Paredes is the only prospect. FMart will be in the MLB before the powers-that-be get around to making him a prospect again. <table border="1" bordercolor="#FFCC00" style="background-color:#FFFFCC" width="400" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3"> <tr> <td></td><td></td><td>OBP</td><td>SLG</td><td>AVG</td><td>OPS</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Justin Ruggiano</td><td>LF</td><td>.424</td><td>.607</td><td>.339</td><td>1.031</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Scott Moore</td><td>3B</td><td>.427</td><td>.604</td><td>.338 </td><td>1.031</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Brian Bixler</td><td>2B</td><td>.391</td><td>.448</td><td>.328</td><td>.839</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Jimmy Paredes<td>3B</td><td>.341</td><td>.471</td><td>.326</td><td>.812</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Fernando Martinez</td><td>RF</td><td>.370</td><td>.517</td><td>.314</td><td>.888</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Landon Powell</td><td>C</td><td>.426</td><td>.439</td><td>.305</td><td>.865</td> </tr> </table>
Agreed, though it's interesting to note that Landon Powell and Scott Moore were first round picks, and Bixler was 2nd rounder. It's not a bad strategy, as I think there's been a lot of guys who go from uber prospects in their early 20s to disappointments back to stars. They're pretty cheap bets, and if you can hit on a couple as utility infielder or 4th OF types, it's alright. I prefer the fallen prospect strategy to the old-timers we used to trot out in AAA. It'd be more preferable if we were developing guys that had earned a spot there. We seem to have pretty good outfield production throughout the minors (most especially Lancaster with Nash, Springer, and Santana)...and then we have our guys in the majors).
Thursday Stories OKC gets a split in the doubleheader, wins series Corpus came out with guns blazing. An unlikely source of power spurred them on to a win. Domingo Santana rounding into form. Mike Foltynewicz looked to continue his breakout season against Hickory. Recap OKC earned a split in their doubleheader with Colorado Springs, but they took 3 out of 4 in the series anyway, winning game 1 7-4 and losing game 2 9-2. In Game 1, the Redhawks knocked Rockies top prospect Drew Pomeranz around, scoring 6 runs in the first 3 innings. Justin Ruggiano was 2-4 with a 3-run homer (5) in the 2nd inning. Mike Hessman, J.B. Shuck, and Angel Sanchez drove in 1 each. Jordan Lyles went 2 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits (solo homer) and struck out 1. There is a need for a starter during the Astros' Memorial Day doubleheader with the Rockies. I think Lyles will be the guy. Aneury Rodriguez got the win in his stead, as he allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (2-run homer) in 3 2/3, striking out 2. David Carpenter finished it off with a 4-out save. In stark contrast, not much went OKC's way in Game 2, as Dallas Keuchel continued his steep slide into oblivion. Two straight horrid outings resulted in his ERA going from 2.09 to 4.52. In 3 2/3, he allowed 8 runs (7 earned) on 11 hits and struck out 2 in a 9-2 loss. Angel Sanchez got an RBI on an out, and Brad Snyder hit a sympathy solo homer (6) in the 7th. Thanks to a 9-run 3rd, Corpus Christi turned their game with Arkansas into a 13-4 laugher. Everyone got involved except for Kody Hinze and Andy Simunic, who both went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. T.J. Steele didn't do much either after entering for Austin Wates in the 3rd. (If you're wondering, Wates was hit by a pitch.) Jonathan Singleton went 4-5 with a 2-run homer in the 3rd (6), 4 RBI, and scored 3 times. But the biggest hit of the night belonged to... Ryan McCurdy! He unleashed a grand slam in the 3rd inning for his first career home run! And he also added a double, as well. Jose Martinez went 3-5 with a double in the 3rd, a 2-run double in his 2nd time up in the inning, and iced it with a solo homer (5) in the 8th. Brandon Barnes had a sac fly, and Jake Goebbert an RBI double. Jonathan Villar's resurgence continued as he went 2-5 and scored twice. Jarred Cosart made his first start since the Twitter episode arose. In 7 innings, he allowed 4 runs on 12 hits, walked 2, hit a batter, was called for a balk, and fanned 6. From reading TCB, he got rather predictable with his pitches. Too many fastballs. He commanded them somewhat well, but not enough changing speeds. He was working at 95-97 last night. Cosart threw 103 pitches (70 strikes), induced 7 groundball outs, and 3 flyouts. Kevin Chapman struck out 2 in the 8th, and Henry Villar finished the game. Lancaster dropped their series opener to Inland Empire, as they got doubled up 12-6. Another opposing batter went for the