Farming for Victory: Rockies Minor League Report Part 4

Okay, so this is a little late. Forgive me, I had hectic week. So, without further ado, I bring you a tardy report on the Tourists:

Asheville Tourists

Hitting

-Darin Holcomb continues to Rock the Casbah (.316/.397/.488). Yes, he could show more power. And, yes, he is a fielding adventure (18 errors). But he's only 22 and hasn't much experience in pro ball. He also has 60 walks and 60 strikeouts--that kind of discipline doesn't often come easy or this early in a professional career.

-"Old Man" Bo Bowman is one of the few A-ball players who was born in 1984. He is also one of the few A-ball players to hit as well as he has. He's a first baseman, which is a hitting position, obviously. Still, across Tri-City and Asheville, he has hit not too shabbily with a .328/.390/.511 line. He's old, an undrafted free agent and he's hitting. If he's not a prospect, he's at least an interesting story.

-The once promising 2007 duo of Brian Rike and Lars Davis, drafted in the second round and third round, respectively, is looking less and less promising by the day. Davis is a catcher, meaning he's expected not to hit. He sure as shucks is fulfilling that expectation as he can't OPS over .700. As for Rike, he has one decent stat going for him--his 71 RsBI. There are, however, much more important stats in which he is a disaster--.392 slugging for a corner outfielder.

Pitching

-Craig Baker rocks. He could be a crunchy relief pitcher some day. His 61K and 11BB in 53.2 IP is staggering.

-Newly signed first rounder, Christian Friedrich, has had a mixed first season in the Rockies organization. He started out extremely well for Tri-City and was promoted to Asheville after 8 starts. He then gave up 3 runs in only 4 innings in his A-ball debut. We'll see how he adapts to Asheville.

-Connor Graham (2.29 ERA) and Cory Riordan (3.56 ERA) of the 2007 draft are looking like decent pitchers. Is their stuff projectable for the majors? We'll see. But for now they are looking good.

-Shane Lindsay, of Australia and quick fastball fame, was demoted from Modesto to work on his command. And he has done. At Asheville his BB/9 went from 6.46 to 3.57. Okay... now bring that same command back up to Modesto.

Well, that's about it. Asheville has several good pitchers and several bad hitters. Let's hope those several good pitchers stay gold when they get into a Rockies uniform, Ponyboy.

Farming for Victory: Rockies Minor League Report Part 3

Friday, August 15, 2008

That's right. I posted this yesterday like I said I would. See look, the date's right there. Don't believe me? Whatever I can do what I feel like. I can end a sentence in a preposition. That's right.

Modesto Nuts

Hitting

-Shucky dang darn, Jhoulys Chacin is good: 50 K's in 51.1 IP, 10 BB, 2.74 Ground out to air out ratio--and that's at high-A. His low-A numbers were even better. For some reason, Chacin hasn't got much "prospect buzz" around Rockies minor league discussions, but golly goshes, he's good. Dare I say that the Rockies have a pitching prospect that will actually be good? Nay, I do not dare. But, hope? Yay.

-Will Harris, a 2006 9th rounder, didn't play at all last year. This year he is playing--playing with hitter's heads. As a reliever, he has struck out 66 batters in 56.2 IP, for a 2.54 ERA. Call this fella up to AA for Pete's sake.

-Aneury Rodriguez, who gets much more buzz than Chacin, is also pitching relatively well. He is definitely a fly ball pitcher (0.81 GO/AO), but he apparently has a good arm. Still he could strike out more (7.86 K/9) and his WHIP is borderline (1.25).

-Esmil Rogers, a converted infielder, and because of that, a 40-man roster member, has been unspectacular. He walks a few too many and his 1.38 WHIP is not a good sign if he wants to make it to the majors. It looks like neither pitching, nor hitting are his fortes, maybe pummeling horse? Or 100-meter individual medley? Wrestling (shrugs)?

Hitting

-Michael McKenry is having a decent offensive year (.821 OPS) for a catcher, but he's just too old. When you're drafted as a junior, you can't spend three years in A-ball. At this pace, he'll be in the majors at 27, when he should be peaking, not reaching the majors.

-Daniel Mayora had a decent year for a middle infielder last year (14 dings), but it appears no longer playing in Asheville's hitters park is catching up to him. His slugging has dropped 69 points. Now he just looks like another empty-average middle infielder.

-The Modesto Nuts don't really have anymore big prospect type guys. They also, coincidentally or not, don't have anybody that can hit. McKenry has the highest OPS on the team and most of the players are far too old for A-ball at 23-24.

