Week 17 in Review
August 24-29, 2021 SF Giants Minor Lines
It’s Free For All Tuesday here at There R Giants where we remember everything truly important that happened on the Giants farm this week…
…plus some funny bits as well! Luis Matos isn’t always graceful, you know (he was fine)!
HITTER of the WEEK: Patrick Bailey (SJ), 12 for 25, 5 2b, HR, 8 R, 3 RBI
PITCHER of the WEEK: Conner Nurse (Eug) 11.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 13 K, 0 HR
Since returning from a short stint on the IL, Patrick Bailey has been resuscitated at the plate. He banged two homers in his very first game after being activated, and this week extended that hot burst into a week-long beat down of the Lake Elsinore Storm. All of which led to his very first Player of the Week honors for his career! Congrats, Patrick!
Conner Nurse celebrated his 22nd birthday on July 31 by coughing up three home runs and suffering his fourth loss in six starts. It was the end of an absolutely brutal month of July, in which Nurse’s ERA was 8.46 and opposing batters were essentially all HOFers in the box — he had an incredible opponent OPS of 1.038 against him in July! That included nine home runs allowed in just 27.2 innings. But settling down into his 22nd circuit around the sun, things have started going a little smoother for the 2017 34th round pick. In 21.1 innings in August (3 starts and a relief appearance), Nurse has posted a solid 3.38 ERA, he’s struck out 24 batters, and he’s gone three games without surrendering a longball. It’s been a good year, so far!
Sacramento River Cats: 43-55
3-1 week
Transactions (omitting options to and from San Francisco):
Delete OF Jaylin Davis (placed on 7-day IL)
RHP Trevor Hildenberger (transferred from 7-day to 60-day IL)
Add C Joey Bart (returned from 7-day IL)
Delete RHP Gerson Bautista (released)
Add INF Wyatt Mathisen (signed as Minor League FA and assigned to Sac)
What You Should Remember About This Week: It wasn’t the first time the words, “Postponed: Air Quality” have appeared in a baseball line score, but as tragically large fires are becoming an annual part of the summer in the western United States, they are certainly popping up with depressing frequency. The rapidly expanding Caldor fire is centered roughly between Sacramento and Reno. The two teams were supposed to play a series in Reno this week:
The series opener was canceled and the plan was to travel back to Sacramento and play the weekend games there. But after one successful night of play, smoke and ash blowing down into the Sacramento valley forced cancellation of Saturday night’s game there as well. The teams hopped right back on the bus and gave Reno another go. Three one-way trips between the two cities and two actual games later, the series score through the first four games was:
Sacramento 2, Fires 2
Officials will be carefully monitoring the situation going forward, with the safety of all participants and fans being the prime consideration.
At least on the field things were successful this week. After missing nearly the entire month of August with a groin strain, Joey Bart returned to the field, banging out three hits in two games. The plan appeared to be to ease him back to full time catching duty, as Bart was replaced defensively in the later innings of both games.
Bart’s friend and fellow top prospect Heliot Ramos was apparently very happy to see him, as Ramos had four knocks himself. Actually, picking up two hits in a game is getting to be a regular thing with Heliot, who has two hits in six of his past nine games. He’s hit .350 over that stretch, including two doubles, a triple, and two home runs, as he appears to be settling in nicely at Triple-A (though that pesky K rate does remain near 30%).
The River Cats lineup frequently looks like an out-take from a San Francisco box score in mid-June, with players like Steven Duggar, Thairo Estrada, Jason Vosler, Mike Tauchman, and Mauricio Dubón making up a big part of the team these days. But on Sunday it was the other guys who stepped forward. Jason Krizan and Bryce Johnson — who lead the team in PA with 380 and 346, respectively — had huge days. Krizan went deep twice and added his 23rd double of the year. The minor league vet, who also leads the club in RBI with 58, is hitting .324 this year, sixth highest in the Triple-A West among qualified hitters. Krizan also has the sixth lowest strikeout rate in the league, at just 14.2%.
Johnson also went deep, his 8th this year, while also tripling and stealing his 25th base of the year. That’s third in the organization behind Richmond’s Simon Whiteman (31) and Eugene’s Brett Auerbach (27). Johnson’s .386 OBP is the 12th highest in the league.
