Box Score Recap 7-5-2012

Box Score Recap

I note that 17 yr old Sergio Velis pitched out of the VSL bullpen today after several weeks away.  Not so great numbers, but nice to see the young man back in action after what seems like it was time off for injury.  If you can confirm whether this was injury related, you are probably deep inside Venezuela, and should come home, lest ye get ye-self kidnapped.

LV  REA  CLR  LKW  WIL  GCL  DSL  VSL

106 thoughts on “Box Score Recap 7-5-2012”

  2. Franco has been hot, looking for a big second half from him. Larry Greene with a nice game, hoping to see him start to hit some homers soon.

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    1. Same as I said with Franco and another comment here, not concerned at all about lack of HR from Greene. That will come if he makes consistent contact.

      Last 10 for L. Greene – .343/.429/.457 … lots of Ks and 1/3 of his hits were 2b. Lots to like here.

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    1. Cesar is tied for 4th in the league in doubles (22). Castro leads the league with 26. The R-Phils have the top 3 guys in triples. Cesar leads the league with 9, Gillies is second with 6 (and he hasn’t played in forever) and Hanzawa is tied for 3rd with 5. Let’s throw in James having 4. Hernandez has gap power combined with speed which boosts that slugging %. He’ll pop an excuse me HR once in a blue moon.

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      1. I’m really disappointed with the amount of time Gillies is missing, not at him as he obviously can’t help it, but it probably means he either repeats AA next year or best case starts at AAA.

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  4. 2012 draftee, Serritella is off to a nice start…3 HR’s and 14 RBI to go with a .310 BA. Quinn is getting a lot of attention so there might be some Offense on Williamsport when you add in the Greene’s and Pointer.

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    1. jimmy….agree with Larry Greene, not so positive on Tyler Greene right now, he seems to be struggling at the plate. His K% is a bit dubious.

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      1. It’s been high all year at various levels. He is young hopefully he’ll turn it around when repeating next year. I don’t have a whole lot of optimism for the remainder of this year though. (on T. Greene)

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    2. Really Green & Pointer,what about Walding he has been leading the team in batting & RBI’S from the very beginning.

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  5. Larry Greene certainly has me intrigued. He certainly is off to a decent start: Great plate discipline, very reasonable XBH% (6 of his 16 hits are doubles). However, given that his power was considered among the best in last year’s draft, I almost feel like we should be seeing something else from him.

    And yet, the NYPL is traditionally a tough hitting league, he’s likely facing a lot of college pitchers (older. more experienced), and he’s a very age appropriate 19.And then there’s the whole small sample size thing.

    If his season continues as it has been so far (assuming that he hits a few homers and finishes with an ISO around .150) – he’s likely to be a candidate for a top-5 prospect. Of course, with Quinn and Walding on the team with him, there is some tantalizing position prospects for us to get excited about.

    – Jeff

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    1. I’m sure the main thing is just to get a good swing for Larry Greene. At the low levels work on that then the doubles start carrying more for homeruns. Do like the walk total too. Very positive signs from Walding, Quinn, Cozens, and Zach Green to start their pro careers. Can’t wait to see Watson and Gueller pitch this year.

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      1. I thought I heard the ballpark in Williamsport is really big? Would be interested to hear Mitch Ruperts take on whether any of those doubles were homers elsewhere. Either way, we know he has sick power so I’m not worried. If he has good plate discipline and is hitting well, it will come.

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        2. In all honesty, I haven’t really seen much of Larry swinging the bat well. His home and road disparities are quite noticeable. He’s .214/.371/.250 at home and .333/.447/.500 on the road. I don’t think it has anything to do with the park, though. He’s not hitting drives at home that are gappers or homers at other parks.

          The thing I notice with him is teams are constantly pitching him away, away, away, away. About the only time they’ll come inside is with a back-foot slider type pitch, or an elevated fastball, and we all know lefties prefer the ball down and in.

