Archive for May, 2011
Blue Jays Prospects of the Week (May 23-29)
111 months ago
Okay, well I just got home after a 9 hour day of painting my new apartment, in which I move in to on Wednesday. Needless to say this week has been super crazy, and this post will be VERY brief. You know what else is crazy? The last 2 weeks worth of stats for Brett Lawrie and Joel Carreno. They are two of the hottest prospects in the minor leagues right now, and have once again surpassed everyone else in the Blue Jays system to get this week’s Prospects of the Week award.
Joel Carreno had another ridiculous outing for the Fisher Cats. 7IP, 2H, 0ER, 3BB, 11K. Yes 11K’s. He notched the win in that start as well. Carreno has now struck out 64 batters, through 55IP. That’s an astounding 10.4K/9IP. He has only allowed 35 hits. 10 of those hits were allowed in one game. Carreno is in a groove right now that can only be described as dominant. Keep an eye on his progress over the next few starts, and he might see a call up to the big leagues.
Honourable Pitching Lines of the Week:
Henderson Alvarez (New Hampshire Fisher Cats): 1-0, 6IP, 4H, 1ER, 2BB, 2K
Chad Beck (New Hampshire Fisher Cats): 1-0, 6IP, 9H, 1ER, 1BB, 5K
Nestor Molina (Dunedin Blue Jays): 1-0, 6IP, 3H, 1ER, 10K, 1BB
Brett Lawrie is out of this world right now. He is the hottest prospects not in the Major Leagues right now. He leads the Pacific Coast League in hits, doubles, and touched bases. This past week Lawrie went 12/31 (.387) with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 10 runs batted in, 9 runs scored, and 2 stolen bases. There’s no stopping Brett, and there’s no doubt he will be called up very soon.
Honourable Hitting Lines of the Week:
David Cooper (Las Vegas 51′s): 12/30 (.400), 4 doubles, 1HR, 8RBI, 7R,
Ryan Goins (Dunedin Blue Jays): 10/24 (.417), 5 doubles, 5RBI, 4R
Mike McDade (New Hampshire Fisher Cats): 12/30 (.400), 3 doubles, 1HR, 8RBI, 6R
Travis d’Arnaud (New Hampshire Fisher Cats): 9/26 (.346), 3 doubles, 2HR, 4RBI, 8R
Moises Sierra (New Hampshire Fisher Cats): 14/31 (.452), 5 doubles, 3RBI, 6R
Week 1 (April 11-17): RHP Nestor Molina, 3B Brett Lawrie
Week 2 (April 18-24): RHP Zach Stewart, C AJ Jimenez
Week 3 (April 25-May 1): LHP Brad Mills, CF Jake Marisnick
Week 4 (May 2-8): RHP Reidier Gonzalez, 1B Michael McDade
Week 5 (May 9-15): RHP Joel Carreno, LF/RF Brad Glenn
Week 6 (May 16-22): RHP Joel Carreno, 3B Brett Lawrie
Week 7 (May 23-29): RHP Joel Carreno, 3B Brett Lawrie
Henderson Alvarez Promoted to AA
012 months ago
After 2 starts with the Class High-A Dunedin Blue Jays, 21 year old right-handed pitcher Henderson Alvarez has been promoted to the Class AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
In 2010, Alvarez posted a record of 8-7 in 23 games (21 starts), with an ERA of 4.33 through 112.1 innings. He held a SO/9 ratio of 6.2, with a BB/9 ratio of 2.2.
Alvarez started 2011 on the disabled list, and made his first start for Dunedin on May 9th, where he allowed 7 runs (4 earned) in 2.1 innings of work. His second start was much improved, allowing only 2 runs on 3 hits in 6 innings.
Alvarez hails from Valencia, Venezuela, and was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as a non-drafted free agent in August 2006. He features a fastball which tops at 98 mph, with an 82 mph curveball. He joins a Fisher Cats rotation featuring other prospects Joel Carreno, Zach Stewart, Chad Beck, and Reidier Gonzalez.
Eric Thames to make MLB Debut
01 year ago
As first reported by Jon Morosi, the Blue Jays have placed Adam Lind on the 14-day Disabled List, and have called up left fielder Eric Thames from the AAA Las Vegas 51’s. To make room on the 40-man roster for Thames, the Blue Jays have removed 51’s pitcher Robert Ray from the 40-man roster, designating him for assignment.
Adam Lind has missed the last 8 games with a sore back, and the Blue Jays decided to put him on the Disabled List, retroactive May 7th. This will allow Lind to rejoin the team on May 24th.
