Category Archives: 01. Site Features

Around the System–Starting Pitchers

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A first look at at how starting pitchers are faring around the organization.  Next up is a look at relief pitchers.

Lehigh Valley

David Buchanan, 25, Phils 7th round pick in 2010 draft; 9 starts; 5-1 with a 3.98 ERA; 40.2IP 47H 13BB 31K; 3 HR allowed; 1.48 WHIP; 1.08 GO/AO; .301 opp. avg.; 2.9BB/6.9K per nine; .297 vs. LHH, .305 vs. RHH, .217 with RISP; 2-1 with a 5.25 ERA in 3 May starts.  Buchanan started the year very strong but has hit somewhat of a wall as of late.  Too early to pan ic, but a raised eyebrow.

Barry Enright, 28, Signed as a free agent in 2014; 8 starts; 1-2 with a 3.97ERA; 1CG; 45.1IP 45H 13BB 28K; 7HR allowed; 0.84 GO/AO; .256 opp. avg; 1.27WHIP; 2.6BB/5.6K per 9; .207 vs. LHH; .298 vs. RHH; .235 with RISP; 1-0 with a 2.78 ERA in 3 May starts; Enright started slowly but has really come around in May, culminating with a masterful CG in his last start.

Sean O’Sullivan, 26, Signed as a free agent in 2014; 8 starts; 1-3 with a 3.75ERA; 48IP 52H 15BB 21K; 3HR allowed; 0.78 GO/AO; .277 opp. avg; 1.40 WHIP; .330 LHH; .227 vs. RHH; .354 with RISP; O’Sullivan is far from overpowering but has done a decent job “pitching to contact” and has put the ‘Pigs in a place where they can be competitive in games he starts. Continue reading Around the System–Starting Pitchers →

Reading Report: 5/12-5/18

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Last Sunday saw the week for the Fightins end with Severino Gonzalez’s strange game and a 15-0 loss in Trenton. This week was a bit better, with a 4-3 Reading win against Bowie, giving the club a 5-1 week.

It was an interesting week for Hoby Milner, who went seven innings last Monday in New Hampshire, allowing five hits and two runs, to go along with three walks and a couple strikeouts. Continue reading Reading Report: 5/12-5/18 →

General Discussion – Week of 5-19-2014 – Very Realistic Trades Edition

Weekly Discussion

Marlins and Dodgers this week, starting Tuesday. The Phillies should probably trade for Yasiel Puig or Giancarlo Stanton. Or both, right? Howard for Puig because The Dodgers have plenty of money to pay Howard, and Brown for Stanton because, uh, Brown will be cheaper in the next couple years and The Marlins don’t have any money to pay players. They need to save their money to make free agent deals with weak no-trade clauses.

Discuss.

Box Score Recap – 5/18/2014

Box Score Recap

David Buchanan got pulled after one inning, I suspect simply because he threw 45 pitches in the first inning, but I also suspect the walk, five hits and four runs might have done it anyway. Seth Rosin gave up four hits in relief and he was the team’s MVP, as he also struck out four.

Cam Perkins drove in three of the four Reading runs and Nefi Ogando closed out his fourth save, allowing two hits and striking out two in a scoreless ninth. He’s walked just five and struck out 19 in his 19 innings thus far. John McDonald, on the other hand, hasn’t struck out anyone. He’s slipping.

And for Lakewood, Andrew Pullin was 2-5 with a double and a home run, Carlos Tocci was 2-4 with a walk, Mitch Walding was 3-5 with a double, and Deivi Grullon was 2-3 with two doubles. But the big winner of that contest was Ranfi Casimiro. The 6’8″ right hander struck out eight in six innings, while allowing just one run on two hits and three walks. Easily his best start of the year, after he had easily his best start of the year last time out. That starts to look like a trend if he does it one more time. Cross your fingers.

And in case you missed it, Jay Floyd (@phoulballz) reported that J.P. Crawford was hitting in the cage with a bandage on his injured finger under his batting glove, was available if needed, and intends to play Monday.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 5/18/2014 →

Box Score Recap – 5/16/2014

Box Score Recap

Maikel Franco went 3-4 with a BB, as his season OPS inches closer to .700 and his May OPS inches closer to 1.000. He’s getting there. Tyler Henson stole his 11th bag of the year, versus only one CS. He was 13/17 all of last year. He’s having a fine season thus far, currently OPSing .830. The right injury situation, (if such a thing exists), and maybe the 26-year-old Henson winds up making his big league debut in 2014. Also of note in that game: Steve Susdorf drew four walks. If four Ks is a Golden Sombrero, four walks should have a name. Your suggestions are welcome. I’ll go with “Patient Platinum Petasus”. Petasus is Latin. For hat.

Cam Perkins was 1-2 with two more walks, giving him eight in his last five games, doubling his season total and bringing him within 10 of his 2013 total. Sam Hiciano was a home run short of the cycle, while Willians Astudillo was 3-4 with a double and four RBI while catching seven innings of a Mark Leiter Jr. victory. BA highlighted Astudillo as a “helium” prospect for the week on the Hot Sheet. His value remains tied to his ability to catch, and BA says “His defense behind the plate requires improvement through repetition”. He’s only caught in five games thus far in 2014 as he slowly gets back to catching after a knee surgery held him out of 2013 altogether. We’ll see how much they use him throughout this year.

And 19-year-old Joseph Miranda hit for the Big Wheel (4-5 with a double and 2HR), in the VSL, making his season totals after four games look, well, pretty amazing – he’s OPSing 1.717 and has four XBH in those four games. Seems sustainable. Jesus Alastre continues his hot start, going 2-3 with a double and a pair of runs scored, while 16-year-old Luis Mendoza was 3-4 with two doubles and two runs scored.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 5/16/2014 →

A look at the Giles-less Reading bullpen

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Ken Giles struck out 29 of the 57 batters he faced in the Eastern League in 2014. There was no question that his promotion was warranted, and no question that the Lehigh Valley bullpen was prepared for the right-hander’s talented arm to join them.