          He spits on pitches on the outter half early in the count and will sometimes put himself in a hole because he wants a pitch that he can pull. Andy Tracy works with him a lot during batting practice about making conscious efforts to go the other way with the ball. And from what I see, late in the count LG has no problem trying to go the other way with the baseball.

          But if he gets a pitch on the inside half he thinks he can handle, he tends to swing out of his shoes trying to hit it a country mile, and that’s just the sign of a young hitter who doesn’t understand you don’t have to swing as hard as possible for the baseball to carry, especially with his natural strength. I keep telling people all the time not to worry about the home run numbers because the power is going to come. He was a two-sport athlete in high school who was a D-1 football prospect, so even the coaches don’t know how much elite level baseball he has played. It’s going to take time for him to develop the approach he needs at the plate and really feel comfortable with it. It’s going to take time for him to learn how to hit breaking balls. But as long as he continues to get hits and take walks, he’s going to be just fine. The power numbers will come.

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          1. By far the most insightful thing I’ve read about LG Jr.’s performance this year. Thanks, Mitch.

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          4. Yeah, thanks Mitch. That was a heckuva write up. I find the home/road split to be interesting, but that I’m sure is just a small sample size. And as has been said a few times, as long as he’s drawing walks and getting some hits, then things will be just fine.

            – Jeff

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          5. Mitch, can we get you a job for April May and June in Lakewood, Clearwater, or Reading? Love reading your stuff, great insight. Appreciate it.

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          6. I’m going to pop in here as well, that was a great and very insightful writeup… the “Away away away” comment really explains why he’s taking so many walks. Knowing how pitchers pitch to howard I can totally see that. Lefty Masher – low and away sliders/changeups/curves/sinkers. It’s a really tough pitch to hit as a hitter, but as a pitcher it’s hard to keep it in the zone, explaining the walks. Appreciate it as always.

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          7. The opposing team staying constantly away explains why all of Larry Greene’s hits and outs seem to go to the opposite field or to centerfield. I thought it might be late swings. But if he is being pitched outside, and hitting to the opposite field, that is a good thing.

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  6. Franco has been coming on lately, he is only a couple of months older than Walding and is a level higher just starting to hold his own. He doesn’t have a terribly high K rate which means he has been making contact. If this resurgence continues I am willing to chalk this up to working on other things developmentally like learning to go the other way as was stated in previous interview with him. Him and altherr are definitely making the lkw line up intriguing again

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    1. I was super high on franco going into the year. He came out of the shoots guns blazing and then got torched himself. Seeing him turn it around right now has been really nice. I hope he can get his BA up another 40 points or so by the end of the year. It will be really encouraging.

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    2. He may be only a few months older but has been in the professional system a year longer,and I don’t believe he is a level higher. I saw them both at Spring Training and I think Walding is much more athletic.I see Walding passing Franco by next year.

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      1. I’m not sure what ” don’t believe he is a level higher” is even supposed to mean. He is, in fact, a level higher in the system A versus A-. I guess what you mean is you don’t think he is a level higher performance wise, but that’s confusing two different unrelated concepts.

        Now, it’s possible that you are right about Walding passing Franco – I don’t agree, but obviously there is subjectivity involved and Walding is an exciting prospect (though I would expect his average to be closer to .300 than .350 by the end of the season). It could happen. I hope/expect for success from both players next season, but most likely Franco will be in A+ and Walding in A. (IMO, they won’t be at the same level; they won’t both stay at their current levels. There may be a chance Franco repeats A and Walding jumps to A+, but I don’t see that as the most likely alternative.

        All that said, I would be interested in hearing about your observatiosn in spring training. What, exactly, did you see that made Walding seem the more impressive prospect? How often did you see both players? In game action, or just batting practice? “More athletic” doesn’t tell me much; aside from being non-specific (though FWIW it does sound like pure athleticism is not Franco’s strong point), but, more to the point, athleticism is only one factor in prospect evaluation.

