IT’S A FIREMAN CONVENTION IN THE SHORT SEASON LEAGUES! AND GUPPY UPDATE AS OF 8/27/14! By Tom Brennan

IT’S A FIREMAN CONVENTION IN THE SHORT SEASON LEAGUES! AND GUPPY UPDATE AS OF 8/27/14!  By Tom Brennan

 

No sooner than it seemed to start, the short seasons are closing out this week.  The Gulf Coast League has no playoffs (how odd) and the Penn and Appalachian League playoffs will include Brooklyn apparently (lead wild card by 2 games through Wednesday) but not likely Kingsport (one game from elimination).

It has been a fascinating endeavor to rank the guppies (top dogs in the making) and I will have my final ratings next week with the regular seasons ending and since I consider the playoffs to count, and those will happen this coming week.

Met fans are already excited about the prospects like Dilson Herrera, Brandon Nimmo, Thor, and others who played on the 4 full season teams, but don't stop there - we should be excited about the talent evident on the 3 short season teams.

FIREMEN EVERYWHERE!

 

Each week, besides the general talent rankings, I have focused on an aspect of minor league talent. 

 

 

This week, it will be the elites of the short season relief corps. We have almost as many firemen as the NYC Fire Department!!  Some guys were used as starters and relievers - if they had at least several relief outings, and pitched superbly, they are considered!

Here are my favorite 12 relievers and 5 hybrids (starter/relievers) with details following.  I favor guys with low ERAs and WHIPs and high K rates. It is a tribute to these teams that so many good relievers emerged.  I tried really hard to keep it to 10 – could not do it!  There were even a few guys who relieved well, but just a notch below, who I left off the list.  The relief pitching cadre was simply incredible on these teams in 2014. (STATS THRU WED, 8/27)

 

#	NAME	TEAM	W/L	SV	ERA	GM	INN	K	WHIP
1	Brad Wieck	Bklyn	1-1	0	1.52	15	23.2	36	0.97
2	Kelly Secrest	Bklyn	3-1	0	1.52	19	23.2	29	1.27
3	Shane Bay	Bklyn	0-1	14	1.66	19	21.2	20	1.02
4	Dave Roseboom	Kport	1-0	4	1.59	16	22.2	30	1.15
5	Matt Blackham	Kport	2-0	0	1.42	11	19.0	25	1.00
6	Alex Palsha	GCL/K	0-1	10	1.13	16	16.0	19	1.05
7	Nabil Crismatt	Kport	1-1	2	2.25	19	28.0	33	0.89
8	Jimmy Duff	Kport	3-1	0	2.15	12	29.1	22	0.99
9	Ismael Tijerina	Kport	1-0	6	1.89	16	19.0	15	1.32
10	Josh Prevost	Bklyn	1-2	1	1.83	11	19.2	14	1.17
11	Cameron Griffin	Bkln/G	0-0	0	1.13	13	16.0	15	1.33
12	Mike Hepple	Bklyn	2-0	0	2.01	12	22.1	18	1,43

 

 

 

5 GUYS WHO SPLIT TIME BETWEEN STARTING AND THE PEN WHO DID GREAT!

 

#	NAME	TEAM	W/L	SV	ERA	GM/S	INN	K	WHIP
1	Martirez Arias	Bkln/G	6-0	0	0.69	11/6	52	53	0.96
2	Kevin Canelon	GCL	1-0	1	1.45	12/5	37.1	30	0.72
3	Scarlyn Reyes	Bklyn	2-3	0	2.39	12/7	49.0	47	1.14
4	Persio Reyes	Kport	1-0	1	1.35	7/3	26.2	22	0.90
5	Tyler Badamo	GCL	1-0	0	1.74	10/4	31.0	26	1.00

 

Some snippets on these guys, who compiled hugely impressive #'s:

Brad Wieck is big...6'9" big...and throws hard...95 MPH hard.  You can't teach imposing and 95.  Newsday ran a nice feature on him very recently. In it, they noted that Wieck, 22, was a 7^th rounder who led collegiate ball with 15.3 K/9. Wieck’s teammates have endearingly nicknamed him The Big Donkey. Newsday added that scouts say Wieck hides the ball well in his delivery and has good arm-side run, which causes the fastball to tail away from righthanders, and that his repertoire includes a changeup and a four-seamer, with a sweeping slider as his "go-to" pitch.