The Sacramento starting staff hasn’t had what you might call a starting rotation at any point this year, and at this point prospect Sean Hjelle might be the only true “starter” on the team as they bullpen their way through nights with regularity. Hjelle has tried to keep his head above water in Triple-A, and so far has done better than his former rotation-mate Matt Frisbee, who struggled mightily with the promotion. But Hjelle has allowed an additional run in each of his three starts — first three, then four, and then five — and going into last night’s start he had struck out just five batters at Sacramento, while walking 9 and surrendering two home runs. Those aren’t peripherals that suggest success is imminent, so Hjelle still has plenty of lessons to learn at this penultimate level before declaring himself ready for prime time.
One player who does appear to be making strides is reliever Camilo Doval, who very nearly completed a scoreless month. Before allowing two runs on Sunday (on two hits and two walks), Doval hadn’t allowed a run since July 23, a stretch that included two innings of scoreless work against the Rockies at Oracle Park. Over 8.1 IP, Doval had struck out 17 and walked just five in that time. Plus, of course, he can light it up with the best of them…
Doval’s fellow-40-man pitcher, Kervin Castro, has been on a run of dominance for an even longer stretch of the season. Since June 1, he’s given up just two extra-base hits — an incredible achievement in the moon-ball environs of the west. He’s held opponents to a .186 batting average in that time and posted a 42 to 11 K:BB ratio, helping lead to a sparkling 2.18 ERA.
The Giants returned to their favorite source of spun gold, the minor league free agent pool, signing former Pirates 2nd round pick Wyatt Mathisen. Mathisen spent six years in the Pirates organization after being drafted, first as a catching prospect and later as a corner guy (3b/1b/LF), before being released in 2018. The Diamondbacks picked him up and invited him to their Alternate Site last summer and he ended up spending time in Arizona in each of the last two seasons. Mathisen’s been well-traveled this year, however, moving through from Arizona through Tampa and Seattle before coming to the Giants. Not surprisingly, the right-handed hitter has shown good patience throughout his career.
What’s Next: Great question! The two clubs were able to get last night’s game in and hopefully will be able to finish the series tonight. The plan is for Sacramento to return home on Thursday to face Salt Lake. Stay safe, everyone!
Richmond Flying Squirrels: 52-49
3-2 week
Transactions:
None!
What You Should Remember About This Week:
It’s not just that David Villar tied the Flying Squirrels’ all-time mark for single season home runs — after all, when you’re franchise record is 18, it’s not exactly like trying to pass the Babe! And it’s not just that Jarrett Parker originally established this mark in 130 games, while Villar has taken just 95 to catch him.
No, what’s really important about Villar’s bit of history is what it reveals about the development strides he’s made during the course of the year. Villar has clearly improved the quality of his at bats throughout the course of this year, and you can track it through the statistical record:
May-June: 8.7% BB rate, 29.3% K rate, .241/.335/.450
July-August: 11.9% BB rate, 22% K rate, .306/.406/.543
He’s now slugging .500 for the year (with the help of 24 doubles) and his on-base percentage is pushing up towards .400. As he chugs into the final three weeks of the season, he’s finding himself on lists with some very accomplished prospects:
I asked Jim Callis last week who, currently in the system, might be able to turn into an internal version of the type of “found money” players the Giants have succeeded with this year. Villar looks like a candidate to me.
So maybe now is a good time to go back and listen to my talk with David in June and listen to what he said he was trying to accomplish this year!
Oh, and here’s the record tying shot itself (ignore the all important typo in the tweet, it really was #18):
Villar hasn’t been the only bat driving the Squirrels’ suddenly potent offense. Diego Rincones has lit up August to the tune of .346/.386/.603. That includes five home runs, as he’s now doubled his previous career high in homers (7). Rincones has lifted his average in Double-A up near the .300 line, a mark he’s either hit or come near hitting at basically every level he’s played at in the US. He’s a career .290 hitter in five minor league seasons with decent walk rates (7.5%), exceptional strikeout rates (13%), and now, burgeoning power. “Hitters hit,” and Diego Rincones is a hitter!
