Minor League Games - Tuesday, August 13, 2019

[kikutaro]

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (56-61) @ Louisville Bats (50-69) 7:00 pm | Gameday
Cole Irvin (5-0, 4.48) vs. Alex Powers (0-0, 1.96)

In Progress (Bottom 5)
Louisville 7, Lehigh Valley 1

Notable

Logan Morrison 2-2, 2B, BB
Austin Listi 2-2, RBI, 2B
Jose Pirela 1-1, 2 BB
Shane Robinson 2-2, R

Jerad Eickhoff 2.1 IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 3K, game score: game_score

Reading Fightin Phils (71-48) @ Erie SeaWolves (67-50) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Julian Garcia (1-0, 8.16) vs. Logan Shore (4-7, 3.33)

In Progress (Middle 6)
Erie 7, Reading 2

Notable

Luke Williams 2-3, R, RBI, 2B, SB
Alec Bohm 0-0, 3 BB
Jose Gomez 2-2, R

Julian Garcia 3.1 IP, 9H, 7R, 6ER, 1BB, 0K, game score: game_score

Dunedin Blue Jays (69-48) @ Clearwater Threshers (60-60) 7:00 pm | Gameday
Kyle Johnston (0-2, 8.76) vs. Andrew Brown (3-6, 6.80)

In Progress (End 6)
Dunedin 6, Clearwater 3

Notable

Simon Muzziotti 0-1, 2 BB
Matt Vierling 0-3, 2 K
Madison Stokes 1-1, R, BB
Ben Aklinski 1-2, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB
Dalton Guthrie 1-2, R, 3B, K
Matt Kroon 1-1, 2B, BB, CS

Andrew Brown 4.1 IP, 5H, 5R, 4ER, 4BB, 3K, game score: game_score

Lakewood BlueClaws (49-69) @ Hagerstown Suns (54-66) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Kevin Gowdy (0-4, 4.61) vs. Ryan Williamson (4-0, 3.93)

In Progress (Top 7)
Lakewood 6, Hagerstown 1

Notable

Malvin Matos 2-3, 3 R, RBI, HR, BB, SB
Cole Stobbe 1-2, R, 2B, BB, K
Ben Pelletier 2-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR

Kevin Gowdy 4.1 IP, 4H, 1R, 1ER, 3BB, 2K, game score: game_score

Williamsport Crosscutters (22-35) @ State College Spikes (28-28) 7:05 pm | Gameday
Junior Tejada (1-0, 2.38) vs. Andre Pallante (1-0, 2.67)

In Progress (Top 5)
State College 6, Williamsport 4

Notable

Kendall Simmons 2-2, 2 R, RBI, 2B, 3B
Bryson Stott 2-2, R, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B
Mitchell Edwards 0-2, 2 K

Chris Micheles 1.0 IP, 4H, 5R, 0ER, 0BB, 3K, game score: game_score
Anton Kuznetsov 2.0 IP, 5H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 1K

GCL Phillies East (17-19) @ GCL Blue Jays (19-19) 12:00 pm | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A

Final (Top 9)
GCL Blue Jays 4, GCL Phillies East 1

Notable

Marcus Lee Sang 1-4, 3 K, SB
Vito Friscia 1-4, R, RBI, HR, K
Brayan Gonzalez 1-3, BB, K

Jordi Martinez 3.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 3K, game score: game_score
Rafael Marcano (L, 0-2), 2.2 IP, 4H, 4R, 3ER, 2BB, 2K

GCL Tigers West (22-15) @ GCL Phillies West (23-13) 12:00 pm | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A
(postponed: rain)

Postponed
GCL Tigers West , GCL Phillies West

DSL Angels (20-35) @ DSL Phillies Red (36-18) 10:30 am | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A

Final (Bottom 9)
DSL Phillies Red 2, DSL Angels 1

Notable

Alexeis Azuaje 1-3, BB, 2 SB
Uziel Viloria 0-4, 2 K, CS
Junior Ortega 0-0, R, SB
Adony Mejia 1-3, BB, K
Kervin Pichardo 0-2, R, 2 BB, K
Miguel Tejeda 1-3, 2 K

