Box Score Recap – 5/21/2014

Box Score Recap

A light schedule Wednesday, with both LV and LKW having scheduled days off. The highlight of the day was Aaron Altherr going deep to help Reading hold off New Hampshire. Usually after a home run I look for a spike in the rate stats – Altherr’s OPS over his last ten games has skyrocketed to .432. He’s got four hits and three walks over that span, and his OBP is .206. He’s been slumping, is what I’m saying.

Andrew Knapp drew two walks and Ethan Stewart allowed seven in his four innings of work for CLR. And Jesus Alastre kept his pro-career-starting hitting streak alive at seven games.

Here’s the affiliate Scoreboard from MiLB. http://www.milb.com/scoreboard/index.jsp?sid=milb&org=143&ymd=20140521

5-21-14 boxscores

56 thoughts on “Box Score Recap – 5/21/2014”

  1. What’s the scoop on Albert Cartwright? Any chance he gets promoted to Lehigh Valley in June? He’s already 26 and should be challenged.

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    1. Longenhagen’s had good things to say about him. His speed is definitely a potential weapon, but his 2014 BABIP is about 50 points higher than it’s been since 2010, so he’s likely due to regress a little bit offensively. If/when he does, he’s a league-repeating 26-year-old (mostly) second baseman. Cesar Hernandez does most everything Cartwright does, but better, and is considerably younger. Cartwright’s only chance to play in Philly, aside from a firesale and/or string of injuries to MIFers, may be Hernandez not getting it done on the big league level and not clearing waivers next year, at which point Cartwright becomes a potential stop-gap guy with minor league options. Whether they would use him ahead of a AAAA free agent, (Ronny Cedeno/Reid Brignac type) is another story.

      So I guess you could see him in AAA this year if he keeps up what he’s doing.

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  2. Love Perkins’ 3 rbi without a hit. 5-3, 6-3 and 4-3 productive groundouts. Cartwright was on base for all 5 of Perkins’ PAs – he’s OBPing like Dykstra.

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  3. In the VSL, does Joseph ‘read him his rights’ Miranda have a chance to become a legitimate top ten org prospect down the road? I like his size and his bat, but he is a bit old for the level.

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    1. Until they bring him stateside, a guy that old I usually act under the assumption that he’s got serious flaws that the club feels will be exploited.

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      1. The one small item in his favor is that he is from Panama, so may have not played too much competitive baseball before being signed (a year later than most of the Dominican and Venezuelan kids). Worth watching, though as you say, probably has some flaws to repeat the league. Switch hitter and does also play the OF as well as 1B, so that is a little plus. If the team likes him he probably gets an in-season GCL promotion when that league starts which they have done occasionally.

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  6. So… there goes Pettibone for a while. Should I be happy he avoids surgery, or unhappy that his shoulder’s messed up? I really don’t know.

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    1. Probably a little of both. I wonder if shutting him down for the rest of the year would improve his chances of recovery. I view Pettibone and Buchanan as being pretty similar as call-up replacements (and if they need both of them in the major league rotation, they are screwed anyway), so it wouldn’t be the end of the world if it helps him on the road to recovery.

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      1. I see it as a case of a guy avoiding shoulder surgery for as long as he can although he really needs shoulder surgery. In other words, its not good. Maybe Watson and Morgan can come back strong late this season and show that not all shoulder surgery is bad.

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        1. Agree Murray….avoiding the inevitable at this point.
          He is young and can recover.
          Just do it.

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        2. that, or show that, typically, the first shoulder surgery is the beginning of the end for most pitchers. A guy who has shoulder surgery or repeated shoulder problem almost immediately goes off my top prospects list.

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          1. I think both Schilling and Clemens had some type of shoulder surgery early in their careers…both hard throwers.
            And both had them over 20 years ago….and surgical medical science has advanced some since then.
            So if it comes to it, maybe it can work for him….and Morgan and Watson etc etc

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            1. Maybe, but they are the exceptions. If I had to guess, about 80 percent of the guys who experience serious shoulder surgery are never close to being the same. I don’t know enough about the different shoulder injuries and procedures to know what the success rate for various shoulder ailments and surgeries (and by success, I don’t mean they can throw a ball again, I mean they return to being close to their former baseball selves). I do know that when I hear the words “labrum” or “rotator cuff” I feel sick and when I hear the words “bone spurs” I’m less concerned – but aside from that, I don’t know a damned thing about these injuries except that when pitchers have them, they typically are never the same again.

