Box Score Recap – 8/25/2013

Box Score Recap

Aaron Altherr 2-5 with his 12th HR of the year – his OPS has crept above .800 again. JP Crawford 2-3 plus a walk. – he’s hit in seven straight since an Oh-fer in his Lakewood debut, but he’s been on base in all eight games. Larry Greene Jr. 3-4 with 2 doubles, and Cesar Hernandez, Zach Collier, Chris Serritella, Carlos Tocci, Gabe Lino and Herlis Rodriguez all with multi-hit games as well. Pretty nice line from Miguel Nunez – 3R on 5H, 1BB and 6K in 5IP – his third good start in a row.

Here’s the affiliate Scoreboard from MiLB.

http://www.milb.com/scoreboard/index.jsp?sid=milb&org=143&ymd=20130825

8-25-2013

56 thoughts on “Box Score Recap – 8/25/2013”

  1. 3 more hits for stassi and susdorf, you forgot to mention them don’t forget the “true” hitters

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    1. It says right up top; Phuture Phillies. They are not likely not Future phillies. It also says Phillies prospects up top. They are not prospects. Try are org guys. That’s why they aren’t mentioned

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      1. Being in AA doesn’t make you a prospect. I’m not going to waste my one explaining why that is.

        And as far as Susdorf, I aside you agree that he’s not a prospect since you didn’t mention him in your reply

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      2. Lino was BA Top 30 in the Os system a couple years ago, and recognized by a couple scouting types as having a big league upside. He’s a decent receiver with a chance to get better, and has shown some pop at the plate. To call him a non-prospect is shortsighted.

        And yes, on this site, we focus on prospects, but at times we talk about guys who would not be considered as such. I have, throughout the year, mentioned probably two dozen guys who consensus says have very little shot at the big leagues, because they do something interesting. But when I’m listing off a bunch of interesting names for something like “multi-hit games”, I’m focused on those names that have been either regarded as prospects in the past, or are having interesting seasons, or are current prospects. Susdorf and Stassi, while good hitters, are not likely to have more than a cup of coffee in the bigs as a last-ditch injury replacement, on the way to becoming hitting coaches, if they have the aptitude and desire for such a career.

        Can Stassi somehow find enough power to become a serviceable big league corner OF or 1B? The slimness of the possibility would require such a stretch away from the norm that it is barely worth considering, in my opinion. Projecting him into a big league role from his age and position and profile is ignoring reality.

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  2. I like the mention of Nunez- his recent stretch deserves some attention. He hasn’t been a big K guy this year but his last 3 starts: 15 IP with 20 strikeouts and just 3 walks. So he doesn’t appear to be tiring out. Is it surprising that they’ve let him pitch so many innings this year? 124 after tonight.

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    1. Especially after 2 years of injuries. He’s definitely showed he should be promoted next year. He’s getting stronger as the year progresses and that’s a great sign.

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  3. Shane Martin had another great outing. He went 5 IP with 3 hits and no ERs. Only 2 Ks with a BB. In his last 7 outings, he’s put up goose eggs for ERs in 3, 1 ER in 2 others and 2 royal stinkos. He gave up 5 runs in each of those outings. Consistency is a little problem but in the 26 ‘good outing’ innings, 2 ERs is spectacular. I’d like to see more Ks but he doesn’t walk many (13 BBs in 60+ innings this year). At his age (22), he might need a double jump somewhere. Will next year be the year?

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    1. Hard for me to get excited about a pitcher who’s old for his level and doesn’t strike anyone out.

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      1. I guess strictly speaking he’s not old for his level since Williamsport is appropriate for a college draftee. But yes, he really needs to see Clearwater next year if he wants to be a prospect.

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  4. Perkins and Altherr corner OFs for Reading in 2014.
    I guess Jiwan or Tyson will be in the middle again.

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    1. Nice to see Altherr salvaging a decent year following his hot April. He’s batting .301 in August and OPSing at .806. 54 XBHs and a .466 SLG% on the year. 21 steals against 4 caughts. His K-rate is way too high but he’s really put together a decent season at Clearwater. I don’t think it’s absurd to think he may have a big year at Reading next season during his age 23 season. Back on the radar for me

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      1. Yeah, but a .360 BABIP and 27% K-rate make that OPS pretty unimpressive, especially for a 22-year old in A+.

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        2. The .360 BABIP isn’t outlandishly high, nor is 27%K rate. I don’t count 22 as ‘too old’ for A+, although admittedly on the old side for a HS draftee. If he were a college kid, we’d consider it quite normal, even good. He’s got a shot. I will be very interested to watch him at Reading next season.

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          1. I agree that a .360 BABIP isn’t outlandish, and his K% isn’t horrible, for the amount of production he had this year. But regarding his age, Altherr is still behind. And as far as college prospects: Most of the real prospects force their way to AA during their age 22 season. So either way, he is old for the level.

