<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Astros">#Astros</a> prospect Jonathan Singleton's expected to soon join Class AA Corpus Christi.</p>— Brian T. Smith (@ChronAstros) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChronAstros/status/341766472512700416">June 4, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Yes it is my friend, yes it is . . . . . In fact I think what happens with some of the young guys now on the roster could be very telling of what kind of future we have. If a guy like Altuve were to be moved, even if the return was great, it would be a horrible sign of the real plans for this franchise in the future. As i've stated before, I am 100% bought in to the re-build and was from the beginning. But Altuve, Carter, Springer, Singleton, Correa, Deshields, Cosart, McCullers, Folty need to be on this team 5 years from now, not somewhere else and we are here talking about the great prospects we got for them
It was a joke lol. I definitely like Springer. I didn't know he had the power to lead all of the minors, but it's a pleasant surprise. The K rates are alarming, but i see he is slowly brining it down and I just hope he brings it to a respectable number.
Cool. And I agree I hope the K's come down, but if he hits .290 and is 30/30 with a ton of k's, i won't complain too much
I actually love Springer. I can live with the strikeouts as long as he draws walks and hits for power.
Monday Stories OKC pitchers seemed to have some difficulty finding the strike zone in Albuquerque. Did that affect their chances of winning? Lancaster bats suffer power outage in Stockton Battle for 2nd in Beloit Recap Oklahoma City 8, Albuquerque 4 Guess not. The Redhawks appeared to have some difficulty trying to throw strikes, as 4 of the 5 pitchers who appeared either threw more balls than strikes, or the same amount of each. As a result, they issued a season-high 11 walks to the Isotopes. Jarred Cosart went 4 1/3 and allowed 4 runs (2 inherited) on 5 hits, walked 5, and struck out 6. He threw 99 pitches; 49 were strikes. Science Guy allowed 2 of Cosart's runners to score (on a bases-loaded walk and a sac fly in the 5th) but didn't allow any of his own. He walked 2 and struck out 2, throwing 28 pitches (13 strikes). Josh Zeid allowed a hit and fanned 2 over 2 scoreless innings, but he also walked 4. He threw 50 pitches (25 strikes). Alex Sogard threw 2 balls and 2 strikes to get the final out of the 8th: a flyout by Nick Buss. Jose Valdez was the only person who could find the strike zone, as 12 of his 15 offerings were for strikes. He worked around a 1-out single from Jeremy Moore to finish it off, striking out 2. Everyone had a hit except for Marc Krauss, who entered as a defensive substitution in the 8th and didn't bat, and Robbie Grossman, who still managed to have 2 RBI. One came on a force play in the 4th and the other was a sac fly in the 9th. He also walked twice and struck out twice. Andy Simunic finished 3-4 with a run scored. Brandon Laird hit an RBI single in the 1st to put OKC on the board first. Later in the inning, Fernando Martinez then hit into a force play that scored Brett Wallace. Martinez also hit a 2-run single in the 6th. Jake Elmore was 2-4 with a sac fly in the 7th and 2 runs scored. Jonathan Villar finished 2-4 with an RBI bunt single in the 4th and stole 3rd (17) before getting tossed in the 8th. He grounded out to end the inning and thought he was safe. Carlos Perez was 3-5 with a run scored, and he led off the game with a double. Brett Wallace went 1-6 with 2 runs scored. The finale will be an afternoon affair, and it will start at 12:05 Mountain. Philip Humber will be on the mound for the Redhawks. His opponent is TBA. Corpus Christi was off They'll return home to start a 4-game series with Midland starting tonight at 7:05. Jake Buchanan will look to continue his straight dominance of the Texas League as he gets the start in game 1. Customarily, Carlos Quevedo will serve as his partner. They will be opposed by Zach Neal. Stockton 4, Lancaster 2 The Jethawks doubled up the Ports in the hit column (8-4), but were doubled up in the run column. That's the one that counts, guys. As a result, they dropped the opener. Both Jethawks runs came in the 8th, on a Delino DeShields double, and he scored on an Andrew Aplin groundout. DeShields finished 2-4. Matt Duffy was 3-3 with a double and scored on DeShields' double. Preston Tucker went 0-4 to snap his 17-game hitting streak. Nolan