2019 Minor Leagues/Prospect Discussion Thread

wamco · Post #5161 » by **wamco** » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:43 am

Age 24 Ryan howard hit 46 hr across aa and aaa. Could u imagine these same people screaming for no dealing with thAt?

It’s 12 days people. No one is even watching the games. Relax. If it’s me, I call him up next April.

wamco · Post #5162 » by **wamco** » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:44 am

Screaming for bo *

BigLeagueChew · Post #5163 » by **BigLeagueChew** » Fri Jul 19, 2019 5:02 pm

Plot twist..... Jordan Groshans.

phillipmike · Post #5164 » by **phillipmike** » Fri Jul 19, 2019 5:57 pm

Bo has played less minor league games than Vladdy did in his minor league career. More games in AAA can and will never hurt. Bo should be in the minors for the rest of the season.

Jays have the young position players (average age in baseball). No need to rush.

dagger · Post #5165 » by **dagger** » Fri Jul 19, 2019 6:06 pm

BigLeagueChew wrote:Plot twist..... Jordan Groshans.

Care to elaborate? He's injured, but expected back shortly.

Tanner · Post #5166 » by **Tanner** » Fri Jul 19, 2019 6:23 pm

Bo's GB rate is close to what Vlad's was in AAA, except Bo is hitting more LD's and fewer IFFB. So I guess Vlad should have either never been called up, or should be sent back down to work on getting more lift in his swing (his barrell% and launch angle is not good at all). Except you said to be patient with Vlad because he will make adjustments (in the Majors), which is what Bo could also do when he's called up. But Bo is blocked by marginal vets, who you have said the team should avoid because incremental wins = bad, so why are the vets still on the team during a rebuilding season?

I have no idea what side you are on here.

Post #5167 » by **Schad** » Fri Jul 19, 2019 7:14 pm

Tanner wrote:Bo's GB rate is close to what Vlad's was in AAA, except Bo is hitting more LD's and fewer IFFB. So I guess Vlad should have either never been called up, or should be sent back down to work on getting more lift in his swing (his barrell% and launch angle is not good at all). Except you said to be patient with Vlad because he will make adjustments (in the Majors), which is what Bo could also do when he's called up. But Bo is blocked by marginal vets, who you have said the team should avoid because incremental wins = bad, so why are the vets still on the team during a rebuilding season?

I have no idea what side you are on here.

Vlad was pulling the ball more, and pulling the ball in the air more, both of which worked to his natural power. There's no question that he's also still a work in progress, and I've been pointing out his still-elevated ground ball tendencies for...well, about two years now.

And yeah, I expect that Bo will make adjustments in the majors, though it's easier to make swing adjustments when you also aren't dealing with a massive spike in opponent quality. I'd also have no problem with him being called up now. But the "OH MY GOD HE IS BEING WASTED" stuff is silly, because he's hardly the finished product; he is not a destroyer of worlds who is simply overmatching AAA pitching, and an extra couple weeks at that level is more likely to benefit than hurt him, though it's likely to do neither in any substantive way. A player isn't 'blocked' until it's having some actual impact on their development curve, and we're probably a good year of PAs from being able to say that being in AAA is demonstrably worse for Bo's development, not that it'll come to that.

The vets won't be on the team much longer. They'll be traded, and while it's easy to say that we don't need someone's 15th-best prospect or whatever, we do need someone's 15th-best prospect. We need that more than we need two weeks of Bo, because every additional lottery ticket is valuable, and (especially if we're getting lower minors fliers) some of those prospects end up being pretty damned valuable. We tossed what was our 12th-best (or something) prospect for Chad Pennington; that prospect ended up headlining a trade for JD Martinez. We need ammunition more than we need to see Bo right this second.

BigLeagueChew · Post #5168 » by **BigLeagueChew** » Fri Jul 19, 2019 7:28 pm

dagger wrote:
BigLeagueChew wrote:Plot twist..... Jordan Groshans.

Care to elaborate? He's injured, but expected back shortly.

Trying to deflect more than anything but I'd imagine we'll have debates when he's called up and what to do with Vlad jr and/or Bichette at some point again. Overall a good problem to have.

Post #5169 » by **Schad** » Sat Jul 20, 2019 12:56 am

Joey Murray started today in NH, marking his third level of the year. It...didn't go great? He gave up three hits, recording no outs and allowing two runs, before rain hit and he did not return.

vaff87 · Post #5170 » by **vaff87** » Sat Jul 20, 2019 12:57 am

Schad wrote:Joey Murray started today in NH, marking his third level of the year. It...didn't go great? He gave up three hits, recording no outs and allowing two runs, before rain hit and he did not return.

I think he actually pitched yesterday. Then they resumed today.

Post #5171 » by **Schad** » Sat Jul 20, 2019 12:59 am

Yeah, you're right. Only noticed he was called up today, but the start was last night.