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      3. The flashes of power and reports of improved defense are real positives from Altherr this year- signs of a very raw player player putting some polish on his game. Still a ways to go for him but definately one to follow and he’s certainly earned a starting job in Reading next year.

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    2. Not sure Dugan gets Moved to Triple A to start the year so you’d have to slot him into that mix for RF too.

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    3. Isn’t James a minor league FA after the season?

      I think he might want a change of scenery after his demotion.

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  5. I went to the BlueClaws game yesterday. A few takeaways:
    1. I now understand why the word “polished” is used to describe JP so often.
    – First AB, a beautiful bunt base hit. You couldn’t place a bunt in a better spot.
    – With a runner on third, he hit the ball the opposite way to get LGJ home
    – His walk showed really good patience. Came on a 3-2 count. But he looked like he went to the plate thinking I am going to make this guy throw a strike. Got a 2-0 count quickly. He just looked comfortable hitting with 2 strikes.

    2. The assist by Tocci was a thing of beauty. A rope from center field. The catcher didn’t have to move at all and the ball hit him ON THE FLY chest high. It was a nice block, but the throw was very impressive. His bat, on the other hand, doesn’t look at this level. He looks overmatched.

    3. The opposing SP threw between 72 and 85. Never got above 85. He did have a funky delivery, but was very slow. The RP threw in the high 80s/90.

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    1. Nice report v1 – thanks. I was sad to see JP leave Clearwater but as I had mentioned here a number of times, he truly appeared to be above the competition in the GCL. ‘Smooth’, ‘polished’, they all work. Our future (near future) number one prospect sure seems like the real deal.

      Agree with Tocci. No worries, I just think he should repeat Lakewood next year. Early speculation but that Lakewood roster should be a fun one

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      1. Don’t worry Steve — at the rate he’s going, Crawford will be right back in Clearwater before you know it. 🙂

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    2. I really didnt know how slow these guys throw, i dont get to minor league games, its hard to get excited about a hitter , when he is facing guys who cant break a egg. crawford hitting now even at young age means nothing until he gets to higher level and faces, better competition. and if tocci is overmatched against this type of pitcher, that a bad sign.

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      3. Certainly (and for a variety of reasons) you have to take most stats (BA, RBI, runs, SBs, etc.) with a grain of salt probably through A- As with many on here I just try and look for players at that those levels flashing any above average tools and whether they have a good approach at the plate, without any overly concerning negatives. JP’s contact skills, approach and defense are pretty darn impressive, particulalry for his age. Add that to the the reports of polish/composure/make-up (or whatever you want to call it) and we couldn’t have asked for a better start.

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    3. You say Tocci was overmatched, what did you observe that made you think that? What were his 2 hits last night like? Do you say he’s overmatched because of a lack of strength or a lack of baseball skill?

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      1. 400+ of Tocci’s plate appearances came as a 17 yr old – at Low-A. His baseball skill and instincts are advanced even at his current level – he needs added strength though. I’m far from worried. He’s playing against kids much stronger than him right now. He needs to repeat Lakewood though and I suspect that is exactly what will happen

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        1. I know everyone on this blog loves Tocci, but I have seen him play 6 times and am not convinced personally. of course, i am not a scout. so take it with a grain of salt. but my opinion is that his issues with the bat are not as simple as “he is just 17.”
          – i will say imo, his defense is elite. he looks very graceful in the OF and has a great arm. i am very impressed with those tools
          – but he doesn’t have great bat speed
          – being strong is not the same as having the ability to barrel the ball. LGJ is built like a race horse, but he can’t barrel the ball consistently. Nor can Tocci on a consistent basis, and that’s my concern. lack of strength would show up in a lot of line drives and a lot of doubles. his Mendoza BA is well earned because he doesn’t make solid contact. which again, has nothing to do with build. it has everything to do with squaring the ball.

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          1. I hear where you are coming from V1 but I think his age is a significant factor. Tocci can start next season in the GCL and still be of normal age. I think next season at Lakewood you’ll see a much improved hitter

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            1. I agree that that is a real possibility. and I hope it happens. but i think many are jumping the gun on him. he has a LOT of progress to make IMO.

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      2. good question. the thing with minor league games is there is a lot behind the box scores that you can’t often see unless you are there. which is why i never put stock in one game or 10 games. a prospect has to show consistency over a significant sample size to be legit IMO.

        In Tocci’s example, he looked horrible on his first 2 strikeouts. just guessing up there. in his defense, the guy was a junk baller with a funky delivery, but he looked lost. i didn’t see his second single, but his first single wasn’t really a “line drive” as the milb recap declares. it was a jam job flare that snuck over the head of a drawn in shortstop. if the inf was at normal depth, it would have been a week liner to him.

        Josh Luddy’s triple was a misplayed single by the CF. he had a bad break and then made a terrible decision to dive for it.

