Minor League Recaps: 8/24

by yondaime4 on Aug 24, 2008 10:52 PM EDT in Minor League Recaps Comment 28 comments

Richmond 6, Toledo 0

J. Anderson 3-5 2 RBI
B. Lillibridge 1-4 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K
J. Phillips 3-4 2B, K

Richmond used four pitchers in this shutout. I'm not really sure why, but hey, it worked right? And what kind of offense have they been getting from their catchers lately? Phillips is hitting .382 in his last ten games and Corky Miller is hitting .400 with 4 HRS!!!!! (In his last 10 that is). Corky Miller is pretty much the worst hitter in baseball history so this really bottles the mind (you know, where something is so crazy it just takes your mind and puts it in a bottle...).

Mobile @ Mississippi (Both games Postponed due to Rain)

Wilmington 1, Myrtle Beach 4

T. Flowers 2-4 2B, RBI, 2 K
E. Mejia 2-4 2B, 2 RBI
B. Hicks 1-4 HR(19), K
K. Cofield 6IP 1H 0R 0BB 4K

Myrtle Beach continues to dominate their competition. I wonder if you could have moved this team up a level and they still could have competed? I doubt it, AA is a big jump, but who knows. On the season they are 85-48 which is a .639 winning percentage. That would be 103 wins over 162 game season. Cofield is another guy who has sneaked around and put together a pretty good season. He had a horrible July but so far in August his ERA is .57. Last I checked that was pretty damn good. Granted he hasn't been pitching but 3 and 4 innings a start this month, but tonight showed how good he has been.

Rome 2, Savannah 1 - Game 1

J. Heyward 0-2 BB
F. Freeman 1-3 2B
R. Sullivan 6IP 4H 1R 0BB 3K

Since being promoted to Rome Sullivan has pitched better each time out. We drafted hims out of SCAD is Savannah and was pretty dominant in the Appy league. I don't really know much about him but I just have a good feeling about a guy who can pitch dominantly against competition in whatever college league SCAD is in and then come to Low A and still be better than most hitters.

Rome 1, Savannah 4

J. Heyward 1-4 RBI, 2 K
F. Freeman 0-3 2 K
J. Locke 5IP 5H 2R 1BB 5K

Jeff Locke is still my favorite pitching prospect. Thats all.

Danville 4, Burlington 0

L.V. Ware 1-4 3B, RBI, K
C. Shehan 1-4 3B, RBI
S. Kent 6IP 2H 0R 0BB 5K

Steve Kent really has all kinds of upside, mostly because he is young and doesn't have a ton of baseball experience coming from Australia and his body could stand to fill out a little bit more. I know the Braves were excited when they signed him and I, for one, can't wait to see what he can do against tougher competition.

GCL Braves - Off

Baseball America's Best Tools

I thought someone might have posted this by now, but I guess not. Anyways, BA posted their best tools (as voted for by league managers) and some lower level Braves got a lot of mention.

Jason Heyward was voted the best batting prospect as well as the most exciting player in the Sally League. This isn't really surprising as it looks like Heyward is being mentioned among the top 5-10 prospects in the game lately. I don't know if he merits that much attention yet, but I'm probably just saying that for fear of him becoming crappy when everyone finds out about him.

Hitters had a rough time getting any awards in the Carolina League because the Orioles decided keeping Matt Wieters there for most of the year was smart. Still, several Pelicans players came away with some awards. Tommy Hanson was voted the leagues best pitcher but wasn't awarded any other of the pitchers awards. Hanson is just good all around.

Brandon Hicks, Travis Jones and Gorkys Hernandez all won the best defense at their respective positions and Hernandez was also voted best OF arm and most exciting player in the league, which honestly surprised me a bit, mostly because of his off second half and his injuries. Someone with that kind of skill package must be pretty exciting. He comes off like an OF version of Furcal.

At Mississippi Luis Valdez came away with the best reliever and Van Pope got his customary best defensive 3B. In Richmond Charlie Morton was the best pitching prospect and Dave Brundage was voted the best manager prospect in the league. Another in the Bobby Cox lineage?

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Heyward to Myrtle

Jason Heyward is on his way to Myrtle Beach

by NWFla on Aug 24, 2008 11:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

for a week?

