Mack – Indy Prospects

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 27^th 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 20^th 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.