Notable Quotables: Sinnery’s Independent path to Minor League Baseball
By Jake Seiner
Interviewing for game stories can be a fun process. The thousands of players and coaches spread across the Minor Leagues supply a never-ending chain of unique perspectives on the national pastime. The game story isn’t always the best place for block quotes and expanded thoughts, so once a week, I’m hoping to come here with a look back at some of the more interesting conversations I stumble upon with Minor League players and coaches. Here’s a look back at some quotes from the past week that I hope you’ll find of interest.
Blogger’s note: Since I was out of the office last week and didn’t get a chance to post, you get a bonus two weeks’ worth of quotes this week.
South Bend’s Brandon Sinnery on his path to the Minor Leagues through Independent Ball (Hawks’ Sinnery dominates again):
Brandon Sinnery went undrafted after graduating from Michigan (University of Michigan).
“I graduated from Michigan, and I thought I’d go late in the draft. I knew I was a senior who has some nice numbers in college. I didn’t talk to that many teams coming out of of college, but the people I did talk to said they thought they’d take me late. That didn’t happen. I waited around for about two weeks, a week and a half, to see if a free agent opportunity would come up, but it didn’t so I went to play Independent ball.
“I went to an independent league tryout run by Nick Belmonte. He runs a lot of indy tryouts across the country, gets a lot of guys jobs out of college who weren’t drafted and guys who get released from affiliated ball — he gets them placed on Indy teams. I went to the tryout with him in Detroit, and he put me on a Frontier League team [the London Rippers in Ontario, Canada].
“At first, I was a little hesitant to go up there. I wasn’t sure going to Canada was going to help me. Scouts don’t really go there to watch people play. It turns out, it was a blessing in disguise because that team folded, and I got traded. Belmonte called me and got me hooked up with [the Lincoln Saltdogs]. That was a way better setup. The American Association is a great league with great competition.
“I was already signed with an indy team, back with Lincoln for this season. Belmonte called me about a camp he was running in Florida, a showcase tryout camp for players who didn’t have jobs or had indy jobs and wanted to go to affiliated ball. He called me and told me it was a great opportunity with lots of scouts there, and that I should come ready to go. I went to that, and that’s where the D-backs saw me. After I threw, they invited me to D-backs tryouts at their Spring Training complex. I flew there for a tryout, and after that, they signed me.”
Seattle’s South African pitching prospect Dylan Unsworth on his unique background (LumberKings’ Unsworth strong again):
“I was invited to an academy in Italy with the 50 best players from around Europe. I was fortunate to get selected to go there. I pitched there and did pretty good. The scouts there, they can offer you up a contract. That didn’t happen straight away. There was one scout that spoke to me there, and then I went to Barcelona with the South African team at 16, made my debut for the national team. He flew from Italy to watch me, and I had no idea. When I got back from the World Cup, he was waiting for me at the airport to talk to me. It’s a pretty amazing story. That’s when the contract was signed, and I came over and pitched in the Arizona League. It’s always been my dream to play pro baseball. I just have to keep at it and work my way up to the top.
“Coming from home, we played maybe every Saturday and had training twice a week. Here, I was training every day, playing every day and throwing every five days. Staying in a routine and staying healthy every day has been the key point for me. I came over here, and it was just a matter of taking everything in that the coaches gave me every day and doing what I feel will work for me.”
Lexington pitching coach Jerry Nyman on Bryan Brickhouse (Brickhouse discovers breaker, Ks nine):
“He always wanted to bury his curveball. He always wanted to strike out people with his first pitch curve. We talked to him about just throwing it for a strike, then throwing the hammer behind it. He did that tonight and it was really good. With his changeup, we altered his grip a little bit. He has a lot of bottom to it now, and he’s not throwing it quite as hard. The rudimentary elements of being a good pitcher, we’re working on that, and again, most of that stuff he’s figured out himself.”
Brickhouse on his improved fastball and mentality:
“My four-seam command is a big thing. I have a lot better feel with my fastball, and that’s something I worked hard on in the offseason trying to really get that fastball command. The biggest thing is in my mentality. Last year, I was worried about giving up hits early in the counts, nibbling early in the count. I fell behind 2-0 a lot. This year, I’ve attacked hitters early and I’m trying to get contact early in the count then work my way out as I get ahead. I can control the game a lot better that way. I can pitch deeper into games and have more success.”
Brickhouse on his relationship with high school teammate and Pirates prospect Jameson Taillon:
“I work out with Jamo in the offseason, and two offseasons ago, I worked out with [Kyle] Drabek, too, but he was rehabbing this year. I probably talk to Jamo about once a week. We’ll talk about our outings and discuss what’s working for us and not working for us.
“We’ll talk about setting up hitters and I guess we’re kind of each other’s mentors sometimes. It’s good. We’ve been close friends since we were 10 or 11, so he’s always a guy who I can look to for advice or talk to about good outings or bad.”
Phillies prospect Jesse Biddle on correcting his history as a notoriously slow starter (Biddle brilliant yet again for Reading):
“I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. The biggest one is being a year older, having another year of Spring Training and having another offseason to figure out where I need to be to not come out of the gate slow like I have in the last few years. My coaches, I think, are a little more aware that I’ve had bad Aprils in the past, and they’ve really been on top of me, making sure that I’m changing it up a little bit.
“I’m pitching a little differently, a little more aggressively, but it’s also a matter of me finding my mechanics earlier in the season. Part of it is just luck. Sometimes you don’t do anything different but you just feel a little better. It’s all about preparation, and I think I prepared better this year than in the past. Hopefully, next year I can continue to do that. It’s all about how you treat the offseason.”
Kane County pitching coach Ron Villone on Cubs prospect Pierce Johnson (Cougars’ Johnson warming to the task):
“It’s a learning process, but he has a good fastball. The confidence I’m seeing is there. At some point, his changeup has to improve. You can be a two-pitch pitcher for a while, but as you move up the ladder, better hitters are going to see a whole lot more of what a guy offers. Having three pitches in your arsenal is an improvement.
