Box Score Roundup; April 20th

Box Score Recap

First the links, then some quick hits below the fold….

Lehigh Valley wins 2-1.

Reading loses 5-0.

Clearwater loses 3-0.

Lakewood wins 4-3.

The SP prospects that went tonight…

Cisco: 5 IP – 4 ER (1uER) – 5 H – 2 BB – 2 K (7 GB – 5 FB)
May: 5 IP – 1 ER – 2 H – 3 BB – 9 K (2 GB – 4 FB)
Way: 6 IP – 1 ER (2uER) – 6 H – 1 BB – 5 K (6 GB – 3 FB)

And then the notables

Mayberry; 1/2 with a 2B (5)
Galvis; 3/4
Gose; 0/4
Myers; 0/4
Jiwan; 1/5
Castro; 2/5, 2B (3)
Hewitt; 3/5
Valle; 1/5, 2B (3)
Villar; 1/4

79 thoughts on “Box Score Roundup; April 20th”

  2. May was in lakewood last year and posted a 4-1 record with 95ks and 43bb in 77.1ip and held hitters to a .211 avg

    Like

  3. Clearwater is in the Florida State League which is a more advanced league than Lakewood is in, which is the South Atlantic League. Basically, Clearwater is High A or A+ compared to Lakewood just being A. May is therefore at a more advanced level in Clearwater than he would be if he was in Lakewood. The questions is how long it takes him to make it to Reading?

    Like

  4. Hewitt continues to hit the ball, 3 hits and 0 Ks. He also threw a guy out at 3rd. I could be wrong but it seems most people are just waiting for Hewitt to go back to his ways of striking out 50% (exaggeration) of the time and hitting at a .220 clip with limited power. I understand this thinking due to his embarrassingly bad stats in his 1 1/2 years in the minors but didn’t we all know that he was a severe project and knew he would take alot time to develop.

    I am in no way stating that I think he has completely turned the corner as he’s still striking out as much as he usually does and it’s really only been 2 weeks. Alot of people are hitting well at Lakewood as they lead the SAL with a .305 avg. (as of yesterday) but something has got to be said for him being almost immediately moved from 9th to 3rd in the lineup.

    Nobody on this site thought Hewitt would succeed in his first season or two because we all knew he was a classic Phillies “toolsy” but raw draft pick. Based on pre-draft expectations he has really been exactly what everyone expected. With that being said I absolutely love what he’s accomplished in such a short time and am definitely rethinking my opinion on him.

    Just an opinion but I believe the move to the outfield has helped him because now he can concentrate almost all of his time towards hitting. Just one less thing to think about for prospect who needs alot of work.

    Like

  5. I think May is going to be staying at Clearwater all season for three reasons. His control has improved but he is still walking guys too much and also they are probably going to limit him to about 120-130 innings. There is also no real reason to rush him right now because he is not going to be helping the big club until at least 2012 now.

    Like

  6. I agree with you Jon, he can concentrate more on hitting with being in the outfield and not get down on himself like he probably was doing after making so many errors at third and carrying it to the plate last year.

    Like

  7. Thanks guys. I was under the impression that Lakewood was a step up from Clearwater (clearly i was wrong). So yes, I suppose the correct question is “when does he move up to Reading?” Good stuff. Great site.

    Like

  8. I’d be really surprised to see May at Reading this year due to:

    1) Phillies rarely push their young top prospects in an aggressive fashion.

    2) He still has shown control issues even though he’s been pretty unhittable. About 13 innings and 4 hits and about 24 Ks.

    3) Our depth is amazing. Reading is already packed and Ramirez and Hyatt should be promoted before May. There are some serious decisions to be made on who is a reliever and who is a starter. Flande seems first to be moved to the pen followed by Worley, unless Worley picks it up. Honestly I would rather just move some pitchers to LHV as starters instead on moving them to the reading pen. It’s not like the IL is oozing with baseball talent that is going to crush young pitchers.