IceBelly05 · Post #5172 » by **IceBelly05** » Sun Jul 21, 2019 2:04 am

Murray pitched again today, went much better, struck out 5 over 4 innings one earned run off a solo Hr

polo007 · Post #5173 » by **polo007** » Sun Jul 21, 2019 3:52 pm

Read on Twitter

Post #5174 » by **Schad** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 1:06 am

Miguel Hiraldo hit his 4th HR today. The reputed bat speed and power seems fairly real.

dagger · Post #5175 » by **dagger** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 1:26 am

Adam Kloffenstein continues to throw well for Vancouver League, with solid numbers into the middle innings. Tonight he threw six innings: 4H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 4k, ERA to 2.64. Not bad for an 18 year old. Would expect him in Lansing next season.

Random note of no particular importance: Josh Palacios had himself a Saturday/Sunday with New Hampshire. Went 4-5 (three doubles), with five walks and a sac fly. Scored six runs. Four RBIs and a stolen base. Raised his OPB to .390. He missed half of April and almost all of May with an injury. His OBP so far in July is .444. Probably a little too light hitting against right handed pitchers to ever get to the majors, but he hits lefties like they're punching bags.(387/517/500/1.017). Might warrant a promotion to BUF next season.

vaff87 · Post #5176 » by **vaff87** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 10:28 am

Griffin Conine’s strike outs are getting way out of hand. 71 in 44 games.

polo007 · Post #5177 » by **polo007** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:22 pm

Blue Jays first-round pick T.J. Zeuch working on control after promotion to Bisons - The Buffalo News

Zeuch earned a win in his Bisons' debut, hurling 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a 3-0 victory against the Norfolk Tides on June 22. He allowed just two hits, one walk and struck out four.

But since that excellent outing, he's struggled with his command, and pitching deep in games with consistency remains an elusive goal.

Zeuch is working on his control after failing to last five innings twice in his first five games with the Bisons. He dished out six walks in 4 2/3 innings in a loss against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 22 and five walks in 4 2/3 innings in a no decision against Charlotte on July 17.

“It’s definitely a learning process,” Zeuch said last week, a day before taking the mound against Charlotte. So far, I’ve got a long way to improve, but we’re definitely headed in the right direction."

“The biggest thing is just getting back into the strike zone. My second and third start, I wasn’t throwing nearly enough strikes, especially against Scranton. Six walks in a month, to me, is unacceptable, let alone in one game. So just getting back in the zone. And just staying on line so my sinker stays sinking rather than running.”

Zeuch’s secondary pitches also remain a work in progress.

“They haven’t been very good the whole time I’ve been here,” Zeuch said, with one exception. “My changeup has definitely been a big help to me so far. That’s definitely come a long way from where it has been in years past. I think that it’s the best it’s ever been, right now. But I’m working hard still to bring back the slider and curveball and bring it up to standards.”

Zeuch delivers pitches on an extreme downhill plane on account of his height and high arm slot, which tends to result in plenty of ground balls.

SharoneWright · Post #5178 » by **SharoneWright** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:08 pm

Schad wrote:Miguel Hiraldo hit his 4th HR today. The reputed bat speed and power seems fairly real.

One of the reasons I fully endorse Vlad as our 1st baseman of the future. With the talent ready to break through on the left side of our infield in the next few years (not to mention questions about Vlad's longterm ability to man the hot corner), Vlad eventually needs to move. Leaving room Bo, Groshans, Hiraldo, Martinez, and Cavan at 2nd, etc., the best cohort on the infield will invariably include Vlad at 1st. In the meantime it's fine for Jr. to hone some fielding skills playing 3rd, but only to the extent that it will help his glove when he inevitably moves over in a year or 2.

dagger · Post #5179 » by **dagger** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 12:46 am

Nate Pearson's best outing yet? 5.2 of no-hit ball with one BB and 8K. 74 pitches/52 strikes.

Sanyo · Post #5180 » by **Sanyo** » Thu Jul 25, 2019 1:02 am

SharoneWright wrote:
Schad wrote:Miguel Hiraldo hit his 4th HR today. The reputed bat speed and power seems fairly real.

One of the reasons I fully endorse Vlad as our 1st baseman of the future. With the talent ready to break through on the left side of our infield in the next few years (not to mention questions about Vlad's longterm ability to man the hot corner), Vlad eventually needs to move. Leaving room Bo, Groshans, Hiraldo, Martinez, and Cavan at 2nd, etc., the best cohort on the infield will invariably include Vlad at 1st. In the meantime it's fine for Jr. to hone some fielding skills playing 3rd, but only to the extent that it will help his glove when he inevitably moves over in a year or 2.

Way too early to re arrange things for a guy in rookie A. Lots of guys start hot there and eventually fade off. Of course, if he's hitting like in Triple A one day it will be a good problem to have.. but for now no point in even thinking about that scenario.