Richmond also saw a strong week from shortstop Will Wilson. Since missing nearly a week of games, Wilson has gone 10 for 27 — a .370 clip — with three home runs and a double in his return to duty. He’s also shown a better control of the strike zone. After striking out 16 times in 23 at bats before sitting out, he struck out just 3 times in 19 at bats this week — while walking the same amount of times. Nothing like a good ol’ 1 to 1 K:BB ratio to get the heart pumping! Wilson had become highly pull conscious through his struggles, so it was heartening to see both a double and home run go to the opposite field over the last week.
I said he’d hit three home runs since returning and that’s what the record will always reflect. But there was actually a hidden shot from Sunday night’s rainout that was washed away with the game. Before it gets lost to history, here is Wilson’s almost but not quite 16th homer of the year: 379 feet long and 106 mph out.
Michael Plassmeyer’s up and down year continued this week. Coming off a brilliant 7 inning performance against Erie in which he matched a career high with 9 strikeouts, Plassmeyer was ambushed in the 1st in Altoona. A 10-pitch battle that ended in a three-run homer seemed to take something out of the left-hander, and he failed to make it out of the 1st inning, allowing seven of the nine batters he faced to reach base.
Reliever Pat Ruotolo, featured in last week’s roundup of reliever prospects, also failed to make it through an inning in his last outing, but in this case it wasn’t the opposition that got him. After allowing a bloop hit, Ruotolo uncharacteristically went 3-0 on the next hitter and showed some signs of discomfort on the final two pitches. After a talk with manager Jose Alguacil and the Richmond trainer, Ruotolo left the game, walking somewhat gingerly.
What’s Next: Richmond continues a two-week road trip by heading up to Binghamton, New York to face the Mets Double-A affiliate, the Rumble Ponies. Binghamton spent the spring as one of the most woebegone franchises in the league, but, like Richmond, they’ve played much better of late and are making a late-summer push towards .500.
Eugene Emeralds: 58-45
1-5 week
Transactions:
Delete RHP Aaron Phillips (released)
Add RHP Blake Rivera (re-assigned from ACL Giants Orange)
Add LHP Nick Morreale (activated from 7-day IL following rehab assignment)
Add LHP Seth Corry (activated from Development list)
What You Should Remember About This Week: Nothing. Absolutely nothing! The Emeralds had a week to forget that has suddenly downgraded their playoff scenario from “Cruising” to “Racing.” At the beginning of the month the Emeralds brow-beat this same Tri-City club (you know, the one that sits at the bottom of the standings with a -141 run differential). They took the series at home 5-1 and outscored the woeful Dust Devils 60-16, walloping 11 home runs along the way.
This week was Bizarro Land, with the Emeralds dropping the first five games. And while most of the Emeralds’ troubles this year have been generated by the pitching, this time blame could be laid squarely on an offense that just didn’t show up. Going into the week, Eugene led the league in team home runs, but after a solo shot from Sean Roby in the opener, the team never left the yard again. And they struggled to bring runs around in any other way, as well.
Over the first five games of the series, Eugene scored just eight total runs. They went an excruciating 3 for 47 with runners in scoring position over those five games, including a 1 for 14 night with RISP (losing 3-1) and a 1 for 11 (losing 4-2). Ismael Munguia gave the team two hits from the lead-off position in four straight games and scored just one run. That’s the kind of series this was. Some of the numbers for the week:
Marco Luciano: 4 for 20, .200 avg, .438 OPS
Armani Smith: 5 for 24, .208 avg, .561 OPS
Ricardo Genovés: 4 for 18, .222 avg, .611 OPS
Brett Auerbach: 4 for 24, .167 avg, .439 OPS
It goes on and on. Just a miserable week in Pasco. The disaster was so total that their playoff situation — which has been strong and stable all season — teetered on the brink this weekend. Spokane, whom the Emeralds beat on relentlessly in the opening month of the season, has gotten hot in the second half. While Eugene was stumbling in western Washington, Spokane went to Everett and slapped the AquaSox around for the week, thrusting themselves into an unexpected and suddenly jam-packed, three-way race, with the three teams now separated by just 2 games.
