Minor League Games - Monday, July 24, 2017

[kikutaro]

Gwinnett Braves (50-50) @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs (62-40) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Andrew Albers (9-3, 3.12) vs. Zach Eflin (1-2, 3.08)

Notable

J.P. Crawford 1-4, R, 2B, K
Rhys Hoskins 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, K
Dylan Cozens 0-4, 2 K
Jorge Alfaro 0-4, 3 K

Zach Eflin (L, 1-3), 5.0 IP, 10H, 7R, 7ER, 2BB, 9K, game score: 34
Cesar Ramos 2.0 IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 3K

Altoona Curve (51-48) @ Reading Fightin Phils (54-45) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Austin Coley (3-2, 3.10) vs. Tyler Viza (6-7, 6.03)

Notable

Carlos Tocci 0-4, 2 K
Mitch Walding 0-4, 2 K
Chace Numata 2-4

Tyler Viza 7.0 IP, 4H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 3K, game score: 75
Austin Davis (L, 3-2), 2.0 IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 2K

Clearwater Threshers (52-47) @ Bradenton Marauders (56-41) 6:30 pm | Gameday
Ranger Suarez (1-0, 0.00) vs. Pedro Vasquez (8-4, 2.31)

Notable

Mark Laird 2-2, R, 3B
Carlos Duran 0-3, 2 K
Cornelius Randolph 2-5, R
Wilson Garcia 2-4, RBI
Zach Green 2-4, RBI, 2B
Jan Hernandez 1-3, R, RBI, HR, 2 K
Derek Campbell 2-4, 2B, K
Emmanuel Marrero 0-4, 2 K
Jose Antequera 0-4, 2 K

Ranger Suarez (L, 1-1), 5.1 IP, 10H, 4R, 4ER, 3BB, 1K, game score: 35

Lakewood BlueClaws (54-47) @ Charleston RiverDogs (54-46) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Sixto Sanchez (4-3, 2.88) vs. Adonis Rosa (3-2, 3.46)

Notable

Arquimedes Gamboa 2-3, R, 3B, K
Mickey Moniak 1-2, RBI, 3B, BB
David Martinelli 0-3, 2 K

Sixto Sanchez (W, 5-3), 5.0 IP, 3H, 0R, 0ER, 3BB, 5K, game score: 63

Auburn Doubledays (12-22) @ Williamsport Crosscutters (19-13) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Yonathan Ramirez (2-1, 3.75) vs. Luis Carrasco (1-0, 1.80)

Notable

Nick Maton 2-4, R, RBI, 2B, K
Jake Scheiner 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB
Adam Haseley 1-5, 2 R
Greg Pickett 3-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB
Jhailyn Ortiz 1-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR, BB
Cole Stobbe 2-5, R, RBI, 2B, K
Josh Stephen 0-3, R, BB, 2 K
Austin Listi 3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B
Colby Fitch 1-4, RBI, 2B

Luis Carrasco (W, 2-0), 6.0 IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 9K, game score: 61
Jhon Nunez 2.0 IP, 3H, 2R, 1ER, 0BB, 3K

GCL Tigers East (6-15) @ GCL Phillies (12-10) 11:00 am | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A
(postponed: rain)

GCL Tigers East (6-15) @ GCL Phillies (12-10) 3:33 am | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A
(postponed: rain)

DSL Phillies White (26-16) @ DSL Rangers2 (26-17) 10:30 am | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A

Notable

Julio Francisco 0-3, 2 BB
Raymond Mora 2-4
Yerwin Trejo 3-5, R, 2B, K
Alexito Feliz 1-5, 2B, 2 K
Jose Tortolero 2-4, R, RBI, K
Freddy Barreto 1-4, 2 K
Juan Herrera 0-2, 2 K

Jonas De La Cruz (L, 4-3), 2.0 IP, 3H, 5R, 4ER, 6BB, 3K, game score: 22
Aldemar Rivas 3.0 IP, 2H, 3R, 2ER, 1BB, 6K
Jose Perez 3.0 IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 3K

DSL Rockies (21-22) @ DSL Phillies Red (19-24) 10:30 am | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A

Notable

Christian Valerio 1-4, R, 3B, SB
Maximo De La Rosa 1-3, R, RBI, 2B
Luiggi Mujica 0-3, 2 K

Erick Heredia 5.1 IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 2K, game score: 69
Eudiver Avendano (W, 1-3), 2.2 IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 2K
Abdallah Aris (S, 7), 1.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 3K

(click on the start time for box scores)

[phillychuck]

East Coast games at risk today from locally heavy rainstorms. Nice schedule otherwise.