Kelly Secrest, a 6’0” 215 lefty hard throwing 10th rounder, has been on the Top 20 list since I first started it several weeks ago. Also had highly impressive relief stats, nearly identical to those of Wieck.

 

Shane Bay - more successful than Jason, and a whole lot cheaper. The 22 year old 6’2”, 225 lefty has been in the system since 2011, but only 51 career innings to date.  Lower minors saves leader with 14.

 

Dave Roseboom – the 6’3” 215 pen pal is not reputed to be a flamethrower, but has had quite a successful first season.  The 17th round, 22 year old lefty has put up terrific #’s this year.

 

Matt Blackham also put up terrific #s as a 29^th rounder.  The diminutive 5’11”, 150 righty has simply been impressive in Kingsport.

 

Alex Palsha - like Shane Bay, but further down the food chain in the GCL, the 22 year old, 27^th round righty saved...and saved...and saved some more. Ten in all.  Alex got a recent promo to Kingsport.  Nice job.

 

Nabil Crismatt – I was just hoping he’d keep pitching well, so I could add him to the list because…I dig the name.  There, I said it.  He’s just 19, born on Christmas Day 1994!  He has had two years in the DSL, last year was terrific in relief (1.33), and in his last 10 games this year, terrific (0.56, 22 K in 16 inn).  This 6’1”, 200 righty should be really interesting to watch in 2015.

 

Jimmy Duff is another 6’6” guy (what’s in the water?) out of Garden City who is not considered a flamethrower but who nonetheless dominated, with excellent control and a solid sinker. Just 20 – interesting guy to watch going forward.

 

Ismael Tijerina is an infielder (776 at bats, .235) turned pitcher, who turned pitcher this year quite nicely, thank you.  He just turned 25, so time is not on his side, so who knows?  Impressive transition so far.

 

 

Josh Prevost was a 5^th round 6-8, 225 lb righthander who has pitched really well, but with a lower K rate than others.  Let’s see what the 22 year old out of Seton Hall does in 2015. 

 

Cameron Griffin is a 6’3” 200 lb righty drafted in the 13th round last year.  Pitched well last year, better this year, so by extrapolation the 23 yr old should be friggin’ dynamite in 2015!

 

Mike Hepple, a 24 year old, 6’6”, 210 righty, in some years could have been Brooklyn's premier reliever.  This year, he had plenty of company, with a great Cyclone relief corps, so he barely edged onto this list.

HYBRIDS: Now for a few words on the hybrids – these are indecisive chaps who simply can’t make up their minds whether they want to start or relieve - so they do both, remarkably well, mind you:

 

Martires Arias, listed at 6’7” but who I read elsewhere is 6’11”, has had a marvelous season (the stats speak for themselves), starting out as a 23 year old in the GCL (which on the surface did not appear to be a promising scenario) but simply pitched the heck out of the ball there and in Brooklyn after his promotion.  It should be truly interesting to see what he does in 2015.

 

Kevin Canelon has simply pitched terrific as a lefty in the GCL.  He is certainly one to watch going forward.

Scarlyn Reyes is one of those guys…out of the Dominican, he joined the DSL last year as a 23 year old!  Where was he before that?? Now 24, the 6’3”, 190 hombre has put together a fine year, and his combined DSL/Bklyn stats for the 2 years are strong: 1.83, nearly a K per inning.  2015 should be a telling season for him.