Asheville better have some players or the 2010-2015 teams might be looking like a team circa '05 of Cory Sullivans and Dusty Mohrs

Tomorrow (or in the next day or two): Asheville Tourists.

Go Broncos tonight. America's team is going down. God's (John Elway's) team is king.

Farming for Victory: Rockies Minor League Report Part 2

As promised...

Tulsa Drillers

Hitting

-In 2004, Chris Nelson was taken by the Rockies 9th overall, and was considered a steal at that slot. The only larceny involved in that draft choice was the $2.15 million signing bonus, which Nelson received. $2.15 million for a .626 OPS and 18 errors in AA... delicious. Looks like his great "turn around season" in 2007 was a fluke.

-Eric Young Mini-Edition hasn't hitting the ball supremely hard, but his much more important on-base percentage is sitting at .394. A lead off hitter that could get on-base would be a lovely addition to the Rockies (that's right Willy Taveras! I don't care if you steal 100 bags; you still suck).

-Speaking of getting on-base and Willy Taveras... (cue choral church music)... Dexter Fowler (Hallelujah! Hallelujah). He has a .430 on-base percentage, which is the highest of any current Texas Leaguer with a legitimate number of ABs. His .514 slugging ain't too shabby either. When the USA gets eliminated from the Olympics, Fowler ought to be sent to AAA, with a plan for a September call-up. Maybe, then, he'll be the Rockies CF come 2009.

Pitching

-Oh, Brandon Hynick, what cruel mistress hath destroyed thee? Hynick gives up home runs like 3oh!3 makes hit singles. He still doesn't walk anybody (1.41 BB/9), which is good. Though I'm not a big fan if this qualifier, Hynick looks more and more like a fifth starter, rather than the 3 he looked like last year.

-I'm not really excited about anybody else on the staff. There is, however, some guy named Jeff Francis, whom I've never heard of. He has had 3 starts for the Drillers and has struck out 19 batters in 14.1 IP, with 2 walks. Maybe he'll be a good big leaguer some day.

And 'gain... Tomorrow: Modesto Nuts...

Sorry for the laziness, but if it was all together it would get really long. Also, I'd like to think I have a life, though I probably don't.

Also: Well done, Rockies. I know Haren is ridiculously good pitcher, but two runs against and letting him get two hits? At least the Broncos will be a losing a lot soon, so that we won't have to hate just the Rockies.

Farming for Victory: Rockies Minor League Report Part 1

Well, with the Rockies crumpling under the wallops of the colossal wrecking ball of their in-crap-titude (mouthful, huh?), and Jayson Nix failing to throw South Koreans out at home plate, to where do we turn? Perhaps the minor league system has a few reasons to keep calling yourself a Rockies fan... Perhaps.

Colorado Springs Sky Sox

Pitching

It is more like "Pitching" than Pitching, because what the Sky Sox have is an awful facsimile of pitching. I think, when this masquerade of a pitching staff was being created, someone accidentally spilled coffee on the machine. What came out, should be thrown out rather than used--sort of like the new Indiana Jones movie.

-Former prospect Jason Hirsh is 26-years old. Instead of reaching his prime pitching age in the major leagues, he's working on repeating his delivery in AAA.

-Luckily for Franklin Morales, his parents made him later. So, at 22, he still has time to refine his command. His 70/69 K/BB ratio would be kind of infuriating, if it wasn't so sad.

-Gregory Reynolds hasn't pitched since July 22nd. He is transitioning from a pitcher full of potential to a useless roster spot. In other words, he's becoming a "True Rockie," like how Derek Jeter is a "True Yankee." Instead of how a "True Yankee" is someone who only gets balls to his right and hits a few dingers in the playoffs, a "True Rockie" is someone who is either injured or plays poorly.

-In honor of the Olympics, the Bronze goes to Steven Register for being the only halfway decent on the Sky Sox. The 25-year old has a respectable 3.33 ERA.

Hitting

With Ian Stewart cranking dingers into the second deck at Coors, the Sky Sox don't have many "prospects," but some of their players are hitting pretty decently.

-Joe Koshansky keeps on destroying--.295/.374/.594. This could be because of the humidor-less altitude of Security Service Field. For you RBI fans out there, Koshansky does pretty well at situational hitting (102 RBI).

-Though he can't through out South Koreans, Jayson Nix hits pretty well in the thin air of Colorado Springs. He was slugging .593 before running off to Beijing. Now, if he could only slug like that at Coors field...

Tomorrow: Part 2-Tulsa Drillers...