Good morning.
Sandy and Company seem
to be filling up the pipeline with a plethora of AAAA ballplayers for some
reason.
I thought maybe I would
help them scout the Indy leagues.
Here are some of the
players leading both the Frontier and Atlantic League in hitting and pitching.
I didn’t state their age since age doesn’t seem to matter anymore on this team:
OF Derrick Loveless –
Normal CornBelters, Frontier League: 44-AB, .432
Drafted in the 27th round of the 2011 draft by the
Toronto Blue Jays. Played six seasons in the Blue Jays, rising to the AA level
last season. Minor League batting average: .235
C Kyle Pollock – Washington Wild Things, Frontier
League: 29-AB, .414
Drafted in the 20th round of the 2014 draft by
Kansas City. Played for only two seasons with KC and then signed on with the
Wild Things for the 2016 (.214) and 2017 (.255) season.
IF Santiago Chirino – Normal CornBelters, Frontier
League: 47-AB, .447
9th pro season, the currently longest-tenured CornBelter, who
is in his 5th season. Two-time Frontier League All-Star. Hit .334/.370/.407
with 4 HR, 41 RBI, and 4 SB in 428 plate appearances in 2016. In 2015, Chirino
hit .337/.377/.426 with 4 HR, 44 RBI, and 15 SB in 383 plate appearances. 2014
with Normal, Santiago hit .300/.353/.387 with 2 HR, 31 RBI, and 9 SB in 383
plate appearances. Chirino in 2013 in Normal, Chirino hit .254/.303/.316 with 3
HR, 27 RBI, and 17 SB. Played four seasons in the Texas Rangers organization,
getting up to High-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans(Carolina League) with a career line
of .256/.309/.324 with 8 HR, 124 RBI, and 29 SB in 1,330 plate appearances.
SP Jacinto
Garcia – Normal CornBears, Frontier League: 3-G, 2-ST, 1-0, 1.50, 12-IP,
11-K
There are no pro stats for Garcia other than this season for the CornBears.
C Albert
Cordero – Sugas Land Skeeters, Atlantic League: 91-AB, .396, 5-HR
2018
will be Cordero's third season with the Skeeters, third in the Atlantic League
and 11th in professional baseball. Hit .246 with 29 runs, 20 doubles, four home
runs and 37 RBIs in 102 games (365 plate appearances) with the Skeeters in 2017.
Played with the Leones del Caracas during the offseason and hit .279 with two
home runs and six RBIs in 26 games. Joined the Skeeters midway through the 2016
season. Signed by the New York Mets in August 2009 as an amateur free agent
from Venezuela. Spent all eight of his MiLB seasons with the Mets, reaching as
high as the Double-A level. Career MiLB stats: 477 G, 1,813 PA, 176 R, 404 H,
74 2B, 8 3B, 25 HR, 178 RBI, .244 AVG/.297 OBP/.344 SLG. Has made 346 of his
MiLB appearances at catcher, with 16 appearances at first base. Caught Mets
right-hander Jacob deGrom and Tigers
right-hander Michael Fulmer while with Single-A
Savannah in 2012. Best MiLB Season came
in 2011 with Single-A Savannah: .286, 6 HR, 44 RBI, 1 SB, 104 G
OF Johnny
Bladel – Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, Atlantic League: 88-AB, .386
2017
Highlights: •Appeared in 99 games for the New Jersey Jackals of the
Canadian-American Association. •Led the league in runs scored, hits, stolen
bases, doubles, triples, and .345 batting average ranked him second in the
league. • 95 runs scored was the most all-time for Can-Am and 135 hits were
second most all-time.
