2021 Instructs continued Tuesday with a game between our Phillies and the Blue Jays. The seven-inning game was played in BayCare Park.
I tweeted the action thru all seven innings. Here’s what I saw.
RF Yhoswar Garcia went 1-4 with a single, and run scored.
CF Simon Muzziotti went 1-2 with a single, runs scored, and walk.
LF Jhailyn Ortiz went 2-3 with 3 runs scored, a single, SB, HR, and 5 RBI. The HR was launched to left-centerfield and cleared the fence where it juts out in a similar fashion to CBP.
DH Ethan Wilson went 1-3 with an RBI single. Ortiz had moved from first to third on an errant pickoff throw and a balk (on what swould have been ball four). Wilson shortened his swing to drive a single to RF to score Ortiz. NIce piece of hitting. He also hammered several balls foul down the line in another at bat with one having HR distance. Looks like a promising hitter.
SS Jamari Baylor went 1-2 with a triple, RBI, and walk. His triple was a fly ball down the righ field line that landed on the warning track about two feet in front of the wall. The right fielder was shifted away from the line and had a lot of ground to cover. He lost his footing as he approached the ball. Don’t think he would have caught it, but might have prevented Baylor from taking third.
3B Kendall Simmons went 0-3 with a couple Ks.
C Nick Matera went 1-2 with a double and run scored.
1B Herbert Iser went 0-1 with a run scored and a walk.
2B Alexeis Azuaje went 1-3 with a triple and a couple Ks.
C Anthony Quirion replaced Matera and went 0-1.
1B Matt Goodheart replaced Iser and went 0-1 with a K.
CF Yemal Flores replaced Muzziotti and went 0-1 with a K.
EH Rickardo Perez led off the seventh inning replacing nobody. He batted between Azuaje who made the final out in the sixth and Garcia who was the next batter. Hey, it’s Instructs. Anything goes. It’s funny how GameDay tries to accommadate this and rolled innings. Anyway, Perez grounded out to second. (EH means extra hitter.)
Erik Miller started and pitched a perfect inning. He struck out all three batters he faced. He threw all four of his pitches – 4-seamer, sinker, slider, and curve. He threw 14 pitches, 9 strikes and 5 balls. He got 3 called strikes, 2 fouls balls, and 4 swinging strikes. All 3 strikeouts were swinging – one on a 4-seamer and two on sliders that were set up with 4-seamers. His FB range was 93-95 mph. It was real good to see Miller on the mound.
Christopher Soriano gave up a leadoff HR in the second, but retired the next three batters, two via strikeout. His FB was 89-91, touching 92 mph.
Jose Pena pitched two innings. He was solid, but the defense was a little shaky. Pena got his first two batters out. An inning-ending ground ball was smoked to Kendall Simmons at third. He set up to catch it on his backhand, like every shortstop is taught, but the ball hit the edge of the grass and bounced low and under his glove. I thought bad-hop single, the scoreboard said error. Simmons redeemed himself on the next batter moving to his left and throwing out the batter.
Pena’s second inning started with two outs again. This time a ground out and a strikeout. The next batter lined a sinking line drive that Muzziotti charged and tried to scoop without getting in front of the ball. He missed and the ball rolled all the way to the wall. Inside the park HR. He retired the next batter on a ground ball to short.
Alex Garbrick pitched the fifth inning. He issued a walk after retiring the first two batters. He retired the final batter on a ground out. This was Jamari Baylor’s inning. The first and third outs were recorded on ground balls to his left that he fielded near second base and threw off-balance darts to first. The middle out was on a line drive to Baylor.
Matt Russell pitched the sixth. He walked the leadoff batter but induced a double play ground ball to Azuaje who fed Baylor for the pivot to first. Matt Goodheart stretched to just nab the runner.The next batter grounded a ball to short which was Simmons due to the shift. He bobbled the ball and the batter reached first. He moved to second on a wild pitch. Russell retired the next batter on a strikeout.
Konnor Ash pitched the seventh. He made a nice defensive play on a dribbler down the first base line and got a swinging K on back to back sliders. The next batter singled into the left-centerfield gap. Ortiz cut the ball off and kept the batter at first. Ash got the next batter on three pitches – a called strike on a slider, a swinging strike on a curve, and a swinging strike on a cutter.
Here’s my player list. BA’s list is 1 thru 61, guys BA missed 62 thru 67, DSL guys 68 thru 77, and rehab guys 78 thru 102. The only guy I haven’t seen is Casey Martin. I’m not sure about Nicoly Pina now, either.
