Here's a fan-made top 30 prospects list at the Crawfishboxes. I think it's a solid list. I might tweak the arrangement a little but I think it's a very good assessment of the top 30 overall prospects. I think the most impressive part is that there's arguably 12-14 B- and higher grades there and everyone else in the top 30 is C+. It's a deep system now.
Undrafted free agent C Jon Carnahan, in his professional debut, hit a 2-run single for the GCLstros. They're up 5-0 on the Nationals. Carnahan is a Texan; he's from Port Neches. A PN-G HS product, he played in college at Delta State. He led the Statesmen to a D-II College World Series runner-up finish. Bio and Stats 2012 Stats .326/.391/.459, 4 HR, 48 RBI, 15 BB (11 HBP), 26 K, 5-5 SB in 61 games (54 starts). Caught 21 of 66 stealers (32%). .998 fielding %, with 1 error committed all season.
Luhnow stated that the big roster moves will start in the beginning of August. I suspect that after the trade deadline that the Astros will jettison some of their AAAA talent from The Show and from AAA. Prospects then can move on up.
Tri-City sweeps a doubleheader against Hudson Valley. In the 2nd game, Brian Holmes was perfect for 6 innings, then he allowed a hit to the first man he faced in the 7th. He finished with a 1-hitter in a 7-0 win.
Uh.... from reading his most recent tweet, I think Jason Chowning got released. Really? What purpose does Erick Abreu serve in Corpus?
This is my comment on the crawfishboxes, but it fits here. I asked him if he was released and he replied with: J Chow_21 @Jason_Chowning @Woodlandstro yes sir. Hum babe I don’t know what he meant by Hum babe lol. I told him to keep on going and that he will make the show eventually and he replied with: J Chow_21 @Jason_Chowning @Woodlandstro I mean of I couldn’t make it for the astros. I’ll never make it. Lol. I don’t think he took it well lol, i admit it was hilarious though by Woodlands'stro on Jul 28, 2012 3:43 AM CDT reply actions *
IIRC, "hum babe" was a term former SF manager Roger Craig (who coincidentally was the same manager who taught Mike Scott the split finger and would later accuse him of scuffing during games) would use for players he felt were "gamers".
Friday Stories Jarred Cosart's blisters struck again. Dramatics in Corpus!!!!! Rough debut for Blair Walters. Tri-City just beat down the 2nd best team in their league, widening the gap between them and everyone else. Greeneville had to hold on for dear life in Elizabethton. Recap OKC dropped their series finale to Iowa 5-0, but they still took 3 out of 4 in the series. Fernando Martinez went 2-3 with a double. Jarred Cosart made his return to the Redhawks, but his blisters continue to be a problem. He went 3 2/3 innings before having to leave, allowing 3 runs on on 4 hits, walking 1 and striking out 5. Jake Buchanan pitched the next 3 1/3 innings, allowing an unearned run on 5 hits, walking 1 and striking out 4. Aneury Rodriguez allowed a run on a hit (not a homer) in 2 innings, walking 1 and striking out 3. Corpus mounted a furious rally late and walked off with a 6-5 victory over Midland. After getting no-hit by Rockhounds starter Shawn Haviland for 6 innings, the Hooks got 2 in the 7th and 4 in the 9th. Adam Bailey's 2-run homer in the 7th (2; 10 season) kicked things off, and then he added an RBI double to start things in the 9th. Ben Heath had an RBI groundout to make it 5-4. Ben Orloff's RBI forceout tied the game, as Drew Muren scampered home. And with 2 outs, Jose Martinez played hero, as his RBI single sent the Hooks on to a win. Paul Clemens went 6 2/3 innings and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits (2 homers to Tyler Ladendorf), walked 1, and struck out 7. Alex Sogard got the win in relief, serving up a solo shot to Dusty Coleman in the 9th. Lancaster found themselves miles behind Inland Empire, falling behing 13-0 after the 3rd. Thankfully for the Jethawks, the 66ers called off the dogs in a 15-1 laugher. A Chris Epps RBI single was it. Blair Walters, making his organizational debut, was just bombed, allowing 9 runs on 10 hits (solo homer) in only 2 1/3 innings