Minor-League Player of the Day (2014)

[mace]

Monday, April 28: Marquez Smith, Bakersfield . . . 2-2, 2 HR (6), 2 BB, 2 R, 4 RBI. Clearly, this dude doesn't belong in High-A. He's 29. He leads the California League in RBIs (28) and OPS (1.134). A third and first baseman, he's had eight years in the minors, including nearly 700 plate appearances in AAA with an .872 OPS. In the meantime, however, he's a huge reason why the Blaze are in first place at 18-7.

Also notable . . .

Kyle Waldrop (Bakersfield): HR (2), BB, 2 R. Leads the Cal League--by 37 points--with a .388 average.

Juan Perez: 2-3, 2B, BB.

Jon Matthews: 2-3, 2B, RBI. Nice to have a guy like this to fill in for Winker (concussion).

Juan Silva: 2 BB, SB (16). Having stepped in for the guy (Junior Arias, broken ankle) who was leading the league in steals, he now leads the league in steals.

Wandy Peralta: 5 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K. Second strong start in a row for the Dominican lefty.

Sean Black: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.

Carlos Gonzalez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Sv (6). Tied for league lead in the latter. ERA still zeroes.

Phillip Ervin (Dayton): 2-3, 2 2B, BB, 2R. Last year's first rounder (RZ prospect #3) is starting to come around.

Sebastian Elizalde: 2-3, 2B, BB, 3 RBI, SB. Leads the Midwest League in walks and OBP (.495). Second in OPS (1.053).

Jeff Gelalich: 3-5, R, 2 RBI. Signs of life.

Tanner Rahier: 2-3, R, RBI.

Joe Hudson: 2-4, RBI.

Ismael Guillon: 5 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K. ERA 1.59. The walks all came within 5 batters in the 2nd inning.

Tony Amezcua: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

Skip Schumaker: 3-4, 2 2B, R, RBI. Looked good in first rehab start.

Ruben Gotay: 2-4, BB, RBI. Veteran infielder is batting .318.

Thomas Neal: 2-5, R, RBI.

Michael Lorenzen (Pensacola): 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K. ERA 1.88. Conversion (to starter) on track.

Drew Hayes: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Beau Amaral: 1-3, 2 BB, R, RBI. So far, a nice transition to AA for the swift center fielder.

[OGB]

I'm certainly not criticizing your pick, but I'm always a bit disappointed when it's a journeyman like Smith or Francis as opposed to a real prospect. They all play in the minors, though, I suppose.
I'll just add I agree with the Smith selection.

[OGB]

California League POTW

Might as well consider Lively the Redszone minor league player of the week.

[mace]

Might as well consider Lively the Redszone minor league player of the week.

Yeah, but which week?

[mace]

I'm certainly not criticizing your pick, but I'm always a bit disappointed when it's a journeyman like Smith or Francis as opposed to a real prospect. They all play in the minors, though, I suppose.
I'll just add I agree with the Smith selection.

I kinda like it when the yeomen see some fruits for their labors. On the other hand, ties go to the prospect.

[dougdirt]

I kinda like it when the yeomen see some fruits for their labors.

mace, you are such a big softie.

[Rojo]

Bakersfield has a team OBP of .377. Yowza.

[corkedbat]

I kinda like it when the yeomen see some fruits for their labors. On the other hand, ties go to the prospect.

Right before a Gorn crushes them with a rock.

[texasdave]

To be honest, I would rather see Marquez on the Reds' bench and Soto getting regular at-bats in Louisville.

[mace]

Light slate last night, due to Pensacola being off and Dayton being suspended after 3.5.

Tuesday, April 29: Seth Mejias-Brean, Bakersfield: 3-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI. The Hyphenator (Redszone prospect #9) leads the California League in walks and sits fourth in OBP (.430). Kudos to SMB and his co-conspirators (namely Waldrop, Smith, Wright, and Silva) for keeping the Blaze ablaze in the absence of Arias and Winker.

Also notable . . .

Juan Silva (Bakersfield): 2-5, HR (1), 2 RBI. The league's leading base-stealer ended the game with a walkoff blast in the 9th, in front of the remnants of a teeming Taco Tuesday crowd of 474.

Kyle Waldrop: 2-3, R, RBI, .396.

Jake (nee Harold) Johnson: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

Jason Bourgeois (Louisville): 1-3, 2B, R.

Jeff Francis: 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K.

Daniel Mateo (Dayton): 2-2, 2B, R. The line is presumably incomplete, seeing as how the game will resume tonight.

Farmhands in the top 3 of their leagues . . .

International (AAA)

Jeff Francis: 1, IP (36.1). 3, K (34)

Jumbo Diaz: T2, Sv (6).

Southern (AA)

Donald Lutz: 1, OPS (1.144). 1, Slg (.726). 1, TB (53). T1, HR (5). 2, BA (.370).

Bryan Anderson: T1, HR (5).

Rey Navarro: T1, HR (5).

Robert Stephenson: 3, K (29).

Bakersfield (High-A)

Marquez Smith: 1, OPS (1.110).* 1, Slg (.655). 1, RBI (29). 2, OBP (.455).* 2, BB (21).

Kyle Waldrop: 1, BA (.396). 1, H (40). 3, OBP (.451).

Seth Mejias-Brean: 1, BB (25).

Juan Silva: T1, SB (16).

Ben Lively: 1, ERA (0.31). 1, K (40). 1, WHIP (0.48).

