MLB Prospect Watch

Winter League Recap - 11/9

Arizona Fall League

• Dan Merklinger earned his first AFL win of the fall, tossing three scoreless innings and getting run support from Michael Taylor and Kyle Skipworth, who both doubled in the Desert Dogs three-run fifth inning.
• Andrew Lambo hit a walk-off grand slam to cap a 6-run bottom of the ninth comeback for the Solar Sox.  Jeremy Jeffress was pulled two batters before the slam, but he was charged with four of the six runs in the inning, failing to record an out in the four batters he faced.
• The Saguaros scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to go up 6-4 and take the lead for good, behind three straight hits from the top of their order - Ben Revere, Eduardo Escobar, and Leslie Anderson.  Dustin Ackley reached base three more times in the loss.

Venezuelan Winter League

• Rays pitching prospect Alexander Torres threw five shutout innings to earn his first VWL win of the winter, striking out 11 batters in the process.
• Wilson Ramos wend 2-for-4 with a home run to help propel his Tigres team to a 6-0 victory.

Dominican Winter League

• Fernando Abad gave up one earned run over four innings of work on Tuesday , striking out three.
• Josh Reddick drove in three of the Gigantes eight runs to help lead them to an 8-5 victory.  Fellow Red Sox prospect Yamaico Navarro hit a two-run home run in the loss.

 

 

Winter League Weekend Recap

Arizona Fall League

• The Solar Sox won 13-5 behind a homer and five RBIs by Mets prospect Josh Satin.
• Dustin Ackley led the Javelinas offensive attack, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and three runs scored.  He also stole a base, which Danny Wild of MLB.com says is something the Mariners want him to focus on this fall.
• Josh Collmenter earned his third win of the AFL season as the Diamondbacks prospect tossed five shutout innings, striking out eight.  Bryce Harper went 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts in the game.

Venezuelan Winter League

• Wilson Ramos put together three straight 1-for-4 games and has now hit safely in all six of his VWL appearances.
• Henry Rodriguez recorded his first save of the VWL season and has now thrown 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his last five appearances after giving up two runs in his first appearance.

Puerto Rican Winter League

• After a torrid start, Dee Gordon has gone hitless in his last three games, but is still hitting .450 this winter.

Dominican Winter League

• Josh Reddick's struggles this winter continue, as the Red Sox outfield prospect put up another pair of 0-for-4's this weekend.  Fellow Sox prospect Yamaico Navarro had the same result in his weekend of action.

 

 

Winter League Recap - Oct. 29-30

Friday, October 29th

 

Arizona Fall League

• Dustin Ackley continues to be an on-base machine out of the 3-hole for the Javelinas, reaching base three more times and helping propel his team to an 11-4 victory.
• Brad Holt hit his first speed bump in what had been a thus far successful attempt to redeem himself after what many, including Steve Popper of Baseball America, are calling a lost season for the Mets right-hander.  Giants prospects Brandon Belt and Charlie Culberson each had two hits in the game and Diamondbacks prospect Marc Krauss hit his second AFL home run.
• Mike Montgomery put together five strong innings and got enough run support to earn the win, despite fellow Royals pitching prospect Danny Duffy giving three of those runs back in 1 2/3 innings of relief work.  Alex Cobb, the Rays righty who had been among the best pitchers thus far in the AFL, got tagged for six earned runs in just three innings of work to take the loss.

 

Venezuelan Winter League

• Mark Trumbo continues to secure his place in the heart of the Navegantes order, although his 1-for-3 day at the plate wasn't nearly enough to overcome the 18 runs surrendered by his team's pitching.

 

Dominican Winter League

• Josh Reddick and Francisco Peguero combined to go 0-for-7 as their Gigantes fell 4-3.

 

Puerto Rican Winter League

• Dee Gordon flashed his all-around game, going 4-for-5 at the plate with a triple, while also scoring three runs and stealing two bases, leading his Gigantes de Carolina team to an 11-10 victory.