[fish]

Sanchez will be on milb.tv tonight as long as the 'showers and thunderstorms in spots' don't get in the way.

[Squire]

Per BA. The Phillies Mid-season Top 10 is

1. Mickey Moniak,OF - what?
2. Sixto Sanchez, RHP
3. Scott Kingery, 2B
4. Rhys Hoskins, 1B
5. Jorge Alfaro, C
6. J.P. Crawford, SS
7. Adam Haseley, OF
8. Nick Williams, OF
9. Adonis Medina, RHP
10. Franklyn Kilome, RHP

[andyb]

I think the first 7 were ranked in that order on the top 100 and they saw no real reason to change. Suffice it to say they have always been bigger believers in Moniak than others. I also bet they wrote this a couple of weeks ago and they might want to revisit on Crawford. Also a little silly to rank Williams since he is in the majors. 55 more plate appearances and he will be ineligible technically.

[fish]

BA does seem to hold onto the prospect status from the draft a bit longer than they should. Just as with Blake Rutherford. A guy may still have good tools, but if he isn't doing much in low A ball, you have to dial back the expectations.

[phillychuck]

Seems like a really weird list. Moniak isn't at the top anymore, certainly, based on either tools or performance. They love Sixto's FB velocity, but his size and lack of command and lack of secondary pitches diminishes his status for me. Kingery is fine at #3 (or higher) for me. Hoskins is fine at #4. Alfaro is too high at #5. Crawford is too low at #6 given his June/July surge and likely previous injury. Not sure Haseley is at #7, but his placement at this point is pretty arbitrary. Williams DQed for me--he's not coming back down for at least a while, maybe ever. Next 10-15 guys are all about the same, so I can't argue with Medina and Kilome, although Randolph probably also belongs on the list. I might have Eshelman in the top 10 now, too.

Also occurs to me that Ortiz probably belongs on the list--his "draft pedigree" is very high given his bonus, and his performance is off the charts.

[bigegypt0417]

BA does seem to hold onto the prospect status from the draft a bit longer than they should. Just as with Blake Rutherford. A guy may still have good tools, but if he isn't doing much in low A ball, you have to dial back the expectations.

Mickey Moniak is a teenager playing in low A. I think the question is do they hold their status longer or do fans drop their expectations faster?

[bigegypt0417]

They love Sixto's FB velocity, but his size and lack of command and lack of secondary pitches diminishes his status for me.

Sanchez has walked 20 batters in 136 innings.

He's given up 1 HR in those same 136 innings.

1.3 walks per 9 innings and 7.7 K's.

I'm not sure there is much of an issue with command...

0.926 Whips seems pretty decent as well.

His K's are trending up and walks down.

[Squire]

GCL Phillies doubleheader postponed because of course

[Austinfan]

I don't get excited over these lists anymore, they're based on tools, not development for the most part.
And some are so speculative, Moniak is pure projection, Haseley is adjusting to wood bats, etc.
Really the only prospects you have good read ons are the ones with track records in AA and AAA, Crawford and Alfaro shouldn't be considered top prospects anymore (elite players don't stall out for two years), Hoskins is about as good as you can hit, maybe a little better contact, but he can't fix being a RH 1B with limited defensive and base running tools. Kingery has become Hoskins at a higher valued position and with more on the field tools.
Kilome is a bit overrated, he's not progressing that quickly, compare to guys like Ranger Saurez, Irvin and Romero who don't have his FB but are better pitchers.
Sanchez is all potential, has a great FB and control (command is harder to determine, control is throwing strikes, command is throwing strikes in the location where you want the ball).
Medina is somewhere between Kilome and Sanchez.
But the strength of this system isn't at top, it's the ridiculous depth they've developed - there are almost no professional minor leaguers in the system.

