Phils Win! Phils Win! Phils Win! The Reading Fightin’ Phils completed their sweep of the Binghamton Mets and are headed to the Eastern League Championship Series where they will face the Bowie Baysox. This will be the Phils’ first trip to the finals series since 2001 when they were declared co-champions with the New Britain Rock Cats.
Game One of the series will be on Tuesday at 7:05 pm at First Energy Stadium.
Continue reading Playoffs Box Score Recap – 9/12/2015
Lehigh Valley
Cord Phelps, 28, Signed as a free agent in 2015; .229/.319/.290 in 397AB; 3HR 34RBI; 5SB; 12%BB/18%K; .292 vs LHP; .202 vs RHP; .143 last 30 days; 55 games at 2B with 4 errors (.984); 4.53 R/F; 55 games at 3B with 6 errors (.950); 2.07 R/F; Phelps had by far the worst year of his minor league career with the bat, struggling almost all season but particularly at the end. Grade: D; 2016: Another organization
Tyler Pasternicky, 25, Acquired from Texas in 2015; .286/.358/.367 in 98AB with Lehigh Valley; 1HR 4RBI; 1SB; 9%BB 9%K rate; 20 games at 2B with 3 errors (.972); 4 games at 3B with 1 error. Acquired around the time of the Chase Utley deal, Pastornicky was needed as an upper level insurance policy. He played well in his role and profiles as your stereotypical AAAA middle infielder. Grade: B-; 2016: Could stick around as a back up in Lehigh Valley
Reading
Brodie Greene, 28, Signed as a free agent in 2015; .251/.338/.299 in 338AB between Clearwater and Reading; 0HR 24RBI; 4SB; 11%BB12%K; .177 last 30 days; .241 for Reading; 88 games at 2B with 7 errors (.982); 4.25 R/F; Also played 4 games in the OF and 1 game at SS. Greene was signed after Carlos Alonso was lost for the season injured and did a competent job filling in. Grade: C; 2016: Another organization
Angelo Mora, 22, Signed as a free agent in 2010; .312/.356/.447 in 340AB between Clearwater and Reading; 3HR 39RBI; 4/11SB; 7%BB/15%K; For Reading: .327/.411/.531 in 113AB; 3HR 18RBI; 12%BB/21%K; .348 last 30 days; 50 games at 2B with 7 errors (.969); 4.42R/F; 37 games at SS with 9 errors (.934); After hitting .214 for Lakewood in 2013 and .227 for CLearwater last year, Mora put together an outstanding season first at CLearwater, then at Reading. He hit consistently all year and added even a bit of punch when called up to the Fightins. Grade: A; 2016: Reading Continue reading Post Season Report Card–Second Base
The organization’s two remaining playoff teams received excellent starting pitching and won their respective games. Both are one win away from the championship series at their levels. Jake Thompson, who was a part of the Colebert Hamels’ trade, threw a complete, game shutout for Reading against the Binghamton Mets. Franklyn Kilome tossed five shutout innings to lead the way in Williamsport’s victory over the West Virginia Black Bears. Both teams can clinch in their home parks tomorrow. Continue reading Playoffs Box Score Recap – 9/11/2015
Williamsport (46-30) ran into the same kind of tough pitching that stymied the Threshers this week. The Crosscutters lost a close game against West Virginia Black Bears 2-1 and fell behind in the best of three series. Continue reading Playoffs Box Score Recap – 9/10/2015
The Phillies announced their decision to not extend the contract of GM Ruben Amaro. assistant GM Scott Proefrock was named interim GM effective immediately.
I know most of the reader here couldn’t wait for this to happen. I am rpoviding this thread so that the anti-Amaro discussion can be posted here. Keep them out of the minor league threads. I don’t want to have to delete a lot of misplaced comments, as I have already been forced to do.
The Phillies press release is provided for those who haven’t seen it.
We will be looking at every player in the organization, broken down by position in a review of their 2015 performance along with a projection of where they will be in 2016. It is important to note that when graded, I am considering my expectation of what the player would do against themselves not against others.
Lehigh Valley
Russ Canzler, 29, Signed as a free agent in 2015,.274/.333/.416 in 394AB; 10HR 47RBI; 8%BB/18%K; .295 vs LHP; .264 vs RHP; .266 last 30 days; 40 games at 1B with 3 errors (.991); 24 games at 3B with 3 errors (.936); 13 games in the OF with 1 error (.955); Grade: B-. Canzler had a good year, albeit a year in which he missed a chunk of time with an oblique injury. After a slow start, Canzler gave the Phils the offensive output expected from him. Next year: I don’t expect Canzler to be back based on roster movement below.
Tommy Joseph, 24, Acquired from San Francisco in 2013, .193/.220/.301 in 166AB for Lehigh Valley; 3HR 18RBI; 2%BB/20%K; .200 vs LHP; .189 vs RHP; .247 last 30 days; 30 games at 1B with 3 errors (.989); 8.80 R/F; 19 games caught with 1 error (.992); 7/15 CS. Grade:D. Another lost season for Joseph who missed the large majority of the season after suffering another concussion which necessitated his transition to first base. Still far to early to judge his future at first, but I think he will have difficulty hitting enough for long term success. 2016: Lehigh Valley. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him removed from the 40 man roster.
