MLB Prospect Watch

Winter League Recap: 11/18/12

Venezuelan Winter League

• Darin Ruf got back on the home run board, hitting his 11th home run off the winter, this one coming off of Padres right-hander Adys Portillo, who gave up a pair of home runs in one inning of work.  After watching his batting average dip over the past two weeks, Ruf has now hit safely in six straight games, hitting .346 over that stretch with four doubles and a home run.
• Cubs third baseman Josh Vitters has joined the Leones del Caracas and went 0-for-4 in his second game with the team.  He's now 0-for-7 on the brief season.
• Mariners third base prospect Francisco Martinez has received sporadic playing time this winter, but on Sunday he went 1-for-4 with a triple and more interestingly, was playing center field.  Martinez played 11 games in center this season for Double-A Jackson, but is primarily a third baseman.  If he can add center field to his resume, however, it would make him much more valuable as a utility man in the majors.
• After getting off to a hot start, Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia has hit a rough patch, going 0-for-4 on Sunday and is now one for his last ten, dropping his batting average to .245 on the winter.  He's got four home runs this winter, and most of his numbers are on par with his regular season, with the exception with his batting average, which is susceptable to the small sample size of the short season.

Puerto Rican Winter League

• Dodgers Cuban prospect Yasiel Puig has joined the Indios de Mayaguez and went 0-for-3 in his second game of the season on Sunday after debuting with a 2-for-5 effort with a home run in his first game.  Mets outfield prospect Cory Vaughn has had an outstanding winter, collecting at least one hit in every one of his seven games and is now hitting .435 on the short season.
• Mark Cohoon got rocked on Sunday, allowing six runs in five innings in his second start of the winter.
• Carlos Correa, the Astros first overall pick in this year's draft, collected his first multi-hit game of the winter, going 2-for-4 with a double on Sunday, raising his batting average to .200 through four games.

 

Venezuelan Winter League Recap: 10/14/12

• San Diego Padres prospect Adys Portillo took a loss on Sunday after giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks in his one inning of work. Portillo blew a possible victory for Texas Rangers prospect Wilfredo Boscan, who threw three scoreless innings in the start for Aguilas del Zuila. Arizona Diamondbacks outfield prospect Ender Inciarte reached base four times in the loss.
• Minnesota Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in his Tigres de Aragua 7-4 loss. For Arcia, it was a continuation of his strong 2012 season in which he hit .320 with 36 doubles and 17 home runs between High-A and Double-A.
• Phillies prospect Darin Ruf has not seen his 2012 success translate into Venezuelan production, going 0-for-4 on Sunday and dropping his batting average to .083 on the young season. Tigers flame-throwing relief prospect Bruce Rondon pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save of the season.
• Wilmer Flores had an RBI single and Phillies second base prospect Cesar Hernandez reached base three times in their 9-4 victory with Bravos de Margarita.

 

Making Moves - Walker, Wheeler, Goodwin, Portillo

• The White Sox have promoted Keenyn Walker to High-A Winston-Salem, and Dan Santaromita of FutureSox.com takes a look at the outfielders' development.
  
• The Diamondbacks have called up third base prospect Ryan Wheeler, reports Tyler Emerick of MLB.com. Wheeler was leading the minor leagues in RBI's at the time of his promotion, hitting .351/.388/.572 with 15 home runs at Triple-A Reno.
• The Nationals have promoted 2011first-rounder Brian Goodwin from Low-A Hagerstown to Double-A Harrisburg, skipping him over High-A Potomac, according to NationalsProspects.com. In a corresponding move, fellow outfield prospect Eury Perez is heading from Harrisburg up to Triple-A Syracuse.
• Also jumping over High-A ball is right-hander Adys Portillo, whom the Padres will spare from the hitter-friendly California League, says Corey Brock of MLB.com. Portillo was 6-6 with a 1.87 ERA in his second stint in the Midwest League.

 

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Prospect Action - 7/5/12

Triple-A

• Tony Sanchez homered for the third straight game, as the Pirates catcher begins to figure out Triple-A pitching after struggling at the plate at the start after his promotion, says Nancy Zinni of PiratesProspects.com.
• In his first start since throwing a complete game, Andrew Carraway did a complete about-face, as the Mariners prospect allowed eight runs in four innings, reports Mike Curto of The [Tacoma] Tribune-Review.
• Jedd Gyorko hit his 18th home run of the season, and is now hitting .348 in Triple-A and is giving the Padres the flexibility to trade Chase Headley if they deem necessary.

Double-A

• The White Sox got Double-A homers from Tyler Saladino and Andy Wilkins, says Doug Segrest of The Birmingham News.
• Nick Castellanos hit a three-run homer on Thursday, reports Mike Copper of The Erie Times-News.  Castellanos is hitting .300 since his promotion to Double-A, which is 100 points below what he was hitting in Lakeland Tigers, but he has added more power, as his home run yesterday was his fourth in 26 games after hitting just three in 55 games before his promotion.
• Zack Wheeler was dominant in his latest start, going 7 1/3 innings and allowing just one run while striking out six.  The Mets top prospect is now 8-4 on the season with a 2.62 ERA.
• Taijuan Walker hasn't been as sharp lately, giving up three runs in five innings on Thursday, making it seven straight starts in which he has given up at least three runs and failing to go more than six innings in any of them.

