Thursday, April 21, 2011

Minor-league report - 4/21/11

The always-clever Bill Gluvna of the Nationals PR department is back again this season with his pun-tastic weekly updates on the minor leagues. Here is the latest version, presented unedited...

This Week’s Top Headline
WHAM, BAM, THANK YOU CAM!: Hagerstown RHP Cameron Selik has yet to allow a run in 15.0 innings (3 starts) of work this season...the 23-year-old owns a 6.3/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (20 K, 3 BB) and a stingy .170 batting average against...on Monday night vs. Lakewood, Selik struck out 11 in 5.0 scoreless innings of one-hit ball...Selik was Washington's 22nd-round pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.

Class AAA Syracuse Chiefs
International League North Division
6-7, 5th Place, 2.0 Games Behind

ROSS IS BOSS: LHP Ross Detwiler is 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA in 3 starts with the Chiefs...in 18.0 innings, the former first round pick (6th overall, 2007) has fanned 15 and walked only 4 (3.75/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio)...Detwiler beat Pawtucket Wednesday night, allowing three runs over six innings.

DON'T MISS CHRIS: 1B Chris Marrero leads the Chiefs in homers (2), RBI (8) and total bases (19) through the season's first 12 games...the 22-year-old was drafted by the Nationals in the first round (15th overall) of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

TOMMY BOY: LHP Tom Milone, Washington's 2010 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, owns a 2.08 ERA in 2 starts this season...the southpaw has 9 strikeouts and has yet to issue a walk...Milone's 24 wins from 2009-10 were tops among organizational pitchers during that period.

Class AA Harrisburg Senators
Eastern League Western Division
5-7, 5th Place, 1.0 Game Behind

MY, OH MEYERS: RHP Brad Meyers, who missed most of the 2010 season due to injury, is 2-1 with a 3.07 ERA in 3 starts to begin 2011...in 14.2 innings, Meyers has struck out 17 and walked none...in 2009, Meyers earned Nationals Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors after he went 11-3 with a 1.72 ERA in 24 games (23 starts) with Harrisburg and Potomac of the Single-A Carolina League...Meyers, 25, was selected by Washington in the 5th round of the 2007 Draft out of Loyola Marymount University (CA).

SHOWING HIS FEATHERS: RHP Brad Peacock is 1-1 with a 2.79 ERA in 2 starts...with 12 strikeouts and just 2 walks in 9.2 innings pitched, Peacock has posted a 6.0/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 11.17 strikeouts per 9.0 innings...last season, Peacock paced Washington minor league hurlers with 118 strikeouts.

High-Class A Potomac Nationals
Carolina League Northern Division
4-7, 3rd Place, 3.5 Games Behind

EVEN STEVEN: 1B Steven Souza ranks among Carolina League leaders in RBI (t-1st, 12), slugging (2nd, .813), homers (t-2nd, 4) and total bases (4th, 26)...7 of his 9 hits (one double, 2 triples, 4 homers) have gone for extra bases...Souza, 21, was selected in the 3rd round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft.

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES: LHP Daniel Rosenbaum owns a 2.70 ERA and a .194 batting average against after his first 2 starts of the season...Rosenbaum, a Single-A South Atlantic League All-Star in 2010, was selected in the 22nd round of the 2009 Draft out of Xavier University (OH).

DESTIN-ED TO SUCCEED: OF Destin Hood has reached base via hit or walk in each of Potomac's 9 games this season...Hood is tied for 2nd in the CL with 7 walks and ranks 4th in the league with a .471 OBP...the 21-year-old entered the 2011 campaign rated as the No. 10 prospect in the Nationals' chain according to ESPN's Scouts Inc.

Low-Class A Hagerstown Suns
South Atlantic League Northern Division
9-4, Tied-1st Place

HANDY RANDY: OF Randolph Oduber is tied for 2nd in the SAL with 6 stolen bases...in 12 games this season, the Aruba native is hitting .289 with 2 homers, 6 RBI and 7 runs scored...last season, the 22-year-old was named the GCL MVP after earning All-Star honors and winning the league's batting crown.

BOBBY'S WORLD: LHP Bobby Hansen is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in 2 starting assignments with the Suns...Hansen is scheduled to make his next start in game 2 of a doubleheader, Thursday vs. Hickory (Rangers)...the 21-year-old was Washington's 18th-round pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

24 comments:

Anonymous8 said...

