Around the System–Middle Infield

Other Stuff

Reading looking good up the middle,the rest, not so much. Stats are thru Saturday’s games.

Lehigh Valley

Andreas Blanco, 28, Signed as a free agent in 2012, .212/.282/.318 in 198 AB’s; 5 HR 16RBI; 5SB; 9%bb/18%k rates; .200 vs. LH, .217 vs. RH, .191 with RISP; .218 since May 1st.  56 games at SS with 10 errors (.957); 3.98 R/F. Blanco has been extremely average all around and has recently been injured, missing time with a knee injury.

Kevin Frandsen, 30, Re-signed as a free agent in 2012, .265/.316/.333 in 219 AB’s; 0 HR 12 RBI; 1/5 SB; 4%bb/8%k rates; .269 vs. LH, .263 vs. RH, .275 with RISP; .297 since May 1st. 48 games at 2B with 3 errors (.985); 4.17 R/F.  After a slow start, Frandsen has been solid, playing almost everyday at 2B for Lehigh Valley.  A good guy in the locker room, he needs to provide a little more offensive punch, but has been solid with the glove.

Reading

Troy Hanzawa, 26, Phils 16th round pick in 2008, .292/.351/.369 in 168AB’s; 0HR 21 RBI; 2 SB; 8%bb/11% k rates; .283 vs. LH, .296 vs. RH, .378 with RISP; .291 with 0HR and 10 RBI since May 1.  52 games with 6 errors at SS (.972); 4.06 R/F. Hanzawa has been one of the true surprises in the organization this year, starting to hit seemingly out of no where. Cmmbine that with a good glove and Hanzawa has been very solid this year.

Cesar Hernandez, 22, Signed as a free agent in 2006, .317/.352/.439 in 221 AB’s; 1 HR 29 RBI; 11/21 SB; .342 vs. LH, .302 vs. RH, .304 with RISP; 6%bb/14%k rates; .338 with 1HR and 18 RBI since May 1. 55 games at 2B with 9 errors (.964); 4.40 R/F.  Hernandez has been outstanding and clearly moving up the list of top Phillies prospects.

Clearwater

Albert Cartwright, 24, Acquired from the Astros in 2011; .229/.303/.330 in 179 AB’s; 2HR 15 RBI; 4/8 SB; 7%bb/23% k rates; .194 vs. LH, .250 vs. RH, .200 with RISP; .223 with 2 HR and 12 RBI since May 1.  43 games at 2B with 8 errors; (.958); 4.23 R/F. Not much to be excited about with Cartwright, who strikes out alot and struggles badly against lefties.

Edgar Duran, 21, Signed as a free agent in 2007, .254/.286/.335 in 173 AB’s;1 HR and 13 RBI;  4/10 SB; .154 vs. LH, .315 vs. RH, .250 with RISP; 3%bb/16% k rates; .254 with 1 HR and 10 RBI since May 1. 50 games at SS with 7 errors (.968); 4.18 R/F. Duran has held his own but needs considerable work against LHP to continue to progress.

Carlos Alonso, 24, Phils 32nd round pick in 2010; .300/.372/.425 in 120 AB’s; 3HR and 19 RBI; 1/2 SB; 8%bb/12% k rates; .263 vs. LH, .333 vs. RH, .323 with RISP; .302 with 3 HR and 16 RBI since May 1.  14 games at 2B without an error; 3.86 R/F. 8 games at SS with 1 error; 4 games at 3B without an error. 7 games in the OF without an error.  Alonso has earned himself increased playing time, swinging a hot bat.  He missed a week injured, but with the lack of production out of the 2B position, ALonso may continue to see more AB’s as the year goes on.

Lakewood

Stephen Malcom, 22, Phils 8th round pick in 2010; .153/.271/.186 in 59 AB’s; 0HR 1RBI; 1/4 SB; 13%bb/35%k rates; .231 vs. LH, .131 vs. RH, .105 with RISP. 20 games at 2B with 2 errors (.975); 3.90 R/F. Malcolm joined Lakewood in Mid May from Extended Spring Training and the adjustment has been far from smooth early on.

