Minor-League Player of the Day

[mdccclxix]

Perhaps this was a sign that Winker was getting tired/sore in his first season at pro ball and needed some rest.

[mace]

Thursday, July 18: Seth Mejias-Brean, Dayton . . . 3-5, 2B, HR #4, 6 RBI. It's the third selection in the last nine days (counting the all-star day off) for the second-year 3B-1B. He earned it with a walkoff grand slam that overcame a 3-run, 9th-inning deficit. For July, Mejias-Brean is batting an even .400, with an OPS of 1.021.

Also notable . . .

Soid Marquez (AZL): 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K. Becoming a guy to watch. The 18-year-old Venezuelan stands 6-3 and weighs a noodly 165. For the year -- 14 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 K.

Jeremy Kivel: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.

Cory Thompson: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI.

Logan Uxa: 2-3, RBI.

Travis Mattair: 3-4, 2 2B.

Ryan LaMarre: 2-3, SB (16).

Daniel Renken: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K.

Lee Hyde: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

Mike Hessman: 2-4, 2B.

Daniel Pigott: 2-4, 2 2B, R.

Juan Duran: 1-3, 3B, BB, R, 2 RBI.

Yovan Gonzalez: 1-3, BB, R. The 23-year-old catcher from Puerto Rico is hitting .295 for Bakersfield, with a .358 OBP.

Steve Selsky: 1-3, 2 BB, R.

Gabriel Rosa: 2-4, 2B, BB, 2 R, RBI.

Carlos Sanchez: 2-5, R, 2 RBI.

Phil Ervin: 1-3, 2 BB, R, RBI.

Ronald Bueno: 1-3, BB, 2 R, SB.

Francis Azcona (DSL Rojos): 3-4, 2 R, 2 SB (7). The 17-year-old second baseman reports at .352.

Jose Salas: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.

[mace]

Friday, July 19: Junior Morillo, AZL Reds . . . 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. On a night in which arguably the organization's top four pitching prospects (Stephenson, Rogers, Contreras and Travieso) all got the call, it was the 21-year-old, 167-pound Venezuelan lefty who made a statement. Actually, what he did was issue a walk with two outs in the fifth--his first of the season after 28 1/3 innings. Morillo has been in the system since 2009, and his control has been decent but never anything like this. Curiously, he has allowed 34 hits in his 28.2 IP (22 K) this year, but only three earned runs for a nifty ERA of 0.94.

Also notable (long list today) . . .

Kevin Garcia (AZL): 4-5, 2B, R, RBI, SB. Another prospect from Venezuela. Has anybody noticed that the Reds seem to have an unusual number of those this year? The 20-year-old, right-handed outfielder is batting .355 with a .533 slugging percentage. Garcia hasn't faced too many lefties this year, which is fortunate for them: he's 10 for 16 against them.

Ryan Wright: 4-5, 2B, R. The second baseman has a penchant for breakout games.

Robert Stephenson: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. It was the Bakersfield debut for the Reds' top prospect. He wasn't his usual dominating self, but word is that he suffered from a lot of sketchy outfielding.

Danny Vicioso: 2-4, 2 R.

Juan Silva: 3 BB. That gives him 42 on the season (in 65 games), against 46 K.

Juan Perez: HR #6, 2 RBI.

Sharky Rogers: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K in his fourth start for Louisville. A nice bounce back after the kind of rough outing he's not accustomed to.

Emmanuel Burriss: 2-4, R, SB (13).

Billy Hamilton: 1-3, BB, R, 2 SB (54).

Pedro Villarreal: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. Maybe relief is his thing.

Zach Duke: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K. The veteran lefty is still flashing that 0.00 ERA after 13.1 IP for the Bats. He's given up 8 hits, walked 3, fanned 13.

Joe Hudson (Dayton): 2-3, HR #1, BB.

Seth Mejias-Brean: 2-3, 2 BB. Still hot. Hitting over .400 for July.

Sammy Diaz: 2-4, HR #1, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI. His Dayton OBP (30 G) sits at .400.

Jesse Winker: 2-5, 3B, R, 2 RBI.

Nick Travieso: 5 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.