[bigegypt0417]

I don't get excited over these lists anymore, they're based on tools, not development for the most part.
And some are so speculative, Moniak is pure projection, Haseley is adjusting to wood bats, etc.
Really the only prospects you have good read ons are the ones with track records in AA and AAA, Crawford and Alfaro shouldn't be considered top prospects anymore (elite players don't stall out for two years), Hoskins is about as good as you can hit, maybe a little better contact, but he can't fix being a RH 1B with limited defensive and base running tools. Kingery has become Hoskins at a higher valued position and with more on the field tools.
Kilome is a bit overrated, he's not progressing that quickly, compare to guys like Ranger Saurez, Irvin and Romero who don't have his FB but are better pitchers.
Sanchez is all potential, has a great FB and control (command is harder to determine, control is throwing strikes, command is throwing strikes in the location where you want the ball).
Medina is somewhere between Kilome and Sanchez.
But the strength of this system isn't at top, it's the ridiculous depth they've developed - there are almost no professional minor leaguers in the system.

We understand...you only like guys at AA and above and everyone else is not something to pay attention to.

Luckily the rest of us like to "waste" our time discussing those players...lol

Kilome's biggest issue currently seems to be command...way too many walks.

[Squire]

Other guys mentioned in the midseason report:

Rising: Jhailyn Ortiz, Jonathan Guzman, Nick Fanti
Falling: Mark Appel, Cornelius Randolph, Kevin Gowdy (inj)
Hurting: Kevin Gowdy, Seranthony Dominguez, Roman Quinn
Graduating: Nick Pivetta, Andrew Knapp, Joely Rodriguez

[phillychuck]

"Sanchez has walked 20 batters in 136 innings."

Command, not control.

[bigegypt0417]

"Sanchez has walked 20 batters in 136 innings."

Command, not control.

What about his number or anything we can point to speak to a lack of command?

I'm not sure just throwing the term out there works since there is almost nothing to point to a lack of command...

[Austinfan]

We simply don't know if Sanchez has command at this point, in A ball, with his stuff, he really doesn't need it (how many A ball hitters can handle 100 MPH down the middle of the plate, heck, how many ML hitters?).
It's hard to determine command without watching the game (and you really need TV), a perfect example is when Nola is on and painting the outside 6" of the plate with two seamers.
A ball on the outside edge or down the middle waist high are both strikes.

My point is simply that the Phillies don't have any uber-talents in their system right now, an uber talent blows through the minors in 2-3 years out of HS and no more than 2 years out of college.
You'll know one when you see it, if Ortiz for example started next year at Lakewood and finished in Reading, odds are he's an uber-talent.
But you don't really need uber-talents, you maybe get one a decade, you need solid ML players. If Williams keeps developing, nothing wrong with Williams - Herrera - Altherr, collectively they may put up numbers that'll will match most outfields.
And the Phillies have lots of prospects with that upside, I mean the pitching rotations from Williamsport to Reading are full of SPs with potential ranging from #1-#5.

[andyb]

It is hard to know about Sanchez' command until he faces better hitters. The Low A guys are just generally not good enough to hit a 99 mph even if he leaves it over the middle of the plate. He also has not had to command his offspeed stuff yet. All that will come in time.

I would also be happy about Kilome's year which has been a little under the radar. Remember that Clearwater is a big step for Phillies prospects because they leave the pitching-favored environment in Lakewood. He also avoided the early season slump. K rate is down but the walks are too a little, which may mean they are having him pitch to contact more. This year is certainly not a leap forward for Kilome but any promotion for a young player without a major hiccup is a good thing.

[phillychuck]

In person scouting reports mention lack of command of fastball, including Law's latest in person report.

7.7 Ks per 9 IP isn't very good for a guy with a 100 mph FB if he can actually command it. He needs better command or at least one effective secondary pitch, preferably a change-up.

[bigegypt0417]

In person scouting reports mention lack of command of fastball, including Law's latest in person report.

7.7 Ks per 9 IP isn't very good for a guy with a 100 mph FB if he can actually command it. He needs better command or at least one effective secondary pitch, preferably a change-up.

eh, when you're still 18 I'll give you a pass on having complete command. BA goes with upside...

FYI, the 7.7 is career, it's 8.6 for this season.

[phillychuck]

AF, I think you're too down on Crawford--there is a lot of evidence he was playing hurt in April and May this year, and his June/July performance IS elite for a 21 yr old SS in AAA. And his most elite tool, command of the strike zone, has never wavered.

Alfaro may turn out to be elite as well, catchers develop slowly in general, and Alfaro was less experienced behind the plate than most catchers his age since the Rangers played him at 1B about 1/3 of the time in the low minors. His has an elite arm, but his other mechanics have always needed work, which takes away from his concentration on hitting. I would always be patient with catchers...look at Chooch's very late development.