Minor League Wrap (7/9-15/12)
Jordan Shipers threw a no-hitter on Wednesday. I’m sure that right now, you’re curious about what I’m going to say regarding Jordan Shipers’ no-hitter, but I think that that’s probably because you haven’t read it yet. When you read it, you’re going to be all like “no… no… no! why you gotta bring that up? no! aw jeez! no…” And then I’m going to get a bunch of angry comments in the thread from friends and family because that’s just how this stuff goes.
To pre-empt some of that, no this isn’t my “real job” (I have one), yes I’m aware that people are better than me at baseball, I may or may not be jealous but I don’t actually devote a lot of time thinking about what life would be like if I was awesome at baseball. Baseball is surprisingly low on the list of things that I think about outside of what is necessary to fill this out, nor is it something I am particularly jealous about. I think most recently, I was watching a program on PBS talking about possessions of the British royalty and was a little jealous of that guy who takes care of the ravens in the Tower of London. That would be a cool gig, I imagine.
Other significant things happened this week too. Not among them: additional draft signings. Among them: AZL stats. Blake Beavan getting more outs. Hitting in Jackson. More hitting in High Desert. Three home runs in a game. Three home runs allowed by one pitcher in the same number of batters. Other spoilers. Read it already.
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Minor League Wrap (7/1-8/12)
To anyone wondering, I’ll get around to adding AZL stats sooner or later here, but for a reasoning as to why it’s not a high priority? For one, I’m busy. For another, I was sitting at my computer checking to see if the Peoria M’s were playing on Saturday and noticed that in the Brewers vs. Royals game, the Brewers scored seventeen runs. In the first inning. Twenty-three batters, three outs.
Look! Taijuan Walker talked about being selected to the Futures Game.
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Minor League Wrap (6/25-7/1/12)
BA had Seon Gi Kim on the Prospect Hot Sheet and mention of Poythress, but nothing, NOTHING on Anthony Fernandez opening his double-A tenure with consecutive complete games? BLARG.
At least there were Mariners representatives for Hitter of the Week in the NWL and the MWL. I named the same guys. You’ll figure it out when we get there, I’m not giving out any spoilers. Also Zunino signed for $4 million against a slot of $5.2 million. That means we’re only slightly over budget. Hooray!
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Minor League Wrap (6/18-24/12)
Some of this is moderately slapdash as I’m filling it in between events. Gosh, I hope this is coherent.
Stuff going on:
* There was this MiLB.com feature on the Jackson Generals winning the first-half title.
* Danny Hultzen and Taijuan Walker made the U.S. roster for the Futures Game.
* Fangraphs scouted Danny Hultzen. So did Baseball America, with some additional notes on Walker and Capps.
* Alex Liddi was tenth on BA’s Prospect Hot Sheet.
* In addition to being named Southern League Hitter of the Week last time around (Mike Wilson was also named for the PCL), Joe Dunigan won the SL Home Run Derby with eight dingers.
* The Pulaski rotation seems to be Ogando/Kaalekahi/Garcia/Marte/Chen.
* There seem to have been a few pre-July 2nd international signings. I’m seeing OF Jose Guedez, a Venezuelan, on the AZL roster and the DSL M’s added C Jose Rosa, who had been on the AZL roster a few days without playing. Both have 1994 as their year of birth. These types of signings trickle in every year around this time.
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2012 Aquasox Opening Day Thread
If there’s good to come out of the early Mariners game today aside from park-induced offense, it’s that the evening is free for paying attention to the Aquasox, with their ace on the mound in Victor Sanchez. I’m at the park right now and will probably be going on KRKO in a few minutes, depending on when they decide to fit me in.
This is your lineup:
LF Jamodrick McGruder
SS Chris Taylor
1B Taylor Ard
RF Alfredo Morales
DH Jean Acevedo
C Marcus Littlewood
CF Janelfry Zorilla
3B Patrick Kivlehan
2B Ketel Marte
Let’s go Aquasox!