Jesus Adames: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.

Jonathan Reynoso (Billings): 3-4, 2 2B, RBI. It's always good when potential meets production.

Jon Matthews: 1-2, 2 BB, 3 SB (11).

Layne Somsen: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K. ERA 0.57 in 15.2 IP. The draftee from South Dakota State is 24, so he might be moving quickly.

Chris Berset (Pensacola): 1-3, 2B, BB, R.

Ryan LaMarre: 1-3, BB, SB (17).

Mike Costanzo: 1-1, 2B, BB, RBI.

Chris Manno: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Jamie Walczak: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

John De Leon (DSL Rojos): 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.

Geraldo Valor (DSL Reds): 2-4, 2B, R, RBI.

Diohanky Mejia: 2-5, R. The 6-foot-3, 17-year-old outfielder sports a .490 OBP. You read that right. It went down last night.

Miguel Mendez: 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI.

Joyce Hernandez: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. ERA of 1.37.

[mace]

Saturday, July 20: Jon Matthews, Billings . . . 3-4, HR #2, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB (12). The speedy, 22-year-old outfielder is 6 for 11 in his last three games, with 5 SB.

Also notable . . .

Yorman Rodriguez: 4-5, 3B, RBI. I wonder if batting ahead of Donald Lutz has helped him (although Lutz isn't hitting much).

Seth Mejias-Brean: 2-3, HR #5, BB. It's getting a little silly. He's now hitting .424 (Rogers Hornsby?) for July, .500 (20 for 40) in his last 10 games.

Tanner Rahier: 2-4, HR #7.

Jackson Stephens: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.

Felix Perez: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI. The double proved to be the game-winner in the 10th for Louisville.

Mike Hessman: 2-5, 2B, R. His double preceded Perez's.

Yohan Pino: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.

Jose Diaz: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Nick Christiani: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, save.

Tucker Barnhart: 2-3, BB, RBI.

Devin Lohman: 3-4, R, RBI.

Juan Duran: 2-3, 2 RBI.

Kyle Waldrop: 2-3, 2 RBI.

Austin (formerly Michael) Salter (Billings): 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.

Ronald Bueno: 2-4, 2 R, RBI. Batting .333.

Ty Washington: 1-2, 2 BB, RBI, SB (6). The second baseman hit in the 3-hole for the Mustangs.

Phil Ervin: 1-3, 2B, BB, R, RBI.

Jhimmy Lopez: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI.

Joe Mantoni: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K, save.

[Benihana]

Have to wonder if it's not time to promote Seth Mejias-Brean, considering:

1. He's absolutely raking over the last few weeks
2. He's old for his current level
3. He's not playing his natural position because of another prospect and a "need" at the lower level, so instead he is relegated to less of a premium defensive position despite his ability to play 3B.

[lollipopcurve]

Have to wonder if it's not time to promote Seth Mejias-Brean, considering:

1. He's absolutely raking over the last few weeks
2. He's old for his current level
3. He's not playing his natural position because of another prospect and a "need" at the lower level, so instead he is relegated to less of a premium defensive position despite his ability to play 3B.
__________________

He's been raking for two months.

I agree -- I think they'll promote him when Vincej returns from his injury. Vincej to SS, Rahier to 3B, SMB to Bakersfield. Vidal's presence there means little, I'm guessing.

[HokieRed]

Agree on SMB to Bakersfield. If they're desperate to get Vidal AB's, move him back to Pensacola, where currently Mike Constanzo's been re-employed for 3B.

[mace]

Sunday, July 21: Jesse Winker, Dayton . . . 2-5, 2B, HR #13, 2 R. It was a day of lusty slugging around the system, one in which two guys pounded out four hits and five more produced at least three, with plenty of extra bases to boot. But those fellows pretty much canceled each other out, turning the spotlight on the game-winning heroics of the young outfielder. Winker's walkoff homer came with two outs in the ninth. The only problem was that it prevented Mejias-Brean from coming to bat again.

Also notable (strap yourself in) . . .

