospect, but he is definitely in the mix now.
Sturdevant’s rise up the Indians system has a lot to do with his stuff. His fastball sits in the low 90s and touches 95 MPH, and he has a cutter that is an effective but average secondary offering. The intangibles like his consistency, toughness, and work ethic are the other reasons for his success to date. He has outstanding makeup and is an aggressive pitcher who loves to compete on the mound.
The Indians are having him develop a curveball to give batters a different look from his fastball-cutter mix, and the occasional slider and splitter he also has stored away in his arsenal. The Indians feel if he stays healthy and continues to rebound well from the Tommy John surgery he had in 2007 that he could one day pitch in the Major Leagues. If he continues to do what he has done so far, that looks like a distinct possibility.
Trying to find the Wright stuff
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| Steven Wright |
High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Steven Wright continues to work on the development of his knuckleball. He was recently promoted to Kinston after spending some time in Low-A Lake County where in 9 starts he went 1-2 with a 3.13 ERA (46.0 IP, 48 H, 24 BB, 33 K). In four starts with Kinston so far he is 1-1 with a 5.04 ERA (25.0 IP, 31 H, 8 BB, 19 K). Overall this season in 15 games (11 starts) at four different levels he is 3-3 with a 3.78 ERA, and in 78.2 innings he has allowed 87 hits, 34 walks, and has 58 strikeouts.
The numbers for Wright are not very impressive, but again, he is working on harnessing the knuckleball so the stats as a result will often be ugly. The pitch comes and goes, and he is working on developing more consistency with it along with mixing in his high 80s fastball and nice slider. Right now he is throwing the knuckleball about 75% of the time, and he uses a two fingertip grip on it so he throws it harder than traditional knucklers do as it comes in on hitters at about 72-76 MPH.
Wright continues to talk to former Indians knuckleballer Tom Candiotti throughout the transition, and may even seek out Charlie Hough in the offseason for some additional pointers. His goal the remainder of the season is to find the proper arm path and become comfortable with the pitch regardless of the results. He also needs to learn to accept that he will walk guys and not throw as many strikes as he used to.
Catching still a third option for McBride
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| Matt McBride |
Triple-A Columbus first baseman/outfielder Matt McBride is learning a lot about the versatility game this year. With a crowded situation in Columbus to start the year but the first base position vacant in Double-A Akron because Beau Mills was injured, McBride opened the season by going to Akron to be the regular first baseman. It was not a placement that he particularly liked after spending most of 2009 and 2010 in Akron, but he did what he does best and played well where in 76 games at Akron he hit .286 with 12 HR, 46 RBI and a .862 OPS.
With injuries up and down the system at catcher and some callups and injuries in the outfield and first base in Columbus, McBride eventually got another shot in Columbus when he was called up at the end of June. He initially went up to Columbus as a backup catching option to Paul Phillips since Luke Carlin has been nursing a right elbow injury, but the Indians on Thursday moved catcher Michael Hernandez up from Akron to Columbus. McBride will now once again settle into a first base and outfield only role.
Catching is certainly still an option for McBride, but it is clear it is not a priority for the Indians as he has been relegated to emergency only status as a catcher. The Indians initially moved him off of catcher at the end of 2008 to preserve his shoulder after he had surgery the year before, but he now only fits for them as a first base and outfield option. With Chun Chen needing to play everyday at the Double-A level to facilitate his development, and with two Major League quality depth options at Triple-A with Phillips and Carlin, the Indians like their catching options right now in the upper levels.
Lowery living up to billing
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| Jake Lowery |
One of the more impressive early returns for the Indians so far from the 2011 Draft has been the play of 4th round pick catcher Jake Lowery at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley. In 22 games he is hitting .274 with 4 HR, 16 RBI, and a .900 OPS. He has been an extra base hit machine as 14 of his 23 hits have gone for extra bases, and he has shown a good approach with 12 walks to 14 strikeouts in 84 at bats.
Lowery turns 21-years old next week, and has been as advertised by crushing the ball all over the field. In 61 games this year at James Madison he hit .359 with 24 HR and 91 RBI, but some people felt his offensive performance was inflated by the new bandbox of a park he played in there. The Indians scouts saw the power, and so far he is proving them right as he is making good, solid contact and appears to have already transitioned well to using wood bats full time.
Lowery is very strong and should only continue to get stronger as he matures and is exposed to professional training and nutrition every day. He has a good plan when he steps up to the plate where he is often relaxed and won’t try to do too much. He has shown an ability to strike a good balance between being aggressive early in the count and being patient to get his pitch deeper in the count. He is a very confident player, and has excellent makeup.
Huffman struggles continue
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| Chad Huffman |
Triple-A Columbus outfielder/first baseman Chad Huffman has struggled for most of the season where in 83 games he is hitting .231 with 10 HR, 43 RBI and a .724 OPS. After a good month of April where he hit .301 with 5 HR, 18 RBI and a .996 OPS in 21 games, he has struggled since May 1st hitting just .211 with 5 HR, 25 RBI and a .642 OPS in 62 games.
The Indians picked Huffman up off waivers last September and retained him even after removing him from the 40-man roster in the offseason because they viewed him as big league depth in the outfield. He had a solid spring and good April, but with his play cratering the past few months he is no longer an option for the big league team. This is unfortunate because had he continued to play well after April there is a chance he could have come up to Cleveland considering their need for a right-handed bat and an outfielder.
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).
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