“You can see the improvement in his changeup. His arm speed is more consistent. He’s a smart, young man, and he’s ready to learn. He’s going out there and trying a few new things, but he’s also not getting away from his strengths.
“He’s smart, but he’s also applying himself to become a student of the game and learn more. When people listen and apply, it’s a nice thing to see. He’s a student and he’s becoming a better student of the game, listening and all the hard work he puts into the game. Pitching once every five games or so, it can be difficult to get on a roll and find the right way to get it done and go out and execute. Being a student makes that transition easier.”
Oakland prospect Daniel Robertson on ups and downs of his first pro experience (Robertson shines in Class A debut):
“It was awesome. I got out and signed early and went to Arizona, and definitely it was something new and a bit different, but I thought I was prepared for it. I was just trying to learn as much as I can. I had some success there and got promoted to Vermont in Short Season league and I think I learned a lot about myself there. It made me a better player today. I didn’t have as much success as I would’ve liked to, but it gave me an idea of what kind of player I was and what I needed to work on to be a better player in the end.
“Sometimes, I felt like I was putting too much pressure on myself up there, trying to do too much. I figured out that I need to stay within what I know how to do and go from there. It was a good learning experience.”
Winston-Salem’s Chris Bassitt on wanting to be a relief pitcher long term (Bassitt starts to build future as reliever):
“It’s not about rising faster or anything. It’s something I’m more comfortable doing. I’ve done it my whole life. My mentality is as a relief pitcher. I’ve been able to change my mentality of going out there and blowing it out in one inning. Now I’m pacing through hopefully six, seven, eight innings. My mentality the whole year is just to try to get early outs. Once I get two strikes on a hitter, I do still kick it into relief mode, though.
“I’ve had numerous meetings with coaches, and they’ve all said that, no matter what, starting right now will help in the future. I’m able to develop my pitches faster, and throw more innings, obviously. The more innings you throw, the more pitches you get to throw. Plus, starting now I’ve developed my slider and curve and change and improved my fastball command. I’m getting better so far, so it’s working out. Whatever they want me to do, I’ll do it. If they want me to start, I will. If they want me to relieve, I will.”
The Month in Numbers and April’s All-MiLB Team
By Ashley Marshall
The first month of the Minor League season has been everything but dull.
With up to 120 teams on the field on any given day, there’s always something to see. At every level and in every league, interesting stats are abundant.
The Indianapolis Indians, for example, are a perfect 15-0 when leading after five innings, while the Toledo Mud Hens are 3-11 in one-run games. Elsewhere, both Bowie and Mississippi have won three games when trailing after eight innings and 15 teams have yet to score in double digits at least once this season, led by the trio of Columbus, Charlotte and Jupiter (highs of seven).
April has seen 57 grand slams, 19 players with at least five hits in one game, five cycles (Negrych, Triunfel, Lambo, Almonte, Lipka) two three-homer performances (Romak and Murphy), a one-hitter and a no-no.
A total of 913 players have hit 2,005 homers, and San Jose’s Devin Harris has more longballs in the past week (seven) than 2,081 other players have hit in the first 27 days of the new season.
Here’s a word cloud showing what has been happening across more than 300 game recaps, league notebooks and promo previews on MiLB.com over the past 30 days.
It’s no surprise to see “prospect(s)” mentioned more than 700 times, although I wasn’t expecting to see “Walker” pop up 70 times.
I suppose when Taijuan Walker – baseball’s No. 5 prospect — has a 1.55 ERA, 32 Ks in 29 innings and two runs allowed in his past three starts, his name appears a lot. Also, Cedar Rapids’ Adam Brett Walker is batting .284 with six homers and 26 RBIs in 22 games.
April All-MiLB Team
It includes nine batters — eight position players and one DH — assembled into a batting order. Like real-life lineups, mine includes players with high on-base percentages and good speed at the top of the order, the most productive hitters in the heart of the lineup and a mixture of power, discipline and speed in the lower third.
1. Thomas Coyle, 2B
2. Byron Buxton, CF
3. Scott Van Slyke, 1B
4. Miguel Sano, 3B
5. Nick Franklin, DH
6. Stephen Vogt, C
7. Nolan Fontana, SS
8. Brian Bogusevic, LF
9. Kyle Johnson, RF
- Thomas Coyle is off to a hot start with Class A Bowling Green. He’s hitting .349 with 11 extra-base hits (including two homers) in 23 contests. Don’t let his 5-foot-7 frame fool you, he has some thunder in that bat. A prototypical leadoff hitter, the UNC product has a .471 OBP and he is a perfect 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts. He has walked more times (19) than he has struck out (12) and he has scored 20 Midwest League runs.
- Teenage outfielder Byron Buxton has 31 hits in 22 games, good for a .392 clip with Cedar Rapids. The Twins prospect has the ability to hit for average and power (four homers, five doubles). He’s no slouch on the basepaths, as evidenced by nine steals, and he’s averaged almost one RBI per game (21 in 22 contests). He also has a 19-17 walks-to-strikeouts ratio and a 1.194 OPS.
- Scott Van Slyke is crushing the ball at Triple-A Albuquerque. The 26-year-old has eight homers, one off the Minors lead — and 26 RBIs in 25 games. Not just a power hitter, the 6-foot-5 first baseman is also batting a ridiculous .419. Van Slyke hit a career-high 23 homers across two levels in 2009 and there’s no reason to think he can’t replicate his 100-RBI effort from four years ago.
- It’s no surprise to see Miguel Sano in the cleanup spot. His nine homers for Fort Myers are tied for the Minors lead, and he’s complemented the power game with a .368 average and 21 runs scored. He’s struck out more than twice as often (28) as he’s walked (11), but with the kind of run production he’s given the Twins’ Florida State League affiliate, that’s not a real concern. He’s slugging .747 with a 1.183 OPS through 25 Class A Advanced games and his 17 extra-base hits are tied for second.
