Week 1 Stats Review
Return of an old favorite
If you’re looking for this week’s Mailbag, check the Inbox. That’s coming out under separate cover. Over there you get a lot of me blathering on about, like, my opinions and stuff. In here, we get down to just the facts, ma’am!
It’s still early enough where a four-hit game can make a player’s batting line look like a world beater and a three-K game can make it look like the struggles are immense, but ten days (or 15 for you Triple A fans!) into the season, let’s take a gander at the numbers.
Sacramento River Cats (8-7), 4th Place, 3.0 GB
+25 Run Differential
Outscore your opponent by 17 runs over two days and that run differential starts to get plenty shiny! One thing to keep in mind as we look at standings — there are no divisions in the minor leagues this year. In MLB’s continuing war against anything special or exciting in the minor leagues, they’ve found a way to whittle yet another round of post-season out of existence by eliminating divisions. So this year in every league, you’ll see a Best of Three games featuring a 1st Half champ and a 2nd Half champ. MLB has already eliminated all minor league All Star Games and stuck a dagger through playoff series longer than three games. Sigh. I suppose fans (and owners) of the minors should be happy there are still playoffs at all — lord knows MLB has wanted to get rid of them completely for years.
Oh dang, I snuck some non-facts in this post after all! Ok, enough of that. Here are the numbers.
Clint Coulter. Remember that name! You might be seeing him sooner than you expect. On the pitcher side, those negative K-BB% ratios really stand out. Just way too many guys with more walks than strikeouts.
SORTABLE TABLES: HITTERS PITCHERS
PCL LEADERS
Casey Schmitt: Hits (3rd), RBI (9th)
Clint Coulter: Avg (5th), OBP (5th), Hits (4th), 2b (4th), Runs (3rd), RBI (2nd), FB% (8th), wRC+ (10th)
Brett Wisely: OBP (9th), 2b (1st), BB% (10th), LD% (5th)
Michael Gigliotti: 2b (5th), Runs (T-10th), K% (1st), SwS% (9th)
Ford Proctor: BB (1st), BB% (3rd)
Shane Matheny: BB (T-2nd), BB% (6th), LD% (2nd)
Tristan Beck: ERA (5th), Avg (4th), WHIP (4th), BABIP (3rd), SwS% (2nd)
Not surprisingly, Beck is the lone “qualified” pitcher on the Sacramento team.
TRANSACTIONS (not including recall/options to/from SF)
RHP Nick Avila assigned to Sacramento
RHP Clay Helvey assigned to Sacramento
LHP Aaron Fletcher transferred to Development List
2b Brady Whalen placed on 7-day IL
INF Brady Whalen assigned to Sacramento
C Austin Wynns selected by San Francisco (later designated for assignment)
INF Armando Alvarez placed on 7-day IL
RHP R.J. Dabovich placed on 7-day IL
SS Dilan Rosario assigned to Sacramento
LHP Aaron Fletcher activated
This list includes every Sacramento roster transaction since the original opening day roster was announced (not including the options up and down to and from San Francisco).
I mentioned Dabovich’s IL stint yesterday, and looking at his numbers, you can see it coming. Rosario’s addition to the roster is a little surprising, and slightly disappointing in my opinion, as it suggests he’s moved to “org filler” type player in the FO estimation. Although it’s possible he’s just the only healthy infielder in the org who can plausibly take Alvarez’ spot on the roster at the moment.
Richmond Flying Squirrels (5-4) T-2nd Place, 2.0 GB
+5 Run Differential
More than half of the Eastern League is currently tied for second place with identical 5-4 records — seven of the 12 clubs to be exact.
Told you! Look at those Double A veterans go!