 

Saturday, October 30th

 

Arizona Fall League

• Kyle Skipworth hit a pair of home runs to lead his Desert Dogs team to a 12-6 victory, reports Ashley Marshall of MLB.com.  Opposing catcher Tony Sanchez of the Pirates also homered in the game.
• Chance Ruffin, drafted by the Tigers just this year, recorded his third save for the Rafters, who took advantage of another rough outing by Casey Kelly, whose fall league ERA now sits at 6.75.
• In a game that featured 35 combined hits and 22 combined runs, the star was undoubtedly Bryce Harper, who homered in the second inning en route to a 3-for-5 day that saw him come up just a triple short of the cycle.  Once again, the ultra-aggressive Harper did his damage on the first pitch of the at-bat, says Robert Emrich of MLB.com.

 

Venezuelan Winter League

• Alex Liddi wasn't spared from a rough offensive day all around for the Cardenales, as the Mariners prospect went 0-for-4 with two strike outs in his team's 3-0 loss.
• Freddy Galvis is doing little to shed his all-glove, no-hit reputation, as another 0-fer day dropped his VWL batting average to .139.

 

Dominican Winter League

• Phillies prospect Yohan Flande took the loss for the Toros del Este as he surrendered four earned runs in three innings of work.  Peguero hit a home run for the Tigres in the victory.

 

Sunday, October 31st

 

Venezuelan Winter League

• Wilson Ramos picked a good day to hit for his first VWL game, as the Nationals catching prospect went 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, as his Tigres de Arague bashed their way to a 20-15 victory.

 

Winter League Recap - 10/28

Arizona Fall League

• The Saguaros put a 15-1 spanking on the Desert Dogs on Thursday, led by multiple-hit games by Ben Revere, Eduardo Escobar, Devin Mesoraco, Joe Benson, and others.
• The Javelinas connected for three home runs off of B.J. Rosenberg in the 6th inning, including one by Koby Clemens, en route to a 6-4 victory over the Solar Sox.
• Sammy Solis gave up eight hits and five runs (two earned) in five innings of work, but the Scorpions fought back behind Conor Gillespie's 4-hit, 2-home run day to win 9-5.

Venezuelan Winter League

• Mark Trumbo hit two home runs (one off of Mariners relief prospect Dan Cortes) and drive in six in the Navegantes 12-8 victory over the Cardenales.  Alex Liddi struck out three times in the loss.

Dominican Winter League

• Josh Reddick reached base four times, but it wasn't enough offense for the Gigantes as they fell to the Tigres 6-3.  Yamaico Navarro and Carlos Peguero each had a hit in the victory for the Tigres.

 

Winter League Recap - 10/26

Arizona Fall League

• An 18-run, 22-hit offensive outburst by the Solar Sox provided more than enough run support, as everyone in the starting lineup had a hit and four players had three hits or more.
• It took the Rafters 10 innings to dispose of the Desert Dogs, as Surprise scored two runs in the top of the 10th of of George Kontos to help Chance Ruffin earn his first AFL win and allow Danny Duffy to pick up his first AFL save.
• Dustin Ackley continued to be an on-base machine in the Javelinas 7-4 victory over the Scorpions Tuesday as he reached three times in five plate appearances, raising his AFL on-base percentage to .563.  The game also saw Brandon Belt's first game action since fouling a ball off his foot on October 22nd.  Belt went 1-for-5 and struck out three times in the game.

Venezuelan League

• The Tigres del Licey posted 16 hits and seven runs, including a 2-for-3 day by Red Sox short stop prospect Yamico Navarro, who started at third base on Tuesday.
• The Toros del Este put up 11 runs behind a 4-for-4 day at the plate by Bradley Emaus, which included two doubles.  On the losing side, the Gigantes del Cibao featured Josh Reddick who went 3-for-4 and Francisco Peguero, who went 0-for-5.