Minor League Games - Thursday, July 13, 2017

[andyb]

Let's give Law a chance to write about Sanchez first. I think Sanchez is probably around 50th in most rankings now especially the ones that have a few players like Hunter Greene from the current draft. We need to remember he is in low A and has pitched barely 100 innings.

The real difference on the list is Kingery and Law has been consistent on him. He loved him as a 2nd round draft pick and now he is adjusting his view to Kingery as having some mid-range power. He also tagged both his speed and defense as 70 tools. Most had the speed there, but I think the consensus on defense was more in the 55-60 range which is above average but not gold glove. If he is actually 70 and Crawford is too - that could be a really valuable middle infield.

[bigegypt0417]

Let's give Law a chance to write about Sanchez first. I think Sanchez is probably around 50th in most rankings now especially the ones that have a few players like Hunter Greene from the current draft. We need to remember he is in low A and has pitched barely 100 innings.

The real difference on the list is Kingery and Law has been consistent on him. He loved him as a 2nd round draft pick and now he is adjusting his view to Kingery as having some mid-range power. He also tagged both his speed and defense as 70 tools. Most had the speed there, but I think the consensus on defense was more in the 55-60 range which is above average but not gold glove. If he is actually 70 and Crawford is too - that could be a really valuable middle infield.

At the end of the day I really don't care where law has anyone. I think I'd rather here what those who scout baseball have to say...which is why I enjoyed reading gelbs article.

[andyb]

At the end of the day I really don't care where law has anyone. I think I'd rather here what those who scout baseball have to say...which is why I enjoyed reading gelbs article.

I get why people don't like Law. He is certainly arrogant and his people skills are lacking. But the reason he is interesting to read is that he is a legit scout that also gets the advanced data side of things. There are few people with that skillset. I don't always agree with him, but his opinion is usually well thought out compared to most other sources. Now he probably does not see the players enough to justify some of his ratings, but we can kind of say that about any single source person rating players.

[bigegypt0417]

At the end of the day I really don't care where law has anyone. I think I'd rather here what those who scout baseball have to say...which is why I enjoyed reading gelbs article.

I get why people don't like Law. He is certainly arrogant and his people skills are lacking. But the reason he is interesting to read is that he is a legit scout that also gets the advanced data side of things. There are few people with that skillset. I don't always agree with him, but his opinion is usually well thought out compared to most other sources. Now he probably does not see the players enough to justify some of his ratings, but we can kind of say that about any single source person rating players.

I actually don't dislike him at all. I think the sometimes he makes statements to the contrary just for sport...which I enjoy most of the time.

[teabag259]

Is it time to think about saving bullets with Sixto and move him up soon?

[bigegypt0417]

Is it time to think about saving bullets with Sixto and move him up soon?

SO young and still has stuff to work on...he probably needs to stay there for the rest of the season.

[fish]

His lack of a consistently good breaking ball and change is why he isn't striking out the world. Low A is a good place to limit his workload and make him work in the other pitches.

[baseballoldie]

My guess is that they give Sixto maybe 4-5 more starts (20-25 innings) and then shut him down for the season. That would put him at around 80 innings for the season - last season he threw 54 innings. Doubt they will move him up.

[andyb]

I would be fine with Sixto going through the end of the season on a regular rotation turn, 80 pitch limit roughly where he is by now. That is about 7 weeks so maybe 8 starts, 45 innings. I think the extended break he got early in the year when he had a non-arm related injury was the Phillies move to keep his innings down. 100 total innings is fine for him. Note also that in terms of total innings he threw 20-30 both last year and this year in extended. So he is not really going from 54 last year. It was more like 80 and then this year he probably ends up in the 120-130 range. These are also relatively light innings in terms of pitch counts because he gives up so few baserunners.

[dag5]

According to Matt Provence via twitter, Appel will go on the disabled list with a strained right shoulder.

[andyb]

Zero offense from Williamsport so far but GCL is making up for it with a 10-1 lead after 5. Guzman with 3 hits so far.

[baseballoldie]

Good point about the innings pitched in extended last year for Sixto. That certainly adds to his workload in the past.

[California_Dreamin]

Lots of fun stuff to talk about with the GCL Phillies today [ahead 16-2 after 8 innings today!] but here are a few. I think its worth noting that highly rated catcher Rafael Marchan [he of the ,333 batting average last year] is batting 3rd for a team that has lots of good hitters. Also Canadian Ben Pellitier hit his 3rd home run in the last four games and looks like a potential Top 30 prospect to me.

Another guy that I think we should keep an eye on is infielder Jesus Henriquez, who got 3 hits today. I talked often of Marchan and Henriquez as two guys who seemed like outstanding hitting prospects in the DSL last summer and they are both now playing in the GCL.

One more guy who at least for a day looks interesting...outfielder Yahir Gurrola is 4-4 today. But to me, Marchan and Pellitier are the true stories.

[andyb]

I definitely have been excited about Pelletier this season. I bet he is bigger than his listed 6'2", 190 because that was from when he was 16. He may be limited to LF but he clearly has some power and if you look he has cut his K rate down substantially so far this year. I just hope he gets the time to develop because his rule 5 eligibility becomes a problem.

We never invest premium picks in Canada but our scout there seems to have a pretty good track record on low round picks with Pelletier and JDT who is on the cusp of making the majors at this point (with a bullpen that might be thin in a few weeks).

[California_Dreamin]

Of course, being a Phillie phan means always having a negative follow closely with a positive! While celebrating and enjoying the GCL boxscore today, one then checks out what had been a very offensively potent Williamsport team [arguably the first or second most fun team to check out] and has to ask "what happened today?

Only 2 TOTAL hits in a DHer? Maybe weather related, maybe they are seeing top of the line pitching, but geez, two hits total in a DHer so far.

But the GCL boxscore is sure fun to read!!!

[allentown]

It took a very aware scout to know that Pelletier was even eligible for that draft, let alone recognizing talent. It is said you can't judge LA signings, because they are only 16 -- and some merit to that,

[zambonir]

According to Matt Provence via twitter, Appel will go on the disabled list with a strained right shoulder.

That's too bad. I can't help but think we are still going to read a comeback story about that guy in three or four years, but it's hard to see how the Phillies have the luxury of giving him another season. I hope he is able to come up in September as a reliever (or even spot start), just for the heck of it. Or he's a trade throw-in waiting to happen.

Though (changing topics slightly) I also think the 40-man crunch is overstated because in the end you never lose that many players (sometimes not even one) so they can afford to expose a lot more people than we are ever going to acknowledge (and therefore protect a few more marginal guys).

[schooldoc]

I think the time has come for Tyler Viza to be out of Reading's rotation. Promote Taveras, show me an Elniery Garcia sighting, anything. The ERA is now over 6.

[schooldoc]

Elsewhere...

Lakewood rained out. No surprise since I live close by and we had lots of rain from about 5:30-8:00 PM or so.

Good 5 innings from VV in a Clearwater rehab appearance. Not so good from Garcia after that. No C Randolph tonight, for some reason.

LHV underway with a run in the 1st on back to back doubles by the original Bash Bros.

[Squire]

Crawford with his 7th HR