The guys here for Instructs are continuing to perform the drills I wrote about in an earlier report.  They ended today’s work outs with a couple more contests.  Apparently they have been divided into teams and are keeping score.  I have no idea how that works.  But, there is some partisan cheering during the events.  And some question as to the judges partiality.

They played games Monday at Dunedin and Tuesday at Spectrum Field.  I was unable to make it to the Dunedin game but heard that they turned away spectators.

Here’s the remaining schedule for Instructs.

• Thu, 9/19: @DET – 1:00 PM
• Fri, 9/20: v.TOR – 1:00 PM
• Sat, 9/21: CAMP
• Sun, 9/22: OFF
• Mon, 9/23: v.TOR – 1:00 PM
• Tue, 9/24: @TOR – 1:00 PM
• Wed, 9/25: CAMP
• Thu, 9/26: v.DET – 1:00 PM
• Fri, 9/27: @TOR – 1:00 PM
• Sat, 9/28: CAMP
• Sun, 9/29: OFF

Toward the end of the week, a roster was handed out.  It included 72 players.

Pitchers (38)

1. Adams, Tyler – LHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
2. Aldegheri, Samuel – LHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
3. Betancourt, Carlos – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
4. Burch, Tyler – RHP, Williamsport
5. Castaneda, Dylan – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West
6. Castillo, Starlyn – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
7. De La Cruz, Jonas – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West
8. Dyar, Dallas – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West
9. Estevez, Engel – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
10. Francisco, Carlos – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
11. Garrido, Maikel – LHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
12. Geraldo, Juan – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
13. Gessner, Josh – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West
14. Hendrickson, Josh – LHP, Lakewood
15. Hernandez, Christian – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West
16. Jefferson, DJ – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
17. Lackney, Nick – LHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West
18. Leverett, Adam – RHP, Williamsport
19. Lozano, Fernando – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West
20. Made, Alejandro – RHP, Williamsport
21. Marcano, Rafael – LHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
22. Martinez, Jordi – LHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
23. Mayer, Gunner – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West
24. McArthur, James – RHP, Clearwater
25. Micheles, Chris – LHP, Williamsport
26. Milam, Hunter – LHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
27. Miller, Erik – LHP, Lakewood
28. Morales, Francisco – RHP, Lakewood
29. Perkins, Jack – RHP, Clearwater
30. Pina, Nicoly – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West
31. Schultz, Andrew – RHP, Lakewood
32. Schulze, Brett – RHP, Williamsport
33. Segovia, Eduar – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West
34. Smith, Jaylen – LHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West
35. Ulloa, Jose – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
36. Van Scoyoc, Spencer – LHP, Williamsport
37. Vargas, Victor – RHP, Williamsport
38. Vilchez, Daniel – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West

Catchers (8)

1. Edwards, Mitchel – Catcher, Wiliamsport
2. Francisco, Freddy – Catcher, Gulf Coast Phillies West
3. Iser, Herbert – Catcher, Wiliamsport
4. Mendez, Juan – Catcher, DSL Phillies White
5. Nava, Andrick – Catcher, Gulf Coast Phillies West
6. O’Hoppe, Logan – Catcher, Wiliamsport
7. Rodriguez, Cesar – Catcher, Gulf Coast Phillies East
8. Yonamine, Micah – Catcher, Gulf Coast Phillies East

Infielders (15)

1. Azuaje, Alexeis – 2B, DSL Phillies Red
2. Cornelius, Chris – SS, Gulf Coast Phillies West
3. Dipre, Guarner – SS, Gulf Coast Phillies East
4. Fassnacht, Nate – SS, Williamsport
5. Flores, Wilfredo – 2B, Gulf Coast Phillies East
6. Garcia, Luis – SS, Lakewood
7. Herrera, Juan – 3B, DSW
8. Made, Edgar – SS, Gulf Coast Phillies West
9. Rott, Rudy – 1B, Williamsport
10. Simmons, Kendall – SS, Williamsport
11. Stott, Bryson – SS, Williamsport
12. Tatum, McCarthy – 3B, Lakewood
13. Torres, Nicolas – INF, Williamsport
14. Tortolero, Jose – INF, Gulf Coast Phillies East
15. Wingrove, Rixon – 1B, Gulf Coast Phillies West