Reading
Brock Stassi 26, Phils 33rd round pick of 2011, .300/.394/.470 in 466AB; 15HR 90RBI; 14%BB/12%K rate; .255 vs LHP; .317 vs RHP; .250 last 30 days; 112 games at 1B with 5 errors (.995); 8.69 R/F. Grade: A. Simply couldn’t have done more than what he did this year, albeit as an older AA player. More athletic that those we fell in love with that came before him (Rizzotti, Ruf), STassi knows how to hit, led the league in RBI’s and plays a good 1B. That said, I am still unconvinced he is a major leaguer. Stassi is just one season removed from hitting .232 as a 25 year old in Reading. 2016: Lehigh Valley. Note that he is Rule 5 eligible. Continue reading Post Season Report Card–First Base
Clearwater (79-58) faced elimination Wednesday night against the Daytona Tortugas, and came away 2-1 losers. John Richy put together a strong outing but came up short as the Tortugas scored an unearned run in the seventh to earn the victory. Continue reading Playoffs Box Score Recap – 9/9/2015
A look around the system at the production of third baseman. The Phils will most certainly need to pick up a minor league free agent or two capable of playing the hot corner to fill in the gaps in the short term.
Lehigh Valley
No player played a majority of their games at 3B
Reading
Harold Martinez, 25, Phils 2nd round pick in 2011 draft; .292/.335/.400 in 260AB for Reading; 4HR 33RBI; 1SB; 6%BB/17%K rates; .333 vs LHP; .270 vs RHP; .274 last 30 days; .289 with RISP; 68 games at 3B with 8 errors (.955); 2.47 R/F; 9 games at 1B without an error. I admittedly wrote Martinez off early in the year, however he came back to play fairly well at 3B and didn’t hurt the team offensively. Grade: B-; 2016: Martinez has probably bought himself one final season with the organization because of the lack of upper level third base depth and a season that wasn’t awful.
Clearwater
Mitch Walding, 23, Phils 5th round pick in 2011 draft; .233/.318/.315 in 403AB; 4HR 31RBI; 5/9SB; 11%BB/26%K; .272 vs LHP; .213 vs RHP; .333 last 30 days; .209 with RISP; 120 games at 3B with 19 errors(.944); 2.68 R/F. Another disappointing year for Walding who is a career .232 hitter after 1400 plus minor league at bats in the lower levels. No real power to speak of, was poor with RISP and struck out a lot. Grade: C-; 2016: The only thing that may save him is the lack of depth at 3B in the minor league system. Continue reading Post Season Report Card–3B
Clearwater (79-58) began their playoff run with a 90 minute rain delay. The late start did not bother Daytona’s Amir Garrett as he shut down the Threshers for seven innings. The big left hander held the Threshers to one hit on his way to a 3-0 victory. Clearwater never threatened. The only other base runner Garrett allowed came on a strike out/wild pitch as he walked none and struck out twelve. The Threshers were no-hit through the first six innings.
Clearwater’s Ricardo Pinto may have been bothered by the long delay. He was not as sharp as usual walking three in six innings, he had posted a 2.18 BB/9 in 13 starts with the Threshers. Still, he gave his team a chance to win holding the Tortugas to three runs on four hits. Pinto struck out six. Continue reading Playoffs Box Score Recap – 9/8/2015
A look at Starting pitching in the upper portion of the organization. A reminder that grades are based on expectations against that particular player pre-season, as opposed to each other. Next up: Third Baseman
Clearwater
David Whitehead, 23, Phils 34th round pick in 2013; 25 starts, 9-11 with a 4.44ERA; 135.2IP 152H 51BB 94K; 10HR allowed; .291 opp avg; 1.50 WHIP; 1.50 GO/AO; 3.4BB/6.2K per 9; .292 vs LHH, .290 vs RHH, .316 last 30 days; Double bumped after a successful 2014 in Williamsport, Whitehead was simply “ok” this season. He showed he can pitch a full season which is a plus after injury issues years ago, but he was pretty consistently hit. Grade: C; 2016: Whitehead may get caught in the numbers game. I see him being kept in the Extended Spring awaiting roster shake ups in the Spring.
Victor Arano, 20, Acquired from Dodgers in 2014; 24 games 22 starts; 4-12 with a 4.72ERA; 124IP 131H 26BB 69K; 7HR allowed; .276 opp avg; 1.27 WHIP; 0.75 GO/AO; 1.8BB/5.2K per 9; .350 vs LHH, .239 vs RHH, .298 last 30 days; At times excellent and more often brutal, Arano was up and down, getting absolutely crushed by left handed hitters and running out of gas at years end. Only 20, there is still time. Grade: C; 2016: Back to Clearwater
Brandon Leibrandt, 22, Phils 6th round pick in 2014; 17 games; 7-3 with a 3.11ERA; 101.1IP 83H 21BB 67K; .227 opp avg; 1.03 WHIP; 0.84 GO/AO; 1.9BB/6.0K per 9; .213 vs LHH, .232 vs RHH, When healthy, Leibrandt was outstanding. That said, he missed three plus weeks in June and the last month of the season with arm issues. He generally has excellent command, which is his bread and butter. When off, even a little he will be hit hard. Grade: B; 2016: Reading Continue reading Post Season Report Card–Starting Pitching, High A, AA, AAA
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