In some happier news, the pitching staff was bolstered for the stretch run by several returning arms. Nick Morreale returned to Eugene to make his first appearance since May 20. The Georgetown alum had gotten off to a strong start for Eugene, striking out 18 batters in his first three starts while posting a 3.75 ERA. Even better, Morreale brought a friend back with him from the ACL — RHP Blake Rivera, who should have been an important part of this High-A staff all year, but instead was held back in extended rehabbing an undisclosed injury. Rivera finally made his first full-season start of the season on Thursday, allowing two earned runs in two innings and striking out a batter.
Finally, on Sunday, the star-crossed left-hander Seth Corry returned to the team after spending a month in Arizona working on his mechanics. Things were shaky at the start for Corry, who walked two of the first three batters he faced. But he righted the ship, thanks to a timely double play and zipped through a perfect 2nd inning, striking out two. Good first step.
And, of course, as noted at the top, the team also got a very welcome return to form from Nurse, who displayed more of his May form in these final weeks. Nurse struck out 13 in 11.1 innings over two starts this week. With Corry and Morreale back, Rivera finally here, Nurse and Kai-Wei Teng turning their seasons around, and Ryan Murphy continuing to push for the minor league strikeout championship, there should be plenty of whiffing going on these final weeks. Perhaps enough to let Eugene challenge San Jose for their crown.
What’s Next: Eugene stays on the road, heading down to nearby Hillsboro to take on the 5th place Hops. They’d better have a better week against another downbeaten opponent, or their playoff odds could slide on them.
San Jose Giants 63-39
3-3 week
Transactions:
Add OF Carter Williams (activated off Development list)
What You Should Remember About This Week: The story of the week was obviously Bailey finally having the kind of offensive impact that the Giants hoped for him when they made him the #14 pick last year. But in a sneaky sub-heading, perhaps we witnessed a Freaky Friday switch between two of the Giants highest profile hitting prospects. While Bailey suddenly burst to life over the past week, that metronome of hitting consistency, Luis Matos, began running down. Ten days ago, Matos had only had back-to-back 0fer games three times this season, but he turned the trick twice in the past eight games. The talented youngster went just 6 for 25 with one extra-base hit this week in Lake Elsinore, but his troubles actually go back further. Since returning to the field on August 6 after being hit in the wrist, Matos is hitting just .253 (with a .266 OBP). His season average over that time has dropped from .330 down to .312. Perhaps the ding on the wrist is still bothering him, or perhaps it’s just the end of his very first long, hot summer and the daily grind is wearing him down. But whether it’s witchcraft or the quotidian routine, this isn’t the same old Luis we’re seeing lately.
Circumstances conspired to keep Bailey’s emergence mostly out of sight. There is no video system set up in Rancho Cucamonga (come on, Dodgers!) and the Lake Elsinore video system conveeeeeeniently crapped out just in time to miss Bailey’s mammoth home run there. That homer (his 4th with San Jose and 6th overall) was the cherry on top of his best game as a pro, as he’d previously hit two doubles (though both were shot down the opposite field line). It was part of an extraordinary extra-base hit spree for San Jose that saw them hit six doubles in two innings, including four in a stretch of five batters in one inning.
If that 2nd inning outburst wasn’t enough, the following night they went out and topped it:
At that point, San Jose was 8-1 on their two-week sojourn through the south land and they had waxed Lake Elsinore over three nights by a total score of 25-8. But either the nights on the road or all the swinging they’d done seemed to weary them at that point, and they went down quietly the rest of the week, losing the final three games and scoring just one run over the final 18 innings.
That wasted some sensational pitching as Kyle Harrison, Prelander Berroa, and Carson Ragsdale were all terrific in defeat over the weekend. The trio collectively allowed four runs in 18 innings while striking out 25 batters in the Giants three losses. For Berroa, a solo homer in the 5th inning proved to be the only run of the game and he went down with a very undeserving L in a 1-0 loss. Berroa has been up and down a bit lately, but this was definitely an Up start. One thing of particular note about his recent efforts, he’s been force feeding his changeup into games to try to improve his feel for that pitch, rather than rely simply on the fastball/slider combination. The change has been getting hit, including getting bashed for home runs in three recent outings (Saturday included), but that’s how you improve yourself. You keep trying it out until you get it.