- Nick Franklin is another hitter feasting in the friendly PCL environment. He’s hitting .410 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 17 games and has a 2-1 walk-to-strikeout ratio with Tacoma. The first-rounder made 64 Triple-A appearances last year and the indication is that he’ll continue to make giant strides in the Mariners system. His .538 OBP leads all Minor Leaguers.
- Backstop Stephen Vogt is 35-for-80 (.438) in 19 games with Triple-A Sacramento. Among those 35 hits are six homers, six doubles and two triples, producing to a .788 slugging percentage. He has 19 RBIs and 19 runs scored, and while he wasn’t walked a whole lot (nine times), he’s only whiffed nine times. With a .494 OBP and 1.282 OPS, Vogt is among the elite catchers in the opening month.
- Shortstop Nolan Fontana has better production that you’d ordinarily see out of a No. 7 hitter. He’s batting .360 with 19 RBIs in 25 games for Class A Advanced Lancaster and has drawn a Minors-best 27 walks compared with 20 strikeouts. The second-rounder reached base in more than half of his plate appearances and has provided the JetHawks with 24 runs, 19 RBIs and four stolen bases.
- Veteran outfielder Brian Bogusevic spent all of 2012 in the Majors, and considering his red-hot start, he likely won’t be hanging around in Iowa too long. He’s hitting .420 in 24 games and he has seven doubles, 10 RBIs and five steals in six tries. His plate discipline numbers (13 walks, 14 strikeouts) in the PCL are much better than they were in the big leagues (41 walks, 96 strikeouts), and while he won’t hit for a ton of power, he’s spraying balls all over the place.
- Kyle Johnson is one of those players who’d serve the purpose of a secondary leadoff hitter in a fictional lineup. He has a .347 average with Burlington and has yet to be thrown out in 16 stolen base attempts. He’s drawn 15 walks in 21 Midwest League games and he has plated 10 runs from the top of the order.
What do you think of the lineup? Who would you add or exclude? Share your thoughts in the comments below. With hundreds of possible candidates, it’s impossible to please everyone, but hopefully this is a pretty good start.
Faith-based analysis: Why to keep the faith in Jose Iglesias
Jose Iglesias has already hit a career-high three homers, and it’s only May. (Lianna Holub/MiLB.com)
By Sam Dykstra
When the Red Sox beat out the Yankees among other teams for the services of Cuban defector Jose Iglesias in 2009, many believed Boston had finally secured its shortstop of the future. Since Nomar Garciaparra’s departure in 2004, a revolving door of Orlando Cabrera, Edgar Renteria, Alex Gonzalez, Julio Lugo and Nick Green had all been considered regulars at the position. With his ultra-slick glove, the then-19-year-old Iglesias was a player that people thought would bring stability to the 6 spot.
Four years and three shortstops — Marco Scutaro, Mike Aviles, Stephen Drew — later and Iglesias still finds himself at Triple-A Pawtucket, unable to permanently crack the Red Sox starting lineup due to a lagging bat.
This could be the year he makes his final case.
The 23-year-old — yes, he’s still only 23 — reportedly put on 10 pounds of muscle and worked out with former AL MVP Dustin Pedroia in the offseason, and the results are already beginning to show.
Consider Iglesias’ April.
Admittedly, the .242 average and .288 OBP through 17 games are in line with — actually, just slightly below — his career averages at Triple-A Pawtucket. But then, there’s that third part of every slash line — the slugging percentage. That number stands at .419.
That may not be particularly impressive at this point — it ranks eighth among PawSox who have seen regular time this season — but the number is actually .113 points higher than the .306 slugging percentage in 88 International League games a year ago. It also doesn’t include his six-game stretch with Boston to start the year, when he went 9-for-20 with two doubles. (He slugged .550 in that short stretch.) To put it into perspective, Iglesias has slugged higher than .400 at Triple-A in just one month before this April (May 2012, .427).
That statistical spike directly derives from a jump in a related category. The Cuban native homered three times in the month of April. A fairly pedestrian number to be sure, but here’s the thing. Iglesias had homered four times in 1,053 professional at-bats (296 games), including his time in the Majors and Minors, entering this season. He’s at three already through 82 at-bats (23 games) between Boston and Pawtucket in 2013. No one’s calling Iglesias the next Ernie Banks as a power-hitting shortstop, but those numbers are encouraging to say the least.
“After seeing his at-bats tonight and in the spring, it definitely looked like he was progressing both with his strength and his bat speed,” Pawtucket manager Gary DiSarcina told MiLB.com after Iglesias’s first homer. “He spent his time up there doing great things, and he’s trying to show everyone that he’s not just a slap hitter. He’s looked good and had a great attitude. Hopefully, we don’t have him too long.”
There’s not only a difference in performance at the plate, but also what appears to be a change in overall approach to the game.
“I just think with Iggy it’s a maturity process,” Red Sox first base coach Arnie Beyeler, who managed Iglesias in Pawtucket for two straight years, told WEEI.com’s Rod Bradford before the season began. “The whole experience. We all know he has a lot of ability. He just has to learn how to control things, do what he needs to do and be an everyday professional. Every winter he comes in with a little better attitude and a little more work ethic every year and I think we’re seeing more of that this year.”
Compare the former PawSox skipper’s original comments with the ones made at the time of Iglesias’ demotion earlier this month.
“I first saw him when I came in at 2 p.m. and he had a huge smile on his face and looked ready to go,” DiSarcina said. “You can tell he loves the game of baseball and just has this infectious attitude in the clubhouse. Look, he knows Stephen Drew is the starting shortstop. But he’s not pouting, he’s not being a cancer. He’s continued doing what he’s doing. Everything I got on him was outstanding, and it’s just a matter of time before he’s back.”
The fact remains, however, that Iglesias is currently blocked at shortstop by Drew, who Boston signed to a one-year deal in the offseason. The 30-year-old, who missed the start of the season with a concussion, hasn’t exactly been wowing those who follow the Sox, batting .154/.267/.250 and striking out 17 times in 52 at- bats over 16 April games.
If Iglesias can continue to show an improved bat as 2013 pro, he might not only pressure Drew to take over the starting job this season but for seasons to come as well.