        Mitch made the point yesterday that some numbers guys don’t pay enough attention to personal observations. The unfortunate problem is that such observations are sparse and often conclusory. And often based upon single games which can’t tell us much. I wish we had more people like Mitch who (a) is specific and detailed, (b) clearly has the knowledge to make intelligent observations, and (c) sees a lot of games. His contributions are fantastic; would that we had the same for our other minor league teams.

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      2. Let me add to that, that part of the reason that I DO see Walding as a fine prospect (albeit not ready to jump ahead of Franco) is Mitch’s personal observations. Looking at the raw numbers I am not that impressed; a small sample size high BA and otherwise mediocre numbers (against some rather poor pitching; see the recent first person observations of that league in a recent fangraph atricle that focused on first person observations rather than numbers). But I DO place a lot of weight on Mitch’s opinion in this case. Still don’t see why that’s enough to jump him ahead of Franco, whose perephials were much better than Walding’s comparing A- to A-, and was a year younger when he did it.

        (Of course the sample size arguments cut both ways, one reason why, in this case, I give primacy to Mitch’s observations.)

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    3. just now have I been intrigued. I need to see more hits and it looks like it is happening for him. This franchise is desperate for a power hitter to come thru system….either Green and Franco could be that guy.

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  7. I have absolutely no idea what to make of Kelly Dugan. He is no longer playing CF this year, and primarily in RF. He has missed a lot of time over the past few years to injury, so his experience level is still a touch low. At Lakewood, he is in a pretty neutral hitting league, but his home park is very pitcher friendly. His BB% rate is rather solid, but his K rate is a bit of a concern. His ISO had a big jump this season, and is above average, but not really elite. He’s very quietly put up quite a better season than Altherr, with the exception of the speed.

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    1. I think Dugan is going to develop into a really nice player, like Gillies, he just needs to figure out how to stay healthy, but he can really hit.

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        1. If he’s going to be a prospect and playing either RF/1B he needs to develop some power… With Larry Greene, and Dylan Cozens behind him as bigger power threats for OF/1B Dugan needs to hit for power if he wants to remain a prospect. Can’t have a light hitting RF/1B

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          1. What do you guys think he projects to, 15-20 HR, 40 double power, while drawing 70-80 walks in a given year? I think that type of production could earn him a spot in LF/RF/1B, particularly if he’s bringing a lot of athleticism to the table

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            1. That might be wishful thinking, but he hasn’t played a lot yet so it’s hard to say what his upside might be. I’m encouraged that he’s been healthy and shown improvement. Hopefully it continues.

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  8. Nice to see Roman Quinn with 2 SB … he’s second in the league with 8 in the early going. Great days mostly across the board from our corner infield prospects: Z. Green, Walding, Serritella, Franco, Stassi and Ruf all on base multiple times. Oh, and Ryan Howard, if he’s still prospect eligible.

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    1. I think Howard’s a touch old but I expect big things from him, possibly as early as Friday.

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        1. Next Friday is the 13th. That would be appropriate for the nighmare season the big club is having..

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    2. I’m not too key on stolen bases as i’ve expressed previously on this site (Outside of the ricky henderson types, who I adored growing up, I just don’t think 20 for 30 each year adds all that much value in a premier offense). That said, I’m excited about him as a prospect generally and am looking forward to see how the rest of this year plays out. And yes, Ryan Howard is looking like a damn beast! 🙂

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      1. Speed helps with more than just SB, and I’m sure he’s going to be a lot better than a 20 for 30 base stealer.

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  9. How does Cesar Hernandez get ignored by national publications?? 22 in Double A with 22 doubles 9 triples 15 steals. Hes hit at every level and yet hes barely recognized.

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    1. I don’t understand this either. Why doesn’t he get more attention? He has consistently hit all year.

