As we enter the second half of May, we’re starting to get to the point of the year when “slow starts” turn into slumps and “hot stretches” turn into “this guy is good!” It’s getting to the point where stats matter — somewhat. We know Vaun Brown is hot — who else is?
It’s time for the weekly review of stats and transactions!
Sacramento River Cats, 18-18, T-3rd in PCL West
Run Differential -18
SORTABLE TABLES: HITTERS PITCHERS
As an aside, by Eno Sarris’ Stuff+ and Pitchability+ metrics, the three best pitchers on the Sacramento staff so far (by far), have been Marte, Llovera, and Santos — not too surprising that those are the three we’ve seen the Giants bring up regularly. As Sarris noted in an article he wrote on PCL Stuff+ metrics, Sean Hjelle actually grades out pretty well by the system too, with both his Stuff+ (107, with 100 representing major league average) and Location+ (104) being above major league average. Interestingly, the fourth best pitcher on the staff by Stuff+/Location+ measures has been Joey Marciano (111 Stuff+, 105 Location+). The Stuff+ model, which was originally devised by an analyst who now works for the Astros, looks at the way all of the pitches in a pitchers’ repertoire play off of each other, with particular emphasis on how differences in velocity and movement from pitch to pitch fool hitters. Location+ looks at how well a pitcher is throwing his pitches to certain parts of the strike zone where that pitch will play best. If you are a subscriber of The Athletic, you can read more about Stuff+ here.
PCL LEADERS
David Villar: HR (1st), OBP (6th), SLG (2nd), OPS (2nd), Runs (T-3rd), RBI (1st), BB (T-6th), K (T-8th), ISO (1st), wOBA (1st), wRC+ (1st)
Heliot Ramos: GB% (2nd), SwS%-highest (7th)
Arquimedes Gamboa: BB (T-8th), BB% (6th)
Bryce Johnson: SB (T-6th)
Austin Dean: HR (T-6th), SLG (7th), ISO (5th), FB% (2nd)
Michael Plassmeyer: IP (4th), K (6th), K% (8th), HR Allowed (1st), BB%-highest (10th), K-BB% (8th), WHIP (8th), FB%-highest (5th), SwS% (3rd)
Raynel Espinal: K (5th)
Joey Marciano: Saves (T-4th)
TRANSACTIONS (not including recall/options to/from SF)
RHP Trenton Toplikar re-assigned to Richmond
RHP Peter Tago released
RHP Corey Oswalt traded to Phillies
INF Donovan Walton acquired from Seattle, optioned to Sacramento
INF Mike Ford traded to Seattle
OF Stuart Fairchild acquired from Seattle and optioned to Sacramento
INF Alex Blandino traded to Seattle
1b/C Michael Papierski acquired from Houston and assigned to Sacramento
C Cesar Gonzalez activated from development list; placed back on development list
HONORS:
David Villar was named the PCL Player of the Week.
Richmond Flying Squirrels, 20-13, 1st in EL Southwest
Run Differential +2
SORTABLE TABLES: HITTERS PITCHERS
EL LEADERS
Frankie Tostado: Avg (T-1st), Hits (2nd), BB%-lowest (3rd)
Sean Roby: SLG (4th), ISO (4th), HR (2nd), K (5th)
Tyler Fitzgerald: K (2nd), FB% (2nd)
Shane Matheny: wRC+ (T-9th), LD% (T-10th)
Brandon Martorano: ISO (10th)
Jake Dahlberg: IP (5th), Hits-Most (1st), BB% (5th), FB% (8th)
Kai-Wei Teng: IP (9th), Hits-Most (4th), BB-Most (2nd), GB% (2nd)
Bryan Brickhouse: Hits-Most (5th), BB-Most (5th)
Chris Wright: Saves (T-4th)
Look at Shane Matheny go! He’s barely outside Top 10 in OBP and OPS as well.