Ragsdale was slightly shaky at the start, hitting the first batter he faced and giving an absolute bomb to left field in a 2-run first inning. But he righted the ship to give the team six strong innings with the kind of stuff that made some opposing hitters seem to reconsider their choices in life.
Harrison still appears to be getting his innings managed carefully, but when he’s been on the field lately he’s been nearly unhittable. Over his last four starts, he’s pitched just 14.2 innings, with the five innings on Friday being his longest stint in that stretch. But over those innings he’s allowed just two earned runs, ten hits, and six walks while striking out 27 of the 64 batters he’s faced — that’s 42%!
He also does seem to have made the adjustment to his arm angle that he discussed with me on the There R Giants podcast this month. You may recall in that podcast, he talked about trying to re-find the arm slot he had in Instructs and Spring training that had felt so good. Over the course of the summer, the arm had dropped down slightly, causing him to get under his pitches, pushing his fastball high and flattening out the slider a bit. These reverse shots don’t make for the greatest side by side comparison, but the picture on the left comes from my view of Harrison on July 29, while the one on the right is from Friday night’s game. You can tell that he’s got the arm slot elevated just a bit in the more recent game:
The result of that small tweak is this kind of hard, biting slider that can break down even a sensational hitter like the 8th overall pick from 2020, Robert Hassell:
That’s the kind of stuff that has Harrison climbing into the ranks of the game’s elite left-handed pitching prospects.
Another lefty, the returning Nick Swiney, was also dominant this week, striking out 7 batters in a three-inning start as he works his way back from a concussion. Swiney has been extremely hard to hit when he’s been on the field so far this year.
What’s Next: The weary Giants finally return to Northern California, taking on the Visalia Rawhide for, somewhat amazingly, the first time all year. Visalia has been a long-time rival of San Jose, but with the minor league restructuring, they were moved into the Southern Division of the old Cal League (I’m sure they just love the travel that’s caused!) and it looks like the Giants won’t be seeing their bête noire much anymore. With their successful southern roadtrip, San Jose is a near lock at this point to make the championship series.
Arizona Complex League
Giants Orange: 24-21 (3-2 week)
Giants Black: 23-22 (2-2 week)
As is true at the higher levels, the Giants ACL teams have been adept at striking batters out. The split into two teams prevents them from posting a league-leading team total, but on the individual level, the Giants boast the league’s top three strikeout artists: Sonny Vargas (57), Esmerlin Vinicio (56), and Manuel Mercedes (50). Vinicio and Mercedes were the two highest profile pitching signings in the 2019 international class, both commanding high six-figure bonuses and figuring to be among the more prized pitching prospects of the next generation of Giants full-season kids. But who the heck is Vargas? A big-bodied lefty from Venezuela with broad shoulders, Vargas got a $150,000 signing bonus from the Giants back in 2017 (the last of the international classes that suffered from the penalty of signing Lucius Fox) after he dominated an international showcase in the Dominican Republic. Vargas had a strong start to his career in the DSL in 2018 and showed solid strikeout stuff in the AZL in 2019, while posting a 5.03 ERA. It’s been more of the same for the lefty this year as his big K numbers aren’t equaled in the run prevention category (5.60 ERA). When he signed, Vargas was throwing his fastball in the high 80s and I’ll admit I haven’t seen or heard where he is at this point, so it’s hard to know if his stuff is as exciting as his stats (as is the case with both Vinicio and Mercedes), or if he’s generating whiffs with secondary pitches and a fringy fastball (as has been the case with pitchers like Juan Sanchez and Wilkelma Castillo in recent years).
In a tale of two high-priced shortstops, 17-year-old Diego Velasquez has been heating up lately while 18-year-old Aeverson Arteaga has slowed a bit. After hitting just .170 in July, Velasquez has been peppering the field with singles in August, hitting .382 this month with more walks (8) than Ks (6). Nearly all of that damage has come in the form of singles, as he has just three extra-base hits this year (all doubles). Then again, he’s the only 17-year-old in camp. Arteaga is still having a terrific all-around season, but the offensive numbers have dipped lately, as he’s hitting just .250 with three extra-base hits (no homers) in the month of August. He hit 7 home runs in June and July but figures to be more a of a line-drive hitter going forward.