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      1. It’s not that they ignore him. Scouts love power, he really doesn’t have any. He’s a very solid prospect but he doesn’t have any one outstanding tool.

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    2. Would assume the scouts that watch him day to day aren’t overly impressed by what they see. These scouts are typically the sources for many writers in these national publications.

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    3. I think the complete lack of home run power combined with the only decent, but not great, on base percentage, is probably hurting him quite a bit. I do think, however, that by the time the season ends, he will be getting some “love” from some in the scouting community – he was pretty high on the MLB list last year and he’s done nothing but improve his stock this year. If I were Hernandez, I would focus on a lot on getting stronger, although I think I’d probably not take diet and nutrition tips from Freddy Galvis.

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      3. Haha good point, if Hernandez could put on 15-20lbs of muscle in the off season (completely reasonable), that could dramatically change how scouts view him. 15-20 HR power potential would make him quite the prospect.

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    4. He was ranked 5th among all MiLB 2nd basemen in March 2011 by a national pub, BA, MLB.Com or BP, one of them…then he got hurt and more or less disappeared off the national scene.

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      1. He wasn’t hurt last year … he just struggled mightily during the first half of the season after being double-jumped to Clearwater. He’s been steadily raking for the better part of a calendar year now, starting around the All-Star break last year.

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        1. Then it must have been 2010 the year he had the injuries and he had the high ranking in the spring..

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          1. I don’t think he was injured in 2010 either. He was just in SS-ball, and those don’t get as many games in. He was very well regarded (but not top 100) following 2010. His 2011 performance dropped him off the map for national rankings.

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      2. I know he was in MLB.com’s top 10 for minor league second baseman. That’s probably what you’re thinking of. I think that’s appropriate, but I wouldn’t put him on any top 100 list or anything just yet. I think he’s an intriguing prospect. Lord knows the Phils could use a high contact guy.

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    5. I could see a few things causing this…first, he got a decent amount of pub after his strong season at WPT, but then was double-jumped and his peripherals went to junk. Sometimes its hard to ‘regain’ that acclaim following a bad year.

      Second, while he is doing great and looks to have made improvements, especially in terms of driving the ball for XBH, he still has some concerns. His SB and SB% have really come down from WPT, where he was 32/38. Being 14/25 just won’t cut it, and this would be valuable tool that cannot exactly be counted on at this point. Additionally, his BB rate still hasn’t rebounded, and while he isn’t striking out a ton, both of these rates could improve to make him a more complete prospect.

      So overall, while his power has improved since his breakout seasons at WPT, some of his other tools (speed, contact) have suffered. He can still regain these with time as he is young for AA, but I wouldn’t put him on any top 100 lists.

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    6. BA lists him on their daily Prospect Report when he has a nice game, including yesterday’s game, so he’s not completely ignored.

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    7. I’m less impressed with him than I was a month ago. His BB% and K% are nothing to write home about, BB% the same as last year’s disappointing number, K % just a bit better than last year. Not really a true “contact” hitter at this point, based on the past 2 years anyway. Three to one K to BB ratio.

      A month ago I was ready to get aboard the “future major league regular” band wagon, albeit not expecting stardom, or for him to be ready in 2013. Now … he’s young enough that he could develop further, but right now doesn’t look like much to me.

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    8. Because he doesnt do any one thing really well. He hits for contact but with zero power. He has okay but not great speed. He’s a decent but not great fielder. He’s a mediocre prospect as a result.

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  10. Not sure if anyone posted this, but Cooper says Biddle likely top 100 based on positive feedback from scouts:

    Bobby (South Jersey): Was Jesse Biddle close to making the list? Will he be a Top 100 guy at the end of the season? Thanks!

    J.J. Cooper: He was getting mentions from some scouts. To give a little more insight on how we put this list together, here’s an explainer. We put together a preliminary Top 100 list and ran that by numerous pro scouts (25+) who were asked to offer their input on who was too high, who was too low, who needed to be added and who shouldn’t be on the list. Biddle wasn’t on our initial list, but we saw his name come up from scouts who thought he should be included, so yes, I think he has a good chance of being a top 100 guy.