Minoring in Twitter: Giving prospects a voice, 140 characters at a time
By Danny Wild
Twitter helps fans and media alike can take a peek behind the curtain to see what burritos some outfielder is currently eating or what their thoughts are on Justin Bieber. From a journalistic perspective, Twitter has helped us in finding small, lesser-known details about games and players (great catches, unseen in the box score, come to mind), usually in real-time. Attend the Winter Meetings and you’ll see the entire battalion of reporters are all getting their scoops from rumors on Twitter.
But Twitter is also a pretty entertaining source of life in the Minors. We’ve made it easy for you to spend hours, maybe even days, waiting for updates from players about their workouts, dinner plans and new T-shirts — check out our custom Twitter list.
But really, who has time to waste just to see what kind of bizarre socks Mets right-hander Collin McHugh is wearing today?
Because some days regular socks just won’t do. instagram.com/p/YlKGBeIoeM/
— Collin McHugh (@Collin_McHugh) April 26, 2013
Nice carpeting too. Let’s browse some recent Minor League player “news”:
Beau Wright, who is actually left-handed, was the Marlins’ 48th-round pick in 2010 and is currently on the roster of short-season Batavia. Not really the progress he probably had in mind three years later, but the man is hungry to advance:
I’m SO hungry
— Beau Wright (@LeftbutWright35) April 26, 2013
Adam Eaton reached the Majors last season but has yet to suit up this season after suffering a small ligament tear in his left shoulder during Spring Training. Now, he’s stuck rehabbing in the warm Arizona sun.
Air conditioning in my car is working over time right now.. It gets hot in these rhinos..
— Adam Eaton (@AdamSpankyEaton) April 26, 2013
Braves prospect Mycal Jones knows the weekend is near, which for us means it’s a chance to relax, but for him likely means at-bats against Double-A Huntsville.
Well word on the street is it’s TGIF Friday, Thank God I’m Fresh
— Myke Jones (@MykeJones21) April 26, 2013
As a Jets fan, I was hoping the team pulled the trigger Thursday night on Geno Smith, who led all FBS quarterbacks with 42 passing touchdowns in 2012 for West Virginia. The Jets, as it’s occasionally mentioned on ESPN, have two quaterbacks who can’t throw the ball at all. Blue Jays No. 5 prospect Marcus Stroman had the right idea.
How nervous is Mark Sanchez right now? Jets should most definitely take #GenoSmith and start him in the first week. Time for a change! #NFL
— Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo7) April 26, 2013
Mark Sanchez nervous? I’d rather have Stroman himself in the Jets huddle at this point.
Taijuan Walker may pitch for the Mariners, but he’s got plenty of love for D-backs No. 1 right-handed prospect Archie Bradley:
Good luck to my boi @archiebradley7 today! #poundthezone
— Taijuan Walker (@tai_walker) April 26, 2013
Archie Bradley actually has bigger things to worry about besides pitching, though — like getting verified on Twitter.
Finally got that blue check mark!!! Officially verified in twitter!! twitter.com/ArchieBradley7
— Archie Bradley (@ArchieBradley7) April 26, 2013
Finally, Red Sox prospect Sean Coyle, a third-round pick in 2010, showed his Benjamin Hill-esque excitement over a promotion tonight at Salem.
Pretty pumped for the Monkey Rodeo tonight at Lewis Gale. Definitely one of my favorite nights of season every year!
— Sean Coyle (@SeenCoyle) April 26, 2013
You know, tiny monkeys riding on a dog during a professional baseball game?
Chipotle Tweet of the Week:
@shawnomalley311 at what point is the newness of Chipotle in Montgomery going to die down?
— Mikie Mahtook (@MikieMahtook8) April 25, 2013
Notable Quotables: A speedster on playing slow
By Jake Seiner
Interviewing for game stories can be a fun process. The thousands of players and coaches spread across the Minor Leagues supply a never-ending chain of unique perspectives on the national pastime. The game story isn’t always the best place for block quotes and expanded thoughts, so once a week, I’m hoping to come here with a look back at some of the more interesting conversations I stumble upon with Minor League players and coaches.
Bits and pieces of these quotes may have appeared over at MiLB.com, but when you’re trying to dig into somebody’s back story, sometimes it’s most helpful to hear it all straight from the source. In that spirit, here’s a look back at some quotes from the past week that I hope you’ll find of interest.
Corpus Christi’s George Springer on jumping from Class A Advanced to Double-A last year:
“The game is a lot cleaner and smoother because the talent level is obviously better. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just one of those things where the experience of the players and their talent — the game speeds up and you have to learn how to slow it down.
“You slow it down and don’t try to do too much. You just have to get your pitch to hit. The [pitchers] in this league are good. If they make a mistake and I don’t hit it, the count swings in their favor. As a hitter, that’s not a spot where you want to be.
George Springer leads the Texas League with six homers. (Walter Barnard)
“I think it’s a thing that comes from experience. You have to understand who you are as a player. Understand how other teams will attack you and play you. You have to know the strike zone as a hitter and know what it is you’re trying to do. All that has to be made up before you step into the box.
“You focus in on getting a good pitch to hit, and that helps you slow the game down. It’s just one of those things where, with experience, things will slow down. You go out and attempt to slow it down by just slowing it down, strange as that sounds.”
Springer on learning to steal bases in pro ball:
“There’s stuff that happens out there you notice. Guys might do a certain thing if they’re going home or if they’re coming over, but a lot of times you just have to be smart about the count and the situation and how they’re going to attack the hitter. It’s one of those things where you have to pick and choose your time to run, and don’t hesitate if you do.”
Savannah manager Luis Rojas on Mets catcher Kevin Plawecki:
“I didn’t get to see him play last year. As time goes along, and he transitions into pro ball and everything, it’s all about how you take it mentally. Coming from college like he was, right now, he just needs to be more comfortable. He’s been with the organization for almost a year now. His abilities are coming out naturally because he’s more comfortable right now. He’s a good hitter, and his leadership is outstanding. He’s a natural leader, and you need that behind the plate as a catcher. He runs the pitchers really well. Everybody listens when he talks. He’s pretty mature for the level he’s playing right now. I think you’re looking at a future star. He’s showing that right now on a daily basis.”