- Mick Abel
- Erubiel Armenta
- Konnor Ash
- Drew Baker
- Carlos Betancourt
- Malik Binns
- Ben Brown
- Blake Brown
- Ty Collins
- Alex Garbrick
- Maikel Garrido
- Matt Goodheart
- Cristian Hernandez
- Jonathan Hughes
- Rafael Marcano
- Gunner Mayer
- Tommy McCollum
- Griff McGarry
- Christian McGowan
- Jake McKenna
- Alex McKenney
- Matt Osterberg
- Micah Ottenbreit
- Andrew Painter
- Jose Pena
- Carlo Reyes
- Jason Ruffcorn
- Matt Russell
- Christopher Soriano
- Victror Vargas
- JP Woodward
- Cam Wynne
- Juan Aparicio
- Chris Burke
- Arturo De Freitas
- Freddy Francisco
- Herbert Iser
- Nick Matera
- Daniel Mejia
- Anthony Quirion
- Micah Yonamine
- Alexis Azuaje
- Jamari Baylor
- Wilfredo Flores
- Luis Garcia
- Matt Goodheart
- Lee Hao Yu
- Casey Martin
- Freylin Minyety
- TJ Rumfield
- Kendall Simmons
- Nicolas Torres
- Rixon Wingrove
- Jared Carr
- Logan Cerny
- Yhoswar Garcia
- Baron Radcliff
- Johan Rojas
- Gavin Tonkel
- Jordan Viars
- Ethan Wilson
- Tristan Garnett
- Eduar Segovia
- Oscar Gonzalez
- Andrick Nava
- Marcus Lee Sang
- Jhailyn Ortiz
- Jean Cabrera
- Estibenzon Jimenez
- Oswald Medina
- Manuel Urias
- Joel Valdez
- Rickardo Perez
- Jackie Pertruz
- Erick Brito
- Yemal Flores
- Randy Vasquez
- Samuel Aldeghari
- Chase Antle
- Albertus Barber
- Andrew Brown
- Starlyn Castillo
- Joel Cesar
- Dallas Dyar
- Ethan Evanko
- Nick Fanti
- Neyker Ibarra
- Sam Jacobsak
- Keylan Killgore
- Taylor Lehman
- Ethan Lindow
- Jordi Martinez
- Tyler McKay
- Erik Miller
- Corey Phelan
- Nicoly Pina
- JoJo Romero
- Andrew Schultz
- Brett Schulze
- Jose Valadez-Acuna
- Jared Wetherbee
- Braden Zarbnisky
They started playing games this week. They are finished with the Ball Park. Next week’s games will be over at the Complex, probably on Roberts Field. Closed to the public. There’s an intrasquad game tomorrow at the Complex. Also closed. Not sure I want to watch from outside the fence. No shade. We’ll see. I would expect games later in the week to be at the Blue Jays complex.
Phuture Phillies 
it will be very helpful for Miller’s development to get him to the AFL. Recoup some innings he lost due to injury in 2022 and face high level hitting talent..My guess if he holds his own at the AFL and can stay healthy he’s a 2022 call up…The Phillies don’t have any other LHP prospects close to his make-up..
True dat….Miller is a high ceiling lefty the Phillies need to become at least a MOR arm. Injuries are always the concern with pitchers, but he’s the IT factor much like Stott. Really hoping for a swift emergence to the Show.
Yhoswar Garcia seemed pretty exciting early on before his injury. I’d like to see how is in a year or two…
Maybe Ortiz will solve the LF vacancy sometime in 2022.
He must feel a little left out, since a few in his international class are MLB players, some stars, and he was ranked higher than some of them back when they all signed in 2015.
The AFL Phillies team (Peoria) looks strong.. The Padres & Mariners are sending a strong contingent of players.
The DSL players on the Instructs Roster are very good players. 5 pitchers who almost single handedly carried the 2 DSL squads to very good records. Cabrera, Jimenez, Urias and Medina all have WHIPs under 1 and Valdez was not very far from that. If we’re still talking about these guys a year from now then Abel, Painter and at least one of these guys will give the Phils an excellent future pitching staff. They’re 100 years away but a guy can dream.
Jose Querales might me a guy that was overlooked. He had 8 saves (not sure how many BS). Although he gave up almost as many hits as IP. But he’s only 18 and could still be invited to minor league camp in the spring.
Starlyn Castillo needs to step up. A $1.5M signee three years ago now, big things were expected from him, but little injuries along the way have derailed his development.
Starlyn Castillo’s injury was Tommy John surgery this year so not little. He was pitching pretty well until he got hurt. Surgery in June so likely only back for a few innings toward the end of the year.
Wow…missed that…correct TJ not a little injury.
Hopefully he will be on the mound before the 2022 minor league season is concluded.
Of the 5 hitters brought in from the DSL. Erick Brito was very very good. He hit .327/.470/.366/.836. He played every position on the diamond except Catcher and Pitcher. He is 19 so he’s a little old for the DSL but because of Covid most players aren’t where they should have been placed (with 20/20 hindsight). 2 other guys (Pertuz and Perez) are catchers. Flores is a 17 year old OF’er and Vasquez is an 18 year old IF’er (mostly 3B).
An overlooked guy was probably Kliubert Avila, an 18 YO catcher, who hit .317/.436/.500/.936. He might be hurt or they didn’t need 3 catchers from the DSL to come stateside. Solardo Rodriguez is another overlooked guy. He’s 17, and led the team in HRs with 2. I like his BBs to Ks (14 BBs to 17 Ks). Brito was exception in this area (40 BBs to 21 Ks). Solardo had the 3rd mostly ABs on the DSL teams so maybe give the guy a little rest.
Nice and thanks for the info bellman. it’s good to get some information about the Latin Players. The phils really some of the kids to make it. Hopefully Jim gets a look at some of the players that are there at instructs and can give a report. Keep up the good work. you had mentioned Abel and Painter. i would love to see them move quickly and get up with Wheeler (Provided he is still on the team by then). i think he can pitch for a number of years. They would make a great RH part of the staff.
Been playing around with stats. Interesting fact that 4 of the top 5 K/9 guys in 2021 are from the 2021 draft: Painter (1st), Pena (6th), McGarry (5th) and Wetherbee (Free Agent). Of course, the short season stats skew the results but I’ll bet in prior years that didn’t happen much. The 17 yo Pena especially since he only pitched 2.2 innings. He also gave up 4 hits, 3 runs and had 3 BBs to go with his 5 Ks.