TRANSACTIONS
RHP Trenton Toplikar re-assigned from Sacramento
OF Franklin Labour placed on 7-day IL
OF Armani Smith re-assigned from Eugene
Eugene Emeralds, 16-12, 1st in NWL
Run Differential +10
SORTABLE TABLES: HITTERS PITCHERS
NWL LEADERS
Casey Schmitt: Avg (1st), OBP (4th), SLG (1st), OPS (1st), Iso (1st), HR (1st), FB% (4th)
Marco Luciano: Avg (3rd), OBP (5th), SLG (4th), OPS (4th), Iso (6th), Hits (T-10th), HR (T-5th), LD% (7th)
Ghordy Santos: Avg (6th), SLG (6th), OPS (6th), Iso (9th), K%-highest (10th), Hits (T-10th), Runs (T-5th), SB (T-5th), HR (T-10th), FB% (6th)
Armani Smith: SLG (9th), OPS (9th), Iso (5th), BB% (3rd), RBI (T-10th), HR (T-5th)
Hunter Bishop: K (8th), K%-highest (4th), SB (T-5th), HR (T-10th), GB% (2nd), SwS% (T-5th)
Jairo Pomares: SLG (10th), Iso (8th), HR (T-10th), FB% (1st), SwS% (T-5th)
Jimmy Glowenke: Iso (10th), HR (T-10th), FB% (2nd), SwS% (7th)
Kyle Harrison: ERA (4th), K (2nd), K% (1st) Fewest Hits Allowed (2nd), Opp Avg (5th), WHIP (7th), FIP (1st), FB%-highest (2nd)
Nick Avila: Saves (1st)
Randy Rodriguez: BB-most (T-6th)
TRANSACTIONS
LHP Seth Corry placed on 7-day IL then transferred to 60-day IL
RHP Prelander Berroa traded to Seattle
RHP Ryan Murphy activated from Richmond IL
OF Armani Smith re-assigned to Richmond
OF Carter Williams assigned from XST
RHP Mat Olsen re-assigned from San Jose
San Jose Giants, 21-12, 1st in Cal Lg North
Run Differential, +39
SORTABLE TABLES: HITTERS PITCHERS
CAL LEAGUE LEADERS
Vaun Brown: Avg (5th), SLG (1st), OPS (3rd), HR (2nd), Hits (T-1st), Runs (1st), RBI (9th), SB (T-7th), Iso (2nd), wRC+ (4th), LD% (2nd)
Grant McCray: Avg (8th), OBP (9th), SLG (2nd), OPS (4th), HR (T-6th), 2b (T-10th), Iso (4th), wRC+ (5th)
Abdiel Layer: 2b (T-2nd), K-most (T-9th), Iso (7th), K%-highest (5th)
Najee Gaskins: Avg (10th), OBP (7th)
Victor Bericoto: K%-highest (9th)
Dilan Rosario: BB% (7th), LD% (10th)
Aeverson Arteaga: LD% (3rd), FB% (8th), K-most (2nd), K%-highest (3rd)
Yorlis Rodriguez: FB% (4th), SwS%-highest (3rd)
Garrett Frechette: SwS%-highest (T-9th)
Mason Black: ERA (1st), FIP (1st), K (5th), K% (2nd), BB%-lowest (4th), K-BB% (2nd), Opp Avg (1st), WHIP (2nd), GB% (1st)
Nick Sinacola: K (T-8th)
Manuel Mercedes: BB-Most (2nd)
Seth Lonsway: BB-Most (4th)
Tyler Myrick: Saves (T-3rd)
In addition to Black leading the league, the San Jose staff as a whole leads the league in team ERA at 3.45. The hitters have a share of the league lead in team HR (40).
TRANSACTIONS
RHP Mat Olsen re-assigned to Eugene
Tonight’s Scheduled Starters
Sacramento (Hjelle) vs. Tacoma (TBD), 6:35 pm, MiLBTV
Richmond (Fenter) @ Altoona (Nicolas), 3:00 pm, MiLBTV
Eugene (Swiney) @ Spokane (TBD), 12:05 pm, No Video
San Jose (Mikulski) @ Inland Empire (TBD), 7:05 pm, MiLBTV
I had some scheduling mishaps with the podcast, so a second straight Tuesday without the pod, but there might be a new edition later in the week. I will have another post coming out this afternoon on players who may be on the trading block this summer, so look forward to that in your Inbox.
It’s another week of ball!
Any guess about why Najee Gaskins is batting .300 but slotted 8th/9th in the batting order?
Matos, Rincones, Ramos, Mercedes...ouch!