              Elbows are a lesser concern, although when these problems occur: (a) it can keep the player out for a year or longer; and (b) these surgeries are fairly successful but some pitchers do not recover all of their former greatness (Strasburg is still very talented, but nowhere near the pitcher he was before the surgery – the difference between a 99 and 94 MPH is pretty significant).

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        3. Or maybe its a case where the nationally renowned doctor knows better than blog posters?

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  7. I read an article last year where they talked to Altherr. He said, last year he was working on squaring up the ball and hitting it hard. He said his goal for this year was to cut his Ks down. The combination of those two things would be a very good thing. So far this year, he has been successful in cutting down on his Ks. He K’ed 30% of the time last year and still hit .275 with a .455 slugging percentage. This year his K’s are down to 20% in Reading and 8 of his 22 hits are doubles or homers. He is struggling with a BA around the Mendoza line so maybe the balls in play just aren’t dropping in. The ones he hits off or over a wall are working for him.

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    1. good analysis. I wouldn’t worry about BA yet. Cutting those K’s down was a priority. He is in same boat as Franco – lot of talent but needs to control his bat.

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      1. The goal and the challenge is to hit strikes and take balls. It sounds so easy….. Ever face a curve ball or a slider? Good luck….

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    2. I am sorry…..but setting those goals should be something a player should do at each plate appearance…from the start of his career.
      I cannot imagine him thinking…..I will swing hard everyime and if I miss and K..no biggie!

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        1. Agree…..when I am implying is the beginning years to get to that big pay-out days.
          You would think they all know the way to the big leagues and what it takes from the plate.

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  8. I am no doctor obviously, but gotta wonder if the best thing for Pettibone would be to have TJ surgery. Maybe add a mph to his fastball, and not have to worry. The way it is now, it looks like hes gonna be a guy who keeps on aggrivatign it

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    6. Are you recommending two surgeries at once ? to see if tommy john can add a tick to his FB and then rotator / labrum surgery to repair shoulder. or is it you dont know what tommy john surgery is ?

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        1. Wont be much longer till we see a bionic pitcher. 6 million dollar arm throwing 120 with his changup

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    1. I would donate bribe money for that worthy cause. I am not religious but i am praying for Rube to no longer be the GM of the team I like , wait even better maybe the Gnats can hire him as GM , heck maybe the Braves while im at it.

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      1. Is this why RAJ and his scouting director have been so assiduously kissing Selig’s butt with very constrained draft and international bonus spending?

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    2. We can hope. He’s not the most outlandish name on the list. Bob Costas and George F. Will? What are the qualifications for this job?

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      1. Seems like a bogus list. Will is 73, I doubt MLB hires him to start a new career at that age.

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  10. Really not sure what more Crawford can learn in Lakewood. Yeah, he probably needs to work on defense and base running, but he can do that as easily in Clearwater. What he is doing as a hitter is just absurd.

    The issue I guess is Quinn, and I don’t have an answer for that. But I would like to see Crawford challenged in Clearwater asap, certainly by mid June.

    And if Pullin keeps hitting the way he has lately, and if he is playing a decent second base (is he?) – he will be a top 10 Phillies’ prospect by the end of the season.

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  11. Here’s an exercise for you – one which IMO leads to a ray of hope. Go down Matt’s top 30. Some injured – but in every case either known pre-season injuries or relatively minor ones – some in extended spring training, some performing roughly what was expected. But players whose stock is up outnumber players whose stock is down:

    Stock up: Crawford, Grullon, Giles, Perkins, Pullin
    Stick down: Altherr, Knapp, Gonzalez

    What’s particularly nice about that is that the three stock down players all have low ceilings, whereas at least two of the stock up players have high ceilings.

    Pre-injury Dugan was also stock up. Ditto Rupp, arguably, though IMO his SSS performance doesn’t shift the needle much on him. Also ditto Joseph, though the concussion risk factor makes me really nervous. You can argue that the mere fact that Quinn is playing, and doesn;t seem to have lost any speed, is enough to list him as stock up.

    Bottom line, the system is stronger now than it looked a months ago.