SORTABLE TABLES: HITTERS PITCHERS
EL LEADERS
Carter Aldrete: HR (T-6th), OPS (T-10th), LD% (2nd), wRC+ (9th)
Brett Auerbach: K% (8th)
Patrick Bailey: Hits (T-10th), LD% (9th)
Hayden Cantrelle: Runs (T-6th), K% (6th), LD% (6th)
Tyler Fitzgerald (T-10th)
Brandon Martorano: FB% (10th)
Luis Matos: K% (2nd)
Andy Thomas: BB (T-5th), BB% (1st),
Simon Whiteman: OBP (4th), BB% (7th), LD% (3rd), wRC+ (10th)
Mason Black: FIP (9th), K% (6th), BB% (T-1st), K-BB% (3rd), WHIP (7th), GB% (9th)
Carson Seymour: Avg (4th), BABIP (1st), LD% (9th)
Kai-Wei Teng: SO (2nd), K% (1st), K-BB% (2nd)
Nick Zwack: FIP (3rd), SO (T-9th), K% (3rd), K-BB% (5th), Avg (5th), WHIP (5th), SwS% (5th)
Brett Auerbach struck out a third of the time last year, so starting the year making contact is a positive step. Still early, but it’s certainly a good sign. As is Mason Black’s 0% BB rate!
TRANSACTIONS:
OF Vaun Brown placed on 7-day IL
SS Marco Luciano placed on 7-day IL
RHP Landen Roupp transferred to Development List
OF Hunter Bishop placed on 60-day IL
RHP Conner Nurse placed on 60-day IL
3b Sean Roby placed on 7-day IL
All of these transactions were part of the original set of the Richmond roster, and they’re all basically administrative transactions, but it’s interesting to know which players are officially assigned to which rosters, as it tells you something about where in their development the Giants consider the players to be. Why Roupp was placed on Development List rather than IL, I couldn’t say (we’ll see something similar with P.J. Hilson in San Jose). There’s clearly some administrative purpose to the distinction. Like Luciano and Brown, he’s pitching in extended games and should join the club soon.
Eugene Emeralds (4-4), 3rd Pl, 1.5 GB
+7 Run Differential
SORTABLE TABLES: HITTERS PITCHERS
NWL LEADERS
Aeverson Arteaga: HR (T-7th)
Damon Dues: BB% (8th), LD% (2nd)
Jared Dupere: HR (T-7th), LD% (1st)
Jimmy Glowenke: Avg (4th), OBP (6th), SLG (T-2nd), OPS (3rd), HR (T-7th), ISO (5th), Hits (T-3rd), 2b (T-1st), RBI (2nd), wRC+ (4th)
Grant McCray: 2b (T-7th), SB (T-4th)
Wade Meckler: Avg (2nd), OBP (2nd), SLG (8th), OPS (5th), Hits (1st), 2b (T-1st), R (T-2nd), RBI (T-8th), K% (5th), LD% (10th), SwS% (2nd), wRC+ (3rd)
Adrian Sugastey: K% (4th), SwS% (5th)
Luis Toribio: Avg (5th), OBP (5th), SLG (T-2nd), OPS (2nd), HR (T-2nd), ISO (3rd), Hits (T-6th), 2b (T-7th), R (T-4th), RBI (T-8th), LD% (6th), wRC+ (2nd)
Logan Wyatt: Avg (9th), SLG (7th), OPS (8th), HR (T-2nd), ISO (4th), Hits (T-9th), 2b (T-7th), R (T-4th), RBI (T-3rd), BB (T-8th), BB% (9th), FB% (7th), wRC+ (8th)
Seth Lonsway: IP (9th), BB% (9th), GB% (2nd), LD% (5th), SwS% (7th)
Carson Ragsdale: FIP (6th), IP (5th), SO (3rd), K% (5th), K-BB% (6th), Avg (6th), WHIP (8th), BABIP (8th), SwS% (10th)
Eric Silva: ERA (4th), IP (7th), BB% (7th), K-BB% (10th), Avg (4th), WHIP (4th), BABIP (2nd), GB% (3rd), LD% (2nd), SwS% (6th)
Some pretty eye-popping offensive numbers for this group, especially with some of the returning kids. There are only 14 qualified pitchers in the league, so basically one’s chances of being in the top 10 of any category are pretty good! The same isn’t quite true on the hitters’ side, but it is a six-team league, so the pool is always much smaller than in the EL or PCL. That’s why one home run gets you tied for 7th in the league lead!
