2018-2019 Winter Leagues (Instructional, Arizona, International)

andyb 2018-09-18 21:14:03 UTC #1

Time to start a winter activity thread. In the past we have had instructional and AZ Fall league threads but it seems to me the topics are related to prospects playing over the winter.

Phuture Phillies has their first post on the instructional league:

Along with the roster where we get a handful of the new international signings along with the players from the DSL most likely to be in GCL next year:

For Arizona the Phillies' players will be on the Scottsdale Scorpions. Luke Leftwich, Seth McGarry, Sixto Sanchez, Tyler Viza, Arquimedes Gamboa, Darick Hall, Luke Williams and Austin Listi expected. Season starts Tuesday October 9th.

http://www.mlb.com/mlb/events/afl/club.jsp?team_id=544

andyb 2018-10-09 15:27:05 UTC #2

Time to fire this thread up for real. The AFL starts today. Scottsdale minus Sixto is the team to watch.

Also, several Phillies on the Australia signing tracker:

Kyle Glogoski with Auckland (which of course makes perfect sense). Rixon Wingrove with Sydney.

julio 2018-10-09 17:26:38 UTC #3

Oh, boy. I wonder if the ABL will provide any kind of decent video coverage this winter. Last season, it was pretty bad.

it appears from articles at the ABL site that at least some games (40 games broadcast by Fox Sports Australia) will be streamed (live?) on Youtube:

andyb 2018-10-10 16:40:18 UTC #4

Box scores again!
http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2018_10_09_msswin_scowin_1&sid=l119

Listi 0-4
Hall 0-4, 3 Ks
Gamboa 0-3, BB, 3 Ks (playing 3B)
Leftwich 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K

Mexican and Venezuelan leagues start Friday. Dominican Saturday. Time to start scouring for roster information there. Australia and Puerto Rico do not start till November. Colombian league (where we sent a bunch of players last winter) did not start till November 3rd also.

nycphils 2018-10-10 16:59:04 UTC #5

Gamboa’s Season this year has to be one of the worst disappointments in the minors - the reports of his growth size-wise and defense made me hope he’d be a really premium hitting prospect but even with good plate discipline his season was abysmal.

Probably overmatched in the AFL though- 2019 May be make or break...not sure when he needs to be put on the 40 man.

andyb 2018-10-12 15:39:39 UTC #6

Hall with a HR last night. Here is a link to the team stats page with Mexico, Venezuela, and the DR starting in the next 2 days:
http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/org.jsp?id=phi

andyb 2018-10-12 15:41:52 UTC #7

And from instructional league, Kevin Gowdy is back even if he is not showing full velocity yet:

andyb 2018-10-15 17:17:14 UTC #8

Other leagues starting.

Mexico
Joey Meneses 3-6, 2 BB

Venezuela
Raul Rivas, Luis Cedeno, Alejandro Requena (4 ER in 1.2 IP)

Dominican
Deivi Grullon (0-6, 3 Ks), Pedro Beato, Ranfi Casimiro, Jeff Singer

fish 2018-10-17 23:36:24 UTC #9

andyb:

And from instructional league, Kevin Gowdy is back even if he is not showing full velocity yet:
twitter.com
Steve Givarz (SteveGivarz)
Phillies RHP Kevin Gowdy Throwing during Instructional League. Missed 2017-18 with TJ Surgery. FB 89-91 T92, SL 83 https://t.co/kKGkd7EZaA

7:10 AM - 12 Oct 2018

Baseball Betsy has video of of Gowdy- he’s smoothed out his delivery and looks strong and in control. Very promising.

schooldoc 2018-10-19 03:01:12 UTC #10

Nice piece in The Athletic on Gowdy. Could be behind pay window, not sure.

andyb 2018-10-26 21:04:16 UTC #11

Phillies don't have too many great performances this winter from their better prospects. The best so far is probably Gamboa in Arizona. 8-29 with 9 BB and 2 SB. 781 OPS. Hall has a couple of HR but is below the Mendoza line along with Listi. A couple of relievers (McGarry and Leftwich) still have a 0.00 ERA.

Grullon is the best hitting prospect playing elsewhere but is struggling in the Domincan (0-16).

In November Dylan Cozens and Bailey Falter are going to Puerto Rico. Nick Fanti is heading to Australia (along with the kids we signed for GCL from there or NZ the past couple of years). No list on Colombia yet though we usually send several A-ball types there (and Alfaro did play there a bit last year).

On Alfaro - sounds like he will be persuaded to make a brief appearance though could be mainly DH.

Austinfan 2018-10-27 00:43:56 UTC #12

Good news with Gowdy, expect he'll add velocity as he builds up arm strength, but if he used his year off to smooth out his mechanics and watch film he could move quickly next year.

Squire 2018-11-01 15:07:30 UTC #13

Just wanted to check in and say the aggregate performance of our Arizona Fall League squad stink. Badly.

andyb 2018-11-01 15:11:22 UTC #14

Gamboa is still doing OK. And Leftwich and McGarry, though those 2 relievers are probably among the older players in Arizona so I am not sure what it means. Probably more excited to see the kids in Australia than anything else at this point. And maybe Cozens have a few hot weeks in Puerto Rico.

Austinfan 2018-11-01 18:30:08 UTC #15

Hall is struggling, but Listi 5BB/5K so he's making contact.
Leftwich and McGarry pitching well out of the pen, AFL is usually tough for pitchers.

andyb 2018-11-01 18:56:02 UTC #16

All of those guys are 24 though. Listi will be 25 in a couple of days. Their performance is just not that impressive given that. Gamboa is the only one in Arizona who might be considered a decent prospect and he still has lots of flaws in his game.

Grullon is the other age appropriate prospect playing now and he is struggling too, though the Dominican is a tough league for a 22-year-old mid-level prospect.

andyb 2018-11-15 17:35:10 UTC #17

Australia started yesterday (or technically today). Mitchell Edwards (catcher who just turned 19 and had limited GCL time last year) went deep.

Puerto Rico (and Cozens) should start today I think. Would love to see a good 3 weeks from Cozens in a league where he should be one of the better players I imagine.

fish 2018-11-15 21:37:11 UTC #18

Don't forget Liga Paralela!
15 yr old Azuaje and 16 yrd old Jerez doing well so far.

Austinfan 2018-11-15 21:47:21 UTC #19

Age doesn't matter as much with RPs, many are college seniors who move to the bullpen and find a niche where they can excel, so they're often 25 or so by the time they make the show.

andyb 2018-11-17 15:10:33 UTC #20

Kyle Glogoski with a dominant first start down in Australia: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K. He had a really good GCL season. Not really sure about whether it is good stuff or just polish (which would be rare for a young New Zealand pitcher) that is driving his success.

Bailey Falter and Jan Hernandez among the early players in Puerto Rico.