Seth Mejias-Brean: 3-3, 2 2B, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI. The absurdity marches on. Now hitting .449 for July. He's 23 for his last 43. But this surge is not just a few-weeks phenomenon. If you go back to May 12, the sophomore's line is .349/.416/.513/.928. Hyphen is now at an even .300--and an even .800 OPS--for the season.

Kevin Garcia (AZL Reds): 4-5, 3 R, RBI. It's the second straight game in which the 20-year-old outfielder has gone 4-5. A product of Venezuela, Garcia is now batting .383 with a .973 OPS. He's 17 for his last 33.

Steve Selsky: 4-5, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI, SB (6). If only he could do it somewhere other than Bakersfield.

Junior Arias: 3-5, HR #11, 3 R, 2 SB (46). Adding on to his breakout season.

Juan Duran: 3-4, HR #8, BB, 2 R, 3 RBI.

David Vidal: 3-4, 2B, BB, 2 RBI. Nice game; but enough to hold off Mejias-Brean?

Danny Vicioso: 3-4, R.

Jeff Gelalich: 2-3, BB, R, RBI, SB (17).

Michael Lorenzen: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. Pitched the ninth, and picked up his first professional win. ERA stands at 0.00 after 5.1 IP, with 6 K.

Billy Hamilton: 2-3, 2B, BB, 2 R, RBI, 2 SB (66).

Feliz Perez: 2-4, HR #8, 3 RBI.

Daniel Corcino: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. That's four strong outings in his last five starts. Coming around.

Zach Duke: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. The lefty's 0.00 ERA now covers 15 IP.

Phil Ervin: 2-4, 2B, HR #3, 2 R.

Ronald Bueno: 1-3, 2B, BB, R. At .333, he's hitting more than double his weight.

Scott Brattvet: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. The 8th-round pick signed for $15,000.

Donald Lutz: 2-3, 3B, BB, R, 2 RBI.

Mike Costanzo: 1-2, HR, 2 BB, 3 R, 2 RBI.

Yorman Rodriguez: 1-2, 2 BB, 2 R.

Trevor Bell: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, save (6). Been a godsend for Pensacola.

Dalton Carter (AZL): 2-4, 2B, HR for the recent 17th-rounder from Georgia.

Aristides Aquino: 2-4, 2B, 3B, BB, 3 R, 2 RBI.

Jose Fernandez: 2-4, 3B.

Cory Thompson: 2-5, RBI.

Bernardo Moreta: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K in a starting role.

Oswaldo Mieres: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K to close the game. The 21-year-old Venezuelan has 24 K in 14.2 IP. He was good for the VSL Reds in 2011, but didn't pitch last year.

[mace]

Monday, July 22: Seth Mejias-Brean, Dayton . . . 2-4, 3B, HR #6, BB, R, RBI. Seemed almost like an off-night for Hyphen. Apparently, he was working on his slugging percentage. He did strike out in a key spot with the bases loaded in the eighth; but whatever. Last year's 8th-rounder is now at 1.250 (OPS) for July, with a .524 OBP.

Also notable . . .

Jose Siri (DSL Reds): 4-4, 2 RBI, SB (11). On his 18th birthday. He also notched his 9th assist from the outfield. He's slugging .503. The tools seem to be there.

Ben Lively (Billings): 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. After 18 IP, with 23 K, his professional ERA still sits at 0.00.

Phil Ervin: 2-3, 2B, BB, 2 R, RBI.

Jose Ortiz: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI.

Ty Boyles (AZL Reds): 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. Hard to say what's the most impressive thing about this lefty, the recent 11th-rounder. His 0.66 ERA? His 18 K in 13.2 IP? His 270 pounds? That he's still 17? His tweeting skills?

Aristides Aquino: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI.

Jose Duarte: 2-2, 2B, BB, R for the catcher from Venezuela.

Ibrahim Redan: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. A 6-3, 19-year-old righthander from Curacao.

Billy Hamilton: 2-4, BB, R, 2 SB (58).

Denis Phipps: 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI.

Jose Diaz: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, save (6). Jumbo sports a 1.72 ERA. Do you realize that, at 300, he's down 50 pounds from what he was once listed at? And that he once stole third base without a throw?

Steve Selsky: 2-4, HR #11, 2 RBI.