Outfielders (11)

1. Cedeno, Jose – RF, Gulf Coast Phillies East
2. De La Cruz, Carlos – OF, Lakewood
3. Encarnacion, Jeff – RF, DSL Phillies Red
4. Greenwalt, Keaton – CF, Gulf Coast Phillies West
5. Hearn, Hunter – CF, Williamsport
6. Lee Sang, Marcus – CF, Gulf Coast Phillies East
7. Markwardt, Hunter – CF, Williamsport
8. Maxwell, Tucker – CF, Gulf Coast Phillies West
9. Pelletier, Ben – RF, Lakewood
10. Rojas, Johan – CF, Williamsport
11. Sanchez, Jaidel – RF, Gulf Coast Phillies West

Others sighted included 19 players who ended the season on the 7- or 60-day ILs

1. Antonac, Yoan – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East, 60-day IL
2. Arano, Victor – RHP, PHI, 60-day IL, 60-day IL
3. Bettencourt, Trevor – RHP, REA, 7-day IL
4. Brown, Ben – RHP, Lakewood, 7-day IL
5. Fanti, Nick – LHP, Clearwater, 7-day IL
6. Hallead, Tyler – RHP, Clearwater, 7-day IL
7. Herrera, Lizardo – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West, 60-day IL
8. Jimenez, Jose – LHP, Lakewood, 7-day IL
9. Leibrandt, Brandon – LHP, LHV, 60-day IL
10. Llovera, Mauricio – RHP, REA, 7-day IL
11. Pipkin, Dominic – RHP, Lakewood, 7-day IL
12. Rosario, Sandro – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West, 60-day IL
13. Schultz, Andrew – RHP, Lakewood, 7-day IL
14. Viza, Tyler – RHP, REA, 7-day IL
15. Young, Kyle – LHP, Clearwater, 60-day IL
16. Cabral, Edgar – Catcher, Clearwater, 60-day IL
17. Fitch, Colby – Catcher, Clearwater, 7-day IL
18. Cumana, Grenny – INF, Reading, 7-day IL
19. Pujols, Jose – RF, Reading, 7-day IL

Plus, 12 players who are probably here for Strength and Conditioning

1. Cotto, Gabriel – LHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
2. Cummings, Bailey – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies East
3. Francisco, Carlos – RHP, Williamsport
4. Gowdy, Kevin – RHP, Lakewood
5. Ramey, Brandon – RHP, Gulf Coast Phillies West
6. Aparacio, Juan – C, Lakewood
7. Marchan, Rafael – C, Clearwater
8. Stewart, D.J. – 3B, Williamsport
9. Williams, Corbin – CF, Williamsport
10. Guzman, Jonathan
11. Ortiz, Jhailyn
12. Valerio, Christian

There are more.  Those not specifically here for Instructs are working primarily indoors.  I’ve heard that most of the guys here for other than Instructs are leaving Saturday.

Tuesday, the Phillies played the Blue Jays at Spectrum Field.  My unofficial count came to about 20 scouts, 20 spectators, a couple dozen players from Instructs, and over a dozen staffers not involved with players who remained at the Complex.

Nine pitchers threw for the Phillies.  I avoid the radar guns during Instructs, so I don’t have velocities.

1. Eric Miller struck out three and gave up two singles.  He looks every bit as impressive as I remembered from XST and GCL.  He attacks the zone and keeps the ball down. It is my fervent hope that he begins next season in Clearwater.  Fingers crossed.
2. Jordi Martinez gave up 2 singles and recorded 3 fly ball outs.
3. Nicoly Pina appeared to be working on his secondary pitches.  He possesses a fastball that regularly reaches 95-96 mph.  Today, he was mostly up in and above the zone.  He walked the bases loaded and allowed a run on a double play.  After walking his fourth batter, the inning was rolled.
4. Hunter Milam had a hit, walk, and strike out.  He was charged with an unearned run on a successful pick off that went bad.  He had the runner dead to rights but the throw from first to second sailed into left field.  I thought it glanced off the shortstop’s glove, but my friends Steve and Dick both said it bounced off the runner’s shoulder.  Either way, it led to an unearned run later in the inning.
5. The next five pitchers each tossed an inning of no-hit, no-run ball – Rafael Marcano, Fernando Lozano, Daniel Vilchez (back from the line drive off his throwing hand), Jose Ulloa, and Tyler Adams.
6. Marcano and Lozano pitched perfect frames.
7. Vilchez and Ulloa each allowed a base runner – Vilchez on a walk followed by a wild pitch and Ulloa on an 0-2 hit batter.
8. Adams finished with a perfect inning.  Each pitcher struck out a batter.