        I saw LGJ’s fist 3 ABs. his first ab double was nice, but it came on an 85 mph fastball. then the SP threw him breaking stuff. next AB, was a “single”, but it really was a weak pop-up jam job in which the pitcher, 2b and SS crashed into each other. he struck out badly on the 3rd ab. i didn’t see his 4th ab double. but i have seen LGJ about 6 times live. my conclusion on him is, if you hit his bat, meaning a 85-89 mph fastball down the middle, he will crush it for a double. this happens a lot on first pitch fastballs to him. if you work backwards, and start him off with breaking stuff, he is lost for the entire ab.

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    4. It’s hard to overstate just how good of a prospect JP Crawford is at the moment.

      While Franco, Biddle and others offer significant promise – and could continue to raise their stock quite a bit – it seems likely that, by this time next year, Crawford will be our number one prospect. Congrats to the scouting department for locking onto him and getting their man – my seriously uninformed guess is that if the draft were re-done today, he’d be among the first 7 or 8 picks, perhaps higher. It’s not easy to find a polished, 18 year-old shortstop with a big body with muscle growth potential, a plus hit tool and plus plate discipline. He’s amazing.

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        1. No he wouldn’t. Teams don’t draft players based on the numbers they put up in their draft year. Crawford is one of the Phillies top 3 prospects, he was one of the top 3 prospects the munute he was drafted, and he would be one of the top 3 prospects even if he would have hit .225 in GCL this year. Teams draft based on tools and projection, fans rate prospects based on batting average and HRs.

          If there was a redraft, Crawford would still likely fall behind everone drafted in front of him except Dozier, Bickford and maybe Smith. It will take 2-3 years before teams think they made a mistake on Crawford.

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          1. Wait a minute, not so fast. Although it’s generally true that most teams would retain their picks based on scouting and perceived skills, some players move up the ranks very, very quickly after the draft as they reveal how their skills play out in professional ball, especially high school students who mature quickly and who you often don’t see play against advanced pitching (for hitters) or hitting (for pitchers). You don’t think Mike Trout would have moved into the top 5 picks if they had to re-do the 2009 draft in the fall of 2009 or the spring of 2010 before play began? That’s not correct. My sense is that Crawford would jump substantially as his skills have played out in professional ball in a way that nobody could entirely predict.

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            1. Given what we know now I think Crawford only goes a couple of picks earlier. The guys you could see him passing are Dozier (but that has other baggage), Refroe (not by much), Shipley (it would be close), and Bickford (if he signed probably not though). But the reality is the top of the draft showed up in pro-ball and hit like they deserved to be picked there. Give it a year or two and we may reevaluate it, but for the most part guys showed up

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            2. Sure but it was Crawford’s hit tool that some questioned. D. Smith is a all power and so far he hasn’t flashed. So if the GM had the SSS to determine he may think differently. It’s like when the signing deadline was August 1st and GMs used the Cape Cod League to decide if they should go overslot. SSS is flawed but cannot be ignored when these guys are facing professionals for the first time in their career.

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            3. Actually all of Smith’s power was projection, if he flashed the power he would have been a Top 5 pick. He is a Singleton clone where you are looking at the body and the pitch recognition and expecting the power to come along.

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            4. when is the last time a player limited to 1B and DH went top 5? Hosmer in 08? Doesn’t happen too often. Like I said, if both Crawford and Smith played in the Cape Cod and the team had to decide who to go overslot on, the SSS would probably be the deciding factor.

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            5. I thought (and still think) that Smith was the best HS bat in the draft and that he is an excellent defender at 1B and could be a quick moving middle of the order hitter.

              I am also not as seduced by Crawford’s start, the power is still lacking and he does not have any special tools, it is more just a collection of 5’s and 6’s even with projection (that said I really like Crawford and glad he fell to 16 in a 15 player draft)

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          2. Wouldn’t you say that Crawford’s performance this year has raised scouts’ assessment of his hit tool?

            Not to mention that polish is valuable also — even very young prospects aren’t just projection. Guys who already show an advanced approach are more likely to reach their potential.

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            1. No, I don’t think Crawford’s performance has raised scout’s assessments of him. Crawford’s performance has raised the assessments of the guys who frequent this site, not scouts. That Crawford was a polished 4 year starter in one of Southern California’s toughest leagues, was well known before he step foot in the GCL. The reports of Crawford’s polish were already there, for everyone to see.
              The scouts question pre-draft was Crawford’s power potential, which he hasn’t shown yet.
              Crawford and the rest of the signed top picks, have shown exactly what was predicted of them, for the most part. Crawford was the TOP SS in the country predraft. He was already thought of highly.

              Box score scouting hasn’t made any of the top draftees significantly better, or worse, than they were perceived pre-draft.

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  7. look who the opposing pitcher was vs. the Iron Pigs
    (for those who dont want to scroll back up- Kyle Drabek)
    always a worthy reminder to see when can’t miss guys miss. Granted he wasn’t #1 material, but was someone very highly regarded

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  9. just saw it too, they are counting m young at 18 million, but texas is paying 10 million arent they of that salary???

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