and walked 2 without recording a strikeout. Chia-Jen Lo was the only Jethawks pitcher to escape unscathed, as he retired all 6 66ers he faced, striking out 1. Let's not talk about Jorge De Leon's outing. Jose Trinidad served up a homer to Rosenberg native Randal Grichuk in the 9th, the only hit and run he allowed. Lexington was up 4-0 on Hagerstown when the game was suspended entering the 4th inning. They'll finish up today, then play the regularly scheduled game. All 4 runs have been driven in by Zach Johnson, who crushed a 3-run homer (11) in the 1st. He also added a sac fly in the 3rd. Ruben Sosa is 2-2 with 2 runs scored and a steal (8). Delino DeShields has stolen his 73rd base. Luis Cruz threw 3 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 3, and striking out 3. Probably safe to say that he won't be continuing this game. Tri-City, the best team in the New York-Penn League, swept a doubleheader against Hudson Valley, the league's 2nd-best team, and in the process, took the series with a 4-2 win in game 1 and a 7-0 win in game 2. In the 1st game, Aaron West outdueled Taylor Guerrieri, the Rays' #4 prospect. West went 6 1/3 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits, walked 2, and fanned 8. Jobduan Morales went 3-3 with 2 RBI singles. Tyler Heineman had an RBI double and Preston Tucker added an RBI single. Jesse Wierzbicki went 2-4 and scored twice. Kenny Long retired the only man he faced with a strikeout to get the 2nd out of the 7th, and Blake Ford set a Tri-City record with his 11th save of the season. In the 2nd game, Brian Holmes was unconscious, taking a perfect game into the 7th until.... he gave up a single to Joey Rickard to lead off the bottom of the inning. He finished out the game with that hit being the only one he allowed, and he struck out 6. Jesse Wierzbicki had a 2-run triple. Emilio King had an RBI triple of his own. Joe Sclafani went 2-3 with a 2-run single in the 7th, and he scored on an Andrew Aplin RBI single. Aplin scored on a Ryan Dineen RBI single. Jarrod McKinney went 2-2 with a triple and scored twice. Sclafani and Aplin also scored twice. Greeneville topped Elizabethton 12-9, as they had to hang on after the Twins scored 5 in the 8th. Everyone had a hit except for Terrell Joyce, who at least drew 2 walks. Ariel Ovando went 2-5 with a solo homer in the 3rd, his 3rd of the season. Ricky Gingras went 3-5 with a 2-run single. D'Andre Toney was 2-6 with an RBI force out. Brian Blasik went 2-5 with an RBI double and scored twice. Jean Carlos Batista had a 2-run single in the 6th and a 2-run homer in the 8th, his 4th of the season. Frederick Tiburcio went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 4 hits (2 solo shots), walked 4, and struck out 6. Zach Dando allowed 2 of Tiburcio's runners to score in 2 innings of work. Mike Dimock got whacked. Jordan Jankowski got his 1st save by retiring all 4 batters he faced, striking out 2. He has 33 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings this season. The GCLstros stormed out to an 8-0 lead and defeated the Nationals 8-3. Jon Carrnahan, in his first professional game, went 2-4 with a 2-run single. Yonathan Mejia was 2-5 with an RBI single and an RBI groundout. Juan Santana went 2-4 with a double and an RBI. Brett Phillips, The River, and Teoscar Hernandez also drove in 1. Reymin Guduan threw 3 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walked 2, and fanned 4. Jandel Gustave got the win, throwing 4 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits, walking 3 and striking out 3. The Academy topped the Royals 6-5. They are now on a 3-game winning streak. Pedro Coa went 2-3 with 2 RBI. Cristian Murillo went 2-4 with a double and scored twice. Hector Roa, Jean Carlos Cortorreal, Mesac Laguna, and Yoel Silfa each drove in 1. Francisco Baso allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 in the 1st. Rayderson Chevalier pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing 5 runs (3 earned) on 4 hits, walking 4 and striking out 4. Juan Delis got the win with 2 2/3 scoreless, allowing 1 hit, walking 1, and striking out 1.