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    1. That’s certainly true. Franco turning things around makes a big difference. I had discounted Joseph quite heavily, so the renewed injury problems don’t lower his stock much more. I think the downgrade to MAG is a significant knock. A lot had him top 5, most top 10. I agree, the early return of Quinn is a major plus. The return of Martin is a plus. The Pettibone injury situation really hurts, although I guess he wasn’t really farm. In the same vein of young guys, Galvis disappoints, Brown disappoints, but Asche seems to be turning things around slowly.

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    2. Altherr is a low ceiling guy? I don’t think he’ll reach his full peak, but it’s pretty high if it ever comes together.

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    3. Altherr had wrist surgery in December and didn’t swing a bat till end of March, his k rate has dropped under 20% and his Babip is barely over 200….I think in another month he will be just fine.

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      1. I want to agree with you on Altherr. Here’s why I don’t: a prospect his age/level/profile can’t really afford even mild bumps in the road. Yeah, his K rate is improved, though IMO still marginal for the rest of the profile. But his problems are not just a low BABIP – his BB rate and power are also down. Not as bad a season as his line would indicate, but he needs to make progress, not stand still or move backwards, if he is to be a real prospect.

        Another way to look at it is that, even normalizing his BABIP, he doesn’t look like a future major league regular.

        But I could be wrong and would be happy if I was.

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    4. Larry with an optimistic post – I love it!

      Anyway, although the starting pitching is a mess in the minors aside from Biddle, you cannot overstate just how good of a prospect JP Crawford is proving to be. It’s not easy for a 19 year old middle infield prospect without significant power (yet) to all but hit (and walk) his way out of Lakewood and the Sally League (tough hitting environments) by the beginning of June. He already profiles as a future major league star and if he starts to hit for power (and it looks like that process is already underway). He sure as heck looks like a young Barry Larkin to me. Yeah, he’s that good. Kudos to the Phillies scouts for locking in on this guy and capitalizing on a relatively high pick in the first round. Now we need a second great draft pick this June.

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      1. sorry for the unfinished sentence – if he hits for power, you are looking at a potential superstar. Honestly, I think he will end up with 12-18 homer a year power, which should still make him a star because he has a 60/70 hit tool and a 70 plate discipline tool combined with 60 speed and 60/70 fielding prowess. This guy rocks.

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      2. Well,allentown points out the pessimistic side of the equation – the young guys who graduated from prospect status have pretty much universally disappointed. Even Asche, despite his encouraging hitting of late, has been problematic defensively. And Brown, Galvis, Pettibone, Revere … ugh. Not to mention the young relievers.

        Still, it is nice to have SOMETHING to root for, and hopefully it is a sign of things to come.

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        2. With the exception of Brown, though, the Phillies haven’t graduated a truly heralded prospect since Hamels. Which is pretty stunning when you think about it–for basically the entire time this website has existed, there have been few if any “Phuture Phillies” at all. (Maybe we should have changed the name of the site to “Phuture Astros.”) My point is that I don’t think there really is much of any comparison between a guys like Asche or Galvis and a prospect like Crawford. We literally have not seen his like before. It’s pretty goddamn exciting.

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  12. I agree with Larry, I feel better about the system. Crawford’s emergence kind of creates a warm and fuzzy aura around everything, and I would actually classify Quinn’s stock as up, because I personally (and I think the community in general) docked him a few places on the list based on concerns that it might take a year to come back from the injury. Instead he’s back on the field with few apparent limitations in May. If I had realized that was the prognosis, I would have had no problem saying Quinn was our #4 prospect. I think we all agreed at the time that there was a big dropoff after #3, and it would be interesting to see who emerged as #4. A healthy Quinn who is still playing SS is an easy #4 for me.

    One prospect who we haven’t talked a ton about this year is Dylan Cozens. Where do we put his stock at this point? The strikeout numbers are troubling, but unlike another raw slugging prospect I can think of, he has started to show his power in games. It’s just glimmers for now, but he seems like a guy who could be positioned to break out in the second half.

    Before I wrote that, I looked up Lakewood’s stats and just realized that Crawford is also leading the team in slugging percentage. Unreal.

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    1. Cozens is interesting but so is Hiciano – it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Sam became the better player of the two and I like Cozens.

      The hidden story in Lakewood, however, is that Grullon is more than holding his own – he’s quite an intriguing prospect.

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    2. There are some very nice position player prospects in Lakewood, and then there’s Crawford. In terms of talent, it’s like comparing a 100 watt light bulb to a flashlight.

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