 

·        Staying in Reyes mode for a moment, Persio Reyes is a 21 year old slender 6’2” 150 righty who has been in the system since 2010, who’s already logged 250 innings in the organization.  Repeated Kingsport this year, with much improved results (ERA from 4.40 to 1.35).  Innings down in 2014, presumably due to an early season injury (his first game was July 21).   But he pitched so well, he forced his way onto the list/

 

Ty Badamo was added to my first list due to his proximity in Suffolk County to where I lived until recently.  But that is good for a week, then performance is needed...and a guy with my favorite initials - TB - acquitted himself admirably.  Badamo brought GREAT ammo to the mound this year!

 

GUPPY TOP 20 UPDATE (the almost final rankings):

Short season elites (called guppies until they move on to the big fish ponds known as full season leagues!)

A RATED	YOUR BASIC UPDATE BLURB (thru 8/27/14)
RHSP Marcos Molina – Bklyn	Last 13.2 innings, 2 hits and 20 Ks.  A Man vs. Boys.
OF Michael Conforto- Bklyn	Up to .338 through Wed 8/27.
RHSP Corey Oswalt - Bklyn	Consistently fine pitching all year long.
RHSP Martirez Arias - Bklyn/Kport	6-0, 0.69 ERA.  SAY WHAT??
3B Jhoan Urena - Bklyn	.292, 23 extra base hits.  I’m not complaining.
CF John Mora - Bklyn/GCL	.319/.406 in 210+ PA, only 30 Ks.  Hit a HR for us!!
RF Wuilmer Becerra - Kingsport	.301/.352/.471.  How does one spell “SWEET”?
LHRP Brad Wieck – Bklyn	1.56, 36 Ks in 23.2 innings.  The whiff of success.
SS Amed Rosario – Bklyn	.282/.331/.367 in Brooklyn at 18.  Lots of potential.
3B Jean Rodriguez – Kingsport	.321/.384/.424.  Again, how do you spell “SWEET”?
B RATED
LHRP Kelly Secrest – Bklyn	Very similar #’s to Brad Wieck.  Which is super.
SS Luis Guillorme – Kingsport	.279/.336, fine glove. Only 28 K’s in over 250 PA.
RHSP Casey Meisner – Bklyn	Casey had 11 Ks in 6 innings in his last outing, now has 64Ks in 57 innings.  Stengel approves even more.
LHRP Shane Bay – Bklyn	1.66, 14 SVs in Brooklyn. Rolaids, thy name is Bay.
LHRP Dave Roseboom – K'port	15 gms, 1.74, 1.26, 21 Ks in last 12 innings.
LHP Kevin Canelon – GCL	1.45, 0.72 WHIP – superb.
RHRP Alex Palsha GCL	0.69, 19 Ks in 16 inn. 10 SVs. Speaks for itself.
RHP Tyler Badamo – GCL	Great as a starter and reliever in GCL.
RHRP Nabil Crismatt – Bklyn	0.56 ERA and lots of Ks in last 10 games!  Just 19.
OF Vicente Lupo – Kingsport	Terrific August pushes him onto the list.  7 HR.

 

Honorable Mentions (close but no cigar):

                                                              

HITTERS:	BLURBS CONTINUED
OF Enmanuel Zabala – GCL	Hanging above .300 at .301, low Ks, just .367 slug.
3B Eudor Garcia – Kingsport	Strong week gets him to .269/.335/.355.  Reputed rake.
1B Dash Winningham – GCL	Solid first season with some pop at the age of 18.
LF Oswald Caraballo – GCL	.290/.316/.415, with 35 RBI in 60 games.
SS Milton Ramos – GCL	Down at .236, but 29 RBI in 50 games.
PITCHERS:
RHRP Josh Prevost – Bklyn	Close to Weick & Secrest in performance so far.
RHRP Jimmy Duff – Kingsport	6’6, 200 lb 20th Rd pick. Excellent all year.
Matt Blackham – Kingsport	Fine pitching in Kingsport.
LHP Adrian Almeida – GCL	Very solid pitching, but high BB. Young lad!
RHSP Scarlyn Reyes – Bklyn	Strong in starts and relief this year with the Cyclones.

 

Holy smokes – thought I’d never finish! 

Have a great day. 

And say what you have to say.