High-A

• Jesse Biddle earned his fifth win of the season, allowing two runs in 6 1/3 innings, reports David Yates of The Lakeland Ledger.  The Phillies left-hander is now sporting a 3.23 ERA on the season.
• Trayce Thompson extended his hitting streak to nine games in support of Blake Walters, who earned his first win in thee starts, says Mason Linker of The Winston-Salem Journal.
• Yordano Ventura got hit around on Thursday, as the Royals diminutive right-hander got tagged for six runs (five earned) in 2 2/3 innings.
• Asher Wojciechowski earned his sixth win of the season, as the Blue Jays right-hander tossed six solid innings and allowed just two runs.

Low-A

• White Sox third roun pick Joey DeMichele went 4-for-6 in his fourth game since being promoted to full-season ball, notes Jonathan Raymond of MiLB.com.
• Known for his plate discipline in college, Astros 2012 second round pick Nolan Fontana walked five times and knocked a single in a perfect professional debut at the plate, reports Ashley Marshall of MiLB.com.
• Adys Portillo earned his sixth win of the season and was able to keep his opponents to just one unearned run over five innings despite walking five batters.  The Padres prospect lowered his ERA to 1.65 in the start.
• No longer on the piggyback start system Justin Nicolino made his fifth straight start, but for the second straight outing he got hit hard, and has now allowed nine runs in his past two starts.

 

 

Prospect Action - 6/7/12

Triple-A

• Paul Clemens continues to earn victories despite pitching poorly, as the right-hander allowed four runs over five innings and watched his ERA rise to 6.10, but picked up his seventh win of the season.
• Jake Odorizzi struck out 10 in 6 2/3 innings to pick up his third victory of Triple-A this season, getting run support from fellow Royals prospect Wil Myers, who hit a grand slam off of the rehabbing Roy Oswalt.

Double-A

• Zack Wheeler continues to dominate Double-A, says Danny Wild of MiLB.com, as the Mets top prospect struck out seven in as many innings, allowing just an unearned run.  Danny Rosenbaum was on the losing end of the anticipated pitcher's duel, as the Nationals lefty fell to 7-2 on the season after giving up four runs (three earned) over seven innings.
• Tigers C James McCann wasn't good in his first taste of Double-A, struggling devensively and on the bases, according to Mike Copper of The Erie Times-News.
• Blue Jays 2010 first-rounder Deck McGuire continues to struggle at the Double-A level, dropping to 2-7 on the season after allowing six runs in five innings.  McGuire now has a 6.83 ERA on the season and has stuck out just 40 batters in 59 1/3 innings, and has yet to finish the seventh inning in any of his 12 starts.
• Taijuan Walker suffered his worst outing of the season, as the Mariners phenom gave up four runs (three earned) while lasting just three innings.  The young right-hander has allowed four runs in back-to-back starts after having not allowed more than two in any of his first nine of the season.
• Barret Loux threw five more shutout innings, advancing to 11-0 on the season, out-pitching Keyvius Sampson, who continues to struggle in Double-A, giving up four runs in six innings to lower his ERA to 6.19.

High-A

• Jacob Petricka threw just three innings thanks to a rain delay, but the White Sox prospect gave up two runs during the short stint, says The Winston-Salem Journal.
• Angels 1B prospect C.J. Cron went 3-for-4 with a home run, notes Jonathan Raymond of MiLB.com.  It was the 10th of the season for the 2011 first-rounder.
• Cody Buckel pitched well again, but two runs in 5 2/3 innings was too much, as the right-hander dropped to 5-2 on the season.

Low-A

• Adys Portillo couldn't get out of the second inning, as the Padres right-hander allowed five runs in 1-plus innings, but it wasn't all his fault, as only one of the runs was earned, notes Peter Wallner of MLive.com.
• Nick Tropeano earned his fifth win of the season, reports The Lexington Herald-Ledger, as the Astros right-hander struck out six in as many innings.
• Kyle Crick turned in perhaps the strongest start of his young career, as the Giants righty fanned 10 batters over seven innings of shutout baseball, according to Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com.  Despite getting hit hard in two of his previous four starts, the 2011 supplemental first-rounder is sporting an ERA of 3.45 this season, and has struck out 61 batters in 47 innings.
• Luke Jackson navigated through a potent Charleston River Dogs lineup to pick up a win, scattering five hits in as many innings, as the Rangers prospect picked up his fifth win of the season, reports The Hickory Daily Record.  Jackson got a home run from catching prospect Kellin Deglan in support of the victory.