    Like

  9. Hewitt’s nice start is encouraging, but 15 Ks and 2 walks through 12 games shows that he’s still got a long way to go…

    Like

  10. May’s dominance is really something. Out of the 38 outs he’s gotten this year, 23 (60%) have been via strikeout! 8 walks is of course too many, but he’s been unhittable, giving up only 4 hits so far. That’s just under twice as many strikeouts as baserunners.

    Small sample size etc etc, but wow.

    Like

  11. jon, i understand your enthusiasm but it’s 2 weeks into the season. remember only about 5 guys of the hundred will ever play for the phils. hopefully we can build up our system to be able to trade again. just my opinion.

    Like

  12. Why would Flande go to the Reading bull pen. He is a lefty with a good change up. He does not have the breaking ball to be a left handed, bull pen arm. Flande is also performing better than the other Reading starters (Worely and Cisco).

    Like

  13. Jon – I have to agree with you on that some tough decisions will have to be made. We’re starting to have a logjam at the Pitcher spot. I think a lot of minor league vets at AAA will end up being released during the season (i.e. Duckworth, Mazzone, Vogelsong)

    There’s nobody really to cut at Reading. At least we don’t have JD Durbin type filler guys starting there anymore.

    Like

  14. LH relievers can also be used against RH batters…especially if they have reverse splits. Not every LHP needs to end up as a LOOGY in the BP.

    Like

  15. Worley will likely be moved to the pen at some point this year and that will open up a spot. He was drafted with the thought of him being a reliever in mind anyway.

    Like

  16. Quite honestly, everything that I’ve seen out of Worley (save the first month, month and a half) to me indicates he’s not going to make it. I don’t think he throws hard enough (since he’s a RHP) to make it as a bullpen guy. Right now, I think the best case scenario for him would be a Clay Condrey type.

    Like

  17. Hewitt – 15 K’s in 12 games? Slightly more than one per game. 1.25 I suppose. The last couple of years if he only struck out once a game it was taken as an encouraging sign. Seems like the last game he played 3 for 5 with no strikeouts. That’s the most current thing and the long term extrapolation of the past should give way to projecting out the future. The next result can add to it.

    Galvis 3 for 4 with no strikeouts. He is now hitting a robust .257. According to people on here , the worst hitting SS in MLB, Philly’s own J. Rollins only hit .250 last season. Therefore, going by that, it seems Galvis is right on the path to the majors.

    People can go on and on and on about “only 5 % of minor leaguers will ever make the (Phillies)” . Every season there are around 300 minor league players per team (and this is a league-wide numerical guess, that is “quoted” ) many of these are raw latin american players , college veterans looking at likely reserve roles , and players with overall talent defiencies, making their ascenscion to MLB a long shot to begin with. So that number is skewed by realities to begin with. Fact is, if someone has the requisite talent and proper development they can make it, because there is always room at the top. There are around 100 players in the organization full season teams now, and it is a very good likelihood more than 5 will make it. I don’t know why this old saw has begun to be endlessly repeated lately. I am inclined to believe somebody like Mike Greenberg or Angelo Cataldi gave a soliloquoy on this recently.

    Like

  18. This Rollins hit .250 is a bit of a misnomer. Rollins gets away with hitting .250 because he’s a decent bet to go 20/20. There’s a difference between a guys like Jimmy Rollins and Mike Cameron who hit .250, and hitters like Kaz Matsui and Gary Matthews who hit .250.

    Like

  19. I’m as excited about May as the next guy, but he still needs a lot of polish. I think he would struggle at more advanced levels where strike zones are less forgiving. Let him continue to harness his stuff in A+ as a very promising 20-year-old. He only threw 77 innings last year, so while one should never rule out a call-up, he’s more likely to get shut down by the end of the year than to get called up to Reading.

