Minor League Update

I want to try and do this once a week and I’ll probably be messing around with the format until I find something that works. My only goal here is to make it easy for everyone to see what’s happening in the minors in a condensed fashion. If you have any preference for the format at all or suggestions, anything of the sort, just let me know. Thanks.

Scranton AAA

Jorge Vazquez and Jesus Montero continue their show on offense and both continue to display an aversion towards walking…As Matt alluded to earlier, the candidates to hypothetically replace Brett Gardner are all here. Justin Maxwell has hit well and still displays his plate discipline but still strikes out a ton… Chris Dickerson hasn’t gotten off to a great start and has only 3 extra base hits… Greg Golson has also started fairly decently… The pitching hasn’t lived up to expectations quite yet but I’m sure they’ll get it going soon enough.

Trenton AA

The Trenton offense is off to a slow start. Bradley Suttle has hit decently well so far after missing a ton of time with injuries. The elevated K% isn’t much of a surprise as he has no experience at this level and is prone to swinging and missing anyhow… Cody Johnson is really good at striking out… The Trenton rotation hasn’t really blown anyone out of the water either so far. Shaeffer Hall has an ugly ERA but his FIP is 2.35. He’s very stingy when it comes to handing out walks…

Tampa A+

Luke Murton has been on fire, posting a .474 wOBA so far with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. Robert Lyerly has swung the bat well but has a 1/10 BB/K rate… Brett Marshall has not pitched terribly well early on this year, allowing 11 earned runs in 14 innings is never good… Chase Whitley has a 4.70 ERA but that doesn’t tell the whole story- he has 11 Ks in almost 8 innings of work with only 2 walks and a 1.73 FIP early on this year. I don’t think it would be crazy to expect him in Trenton by June at this rate.

Charleston A

Slade Heathcott is still raking in Charleston and is starting to take some walks which is good. His BB% was over 10 last year so this shouldn’t be much of a surprise. I’m glad that after writing him off as a raw 19 year old in A ball in his first full season we’re all back to some semblance of sanity… Ramon Flores is quickly becoming a fan favorite. As a corner outfielder it’d be nice to see him hit for some power but with his ability to get on base and hit for average I’ll certainly take it… Robert Segedin has started to hit the ball well and has also played 5 games in LF so far this year… speaking of multiple positions, J.R. Murphy has looked solid at the plate as well… Michael O’Brien has been lights out on the mound the first two weeks… Thomas Kahnle has shown he can more than handle A ball, striking out 15 in 9 innings of work, I’m sure he’ll be in Tampa soon enough…

Follow Me On Twitter