Game Scores Jarred Cosart: 45 Paul Clemens: 52 Blair Walters: Pass Luis Cruz: 53 Aaron West: 59 Brian Holmes: 81 Frederick Tiburcio: 47 Reymin Guduan: 57 Francisco Baso: N/A Three Stars 3. Adam Bailey, RF, Corpus Christi 2-4, 2B, HR (2, 10), 3 RBI His contributions sparked the Hooks and led them on to a huge victory. 2. Jean Carlos Batista, SS, Greeneville 2-4, 2-R HR (4), 4 RBI at 1B Ariel Ovando, RF 2-5, solo HR (3) Ricky Gingras, C 3-5, 2 RBI They were the offensive workhorses for the Appy Astros last night, and without it, they probably wouldn't have won. Big win, since it snapped a 4-game losing streak and allowed them to make up ground on Elizabethton. Batista has logged time all over the infield, but his bat will help carry him through the system. My early prediction is that he'll be in Lexington next season. Ovando is slowly beginning to discover his power. He's exceeded all expectations in a repeat year. A season like this could put him in position to advance to Tri-City by the end of the year, and may even land him an assignment to Lexington to begin next year. 1. Tri-City Valleycats W 4-2, 7-0 @ Hudson Valley They just can't be stopped!!! Well, they have been stopped, but not for very long. Aaron West outpitched a guy who is arguably the Rays' top pitching prospect, and Brian Holmes was almost perfect in his start while his offense gave him plenty of support. Honorable Mention Jose Martinez, 2B, Corpus Christi: Hero. He should be on his way to OKC soon. Move like that's been long overdue, though. Goat Who is this, you ask? This is Fred Nelson, the Astros' Director of Player Development. The word I got on Twitter this morning was that he needs to go the way of Tal Smith: the f out. He's getting quite a bit of heat over Jason Chowning's release. Oh, and there is that issue of him praising T.J. Steele. Sad news concerning Jason Chowning. Unfortunately for him, with the influx of the prospects that the Astros have acquired, he ended up becoming a casualty. We'll definitely be seeing more releases in the coming days as the system continues to be overhauled. Why, why couldn't it have been Erick Abreu???? Looking Ahead Jose Cisnero will make his OKC debut tonight at 7:05, as the Redhawks begin a 4-game set with Omaha. He will be opposed by Ryan Verdugo. Corpus and Midland are back at it at 7:05. In a rematch of the first game of last Wednesday's doubleheader, Ross Seaton will take on Sonny Gray. Lancaster will look for a better showing against Inland Empire at 7 Pacific. Tyson Perez gets the start, and he'll go up against Nick Maronde. Lexington and Hagerstown will complete last night's game first. The game will continue at 5:30 Eastern. The regularly scheduled game is set for a 7:05 Eastern start. I think Luis Ordosgoitti will start. He'll be opposed by Taylor Hill. Tri-City continues their roadtrip by opening up against the new 2nd-place team in the New York-Penn League, the Auburn Doubledays, leaders of the Pinckney Division. Lance Day will match up against Blake Monar. First pitch will be at 7:05 Eastern. Greeneville will wrap up their series with at 6 Eastern. Francis Ramirez will go up against Angel Mata. GCLstros in progress. For updates, follow @BillMo7 on Twitter. DSLstros in progress.
Yeah I saw that coming when I posted it on thecrawfishboxes lol. Oh well Chowning was a good guy I wish we didn't release him...
I am sure Fred Nelson will be fired at the end of the year along with a lot of other Astros front office staff. Lunhow didn't have enough time to bring all his people since he was hired during the winter meetings. I wouldn't be shocked to see Bobby Heck let go as well. Lunhow wants to have a big role in the draft process unlike Ed Wade.
I guess I'll have to defer to the minor league "experts" on the Chowning situation, because the dude had a .400 BA against and a 14.54 ERA and a nearly 1:1 SO/BB ratio as a 24 year old in advanced A. Doesn't exactly scream "prospect" to me. Maybe it's just a bad year, since his previous years' stats have been pretty good. Just don't get the outrage since we do have pitching at the lower levels.
He was flat out owning in class A ball to start the year. He got promoted and struggled with his control, but if less than 9 innings in A+ is enough to condemn a 0.66 ERA in A-Ball, than what the hell are guys like Brad Dydalewicz and Tanner Bushue still doing in this organization?