    Like

  21. Agreed that command is an issue, but, at some point, if he’s striking out two batters an inning, you simply have to promote the guy to give him better competition. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t pitch some portion of the year in Reading and then start there again next year. As I see it, he’s exactly a year behind Drabek, but I think he’s got more upside.

    Like

  24. I haven’t viewed Worley to be a real prospect since about last June and nothing I’ve seen since has changed my mind.

    Like

  25. The word (actually two words) for Hewitt right now is “Cautious Optimism.” I agree with some others here that the move to the outfield has probably helped, and the strikeouts are more acceptable if he shows significant pop. He was pretty much off my radar last year, but he has popped back on for now. Hopefully he keeps it up

    – Jeff

    Like

  26. “Galvis 3 for 4 with no strikeouts. He is now hitting a robust .257. According to people on here , the worst hitting SS in MLB, Philly’s own J. Rollins only hit .250 last season. Therefore, going by that, it seems Galvis is right on the path to the majors.

    People can go on and on and on about ‘only 5 % of minor leaguers will ever make the (Phillies)'”

    The first paragraph in this quote is an example of why people feel compelled to keep pointing out the fact contained in the second paragraph.

    As for Hewitt, I think most posters have been expressing an appropriate cautious optimism (as Jeff O says). I don’t think anyone is “waiting for Hewitt to go back to his [old] ways.”

    Like

  27. I would be interested to see May go up to AA, from what ive heard hes juts blowing away young hitters with his fastball, id like to see what he can do at a higher level where he might need to mix in his breaking ball. Im not suggesting right now, but maybe if we see his wildness cut down alittle bit.

    Like

  28. I think may can go up to reading, if the phillies feel he can handle the ups and downs, he will most likely have, some never recover , I think a lot depends on his mental makeup. just my opinion

    Like

  29. may should work on his control before he goes up. fastball velocity is a great tool, but is probably the most over rated tool in the game. i compare it to the 40 yard dash in football. important, but doesn’t correlate very high to success. at the mlb level, location is everything. i don’t care how hard you throw it, mlb hitters will crush it if you can’t hit your spots. of course it is best to have someone who throws hard and also hits his spots. but if i had to choose between someone who locates well or throws hard it is locates well every time.

    may should continue to work on his location in a “safe” environment and build his confidence. he should also work on his off-speed pitches. he should dominate and move up to Reading the last month of the season to get a taste going into the off season. he should then start next year at AA.

    Like

  30. PPFan I disagree with your analogy about the 40. The 40 is one of many tools for measuring someone’s skill but football players don’t drop down in a sprint position and run dashes during a game. Having a mid 90s fastball is a tangible skillset which allows pitchers to miss their spots on occasion without getting punished. A control pitcher needs to be perfect.

    And If you look at fangraphs top velocity pitchers you are basically looking at the best pitchers in baseball.

    http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=sta&lg=all&qual=y&type=4&season=2010

    Like

  31. Small sample size – but as was noted, May has given up more BB than hits. That’s a really interesting stat.

    Has anyone ever been able to sustain giving up more BB than hits for a period longer than say 75 innings?

    Like

  32. First I was all in favor of May to Reading but I think Hyatt and Ramirez should get the first shot. May is still only 20. Let him pitch in CLW for the whole season. Flande has pitched well this year but I don’t know what his future is.

    Like

  33. Nick – you just made the argument I’ve been making on this website for years.

    Velocity is huge.

    Think of it this way, your chance of being an excellent pitcher goes up, I think exponentially, with every couple of miles an hour of velocity after you get to the 90-91 MPH range (standard “plus” fastball speed). If you don’t have top velocity, you need to do other things extremely well in order to be successful, such as having an out pitch or just being a great, overall pitcher plus having good velocity (Lee and Halladay are good examples of this – they have solid to good velocity, but they are both great pitchers – Hamels is on his way to this classification as well).