From Gluvna...ROSS IS BOSS: LHP Ross Detwiler is 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA in 3 starts with the Chiefs...in 18.0 innings, the former first round pick (6th overall, 2007) has fanned 15 and walked only 4 (3.75/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio)...Detwiler beat Pawtucket Wednesday night, allowing three runs over six innings.


http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_04_20_syraaa_pawaaa_1

While Detwiler beat Pawtucket last night, he put on 10 baserunners over 6 innings against a AAA team. Not what I would call one of his better victories though Henry Rodriguez and Cole Kimball were again dominant to seal the win.

Will said...

Mark (or Bill),
How aggressive do you think the Nats will be regarding promoting some of these guys who've started off so well.

It looks like Selik is too good to continue pitching in Hagerstown. Considering he was a college senior when we drafted him, I'd hope that he'd be able to handle batters in Potomac or Harrisburg.

This is Brad Meyers 3rd season in AA, despite being extremely effective in every opportunity. He's been frequently injured, but surely over the 100 IP in AA and a 95:18 K:BB ratio, a 1.05 WHIP and 2.12 ERA basically say all you need to know. It's time to move him to AAA, and rid ourselves of Mock, Martin or Chico.

It also looks like we have a serious excess of infield talent in Potomac, between King, Souza and Dykstra at 3B, and Hague (when he returns) and Soriano at SS. It seems like one of them could be promoted and take some time away from our pretty awful infielders in Harrisburg.

A DC Wonk said...

What a difference between now and a few years back, when we were suffering the effects of MLB's decimating the farm.

Bowdenball said...

I love the Gluvna updates.

Any chance Detwiler is brought up to pitch on Sunday?

Anonymous8 said...

Bowdenball, I would say the chance of Detwiler pitching in Pittsburgh on Sunday is between slim and none as he pitched 6 full innings. Probably a better chance to see Lannan on the same amount of rest if they don't use bullpen Broderick/Gaudin/Balester or call-up Maya.

Bowdenball said...

Now I see it ... he went last night.

Guess I should learn to read more carefully.

NatsJack in Florida said...

Riggleman said he'd discuss Sunday's start with Lannan and see how he felt, otherwise it would be starter by committee (God, I dread the thought of Gaudin again).

JD said...

NatsJack,

Why not Broderick followed by Ballester?

As I said yesterday; I'm done with Gaudin; this year's Brian Bruney.

On a positive note; we have to tip our hats to Riggleman; to go 9-9 without Zim and with 3 or 4 replacement type players in the lineup every day and to get almost nothing from Morse and Desmond as well as slow starts from Werth and LaRoche that's pretty remarkable.

NatsJack in Florida said...

JD.... I posted back around opening day that I wouldn't be suprised if Broderick got a spot start, showed well and changed alot of peoples perception of him. Maybe it's this week end.

And Rigg's deserves alot of credit for the current record, although, despite all the complaining from the "usual suspects", his bench is so much more talented and versatile than previous years (Yes, Mike Rizzo deserves some cudo's as well).

sjm308 said...

JD: I think we are 9-8 so lets hope you are not predicting a loss this afternoon.

I also want to see Broderick get that spot start. I realize he had a shaky beginning but he should have an idea now of what major league life is like after 3 weeks. I like the idea of Balester in reserve and if those two can get us through 7 innings we have a real shot. I am really pulling for Balester to continue to impress so that when HRod comes up in early May, someone besides Colin is sent down. I like this team more and more as we play but am concerned that Desmond will continue to be an error machine. He actually made two in the first game but was only charged with one. The throw from Werth was spot on and it should have resulted in an out. The one he was charged with would have allowed Gaudin to probably stay in the game and not put so much stress on the rest of the bullpen which could have change the results of the 2nd game.
Hoping for a 2nd series win in a row.

Go Nats

Neato Torpedo said...

@JD - that's the perfect comparison for Gaudin. It's time to get him out of there. Also - kind of a weird-looking guy (us a weird-looking guys know our own).

Hopefully when Coffey comes back, Balestar stays and Gaudin goes.

JD said...

SJM308,

OOPS; so sorry; I never predict a loss; too much of a fan.

No way Ballester should go back down; not with the stuff Gaudin brings to the table not to mention Slaten.

NatsJack,

I agree with you in principal about Rizzo; he clearly adopted a strategy where he filled the roster with professional veterans and it shows because the results are better than the sum of the parts. You must admit though that a lineup with Ankiel, Rodriguez and Hairston in it is below average.

NatsJack in Florida said...

JD.... Unfotunately there is absolutely NOTHING in the past (either long ago, or recent) to indicate that Desmond will be anything but an error machine.

I have grown tired of the excuses and the unfullfilled promise that he WILL improve.