Rojas on Plawecki dealing with Savannah’s Latin American pitchers:
“The Latin pitchers that are here, they were all with Kevin in Brooklyn last year. He knows their strengths and weaknesses and he knows the actions on their pitches. He can rank their pitches, and knows them well and knows how to communicate with them. It’s just easy for him. There haven’t been any issues with that. He handles it really well. It’s helped that he was with them last year, and in the future with new guys, he won’t have any issues. He finds a way to communicate. He’s even picking up some Spanish.
“It’s extremely important. He’s going to have to catch pitchers from Latin American countries, from Venezuela and Puerto Rico and so on. That skill is really a plus for him. It’s good that he has it in his repertoire.”
Plawecki on dealing with Latin American pitchers:
“Last year, the whole rotation in Brooklyn was Latin. I took some Spanish in high school, but I’m by no means fluent. I know a little here and there to get me by and communicate with those guys in certain situations. It’s important for me to build a relationship with them and it’s important for them to feel comfortable with me back there.
“I can bounce ideas off them and feel comfortable talking to them about what I see. There’s no reason to treat them differently than other guys just because I can have English conversations with some guys.”
Plawecki on the development of his swing:
“I’m just making sure my hands are on time and I’m in synch with my lower half. When I get in trouble is when I start lunging. I need to let the ball travel, let it come to me. I get too overanxious. I’m trying to limit that. It’ll happen. That’s baseball. It’s just important for me to let the ball travel and keep a consistent swing and consistent approach and get consistent results. That’s what I think is improving. I’m just trying to hit the ball hard and let the rest take care of itself.”
Corpus Christi’s Asher Wojciechowski on piggybacking into a no-hitter in progress:
“That’s never happened to me. I’ve never come into a perfect game. That was a new experience there. David [Martinez] did a great job and worked really fast, and before I knew it, I was in the game. I knew the situation and just wanted to continue what was going on but not think about it too much. It was definitely a new experience coming into a perfect game.”
Wojciechowski on what’s led to his 18 scoreless innings to begin the year:
“I think so far this year I’ve been able to throw quality strikes and attack the zone and work quickly and mostly just throw quality strikes and not make too many mistakes. That’s been the key so far to this early start. Things are working out.
Wojciechowski on what he considers “quality strikes”:
“That means just staying at the bottom of the zone, staying out of the middle part of the plate and mixing my pitches well. Staying out of the middle of the plate and up in the zone. I’m elevating when I need to, but I’m mostly just staying down and staying on the corners and also pitching to contact. Quality strikes are down in the zone, so I’m working fast and getting ahead of hitters.”
Salem pitching coach Kevin Walker on right-hander Heri Quevedo, who’s making his stateside debut at 22:
“This is his first year from what I know. I haven’t seen any stats on the guy, but seeing what he has, his stuff is very impressive. It’s his first year of pro ball, and for his first real taste of pro action, it’s a good sign.
“I saw him a few times in Spring Training. I actually don’t know how he got over here, but his stuff is good enough to play at this level. He’s been piggybacking for us, and this was his third piggyback. His stuff is good and his arm is really live. He has a smooth, easy arm action, and the fastball really jumps out of his hand and he has a really good slider that jumps out of his hand.
“He’s throwing 92-96, and can play at 94-95, with easy arm action. The ball just gets on hitters really quick. He’s real smooth, and the ball just takes off late in the zone.
“I am surprised by his polish. A couple of times in his last couple outings, he’s tried to nibble or do too much and walked batters. This outing, he got back to letting his stuff play in the strike zone. This outing, I think, opened his eyes that he’s good enough to pitch here, pitch up in the zone. His first couple outings, like anybody here, he didn’t know what to expect and he worked around the strike zone too much and put himself in bad situations. He trusted his stuff and was poised today.”
Tacoma catcher Mike Zunino on calling games in Triple-A:
“You have to know what they want to throw in certain counts. I have to stay one pitch ahead. I’m just talking with the pitchers, laying out what we want to do. You build a foundation in the gameplan so we know what we want to do and how we want to do it.
“You realize what guys do in certain counts. You have guys who do a lot of hitting in certain counts, because that’s what guys like to do. They have their tendencies and their go-tos. You learn with each pitcher, and that takes time. It’s a process. Once the season gets going, that’s when you get in a groove with the pitchers. You figure out what guys can throw what pitch in any count and you build from there. You go out and gameplan and use the scouting report on hitters.”
Q&A: Braves’ Wood ‘curving’ up Southern League
By Jake Seiner
Atlanta prospect Alex Wood is dominating Double-A with a 0.82 ERA through his first four starts. In 22 innings, he’s struck out 25 batters and walked just four. Opponents have a .182 average against him, and he’s induced a 2.17 groundout-to-flyout ratio. Monday night, he struck out eight Mobile hitters over six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks.
Ranked sixth in the Braves’ farm system by MLB.com, Wood was expected to do well in the Minor Leagues. Drafted in the second round last year out of the University of Georgia, the left-hander came into pro ball already boasting a plus fastball and plus changeup, with the command to let both pitches play up. Despite that, he dropped into the second round because he lacked even a projectable breaking pitch, and many had concerns over his unusual mechanics.
Alex Wood posted a 2.22 ERA with Rome in 2012. (Ed Gardner)
I chatted with Wood on Tuesday, and in the quotes below, you can hear him talk about those mechanics. In short, he thinks those concerns were overblown and hasn’t adjusted much of anything because, though his process is unusual, he feels very comfortable with where he is upon releasing the ball.
The real story is that Wood has finally found a formidable breaking pitch. Atlanta invited Wood to Major League Spring Training, and in camp, Wood adopted the same knuckle curve thrown by Braves relievers Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters.
As Wood says below, the pitch immediately became the best breaking ball he’s ever thrown, and he’s thrown it regularly this year while dominating the Southern League.