    But the velocity quotient also has a floor. Unless you have a trick pitch (knuckleball) or trick delivery (sidewinder), if you don’t regularly throw in the mid-upper 80s, the likelihood that you can be a successful major league pitcher is virtually non-existent. Jamie Moyer is literally a one in ten million type of example – I can’t remember anyone, ever, having the kind of career he’s had without some type of a trick pitch (Randy Jones threw that slow, but I think he had a screwball or nasty sinker). I’m sure there’s some historical precedent for a starter like Moyer (Mike Cuellar? Early Wynn? Mike Flanigan?), but almost none that I can recall during my almost 40 years of watching baseball (crap -I’m getting old!).

    Like

  35. A degree of wildness shouldn’t keep a pitcher from advancing if he’s missing a lot of bats and doesn’t give up many hits. There have been many examples of such pitchers making it all the way to the bigs. Clayton Kershaw is a current example. If May keeps mowin’em down, I think he can make the move to Reading this season.

    Like

  37. Where are the Hewitt haters? Unless taking a wait and see attitude is “hating,” I see none.

    Again we see why some people see the need to continually harp on sample size.

    Like

  38. Take note of the fact that Matheson pitched in back to back games last night for the first time and didn’t have great control. This will be what he’ll have to overcome if he wants to get called up. Arm recovery time is a big deal after surgery. With all the talk about our deep minor league pitching, don’t forget Stutes, who was always expected to be a reliever. He’s really doing a great job and is someone to keep an eye on. FWIW, there’s no way only 5 guys out of the Phils current system will make the majors. They might get more than that from just the 2008 draft alone.

    Like

  39. Larry I believe most hated the pick, nothing personal against hewitt, and he hasnt proved anything yet? remember D”myers. what happen to him????

    Like

  41. I went to this mornings game in Harrisburg–Strasburg is unbeliveable–hitting 98 and totally dominating a very experienced but untalented Reading lineup.
    Flande was in constant trouble giving up double figures in hits although some could have been prevented with a more athletic defense. Unfortunately Gillies was not in the lineup. Galvis took a couple nice swings his 1st at bat but looked like he was just attempting to stick his bat out his next pair of atbats.
    Flande made 2 bonehead plays picking up a bunt near the foul line when he no chance to get the runner coming home or even throw to 1st. He also got picked off 2nd when Reading had 2 on and none out trailing by 1.
    Flande never exceeded 86 with his fastball. He looked very hittable but did battle out of repeated trouble.

    Like

  42. So what do we learn in April?

    1. That what happens in the first two weeks of the season is more meaningful than what happened in the 3-5 previous seasons.

    2. That the experience of one prior minor leaguer is a meaningful comparison to every other minor leaguer.

    On Hewitt. His K/BB ratio is 15:2. I guess striking out 7.5 times as much as you walk is an improvement over 8. Just for fun, here’s a list of players who struck out seven times as much as walked, and played 500 MLB games (excluding pitchers).

    Ivan Murrell
    Rob Picciolo

    Now THERE’S a comp list to be proud of! Hey, it’s great that Hewitt is off to a fast start. But until he learns some plate discipline it is simply not sustainable.

    Like

  43. DPhrey, while I’m poking around B-Ref’s Play Index. There are 29 seasons where a pitcher exceeded 75 IP and walked more batters than hits allowed. Philly’s own Mitch Williams did it in ’91. Nolan Ryan in ’77 walked 204 in 299 innings. Bob Turley did it twice. Sam Jones, Randy Johnson and Tommy Byrne are the others who did it while qualifying for an ERA title.

    Like

  44. Why is Gillies out? Well, I don’t know, but if you were trying to build the confidence of a young hitter, don’t you think you’d let him ride pine when the human flamethrower took the mound?

    Like

  45. Jim Callis is chatting on ESPN right now if you want to fire him some questions on Phils minor leaguers. Already one question about Cosart.

    Like

  47. Thanks for letting me know about the espn chat. I’m reading now. I will post anything that I see as it relates to the Phils prospects.

    Jim – tell me a little bit about Jarred Cosart. Does he have Top 100 mobility?