Tcostant said...

I'm hoping Desi wife goes into labor Saturday, so we get a roster exemption and can spot start a minor leaguer (Maya based on timing of the start) and then just send him down after the game for a MI until Desi is back. Can we induce her than? Sometimes you got to take one for the team...

NatsJack in Florida said...

JD .... and yet you state yourself that the results are "better than the sum of the parts".

Find a Red Sox fan to comment on their lineup and how those results are faring.

Grandstander said...

Why the hate on Slaten? He's had a couple bad outings the last 2 games, but even those weren't as craptastic as Gaudin's. He also holds a 0.00 ERA. The point is moot anyway as he's our only LHP in the pen besides Burnett. He's not going anywhere.

I don't think Riggs can use Gaudin in a spot start and honestly say he's trying to win the game. Hopefully Lannan feels okay enough to give us 5 innings and then hand it over, because I don't like our chances to win if Gaudin is pitching at all.

N. Cognito said...

Grandstander said...
"Why the hate on Slaten? He's had a couple bad outings the last 2 games, but even those weren't as craptastic as Gaudin's. He also holds a 0.00 ERA."

In 10 appearances he's allowed 8 baserunners in 4 innings.

Learn the difference between lucky and good.

NatsJack in Florida said...

Grandstander..... I just checked this whole thread and you are the very first person to mention Slaten so I don't get the "hate" part.

Slaten is our designated LOOGY, definitely not spot starter material.

JD said...

NatsJack,

I completely agree on Desmond; In addition to sloppy defense he is also a mediocre hitter. I suggested including him in any trade package in the off season; moving Espinosa to short and signing Orlando Hudson as a temporary fix.

Slaten's only job is to get 1 or 2 lefties in a given spot and I don't see where he is doing that job. I think I'd rather have Rodriguez with his 99 MPH fastball in these situations even though he's a righty although his lack of control scares me.

UnkyD said...

NatsJack: I feel ya, re: lack of indicators for Desi developing sticky hands. And I don't think there's ANY way he turns into Yount. I'm just naturally optimistic, and I don't see an alternative handy, who's ready to plug in there, this afternoon. Until Rizzo finds somebody readyvto take over, I'll keep hoping the light bulb goes on for Desi. Yes it's hoping against hope, but stranger things have happened.

A related question: I was a decent sandlot athlete (when I was young, and still had knees), nothing more. I never had any trouble charging in on grounders, or tracking fly balls...it just seemed like a combination of instinct and co-ordination. Can somebody with more more experience, at a higher level of play, explain to me how relatively elite talent, like Desi and Niger (among so many others) can have so much difficulty with these seemingly instinctual abilities?

Steve M. said...

Sometimes credit has to go to the hitters. The Cardinals have done a good job of making contact and sometimes they find a spot.

It isn't always on the relievers as I think almost everyone did a good job including Slaten yesterday. Slaten had 2 strikes on Rasmus and it was a cheap flare opposite field on a good pitch. Until they find another lefty specialist, Slaten stays. Do I think Slaten is the answer? No. He isn't overpowering and relies too much on his breaking pitch. I have felt the answer is Detwiler as he can come in against the tough lefty and stay in against a righty. We know the guy can pitch and having him in Syracuse isn't helping the Nats. If a spot opens up there is still Maya and maybe Wang for that spot. Detwiler can be a shut down reliever in the bullpen right now.

I do have to agree on Gaudin. Throwing low 90's with no movement over the plate is as good as a BP fastball. 2 hits and a walk isn't a good appearance for an inning of relief although he wasn't helped by the error and finally was saved by Clippard.

Espy Buzzin' said...

So I assume when LaRoche's arm inevitably falls off, it looks like we'll get our first taste of Marrerro. Sounds like he deserves a shot, or if we move Mike Morse to first, I might throw up in my mouth.

Stew Magnuson said...

Gluvna should "be nice and update us on Bryce."

Anonymous said...

They do need a transplant of a good part of the AAA Syracuse bullpen with the Nats ... starting with Coffey, Gaudin, and Broderick ... perhaps Slaten as well. Henry Rodriguez was more than dominant featuring average velocity of 99-101 for 2 innings last night, followed by Cole Kimball who peaked in the mid 90's during his ninth inning close.

With Marerro at first you lose a left-handed bat in the line up. It may be that Nix will end up as the left-fielder. But, Ankiel has NO BAT. ZERO. People are complaining about Morse and Desmond. Bat Desmond 2nd where he has had success ... why Ankiel who is historically bad offensively?

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