34 thoughts on “Clearwater Threshers Recap – 8/20/2018”

1. Jim. Any news on Sixto?

   1. He’s alive and well at the Complex. I saw him Monday when he came out of the club house to watch some of the game. He is in good spirits , joking with his countrymen as well as Spanish-speaking players like Ben Brown. But, I don’t know any more than you regarding his arm. I will say this, though. He must have had a growth spurt because he finally looks taller than I.

      1. That’s awesome – you always want to hear that a young prospect who already throws 100 and has killer stuff and still growing and filling out.

2. I didn’t realize Stewart got hit in the face, that’s a terrible experience. Hopefully he can bounce back because he was really hitting well before.
   Bohm back to Wsport for the last few weeks is good but let’s hope he hits well.

   1. Yeah, that’s the Phillies playing their cards close to their vest. His father told me about the incident. And how the when the East and West played on Saturday, they moved the game into Spectrum Field. D.J. entered the game as a late inning defensive replacement so that he could experience a GCL game on a field they all aspire to on their way to CBP.

3. Ortiz had a double with two outs to put Williamsport in position to tie late in the second game and Maton singled to score him. Both hits were clutch off a very good pitcher. The cutters season will end without a playoff chance, but the players seem to remain competitive.

   1. Lakewood?

      1. And Lakewood will be in the playoffs

         1. Correct. Thanks Murray.

      2. Yes.

4. Will Stewart again with another gem last night.
   Crazy nuts how he induces GB outs….8 of 13.
   Continues with over 60% for the season. Control excellent also with <2BB per 9 IPed

5. Luis “Kid A” Garcia just keeps hitting. He’s up to .363/.429/.484 with an 8.2/11.8 BB/K%. He’s a 17-year-old, switch-hitting bonus baby who reportedly has excellent range and arm at SS. He really couldn’t be off to a better start.

   This isn’t something I typically advocate, but … Could he potentially skip Williamsport and go directly to full season ball at Lakewood next season? A kid that’s already hitting this well could move quickly if it’s the real deal.

   1. It’s very unlikely at his age plus they have Gamboa ahead of him at Wsport, going to Lakewood next year, although he hasn’t played as well as they liked. Could Garcia jump over him? The Phils would really need to have confidence in him to do it.

      1. Do you mean Guzman? It’s a fair point, although as you said, he’s not exactly setting the word ablaze at Williamsport this year.

         1. Yes I did (at least they both start with G) and he hasn’t hit well but they like him.

   2. I was going to write something similar to you. Couldn’t ask for more from a prospect. I would love to see him start next year at Lakewood. An exceptional prospect. I may have him #4 on my Phillies list. (after Sixto, Medina and Bohm). He may jump Ortiz given the defensive profile and high value of SS position.

      1. I’ve been agreeing with you a lot lately, v1.
         Garcia (because of his performance this year, his pedigree, and his position) is now a top 5 prospect. He’s certainly now the #1 ranked SS in the system, and should be placed at the most appropriate level for him. The other SS’s should then be filled in around him. Guzman is still only 18 YO, and has not exactly been excelling (offensively) at Williamsport. Have him re-do Williamsport, and send Garcia to Lakewood.
         I know Nicolas Torres has cooled off a bit, but I would even consider jumping him to Lakewood (over Brayan Gonzalez) next season, also. Torres and Gonzalez are the same age.

6. “skip Williamsport and go directly to full season ball at Lakewood “…have they ever done that before? I know Juan Samuel and Julio Franco were moved right away…but that was a different era.
   Maikel Franco was in the SALLY pretty early but he seem to go back and forth that one year between the SALLY and NYPL

   1. They did it with Domingo Santana in 2010 … he struggled and eventually finished the season in Williamsport. JPC never played at Williamsport. And Cesar skipped Lakewood and went directly to Clearwater, although that was after a few years of short season ball.

      They’ve shown a willingness to be aggressive if they feel a hitter is capable of handling it. Whether Garcia is one of those players remains to be seen.

      1. Well, when comparing Garcia’s early metrics in the GCL vs those others….he should at least be a candidate that could qualify for that type of advanced promotion.

      2. Cornelius Randolph also skipped Williamsport. It’s not uncommon for HSers that were first round picks to make that jump. Garcia obviously wasn’t drafted but he seems basically equivalent to a first rounder. Honestly, at this point I’d be disappointed if he didn’t start in full season ball next year.

