Phuture Phillies

Well last week’s report contained 8 games due to a 10:30 am game on Wednesday last week, so this week’s report includes only 5 games because of a day off for the league on Tuesday this week. Of course the big story for the week was Antonio Bastardo’s line in his game this past week. Overall the team went 2-3 on the week winning it’s last two games making it the first time this season the team has won two games in a row.

The offense has come to life a bit as of late coming up from last in the league in team batting average after week one, and next to last in batting average after week two to fourth (of twelve teams) in batting average currently. The offense has drawn the second most walks in the league, and has struck out fewer than all but one team in the league. Unfortunately the team is hitting without any power at all. The offense is last in slugging percentage, and in all XBH categories, last is RBIs, and next to last in runs scored as a result. (The odd thing is the team with the fewest runs in the league, the Tampa Yankees, are only one game out of first in the division.)

For the most part pitching remains the team’s strength and they lead the league with four shut outs so far this year, and have allowed the second fewest runs. The team has the third most strikeouts in the league with 197, but has also allowed the second most walks with 99. Read the rest of this entry »

Its Monday Morning Ten Pack time

Antonio Bastardo, LHP, High-A Clearwater (Phillies)
Bastardo can be seen as one of those “is what he is” kind of players: a short lefty with average velocity. However, beyond his left-handedness, he’s also got fantastic command and a killer changeup. That’s enough to make him some kind of prospect, and he’s on a roll with the Threshers, striking out 13 over eight two-hit innings yesterday—his third double-digit strikeout game in five starts. Currently sitting with a 1.17 ERA and 47 Ks in 30 2/3 innings, Bastardo is starting to get some attention as something more than just a future lefty lefty specialist, though he still has that in his back pocket, as lefty batters are currently 3-for-37 with 23 strikeouts against the 22-year-old Dominican.

I think KG is getting a little carried away with the “excellent command”, but Bastardo is getting noticed. Move over Cole Hamels….

Its not a surprise for me to log on and see people ranting about Antonio Bastardo, and of course you only have to go back to last summer to see this lesson, which will be explained again, in the case of Tyler Mach. I had a few posters vocally ranting about Mach needing to be promoted to Clearwater, because he was clearly a better prospect than I was giving him credit for. This was when he was hitting a ridiculous .400+ after a weeks of the short season. Of course he cooled down dramatically, and now he’s still MIA and pondering retirement. Of course those calls about how off base I was, and how I was “disrespecting his prospect status” have died down. Now it looks like history is getting ready to repeat itself with Antonio Bastardo. So, again, I ask you to be patient, and here’s why…

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Despite having given up just four runs in four games while striking out a league high 34 batters Clearwater Threshers’ starter Antonio Bastardo had earned just one win in his first four tries this year. On Sunday afternoon he would be given his fifth chance to earn a win, and he certainly made the most of his outing. Antonio had his best outing of the year going 8.0 innings and striking out 13 Yankees in the process both season highs for him. Read the rest of this entry »

Baseball America’s weekly wrap up of the best performers of the week comes out today, and Antonio Bastardo makes the team photo.

IN THE TEAM PHOTO

White Sox 1B Brandon Allen hit .381/.435/.952 with three homers this week for high Class A Winston-Salem, though he remains strikeout prone and a bit rough at first base . . . Phillies LHP Antonio Bastardo struck out 12 in a seven-inning outing this week for high Class A Clearwater and is among the top five in the minor leagues in strikeouts, with 34 . . .

Hey, not bad. There will be a chat at 2:30 Eastern, so if you want, try and get some Phillies questions answered.

This week’s Clearwater Threshers report includes a bonus 8 games for the week thanks to a 10:30 am game on Wednesday that I was able to include here. Fortunately it was able to add another win to put them at a still disappointing 3-5 since my last report. As I mentioned last week it continues to be the pitching that is helping Clearwater out while their hitting as a team remains a disappointment to this point in the year.

Despite the poor team record there are some prospects on the team putting up terrific numbers. As I mentioned the pitching is carrying them to this point so I’ll touch on that first. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m working hard this afternoon

JM (DC): Hey Kevin, a few questions about Phillies prospects. Jason Donald was hitting well in Reading before hurting his hand, are scouts starting to come around on him or is he still a utility guy? Also, what do you make of Greg Golson’s fast start? Just a 3 week flash in the pan, or is he turning it around? He’s posting the highest walk rate of his career right now…

Kevin Goldstein: I actually like Donald quite a bit offensively, but defensively, he’s got a little Jed Lowrie in him where he’s playing there, and he’s holding his own, but it’s not really what you want there glove wise. Golson is a total tool shed, and what he’s doing right now is one of the top things to keep your eye in early in the season.

You rarely hear someone called a tool shed in a positive light, but KG pulled it off. If Donald turns into a Jed Lowrie type prospect, that would be pretty ok in my book.

Hey, we also got a Bastardo reference!

Jeff N (Lawyerville FLA): Hey Kevin, what do you know about Antonio Bastardo? Hes striking out like 20 guys per 9 innings right now. Is he just a fastball pitcher abusing weak hitters?

Kevin Goldstein: Well, 34 in 22.2 innings, but still damn good!. Tony the Bastard is a little lefty is good command and a great changeup. Not a lot of projection, but could end up a bullpen piece.

KG not only breaks out a toolshed reference, he goes with the preferred “Tony the Bastard” as well. What a world we live in…

The Clearwater Threshers continue to struggle with a record of 4-8 on the season.  The pitching has by far been the team’s strength as they have the 4th best ERA in the league at 3.32 and the 3rd most strikeouts with 94.  Unfortunately their hitting has kept them from winning very many as they are dead last in the league in hits, and slugging percentage with only 20 extra base hits on the year. 

Antonio Bastardo and Joe Savery have lead the way for the starting pitchers each posting impressive 0.90 ERAs on the year while Adrian Cardenas (.347), Matt Spencer (.302) and John Urick (.300) are the only Threshers hitters batting .300 or better with five players languishing at .200 or below.

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Matt Spencer celebrates after what would prove to be the game winning home run.

It’s not the normal night for Threshers news, but the pitching staff threw such a gem tonight, I thought the news was worth sharing.

The Clearwater Threshers came out on Friday night after being shut out for the first time this season on Thursday looking for some retribution. Antonio Bastardo took the hill for the team, and for five innings he held the Lakeland Flying Tigers on the runway never able to take off. He picked up ten Ks and allowed just three hits and three walks over that period.

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We’re now six games into this young season with the Threshers off to a slow start at 2-4 on the year. Five players: Adrian Cardenas, Quintin Berry, Gus Milner, Matt Spencer, and John Urick have played in every game, while six different pitchers: Joe Savery, Carlos Monasterio, Antonio Bastardo, Darren Byrd, Edgar Garcia and Dan Brauer have been handed the ball to start a game.

So far Adrian Cardenas has stolen the show for the team as he has hit safely in all but one of the games including a 3-4 and a 4-5 effort. He is currently hitting .417 with 3 doubles, a stolen base and a team best 4 runs scored. Read the rest of this entry »