The Prospect/Minor Leagues Thread

[ElNik2013]

Nolin with a good outing. Threw 104 pitches. This guy missed a month and is probably deserving of a promo to Buffalo.

[gruber92]

Jimenez 2-4 tonight. Keep it up kid.

[bluejaysfan]

Vancouver Canadians game about to begin. We get to listen to BKal play tonight. Hitting third against a lefty -"Kalfus Fans Unit".

[imsorry4beatinU]

Nevermind. Got it

 

Link?

[imsorry4beatinU]

http://www.milb.com/milb/multimedia/audio.jsp

 

Go to vancouver

 

Thanks

[Angrioter]

Lugo 1-3

Nay 2-4

Davis 2-5 (triple 3 rbis)

Labout 4 scoreless, 2bb, 3ks

Rodson 4 scoreless

[GD]

You mean Lambourt and Robson? Damn, nice days, and Nay and Lugo are off to sweet starts.

[GD]

I swear it's still Pee-air and Smoe-rall. f*** Jamie Campbell.

[GD]

Nice!

 

I love Barreto. He's so good.

 

Anyone think Marcus Walden could be a sleeper for us? He's posted good numbers throughout the minors, could be a good depth guy for us. He's throwing a gem today

 

I dunno why more people don't like him, I think he could be a solid #4.

[GD]

So far

 

8IP 3H 0ER 0BB 4K

 

17 GO/3 FO

 

Damn that's nice. Obviously he won't be a great starter with those numbers (4k and pitching to contact) but he could make a nice #4 or bullpen piece.

[Angrioter]

Cardona getting a lot of groundballs that are finding holes

 

he touched 98mph last week

[ace3113]

The Box score for yesterday's DSL game finally up. lol

 

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2013_06_22_dbrrok_dblrok_1&t=g_box&sid=milb

[GD]

Biggs is Cardona's piggyback, I *think*.

[Angrioter]

Derrick Loveless 3-4, 2 dingers

Dawel Lugo 3-4, 2 double

Matt Dean 1-3, double

[GD]

Hey King, do you know where Denis Villatoro, the RHP pitcher from Honduras, is in our system?

I believe he's 17 or 18.

 

Didn't we sign him to some weird 5 year deal?

[Angrioter]

1 Aaron Sanchez

2 Roberto Osuna

3 Marcus Stroman

4 AJ Jimenez

5 Daniel Norris

6 DJ Davis

7 Matt Smoral

8 Phil Bickford

9 Sean Nolin

10 Alberto Tirado

11 Anthony Alford

12 Adonys Cardona

13 Christian Lopes

14 Andy Burns

15 Kevin Pillar

16 John Stilson

17 Chase Dejong

18 Clinton Hollon

19 Franklin Barreto

20 Santiago Nessy

21 Dwight Smith Jr.

22 Mitch Nay

23 Dalton Pompey

24 Dawel Lugo

25 Deck McGuire

26 Jeremy Gabryszwski

27 Andres De Aza

28 Jacob Anderson

29 Danny Barnes

30 Chris Hawkins

 

bluejaysmessageboard.com

 

 

MidSeason top-30 prospects

[Angrioter]

GCL

Alford 0-2, Walk

Barreto 1-3

 

Daniel Lietz (debut) 2.1IP, H, ER

Tyler Gonzales IP, Walk, K

Cale Wine (debut) IP, K

[GD]

Barreto = stud

[8D]

Kinda wish there was a thread listing all of the touted prospects AA traded away with occasional updates to keep tabs on them.

[GD]

Has Synderlander's dominant AA debut been discussed yet?

 

You're the worst kind of person.

[TheHurl]

Mississippi State reliever (yes reliever) and Blue Jays 9th rounder has had three straight games with 10 or more K's. Now has 4 in 2 and 2/3's in the 1st game of the CWS, he's looked fantastic in this game. He has 73 K's in 52 IP this year. UCLA up 3-0 in the 4th.

[TheHurl]

If anyone wants the live stream. http://www.stream2watch.me/live-tv/espn-live-stream

 

be patient and find the X to close the ads. Miss. St. has bases loaded with 2 out

[imsorry4beatinU]

Introducing The Ghost: Matt Hitt

 

Regular readers of this blog (hi Mom) are aware that I have a predilection for both stats and spreadsheets. When it comes to baseball stats, there are two websites that are essential when covering any baseball, but are especially helpful with minor league information. Baseball Reference and Fangraphs are my writing bibles. Which is why I was intrigued, when given my first glimpse of the Canadians roster on media day, with one name in particular. I had predicted the C’s catching quota to be filled by Tucker Frawley, Dan Klein, Mike Reeves, and Seth Conner. I still believe Conner will arrive in Vancouver, so am giving myself a 75% prediction success rate. The name I got wrong, was, of course, Matt Hitt. What made my error even more interesting, was the fact I had never heard of Matt Hitt, nor could I find him in either of my bibles. Hence the reason I nicknamed him The Ghost.

 

 

Matt Hitt warms up in the pen (image courtesy of Charlie Caskey)

Before I get to his story, and it’s a good one, let me make another thing perfectly clear. As much as I love a high draft pick and the limitless potential/upside/athleticism they possess, I probably have more of an affinity for the lower picks. The guys who got tiny bonuses and are having to grind their way to the top. It’s part of the reason I did my Kevin Pillar Sleeper Prospect List and still call lower rounds the ‘Aaron Guiel‘ picks. Guiel is a local boy who did ten years in the minor leagues, including a stint away from his family in Mexico, before making his big league debut. You just have to admire the dedication these kids possess and the sacrifices they make.