Jake Johnson: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Tony Amezcua (Dayton): 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Jesse Winker: 2-4, BB, 2 RBI.

Beau Amaral: 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, SB (21).

Daniel Pigott: 2-4, 2 R.

Adam Matthews: 2-4, 2 R.

Olvis Jimenez (DSL Rojos): 2-3, R, RBI.

Jean Lara: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.

Francis Guerrero (DSL Reds): 3-4, 3 2B, R. An 18-year-old catcher.

Jose De Sousa: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K. The Venezuelan lefthander has a 1.36 ERA. But he's 21.

[OGB]

That seems like a pretty remarkable amount of assists for Siri in a short time.

[mace]

Tuesday, July 23: Billy Hamilton, Louisville . . . 2-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI. Not a stunning line; but then, there weren't any of those on a night when the farm clubs (with the exception of the DSL Reds) were swept. Anyway, that makes six hits in the past three games for Slidin' Billy.

Also notable (barely) . . .

Felix Perez: 2-4, 2B, R.

Jason Donald: 2-3, BB, R, RBI.

Chad Reineke: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.

Tucker Barnhart: 2-3, 2B, BB, 2 RBI.

Yorman Rodriguez: 2-4, R.

Chris Manno: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. The lefty has given up one run in his last 9 outings, covering 16.2 IP.

Kyle Waldrop: 2-4, 2 2B, R, SB (14).

James Allen: 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K.

Taylor Terrasas (Billings): 2-4.

Phil Ervin: HR #4, 3 RBI.

Soid Marquez (AZL Reds): 4 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K for the 18-year-old Venezuelan.

Aristides Aquino: 2-4, 2 SB. The 6-4, 19-year-old outfielder has 5 multi-hit games in his last 7.

Cory Thompson: 2-4.

Shedric Long: 2-4.

Yonaton Suero: 2-4.

Francis Azcona (DSL Rojos): 2-4, 3B, BB, 2 RBI. The 17-year-old middle infielder, a switch-hitter, is batting .345, with a .423 OBP.

Yoel Noel (DSL Reds): 2-2, BB, R.

Miguel Mendez: 2-3, RBI. Hitting .347.

Jose Veras: 4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.

[texasdave]

MiLB Players of the Week:

I knew Duran was getting some hits. I didn't realize this many.

California League
Juan Duran, Bakersfield
(.476/.520/.905, 6 G, 10-for-21, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 5 K)
Duran missed a week and a half of action before returning to the Blaze lineup on July 14, and the 6-foot-7 outfielder has been on a tear ever since, driving in at least one run in six of his last seven games. After batting .211/.255/.358 in June, the 21-year-old Duran, in his second season with Bakersfield, is hitting .406/.444/.719 in July and has hits in eight of nine games.

And, of course, Seth Mejias-Bream:

Midwest League
Seth Mejias-Brean, Dayton
(.609/.667/1.087, 6 G, 14-for-23, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB, 5 K, 1 SB)
On July 10, Mejias-Brean went 5-for-5 with a pair of doubles. Eight days later, he only had three hits but drove in a career-high six runs capped by a walk-off grand slam. The 22-year-old Reds product added seven more hits in his next three games and is hitting a torrid .449/.519/.667 in 18 July games. Despite batting just .190 in April, Mejias-Brean is now at .300 for the season and rising rapidly.

[mace]

Didn't realize that Duran had done that, either.

And speaking of M-B, I should have pointed out in the Player of the Day post that today's lack of stellar candidates might be related to the fact that Dayton didn't play last night.

[mace]

Wednesday, July 24: Kyle Waldrop, Bakersfield . . . 3-5, 2B, 3B, HR #14, 3 R, RBI. The lefty has been a bit sluggish this year--given the league he's in, especially--but he's shown himself to be an extra-base kind of guy, and cleaned out the buffet last night. He's 7-13 in his last three games with four doubles, plus the triple and homer. Single, shmingle.

Also notable (where were all these guys yesterday?) . . .

Kevin Franklin (AZL Reds): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI. The HR was the first as a pro for the second-rounder from California.

Dalton Carter: 2-4, 2B, HR #2, 2 RBI. Outfielder from Georgia was drafted in the 17th.

