Rock Cats: A Tough Week-Plus

If you're familiar with this blog, you know that this image
signifies that the Rock Cats are in the midst
of a losing streak

Just like their parent club, the New Britain Rock Cats have hit a tough spell. In fact, their last victory was May 11 vs. Portland, and since that 5-4 win, the Cats have lost 8 consecutive games. In those 8 games, the Rock Cats have combined to score a grand total of 18 runs, while allowing 52. It's not tough to see the problems: they aren't scoring enough, and are allowing too many runs (how's that for analysis?).

But let's dig a little deeper. There are other things -- some good -- at play. First, infielder James Beresford, who had been on the disabled list with a pulled groin, just returned to action this past weekend. Beresford had been off to a hot start before missing 2 weeks. In his first 4 games back, he has 6 hits (in 17 at-bats), and is batting .340 on the season. I frequently write about Beresford, and it's for a reason: although he isn't a top Twins prospect, he has a very good glove, and has demonstrated this season that his bat has caught up to AA pitching. If the hot bat continues, I'd be surprised if Beresford isn't promoted by July. So keep checking his stats!

Second, New Britain had been playing without a dedicated third baseman for a couple weeks, after Minnesota's own Nate Hanson was promoted to Rochester. Luckily, Deibinson Romero's visa issues were resolved, and he joined the team earlier this week. He's off to a good start, hitting .370 with 2 doubles and 2 home run in the first 7 games. In fact, he had 3 hits in each of his last 2 games. Romero, not a fantastic defender, was dependable on offense last year, so in the long run, his presence in the middle of the Cats' lineup will create more punch. Don't forget, last season, Romero hit 19 home runs and 23 doubles for New Britain, so he's no slouch with the bat.

Now, let's discuss our top stating pitching prospects: Meyer and May, hopefully our next "M & M Boys." They haven't been as successful the proverbial second time around the league. In his starts this month, Meyer hasn't lasted longer than 5 and 1/3 innings, but has 17 Ks to go along with 7 BBs. The problem, though, is that he's been allowing more than 1 hit an inning, and has given up 9 earned runs in these last 3 starts (a cumulative 15 innings). So yes, he's still missing bats -- 51 Ks and 18 BBs in 43 innings -- but he hasn't been going as deep into games. If these last 3 games are like the game I attended last month, it's because Meyer is struggling to either finish off hitters with a strikeout (instead, he would allow them to come back in a count), or locate his fastball. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Meyer has a 3.56 ERA. He's 23. He's tied for 3rd in the Eastern League in strikeouts. Yes, areas for improvement have been identified, but isn't that what the point of the minor leagues is? Instruction. Opportunity for improvement.

Finally, Trevor May. This month, May had 2 very good starts, and 1 clunker. His first 2 starts both lasted 7 innings, and he only gave up 1 earned run, striking out a combined 13 and walking 3. His most recent start was tough: only 4 innings, 5 earned runs, 3 Ks and 2 BBs. After allowing only 5 total hits in those first 2 starts, May surrendered 9 in the most recent. Let's talk about progress, though: May has not allowed a home run in his last 5 starts, after allowing 1 home run in each of his first 3 starts. His current strikeout-to-walk ratio is 40-21.But in those last 3 starts, the ratio is 16-5 -- better than 3-to-1. Both Meyer and May still have some distance to go before they are ready for Target Field. Meyer needs to better locate his fastball, and May still has to work on control so that he can work deeper into games on a more consistent basis.

One final note: after a very slow start, shortstop Danny Santana is hitting .280/.297/.354, including .366/.395/.415 over his last 10 games. Again, with this team, this year, I'm looking for individual progress and development.

Check back in a couple days. I'm attending Wednesday's Rock Cats game. Alex Meyer is scheduled to throw. But if Tuesday's game is cancelled, there's a chance that Trevor May will be on the hill. Either way, there will be something to write about, and I'll be tweeting from the press box.