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  11. Hope Franco can duplicate his frist half with second one. Bring up ave and he will be on his way. Plus make room for Walding next year. I know we don’t have any harpers, but with Franco cesar and few others system could finally seeing a few prospects here. The Wport team really might be special.

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    1. I don’t think we want Maikel’s first half duplicated with the way he flirted with .200 most of the season. That said, his continuing the momentum he’s started in the past few weeks would be huge. I think he’s punched his ticket to Clearwater, if for no other reason than the need for Walding and Zach Green to get reps below him at third.

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      1. Definitely not … wouldn’t mind seeing his last 10 duplicated … .381/.422/.500

        I do think he will hit for more power as he matures, so I’m most concerned with the first two numbers at this point.

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  12. So lets rank the Position guys who made their debuts this year. So far based on where they were drafted and what they’ve done in a short sample here are my top 5:

    1. Cozens
    2. Walding
    3. Larry Greene
    4. Quinn
    5. Zach Green

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    2. These short-season teams are going to make a mess out of our pre-season polls. Certainly a good thing particularly with so many good starts from the offensive side.

      Good question Nik. Those five can easily be interchangeable but I can 2nd your list. I’d also throw out Astudillo’s name even if he falls outside of the scope of your poll since he’s making his state-side debut this year.

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      1. This- I think Astudillo might be my sleeper pick. I don’t think I’d have him top 30 at the end of the season with our flock at Williamsport clogging the ranks, but if a) the Phils think he can learn a decent catcher and b) the crazy contact rate he showed in the VSL is real, it’s interesting.

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      2. Yeah, I haven’t even had a chance to hash this out. It’s a lot to think about. Cozens looks amazing but he’s at a lower level so I’m not sure what I think about that. (but he’s also a year younger!) AHHHH… Our top 30 next year will be more interesting from an offensive perspective then it has been in years.

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    3. I love Cozens’ start, but I don’t think he’s above Larry Green or Quinn quite yet. If he keeps this up the rest of the way then he will pass them, but I think it’s too early right now.

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    4. This would be mine:
      1. Mitch Walding
      – I’ve had very few prospects come through here where you can look at them over a couple weeks and think they have a very legit shot at being an MLB contributor (Sebastian Valle, Leandro Castro, Kelly Dugan, Austin Wright, to name a few), Walding is one of those I think just looks like a future big leaguer.
      2. Dylan Cozens
      – Hard not to like the early production. I think he’d look real nice hitting seventh and playing right field for Williamsport (because clearly I don’t have enough quality prospects to watch).
      3. Roman Quinn
      – Game-changing speed. Saw a writer tweet last night that he’s just a tick under Billy Hamilton in terms of speed. I don’t expect Quinn to steal 100 bases in less than 80 games, but you get the point. He’s trying to become a switch-hitter, which I can appreciate why. But he’s so far advanced from the right side (.196/.339/.235) than he is from the left side (.500/.545/.600) that I wouldn’t be surprised at some point in his career if he goes strictly right-handed.
      4. Chris Serritella
      – Maybe the second-best raw power on the Crosscutters behind Larry Greene. Has an understanding at the plate that you’d hope from a college All-American. Good gap hitter, plus power. I initially thought he reminded me of an Adam LaRoche kind of gap hitter/doubles guy, but I think he’s got more power than that. Not saying he’s a 30-35 HR guy, but he could be.
      5. Larry Greene
      Plus-plus power and it’ll eventually come through as he begins to make better contact and understand he doesn’t have to swing out of his shoes to hit homers. He’s choppy in left field, and I understand he’s just learning the position. He’s fine on routine fly balls, struggles a bit on anything he’s got to make a long run for, although he did make a great diving catch against Mahoning Valley earlier this week. I think he’s eventually going to be a first baseman. But his left field deficiencies will be much less noticeable in a small park like CBP as opposed to a big park like Bowman Field (350 down the lines, 405 to center)

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        1. I think he’s a corner outfielder as he moves up, but he’s doing just fine out there for now. Yan Carlos Olmo is having so many struggles in the outfield that they had to get him out of center field, and Pointer was the only logical choice to play center, especially now that Diego Gonzalez has moved up to Lakewood.