7. It is August 21st, and 2 and a half months since Sixto was shut down. Wouldn’t it be better just to keep him out, and start again whenever it is time to prepare for next year? Also, can someone tell me what the perceived ceilings are for the Lakewood Staff? What a terrific year they have had.

   1. Although statistically the 2018 LWD rotation of Howard-Stewart-Parkinson-Jones-Andrew Brown (and Ramos Rosso) is better, they don’t have the same ceiling as the 2017 LWD Rotation of Sixto-Medina-Falter-Fanti-Llovera. Spencer Howard is possibly the only pitcher in 2018 rotation that can have an electric stuff to be at least a #3. Jones is like Llovera, who is destined to be a power pen arm while Stewart-Parkinson and Andrew Brown still look like “pitchability” than “pure stuff” arms who normally projects to be #/4/#5 type. Kyle Young pitched for both 2017 and 2018 so I exclude him for comparison purposes. If I’m going to assess their ceiling based on “pitch grade and ability” here’s how I view their ceiling:

      2017 Sixto – #1/#2
      2017 Medina – #2/#3
      2018 Howard – #3
      2017 Falter – #3/#4
      2018 Young – #4/#5
      2018 Stewart – #4/#5
      2018 Parkinson – #4/#5
      2018 Rosso – #5/mid-RP
      2017 Fanti – #5/LOOGY
      2017 Llovera – high leverage BP
      2018 Jones – high leverage BP

      1. I forgot Andrew Brown – I still don’t see consistent reports about him and some people I talked still confused Andrew Brown with Ben Brown. Ben Brown I think have the higher ceiling, he’s on 18 yo 6’6″ and already throwing at 93-94 with good CU and a developing breaking pitch.

         Andrew Brown appears to be more of a generic John A. pitcher that projects to be a #4/#5.

         1. Thanks KuKo, Much appreciated!

      2. Kurdt, I will defer to your greater knowledge than mine, but a quick observation after having seem them both pitch last weekend, is that Llovera has more “stuff” than Falter. Only the second time I’ve seen Falter and first time seeing Llovera, so limited sample sizes.

8. My Vineland “homie” Zach Warren is killing it this year at Lakewood !!! After last night’s appearance (2 IP, 1 H,1 BB, 6 K), the LHRP is 51.2 IP, 31 H, 26 BB, 88 K, OBA .177 !!!

   1. Zach Warren definitely looks like a really good pen arm – 6’5″ LHP throwing up to mid 90s and a hard breaking mid-80s SL. Warren can miss bats on both of his FB-SL combo — K/9 in 2018 = 15.3 (career K/9 = 13.6).

      But just like Dohy or some of the taller LHP, Zach Warren still have some control issues with his pitches.

      Damon Jones is another big LHP with power arm. Currently starting in LWD but has bullpen written all over him.

9. Are there any hints floating around as to who the Phils are sending to the Arizona Fall League?

   1. I think Mickey Moniak’s name has come up.
      I would also send Jose Pujols before making a 40 man decision on him.

      1. I doubt they push Moniak into the AFL this year. My money’s on Haseley. I could see Pujols going as well.

   2. Also – where will Gowdy play in the fall once he’s ready? Instructs?

   3. As mentioned, likely 40man/injured guys.
      Maybe Grullion, Hall, Leftwich, Edgar Garcia, Requena
      I could see them leaving the following off in attempt to hide them: Cabral, Gomez, Llovera, Gamboa, Brito, Pujols.

      Would be great if they sent Sixto.

10. Was at the Williamsport games last night. Aklinski would have had 2 HRs if playing in a “normal” park (its 410′ to the LC alley in State College), had to settle for a triple and an O-7. First time I’d seen Bohm play. Big guy, looks very athletic (reminded me of Jason Werth build-wise and with the long hair – no facial hair though). I’m not a scout, and it was only one game, but defensively looked rough at third. Seemed to try to backhand the ball in several instances where it didn’t appear necessary, had two errors. Did make a nice play where with a runner on third he was playing even with the bag, snagged a hard ground ball to his right, tagged the runner trying to dive back into third, and then completed the double play by making a throw to first while tripping over the runner and falling backward. Hit one ball hard, a line drive where the SS had to jump and it went off his glove. The scored ruled it an error, I thought it could have been ruled a hit. We as fans may need to be patient with him. Would love to be wrong and see him storm through the system.

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