cycle last night, as Travis Witherspoon did it out of the leadoff spot. Sigh. George Springer's 13-game hitting streak ended with an 0-5 night. Well, time to start a new one. He did steal his 10th base, so that's a bit of a silver lining. Gentlemen, Domingo Santana has arrived. He went 2-3 with an RBI double, a solo homer (8), and he scored twice. Erik Castro, Telvin Nash, Jonathan Meyer, and Enrique Hernandez each drove in 1. I don't know why Jorge De Leon is manning a rotation spot (or a 40-man roster spot) at this point. I get that he's only been pitching for 2 years, and it looks like he has some upside, but he's got to get moving through the system, and outings like the one he had last night will keep him glued to Lancaster. And one level down, there's a certain 5th-round pick from the 2011 Draft who looks very much ready to make the move up. Well, De Leon only went 2 innings, allowing 6 runs (4 earned) on 6 hits (solo and 2-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 1. Zach Grimmett was valiant in 5 1/3 innings of relief, but the wheels fell off for him late, as he allowed 1 in the 7th and 4 more in the 8th. He struck out 3. After Lexington fell behind Hickory 3-2 after the 5th inning, the Legends ran off 5 unanswered for the 7-3 win in the series opener. Chris Epps went 2-5 with 2 RBI. Matt Duffy has a nice little run going, as he went 2-4 and scored twice to extend his hitting streak to 5 games. Jordan Scott was 3-4 with an RBI single, Jimmy Howick hit 2 doubles, and Zach Johnson got RBI #49 on an out. Delino DeShields went 2-3 with an RBI triple, scored twice, walked twice, and stole his 30th base in his 44th game played this season. He had 30 in 119 games last season. The only negative from him was that he was caught stealing for just the 2nd time this season, when he tried to take 2nd on a ball in the dirt and hesitated just a bit. Oh, and Roberto Pena provided the cherry with a 2-run homer in the 9th, his first of the season. Mike Foltynewicz had a bare minimum quality start, allowing 7 hits, walking 2, and striking out 7. Carlos Quevedo allowed a hit, but that was all he allowed in his 2 innings of relief, and he struck out 2. Jason Chowning finished it off, adding a strikeout. Game Scores I'm not gonna bother putting Lyles' score since he left early. Mike Foltynewicz: 51 Jarred Cosart: 41 Jorge De Leon: 24 Dallas Keuchel: 14 Three Stars: A Special Corpus Christi Edition Jose Martinez, 2B 3-5, 2 2B, HR (5), 3 RBI, 3 R I'd rather have him in OKC than Angel Sanchez. True redemption story. Jonathan Singleton, 1B 4-5, HR (6), 4 RBI, 3 R #1 prospect being the #1 prospect. Ryan McCurdy, C 2-4, 2B, GS (1) Congratulations on your first professional home run. Congratulations on your first professional grand slam. Pretty good show for a guy who got the call from extended spring training. Three Stars, Everyone Else 3. Mike Foltynewicz, P, Lexington W, 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K Not too many standout pitching performances, but Folty gets the nod. His breakout continues. 2. Delino DeShields, 2B, Lexington 2-3, 3B, RBI, 2 BB, 2 R, SB (30) Love his new approach. I still kind of don't like his tendency to hit pop flies. He's already incoporated his plus speed into his game, but I'd like to see him beat out some infield hits to go along with his decent pop. 1. Domingo Santana, RF, Lancaster 2-3, 2B, HR (8), 2 RBI, 3 R The sleeping giant has risen! 9.3% walk rate = I like. A lot. 31.8% K rate = not so much. Preaching patience is really helping Santana out. He did draw a 13.3% walk rate in 52 April at-bats. Though his walk rate this month is down by more than half (13.3% vs. 4.3%), he's cut his strikeout rate by 8%. Yeah, he's gonna strike out at least 100 times. But he'll be a much better player if he can draw at least 70 walks to go with all of those Ks. Honorable Mentions Jarred Cosart, P, Corpus Christi: Stop talking about your girl! Not the prettiest line, but he got the job done. Let's see if he builds on it. Jason Chowning, P, Lexington: Justin Ruggiano, OF, Oklahoma City: OKC's old outfielders continue to rip the Pacific Coast League a new one. Goat I think Jorge De Leon's days as a prospect are over. And I hope Dallas Keuchel hasn't been figured out yet. Looking Ahead OKC starts off the last leg of their roadtrip with a weekend series in Albuquerque at 7:05 Mountain. Mickey Storey will go up against the Isotopes' Stephen Fife. Corpus will be looking for the sweep of Arkansas at 7:05. Ross Seaton will get the start against A.J. Schugel. Lancaster and Inland Empire will meet in the rubber game at 7 Pacific. R.J. Alaniz gets the call for the Jethawks, and he will be facing off against Max Russell. Lexington and Hickory meet again for game 2 of their series at 7:05 Eastern. Luis Cruz will match up against TBD.