    Jim Callis

    The first thing that always jumps to mind for me with Cosart–probably because I work on our Texas state list every year–is that he broke some of Jay Buhner’s record for single-season batting average at Clear Creek HS in League City, Texas, batting .506 as a senior. He’s obviously a pitcher now, and yes, he’s a Top 100 type of guy. He flashes a mid-90s fastball and a plus curveball, and could be the Phillies’ No. 1 prospect once Domonic Brown is promoted.

    Like

  48. Q: Anthony Hewitt sample size variance or actual improvement?

    Jim Callis: Small sample size. Still striking out a lot.

    Q: Long term who is better Domonic Brown or Desmond Jennings?

    Jim Callis: Jennings.

    I asked:
    Q: Jared Cosart or Trevor May?

    Jim Callis: Cosart.

    Like

  49. No. 8 TRAVIS D’ARNAUD, C BLUE JAYS
    Team: high Class A Dunedin (Florida State)
    Age: 21
    Why He’s Here: .400/.406/.667 (12-for-30), 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1-for-1 SB
    The Scoop: When you’re involved in a series of trades involving Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor and Brett Wallace, it’s easy to get overlooked. Maybe that’s the case with d’Arnaud, the former Phillies farmhand who went to the Blue Jays in the Halladay trade. His quick bat and hand-eye coordination make him difficult to strike out, and he’s flashed power with two home run in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. With J.P. Arencibia’s struggles in Triple-A, d’Arnaud is looking more and more like Toronto’s catcher of the future.

    Like

  50. Phillippe Aumont, rhp, Phillies: The Mariners put Aumont in the bullpen, but the Phillies have moved him back in to the rotation for Double-A Reading. So far, not so good. Eastern League hitters have tagged Aumont for seven runs in 10 2/3 innings, with Aumont recording more walks (7) than strikeouts (5). Given his medical track record, his less-than-fluid delivery and difficulties throwing strikes, it’s hard to project Aumont to stick in a starting role.

    Like

  51. amurogothosed: 1) we all knew D’Arnuad was a good player; 2) it’s early in Aumont’s transition back to starting and those stats don’t include his most recent 5IP 3H 1R 0BB 5K effort; 3) it’s “Amaro”

    Like

  52. I think we all expected this kind of performance from Aumont considering the change in delivery and move to starter. mid 4 era with a few too many walks. He hasn’t really been hit hard as he has about 15 innings and 15 hits. He’s been mediocre, not bad but not impressive.

    On the other hand I don’t think many of us expected Drabek to pitch so poorly. 5+ era 13/9 K/BB ratio with more hits than innings.

    Of course it’s only been 3 starts for both. Nobody here is convinced that Hewitt is a .360 hitter or that Gillies is a .200 hitter because of the first 15 games.

    Like

  53. Thanks Alan. Those are some really interesting names. That Nolan Ryan stat is incredible. Obviously we all hope May learns to limit the free passes – but maybe there’s something to this. Could certain pitchers get so unhittable, or be so intimidating that the batters just sit there and hope they can get a free pass instead of swinging at something they can barely see?

    I think that slumping batters occasionally take that approach as well.

    Like

  54. There’s no real trick to it, you just have to post obscene strikeout totals. Unfortunately that approach would run up extremely high pitch counts. It’s hoped that May will improve his command of course.

    Like

  55. By the way, one very interesting thing going on is that John Mayberry is making his third start in center field.

    Like

  56. If Mayberry can play well enough in CF to be passable (Marlon Byrd) that increases his value by a great amount. A CF that could hit .260/.330/450 is more than acceptable. Corner outfield, not so much

    Like

  59. not 5 in the majors, 5 on the phillies. maybe 10 in the majors. check past rosters.

    Like

  60. Alan Happ was obviously hurt coming back from the majors when Dubee didn’t respect the fact that he was still rehabbing when he got to the Phils.