It did, naturally, leave a bit of a hole in the relief corps in Reading. It’s been a week since Giles’ promotion to the Pigs, and the Reading bullpen has had a few games to sort out what life is like without the hard-throwing Giles. (The pen also lost Kyle Simon, who was promoted to Lehigh Valley along with Giles.) So, what’s left in the bullpen for the Fightins? Will we see other promotions sometime soon? Should we expect to see any of them with the big club this year? Continue reading A look at the Giles-less Reading bullpen →

Around the System–Catchers

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A first look at catchers throughout the organization.  Definitely more optimism than the lot of middle infielders, although currently no true stand out.  Next Up: STarting Pitching.

Lehigh Valley

Koyie Hill, 35, Acquired from Washington  in 2014; .298/.366/.464 in 84 AB’s; 2HR 14RBI; 10%bb/24%k rates; .211 vs. LHP, .323 vs. RHP; .423 with RISP. 22 games at C with 1 error (.993); 2 passed balls; 7/17(41%) CS;  Hill has played much more than expected due to Rupp’s injury and has been outstanding in the role he has been asked to fill,  With Rupp now back in the lineup, expect  Hill to be used twice a week.

Sebastian Valle, 23, Signed as a free agent in 2006; .227/.245/.455 in 44AB’s between Reading and Lehigh Valley; 2HR 12RBI; 4%bb/22%k rates.  12 games at C with 1 error (.988); 1 passed ball; 2/7(29%) CS; Valle has been relegated to a back up role at both Reading and Lehigh Valley, playing once or twice a week.  He shows flashes but has not been playing regularly enough to establish any real consistency.

Cameron Rupp, 25, Phils 3rd round pick in 2010; .259/.459/.778 in 27 AB’s; 4HR 9RBI; 9 games at C with no errors; 0 passed balls; 1/5(20%); CS; Just returned yesterday after missing a little over a month with an oblique injury. Continue reading Around the System–Catchers →

Box Score Recap – 5/15/2014

Box Score Recap

“Soft-Tossing 28-Year-Old Righty Wins AAA Game” isn’t usually the headline around here, but it was a heck of a game from Barry Enright – 1R on 4H, 1HR, 1BB and 2K in a complete game victory. Tyson Gillies, Tyler Henson and Steve Susdorf all with multi-hit games, Jim Murphy was 2-4 with a double and a home run, and Cameron Rupp was 1-1 with a double, three walks, and scored twice in his return to AAA action after a couple weeks on the shelf. I’m starting to think things about Gillies. Just small things. Maybe nothing will come of it.

Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez made his professional debut as part of his official rehab assignment, giving up 3R on 6H, 2BB, 1K in 5IP. Jim wrote up his impressions last night. Check it out. Five Threshers had multi-hit games in that one.

And in the VSL, Jesus Alastre notched his first professional XBH, a triple. DCWildcat53 pointed out in the comments yesterday that Jim Salisbury reported that Alastre was a July 2 signing last year for $50k, so now I won’t have to search for it. DC REPRESENT! Also, 2012 high-bonus guy Willerker Isava saw the field in that contest, his first action of the year, at third base instead of his prior position of shortstop.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 5/15/2014 →

Miguel Gonzalez Begins Rehab with Threshers

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Miguel Gonzalez was activated today and began his Major League Rehab Assignment.  He started for the Threshers and was less than impressive.  I went down to the bullpen to watch his pre-game warmups.  It wasn’t pretty.  He was consistently high with most of his pitches.  At one point, the pitching coach (Bob Milacki, I think) stopped him to pantomine a delivery and release.  A few pitches later, Gonzalez launched a wild pitch that Logan Moore could barely get leather on.  The ball rattled around in the walkway and eventually rolled through the open door into left field.

When the game started, Gonzalez’ control problems continued.  Continue reading Miguel Gonzalez Begins Rehab with Threshers →

Box Score Recap – 5/14/2014

Box Score Recap

Tyson Gillies was 2-4 with a 2B. He’s got multi-hit games in three of his last six starts. Cam Perkins had the same line as Gillies, giving him his first multi-hit game and first XBH in a week. He does have six BBs in his last four games – hopefully a sign that he’s seeing the ball a little better and may be about to come out of the funk that’s had him OPS just .685 in May thus far.

Jesse Biddle pitched to mixed results. Clearly struggling with the strike zone, he allowed two hits, managed to strikeout seven, but walked four in six innings of 1-run ball. He threw just 42 of his 81 pitches for strikes.

A couple of “Near Philly” guys shined for CLR – Bensalem and UDel’s Nick Ferdinand was 3-3 with his second home run of the year, while Skillman, NJ and Seton Hall product Jon Prosinski managed his start well, giving up 3R, 8H, 1HR, 0BB, and 3K in 7.1IP.

Dylan Cozens goes 2-4 with a double and a home run, his fourth on the year, but Tyler Viza cannot survive on Dylan Cozens alone. He ended with a line much like Prosinski, 4R, 3ER, 8H, 1BB, and 3K in 7IP. And 17-yr-old Jesus Alastre is 4-8 plus a walk in his first two professional contests in the VSL. He’s an early candidate for “Guy I Fruitlessly Try To Find Bonus Information On After He Hits A Bunch Through The First Month Of The Season”. So that’s something to look forward to.

Continue reading Box Score Recap – 5/14/2014 →