Here is a breakdown of the .300+ hitting AAA players: Fernando Martinez 23 OF (amateur free agent in 2005) Jimmy Paredes 23 2nd/3rd (amateur free agent in 2006) Scott Moore 28 INF/OF/DH (1st round 8th pick of the 2002 amateur draft) Brian Bixler 29 SS/3rd/OF (2nd round of the 2004 amateur draft) Landon Powell 30 C/1s (1st round 24th pick of the 2004 amateur draft) Justin Ruggiano 30 OF (25th round of the 2004 amateur draft) Moore and Ruggiano are killing it in AAA but I would be very surprised if they got called up for more than a handful of games. If Lee gets traded though, that might be Moore's ticket for an extended look.
You don't think they'd go ahead and promote Singleton from AA should Lee get moved? Even still, I noticed this note on Rotowire for Lee...
Brett Wallace will be the 1B if they move Lee. Luhnow sounds like he doesn't expect Singleton to even be on the 2013 opening day roster. Sounds like pure speculation to me.
That's just happy talk. The Astros would resign Berkman (if healthy) way before extending El Buffalito. I have really liked Lee as an Astros but his time has come and gone. My bet is that Lee will not be dealt. If a first baseman on a contender goes down though and the Astros eat most of his salary, a Lee trade might happen. That trade would be more of a "thank you" to Lee than anything else. Of course, the "thank you" that Lee might want is to finish his contract as an Astro.
I hope Brett Wallace re-learns plate discipline, because without it, he's not going to be in Houston for a while.
He's never really had a great walk rate. His K rate is starting to head towards his career norm. Brett Wallace isn't the long term answer, but he is the 2-3 month answer.
Also, his resurgence sort of coincides with OKC's trip out west. It's certainly encouraging that Wallace is turning it around. Let's see if the turnaround continues on once they head home.
Attention everyone: Jonathan Singleton has a 2-run homer and a 3-run homer for Corpus Christi tonight.
Yep. If he manages to get 8 straight hits, he'll be back to the .350 average he was sporting at the end of April.
Random note: Ryan McCurdy's grand slam on Thursday was the first home run he hit since his senior year of high school. He hit a grand total of zero in 4 years at Duke.
Friday Stories What a roadtrip it has been for OKC. Petition to change Jonathan Singleton's name to Jonathan Homerton? Corpus with the... Dramatics at The Hangar!!! Luis Cruz looked to continue his surprising breakout season as he got the start for Lexington. Recap OKC announced their arrival in Albuquerque by thrashing their hosts 10-4. They are now 6-3 on the current 12-game roadtrip. The offense was paced by Brad Snyder, who went 3-5 with 2 homers (8; solo and 2-run). Landon Powell added a 3-run homer in the 5th (4). Fernando Martinez went 2-5 with an RBI single and double. Even Angel Sanchez got into the act, as he went 2-5 with an RBI. Jimmy Paredes continues to swing the hot bat with a 2-5 performance. He scored twice and stole his 15th base of the season. And Brett Wallace finished 0-2, but he finally drew his first 2 walks in the month of May and scored twice. The Redhawks got a nice start from Mickey Storey, as he went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits (2 solo homers), walked 1, and struck out 5. Sergio Perez allowed a run on a solo homer in 2 2/3 innings of relief, striking out 4, and Xavier Cedeno got the last 4 outs, allowing 1 hit. Cedeno's ERA is now 0.42. Corpus swept Arkansas with yet another show of force, winning last night's game 7-2. Jonathan Singleton could not be stopped, as he sent a 2-run homer out in the 1st, then ripped a 3-run shot in the 5th, to give him 8 homers on the season. I suppose there's a good reason why he's the #1 prospect. Brandon Barnes added a solo homer (7) in the 7th, and Jonathan Villar went 3-5 with an RBI single. A .321 May has seen his season average jump from .207 to .262. Ross Seaton's turnaround continued with another strong performance, as he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and fanned 5 in 7 innings of work. Arcenio Leon and Jason Stoffel finished with a scoreless 8th and 9th, respectively. R.J. Alaniz took the mound for Lancaster in the middle game of their series with Inland Empire. The 66ers jumped on him in the 1st for 3 runs, but that would be the only runs Alaniz and the Jethawks staff would allow all night. Alaniz settled down after that, and wound up going 5, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits, walking 3 and striking out 4. He didn't factor into the decision as Lancaster walked off 4-3 winners in 11 innings. The Jethawks offense by Max Russell until the 7th, when an Enrique Hernandez sac fly put them on the board. Big night for Rafael Valenzuela, as he went 3-4 with 2 runs scored