Here’s the full transcript:
On what’s led to success at Mississippi:
I definitely think it’s because of my breaking ball. In terms of pitching and getting out there, my breaking ball has been very, very good so far this season. I’m using it to get more strikeouts, and I’m throwing it more consistently. It’s allowed me to take that next step in terms of going from A ball to Double-A. That’s definitely allowed me to have the success I’ve had here.
I’ve always felt that I had a real good changeup, and it’s been a blessing because, even with just two pitches, I was able to go out there and have success in school and even in pro ball. Having that good breaking pitch to throw with consistency in Double-A has definitely taken me to the next level. I’m really excited about where I’m headed.
On the knuckle curve:
I pretty much played with everything, every grip there is to play with for a breaking ball and slider, and I never really found one that stuck with me or that I had consistent success with and had the break you look for in a breaking ball. It just happened. I was lucky enough to go to big league camp with all those guys. I went in having a plan to ask those guys some things along those lines, and Craig [Kimbrel] and Jonny [Venters] showed me how to throw that spike curve, the knuckle curve. I tried it and I haven’t really looked back since.
Throwing a knuckle curve, it allows me to get on top of the breaking ball without thinking much about it. It’s one where, when you have consistent velocity, around 80-81 mph in my case, with that break, I can just throw the heck out of it. I guess you could say that I’m a power guy. I like to grip it and rip it, and I can do that with that breaking ball and get the speed difference and break. It fits right into my repertoire of pitches.
On how often he throws each of his pitches now:
I’m kind of different every time out, every start. I’m fortunate to get to watch — J.R. Graham throws the day before me, and he throws sort of like me with a lot of fastballs, and he has a good fastball. Based on what their lineup does against him, and how aggressive or patient they are with him — whether their going after his fastball — it gives me a good baseline about how I’ll go out the next day.
I threw last night against Mobile, and I opened the year against them, and in that game I probably threw 75-80-percent fastballs. Last night, they were a lot more aggressive and really were the whole start of the series. It really just depend on how the game goes, how aggressive they’re being.
I usually probably throw like 65-70-percent fastballs with a solid mix of the changeup and curve.
When I was in Low-A, I started with a different grip than I’d ever had. It was really inconsistent. Some days it would be decent, and some days it’d be all over the place, end up high and tight on lefties or just all over. This one, when I miss, I’m missing with a strikeout breaking ball. I might get swings and misses even when I miss. I’m throwing this one much more consistently. I can throw it for strikes or I can throw it out of the zone for a strikeout pitch. Definitely the difference for me is the consistency of it.
On slipping in the Draft amid concerns over his delivery:
In terms of the Draft and all that, I told my dad after it happened, I definitely felt that I have a little chip on my shoulder and felt like, there are all kinds of different things that go into it, but I shouldn’t have gone as low as I did. I thought I should’ve gone on the first day. My delivery is a little different, and teams didn’t know if I’d be a starter or a reliever. I never let what people think affect me. I just use it for extra drive. I’m a firm believer in everything happening for a reason, and I couldn’t be more happy with where I’m at with the Braves. It’s worked out great so far.
They haven’t messed with [my deliver] a whole lot. The thing is, you have people, when they’re talking about my mechanics and saying things about me, when you break down my mechancis on film, I have a different way of getting where I need to be, but if you break me down, I’m in about as good a position as you can be. When my foot lands, my arm is way above my shoulder, and I have good timing and hip rotation.
The people who got scared about my mechanics or say I have crazy mechanics — not that they don’t know what they’re talking about — but I’d compare it to in pre-Draft stuff, when they see hitters who do crazy stuff, but still end up in a good position to hit. When the results are there, you don’t care, just so long as the results keep coming. With pitchers, you see something out of the ordinary, and folks get scared. Just because it looks pretty doesn’t mean it’s good mechanics and doesn’t mean you’re going to get better results. That’s how I look at it.
Photos: Checking in on some top talent
By Danny Wild
As the photo editor for MiLB.com, it’s an annual mission to get the latest, freshest images of baseball’s top prospects with their new teams. Some of MLB.com’s top prospects were promoted to new levels for Opening Day 2013, like Jurickson Profar, Oscar Taveras and Jose Fernandez, a Marlins right-hander who made the jump from Class A Advanced Jupiter to Miami.
Others, like Wil Myers, moved from one Triple-A team to another (Omaha to Durham, following his trade) and some, like Pirates No. 2 prospect Jameson Taillon, stayed right where they were.
Above, Profar helped the Round Rock Express turn a double play against the Omaha Storm Chasers on April 4, 2013 (Photo by Robert Backman). Baseball’s No. 1 prospect, who missed the cycle by a double on April 12, is batting .265 with a homer, six RBIs, three steals and a .432 on-base percentage in 10 games since joining his Pacific Coast League affiliate.
Taveras (I have a Minor League hold on him in fantasy) had a four-hit night on April 12 and is batting .289 with a homer, four RBIs and one steal in 10 games. Allison Rhoades of the Memphis Redbirds snapped this image on April 10.
Some anticipated Myers would begin the year in Tampa Bay, but the Rays are showing patience (some may term it otherwise) with the young outfielder — at Durham, he’s batting an even .300 with 11 RBIs and three extra-base hits (no home runs) in his first 13 games. Myers hit 37 homers last year but hasn’t gone deep yet, although he owns a .393 OBP. Thanks to Carl Kline for the snapshot above.
Taillon is back in Curve, Pa., as they call it, for his second season at the Double-A level. The Altoona 6-foot-6 right-hander (photographed above by Mark Olson) has been really sharp so far with 20 strikeouts and just two earned runs allowed in 18 innings over three starts. Taillon, ranked below No. 1 overall Draft pick Gerrit Cole, is 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA (not a typo).
I spoke with Taillon last week after his 10-strikeout effort against Harrisburg, a start in which he faced two of Washington’s top prospects in Anthony Rendon and Brian Goodwin.
“I felt good, felt strong,” Taillon said. “The last strikeout was the best fastball coming out of my hand all night. They were pretty competitive walks, they were all real close pitches on 3-2 counts. [Nationals top prospect Anthony] Rendon and Souza, I wasn’t going to let those guys beat me.”
Taillon has some interesting stuff to say about scouting reports and how much attention he pays to them. In a time where video and analysis is looked over constantly by fans and players alike, Taillon had a throw-back approach to pitching.
“I was talking to my [pitching] coach, we had a general idea how we’d want to attack them,” Taillon explained. “But I don’t like scouting reports — when it comes down to it, it comes down to my gut, whatever I feel. I see what the hitter does and I throw my pitches and keep going from there.”
To close, I made it out to Citi Field two weeks ago to photograph Jose Fernandez’s Major League debut against the Mets. Citi Field is a nice place to shoot with the secondary photo wells behind home plate, and Fernandez looked pretty composed in his first start.
Here’s some more photos of Fernandez’s big league debut.
Notable Quotables: Nimmo’s grand adventure
By Jake Seiner
Interviewing for game stories can be a fun process. The thousands of players and coaches spread across the Minor Leagues supply a never-ending chain of unique perspectives on the national pastime. The game story isn’t always the best place for block quotes and expanded thoughts, so once a week, I’m hoping to come here with a look back at some of the more interesting conversations I stumble upon with Minor League players and coaches.
Bits and pieces of these quotes may have appeared over at MiLB.com, but when you’re trying to dig into somebody’s back story, sometimes it’s most helpful to hear it all straight from the source. In that spirit, here’s a look back at some quotes from the past week that I hope you’ll find of interest.
Brandon Nimmo on moving from Wyoming to Brooklyn for his first full pro season:
“That first summer was a huge learning experience for me. I don’t think I went a day without learning something new. I was from a state where the whole population is less than what fits in a square mile in Brooklyn. We had 500,000 people in Wyoming. It was obviously a huge change for me, living that kind of lifestyle. I was used to being able to see for 40 miles out over the horizon. In Brooklyn, I could see about 40 feet. There were buildings all around you, people living on top of each other in small living spaces. I wasn’t use to that. I had to get used to that fast-paced lifestyle. The thing about baseball is you change your whole life and have to adjust quickly, and I got adjusted and enjoyed my time out there.
“This was a whole new experience for me. Going from, for me, I didn’t have high school ball, and in Legion ball, you faced a good pitcher maybe every fifth day or so. In the New York-Penn League, I just skipped a whole bunch of levels and was facing great guys all the time. You can’t take any at-bats off. It took time to learn how to approach the game and how to be at 100 percent or close to 100 percent every day, mentally and physically. It just, I had to learn how my body works in this kind of season. It’s just always a new learning stage for me. It was great, and I learned how to deal with a lot of failure.”
Padres prospect Max Fried on adjusting to pro ball:
“It’s different now because I’m a full-time pitcher. In high school, I was a two-way guy. Now I’m able to focus on one craft, and that’s opened up new things for me to work on and focus on on the pitching side. It’s also a lot different now because I’m going four or five innings per start rather than the two innings I was throwing last summer in the AZL. It’s enabled me to sort of grow and really just have a more regimented schedule to follow each time I go out.”
Fried on managing his body:
“I’m definitely a slender build, going about 6-4 and 185 pounds right now. I’m fine with that at the moment. Right now, I’m focusing on maintaining through the season, maybe just adding a few pounds. In the offseason, I’ll focus in on putting on muscle and getting stronger, but I’m not too worried about the weight right now. I’m definitely still maturing, and if my body wants to put on weight, it will.”
Fort Wayne pitching coach Burt Hooton (Fried’s coach) on coaching young hurlers:
“The reason these guys play Minor League Baseball is to get the experience. As a coach, you have to step back and let them learn from experience and point out what they should be learning. [Fried] doesn’t have that much professional experience under his belt. One thing you can’t slap on a guy is time and experience. That takes time.”
Pirates prospect Stetson Allie on his refined plate approach:
“I think, for me, it was, ‘I’m a big guy and I want to hit a bunch of home runs.’ For me, I can hit more home runs when I stay simple with my approach and try to drive the ball to right field. If I pull one over the fence, great, but I try to stay middle to middle away. When I first started, I wanted to crush balls, but as you move up, I’ve learned you have to have a hard-headed approach and stick with it. The harder you try to hit a home run, the more likely you won’t get it. For me, I just try to make solid contact every time and not even think about hitting home runs.
“That hasn’t been hard at all. Home run or not, I’m sticking with the same thing I’ve been doing. All I’m looking for right now is just hard contact. If it goes out, great. If not, at least I hit the ball hard. That’s what I’m going to stick with.”
Tampa manager Luis Sojo on Yankees catching prospect Gary Sanchez:
“When he’s on, his best weapon is to go the opposite way, left-center. He’s so strong, and he knows how to hit. When he’s good, he hits the opposite way. That’s something that’s really going to work down the road. Good hitters do that. Every time you see a good hitter, they can hit the other way. For his young age, he’s very good.”
Fort Myers manager Doug Mientkiewicz on Twins prospect Eddie Rosario:
“He’s a little unorthodox, but his barrel stays through the zone for a long time. The great ones at the big leagues, their bats stay in the zone for forever. Eddie does that. He has a special knack for finding the ball with the barrel. He has a presence when he walks up there. He’s one hell of a competitor. He finds a way to barrel up the ball, drive it line to line. He has a knack for that, always finds the barrel. The only way he’s making outs right now is if he gets himself out. He’s one of the better ones I’ve seen at staying flat through the zone.”
Dodgers catching prospect Tyler Ogle on 2012, when he played 43 games across four levels from Rookie ball to Triple-A:
“Last year was a growing up year for me. I was drafted fairly high, and I thought I was going to come into pro ball and continue to have success. That didn’t happen. My swing didn’t work well with wood, and my catching needed work.
“They kept me in extended, and I did a lot of growing up there. I had to fight to get myself out of extended and out of the AZL every day. I changed my swing, changed the way I catch. They had me start in the AZL and at that point, I told myself I gotta get out of here as best as I know how. That’s hitting and doing what I can behind the plate to help the pitching staff. After I started in the AZL, our farm director told me he that if I did my thing there, he would get me out, but that I had to prove myself.
“After a few games, he got me out like he said he would. I went to Michigan [to Great Lakes in the Midwest League] and I started 0-for-20, and I wasn’t feeling well at the plate. I was playing every couple of days, and I lost my consistency and routine. They saw that and didn’t think I was best suited there, so they sent me back to Short Season [Ogden]. I spent time there working a lot on my swing and I had my two hitting coaches from extended there at Short Season, and they took it upon themselves to get me back out there, Johnny Washington and Doug Mientkiewicz.
“Then Matt Wallach got hurt in Double-A, and all the catchers had to bump up a team, so they sent me back to Michigan, which was a lot of moving. For me, it was okay. I was comfortable. I had been to Michigan already once, and it was basically a second chance, but I don’t get to start over with a new average. I was picking up my 0-for-20. I turned it around a little bit, and then they sent me to Albuquerque to fill a backup role there, which was a great experience. It was a lot of moving around, but it taught me I have to be mentally tough.”
Early Leaders: Zunino, Buxton, d’Arnaud start hot
By Brendon Desrochers
We’re barely a week into the season, but let’s take a brief look at which prospects (those ranked in MLB.com club top-20s) are leading statistical categories (through games of Thursday, April 11):
Total Bases, Home Runs, RBIs and Slugging: Mike Zunino (SEA) with 27, 4, 17 and 1.038
Albuquerque’s Scott Van Slyke is the Minors’ leader in total bases with 32 and slugging at 1.143 (and the venerable Mike Hessman leads with five homers), but Zunino, the Mariners’ No. 3 prospect and No. 23 overall, is off to a strong start with three doubles a triple and the four home runs in six games (and he is the Minors overall leader with those 17 RBIs). As noted in the first Fantasy Focus, the Florida product and 2012 Golden Spikes Award winner may not be long for the Minors. His bat may be ready already.
Mike Zunino has had the season’s best start among top prospects. (Sara Molina/River Cats)
Batting Average and On-base Percentage: Byron Buxton (MIN) at .500 and .565
Van Slyke also leads the Minors in average at .570, but the precocious Buxton, MLB.com’s No. 19 overall prospect, is 10-for-20 with a double, triple, two home runs and two stolen bases in five games. His three walks give him the edge in OBP at .565 (Billy Burns of Potomac leads the Minors among all players at .640). Like Zunino, Buxton too was featured in the first Fantasy Focus, and though the second overall pick from the 2012 Draft won’t turn 20 until December, the potential five-tool center fielder already has Twins fans drooling.
Runs Scored: Travis d’Arnaud (NYM) with 10
His 51s teammate Josh Satin and Tacoma’s Alex Liddi have 11, but it’s still been a strong start for the Minors’ top catching prospect. He’s drawn seven walks and reached base six times via base hit, which has given him the chance to score those 10 runs. With the way John Buck has been hitting for the Mets, though, d’Arnaud may be in Vegas for a few months longer.
Doubles: Maikel Franco (PHI) with 5
Eleven Minor Leaguers share the doubles lead with five, but Clearwater’s Maikel Franco is the only one of the 11 to rank in his organization’s top 20 prospects. The 20-year-old Dominican third baseman is rated 11th in the Phillies organization, and he’s had four doubles in his last three games (plus two homers and seven RBIs in his last two games). Perhaps this is the year that the raw pop Franco’s always showcased in batting practice will consistently make appearances in live action.
Hits: Xavier Avery (BAL) with 13
Avery is three hits behind High Desert’s Kevin Rivers plus Satin and Van Slyke overall, but his start is impressive nonetheless. He has four doubles and two steals to go with the 13 hits and .351 average for Double-A Bowie. The 23-year-old outfielder got into 32 games with the postseason-bound Orioles last year but still qualifies as a prospect and ranks seventh on the Orioles’ list. Avery continues to strike out a bit too much for a player without much power — he has 10 in 37 at-bats — but at least the Atlanta native has shown a consistent ability to draw walks, even earning a free pass in 10.3 percent of 107 plate appearances in Baltimore.
Jurickson Profar’s bat hasn’t heated up yet, but he has shown good patience at the plate. (Jim Redman/MiLB.com)
Walks: Jurickson Profar (TEX) and Robbie Grossman (HOU) with 8
Profar, as we know, is the complete package as a prospect. Despite starting just 6-for-24 with a double, his eight walks show a mature approach and respect from PCL pitchers and managers. How and where Profar becomes a Ranger for good — especially with the big deal Texas just handed Elvis Andrus — is one of the season’s intriguing subplots.
Grossman came to the Astros from Pittsburgh when Wandy Rodriguez was sent north. The outfielder is known almost entirely for his patience. He became the first player since Nick Swisher to have 100 walks and 100 runs scored in a Minor League season when he achieved the feat with Bradenton in 2011. He has more power and less speed than Reggie Willits, but he profiles similarly to the Angels’ fourth outfielder of years past.
Strikeouts: Jared Mitchell (CWS) with 15
Mitchell is another patient hitter, but he hasn’t been able to battle out of deep counts this season as his 5-for-34 (.147) performance and strikeout total indicate. He does have five walks and three steals this season, but Mitchell’s .213 average in 155 at-bats for Charlotte between this season and last is poor. Though it’s early in this season, at age 24, time is running out for Mitchell to live up to his 2009 first-round billing.
Stolen Bases: Cory Spangenberg (SD) with 9
Another first-round pick (No. 10 overall in 2011), the second baseman has enjoyed his time with Lake Elsinore of the California League, batting .323 and stealing those nine bases without being caught. He has three more than you-know-who and has shown he’s completely recovered from the concussions he suffered last season. His speed will play at any level, and his doubles power could work in PETCO Park, even post-reconfiguration.
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