Holy crap, it’s August.
- Nick Stavinoha went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and a walk. Stavinoha might be a servicable 25th man on the roster but he looks like a John Gall tweener to me.
- David Freese went deep.
- Allen Craig was 2-for-4 with a double.
- Shane Robinson was 2-for-4 with a double.
- Evan MacLane struck out 8 over 6 innings. He was touched up for 9 hits and 5 runs including two balls that went deep.
- Matt Scherer pitched a scoreless frame striking out 1. He’s K’d 36 over 56 innings walking 14. He’s not going to overpower anyone with pure stuff but it seems noteworthy that with all the bullpen problems the big club has had, Scherer’s name never comes up as an option.
- Pete Parise struck out 2 retiring the last 4 batters.
- Colt Sedbrook was 2-for-4.
- Pete Kozma was 1-for-4. He has a .221/.283/.299 line at Springfield. This promotion came too soon.
- Francisco Samuel (who appears to have lost his hold on the closer’s position) allowed 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 3.
- Eduardo Sanchez finished out the game with a 1 hit, 2K 9th.
- Aaron Luna was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. He’s shown great plate discipline although struggling a bit to make contact. His .861 OPS ranks among the top 10 in MLEs out of the Florida State League. Outside of Daniel Descalso, Luna’s been the biggest mover among position prospects this year.
- Chris Swauger was 2-for-4 with a double.
- Jermaine Curtis walked twice and went 1-for-2.
- Brad Furnish got lit up for 7 runs in 4.2 IP. I can’t imagine he’s far removed from being released at this point.
- Frederick Parejo went 2-for-4.
- Osvaldo Morales went deep for the second night in a row.
- Kyle Conley was 2-for-4 with a double.
- Scott McGregor allowed 5 runs (1 earned) over 5 innings of work on 4 hits and 1 walk. He struck out 1.
- Jonathan Gonzalez struck out 2 and walked 1 in an inning of work.
Batavia 0, Mahoning Wine Valley 2
- Batavia totalled just 4 hits.
- Alan Ahmady collected 2 walks.
- Justin Edwards tossed 5 innings allowing just 1 run on 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3.
- Raco Racobaldo was 2-for-5.
- Yunier Castillo was 2-for-4 with a double.
- Reynier Gonzalez struck out 4 over 4 scoreless frames.
- Travis Lawler got roughed up for 4 runs while retiring just 1 batter.
Entries (RSS)
I’m starting to believe that yall just tell us we play NW Arkansas every night. Did we start our own AA league?
wow….32 games against NWA this season
If the state of Arkansas had no minor league teams, I think Springfield would be forced to play intrasquad games all the time. I swear they play either Arkansas or NW Arkansas every single night.
Is it just a matter of time before Eduardo Sanchez is closing games for Memphis? While Descalso and Luna have been the big movers for position prospects, Sanchez has definitely been one of the biggest movers among pitching prospects.
While Kozma’s line has been disappointing, it’s still more impressive than the line being put up by Blue Jays 3B prospect Kevin Ahrens. Ahrens, who was picked 2 spots before Kozma in the ’07 Draft, is putting up a .208/.281/.277 line in the FSL. Neither guy has had a good year, but they still have plenty of time to turn into good prospects.
Any scouting report of Eduardo Sanchez?
I really like this guy.
What is the point of leaving Rocobaldo in JC to hit .400 as a 24 year old? Seems contrary to the quick movement they have given most players. The guy needs to start next year in PB and end next year in Springfield. they should expose him to something higher than JC this year.
I wouldn’t argue strongly that Luna isn’t the 2nd biggest position player mover this year but he was at least on the radar. Cutler and Chambers came out of nowhere. Swinson is another guy who has come out of nowhere who I’d put slightly behind that group only because of his level.
Mark Hamilton should get a mention as well for his HR and 1000+ OPS. In terms of movers he has to be on the list as well. Assuming he finishes out August well his rate stats are going to look really nice for a AA/AAA first baseman albeit in only ~ 300 at bats…..