Chad Rogers: 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. It appears that Sharky has found his sea legs in Louisville.

Daniel Renken: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K. The Pensacola righty has given up one run in his last two starts (12 IP, 5 H).

Travis Mattair: 3-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI. The corner infielder, after starting slowly, is cruising along at .359 for July, with a .425 OBP.

Tucker Barnhart: 1-2, 2 BB, 2 R. A defensive-minded catcher who hits .280, with a .362 OBP, is not in the least objectionable.

Mike Costanzo: 3-5, 2 2B, RBI.

Ryan LaMarre: 2-3, BB, RBI.

Jesus Adames (Dayton): 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Jeff Gelalich: Here it is, folks--that long-awaited first home run of the season.

Jon Matthews (Billings): 3-3, HR #3, BB, 2 R, SB.

Avain Rachal: 3-5. Glad he did that, because it gives me a chance to mention something I omitted yesterday--his four walks Tuesday night. That's how you get a .427 OBP on a .311 batting average.

Ty Washington: 3-5, 2 RBI. Up to .337.

Phil Ervin: 2-5, 2B.

Jonathan Reynoso: 2-4, BB, R.

Jhimmy Lopez: HR #1.

Robert Stephenson: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. For two games, his Bakersfield ERA stands at 2.19, with zero walks.

Juan Silva: 2-4, 3B, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI.

Ryan Wright: 2-4, R, RBI, SB.

Juan Duran: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI.

Steve Selsky: 2-5, R, 2 RBI.

Junior Arias: 2-6, 2 R, RBI, SB (47).

Daniel Jimenez (DSL Rojos): 2-5, 2B, 3B, BB, RBI. A center fielder who turned 17 in April and bats cleanup.

[mace]

Thursday, July 25: Phil Ervin, Billings . . . 4-4, 2 HR (6), BB, 4 R, 3 RBI. The first-rounder is playing like it. His big night left him with a formidable, balanced slash line of .322/.412/.568/.980. In his last five games--batting cleanup and playing a lot of right field--the Samford product is 11 for 21.

Also notable . . .

Yohan Pino: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K. Even more impressive is that he did it under the duress of a 1-0 game. Can't believe he wasn't the choice of the day. The 29-year-old Venezuelan, pitching in his ninth season for his fourth organization, sports an ERA of 2.94 for Louisville, 2.59 overall. Quite a pickup.

Nick Travieso: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. Last year's first-rounder remains inconsistent; but now and then there's this.

Tim Crabbe: 9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K. He was pitching under even more duress than Pino--a scoreless game through nine (which Pensacola lost in the tenth).

Joe Mantoni (Billings): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, save (3). The 18th-rounder maintains a 0.00 ERA in 10.2 professional innings, with a cool 20 strikeouts.

Ty Washington: 4-5, 2B, 3R, RBI. The tiny Texan (5-9, 160) is raking at a .360 clip. He's 19.

Ronald Bueno: 2-4, 2B, R, SB. Like this guy.

Gabriel Rosa: HR #3, 3 RBI.

Jose Ortiz: 2-5, 2B.

Shane Dyer (Bakersfield): 6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. Pretty impressive that this was the worst starting pitching performance in the top four levels.

Steve Selsky: 2-3, 2B, BB, R, RBI. Bakersfield OPS stands at .934.

Ryan Wright: 1-2, BB, R, 2 RBI.

Michael Lorenzen (Dayton): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. The supplemental pick's 0.00 ERA covers 6.1 IP in Dayton, plus one in Arizona.

Tanner Rahier: 2-5, 2B, R.

Seth Mejias-Brean: HR #7, 2 RBI.

Beau Amaral: 2-5, R, RBI, SB (22).

Joe Hudson: 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 RBI.

Henry Rodriguez: 2-4, only RBI of the game.

Kris Negron: 2-4, only R of the game.

Devin Lohman: 2-5, 2B.

Olvis Jimenez (DSL Rojos): 3-3, 2 2B, 2 BB, 2 R, RBI. A 19-year-old, left-handed center fielder.

Daniel Jimenez: 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI.

Jose Monegro: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI.