The Official 2018 Minor League Statline and Prospect Discussion Thread

[Dave Saltzer]

In honor of the new Minor League season starting today, let's make a new thread to discuss anything and everything related to the Minor Leagues and the prospects in here. It's time to let go of last year's thread and get on to the new. 

Here's the link to 2017 minor league coverage. Some 100 pages of solid reports on our top prospects and minor leaguers. 

 

[fanfromday1]

Good idea. I'v read every post in the old thread, but at 99 pages, it was getting to be an impossibility to go back and cross reference a player, or team, or something someone had said. The old thread was two years old, so an updated 2018 season is a welcome addition. But I hope that the board keeps the old thread 'pinned' so it doesn't get buried and forgotten.

[Blarg]

Looking forward to tonight's game at San Manuel stadium. Weather should be 70 degrees at first pitch so it will be a good night for spring baseball. 

Edited April 5, 2018 by Blarg

[Chuck]

Per @Inside Pitch, Taylor Ward now converted to 3B, is 2-2 tonight.

The 2017 thread has been dropped.

[Blarg]

[Blarg]

My seating for the game. Should have a pretty good view of Canning from here.

[Blarg]

The opening day roster is announced and each player has what looks like a TBall player with them. Minor leagues are awesome.

[Chuck]

Marsh earlier from our Burlington rep.

[Chuck]

Hunter Jr. earlier from our Burlington rep. 

[Blarg]

Official first pitch by Canning is a strike. 

Second pitch was a single to right field but we're not going to dwell on that. 

Five out of nine players on the field are showing their spats like real ball players. 

Runner advances to second on a throw that sailed into center field. Batter strikes out swinging. One out.

Batter strikes out swinging on ball in dirt that gets away, catcher throws to first for the out but misses a chances to throw out the runner from 2nd that took 3rd.

No radar gun but Canning is making the catchers mit pop. 

Canning strikes out the side, last batter wiffing on a slider almost in the dirt about six inches off the plate.

 

VID_20180405_191914.mp4

Edited April 6, 2018 by Blarg

[rafibomb]

8 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Official first pitch by Canning is a strike. 

Second pitch was a single tonight field but we're not going to dwell on that. 

Five out of nine players on the field are showing their spats like real ball players. 

Runner advances to second on a throw that sailed into center field. Batter strikes out swinging. One out.

Batter strikes out swinging on ball in dirt that gets away, catcher throws to first for the out but misses a chances to throw out the runner from 2nd that took 3rd.

No radar gun but Canning is making the catchers mit pop. 

Canning strikes out the side, last batter wiffing on a slider almost in the dirt about six inches off the plate.

 

VID_20180405_191914.mp4

 

Stadium gun has Canning hitting 95 mph according to the radio broadcast.

[Blarg]

Jones first official plate appearances is a four pitch walk. 

Jones takes second on a botched pickoff throw to first.

Rengifo shows patience and draws a walk on a 3-2 count. 1st & 2nd no outs.

Kruger flies out to deep right center (@385), Jones and Rengifo both advance.

Walsh grounds out yo the pitcher that takes it to the bag, Jones scores, Rengifo advances to third.

Williams grounds out weakly to first to end the inning.

First official inning in the books, San Jose 0 Inland 1.

 

[bloodbrother]

I am very excited about Canning this year

[Blarg]

BTW, there are as many people here as the last A's home game.

[Dave Saltzer]

Thanks for the updates. 

[SoWhat]

 

 

[Docwaukee]

Burlington got 1 hit but walked 9 times.  Adell got the hit which resulted in an RBI.  He also had a BB.  Rivas had 2 as did Mckinnon.  

Madero gave up 2 runs in 3ip with 3k.  Hanewich, a 2017 9th rounder from Stanford, pitched two scoreless with 2k.  

[Docwaukee]

Blarg covered most of the IE game.  

Baldoquin was 2-3 as the DH.  Also stole a bag.  

Rengifo had 2bb.  He's a former SEA farmhand.  Then to TBR where he was the PTBNL in the Cron trade.  Age 21yo season.  

Sounds like Canning is legit.  

Daniel Procopio pitched two scoreless with 4k but walked two and gave up a hit.  He was dominant as a reliever for Orem last year.  10th round pick in 2017 out of Niagra U.  Entering age 22yo season.  Curious as to what he was hitting on the gun.  If they continue to use him in relief, he could move pretty quick.  

 

[Docwaukee]

Mobile had a 7 run second and never looked back amassing 9 runs on 15 hits.  

Ward made a throwing error but went 3-5 with 2rbi.  

Thaiss was 1-5 but he hit the ball hard for a couple of his outs  (caught part of the game on milb tv).  

Moyer went 3-5 with a hr and double as the DH

Barash 2-4 with a hr and double - 2016 pick out of tex AM.  23yo season.  Moving up despite avg offensive performance.  Halos chose him to be the AA backstop over Ward so that tells us what they think of his ability to handle pitchers.  

Justus 3-3 with a bb and a double.  He was a 2016 5th rounder.  Tough year in 2017 with a 618 ops

Lund lead off and went 1-4 with a bb and SB.  

Castillo went 5ip, 3h, 1er, 1bb, 4k.  

Jewell gave up a run in 2ip with 2k

Justin Anderson, who we saw a decent amount in spring, pitched a hitless ninth with 2k.  

[Docwaukee]

SLC won 9-3.  

Lamb started and only threw 61 pitches over 2.2 ip giving up 2er.  Both on solo hrs.  (the one I saw was definitely a PCL special).  Otherwise, 4k, 1bb and 1 hit that wasn't a hr.  

I would also like to remind everyone we have a guy in AAA named Ralston.  He whiffed one batter and his night was over.  Age 26 season.  A former 2nd round pick by the dogs in 2010.  High k rate.  2.87 era in AA/AAA 2016.  Struggled in 2017 ending his season in the seattle org.  Anyway, did I mention his name is Ralston?

Felix Pena gave up a solo hr.  

Taylor cole whiffed two in 2 scoreless.  

Krol pitched 1.2 scoreless.  

Schimpfrrrt lead off and went 0-5 with 3k and an error playing 3b

Fernandez played 2b and hit 3rd.  2-4

Carter was 0-4

Herm hit 2nd and went 1-4.  His one hit was him beating out a semi routine grounder to 2b.  Then he stole a bag.  

Fletcher started at SS and batted 6th.  2-4 with a sb

Blash DHed.  2-3 with a hr, bb and 2 rbi

Jose Briceno.  3-3 with 2 rbi and a sb.  He also threw out one of two sb attempts.  Seems like the halos think a lot of him.  His offense has been dreadful but maybe because he's being pushed up due to his defense.  He was the throw in from ATL in the Simmons trade btw.  

Revere started in LF, hit 9th and went 1-3 with 2 rbi.  

[m0nkey]

Looks like doc covered yesterday, but I look forward to @totdprods doing his daily boxscore recaps for all the levels this year

[totdprods]

41 minutes ago, m0nkey said:

Looks like doc covered yesterday, but I look forward to @totdprods doing his daily boxscore recaps for all the levels this year

Thanks @m0nkey - traditionally, I wait until closer to the second half to allow enough data to stack up to unearth the trends/splits that interest me most, but I was already thinking I may jump in at Game One given how interesting so many of our prospects are this year, especially with some of the position changes. 

Aside from the obvious prospects...
Really interested in seeing how Almonte, Morris, Pena, and Campos fare in AAA. I think Zach Houchins is going to raise some eyebrows too - not sure he'll ever show much in the bigs, and his ABs are going to be hard to come by with Carter, Schimpf, and Fernandez arut with regular playing time I could see him becoming a Nick Gorneault-type in SLC; big numbers but ultimately a 4A player. Blash and Liriano both intrigue me still too. Briceno may just be playing himself into 3rd catcher on the depth chart, and I'm still convinced David Fletcher is going to play himself into 2019 starting 2B contention.
 

If Briceno is playing himself into 3rd catcher turf, Barash and Wass are probably right there with him too. If Jose Rojas can show he can hit and offer some plate discipline in AA, his legitimacy will take a big step forward. Jonah Wesely might be on a Keynan Middleton-type career path and could be in Anaheim before we know it, and if Luis Pena and Jose Rodriguez can find success in Mobile their legitimacy too will take a big step forward. 

I think Jared Walsh is going to have a monster year for Inland Empire. Jack Kruger and Ryan Vega could take a big jump forward if they produce. Luis Rengifo is immensely intriguing. It'll be too little too late, but I could see Baldoquin finding his stroke finally. Nate Bertness came on strong last year, and Carlos Salazar, who is equally wild as he is prolific in the strikeout game, seemed to find some semblance of control after joining the Angels org, is also one to watch. Procopio fits the mold too, and this is make or break year for Joe Gatto. If Suarez starts the season hot in IE, he could find himself on the Jaime Barria fast track.

Burlington is loaded with hitters who absolutely destroyed Orem. Aside from the obvious talents of Adell, Hunter, and Marsh, you have guys like Wenson (1.035 OPS), MacKinnon (1.037), and Sanchez (1.217 OPS) who put up video game slash lines and will be tested in Burlington. Rogalla, Ziemba, and De La Cruz are arms to watch.

[Stradling]

8 hours ago, Make Angels Great Again said:

So in other words he's Corey Kluber with more ticks on the fastball, got it.

Scotty said he’s a cross between Nolan Ryan and Beyoncé.   

[Chuck]

A big thanks to @Blarg last night and @Dochalo & @totdprods this morning for all of the prospect coverage. 

 

[Make Angels Great Again]

2 hours ago, totdprods said:

Nick Gorneault