Daily Archives: September 22, 2015

Post Season Report Card-Relief Pitching, LV, REA, and CW

Other Stuff

A look at relief pitchers at the upper levels of the organization.  The report on relief pitchers from Lakewood, WIlliamsport and GCL comes Thursday

Lehigh Valley

Jason Berken, 31, Signed as a free agent in 2014; 28G (13 starts); 5-8 with a 4.61ERA; 113.1IP 133H 33BB 78K; 11HR allowed; .291 opp avg; 1.46 WHIP; 0.95 GO/AO; 2.6BB/6.2K per 9; .287 vs LHH; .294 vs RHH, .369 last 30 days; For a good portion of the year, Berken was one of Lehigh Valley’s most dependable starters, but then bouncing between roles and presumably tiring towards years end, he really struggled.  Grade: C; 2016: ANother organization

Chris Leroux, 31, Acquired from Milwaukee in 2015; 22G (3 starts); 3-3 with a 2.82ERA; 60.2IP 47H 19BB 40K; 3HR allowed; .210 opp avg; 1.09 WHIP; 1.67 GO/AO; 2.8BB/5.9K per 9; .150 vs LHH, .314 vs RHH, .159 last 30 days; Acquired mid season because of injuries and call ups, Leroux was asked to do a little of everything and did it well.  Spot starting, long man, late innings, Leroux was effective throughout coming on strong towards the end of the year.  Not overpowering but knows how to pitch.  Grade: B+; 2016: Could get an invite to Spring Training and hold down a Lehigh Valley roster spot depending on needs in March.

Dustin McGowan, 33, Signed as a free agent in 2015; 31G, 2-2 with a 4.08ERA; 15/17SV; 39.2IP 41H 24BB 28K; 1HR allowed; .261 opp avg; 1.64 WHIP; 0.82 GO/AO; For Phils: 14G, 6.94ERA; .296 opp avg; 2.10 WHIP.  I actually expected McGowan to make a big league contribution this season and that dream was put to rest early with extreme ineffectiveness leading to his demotion to Lehigh Valley.  Occasionally effective as a closer for the ‘Pigs, McGowan continued with his inability to throw strikes.  Grade: D; 2016: Elsewhere

Seth Rosin, 26, Re-acquired via Rule 5 return in 2014; 47G; 4-3 with a 3.29ERA; 3/5SV; 68.1IP 76H 21BB 49K; 4HR allowed; .278 opp avg; 1.42 WHIP; 1.05 GO/AO; .300 vs LHH, .261 vs RHH, .250 last 30 days;2.8BB/6.5K per 9; Rosin had a very mediocre year and looks now to profile as the stereotypical AAAA mid to late inning reliever.  Grade: C; 2016:  Rosin will be a minor league free agent and will go wherever he has the best opportunity.  Not likely to be added to the 40. Continue reading Post Season Report Card-Relief Pitching, LV, REA, and CW →

Prospect Discussion: Week of September 21st

Weekly Discussion,

Here’s an open discussion thread about minor league prospects.  Phillies’ talk and other non-prospect discussion should remain in the Open Discussion.

This is an open format for any minor league prospect you want to discuss.  Last week, I started the ball rolling with Angelo Mora.  How about another player who isn’t on anyone’s top 30 but impressed me with his appearances in Clearwater, Jesen Dygestile-Therrien. For the past couple years, I have thought of him as the kid with the hyphen who showed up alphabetically between C and E even when they listed him as Jesen Therrien.

  • Jesen Dygestile-Therrien, relief pitcher
  • Bats right, Throws right
  • 6’2, 200 lb.
  • Born 3/18/1993 (age 22)
  • Drafted by the New York Mets in the 36th round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft from Polyvalente Edouard Montpetit (Montreal, QC) – the US equivalent of high school.  He was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 17th round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft from Ahuntsic College (Cap-Rouge, QC) – the US equivalent of a Junior College.  He was drafted after his FR year, at the age of 18.
  • 2012; GCL Phillies (age 19, -1.4)
  • 2013; GCL Phillies (age 20, -0.6)
  • 2014; Lakewood (age 21, -0.7) spent 4 weeks from 7/12 thru 8/9 in Williamsport (-0.4)
  • 2015; Lakewood (age 22, 0.0) promoted to Clearwater (-1.0) on 5/16
  • Assigned to the Glendale Desert Dogs on 9/16 for 2015 Arizona Fall League Season.

Therrien pitched well enough early in his career to remain on the organization’s radar.  In 2015, he broke out in 9 appearances with Lakewood.  He had a gaudy 0.52 ERA, 14 K in 17.1 IP (7.3), and only 2 walks.  He allowed 13 hits and his WHIP was 0.865.

He continued to pitch well in Clearwater posting a 1.77 ERA, 40 K in 45.2 IP, 15 walks (and a spike up to 3.0/9).  He allowed only 37 hits and his WHIP rose to only 1.139.

The past two years Therrien has thrown his fastball consistently in the 89-92 mph, touching 93-95 mph.  In his first game with Clearwater, I watched him throw 93-94 (pumped up by the promotion or our “hot” gun).  But as the season wore on, he was more 90-92.  He keeps the ball down in the strike zone.  Toward the end of Clearwater’s season, he was their most consistent reliever, IMO.  I was not uncomfortable when he took the mound.

He made one appearance in the playoffs.  He pitched 2.0 innings against Daytona and retired all 8 batters he faced. Eight in two innings?  Yeah, he had to pitch around lead off fielding errors by infielders in both innings he pitched.