2012 Pulaski Mariners Preview
Since 2008, the Mariners have operated a ninth affiliate (seventh domestic) in the Appalachian league in the Pulaski Mariners. Some of the years, I’ve been jealous of the talent that they’ve been able to see relative to the offerings we’ve had locally on the Aquasox roster. That is not the case this season. This season’s roster reads more as “Congratulations! You graduated from Arizona/Venezuela/the Dominican Republic! Here’s a plane ticket to rural western Virginia! Wheeee!” I’m counting thirty-two players on this roster and only eight were drafted this past season. Only six more were drafted at all. So largely, what we’re seeing here are imports who have run their time elsewhere to a close and are now trying to make their way in the life of American baseball. It makes me wonder about the future of our seventh affiliate, what with the life of the VSL in jeopardy and the draft shrinking by ten rounds, but I suppose that’s a discussion for another time.
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Minor League Wrap (6/11-17/12)
This is going to be the last regularly scheduled update for a while, which is to say that the others will be irregularly scheduled. I’m at a conference in western Massachusetts from this coming Sunday to the Sunday after that and seeing as how I usually write on Sundays, I have three fewer hours to work with (sort of), and will be busy throughout, there’s no telling when I’m going to have enough time set aside to draft this thing up. Also the one that would otherwise be scheduled for July 9th might be delayed too.
Since I only had three days to work with, Everett is getting their first write-up next week. I’m looking forward to attending the season opener on Wednesday! Also there’s going to be a Pulaski preview tomorrow if I get the roster in time. I hope to get the roster in time.
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2012 Everett Aquasox Preview
Usually around this time of year, when I’m previewing the Aquasox, my refrain is that the draft just happened and consequently many important picks have yet to sign, therefore this roster may not be entirely representative of what the team may look like later in the season. Blah blah blah. Regardless of the signing deadline has been bumped up to July 13th, the Mariners have signed a lot of their early college-level picks anyway, which means that this roster looks pretty much like I’d expect it to down the line. It is what it is, and what it is is pretty darned good looking. It’s a young rotation, as the M’s have increasingly shied away from using recently-drafted college pitchers as starters their first year, but two of the five are quite talented and the rest are interesting if nothing else. The infield is loaded with high-round draft picks that should be capable offensively and the outfield has one talented though somewhat enigmatic hitter who could find his way into the heart of the order. I like this roster. The only weak point I see is possibly the bullpen. I’m eager to see what they can do.
For everyone’s info, there’s going to be a pre-game ceremony on the 23rd where they’re going to retire Greg Halman’s uniform number.
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Minor League Wrap (6/4-10/12)
I’m probably not going to be around to respond early in the day because it’s supposed to be nice out and having no school-related obligations, I’d rather be outside.
Some quick hits on the week:
* Taylor Ard and Patrick Kivlehan have signed. Kivlehan got to watch the no-hitter as his introduction to Seattle baseball. Both are reporting to Everett and the first exhibition game will be Wednesday while the first (road) game is on Friday. I’ll have a roster preview together once that information becomes available to me.
* The Rainiers were 0-6 this week.
* Danny Hultzen is still awesome.
* Gabriel Noriega had a double this week, which is more doubles than he’s had in any previous week this year.
* The Generals have eight all-star representatives. The Lumberkings have three. Everything else is coming later.
* Churchill talked promotion candidates. “PROMOTIONS!” ‘And raises!’ “…” ‘…Promotions.’ “PROMOTIONS!”
* I’m going to be on KRKO talking baseball stuff on Saturday at 11:15 am. It may even be a regular-ish (though bi-weekly) thing, except for the fact that I’m going to be out of town on the 30th. But it could definitely happen more than once.
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2012 Draft Thread: Sixteenth Through Fortieth Rounds
Fortieth. It’s weird to type. Anyway, that’s how far we’re going starting at 9 am.