Wilberson Liendo 5.0 IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 2K, game score: game_score
Alexis Araujo 2.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 2K
Cristofer Adames (W, 5-0), 2.0 IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 0K

DSL Phillies White (35-26) @ DSL Mets2 (28-34) 10:30 am | Gameday
N/A vs. N/A

Final (Bottom 9)
DSL Phillies White 6, DSL Mets2 5

Notable

Giuseppe Peguero 2-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, K
Juan Herrera 2-4, R, RBI, K, CS
Victor Diaz 1-4, 2 RBI, 2B, K
Edward Barboza 0-4, 3 K
Albert Jerez 1-4, R, 2B, 3 K, SB
Raulyn Blanc 1-3, BB, K, CS
Erick Brito 1-3, R, RBI, BB

Fernando Ortega (W, 1-3), 5.0 IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 5K, game score: game_score
Raul Mendoza (H, 1), 2.1 IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 3K
Aldemar Rivas (S, 1), 1.0 IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K

(click on the start time for box scores)

[phillychuck]

Squire will love it---another GCL rainout.

[andyb]

But at least they got one in. How far away is Dunedin? A couple of miles?

[julio]

But at least they got one in. How far away is Dunedin? A couple of miles?

I have to wonder if it's not the rain, per se, but a drainage issue at the Carpenter Complex.

[Jeff05]

Bryson Stott is having a big day out with a double and a triple, so far . . .

[nycphils]

What kind of stuff does Julian Garcia have? He’s getting hammered in his first few starts in AA, but I have to admit I know nothing about this 2016 draftee that’s risen to Reading.

[andyb]

Good curve but fastball is upper 80s

[Austinfan]

Simmons stays hot, he and Stott may start moving up in tandem.

[andyb]

Stott should go straight to Clearwater and Simmons most likely straight to Lakewood. There is a huge difference in polish between a high college pick and any HS pick that is not dominating. They'll also want Simmons to have playing time in the middle infield and that will be scarce at Clearwater assuming Guzman is there and maybe even Garcia at some point.

There is no reason for the two to be promoted together. Simmons is just not close to being ready for Clearwater (and if Stott goes to Lakewood that would be slow for a college pick).

[Austinfan]

We'll see if Simmons can sustain it, but right now he's totally dominant:
It's a SSS but in August: 40 AB 2 2 4 7 BB 11 K 1.195 OPS
First two months: 84 AB 5 0 5 6 BB 29 K .741 OPS

Five tool player who is only 19.

Of course I'm optimistic, but isn't it about time the baseball gods smiled on the Phillies and one of these toolsy HS picks actually turned out to be for real?

[bigegypt0417]

You're correct...it's a small sample size.

[phillychuck]

You're correct...it's a small sample size.

To be fair to Simmons, his full-season OPS (890) is higher than Stott's great half-season OPS (883). 890 is pretty outstanding at WMPT, especially for someone as young as Simmons. He's hitting against mostly college-experienced pitchers 2-4 years older than he is, and he is succeeding. Nic Torres is another decent young middle infielder for WMPT, and he's OPSing only 648 after a good year in GCL last season and an even better year in the DSL the season before..

[andyb]

There is being optimistic and there is not understanding the typical development of even a good HS pick. These guys just don't skip levels other than maybe GCL to Lakewood. It is level to level development because they generally have lots to learn in all areas of the game. If Simmons plays well at Lakewood he'll get a relatively quick promotion to Clearwater. This organization has certainly been aggressive about that in recent years.

Stott on the other hand is 2 years older and could probably handle Clearwater now. There is just no need to send him there in his first pro season for a couple of weeks max.

Simmons is a nice story. He clearly has developed more power sooner than anticipated. Here is Matt Winkelman's short summary: "Simmons is a big athletic right handed hitter, with a strong chance to stay on the infield dirt. He has big raw power and a big arm, but the hit tool is currently poor and that likely will hold him back."