    No way Mayberry plays CF with Raul in left. That situation has gone downhill fast.

    Like

  61. Probably no need for a prospect round up for 4/21. Not the best evening down on the farm.

    A few possitive notes:

    Santana got a hit and two walks. If you’re a power hitter who’s going to strike out – better have great plate discipline. Santana is off to a pretty good start this season with seven walks in 41PA.

    Gose also had a hit and a walk.

    Yohan Flande’s season just got even weirder.

    Like

  62. Santana’s plate discipline is extremely impressive – very few young prospects (let alone 17 year olds) can control the strike zone effectively. Combine that with the tools we all suspect he has and you get a player with an amazing upside. Like May and Cosart, his development is fascinating to watch – I haven’t been this excited about our prospects since Hamels rocketed through the system.

    Like

  63. Okay, that’s not entirely true – I was very excited about Michael Taylor – still quite sad he’s gone elsewhere.

    Like

  64. Gillies- injured thumb.

    Also seen Reading v. Strasburg. Flande , did not show high velocity, it is true. What I seen on the scoreboard, alot of times he did not get up to 80-78,79 and the highest I seen was 84. He did not seem to get hit hard, though he gave up 12 hits, lots of dribs and drabs to me. Still he has allowed, for the season 2 runs (one of which came in while Stutes was pitching yesterday) in 18.2 innings. Still he seems professional going about his business, has the makings of a good pick-off move, does not panick,and a factor in Flande getting picked off was he was taking a good lead and dancing around to try to do something on the bases. Looks like he could be a fast runner. In fact, I read an interview with one of the top minor league guys who said Flande was the fastest runner in the Philllies organization by far. I believe Flande would be well regarded within the system, and if they would move a guy up to AAA, it would be him. It also would not surprise me , if , one of these seasons (this or the next) Flande gets a September call up as and emergency pitcher and pinch runner.

    Stutes also made a brief , somewhat nondescript appearance.
    Matt German made a 2 batters appearance against LHB’s did not get up to 70 on the scoreboard m.p.h. thing. In fact, right around 67. Throws something that looks like left-handed side arm shot put. I was thinking it was likely he would get those 2 LHB’s out (and not just because they were not world beater types) he got a strikeout and pop up.
    Schwimer came in to face the final batter and got a strikeout.
    Does have an ususual looking delivery.

    Getting used to looking at DeRenne , Galvis, and Pinckney, it seemed to me when they put Ozzie Chavez in as a defensive replacement at 3B, he looked like some kind of Giant. Thought they had a new player.

    DeRenne gets credit for the only hit off Strasburg, a sort of in-between liner , that the CF might have got if he dove for. Also, to me, the only other hard hit ball off Strasburg , a drive to Left Center. So , maybe, he can get around.

    Strasburg, 96,97,98 on the Fastball. and an 89,90 breaking ball , Other than that?

    Like

  65. Man I saw stutes twice, like his stuff nice breaking pitch and good fastball. think he is a nice bullpen arm for future. man if Santana is really 17 then he looks like a real stud. wonder about colvin didnt he come out with high ceiling? CANT REMEMBER.

    Like

  66. Colvin was an “out of slot”, 7th round Bonus Baby ($900k).

    He supposedly has a very high upside. I don’t know/understand the source of his current struggles, but, clearly, he is not doing well at this level, at this time.

    Like

  67. The Ironpigs’ starter for tonight is listed as TBA. The Phillies may need a spot start on Saturday and if Drew Carpenter doesn’t make this start, it is very possible that he gets a call up.

    Like

  68. I don’t think Drew Carpenter goes into the rotation. He gets called up for middle relief – Figgy goes into the rotation.

    Like

  69. I doubt it. Why make one pitcher a starter and the other pitcher a reliever when all you’re looking for is five innings of work? Heck, if Figueroa was making the start than why would they call up Carpenter in the first place?