Usually, on Day Three of the draft, the common refrain is that there’s plenty of talent left on the board. However, not all of it is signable talent and some of it is only talent relative to other, worse players that may be capable of being drafted. I feel like someone ought to clarify these things.
This front office has had some success even in the late rounds. Forrest Snow, recently moved to the bullpen, was drafted in the 36th round, as an example. Steve Landazuri was a 22nd round pick and he’s surely interesting when healthy (come back soon!…). What we’re likely to see less of are the Shipers/Marder/Valenza type late-round picks where we go way over budget to get one guy who otherwise had a strong commitment elsewhere. From here on, it’s probably about making budget and trying to outscout and outhustle the other twenty-nine teams in the hopes of uncovering some gem or gem-like human baseball player. The Mariners have gone way off radar before and it’s worked. These names probably won’t mean all that much to you now, but one or two promises to grow on you.
I don’t really have time to think about that though. I’ll probably be in and out the whole time, updating this page with the list every so often, and contributing very little in the way of analysis. I’m sure you’ll develop some form of coping mechanism. Whether that’s positive or negative coping, I’ll leave up to you.
Round #16: RHP Dominic Leone, 5’11″, 195 lbs, 10/26/1991, Clemson
Round #17: RF Isaiah Yates, 5’9″, 185 lbs, R/L, 8/31/1994, CA HS
Round #18: RF Jabari Henry, 6’1″, 200 lbs, R/R, 11/11/90, Florida International
Round #19: LHP Nathan Koneski, 6’0″, 180 lbs, 3/11/90, College of The Holy Cross
Round #20: LHP Steven Ewing, 6’1″, 219 lbs, 8/8/91, Miami
Round #21: LHP Scott DeCecco, 6’0″, 175 lbs, 5/8/1991, USC Upstate
Round #22: SS Gabrial Franca, 5’11″, 160 lbs, R/R, 9/11/1993, CA HS
Round #23: RHP Levi Dean, 6’4″, 225 lbs, 12/15/1989, Tennessee Wesleyan
Round #24: RHP Matthew Vedo, 6’3″, 205 lbs, 1/12/1990, UC Santa Barbara
Round #25: RHP Mark Bordonaro, 5’10″, 160 lbs, 8/17/1990, Fairfield
Round #26: RHP Aaron Brooks, 6’6″, 210 lbs, 5/15/1992, Edmonds CC
Round #27: LHP Blake Holovach, 6’5″, 195 lbs, 3/27/1991, Missouri
Round #28: RHP Matt Brazis, 6’3″, 195 lbs, 9/6/1989, Boston College
Round #29: C Toby Demello, 6’2″, 220 lbs, R/R, 1/3/1990, St. Mary’s
Round #30: RF Michael Yastrzemski, 6’0″, 195 lbs, L/L, 12/6/1990, Vanderbilt (Carl’s grandson)
Round #31: LHP Rusty Shellhorn, 5’10″, 185 lbs, 2/25/1990, Texas Tech
Round #32: 2B Richard Palase, 5’11″, 195 lbs, R/R, 8/17/1990, Lynchburg College
Round #33: RHP Logan Seifrit, 5’11″, 185 lbs, 8/25/1994, Canada HS
Round #34: C Alexander Ross, 6’1″, 190 lbs, L/R, 5/27/1991, Bellevue CC
Round #35: SS Tyler Krieger, 6’0″, 155 lbs, S/R, 1/16/1994, GA HS
Round #36: RHP Anthony Wingenter, 6’7″, 190 lbs, 4/15/1994, AL HS
Round #37: LHP Brett Lilek, 6’4″, 185 lbs, 8/10/1993, IL HS
Round #38: SS Richard Martin, 5’10″, 174 lbs, R/R, 12/22/1994, FL HS
Round #39: RHP Grayson Long, 6’5″, 200 lbs, 5/27/1994, TX HS
Round #40: RHP James Kaprielian, 6’3″, 190 lbs, 3/2/1994, CA HS
That’s all, folks.