Big group of lottos there. Baez, Gomez, Gaston, Capellan, Sanchez, De Leon all off to great starts. And the other big money signee Alberto Hernandez has a 6% k rate against a 8% bb rate, he just isn’t hitting for power. Will be fun to track them as they move up.
Yeah... maybe he should have listened to Brent Strom, Roger Clemens, Nolan Ryan and others who told him not to mess with his delivery..... but what do they know about pitching that Forest doesn't know? I am sure that Mark Prior and Forest know what is best.
Kenni Gomez is the guy that is being discussed internally a lot when compared to what you are reading or hearing in commercial publications. They absolutely LOVE his hit tool and if he physically matures, he could really move up the organization quickly. He has some issues on the bases and at time presses trying to hit for power, but he has a strong eye at the plate, very good hand-eye coordination and can pound balls in his hitting zone.
Gaston is a 19.5 year old built like a man (6'3" 215 lbs) playing against 17-19 year old kids that haven't matured yet in some cases. He is worth following but with his size advantage and age advantage, it is hard to know what to make of him. For example, he is over 2.5 years older than his teammate Kenni Gomez.
He has been VASTLY superior this year when he has been a starter than out of the pen. His era is sub 4 as a starter and like 7 as a reliever.
Joey Loperfido hit his 6th homer for Fayetteville: Rainier Rivas hit his 4th: And Logan Cerny with #14. Cerny also had an RBI single in the Woodpeckers' 5-2 win in Myrtle Beach. Bryant Salgado allowed two hits and fanned four over four scoreless innings.
https://theathletic.com/3419623/2022/07/13/mlb-scouts-american-league-futures-game/ Yainer Diaz 23 | Houston | Double A/Triple A 73 G, .294/.346/.494, 7 BB%, 16 K%, 14 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR Scouts are split when it comes to Diaz. “I’m not on Yainer-mania,” said one, while others lament the environment he’s playing in. How do you evaluate a catcher’s receiving in a league with automated balls and strikes? “He may be one of the most confusing guys to scout,” one evaluator said. What’s clear is that the guy hits. Though he has scuffled upon promotion to Triple A, he has finished just about every year of his pro career with an average above .300. Despite his unconventional mechanics — striding open and a big bucket step — Diaz makes a lot of contact and hits the ball hard. His defensive fit may be determined by what entity, human or machine, is calling balls and strikes. Diaz has a good arm and throws accurately, but he’s not a great blocker or receiver. Notably, he has played 30 games at first base this year. Hunter Brown 23 | Starter | Houston | Triple A 2.38 ERA, 72 IP, 33 K%, 11 BB% In the past, some scouts looked at Brown and saw a future closer. He had a fastball that got up to 98 mph and gave hitters fits at the top of the zone, as well as a nasty curveball and appealing cutter. But there was effort in his crossfire delivery to go along with concerning walk totals. Now there seem to be more believers in the right-hander’s future in the rotation. He still features the same stuff, although his fastball sits more in the 95 mph range as a starter, but now with slightly better command. If the curveball has lost a smidgeon of bite, that’s because Brown has taken a bit off of it to land it more often for strikes. Already thriving at Triple-A Sugar Land, Brown should get his big-league shot soon.
Seems outdated to worry about framing as it relates to catchers in the minors at this point. That skill will be obsolete in three years.
Definitely something to consider. Diaz at catcher is a very good prospect. Diaz at 1B/DH is just a decent prospect. Of course the universal DH has helped players like that. Some guys that Diaz might compare to: Gary Sanchez, Carlos Santana, Kyle Schwarber, Billy Butler, or Victor Martinez. Obviously Santana or Martinez are high end outcomes.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/No-damage-right-shoulder-Astros-Forrest-Whitley-17302838.php Testing on Astros pitching prospect Forrest Whitley revealed no structural damage in his right shoulder, general manager James Click said on Wednesday, labeling the diagnosis “really good news.” Whitley exited his start at Class AAA Sugar Land on Sunday after 20 pitches. The team initially described his ailment as “right shoulder inflammation,” but imaging revealed a minor issue in Whitley’s bicep. “It’s not anything to do with the shoulder, per se,” Click said during his weekly interview on SportsTalk 790, the team’s flagship radio station. “He’s just got a little bit of inflammation in the top of the bicep right where it hits the shoulder. Hopefully it’s just seven to 10 days of not throwing a baseball and pick it up from there.” “The stuff has looked good. It’s looked like the Forrest that was drafted here and that was, at a time, the top pitching prospect in baseball,” Click said. “If he can continue to use that stuff and have some success at the Triple-A level, he’s going to put himself in a spot of real consideration for us.”