Previous Career: •Signed
in 2014 by the Trinidad Triggers out of James Madison University. •Hit .449 that season between Trinidad and
Amarillo of the American Association. •Joined Can-Am in 2015, appearing in 73
games for the Sussex County Miners. •Spent 2016 and 2017 with the New Jersey
Jackals
IF Jordany
Valdespin – Long Island Ducks, Atlantic League: 99-AB, .374
Valdespin
begins his first season with the Ducks and 12th in professional baseball. He is
a four-year MLB veteran, having spent two seasons with the New York Mets
(2012-13) and two with the Miami Marlins (2014-15). He totaled 15 home runs, 52
RBI, 52 runs, 14 doubles, three triples and 15 stolen bases in 214 big league
games. The Dominican Republic native burst onto the scene in 2012 when he broke
the Mets’ franchise record for pinch-hit home runs in a single season with
five. He also collected his first Major League hit, home run and RBI in the
same at-bat when he launched a ninth inning three-run homer off Philadelphia
Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon on May 7 of that year. In doing so, Valdespin
became the first player in MLB history to record his first home run off a
player with 200 or more career saves.
The 30-year-old spent the 2017 season with Olmecas de Tabasco
and Leones de Yucatan in the Mexican League. He combined to play 72 games and
posted a .332 batting average with four homers, 37 RBI, 48 runs, 13 doubles,
four triples, 15 stolen bases and a .418 on-base percentage. The lefty hitter
was previously named a 2011 Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star with Binghamton
(AA, Mets) when he batted .297 and set career-highs in nearly every offensive
category. He was also selected as a Rising Star during the 2010 Arizona Fall
League when he compiled a .355 batting average with the Mesa Solar Sox.
Valdespin was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Mets in 2007.
SP Nate Reed –
Lancaster Barnstorms, Atlantic League: 5-starts, 4-0, 1.35, 20-IP, 24-K
*
Signed with the Seattle Mariners in 2010. * Entering his fourth season with
Lancaster and fifth in the Atlantic League.
Is 16-16 as a 'Stormer. Also pitched
for York in 2016. * Has a career 3.30 ERA in the Atlantic League. * Entering
2018, ranked fifth in career strikeouts with Lancaster. Needs 82 to tie the record. * Contract was
purchased by San Francisco in June of 2017.
Finished the season with Class AA Richmond.
SP Daryl
Thompson – Southern Maryland Blue Crabs: 5-ST, 2-2, 1.67, 32.1-IP, 27-K
2017
Highlights: •Appeared in 26 games for Southern Maryland, going 9-7 with a 3.86
ERA •Finished top 10 of the league in
Wins, Strikeouts, ERA, and Innings Pitched
•Voted to second Atlantic League All-Star Game Previous Career: •Selected by the Montreal Expos in the 8th
round of the 2003 MLB Draft. •Made his
Major League debut in 2008 with the Cincinnati Reds, making four MLB
appearances across two separate seasons •Joined
Southern Maryland in 2012 and enters the 2018 season as the Blue Crabs
record-holder for innings pitched (696.2), tied for first in all-time wins
(40), and second in strikeouts (515) •Ranks
top 10 in Atlantic League History for career innings pitched and strikeouts
SP Ross
Detwiler – York Revolution, Atlantic League: 5-ST, 2-1, 2.38, 22.2-IP, 23-K
Detwiler
has spent nine seasons in Major League Baseball (2007 through 2016), including
seven with the Washington Nationals. He played his college ball at Missouri
State University and was the sixth overall pick in the 2007 MLB Draft by
Washington. Detwiler’s best season came in 2012, when he went 10-8 with a 3.40
ERA and 105 strikeouts, logging 164.1 innings over 33 appearances (27 starts)
for the NL East-champion Nationals. The 6 foot 3 southpaw has appeared in 189
Major League games in his career, starting 89 of them, and made at least 30
appearances in a season three times. Detwiler spent the 2017 season in the
minors with the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics organizations and appeared
in 19 games.
3 comments:
Jordany Valdespin is probably the best of that Indy bunch.
We do have a few very productive Indy guys in Kevin Taylor and Matt Pobereyko. Of the two, I think that as a power pitcher, Matt has the best chance of making the bigs.
I had mentioned both Valdespin and Bladel earlier in the week before Mr. Bautista donned the orange and blue. He'd still be my top choice due to his young age, high accomplishments, right handed bat and great baserunning speed.
And hopefully greater humility and maturity.
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