Thames, through 36 games, has hit .342/.419/.610 for an OPS of 1.029 (11th best in the Pacific Coast League). Thames leads the PCL in doubles with 17 and is top 10 in runs batted in.
According to Gregor Chisolm of MLB.com, Blue Jays manager John Farrell says that Thames will play left field and designated hitter. Thames will likely see most of his at bats against right handed pitching, as his splits against left-handed pitching in AAA have been average, but with Juan Rivera struggling at the plate, Thames could see a bulk of the at bats over the next few games.
Blue Jays Prospects of the Week (May 2-8)
01 year ago
Happy Mother’s Day to the wonderful baseball moms around the world who drive their kids to a game that is 2 hours away, play catch when their kid is bored and needs to spend some energy, and get their kids to countless practices. Without your organization and commitment, dads everywhere would probably go crazy.
On to my Blue Jays Prospects of the Week. We have two new up and comers to honour this week, both playing for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in Class AA. Reidier Gonzalez has been quietly putting up solid numbers for the Fisher Cats. In his 6 starts, Gonzalez has not allowed more than 2ER in a game, and has 5 quality starts. On the offensive side of things, Mike McDade had a big week, hitting .400 over 7 games. Both of these players have been vital to the Fisher Cats great start, holding a 17-11, sitting 1.5 games back out of first place in the EAS Eastern League.
Reidier Gonzalez is a 5’9, 215lb right handed pitcher, who was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays out of St. Petersburg College in the 19th round (566th overall) of the 2005 First Year Player Draft. Reidier had an outstanding week, logging 2 quality starts. He pitched a combined 14.2 innings, allowing 11 hits, 1ER, and struck out 8 while walking 3. He earned the win in his start on May 2nd against the first place Reading Phillies, recording all but one out in an 8.2 inning masterpiece. On May 8th against the Binghamton Mets, Reidier got a no decision in a 4-0 New Hampshire loss.
This is Redier’s 6th year in the minor leagues. He made his professional debut at the age of 19 with the Pulaski Blue Jays of the Appalachian Rookie League. In 2 seasons with Pulaski, Reidier had a 5-5 record over 20 starts, with a 3.44ERA over 89 innings of work. He had a 7.5K/9IP ratio, and a miniscule 2.2BB/9IP ratio. Over the next 3 years, Reidier climbed the ladder, starting for Class A Lansing Lugnuts in ’07, Class Advanced A Dunedin Blue Jays in ’08, and the Class AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats in ’09. Over that span, Reidier held a 25-17 record with a 3.21ERA over 344.4 innings. After a rough stint with the Las Vegas 51’s of Class AAA in 16 starts, it was decided that Reidier would start the 2011 season in AA New Hampshire, a vast change from the thin air of Las Vegas.
Reidier Gonzalez has been lights out for the Fisher Cats (Photo by Kevin Pataky/MiLB.com)
Honourable Pitching Lines of the Week:
RHP Nestor Molina (Dunedin Blue Jays): 1-0, 7IP, 4H, 1R, 0ER, 7K, 0BB
RHP Chad Jenkins (Dunedin Blue Jays): 0-0, 5IP, 4H, 1ER, 3K, 0BB
LHP Brad Mills (Las Vegas 51′s): 1-0, 7IP, 6H, 1ER, 7K, 1BB
Mike McDade is a big, 6’1, 260lb first baseman for the Class AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2007 in the 6th round (205th overall) of the First Year Player’s Draft, as a catcher. He was immediately converted to a first baseman. McDade brings size, power, and solid defensive ability to the corner position. This past week, McDade went 10/25 (.400) with 3 doubles, a home run, 3 runs batted in, and 7 runs scored. Over this span, the Fisher Cats were 5-2.
McDade struggled in his first 2 years of pro baseball in 2007 and 2008, spending time with 3 different teams. (GCL Blue Jays in Rookie ball, Auburn Doubledays in the Class Low-A NY Penn League, and the Lansing Lugnuts in the Class-A Midwest League). It was not until 2009 where McDade broke out and got Blue Jays fans excited. He had a career high .277 average, with 27 doubles, 16HR, and 57RBI’s for the Lugnuts. Last year in 2010, McDade played a full season with the Class-A Advanced Dunedin Blue Jays, where he hit .267 with 22 doubles, 21HR (led the Florida State League), and 64 RBI’s. While impressive, McDade struck out 141 times in 517 plate appearances, something he will have to lower if he wants to play in the Major Leagues. This season, McDade has started where he left off in Dunedin, this time playing with the Class AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats, where he’s hitting .342/.387/.495 through 28 games, hitting 2 home runs, and driving in 10. With David Cooper playing for the Blue Jays, and McDade continuing to hit well, he could see a call up to AAA Las Vegas in the near future.
McDade is looking to build from last season, putting up big power numbers (Photo by Jordan Megenhardt/MLB.com)
Honourable Hitting Lines of the Week:
LF Eric Thames (Las Vegas 51′s): 8/27 (.296), 1 triple, 2HR, 5RBI, 6R, 1SB
2B/SS Jonathan Diaz (Las Vegas 51′s): 9/23 (.391), 2 doubles, 1HR, 6RBI, 3R, 1SB
If the rain ever subsides in Manchester, New Hampshire, Fisher Cat fans should flock to Northeast Delta Stadium to see this well rounded group of prospects play their baseball. It is no surprise to see their success as they are being managed by Sal Fasano, a lifetime student and mentor of the game, who continues to help young players reach their potential. He has done a wonderful job of managing in his short 2 years of work.
Congratulations to Reidier (Rey) Gonzalez and Mike (Michael) McDade on fine weeks of baseball, and for being my Blue Jays Prospects of the Week.
Prospect of the Week History:
Week 1 (April 11-17): RHP Nestor Molina, 3B Brett Lawrie
Week 2 (April 18-24): RHP Zach Stewart, C AJ Jimenez
Week 3 (April 25-May 1): LHP Brad Mills, CF Jake Marisnick
Week 4 (May 2-8): RHP Reidier Gonzalez, 1B Michael McDade
Las Vegas 51s Weekly Report
01 year ago
by Tpinzone
in Las Vegas 51s
A week ago the 51s were on the ropes and struggling to stay up as they trudged through a seven game losing streak. The past six games since the last report had the 51s showing signs of life, albeit not much more than faint pulse. They wound up dropping three more games last Thursday through Saturday against Sacramento to run their losing streak to ten. On Sunday they finally put another tally into the win column and beat Sacramento to avoid losing their fourth straight series. They’ve since managed to split the first two of four games against Reno, dropping the opener on Monday and winning last night.
The stretch of poor play leaves Las Vegas with an 11-15 record and a spot in the basement of the Pacific Coast League Pacific-South Division, five and a half games off from the first place, and current opponent, Reno Aces. The offense had a solid week scoring an average of 6.33 runs per game and left their season long runs tally at an average of 5.58 runs per game, seventh best in the PCL. The pitching and defense continued to take a beating last week allowing 6.83 runs per game, including two games in six in which they allowed more than ten runs. As discouraging as that is it did represent an improvement from the previous seven games that saw the 51s give up 8.86 runs per game and score just 4.86 runs per game of their own.
Despite the middle of the pack runs scored per game the 51s are currently fifth in on-base percentage at .367 and fifth in total bases with 412. The pitching and fielding have a WHIP(walks and hits per inning pitched) that sits eighth in the league at 1.57 and are one of six teams allowing more than six runs per game on average, checking in with the fifth highest total at 6.23 runs allowed per game. The pitching continues to struggle with getting strikeouts, their 7.1 strikeouts per nine is only fourth from the bottom amongst the PCL pitching staffs but last week they were second to last and striking out fewer than seven batters a game. Shockingly, a week ago the 51s had allowed 13 homers, the second fewest in the league, and then proceeded to double that total in just the last six games and are now twelfth in homers allowed.
The 51s opened their series at home against Sacramento last Thursday with a 9-13 defeat that saw the two teams combine to launch nine home runs. Only three of them came off the bats of the 51s as both Scott Richmond and Chad Cordero got taken yard three times a piece. DeWayne Wise had one of the homers, three hits all together and a walk to lead the offense as Brian Jeroloman and Eric Thames also took trots around the bases. Scott Podsednik had two hits and two walks.
The pitching picked itself up on Friday and allowed Sacramento to plate just two runs. Only problem was that the Sacramento pitching staff did just a little better and held the 51s to a single run and took the win. Brad Mills lowered his ERA to 2.18 with a superb six innings of shutout pitching allowing four hits and two walks against nine strikeouts and six groundball outs to no flyouts. Winston Abreu allowed two runs in two innings on three hits and a walk while striking out a batter. No one on the 51s reached base more than once and only Chris Woodward had an extra base hit with a double.
A day after losing by one run, the 51s came out and…lost by one run in game three of four against Sacramento, 4-5. Travis Snider, who the Blue Jays banished to triple-A for having a bad month of April, opened his unexpected minor league visit by reaching base five times in five trips to the plate on a walk and four hits. Jonathan Diaz reached base three times on two hits and a walk but once again the 51s managed just one extra base hit.
After Luis Perez went five innings and allowed five runs the bullpen closed the door on the River Cats with four shutout innings. Sean Henn and Josh Roenicke pitched two innings each combined to allow one hit and one walk while striking out five. They set Las Vegas up for a winning rally that never came as the 51s pushed across only one run in the eighth after scoring three times in the first four innings.
Salvation finally came for the boys on Sunday with a 9-3 victory in the series finale against Sacramento. Brett Lawrie and Chris Woodward paced the offense with three hits a piece that included a double for Woodward and a double and triple for Lawrie. Wise and Podsednik also picked up a couple hits each and Diaz reached base twice on two walks. Danny Farquhar and Rommie Lewis finished the game with another two and one third scoreless innings of relief after Brett Cecil went six and two-thirds and allowed three runs on six hits, including a pair of home runs, while walking two and striking out five.
The 51s couldn’t build on Sunday’s win as they dropped the opener against Reno on Monday in another slug fest, 8-12. Ryan Shealy, Wise and Snider all went two for four and Woodward had three more hits in five at-bats. Ryan Budde went two for five with the team’s lone homer on the day. The bullpen pitched well again but it didn’t matter, starter Mike MacDonald was rocked for eleven runs, all earned, on fifteen hits in just four and two-thirds innings of work. That’s quite a beating for one pitcher to take but he had allowed two runs through four innings before falling apart in the fifth.
Last night saw the 51s get back into the win column again this time by winning a one run game, 7-6. The 51s are now 4-6 in their ten games decided by one run. Adam Loewen had two hits, including a homer, and Podsednik grabbed two hits as well, both triples. Snider went o for two but drew out three walks. The bullpen shined again with another four shutout innings. Wilfredo Ledezma, Farquhar and Henn combined to walk one and strikeout five.
The 51s have two more at home, today and tomorrow, against Reno before heading out to Tacoma for a four game set starting on Friday and then quickly returning home for four against Albuquerque.
The Brett Lawrie Watch
Lawrie cooled off a bit over the last six games hitting only .225 with a double, a triple and no home runs. It was pointed out last week that he isn’t walking much and that continued as he drew just one walk in six games. He did only strikeout three times in the last week as well, so while he is struggling and not walking he’s still putting the ball into play on a constant basis. Lawrie also stole his sixth base on the season and has still yet to be caught attempting to steal this season.
Lowrie’s .357 batting average this season is the 20th best in the PCL but his .400 on-base percentage is currently 47th. It’s important to remember he’s just twenty-one and one of the league’s youngest hitters. Even then, Lawrie is fourth in the league with 65 total bases. Lawrie’s also going on back to back updates without having made an error in his last thirteen games after making six in his first dozen games. Drawing walks isn’t an exciting aspect of a hitter’s game but it’s essential and it’s hard to get too excited with Lawrie until they start coming a little more often.
The Best Five and Their Numbers
Each week we’ll give you a table with several stats, most from StatCorner, of each of the 51s best five hitters and pitchers. For hitters the table will include their batting average, strikeout and walk rates, isolated power, batting average on balls in play, their park adjusted wOBA and wOBA+. For pitchers you’ll see their innings pitched, strikeout, walks and homers per nine innings, their groundball rates, tRA and FIP. Please, please, please, take sometime to get to know these stats. They’re all very useful.
| Player | BA | BB% | K% | ISO | BABIP | wOBA* | wOBA+ |
| Manny Mayorson | .367 | 13.9 | 2.8 | .233 | .345 | .437 | 122 |
| Brett Lawrie | .357 | 4.1 | 19 | .223 | .419 | .424 | 118 |
| DeWayne Wise | .351 | 0 | 17.5 | .135 | .400 | .416 | 116 |
| Chris Woodward | .354 | 7 | 11.2 | .231 | .375 | .400 | 111 |
| Eric Thames | .333 | 7.6 | 16.9 | .206 | .388 | .384 | 107 |
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| Player | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | GB% | tRA | FIP |
| Brad Mills | 33 | 7.6 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 33 | 2.77 | 2.90 |
| Randy Boone | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 46.2 | 3.02 | 2.64 |
| Mike MacDonald | 24 | 5.2 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 47.3 | 5.24 | 3.33 |
| Wilfredo Ledezma | 16 2/3 | 8.6 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 50 | 3.47 | 2.96 |
| Sean Henn | 17 | 7.4 | 4.8 | 0 | 52.9 | 4.40 | 3.14 |
All advanced stats from StatCorner and all other stats are from Baseball-Reference. All game results and box score data is from the 51s official site.