Each team scored 2 runs.  We out hit the Jays, 6-5.  Neither team had a base hit after the fourth inning.

1. Grenny Cumana (rehab) led off with a single.  He went to third on Bryson Stott’s single.  Stott stole second before the inning ended.
2. Edgar Made singled and stole second.  he scored on Juan Mendez’ RBI single.  Mendez is a 20-year-old catcher from the DSL.  he spent the 2018 season on the DL (it wasn’t the IL yet).  He really hits the ball hard.  This at bat was no exception.
3. Nicolas Torres singled.  He was thrown out (9-5) when he tried to go from first to third on an errant pick off throw.
4. Bryson Stott led off with a HR to right field.  It was well struck and appeared to clear the back fence on a low trajectory.
5. Juan Mendez walked in the fifth and was thrown out attempting to steal.
6. Bryson Stott walked in the seventh and was thrown out attempting to steal.
7. Rudy Rott walked in the ninth.

Some spectators were not convinced that Stott stays at short.  He started a double play by diving to his right for a ball that might have been made without leaving his feet.  I overheard a comment about his slow first step on an earlier play.  Questions about his arm strength have resurfaced.  But, these observations are on an extremely SSS.  He started at shortstop, moved to second base, and finished at first base.

Nate Fassnacht made a great play at third base, catching a ball in foul territory and completing a strong throw to first.  Kudos to Rudy Rott for holding the bag.

Nicolas Torres made a couple of strong throws from the hole while playing shortstop late in the game.

During an at bat, a Jays’ pitcher hit the screen behind home plate, about 25 feet above the ground.  If you’ve ever been to Spectrum Field, you know that’s more than a little bit high.  A couple innings later a different Jays’ pitcher hit the screen a few inches above the padded brick wall.

The game lasted three hours and one minute.  The umpires were very lenient on the time between innings.  The Jays took forever to take the field.  Gotta get a pitch clock in Instructs so they are held to the time limit for warm ups.

Wednesday, the campers went through similar drills as reported on earlier days. They had a timed fielding competition where teams of five had to retrieve and relay balls from the gaps to third and home.  The instructions and team assignments were announced over a loud speaker in Spanish to the delight of half the campers here.

A ball was placed in the gap and each outfielder took a turn retrieving the ball, throwing to the relay man who threw to third base.  Then they did the same thing with a relay home.  A ball was then placed in the other gap, and the same routine followed.  The combined time of the 8 plays became the team’s score.

When we thought they were finished, they set up the field with screens around the infield grass.  Our interest piqued, we waited to see what was up.

They held a Command Competition.  Six pitchers were required to compete.  All other players were to watch from behind the screen placed on the infield.  The smart ones (or lazy ones, depending on your point of view) brought chairs and stools.

Each pitcher threw 16 pitches.  Five (later four) batters stepped in and were allowed to swing.  The pitcher was required to pitch to a location signaled by the catcher that was relayed to the catcher via radio by Coach Ernie Whitt.

The batters were Christian Valerio, Grenny Cumana, Jhailyn Ortiz, Jose Pujols, and Jonathan Guzman.  All participants of Strength and Conditioning.  Ortiz left after fouling off the second pitch he saw.  He pointed to his side and it looks like an oblique.

The pitchers were Victor Vargas, Carlos Hernandez, James McArthur, Jonas De La Cruz, Christian Hernandez, and Francisco Morales.  Most of the pitcher scored a 7 or an 8.  Francisco scored a ten.

Success was determined by hitting the spot.  Whether a pitch was a strike elsewhere in the zone or the batter swung at the pitch was irrelevant.

There was a scout there with a gun.  I asked him the velocity of the first pitcher and it was in line with what I had in my records. I asked again after Morales threw.  His velocity was a little lower than his norm (as I expected).  He took something off to hit his spots.

This may be my last Instructs post for a while.