    Like

  71. Colvin’s adjusting to pro ball and its early. Give him plenty of rope to hang himself with. He’ll likely be fine. He was a very high prospect but fell for signability issues. He was projected as a sandwich round pick based on his talent.

    Like

  72. Remember guys, Klaw never says anything good about Phillies prospects.

    Bill (NY)

    Lot of Cosart talk coming after his first couple starts, does he have the potential to pass Mays as the Phils top pitching prospect by the end of the year? Has he already? I’m wrapping up War and Peace and am still unsure how I feel about it or if it needs to be as lengthy as it is – ever read it?
    Klaw
    (1:53 PM)

    I think he’s ahead of May given the uptick in his stuff. Couple of years away still but very exciting, #1 starter potential. Never read W&P but I didn’t exactly fly through Anna Karenina.

    Like

  73. “#1 starter potential” – something we pretty much never read about Kyle Drabek. . . . . I am SOOOO glad we kept May and Cosart over Drabek.

    Like

  74. May has the goods, just remember Randy Johnston, he was all over the place with his pitches in his early days and look what he became. Experience and good coaching is the key.

    Like

  75. boston phan—people werent that upset when he got traded and we should be..im tired of amaro getting hosed in deals

    Like

  76. This is the guy I actually hated losing the most … from BA

    Thursday Dish: Do You Know D’Arnaud?

    Posted Apr. 22, 2010 10:08 am by Ben Badler
    Filed under: Daily Dish
    Travis d’Arnaud hasn’t been able to find the spotlight. Not yet, anyway.

    After the 2009 season, d’Arnaud ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the Phillies system, behind the high-ceiling troika of Domonic Brown, Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor. When the Phillies traded the 21-year-old d’Arnaud to the Blue Jays this offseason, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee were the big league aces getting most of the ink, while the focus on the prospect side of the deal was on Drabek and Taylor.

    Even among catching prospects, d’Arnaud has had trouble distinguishing himself in a time when Carlos Santana, Buster Posey and Jesus Montero are among the top 10 prospects in the game.

    Heck, even in his own family, Travis has had to share the spotlight with older brother Chase, a quality middle infield prospect with the Pirates.

    Regardless of how many people are noticing, what d’Arnaud is doing in the high Class A Florida State League with Dunedin is hard to ignore.

    D’Arnaud’s plus bat speed helps him hit for power, while his low-maintenance swing allows him to stay short to the ball, so the power doesn’t come at the expense of making contact. That skill set has shown up in d’Arnaud’s early numbers. After going 2-for-4 with a walk yesterday, d’Arnaud is hitting .396/.431/.660 in 63 plate appearances with just five strikeouts.

    “There’s not a whole lot going on (with his swing),” Dunedin manager Clayton McCullough said. “It’s pretty simple and compact. When he walks up to the plate, he’s got a plan in mind, how he thinks the pitchers are going to attack him. He trusts it and he sticks to it.”

    What stands out to McCullough about d’Arnaud is his confidence in his ability to hit, an attitude that’s certainly merited.

    “He just has a real calmness about him when he’s in the batter’s box, a real easiness to his approach,” McCullough said. “When he gets a good pitch to hit, he’s got the ability to do some damage to all fields.”

    D’Arnaud isn’t just a one-dimensional prospect. He has an above-average arm and he’s done a solid job blocking balls this year thanks in part to his athleticism.

    “I think the big thing is that he really likes to catch,” McCullough said. “Some guys that have that kind of offensive potential, the defense goes on the backburner. But Travis likes to catch, he likes working with pitchers and he’s been good thus far.”

    Like

  77. Clearwater’s hitters need to get some runs. all the pitching in the world won’t help you win if you don’t get run support.

    Like

  78. The Threshers are above the league average in scoring runs. The FSL is just not a good league for hitters.

    Like

  79. On Travis D’Arnaud He is a good catcher calm and collected for a young guy. I think he needs time to distinquish himself from other players, he is a good hitter with great athletic skills.

    Like

Comments are closed.