Alexander Suarez has led the Giants Black team in offense this season, but after missing a couple of games from a HBP he, too, has slowed down, going 0 for 6 with 6 strikeouts in his last two games. Suarez has had big contact issues this year, but he’s also shown an ability to make very hard contact, and I believe he’s still the only player in all rookie ball levels with 5 HR and 10 SB.
Two recent draftees making noise are 11th round pick Donovan McIntyre and 13th rounder Jared Dupere. McIntyre, the Chicagoland prepster, tripled in his very first professional at bat and now has 7 hits and 3 SB in his first seven games. Dupere, who showed big power potential at Northeastern University, has four doubles and is hitting .283 over his first 15 games.
The top draft picks have been very slow to arrive, but keep reading for more on this score!
Dominican Summer League
Giants Orange: 13-14 (2-2 week)
5th place in Northeast Division
Giants Black: 12-14 (1-4 week)
5th place in San Pedro Division
Simply getting on the field has been a chore for the DSL teams, who have navigated through COVID outbreaks and waves of tropical storms to lose nearly more games than they’ve played. There have been outright cancellations and suspended games by the bundle.
Through it all, the kids have had a tough time gaining traction — and it shows in the spotty performances from the youngsters. So far, shortstop Yeison Lemos (4) and CF Mauricio Pierre (3) lead the group in home runs, and Pierre’s .281 average and .847 OPS are standouts from the group of 17-year-olds who signed last January. A couple of lower-dollar 18-year-olds have paced Team Black: outfielder Estanlin Cassiani (.340/.411/.500 with 10 SB) and infielder Jose Ramos (.308/.390/.596 with three HR). On Giants Orange, shortstop Derwin Laya (.235/.366/.397, two HR) has the best OPS on an offense-starved team. Shortstop Ramon Peralta, who like Laya was one of the higher signings of this year, has struggled to a .141 start (.483 OPS) though he has recently hit two home runs.
On the pitching side, Mikell Manzano appears to be the arm to watch. The right-hander has struck out 34 and walked just 1 batter for Team Orange, while posting a solid 3.24 ERA in 24 innings. Right-hander Rolfi Jimenez has a minuscule 0.95 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 28 innings.
About Last Night
Sacramento lost @ Reno Aces, 6-5
Notable Lines:
Steven Duggar CF: 1 for 4, HR (1) Run, 2 RBI, BB, K
Jason Krizan 1b: 2 for 5, 2 HR (14), 2 Run, 2 RBI, 2 K
Wyatt Mathisen 3b: 2 for 4, 2b (4) K
Sean Hjelle: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
Somebody bottle up whatever Jason Krizan’s been drinking lately, because the multi-hyphenate hitter is going out of his gourd. That’s now four home runs in two games for Krizan, who has been more of a steady average than a power source for the River Cats this year. Whatever Krizan has done, though, it’s been good. Dude’s deserved a raise for sure!
Sean Hjelle was an inning away from a quality start last night, but as has often been the case for the Tall Man, when it goes it goes quickly. He allowed singles to the first two batters he faced in the 6th, and then issued a four-pitch walk to Henry Ramos. He then wild pitched in the go ahead run and, following an intentional walk (his fourth of the night), gave up another single to bring in the final two runs of the night. On the bright side, he did nearly double his strikeout output with Sacramento with four punchouts in 5.2 innings. Plus, he continued to provide excellent punning opportunities for the writing crowd:
Arizona Complex League
Giants Orange beat ACL Rockies, 12-5
Notable Lines:
Vaun Brown CF: 3 for 5, HR (2), 2b (2), 2 R, 2 RBI, SB (3)
Aeverson Arteaga SS: 3 for 5, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB (7)
Victor Bericoto DH: 1 for 1, 2b (1), Run, RBI
Yeiver Torrealba 2b: 3 for 3, 2 2b (2), 3 Runs, 3 RBI
Will Bednar: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
There’s a line we’ve been waiting for! Top pick Will Bednar made his professional debut, motoring through the top lineup in the complex league in the 1st place Rockies. Bednar pitched over 100 innings this spring with Mississippi State, so you can be assured he’ll be treated cautiously by the Giants. Still, it’s nice to see his name in a box score finally. The Giants Orange also officially added Mat Olsen and Seth Lonsway to their roster yesterday, which means their debuts should be imminent as well.