The Rise of Josmil Pinto

Contrary to what is implied here, I can report that Josmil Pinto DOES
indeed know how to wear his tools of ignorance

Twins catchers. There's Joe Mauer. Then a big, big gap. Sure, Ryan Doumit can technically sit there and intercept a pitch before it hits the umpire. But to call him a full-time catcher -- or even an adept one -- may be a stretch. Nothing against Doumit as a baseball player and hitter, but a reliable catcher he is not. And of course there was Wilson Ramos, but enough has been written on that chapter. And finally, Drew Butera. Calls a great game and has a great arm, but cannot hit his way out of AAA. Long story short, the Twins have been searching for their next catcher for quite some time.

Last season, I was on the Chris Herrmann bandwagon. And I still am, to an extent. He put together a very nice 2012, demonstrating that he could hit, he could catch, and that he could even play left field. Rightfully, he started 2013 at AAA Rochester. Unfortunately, 2013 has been rough thus far for Herrmann. He's hitting only .242/.308/.274 with 3 doubles. Yes, it's still very early in the season, and that's important to note. But it's also accurate to state that the first month-plus of 2013 has been disappointing for Herrmann. There's no reason to write him off -- he still has more than 300 at-bats to accumulate this summer -- but I am disappointed that Herrmann has been so slow out of the gate in what is a very important season for him.

This preamble brings me to Josmil Pinto. While Herrmann has struggled, Pinto has flourished. Pinto, who turned 24 at the end of March, earned an "August call-up" to the Rock Cats last season after batting .295/.361/.473 with the High-A Ft. Myers Miracle. As I've written before, Pinto didn't disappoint. In 47 Rock Cats at-bats last season, he hit a nice .298/.365/.553. It's too small a sample size to determine anything other than that Pinto did indeed belong in AA.

This brings me to 2013. Pinto has undoubtedly been the Rock Cats' best hitter. As New Britain's starting catcher, Pinto has hit .341/.414/.550 in his first 129 at-bats. He has 7 doubles, 1 triple, 6 home runs, and 29 RBIs. Here's some league-wide information on Pinto, as of the date of this post. He's 3rd in the entire Eastern League in runs with 25; 2nd in hits with 44; tied for 2nd in home runs with 6; 1st in RBIs with 29; 1st in total bases with 71; 7th in on-base percentage at .414; 4th in slugging percentage at an even .550; 2nd in average at .341; and 2nd in OPS at .964.

I should reiterate that we are only in the second week of May. Pinto has not yet been around the league that proverbial "second time." But at the same time, he's demonstrating thus far that he has improved from 2012, that he can catch a good game (he has a good arm from what I've seen, but I have heard that he needs work framing pitches), and that it's time to start considering where he sits on the Twins' depth chart.

For my Twins' catching depth chart, I'm simply not going to count Drew Butera. It's the fan's prerogative, right? Nothing personal, but I've seen enough. He's earning more than major league minimum, and the Twins have 2 other catchers that can do his job for less. So as of today, my Twins' depth chart at catcher is: Joe Mauer; Ryan Doumit; Chris Herrmann; Josmil Pinto. If Pinto keeps that average above .300, keeps hitting for extra bases -- and if Herrmann fails to correct his early season slide -- I'm prepared to switch to switch those final two positions as early as July, when Pinto more than likely will catch at New Britain Stadium as a member of the Eastern League All-Star Team.

But calling Pinto the next Twins' catcher is too simple a conclusion. Herrmann had a very good year last season, and in my opinion from having seen both catch a handful of games, Herrmann is a better receiver. There's a lot of baseball to go in 2013, and I'd like to see both Herrmann and Pinto have strong campaigns that force the Twins' front office to make a tough decision in 2014. As this team rebuilds, isn't that what we, as fans, want -- competition from qualified applicants for a spot on the team that will cost only $500,000? And competition that might make Ryan Doumit a tradeable asset this season or next?

There's a long way to go in 2013. But so far, so good with Josmil Pinto.

Ft. Myers Miracle; May 6, 2013 Game Ball

D.J. Baxendale. Someone give him a game ball.
Credit: Greg Wagner.

Giving out tonight's game ball is easy. Yes, there were good offensive contributions from guys like Eddie Rosario, Matt Koch, and even Miguel Sano for reaching base in 3 of 4 at-bats. 