Obviously there is no future for him in STL but maybe he could net us a decent prospect in trade with SF Giants or similar….
I’m glad to see Sanchez installed as Springfield’s closer–here’s hoping that’ll cut down on his workload a little. Since the beginning of June, the scrawny kid has thrown 30 innings (to me 15 innings per month is just too much for any bullpen guy, much less a developing 20-year-old).
Hard to argue with the results, though, I must admit. In those 30 IP, Eduardo has a fantastic 37-5 strikeout to walk ratio, with just 17 hits allowed. Oh, and after allowing a hit last night, he picked the guy off.
Memphis beckons….
+1 Lawless
Mark Hamilton’s career is reminding me in a way of Chris Duncan. Obviously quite a bit different since Hamilton was taken out of college instead of high school. But both big left-handed power hitters with similar minor league walk rates. Each stalled out a bit in the minors, hopefully Hamilton is putting it together like Duncan did circa 2004. I remember at that time (after the 2004 and 2005 seasons) looking at Cardinal prospect lists and practically no one thought Duncan was anything more than a marginal top-20 prospect (But Travis? Hanson was top 10). Everyone missed the bus because he had been dismissed due to his struggles.
Re: Tyler Greene. The one thing he’s done real well this year in Memphis, that he didn’t do at all in StL, is take the occasional free pass. Hopefully this carries over to the big leagues next time he gets a shot.
Glimmers….Frederick Parejo has had several multi hit games lately. When Swinson singled in his first at bat last night it made him 15 for his last 30 though he ended up 1 for 5. Stock and Kelly are doing well. Craig’s leading the charge but Hoffpauir, Freese, Jay and Hamilton are starting to hit like they’re supposed to. Reifer’s doing better and Sanchez has been great. It’ll be an interesting final month.
Swauger has been hot lately for PB – He is hitting .405 in his last 10 games and is 9 for 16 over his last 5 games.
What is the deal with Solano he can’t hit at Springfield, but hits over .300 at Memphis.
Rocobaldo may be in JC to provide cover for younger players, such as Swinson, Stock, and Obregon. Rocco is old for the league.
@JD:
I’ve seen Sanchez a few times and have borrowed a few gun readings…
While he’s somewhat short and small-statured, similar to projection and style to Craig Kimbrel, Eduardo Sanchez throws firmly in the mid 90s, reach 96 and 97 mph in nearly every one of his outings. And although he isn’t long-limbed– making his projection much more conservative than someone like Jordan Walden or Jason Knapp– he is still just 21 years old for this coming season. His slider is developing in to a tight, out-pitch (eventually rating maybe a 60-65 on the 20-80 scale), while his control is definitely manageable for a power pitcher. Even though he’ll likely never have plus control, he definitely will have atleast average control of his power fastball (maybe above) and could develop average control of his sharp slider. Young, short, power-relievers like Craig Kimbrel or Dave Robertson, generally have much more trouble with fastball control, so this is definitely a big plus for Sanchez. More importantly, there were NO reports of his fastball velocity diminishing after a 60+ appearance last season. His poise is plus as well, especially for someone his age. So, while Sanchez isn’t a lock to become an MLB closer (although he certainly shows the potential to be at least as capable as someone like Chris Perez), he does have a very good chance at become a back-end reliever, and barring some unforseen mishap, will be in the Cardinals’ bullpen sooner rather than later.
Overall, I’d put Sanchez third on the Cardinals’ list of prospects– behind only Shelby Miller (who is first by a large margin) and Lance Lynn. As far as talent goes, Sanchez is second to Miller.
Lance Lynn is a pitcher I like. His a well-built righty with a low 90s, heavy 2-seamer, and is good at avoiding homeruns. While Lynn won’t be an ace, I do see him as someone that could pitch 180+ innings annually of 4.00-4.50 era ball in the 4 or 5 spot of the Cards’ rotation. And frankly, while he doesn’t have a high ceiling, I’d rather have Lynn than risky “studs” like Adrian Salcedo, Jordan Walden or Aaron Poreda. A pitcher like Lynn is actually VERY valuable in today’s game.