10th round pick Vaun Brown has been having quite a debut in the desert. The speed-and-defense center fielder was all over the box score last night, blasting a two-run homer in his first at bat and adding a double, single and stolen base to his line in the runaway victory. Brown was a five-year senior sign out of Florida Southern, so he’s quite old for the rookie league at 23, but as I always say, it’s better to succeed than not, and with a .979 OPS, he’s been succeeding in the complex.
Arteaga lined three singles and drove in three runs, boosting his batting line back up to .321. Last night’s game saw the welcome return of Victor Bericoto, one of the best hitters from the 2019 DSL Giants. Bericoto has spent nearly all of this season on the 60-day IL, with just three previous PA this season. He lined a double in his lone trip to the plate.
Giants Black’s game was forfeited by ACL Athletics
I’m told this was due to a lack of available pitchers on the Athletics part and was not related to a COVID outbreak (though the A’s low-A affiliate in Stockton has had to postpone their last three games due to an outbreak).
Dominican Summer League
Giants Orange lost @ DSL Yankees2, 4-2
Notable Lines:
Eliam Sandoval RF: 1 for 4, 2b (6), K, .225 avg
Ramon Peralta SS: 1 for 3, RBI, SF, .141 avg
Miguel Mora: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Juan Morillo: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 2 WP
Giants Black beat DSL Cardinal Red, 4-0
Notable Lines:
Estanlin Cassiani CF: 1 for 4, 3b (2), Run, BB, SB (10), .340 avg
Elian Rayo 3b: 2 for 4, K, .289 avg
Gustavo Cardozo 2b: 2 for 4, 2b (5), Run, BB, 2 SB (7), .279 avg
Brayan Ferrer DH: 2 for 4, 2b (2), Run, 2 RBI
Yonathan Ochoa: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 BB, 2 K
Jan Caraballo: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, PO
Jan Caraballo was a low six-figure signing this January. A tall, thin, projectible right-hander with whippy arm-action and good arm speed who was getting his fastball into the low 90s as a 16 year old. Things started out poorly for Caraballo, who got knocked around for 11 runs over his first five professional innings. But over the last four days he’s had his two longest and most impressive outings, going 2 scoreless innings on Friday and then coming back for 2.2 more yesterday morning. He allowed just one hit combined in the two longer relief efforts, while striking out four.
Elian Rayo was one of the top signings of the 2019 class. With a stocky build, he’s an offensive-minded corner infielder. Rayo’s season has been most notable for his prodigious tendency to take walks (16 in 61 PA so far), but he’s also hitting a solid .289 with a homer and two doubles. Eliam Sandoval, a powerful left-handed corner outfielder signed this year, has six doubles and two home runs among his 18 hits on the season.
Estanlin Cassiani’s 10 SB leads the Giants’ contingent, but he’s far FAR behind the league leader. Colorado’s Adrian Pinto has a Ricky-esque 34 SB in 32 games played this year! That deserves a WOW!
What’s On Tap?
Sacramento (Scott Kazmir) @ Reno (TBD), 6:35 pm, MiLBTV
Richmond (TBD) @ Binghamton (TBD), 3:35 pm, MiLBTV
Eugene (TBD) @ Hillsboro (TBD), 7:05 pm, MiLBTV
San Jose (Nick Swiney) vs. Visalia (TBD), 6:35 pm, MiLBTV
ACL Giants Black (TBD) @ ACL Rockies (TBD), 6:00 pm, No Video
ACL Giants Orange (TBD) vs. ACL Cubs (TBD), 6:00 pm, No Video
DSL Giants Orange (TBD) vs. DSL Yankees2 (TBD), 7:30 am, No Video
DSL Giants Black (TBD) @ DSL Cardinal Red (TBD), 7:30 am, No Video
Another week in a quickly-dwindling minor league season. Only three more of these left (give or take a couple of outlier leagues that will go on a bit). So enjoy it while you can. Hopefully the week to come will have more thrilling moments like Braden Bishop’s second walk-off homer from earlier this week!
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So now we’re down to just one Gerson?