Following the Braves...one long hard drink at a time.

by bigjoe on Aug 24, 2008 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i adore kyle cofield. also, is this the same steve kent who’s rookie card from 2003 i have with tampa? i don’t think he’s that young…

Following the Braves...one long hard drink at a time.

by bigjoe on Aug 24, 2008 11:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

no steve kent is only 19, we signed him a couple years ago out of Australia as a 16 year old.

by yondaime4 on Aug 25, 2008 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Travis Jones

He looks like the future at 2nd base. He sounds like he’s at least solid defensively, and has excellent power and on-base skills. If KJ doesn’t really step up his play next season, he could end up being traded.

by buzzdeadwax on Aug 24, 2008 11:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Robert Brooks

I think this kid could be our 2B of the future. He reminds me of Brian Roberts. He has speed and power his defense is not as good as his bat but it’s getting better.

by Jay212033 on Aug 25, 2008 12:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i know

a natural 2B who is producing right now in the bigs — martin prado.

by brndn on Aug 25, 2008 12:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

sic burn

by yondaime4 on Aug 25, 2008 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope this is sarcasm, because Prado is most certainly not a natural 2B. His defense is atrocious.

by JFP on Aug 25, 2008 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Eh..

..according to the +/- defensive metric. At second he’s a -2 (which is the same as KJ) and he’s a +1 at third and the same goes for Short. Oh and he’s a -2 at first base.

So all in all, he’s average. So he’s not completely ‘atrocious’.

Revisit the Braves World Championship Year, all Season!

You can also check out my stuff at Baseball Digest Daily

by RainDelay on Aug 25, 2008 2:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

small sample size alert!

Following the Braves...one long hard drink at a time.

by bigjoe on Aug 25, 2008 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yup...

…I guess I should have said that. :)

Revisit the Braves World Championship Year, all Season!

You can also check out my stuff at Baseball Digest Daily

by RainDelay on Aug 26, 2008 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point

I would much rather have Prado producing roughly the same batting average, the same defensive capabilities, but without any of the nasty power or on-base skills that we have so much of. Actually, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I guess I don’t understand all the Prado love. Like I said, Prado is KJ without the power or walks. What leads you to believe he will be better than KJ? A two-week hot streak? That’s way too small of a sample size.

by buzzdeadwax on Aug 25, 2008 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

thanks! oh...you were being sarcastic. well, so that's... :(

kj’s done a fine job — i’m a kj fan. but if we’re considering other options, prado is making a stronger case than prospects. my point is that prado might not get enough love. otherwise…

two week hotstreak? well, a little longer — in 121 AB Prado sits at 339/391/504. a huge sample size? not even close, but more than two weeks. and his career numbers simply reflect that of an in-and-out prospect who is adjusting to the level with minimal playing time.

as for the rest — kj isn’t exactly wiping out the competition with walks and power. kj’s BB rate is down a few percentage points from last year. it’s not mind-blowing, and neither are his power numbers. both prado+kj show strong ability against same-side pitchers. prado’s slugging bubble with the gap power he’s suddenly found will probably burst at some point , but you know me, i like jumping on bandwagons while they’re rolling fast.

look — it’s kj’s job to lose, i was just responding to the jack-fest for 2B prospects.

by brndn on Aug 25, 2008 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry about that

That post was directed more toward the irrational, “Buddy Carlyle is a young prospect”, know-nothing fans who see a few box-scores and think that Prado will be the next Ryne Sandberg (not that they know who he is…) and that KJ is a talentless hack. Do I think KJ should feel real comfortable? Heck no! But you’re right – there’s no one better than him in this organization who is ready (Travis Jones may be that person in 1-2 years, but not yet).

by buzzdeadwax on Aug 25, 2008 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

no problem man

i didn’t find your reply to be out of line at all. you raised good points against my original post, which was too vague in the first place.

by brndn on Aug 25, 2008 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kelly Johnson...

If he splits the difference between his stellar 2007 and his shaky 2008, then he’d post the following slash stats: .270/.355/.430. That’s top ten in his position and pretty useful overall.

By the way, why does no one doubt Yunel’s future even though he’s been worse than Kelly this season? If we’re talking about guys in the low minors that will eventually replace Johnson at 2B, shouldn’t we be waiting just as eagerly for Brandon Hicks to displace Escobar? Our middle infielders have been remarkably similar in their early career (only Kelly has more success under his belt) and yet one is much more favored.