But the player of the game this evening was Miracle starting pitcher D.J. Baxendale. 7 innings pitched, only 3 hits allowed, 10 strikeouts, and no walks issued. He picked up his 5th win on the season, lowered the ERA to 1.49, and that WHIP will decrease, as well. 

A very, very impressive 5-0 start for the season for Mr. Baxendale. He dominated a solid lineup, and didn't let up at all, even when his team put the game out of reach.

Thanks to the Ft. Myers Miracle staff for letting me blog about their team for a night. I look forward to seeing a bunch of these guys later this season, and especially in 2014. The Twins aren't great right now, but their minor league system continues to impress.

2013 Miracle Players and their Futures

Maybe you haven't heard of Miracle catcher Matt Koch.
He's having a pretty nice season thus far.

The Minnesota Twins are in a state of flux. Their pitching is (or will be) below league average. They haven't had a third baseman stick since Corey Koskie, middle infield has been a revolving door of below average players, and unfortunately Justin Morneau's future as a Twins player is very much uncertain.

What are currently weaknesses for the Twins hopefully can be opportunities for several Miracle players. Twins fans hope -- often even with desperation -- that Miguel Sano can stick at third base. If his defense is even league average, that would be wonderful. I'm optimistic: I believe that he is a very good athlete, and I believe he's willing to take instruction and criticism. Also, he won't be 20 years old until Saturday. In other words, there's time for Sano to learn. And as I previously wrote, Twins fans also hope that Eddie Rosario can fill that second base position for years to come. Finally, tonight's hero (thus far) DJ Baxendale, should continue to advance through the system.

Importantly, however, there are many other interesting players on this 2013 Miracle team with potential: Kennys Vargas, Matt Koch, Adrian Salcedo, Corey Williams, Jason Wheeler, and others, have the ability to advance up the Twins' system. Although Sano and Rosario might sell the most jerseys this season, they likely won't be the only Miracle players to someday wear a Twins jersey.

Eddie Rosario: Getting it Done

Eddie Rosario bats for the Miracle.
Courtesy of Terry Allen Williams, news-press.com

Eddie Rosario is only 21 years old. He began in the Twins' system as an outfielder, but is in the process of being converted to a second baseman. If you don't follow the Twins, here's the abbreviated story: the Twins don't need outfielders in the same way that they need middle infielders. For Rosario, his quickest shot to the majors is if he can stick at second base.

How has he done this year? Offensively, very very well. Going into tonight's game, he's hitting .339/.371/.521 with 2 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs and 20 RBIs. He has 22 Ks to only 7 walks, so it would be nice to see his eye at the plate improve -- and his on-base percentage increase as a result. But that should come with age and another several hundred plate appearances in the minor leagues.

His defense has been much improved. After having 15 errors in 67 games at second base last season in Low-A Beloit, he has 2 errors in 29 games this season. Perfection? No. But improvement at a higher level of play: absolutely.

Let me re-emphasize that Rosario is ONLY 21 YEARS OLD. He will not be 22 until the end of September.  If Rosario continues to exceed expectations and improve his defense, there's no reason he can't start 2014 at AA. And from there, as Terry Ryan has repeatedly said about Rock Cats top prospects, their advancement is in their hands.

Why I Love Minor League Baseball

This isn't a sales pitch for Miracle Baseball games. I've never been to one, and I'm not on the Miracle payroll; I have a real, non-baseball job, and I just blog for fun. But I have been to probably 40 minor league games in the past 2+ years, compared to only 4 or so major league games.

And I, hands-down, prefer minor league games. I don't have kids, but I don't know how your typical American "family of 4" affords a major league game. Between tickets, parking, and even just hot dogs and soda, you're looking at well over $100. Get ready to fork over a lot more if you want a good view, or if you want to enjoy a beer with that hot dog.

I love minor league baseball because families can enjoy high-quality baseball and still have money in the bank. I love minor league baseball because you can talk to players before and after the games -- players that in another year or two may be Major League All-Stars. I love minor league baseball because it's easy to root for they guys as they go up the system. And I love minor league baseball because, for under $15, I can sit above my team's dugout and enjoy a perfect view of a ballgame.