and a solo homer to lead off the 9th to make it a 3-2 game. In the 9th, after Valenzuela's homer, Hernandez struck out and Rene Garcia grounded out. As the Jethawks were hanging by a thread, Ben Orloff restarted the rally by drawing a walk. George Springer (who went 2-5) then singled to put men on 1st and 2nd. They would both move up to 2nd and 3rd when Ryan Chaffee got wild on Adam Bailey. Bailey would strike out, but the ball got away and Orloff scampered home with the tying run before Bailey was thrown out at 1st!! After an uneventful 10th and top of the 11th, Valenzuela delivered another big leadoff hit; this time, it was a double. Hernandez and Garcia couldn't get him home, but Orloff did. Great time to get his first hit of the night. Made a winner out of Captain Kirk Clark. Lexington, on the other hand, walked off 8-7 losers to Hickory. The offense was paced by 3 2-run homers hit by Zach Johnson (7), Chris Epps (1), and Mike Kvasnicka (4). Johnson went 3-4 and scored twice, and with 51 RBI, is the first player in all the minors to drive in 50. Delino DeShields went 1-4 and stole his 31st base, but was caught for the 3rd time and the 2nd straight night, as he was picked off 1st by Jerad Eickhoff. Not a great night for Luis Cruz, as he allowed 6 runs (2 inherited allowed by Evan Grills) on 9 hits in 6+ innings. He walked and fanned 2. Grills couldn't bail Cruz out of a jam in the 7th as he allowed both of Cruz's runners to score. However, Nathan Pettus got the loss for allowing the winning run. He didn't help his cause by committing an error when Hanser Alberto attempted a sacrifice bunt, resulting in everyone being safe. Drew Robinson ended it by poking a single out to right field one batter later. By the way, spending like drunken sailors results in a roster like Hickory's, and a system like the Rangers'. I am admittedly jealous that the Astros don't have guys like Rougned Odor (2B, 18, #9 prospect), Luis Sardinas (SS, 19, signed on the same day as Jurickson Profar, #17) and Jorge Alfaro (C, 19 on June 11 and the #7 prospect) in the system. Too bad the league decided to impose Communism for 1 year on the international market. Game Scores Ross Seaton: 66 Mickey Storey: 43 R.J. Alaniz: 40 Luis Cruz: 30 Three Stars 3. (tie) Zach Johnson, 1B, Lexington 3-4, 2-R HR (7), 2 R The .260 average is the product of a .275 BABIP. No need to glom over his low average, he's been hitting the ball with authority. And when there's men on base, he just seems to find a way to drive them in. Did you know that only 1 of his 7 homers this season is a solo home run? Rafael Valenzuela, 1B, Lancaster 3-4, solo HR (1), 2 R Man, did he ever come through in the clutch. Without his effort late, I would have been writing about a Lancaster loss. 2. Ross Seaton, P, Corpus Christi W, 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Seaton is coming around. Now, the low strikeout totals are a bit concerning, but he has been going deeper into games and has looked great this month. He is finally getting more consistent. 1. Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Corpus Christi 4-5, 2 HR (8), 5 RBI What can I say? He will undisputedly be the face of the ALstros for years to come. A 3-4-5 of Springer, him, and Domingo Santana/Telvin Nash/Ariel Ovando/Byron Buxton/whoever you want to put in here is going to be wicked. Honorable Mentions Jonathan Villar, SS, Corpus Christi: He's turned it around in a huge way this month. No, he probably won't hit .321 all season, but I'll take .265-.270 from him any day. The Lancaster bullpen (Andrew Robinson, Pat Urckfitz, and Kirk Clark): What a performance. Three guys hold an entire team scoreless for 6 innings. And that was just long enough for Valenzuela and Co. to get to work. Mike Kvasnicka, C, Lexington: Average still under .200, but he's on the road to recovery. I'm still holding out hope that he can be at least an average hitter, but his future isn't too bright. Brad Snyder, CF, Oklahoma City: A very nice night for one of the old men of the OKC outfield. Goat Getting charged with the loss in walk-off fashion is grounds for a pitcher being named a goat. Nathan Pettus ruined himself by committing an error, too. Dishonorable mention goes to Adam Bailey for a hat trick. Looking Ahead OKC and Albuquerque are back at it at 7:05 Mountain. Wes Musick will get the start against John Ely. Corpus continues their homestand by welcoming in Springfield for the weekend. Jose Cisnero will try to finish May off on a positive note as he gets the start against Seth Maness. First pitch 7:05 Lancaster will finish off their series with Inland Empire at 7 Pacific, as David Martinez and Manny Correa will be the pitching matchup. Lexington's series with Hickory continues at 7 Eastern, with Jonas Dufek taking the mound against Nick Martinez.
