Report Card, Starting Pitching, Williamsport and GCL

Other Stuff

Report card for starters in WIlliamsport and the GCL, albeit with limited sample sizes. Next up will be the bullpen in Lehigh Valley and Reading.

Williamsport

Alejandro Artega, 20, Signed as a free agent in 2010; 22 starts between Lakewood and WIlliamsport; 4-14 with a 6.13ERA; 111.2IP 160H 20BB 69H 11HR allowed; .341 opp avg; 1.61 WHIP; 1.09 GO/AO; 1.6BB/5.6K per 9; .289 opp avg over last month; Opponents hit Arteaga at nearly a .400 clip in his 9 Lakewood starts before being sent to Williamsport.  After a successful 2013, this year was a step backwards.  Grade: D; 2015: WIlliamsport

Mitch Guellar, 20, Phils Compensation Round Pick in 2012; 13 starts; 5-5 with a 4.69ERA; 63.1IP 65H 29BB 31K; .275 opp avg; 1.48 WHIP; 0.73 GO/AO; 4.0bb/4.4K per 9; .259 vs. LHH; .289 vs. RHH; .310 opp avg over last month; After a very good first half where Guellar was named a NYPL All Star, he had a difficult second half where many of the same issues he went through in 2013 re-appeared.  Guellar was just 1-3 with a 7.25ERA in 5 August starts.  Grade: C-; 2015: He may be back for a third season in Williamsport.

Brandon Leibrandt, 21, Phils 6th round pick in 2014; 12 games(10 starts) between GCL and WIlliamsport; 3-5 with a 2.82ERA; 60.2IP 49H 10BB 67K; .227 opp avg; 0.97 WHIP; 0.61 GO/AO; 1.5BB/9.9K per 9; For Williamsport: 7 starts, 2-3 with a 2.20ERA; .203 opp avg and 0.90 WHIP; Leibrandt was excellent generally overpowering hitters in the NYPL and GCL.  Excellent control and knows how to pitch.  Grade: A; 2015: Clearwater rotation

David Whitehead, 22, Phils 34th round pick in 2013; 13 starts; 4-4 with a 2.19ERA; 74IP 70H 8BB 43K; .246 opp avg; 1.05 WHIP; 1.59 GO/AO; 1.0BB/5.2K per 9; .245 vs. LHH; .248 vs. RHH; .247 opp avg last month; Whitehead, who returned from Tommy John surgery was consistently very, very good for WIlliamsport, showing pinpoint control.  Grade: A; The Phils will need to monitor Whitehead’s innings next year. I expect that will be done in Lakewood.

Feliberto Sanchez, Soon to be 21; Signed as a free agent in 2011; 14 games (11 starts); 3-9 with a 5.43ERA; 59.2IP 75H 19BB 32K; 6HR allowed; 2.9BB/4.8K per 9; .316 opp avg; 1.58 WHIP; 0.73 GO/AO; .316 vs. LHH; .317 vs. RHH; The numbers were not good for Sanchez in 2014.  Still just 20, another year in WIlliamsport seems to be in the immediate future.  Grade: D

Ricardo Pinto, 20, Signed as a free agent in 2011; 9 starts; 1-5 with a 2.11ERA; 47IP 36H 15BB 48K; .203 opp avg; 1.09 WHIP; 0.90 GO/AO; 2.0BB/9.0K per 9; .205 vs. LHH; .202 vs. RHH; Pinto was very impressive in his 9 starts during his first trip State side.  Very good control and dominated at times.  Grade: A-; 2015: Lakewood

GCL

Luis Morales, 21, Signed as a free agent in 2010; 10 games (9 starts); 2-2 with a 3.83ERA; 42.1IP 57H 7BB 30K; 1.5BB/6.4K per 9; .326 opp avg; 1.51 WHIP; 2.25 GO/AO; .338 vs. LHH; .317 vs. RHH;  After pitching in the GCL in 2012 and missing all of 2013, Morales was hit around pretty good in 2014.  Grade: C-; 2015: Either released or Williamsport

Franklyn Kilome, 19, SIgned as a free agent in 2013; 11 games (8 starts); 3-1 with a 3.12ERA; 40.1IP 36H 11BB 25K; 2HR allowed; 2.5BB/5.6K per 9; .235 opp avg; 1.17 WHIP; 1.26 GO/AO; .250 vs. LHH; .228 vs. RHH; Kilome pitched very well and plenty to be excited about from the lanky righty. Grade: B+; 2015: WIlliamsport

Denton Keys, 19, Phils 11th round pick in 2013; 11 games (7 starts); 3-2 with a 2.20ERA; 49IP 43H 12BB 35K; 0HR allowed; 2.2BB/6.4K per 9; .246 opp avg; 1.12 WHIP; 1.86 GO AO; .125 vs. LHH; .273 vs. RHH; Keys was a different pitcher than what we saw in his few 2013 outings.  Keys was very, very good and hitters often were unable to catch up with him.  Grade: A-; 2015: WIlliamsport, although wouldnt be surprised with Lakewood.

Sam McWilliams, 19, Phils 8th round pick in 2014; 9 games (5 starts); 2-3 with a 5.40ERA; 25IP 28H 6BB 10K; .298 opp avg; 1.36 WHIP; 0.91 GO/AO; .267 vs. LHH; .313 vs. RHH; McWIlliams was the lone high draft pick out of high school and had one awful start skew his numbers a bit.  Really too early to pass much judgment here.  Grade: C; 2015: GCL

Lewis Alezones, 18, Signed as a free agent in 2012; 9 games (4 starts); 2-1 with a 2.70ERA; 30IP 21H 5BB 27K; 1HR allowed; .189 opp avg; 0.87 WHIP; 1.25 GO/AO; 1.5BB/8.1K per 9; .143 vs. LHH; .211 vs. RHH; In his second season in the GCL, ALezones was excellent once again.  Grade: A; 2015: Williamsport

Jason Zgardowski, 21, Signed as a free agent in 2014; 3 games (2 starts); 0-1 with a 2.70ERA; 10IP 10H 2BB 10K; Zgardowski was signed late in the season and is a very hard thrower.  Probably worth taking a harder look next year…

6 thoughts on “Report Card, Starting Pitching, Williamsport and GCL”

  1. Lots of interesting guys here again, plus some more that pitched in the relief. Next year’s Lakewood and W-port rotations should be stuffed and that’s without accounting for any pitchers they may draft next year.

    1. Plus some guys coming from LA. Chavez and Suarez come to mind. Chavez was playing in Mexico against stronger competition and may be ready for Lakewood or at least Wmsprt.

      2. I don’t know what their plans are for Chavez but considering that the Mexican League is classified as a AAA league, I hope that if he comes back to the states it will be in at least Hi-A.

        1. Mexican is not really AAA level. Probably closer to High A though a different mix of experienced (but less talented players). Jake Fox, for instance, did a little better in Mexico this year than AA.

          Hard to know what we have in Chavez. I think the Phillies left him home because there were no guaranteed innings for his stateside and it helped clear a logjam (he most likely would have been in Williamsport). I suspect he’ll be in the mix for Lakewood next year though could easily be back in Mexico for more regular innings. Leaving Chavez there might actually help the Phillies in their relationships with Mexican League teams.

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