The other great part of MiLB games are promotions. Almost every game offers something, whether it's bobbleheads, discounted tickets, or happy hour evenings -- the Rock Cats do their happy hours on Thursday evenings. Here's the link to the Miracle's 2013 promotions. If you can't find something interesting or fun on this list, you probably are not a baseball fan. If you haven't been, I encourage you to check out your "local" minor league team -- wherever that is, and whatever their affiliation.

Miracle Pitching Can't Go Unnoticed

Yes, it's probably fair to say that the Miracle's offense has carried it -- having top offensive prospects like Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario in the same minor league lineup is usually a temporary, and great, phenomenon. But I would be remiss if I didn't mention the starting pitching.

Tonight's starter, D.J. Baxendale. Courtesy of TwinsTrivia.com

Through 2 innings tonight, Miracle starter D.J. Baxendale has 4 strikeouts and appears to be dominating a good Tampa Yankees roster. Going into this evening's game, Baxendale's WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched -- a good stat to measure a pitcher's general effectiveness over things he can control) was a mere 0.92. It's already lower, of course, given his solid first couple innings. He could pick up his 5th win tonight, which would give him at least a temporary lead in wins for the entire Florida State League.

But it hasn't just been Baxendale keeping this pitching staff afloat. As a team, the Miracle have a respectable 3.69 ERA going into tonight's game, and a more-than-respectable 183-60 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In other words, they've been striking out just more than 3 hitters for every 1 hitter they've walked.

This is important. The odds that Sano wears a Miracle uniform for all of 2013 get slimmer with each home run he hits. The pitching is going to have to be ready to pick up the slack when some of these top hitters get mid-season or late-season promotions.

 

How Disgustingly Great has Miguel Sano Been?

Miguel Sano doesn't look like this anyomre.

The answer: very, very disgustingly great. Check it out here yourself.

Going into tonight's game: Sano's .385 batting average is tops in the entire FSL league; his 26 runs are first; his 42 hits are second (1 hit shy of tying Phillies farmhand Cameron Perkins); he's tied for 7th in doubles with 9 -- but don't worry, that's only because his extra-base hits are usually homers -- he leads the league with 10 home runs (next best is 6); he leads the league in RBIs with 30; he leads the league in total bases with 83; he's second in the league with a .456 on-base percentage; he's first in the league with a .761 slugging percentage; and of course he's first with an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of 1.217.

Yes, his defense at third base has been an issue going into this year (although it's important to note that his defense apparently is much improved), but you simply cannot ignore or understate this impressive offensive production.

Sano has filled out just a little bit.
Image courtesy of Scott Butherus, NaplesNews.

Ft. Myers Miracle Blogapalooza!

Good Evening Twins Major and Minor League baseball fans!

I'm excited to be live-blogging, and live-tweeting, tonight's Ft. Myers Miracle vs. Tampa Yankees game.
Please feel free to leave a comment here at the blog, or hit me up on Twitter @mnfanfromafar.

I usually post on the New Britain Rock Cats, and the Twins of course, but this game is a great opportunity to talk about a few players who are likely to be future Rock Cats this season, and future Twins in years to come.

A couple game notes: The Miracle are a ridiculous 23-6 under new manager, and former Twin Doug Mientkiewicz. This has been a really exciting team to follow. D.J. Baxendale is on the mound tonight, with an impressive 4-0 record, and a very impressive 25/6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. That's the kind of stat the Twins brass goes crazy for! Shortstop Adam Bryant was placed on the disabled list, which resulted in Aderlin Mejia getting a shot with the Miracle.

The last name I'll discuss, just for the moment, is Miguel Sano. I'm not certain that I've been as excited for a Twins prospect as I have been for Sano. He is tearing up the Florida State League, which is traditionally known as a pitchers' league: .385 average; 10 home runs ;12 multi-hit games, 7 multi-RBI games; 21-for-51 (.412) in last 14 games. The Twins traditionally have even their top prospects spend a lot of time at the High-A level, but you have to wonder if Sano will spend all of 2013 in a Miracle uniform.

That's it for right now. Please listen to the game FOR FREE, starting at 7:05 eastern time, here, follow along on the Miracle website here, and drop me a line!