 

Matt made his affiliated pro debut on Wednesday where he went one for three with a walk, while backstopping Eric Brown to another win. So, yes, he is technically no longer a ghost, and is now in the bibles. Still, I’m going to call him The Ghost, and told him that when I caught up with him after the game. I wanted to get his background. Just wish I’d brought a tape recorder with me.

 

In 2011, after an injury plagued junior season at Easter Michigan University, a Division One school in the Mid-American Conference, Hitt went undrafted, despite the belief he was at the level of others drafted out of the MAC (as per the link, ex C and current Dunedin Blue Jay was a ’11 MAC draftee). That summer the Indiana native helped the Battle Creek Bombers to a Northwood Summer League title. During the celebrations he got a call from the Detroit Tigers asking if he’d come in the next day to catch some of their draftees. I can just imagine the thought process…’hmm, I’m planning on doing an all-nighter with my teammates, but ya, why not.’

 

He pulled into Comerica at about 7am, and after finishing his catching duties, talked his way into a full workout. The Tigers were impressed, flying him down to Lakeland for a medical before signing him to his first pro contract. Unfortunately, Detroit’s medical staff were not impressed, as the broken hamate bone in Hitt’s hand which disrupted his 2011 season still hadn’t healed yet. Rug yanked out, Matt went back to school for his senior season where his slugging percentage jumped by over one hundred points, leading the team in home runs with seven.

 

Passed over in the draft once again, Hitt started calling all the baseball contacts he had, eventually getting a recommendation from the Arizona Diamondbacks which led to a pro contract with the Arizona Centennials in the independent Freedom League.

 

Someone in the Phillies organization must have taken notice as Hitt was offered and signed a contract with Philadelphia for the 2013 season. During his first pro spring training he was traded to the Blue Jays for cash considerations and there you go. The long journey to Vancouver was complete.

 

I think it goes without saying, but will do so anyway. Matt Hitt is pretty excited to be in Vancouver. He doesn’t want it to be his last station though. After the journey he’s had, Hitt believes there are many more stops in store.

 

 

Will two sport start Anthony Alford spend parts of 2013 in Vancouver? (photo courtesy of mlbprospectportal.com)

As a footnote, after chatting about his baseball history, I learned that Matt’s roommate in extended spring training was Anthony Alford. I summarized my history with Alford in a post three weeks ago. Three things about Anthony had me worried about his future in baseball: 1) the on campus arrest. 2) The fact he still wants to play football despite having to redshirt a year after transferring schools. 3) His willingness to switch from quarterback to safety to prolong his football career.

 

Hitt was able to provide a bit of clarity on those issues:

 

Regarding the arrest. I don’t think I’ll find out exactly what happened unless given the opportunity to speak to Anthony himself, but by the sounds of it, he felt unsafe on campus. For lack of a better word, he was bullied, having received a 750k bonus from baseball, drove a nice car, etc. Is it an excuse? I’m going to reserve judgement until I know more

 

Due to this perceived unsafe environment Alford has applied to the NCAA to forego his redshirt year as he had just cause to transfer schools. I can’t find anything online which confirms a request has been made, but you would expect a decision to be made soon.

 

According to Hitt, Alford’s plan is to play football collegiately for three years. If he sees not future professionally then he will switch to baseball full time. That would make him twenty in 2014 when he decides that he’s going to play baseball for a career. He’ll be behind the development curve somewhat, but not so much to make it impossible.

 

Speaking of which, Matt was absolutely glowing in his praise for Anthony, saying he’s a ‘Bo Jackson type player, who, when he focuses on it, will only be in the minor leagues for three years.’ He also said that Alford is one of the nicest kids he’s ever met, and is very exited by the rumours that he could still end up in Vancouver for a portion of the summer. Apparently he won’t be heading back to school until mid-July or so, which gives him just under a month of baseball games.

 

I have a feeling there is going to be more Alford posts in my future.

http://yourvancs.com/introducing-the-ghost-matt-hitt/

[ace3113]

Prospect 3 Stars of the Night

 

1) Dwight Smith Jr, OF, Lansing: 2-4 2r 1hr 1rbi 1(2b) 1so

http://www.bluejaysfromaway.com/wp-content/uploads/Smith-Swing.jpg

 

2) Andres De Aza, OF, GCL: 2-4 1r 1hr 2rbi 1(2b) 1bb 1so

http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/39/files/2012/03/DeAza.jpg

 

3) Mitch Nay, 3B, Bluefield: 3-4 1r

http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/39/files/2012/10/mitchnay2.jpg

 

Honorable Mention

A.J. Jimenez, C, New Hampshire: 2-4 1r 1so

 

Scott Silverstein, LHP, Bluefield: 6ip 4h 1r 0bb 4so

 

Deck McGuire, RHP, New Hampshire: 6ip 7h 3r 0bb 5so

[ace3113]

Too early bro, Eric Brown pitching a gem

 

He's 24 and in Rookie Ball though so he's not really a prospect.

[ElNik2013]

Was Mitch Nay the draftee that had a broken foot or something last year? How high should we be on him?

[TheHurl]

Was Mitch Nay the draftee that had a broken foot or something last year? How high should we be on him?

 

Missed most of his junior year with a back injury, broke his foot a week after we sign him. He's really an unknown still, defense was supposedly questionable and his contact rates are expected to be poor. He's got pop though

[GD]

Was Mitch Nay the draftee that had a broken foot or something last year? How high should we be on him?

 

The draftee with a broken foot was Matt Smoral.

[z3r0s]

Thanks you for using that quote as your signature btw... makes me laugh every time I look at it.

[imsorry4beatinU]

Was Mitch Nay the draftee that had a broken foot or something last year? How high should we be on him?

 

He is in my top 10 prospects,I'm really high on him.