TRANSACTIONS
RHP Will Bednar placed on 7-day IL
RHP Trevor McDonald placed on 7-day IL
LHP Seth Corry placed on 7-day IL
OF Jairo Pomares placed on 7-day IL
Potentially good sign that Corry is being placed on 7-day, and not 60-day IL. A slight eye-brow raise for Pomares being assigned to Eugene’s IL, rather than Richmond’s.
San Jose Giants (5-4), T-3rd Pl, 2.0 GB
+9 Run Differential
SORTABLE TABLES: HITTERS PITCHERS
CAL LEAGUE LEADERS
Thomas Gavello: OBP (9th), R (T-10th)
Matt Higgins: HR (T-8th), LD% (4th), SwS% (T-2nd)
Carter Howell: FB% (10th)
Andrew Kachel: 2b (T-1st), RBI (T-9th), ISO (7th), SwS% (5th), wRC+ (10th)
Edison Mora: HR (T-8th), RBI (T-9th)
Zach Morgan: BB (T-5th), BB% (3rd), K% (9th), SwS% (1st)
Tanner O’Tremba: Avg (10th), OBP (5th), LD% (3rd)
Onil Perez: HR (T-8th)
Jose Ramos: 2b (T-5th), FB% (4th)
Diego Velasquez: BB (T-5th), BB% (7th), GB% (2nd)
Dylan Cumming: ERA (2nd), FIP (4th), IP (10th), BB% (1st), K-BB% (9th), WHIP (10th), GB% (3rd)
This is an eight-team league — so one homer is only tied for 8th best here. Guess who is the only qualified San Jose pitcher in the league? Sigh. It’s really hard to figure out how to really look at pitcher stats in any meaningful way these days.
TRANSACTIONS
LHP Rohan Handa placed on 60-day IL
RHP Mikell Manzano placed on 7-day IL
INF Abdiel Layer placed on 60-day IL
OF Mauricio Pierre placed on 60-day IL
RHP Spencer Miles placed on 7-day IL
RHP Ian Villers placed on 60-day IL
RHP Sam Bower placed on Injured — Full Season List
OF P.J. Hilson transferred to Development List
Handa’s not the only member of the 2021 heading into his second straight lost season. Former Cal closer Ian Villers is right behind him, after managing just three innings last April before hitting the IL for what has turned into a very long stay. Sam Bower looks to be on a similar track, as he’s now confirmed to be out for the year. Like Handa, his pro debut will be much-delayed.
Coming UP:
Sacramento (TBD) vs Round Rock (TBD), 6:45 PM, MiLBTV
Richmond (Murphy) vs Erie (Flores), 8:05 AM, MiLBTV
Eugene (Mikulski) vs Hillsboro (Diaz), 6:35 PM, MiLBTV
San Jose (Mercedes) vs. Inland Empire (TBD), 6:30 PM, MiLBTV
Richmond’s game is probably almost over by the time you read this — so you might have missed your chance to catch little Wilmer go against the Squirrels. But I’m in the front row!
Ready for another week? Let’s get to the action!
Dateline Eugene, Oregon, Tuesday 8:00pm. Intrepid cub reporter here...The Emerald's here-to-fore Master of Walks Logan Wyatt, not deterred by the 45 degree, slightly rain-delayed situation, coming to the plate with two runners on via the walk, eschews his strongest tendencies and blasts a 3 run tater! [Too flowery? And is it OK to use an exclamation point or is that frowned upon? I'm new at this.]
Nice game to go to this morning!
On a side note, I just now took notice of Clint Coulter and I'm kind of fascinated. Starting last year, his K% plummeted, and he's kept it up this year, along with a higher walk rate. All of this as a 28/29 year old! I'd love to know what happened. It's possible to now squint and see some kind of Yaz-like "late career" success story being possible here.