          He’s really squaring the ball up well. Too many strikeouts, which he’s well aware of. But it seems over the last week or so, whenever he puts it in play he hits it hard.

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        1. Looks like he is at least showing good patience from the left side. With his speed I would give the switch hitting at least a couple more years. And for everyone not blown away by Quinn’s first month – these stats imply that he might be hitting well over .300 if he only hit right handed at this point. Knowing he is a new switch hitter makes his start all the more impressive. Add to that being a full time SS after playing lots of CF in HS and you have a potential top prospect.

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      3. What about Walding and Quinn’s defense? Do you think Quinn will stick at SS or move to the OF?

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        1. I absolutely think they’ll both stick. Arm strength isn’t a question for either one. I was actually surprised a bit by Quinn’s arm, better than I expected. My only qualm with Quinn is he appears a little flat-footed at times and doesn’t get a great read on the baseball which cuts down on his range. But I think that can get better as he plays there more and understands the position.

          Walding’s only problem is going to the backhand. For whatever reason he struggles to pick up the ball cleanly to the backhand. He’s absolutely phenomenal moving to his left and charging slow rollers. Ball tends to sail on him when he gets throwing off his back foot, but I think that’s more a mechanical flaw (back shoulder dips as he tries to get more on the throw).

          I’d call them both average defenders right now with the chance to be plus defensive players with work. But it’ll take time. They are both learning new positions.

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          1. Mitch,
            I have a hard time really reading much into the first-year stats of any HS kid. They are all new to pro baseball obviously and it is probably the first prolonged time away from home for them. Much like entering the workforce, it takes time to learn how to be a professional and manage your life. What is your take?

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            1. They’re a tool, but it can’t be the only thing you use to judge a player. It’s kind of the same way I feel about sabermetrics. Too many people just use these numbers like FIP, ISO and WAR without ever watching players – and conversely, too many people don’t at least consider advanced metrics to evaluate. I think you can use the numbers to help evaluate as long as you don’t make them the be-all, end-all. Cody Asche’s numbers in Williamsport last year were terrible, but if you watched him, you could see he had a good approach and a good understanding of his swing and the game, so you could make the judgement that there was more inside him than being under the Mendoza line. Now I’d be lying if I said I expected him to end up in reading this year after hitting .350 in Clearwater, but you get the point.

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    1. I’ve heard they are still talking. They should get it done, kid is not going to turn down almost a million bucks.

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  14. Somebody clue me in on Tyler Green’s projectablity. He gets a head start at the pro level last year from the rest of his draft mates of 2011, and he seems this year at this point, small samp as it is, to struggle while others seem to progress. Any future ceilings for him?

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    1. He is still one of the youngest guys in the NYP League. He was very well thought of coming into the draft last year, with some having him as high as 3rd overall HS SS. He is much like many of the HS prep players they draft — lots of tools, tons of projection, but the chance of putting it together (for anyone in the minors) is pretty low.

      His floor/ceiling spectrum is about as large as you can get — he could continue to strike out 40% of the time and never get out of A-ball, or he could improve and harness his tools and be an all-star major league middle infielder.