Fontana, in his first game since May 15, hit a double, his only hit in 3 at-bats. Luis Cruz went 4 2/3 innings and allowed 4 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7. Jonas Dufek got the final out of the 5th. Kyle Hallock tagged in and threw 3 scoreless, walking 1 and striking out 2. Game 2 is a day game and will take place at 11:05 AM Pacific. Aaron West and Blair Walters will be on the mound, and they'll be opposed by Shaeffer Hall. Quad Cities 2, Beloit 1 The River Bandits took 3 of 4 from the Snappers and as a result, leapfrogged them in the standings. They're now a half-game ahead and in 2nd. For the 2nd time in 3 nights, Rio Ruiz was the offense. The River finished 2-3, tying the game with a sac fly in the 6th. He put Quad Cities up with an RBI single in the 8th. Jonathan Singleton scored both runs. He hit a double that preceded Ruiz's single in the 8th. Colton Cain has really been turning the corner as of late, after a horrendous April that had me wanting him Bushue'd. He went 5 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and fanned 3. Mike Hauschild tagged in and tossed 4 scoreless, allowing 3 hits and striking out 3. The River Bandits will be on the road today. They'll be heading to Cedar Rapids to face the other team that was above them in the standings when this roadtrip began. The Kernels lead the division by 4 games. Brian Holmes and Jordan Jankowski will start it off tomorrow. Their opponent is TBA. Also, there's playoff positioning at stake here... in the Midwest League, the top 2 teams in each half clinch a playoff berth. Example: South Bend and Fort Wayne are 1st and 2nd, respectively, in the Midwest League Eastern division. If the standings hold by the end of the 1st half, they both clinch a playoff berth. They could play like absolute crap in the 2nd half and their place in the playoffs would still be secure. It's like a season within a season. With 14 games to go (well, at least for QC and Cedar Rapids), Quad Cities will be in a battle with Cedar Rapids, Beloit, and Peoria for the top 2 spots in the Western division. Due to a cancelled game with Kane County, Quad Cities will end up playing 69 games in the 1st half. Peoria's situation is even weirder: they had a game with Burlington cancelled, and they also had a doubleheader with Lake County cancelled on May 3. Well, the 1st game of that doubleheader was a regularly scheduled game on the 2nd that was suspended, and was resumed on the 3rd. It finished in a 2-2 tie as they were rained out. So... I believe that they'll only play 68 games in the 1st half. DSL Astros 3, DSL Mariners 2 After falling behind 2-0 after the 1st, The Academy rallied for 3 late runs to get the victory. Only 21 more to go! They tied it with 2 in the 7th. Jarico Reynoso hit a 2-out double, and then Luis Payano beat out an infield single, which allowed Reynoso to score on the throw. Payano then stole 2nd (1), advanced to 3rd on a botched pickoff, and finally tied it by scoring on a balk. He wasn't done yet. Payano hit the go-ahead RBI single in the 9th and he finished 2-3 with 2 walks. Brauly Mejia finished 2-4. Other than his struggles in the 1st, Juan Hernandez was solid in his 5 innings of work. 1 of those runs was earned. He allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Junior Garcia, a lefty I tabbed as one to watch on the DSLstros, marked his professional debut with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and he allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 2. Angel Heredia got the victory with 2 1/3 scoreless, walking 1 and striking out 5. Heredia's got an interesting story: he signed with the Pirates as a shortstop in 2009 but was cut loose after only a year at their academy. He converted to pitching and the Astros signed him last year, but before the DSL season started, he was busted for violating the drug policy, and so... 50-game suspension. He tested positive for Stanozolol and Boldenone, which is mainly used to treat horses. The Astros will make their way to the Red Sox complex first thing in the morning. First pitch is at 10:30 AM Atlantic. Three Stars 3. Luis Payano, CF, DSL Astros 2-3, RBI, R, 2 BB, SB (1) It appears that he's got a Perfect Game profile. This is what they had to say about him during a showcase one month before he signed. Now, he's only 17, and he may never amount to anything, but I'm pretty excited to see what he can do. A game like this is probably a small reason why he recieved a $500,000 bonus. The Astros gave him that bonus because they believe that he could become a player down the road. A kid to dream on. That's why I keep tabs on the DSL games. To see if there's some 16/17/18-year-old to keep an eye out for in the future. 2. Rio Ruiz, 3B, Quad Cities 2-3, 2 RBI Sure, his adjustment has been a little more difficult than Carlos Correa's. But I don't think he's in over his head in the Midwest League. Like Correa, I think his numbers should improve as his luck normalizes, the weather improves, and balls start finding spots to land for hits. 1. Mike Hauschild, P, Quad Cities, and Kyle Hallock, P, Lancaster Hauschild: W(4-0), 4 IP, 3 H, 3 K Hallock: 3 IP, BB, 2 K Hauschild is old for Low-A, but his extreme groundball profile makes him intriguing, especially if he finds himself in Lancaster. Hallock survived a month in AAA and has fared rather well in Lancaster. Looks like facing off against a mixture of top-to-middling prospects and has-beens has really helped him get back on track after a lost 2012. Honorable Mentions Angel Heredia, P, DSL Astros: Normally, a 20-year-old (going on 21) in the Domincan Summer League isn't a prospect. Heredia could buck that trend. He struck out a batter per inning last season in his brief return to baseball after serving out his suspension and despite a 5.54 ERA, he had a FIP about 2 runs lower (3.58). Jose Valdez, P, Oklahoma City: Thankfully, someone was able to find the strike zone... Delino DeShields, 2B, Lancaster: He's had 6 multi-hit games in his last 10. The steals may be starting to come, too. Colton Cain, P, Quad Cities: Cain has really turned his season around. Matt Duffy, 3B, Lancaster: Now on a 6-game hitting streak, Duffy has really rebounded from a mid-May slump. Goat The walks are pretty much the only thing that's keeping Jarred Cosart from Houston. This current walk binge has ballooned his BB rate to 5.25 per 9 innings. I'd love to see Cosart in an Astros uniform, but he's gonna need to slash that walk rate by 2, pretty much, before getting the call.
Maybe a promotion to OKC in anticipation of a Fernando Martinez PED suspension? Or Astros are cutting ties with Fernando?
Tuesday Stories The Jake Buchanan Texas League Domination Tour continues. Break up the Academy! How did the organization fare in two day games? Recap Albuquerque 10, Oklahoma City 2 The Redhawks had to settle for the split as they were swamped in the finale. They outhit Albuquerque 11-9, but they lagged far, far behind in the column that matters. Brett Wallace was 3-4 and Jake Elmore went 2-5. Brandon Laird had an RBI double in the 5th and Cody Clark hit an RBI single in the 6th. Philip Humber is still around, believe it or not. He went 4 2/3 and allowed 4 runs (2 earned, 1 inherited) on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 2. C.J. Fick was shelled in the 5th, as he allowed 4 runs (3 earned, 1 inherited) on 2 hits, walked 1, and fanned 1. Rhiner Cruz went 1 1/3 and he allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 1. Kevin Chapman struck out the side in order in the 8th. The Redhawks will have today off, as they'll be traveling to Omaha to begin a 4-game series on Thursday. Asher Wojciechowski will start the opener, and his opponent will be Yordano Ventura, who's making his Omaha debut. The Hooks knocked him around on May 22. Corpus Christi 9, Midland 5 Corpus took the opener by jumping out to a 7-0 lead after the 4th. The Rockhounds made it a little interesting, as they made it a 7-5 game in the middle of the 8th, but the Hooks were able to get some insurance, getting both of those runs back. Jake Buchanan got shelled in his 5 innings, as he allowed.... 2 runs (1 earned, both in the 5th) on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Carlos Quevedo tagged in for 2 1/3 and allowed 2 runs (both inherited) on 3 hits and walked 1. Sergio Escalona got the final 2 outs of the 8th and didn't allow any runs.... of his own. He allowed the 2 he inherited from Quevedo to score, though. Escalona gave up a hit and walked 1. Kenny Long retired the side in the 9th, but not before serving up a solo shot to Jake Goebbert. George Springer was 0-2 with a strikeout. He was hit by a pitch in the 4th and was lifted in the 6th for Drew Muren, who was 2-2. Diagnosis: bruised knee. Day-to-day. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>@<a href="https://twitter.com/jaypers413">jaypers413</a> he left with a bruised knee. Really thought it was a promotion.</p>— Brian Hamilton (@BHam2421) <a href="https://twitter.com/BHam2421/status/342146946120683521">June 5, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> The top two of the order wreaked havoc on Midland pitching. Ben Orloff went 4-5 with a double and 2 runs scored. Jose Martinez was 3-5 with a 2-run single in the 2nd and added an RBI single in the 8th. Domingo Santana was 2-5 with a 2-run single with the bases loaded in the 4th. Erik Castro hit an RBI double in the 3rd, and Jonathan Meyer followed that up with an RBI single. Meyer finished 2-3. Michael Burgess hit a sac fly in the 2nd that put Corpus on the board first. Justin Maxwell began his rehab assignment; he went 0-3 with a strikeout and a run scored as the DH. In game 2 of this 4-game set, Nick Tropeano and Bobby Doran will be on the hill for the Hooks. Their opponent will be Arnold Leon. First pitch is at 7:05. Stockton 4, Lancaster 2 For the 2nd straight day, the Jethawks dropped a 4-2 contest. The Ports got an insurance run in the 7th, which proved to be the difference. Aaron West did pretty well; however, he paid dearly for the 1 mistake he made. He allowed a 3-run homer in the 3rd to Wade Kirkland. Those were the only 3 runs he gave up in his 5 innings; he allowed 5 hits (4 of which came in that 3rd inning) and struck out 1. T.J. Geith went 1 1/3 and allowed an unearned run on a hit, walked 2, and struck out 2. Michael Dimock threw 1 2/3 scoreless, allowing a hit and fanning 2. Both Jethawks runs came in the 4th, as Brandon Meredith hit an RBI single and scored on a sac fly from Telvin Nash. Andrew Aplin and Chris Epps had 2 hits apiece. Brady Rodgers and Chris Devenski will look to right the ship for the Jethawks after they've dropped the first 2 in this series. They'll face off against Tanner Peters at 7:05 Pacific. Quad Cities was off They will begin a 4-game set in Cedar Rapids starting tonight at 6:35. The Bandits trail the Kernels by 4 in the division. Jordan Jankowski and Brian Holmes will start the opener, and opposing them for Cedar Rapids will be Hein Robb. DSL Astros 2, DSL Red Sox 0 2 in a row! They're 1/11 of the way to last year's win total! The Academy got strong outings from 3 pitchers, who combined on a 4-hitter. Edwin Villarroel threw 5 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits and striking out 3. Joselo Pinales, in his debut, allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 3. Harold Arauz closed it out to record the save, retiring the DSL Sox in order in the 9th. They put up 1 in the 1st and 1 more in the 7th. Arturo Michelena hit an RBI groundout in the 1st, and Jesus Bermejo hit an RBI single in the 7th. Victor Tavarez hit a double in the 2nd and Hector Roa tripled to lead off the 7th, and he'd score on Bermejo's single. The DSLstros will now host the Red Sox back at the Astros complex. First pitch is at 10:30 AM Atlantic. Three Stars 3. Domingo Santana, RF, Corpus Christi 2-5, 2 RBI, R Santana's .522 slugging percentage is 14 points lower than his final total at Lancaster. Yep, the power is legit. 2. Edwin Villarroel, P, DSL Astros W(1-0), 5 IP, 3 H, 3 K Jeff Luhnow has mentioned that Villarroel has impressed during his pre-spring training visit to the Dominican. He's a pitcher I'll be keeping tabs on at the Academy. Could have a breakout season like Samil De Los Santos did last year. 1. Ben Orloff, SS, and Jose Martinez, 2B, Corpus Christi Orloff: 4-5, 2B, 2 R Martinez: 3-5, 3 RBI, 2 R He was a Wizard at the plate, that's for sure. Orloff has carved out a nice career for himself as an organizational infielder. Martinez really enjoys the Texas League. I think he's back up to speed, and he should be back with OKC sometime next week. Honorable Mentions Kevin Chapman, P, Oklahoma City: For not getting scored on, and for striking out the side in order. Joselo Pinales, P, DSL Astros: Well, he handled his pro debut rather well. I think the pitching should be the Academy's strong suit this season. Jake Buchanan, P, Corpus Christi: He got absolutely shelled. But when the definition of "shelled" means giving up 2 runs (and 1 of them was earned), then that's probably a sign that he's straight-up owned the Texas League. Also, his ERA ballooned to 0.85. Jonathan Meyer, 3B, Corpus Christi: Slowly, but surely, his OPS is inching closer to .700. Goat Well, he wasn't terrible, but I don't think Phil Humber will be lasting much longer in this organization. He's Nelson Figueroa status to me, now.
I've about given up all hope on Telvin Nash, not saying we release him but he has completely lost prospect status. I'm sure all he heard all offseason was he needs to cut down on the K's, and even knowing that he can't even keep his K's down in A ball. Secondly why is Humber starting at Triple A. Buchanan has earned a promotion out of CC, he's been there a year and a half. Promote Buchanan and end the tandem system in CC, I'm still OK with it at the lower levels. Lastly what does Ben Orloff have to do to move up. The guy just gets on base, everywhere he's gone his OBP has been solid or spectacular. Not saying he's a future HOF guy, but a versatile glove man who can maintain a solid OBP has a chance to play a few years in the show. He's a complete punch and judy hitter so his OBP will be hard to maintain but i think he's earned a shot
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Three @<a href="https://twitter.com/qcriverbandits">qcriverbandits</a> were named to the 2013 MWL All-Star Game: SS Carlos Correa, RHP Jordan Jankowski, RHP Lance McCullers - congrats!</p>— QC River Bandits (@QCRiverBandits) <a href="https://twitter.com/QCRiverBandits/status/342323955098599424">June 5, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Humber is starting in AAA because he's the injury depth for the big league club. He's AAAA to be honest. Buch is certainly riding a hot streak and has raised the possibility of a midseason promotion but OKC already has atleast two prospects (Cosart and Wojo) that are level appropriate and are in line for call up behind Humber. There's nothing particularly urgent about promoting Buch. He's not close to contributing at the ML level; that's how the Astros typically use the AAA staff. See Edgar Gonzalez and keuchel. Orloff is 25y/o hitting roughly .300/.380/.340 in about 80 total AA level games. Those numbers are neither special nor has he even played a full year at the level. Just enjoy it for what it is: a organizational guy having a solid year. I like Villar, Elmore and Jose Martinez manning the middle in OKC much more than an urgent midseason promotion for a depth guy. Elmore is the better, advanced version of Orloff. I don't understand this need for midseason promotions for everyone. Back in the day the Astros had back to back Texas league pitchers of the years (Hirsch and Albers) who stayed the entire year at the level. The Texas league is actually a really good league to stay in a full season because there's only 7 other teams so players on both sides of the ball have to learn tendencies and approach as the teams make their way through the league the 3rd, 4th, and 5th times.
to be fair - that was back in the day when the knock on the organization was moving prospects too slowly through the mix. Not saying I disagree with your assertion regarding orloff or buchanan. Buchanan should make it to AAA as Cosart makes it up with the big boys though.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Jonathan Singleton transferred to Corpus Christi (AA). Will start tonight vs. Midland. Had 3 HR, 5 RBI, .810 SLG in 6g at Quad Cities.</p>— Houston Astros (@astros) <a href="https://twitter.com/astros/status/342378416819019776">June 5, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Astros GM Jeff Luhnow says plan is Jonathan Singleton will b at Double A Corpus "a series or two & them move up to Oklahoma City after that"</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/342408054903541762">June 5, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