Right now that is a 2-3 tool player who probably needs work on his hit tool and defense. His speed is average at best also and might be a factor to push him to a corner eventually. He is probably showing he belongs in the top 30 and that is great progress. But no, he is nowhere near ready for Clearwater. If there is any unheralded young guy that might move quickly on Williamsport it is likely Johan Rojas. He is that prospect from nowhere that our system deserves and it is mostly about really loud tools (70 run, 60 power).

[bigegypt0417]

Simmons until about two weeks ago was hitting homers and batting around .220. I am very encouraged by this recent set of games but it is a very SSS that we're talking about. If he can continue to hit somewhere near this for the rest of the season I would be ecstatic but we're talking about 2 very good weeks.

[phillychuck]

Unfortunately for Rojas, Williamsport and Lakewood are where teenage power hitters go to die. Hope he has the disposition to endure some frustrating ~400-foot outs.

[Austinfan]

Like I said, I'm optimistic.

But Simmons was hitting for power before his jump in a tough ballpark against older college pitchers, now he's taken it up a notch. The fact that he suddenly started walking at a much higher rate (see Moniak), may mean he's figured out what they're stressing by selective aggression.

I think what didn't work for Mallee may well work in the minors over the next year or two, a number of players are having much better second halves (Moniak, Stephens, Garcia, Guthrie, Simmons, etc). Could be coincidence, could be it takes a while to adjust one's approach to hitting, but it's easier to coach prospects who are more motivated to change and don't have ingrained habits (and the desire to stick with what brought you to the dance).

[bigegypt0417]

Like I said, I'm optimistic.

But Simmons was hitting for power before his jump in a tough ballpark against older college pitchers, now he's taken it up a notch. The fact that he suddenly started walking at a much higher rate (see Moniak), may mean he's figured out what they're stressing by selective aggression.

SSS as you stated. 2 weeks doesn't mean he figured out anything.

From the poster who spent years telling everyone to ignore teenagers and focus on 27 year old AAA players this is an odd turn.

[andyb]

Which of course is another reminder to ignore lots of minor league stats, or at the very least put them in context while evaluating all of them. Rojas might have as much raw power as anyone in the system short of Ortiz, but it shows up as doubles and triples (because of his speed) in games. And he could go to Lakewood and have a season not unlike Carlos De La Cruz next year statistically but still be a very good prospect.

With younger prospects the assessments of tools are probably more important than the statistics. As they get older the stats mean more if they are appropriate to the level. With Howard that was the case in that his high rankings were largely due to the jump in his stuff, and not his stats against competition where the real prospects were generally younger. Now Howard's stats are more age appropriate (and meaningful) and it is great that they don't contradict the tools. He is more like Sixto in that we are satisfied the tools are great, but are concerned whether his body can sustain throwing in the upper 90s with a starter's workload.

[phillychuck]

I understand a lot of what people are saying about Simmons, but the fact remains his OPS for the full season is 890. It doesn't matter whether he was at 850 or above every month, or had two months in the mid-700s (as he did) and brought the OPS up to 890 with a hot streak. We should not be holding the hot streak against him, so to speak. We have a 19-year-old solid defensive SS in Short Season ball in possibly the toughest hitting environment in baseball OPSing almost 900. And the guy has lots of positive tools according to scouts and according to his draft status. Hope he maintains his production in Lakewood next year...and hope he gets promoted to CLW during the season sometime. He could match Moniak and be 21 in AA on that track. An interesting comparison is Stott, who will be 22 in October, yet is universally ranked in our top 5 prospects.

[bigegypt0417]

I'm not really holding anything against simmons...up until about two weeks the only tool he was showing was his power.

through 7/31 his slash was 214/289/482 and a 741 OPS
August is 429/500/1.286 and an OPS of 1.786

it's way too early to really decide anything on what we have. Perhaps some sustained success with help with that.