Here we go again: http://thefulldeck.blogspot.com/

by ejruiz on Aug 25, 2008 12:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yunel is Latin, is fiery and is a good defensive shortstop. Kelly is caucasian, laid back and plays a mearly average 2B. I think these may be why some question Kelly more than Escobar. I am happy with both and think the Braves are fortunate to have both. Both are providing fantastic value at their price. When they start to get expensive then I will complain about this level of performance.

by JFP on Aug 25, 2008 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm assuming you..

…mean at the plate right?

Yunel is the best short stop in the Majors as far as Defense is concerned.

Revisit the Braves World Championship Year, all Season!

You can also check out my stuff at Baseball Digest Daily

by RainDelay on Aug 25, 2008 2:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

kelly johnson

has been fine. i only piped up because if we’re discussing other options, then we can’t ignore people who are actually performing in the big leagues. sometimes prospects get undue love.

and i think escobar has gotten a pass because people assume the shoulder injury has plagued his season. we’ll see about this next year.

by brndn on Aug 25, 2008 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah…how did you come to the conclusion that Kelly is doing better than Yunel this year? Just curious…

They both has taken a nosedive in their respective SLG% and that does make me nervous. Why do you, or anyone, think that is? Kelly’s walk rate is way down, while Yunel’s has improved slightly.

I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.

by Smoltz's Beard on Aug 25, 2008 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Neither one...

…should be real comfortable, in my opinion. But the biggest difference I see is between the potiential replacements. The best options at SS are Lillibridge and Hicks, and neither one looks like they will be better than Escobar. They both (from what I hear – never seen either of them play, unfortunately) play good defense, but neither of them is hitting over .250 in the minors and they both strike out a ton. That doesn’t bode well for their ML career. At least you know that Yunel can hit. My suggestion about Travis Jones is based on the fact that he has good power, good on-base skills and plays good defense. That should make him equal to KJ in 1-2 years, IF he continues to progress. Coincidentally, in 1-2 years KJ will be in arbitration and will be making $3-4mil per season. Jones would be making about half a millions for potentially similar production. I think I’m just being realistic.

by buzzdeadwax on Aug 25, 2008 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good looks on posting...

…the best tools from BA. I love reading that.

Also from BA we’ve got another Brave sighting on their Prospect Hot Sheet for August 22nd:

No. 8 JORDAN SCHAFER, CF, BRAVES

Team: Double-A Mississippi (Southern)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .375/.400/.833 (9-for-24), 6 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 BB, 6 SO
The Scoop: Whatever happened in the past that led to his 50-game suspension, the bottom line is that Schafer is now having an excellent season and still looks like a great prospect. Given the mental struggles he had to endure when he originally returned from his suspension, his performance from early in his return has to be evaluated in context. When his mind is clear, Schafer has been a beast, playing terrific defense in center field with great instincts and a plus-plus arm. After a slow start at the plate, Schafer is now batting .268/.366/.460 in 74 games, using quick bat speed and a good swing to smoke the ball to all fields. He still has some work to do staying back against offspeed pitches from lefthanders, but he has made progress in that area as well.

I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.

by Smoltz's Beard on Aug 25, 2008 10:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I've never played organized baseball...

…never could see well enough to hit. It seems as though Schafer’s walk rate has suffered lately as he has been hitting real well. So any of you who have played – what is your opinion on trying to work the count when it looks like someone is lobbing you a beachball every at-bat? Because that seems to be what hitting is like for Schafer right now.

by buzzdeadwax on Aug 25, 2008 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If by organized you mean professional, then I never played that, so I can’t help you there, but from a hitting perspective, the main goal is to get a hit. You’ll take a walk if that’s what the pitcher is trying to give you, but you want a hit. I think you’re right about the ball looking huge to Jordan right now, and he’s the type of guy who’s looking to hit. He’ll work the count and take a walk if he’s not getting anything worth hitting, but if he’s seeing the ball well and is getting pitches to hit, I don’t think he’s going to be concerned about not getting any walks. I think this goes for most hitters, they want to see good pitches and take good swings at them.

by cbwilk on Aug 25, 2008 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i don’t have a problem with his walk rate, because a walk does the same thing for OBP as a hit. if he WASN’T hitting and his walk rate was down, i’d be concerned. but right now, he’s on fire and hitting everything. of course he’s not walking a lot, he’s getting a lot of good pitches, and he’s hitting them.

Following the Braves...one long hard drink at a time.

by bigjoe on Aug 25, 2008 8:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs