Bring on the Major Leagues: Jays Minor League Update
by hugo on May 7, 2009 10:13 AM EDT
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Las Vegas
J.P. Arencibia has begun to pick up a bit, with 2 home runs thusfar in May, but he is still not getting on base (.245 OBP). Scott Campbell, on the other hand, is slowly getting his bat where it needs to be - but slowly. He was 1-3 with a triple and a walk yesterday, and the fact that he was walked (10) more times than struck out (7) even during a slump is a pretty good sign going forward.
Fabio Castro has been quite good after quickly pitching his way up from New Hamphsire - over his 2 starts for Las Vegas, he's got a 2.19 ERA and went 7 strong innings (no runs, 2 hits, 2 walks, 3 Ks) in his last start. He could see the majors soon. Out of the recently exiled, Brian Burres surprisingly put up the better start than David Purcey in their first go around. Purcey was tough to hit in his 6 1/3 innings but he walked 5 batters (striking out 6) so still has some more work to do. Burres went seven strong yesterday and gave up just one run, walking 6 and striking out 1. I point this out because I'm a little afraid of him pitching for the Jays again. Jonah Bayliss had his perfect start ruined with a disastrous outing (1/3 of an inning, 6 earned runs). Dirk Hayhurst seems to struggle whenever he's starting (9.49 ERA, 7/5 K/BB ratio) but do well when pitching out of the bullpen (1.59 ERA, 4/0 K/BB, .090 batting average against).
New Hampshire
Brian Dopirak continues to hit well - he's batting .297/.357/.515 with 5 home runs and 7 doubles but has slowed down very recently after a torrid end to April. A callup could be in order. Catcher Brian Jeroloman has cooled off considerably, though he has started to show his trademark plate discipline. David Cooper continues to hold his own (.345 OBP) which is very good, but he hasn't shown much in the way of power yet (.375 slg, .104 Iso-P). Brad Emaus has picked it up a bit and is now hitting .294/.360/.441/.801 with 10 extra-base hits.
Even with Castro gone, New Hampshire's pitching has continued to be stellar. Marc Rzepczynski is leading the way with 41 Ks in 32 1/3 innings over his 6 starts, for a 3.06 ERA. Reidier Gonzalez, Luis Perez, and Randy Boone have also done very nice jobs. Brandon Magee was promoted from Dunedin and will make some starts for New Hampshire now that Castro is gone.
Dunedin
Eric Thames and Moses Sierra continue to swing very hot bats. Thames is hitting .333 with 3 extra-base hits, 10 RBI, and 8 walks to just 4 Ks over his last 10 games. He's looking like a draft-day steal for the Jays. As for Sierra, the rifle-armed right-fielder is batting .305/.394/.500 and you have to love that power. Another guy who is really hitting well is John Tolisano - he has been red hot recently with 4 home runs, a .300 average, and 7 walks over his last 10 games. Over the season, he is hitting an impressive .262/.366/.541. Tolisano is outpacing his more-heralded fellow draftees - Justin Jackson and Kevin Ahrens. Both have dealt with some nagging injuries (Ahrens just returned) and are really struggling.
Adam Loewen has 12 games under his belt but hasn't done much yet.
On the pitching side, as we mentioned, Magee earned his promotion. Trystan Magnuson could be close behind - the big righty has done a nice job for Dunedin with a 2.95 ERA and 2/1 K/BB ratio over his 18 1/3 innings. Tim Collins has been even more dominant, with almost twice as many strikeouts (31) as innings pitched (16 1/3) and a miniscule .67 Whip. Andy Liebel has also pitched okay in his first full season, with a nice strikeout to walk ratio.
Lansing
Johermyn Chavez continues to hit everything in sight. The toolsy Venezuelan outfielder is now hitting .333/.371/.678/1.049 with 15 extra-base hits (half of his total hit output), including 6 home runs and 4 triples. 2008 draftee third baseman Mark Sobelewski is doing a decent job, hitting .286/.364/.388 and nice walk (about 10% of plate appearances) and strikeout numbers (less than 20% of PAs). Most of the other Lansing hitters aren't doing much yet, though shorstop Ty Pastornicky is picking it up a bit at the plate.
As for rehabbing Jays, Casey Janssen (shoulder) is scheduled to pitch for Dunedin today, with Ricky Romero (oblique) going tomorrow. B.J. Ryan is also beginning his rehab stint with Dunedin. Oh, and thanks to Pavement for today's title.
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I know you should never get excited about pitching prospects....
But it sure seems like we have a bunch of them at the moment. Though I think I’m going to cheer against Marc Rzepczynski because I’ll never learn how to spell that name if he makes it to the majors.
You think there is any chance Pastornicky passes Jackson somewhere along the line?
by Tom Dakers on May 7, 2009 10:47 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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Whomever learns to hit makes it…
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by achengy on May 7, 2009 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice to know that once the starters finally get healthy we’ll have Cecil, Ray, Purcey, Mills and Castro all waiting in Vegas, though if Cecil keeps pitching the way he did Tuesday do you keep him the rotation once Romero and Janssen return?
Oh and Pavement is wicked…Summer Babe is probably the best song of the 90s.
We WILL see a parade down Yonge Street one day soon...and I WILL be very drunk.
by snaptoit on May 7, 2009 11:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
his first start hints that he might be ready
but a big reason they want Cecil in AAA is that he was a closer in college and he needs to build up stamina badly to be a Major League starter. that said, with Purcey’s gross ineffectiveness, he may be the best thing we have, unless they plan to leave Tallet in the rotation until David gets his command sorted out…
by boo15749 on May 7, 2009 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'd like to see a system
where they share innings to keep up their effectiveness.
Janssen, Marcum and McGowan need to have their innings limited. Even Romero should have their inning limited. I’m not sure sticking with 5 guys would be the best thing for us…technically at least 6 will be needed even with the guys healing up.
AWmusic - mp3 blog on independent music..
by achengy on May 7, 2009 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
well, marcum and mcgowan are still a ways off
particularly mcgowan, but is what you’re suggesting then a rotation with two fifth starters . . . something like . . .
1, 2, 3, 4, 5a, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5b, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5a . . . etc.?
If so, I guess 5a/5b would be available for long/middle/setup relief in the weeks when he isn’t starting? Basically, in order to limit their innings we’d have two swingmen? I don’t recall that being done before but it doesn’t seem like a bad plan, provided that they are comfortable with it.
"The NY Mets are my favorite squadron" -- Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
by jessef on May 7, 2009 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
if any of you have read
Baseball Between the Numbers, the (quite strong) argument is made that 5-man rotations are completely unnecessary and that 4-man rotations have been used extremely effectively, so long as you don’t have Kerry Wood as one of them and you don’t run them out for 115 pitches an outing. I really don’t think we need to institute a new rotation, especially since it would limit our ability to carry high-quality bench players.
by boo15749 on May 7, 2009 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We also have Cito though
those bench players won’t get to play…
AWmusic - mp3 blog on independent music..
by achengy on May 7, 2009 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes I've actually read that the optimal rotation only used three pitchers
and that pitchers should only throw 70 to 80 pitches or so per start.
I think you ignored the point I was trying to make regarding 5a and 5b . . . using them in tandem actually gives you another arm in the bullpen. I believe that a tandem of Cecil and Janssen would be at least as effective as one of the Jays lower-end relief pitchers (think Wolfe, Camp or Murphy) and gives you a chance to stretch those guys out over some time (as Cecil certainly needs and Janssen could probably use).
Cecil has demonstrated good control at every level thus far (outside of a few starts in the PCL this season) and Janssen obviously had great success in the pen in 2007, so I don’t see why either of them wouldn’t be able to pitch well there.
"The NY Mets are my favorite squadron" -- Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
by jessef on May 7, 2009 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
you're probably right
and yeah, I guess I didn’t get your interpretation, sorry about that. but the chance it will get implemented is practically nil, since Cito would get ripped apart by the media instead of just by us…
And anyway, I really don’t see the advantage of doing 5a/b as opposed to just a regular everyday 5th day starter… Cito (any manager really) would probably be hesitant to use the off-week starter except on the day that the other is pitching, since if they use it any other time their start would be on fewer than 4 days of rest.
by boo15749 on May 7, 2009 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed
They would never go for it, and it really isn’t necessary to do it, because if they are worried about stretching guys out, they could use 5a on regular rotation (with 5b always in the pen) until they want to basically shut him down and then cycle 5b into the rotation and put 5a in the pen.
The nice thing about 5a/5b in tandem is that
a. both guys would be fresh to do what they’d have to do at the end of the season
b. they would be reaching their pitching limits over more time, which would likely put less stress on their arms
You are definitely right about it being difficult to keep them properly rested for the start, but I think it could be done because if you need to use 5b the day before he would start, you can just use 5a in his place, since he would be on four days rest — the alternation doesn’t have to be strictly done every week, just as a general guideline to limit guys’ innings.
"The NY Mets are my favorite squadron" -- Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
by jessef on May 7, 2009 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
with the 4-man rotation
it probably could work, but the first manager who tries it and sees a star pitcher get a serious injury is going to have a lot of trouble finding work again
"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman
by hugo on May 7, 2009 9:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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