Carlos Perdomo, 22, Signed as a free agent in 2007; .198/.263/.263 in 114 AB’s; 1HR 8 RBI; 5/8 SB; 7%bb/11% k rates; .125 vs. LH, .220 vs. RH, .193 with RISP. 29 games at 2B with 2 errors; (.984); 4.28 R/F. 4 games at SS with 2 errors. Perdomo has had more success in his 2 scoreless appearances as a pitcher, then with the bat.

Alejandro Villalobos, 20, Signed as a free agent in 2010; .265/.327/.347 in 49 AB’s; 0 HR 5RBI; 12 games at 2B without an error; 4.08 R/F. Only joined the team in mid May, so too early to tell.

16 thoughts on “Around the System–Middle Infield”

  2. I think you are a bit generous with your ratings. I wouldn’t use outstanding for anyone with a sub .800 OPS unless they have elite speed AND base running skills (i.e. low caught stealing rate). See Hernandez’s numbers at Reading as an example. Likewise, I think you are too generous calling what are pretty bleak numbers average. See Blanco’s numbers at AAA as an example.

    Like

  5. Well, aren’t you just a little ray of sunshine this Monday morning. Just as a point of reference, there are currently 28 MLB players with an OPS of .800 or better and exactly 4 are middle infielders. (Jeter, Kipnis, A. Cabrera, Cano). A .791 OPS from a 2B prospect at age 22 in AA is actually fairly decent, and in this organization should be considered outstanding.

    Like

    1. This. We’re talking about middle infielders, the bar is much lower. Given his age, glove, and recent work with the bat, Cesar is doing great.

      I think Carlos Alonzo could develop into a once in a while big league utility infielder – a guy who could get a couple cups of coffee.

      Like

  7. Well…we ARE looking to Quinn and possibly Walding at Clwtr GCL. Walding may be headed to 3rd base. Thankfully, we will have Galvis at the MLB level for a while because we are stuck with J-Roll and his disappearing bat for 2-3 more years at $11 Mil/yr. That stinks…even more so because i was lobbying to not re-sign him because of his age, his offensive decline, and the cost of those amounts to the team’s ability to spend money…such as re-signing Hamels…and that Galvis could well play SS well and costs much less money.

    The other infielders drafted in ’11 could issue forth another (Greene, T, etc.) for SS. An impending problem not prepared for.

    Like

    1. Art, hope for a contender needing a shortstop at the trade deadline so we can trade Rollins.

      Like

      1. Sigh. Set aside Galvis’ very serious injury. I like Galvis, and Rollins is dissapointing. But at this point, Rollins is much the better player compared to Galvis in probably every relevant category. Now Galvis will pass him at some point – I suppose possibly next year, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

        As for the salary comparison, you might have a point there, except for the facts that Rollins isn’t that expensive, that despite that, if they traded him, they might need to pay part of his salary, and that the barrier to resigning Hamels isn’t that they lack the money, but the contract being demanded is far too long for a starting pitcher.

        Like

  8. Im very high on hernandez with him possibly replacing utley in 2014 (even though it may be galvis again because of rollins)…i wanted fransden last year as a utility guy over the likes of orr and martinez…looks like some of his power left after suspension…lol…also i like alonso as a possible super utility in a year or two

    Like

    1. 2014 certainly for Hernandez is a possibility, as opposed to pipe dreams about 2013 that you see around here at times. Still far from a sure thing, but possible. Obviously a big step down from a healthy Utley, but then Utley’s peak value was probably top 10 all time among second basemen, so a step down was inevitable.

      I still think that, especially combined with SS (a declining Rollins eventually replaced by Galvis) the offense from the middle infield will be somewhat problematic, hopefully offset at other positions. A great hitting third baseman would do nicely, but they do not exactly grow on trees.

      Like

      1. Not that Hernandez couldn’t be an average hitting second baseman, which has real value, though IMO likely not much more than that. The problem is that, with declining veterans and a thin minor league at the top, who will be the above average hitting position players in (say) 2014? IMO a couple of big FA signings will be a must, at least transitionally. Really if you look at the current system and project forward to 2014, Brown is probably your best hitter. No, I’m not forgetting Howard.

        Like

Comments are closed.