      Baseball America: “He’s impressive physically and shows well in workouts and showcases with his raw tools. Greene has improved his speed to well above-average over the last year by getting stronger and more explosive. He has a fast-twitch body and athletic ability, and looks the part at shortstop. He’s not natural at short, doesn’t always get good hops and doesn’t have the most accurate arm, short-circuiting his plus arm strength. Offensively, he was erratic on the showcase circuit and again this spring, where he was hitting around .380 in mid May with just five home runs. Greene also could move up boards with a strong workout”

      Baseball Draft Report: “Greene has two clear plus tools — raw power and speed — and the defensive tools to stay up the middle. His unusually quick hands at the plate allow him to hit to all fields, but it is a bit of a double-edged sword – those same quick hands seem to have given him the belief that he can hit anything throw within six inches of the plate, a good plan if you are Vlad Guerrero but maybe not the best plan of attack for a young hitter. A little more plate discipline and some polish in the field would go a long way in making the elite shortstop prospect his other tools dictate.”

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      1. Pre-draft scouting reports questioned whether he would make enough contact. Said he had super quick hands, that lead him to believe he could hit anything thrown near the plate.

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      2. Thanks for the info. Good stuff.

        Loath as I am to invoke psychological explanations in baseball (not because I don’t think they matter, but because I think that diagnosing them is nearly impossible for fans), I do wonder if his performance in low A is a consequence of his struggles in A-ball.

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    2. I think the proper way to frame the issue is as follows: this year’s struggles (and yes now we have enough A- data that I think “struggles” is fair – and I’m referring to the K data and nothing more, I don’t care about his BA in and of itself) is that it doesn’t impact his ceiling, which is still sky high, but slightly reduces his chances of hitting that ceiling. Only slightly, given his age and tools.

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  15. GCL Phils have a home/away twin bill against the pirates today. Cozens moves up to 6th in the order for game 1

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        1. Must have taken HBP tips from Chase Utley…keep the feet in place and feign a pull-back by moving the hips.

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  17. I dont trust anything Baseball America says anymore… I think all their writers work for the Braves.

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  19. Gueller is starting GM 2. Doubt he’ll pitch more than 3 innings, but still should be fun to follow.

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  20. Keith Law mentioned JuRod in today’s ‘best tools at the futures game’ column.

    Best changeup: Cole / Danny Hultzen, LHP (Triple-A Tacoma)

    Setting aside Cole for the moment, Hultzen has the next-best changeup in the game, and it’s his out pitch, a better offering than his short slider, although he does throw that latter pitch for strikes, as well. Between his feel for the changeup and some deception created by his arm action, Hultzen can work very effectively, even with the breaking ball as just his third-best pitch. Cole has great arm speed on the changeup, and, when he uses it in the right situations, he can embarrass a hitter who’s white-knuckling the bat while trying to gear up for triple digits, although there’s always the risk that he can do a hitter who can’t catch up to 98-plus mph a favor by throwing a changeup 10 miles an hour below that. Philadelphia right-hander Julio Rodriguez has just an average fastball, but it plays up because his changeup is so deceptive.

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  21. They had Zack Green playing SS today at Clwtr GCL. His power has become evident, quickly. It seems that come hell or high water, the FO is determined to find the best of the now large group of infielders competing for all infield positions which is a complete restocking of those missing position prospects they tried to fix going into last year’s draft plus this years draft, too.

    The heart of the MLB Phils teams during the “Golden Years” of 2008-2011 was the infield: Howard, Utley, J-Roll, and “Anybody” Polanco (?) at 3rd. A lot of hitting, power, and better defense from them.

    The present aim seems to be to duplicate that since the strength of the system’s prospect pool NOW is the infielders followed by the OFers. Cozens, L Greene, etc. are beginning to aim at OF power, happily.

    It’s a shame that of so many OFers previously drafted few have stepped forward to show good promise to be MLB players. There’s still time.

    Gotta love the ’11 and ’12 drafts. It’s about the future! Even at this early stage, it’s easy to get excited about what we see in these guys.

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    1. If we can pull 2-3 all stars out of that group it will be a coup… More realistically would be 1 or none… ;( but screw realism! 😉

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