Carlos Gonzalez: 2, Sv (6).

Dayton (A)

Sebastian Elizalde: 1, OBP (.495). 1, BB (23). 2, OPS (1.053).

Beau Amaral: T1, 3B (3).

Nick Travieso: 3, ERA (1.23).

Ismael Guillon: 3, K (31). 3, WHIP (0.78).

Scott Brattvet: T2, Sv (4).

* Bakersfield players occupy 3 of the top 5 spots in the Cal League in both OPS (Waldrop 4th, Jesse Winker 5th) and OBP (Mejias-Brean 4th).

[OGB]

Another instance of an unexpected call to work messing with my one day off. Update is on the way

[OGB]

I'm a bit pressed for time, so I'll be doing this update with slightly less panache than usual. It was a night on the farm that is deserving of very little flair, though, as Louisville had the night off yet the remaining three clubs still managed to lose four games.

MLPotD for April 30th
This could be considered a nod to Kyle Waldrop as the organization's offensive player of the month as much as anything, but the 22 year old left hander did have a solid night at the plate, stroking three hits in five at bats. His line was a nifty 3-5, R, 2 2B. He didn't fair quite as well in the field committing a throwing error, his second of the year. In 119 plate appearances, Waldrop finished April with the following line .406/.458/.547, easily the best numbers of anyone wielding the lumber.

Around the Farm

Pensacola
Honestly, nobody from this 2 hit debacle is deserving, even from a pitching staff that limited the Jackson Generals to 7 hits

Bakersfield
Seth Mejias-Brean: 2-5 for the Big Hyphen
Juan Perez: 2-3, BB, R
Jon Matthews: 3-4, RBI The 23 year old, 2011 8th round pick is making good use of limited playing time, hitting .357/.367/.429 in 30 PAs
Sean Lucas: 3 IP, 0H, 0BB, 2K

Dayton
Jeff Gelalich: 2-3, SB, CS I refuse to take cumulative numbers and add his first game hit, because 1-5 with 3K is not worthy of recognition
Daniel Mateo: 2-4, 2R, 2B
Brandon Dailey: 1-2, 3R, HR, 2BB
Nick Travieso: 7 IP, 4H, 3R, 2ER, 1BB, 5K Travieso went the distance and got the loss in the abbreviated game





Yuck

[mace]

April recap

April 3: Juan Silverio, Pensacola . . . 2-2, 2 2B, BB, 3 R.
April 4: Junior Arias, Bakersfield . . . 3-3, BB, 2 R, 2 SB.
April 5: Robert Stephenson, Pensacola . . . 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K.
April 6: Ben Lively, Bakersfield . . . 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K.
April 7: Michael Lorenzen, Pensacola . . . 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K.
April 8: Ruben Gotay, Louisville . . . 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI.
April 9: Jeff Francis, Louisville . . . 6 IP, 6H, 1R, 0BB, 6K.
April 10: Sal Romano, Dayton . . . 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.
April 11: Ben Lively, Bakersfield (2) . . . 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K.
April 12: Corky Miller, Louisville . . . 3-4, 2 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI.
April 13: Donald Lutz, Pensacola . . . 3-4, 2 HR, BB, 3 RBI.
April 14: Beau Amaral, Dayton . . . 3-5, 2B, 2 3B, R, 2 RBI.
April 15: Seth Mejias-Brean, Bakersfield . . . 3-5, 3B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.
April 16: Ben Lively, Bakersfield (3) . . . 6 IP, 2 H, 0R, 0BB, 10K.
April 17: Ruben Gotay, Louisville (2) . . . 2-4, HR, 2 RBI.
April 18: Kyle Waldrop, Bakersfield . . . 2-2, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 2 R.
April 19: Jeff Francis, Louisville (2) . . . 6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 10K.
April 20: Josh Smith, Louisville . . . 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K.
April 21: Donald Lutz, Pensacola (2) . . . 5-6, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 4 R, 2 RBI.
April 22: Ben Lively, Bakersfield (4) . . . 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K.
April 23: Ismael Guillon, Dayton . . . 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K.
April 24: Donald Lutz, Pensacola (3) . . . 3-5, 2 2B, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI.
April 25: Bryan Anderson, Pensacola . . . 2-3, 2 HR, BB, 3 RBI.
April 26: Daniel Wright, Dayton . . . 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K.
April 27: Jon Moscot, Pensacola . . . 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K.
April 28: Marquez Smith, Bakersfield . . . 2-2, 2 HR, 2 BB, 2 R, 4 RBI.
April 29: Seth Mejias-Brean, Bakersfield (2) . . . 3-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI.
April 30: Kyle Waldrop, Bakersfield (2) . . . 3-5, 2 2B, R.

Hitting Performance of the Month: Donald Lutz, April 21 . . . 5-6, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 4 R, 2 RBI. Remarkably, it was the third cycle of the big fellow’s career.

Pitching Performance of the Month: Ismael Guillon, April 23 . . . 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K. This is what he can do when he throws strikes.

[OGB]

A lot of great pitching performances to choose from this month, mace. They didnt make it easy on you and that's a good thing

[mace]

A lot of great pitching performances to choose from this month, mace. They didnt make it easy on you and that's a good thing

Yeah, Lively's outing the night before (April 22) was very much like Guillon's, but I credited Guillon for the extra inning (and extra K to go with it), plus the significance of him not allowing a walk.