- Collin Price hit his 11th home run for Sugar Land. - Ethan Pecko allowed a run on three hits and struck out five in three innings for Corpus Christi. The one run came on a solo homer. - Lucas Spence went 2-3 with a solo homer (3) and an RBI double for Asheville. Will Bush had a couple of base hits and scored a run, but Asheville fell 8-3 to Winston-Salem.
Taylor Trammell, who is rehabbing in the FCL (I didn't even know he was still in the org), went 3-3 with a solo homer and scored three of the FCL squad's four runs today. David Landeta, a 22-year-old righty from the Dominican who is in his 4th season in the complex leagues, threw three scoreless and allowed two hits while striking out four. The DSL Blue team beat the Red Sox Blue team 7-0 behind a 1st-inning grand slam for Cristopfer Gonzalez. Ariel Lebton hit a two-run single in the 4th and wound up scoring on a wild pitch later in the inning. Ismael Obregon bounced back from getting torched in his pro debut (6 runs in 0.2 IP) by allowing two hits and striking out six over four scoreless. Obregon, a 17-year-old righthander from Mexico, signed at the beginning of this year's IFA period on January 15. Adrian Ardines allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out eight in three innings to complete the shutout. Pablo Martinez drove in two runs in the DSL Orange team's 5-4 loss to the Rays. Martinez, a 17-year-old infielder from the Dominican Republic, signed on the first day of the new IFA period.
And now, some transactions. The Astros are running it back with Cooper Hummel. They re-signed him yesterday and he's back for (what feels like) his 16th stint with Sugar Land. As usual, Hummel is AAAA depth and if he somehow ever finds himself getting semi-regular playing time in Houston, something catastrophic probably occurred. Amilcar Chirinos is headed to Corpus. Chirinos, a 23-year-old RHP from Venezuela, has struck out 38 in 22.2 innings this season from Asheville. Jean Pinto has completed his rehab and is now with Asheville. Alain Peña was placed on the IL. Austin Deming was placed on the Corpus IL.
Anderson Brito vs. Winston-Salem: 2.1 IP, ER, 3 BB, 6 K The run was an inherited runner that scored and was charged to him. It took him 50 pitches (28 strikes) to get 7 outs.
He's put on a little weight but still looks like a pole. Good start, hopefully that translates into him coming to the US mid-season.
Parker Smith walked four and struck out three over 2.2 no-hit, no-run innings in his Fayetteville debut.
Chase Jaworsky (3) and Will Bush (8) both hit solo homers in the 9th to force extra innings in Asheville.
Yeah - he turns 20 next month. He had a good season in DSL at 18. Then last year down there he had the season from hell. This year he has been down there 4 games and has 5 walks and 9 rbi. He should be moving up soon. Because of his very slight build the expectations were he would move slow. He has put on some weight, but not enough- but even with strength and weight issues, he hits some tape measure homers.
Kevin Alvarez hit his first pro home run in the DSL Blue's 11-5 win over the Orioles' Orange team. Sami Manzueta had a double and drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk. Yensi De La Cruz's RBI triple was the Orange team's only scoring play in their 2-1 loss to the Royals' Fortuna team.
Jeron Williams went 2-5 with a double, an RBI single, and scored two runs down in the FCL. Germán Ramirez went 2-4 with a two-run double; he's now slashing .284/.367/.522 with 2 homers and 19 RBI through 19 games this season. Yosweld Vasquez hit his 3rd home run of the year; that's a new career high for the 20-year-old catcher from Venezuela.
Really nice start for Manzueta. Ariel Lebron hit his first HR of his career in the game as well. He's a Panamanian OF who missed last season with an injury, but produced offensively as an 18 year old (.833 OPS, 144 wRC+) in his debut. That production came largely due to singles (28), walks (13), and HBP (17!) rather than XBH (3). Now 20, he's hit 4 XBH in the 4 games he's played, and might need more of a challenge than the DSL will provide.
The class coming into the FCL from the DSL next spring could be the best they’ve had in awhile. Alvarez and Manzueta are really good looking athletes that seem to have mature approaches (based on very limited data).
I don’t know if it’s a typo or not but DSL Orange infielder Pablo Martinez has his height listed as 5’1”. Five foot ONE inches. Damn! https://www.milb.com/player/pablo-martinez-829915 Manzueta, Alvarez, and Eduardo Perez all have extra base hits for DSL Blue today.
Lol, I noticed that. I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be 5'10". https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-astros-sign-20-international-free-agents Of note, 17 year old Mexican Emilio Payro struck out 8 of the 15 batters he faced across 4 scoreless innings this morning, with no walks and 4 hits. That comes after he struck out 5 of the 9 batters he faced in his pro debut, and is sitting at a cool 13:2 K:BB ratio. He apparently can hit 95 with his fastball.
Eduardo "Aaron Judge" Perez hit his first home run of the season and Kevin Alvarez is 2-6 with a bases-clearing double for the DSL Blue team, as they're battering the Brewers' Blue team 14-4. Ariel Lebron is 3-4 with a sac fly and Eric Mota is 3-4 with a triple, an RBI single, and 4 runs scored. Mota, a 17-year-old infielder from the Dominican, signed when the current IFA period opened on January 15. Juan Mieses was the third pitcher to appear and he allowed a hit while striking out six over four scoreless. Mieses is a 19-year-old Dominican who is in his second year with the DSL Blue team. Pablo Martinez's listed height is supposed to be 5-10. 2-3 with a double and three runs scored today, good first 1.5 weeks of his pro career for the Orange team. Juan Rojas is 2-5 with a two-run single and a stolen base (4). Emilio Payro, a 17-year-old from Mexico who signed on January 15, was the third pitcher to come on and he allowed four hits and struck out eight in four scoreless innings of work.
