I was at Disneyworld last week. Apologies for the slapdash quality of the some of the reports. We had more rain than I would have liked, but also more rainbows.
Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 6, at Salt Lake (LAA) 8
Round Rock: 7 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 4 walks, 12 strikeouts
Record: 35-28, 10 GB
SP Triston Polley: 1.2 IP, 4 H (1 HR), 3 R, 0 BB, 0 SO, 23 P / 14 S, 6.00 ERA
RP Edwar Colina: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Joe Barlow: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.12 ERA
CF Elier Hernandez: 2-4, BB, .338/.418/.559
SS Jonathan Ornelas: 2-4, 2 HR (3), .255/.369/.367
Jonathan Ornelas hit his second and third homers. Even with yesterday’s outburst, his homer rate is about one-half of last year at Frisco. He is hitting more doubles and drawing more walks.
Ornelas has spent nearly two-thirds of his time at shortstop. I came across a draft note expressing skepticism that he could remain at the position in the long term. In such cases, I’m nearly always of the assumption that the player won’t stick. Sometimes the player is just so-so at the position and doesn’t get better. He might age out of the toughest defensive spots quickly. Often, he might be competent there but has one or more superior defensive teammates, so the opportunity never arises. For example, Josh Jung played frequently at shortstop in college, and he could probably still make the basic plays and not severely undermine the team’s likelihood of winning, but we’re never going to find out because several others would be better choices. Ornelas is an exception to all that. He’s not a multi-position player who can handle short. He’s a shortstop who can handle multiple positions.
By my count, 13 of Round Rock’s 63 games have been started by a member of the bullpen. Last year’s total for the entire season was 11.
AA: Frisco 5, at Corpus Christi (HOU) 7 (11)
Frisco: 9 hits, 3 walks, 13 strikeouts
Opponent: 9 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 25-31, 5.5 GB
SP Jack Leiter: 5 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 3 R, 2 BB, 7 SO, 80 P / 50 S, 4.02 ERA
RP Alex Speas: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0.82 ERA
DH Aaron Zavala: 1-5, HR (2), .227/.368/.320
SS Thomas Saggese: 1-4, HR (7), BB, .277/.336/.441
LF Dustin Harris: 2-4, 2B, BB, .246/.382/.404
A mixed outing from Jack Leiter: walk-free until his final two hitters, not particularly hittable, but the hits were prominent. For the season, Leiter’s rate of homers allowed is nearly 50% above the league average, and even during his more positive stretch, he’s still slightly worst than average.
21 games back from internal brace surgery, Aaron Zavala is walking more than ever but still trying to recapture his stroke. His strikeout rate has nearly doubled from 21% last year in Frisco to 39% now, with corresponding effects on his average and power.
Round Rock released RHP James Marvel.
Hi-A: Hickory 3, at Rome (ATL) 12
Hickory: 7 hits, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 13 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 21-32, 9 GB
SP Emiliano Teodo: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 33 P / 17 S, 2.53 ERA
RP Reid Birlingmair: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 6.75 ERA
CF Daniel Mateo: 3-4, 2 2B, .258/.277/.398
Emiliano Teodo lasted a season-low two innings and 33 pitches, presumably because he was pitching on four days rest for the first time.
Texas grabbed 26-year-old righty Reid Birlingmair from indy Fargo-Moorhead. Birlingmair was Oakland’s 28th-round pick in 2018.
Lo-A: Down East 7, at Delmarva (BAL) 3
Down East: 11 hits, 3 walks, 17 strikeouts
Opponent: 10 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Record: 33-20, 4 G up
SP DJ McCarty: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 74 P / 47 S, 1.80 ERA
RP Dylan MacLean: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 3.06 ERA
DH Yosy Galan: 2-4, 2 HR (11), .238/.333/.500
1B Konner Piotto: 3-5, .361/.410/.472
I’d mentioned that Yosy Galan’s stats were very similar to last year at the same level, so Galan has decided to improve the situation immediately.
Down East used the similarly named DJ McCarty and Dylan MacLean in a tandem role. I just noticed that the undrafted McCarty is listed at 6’2″ and 145 pounds. Thin, if true.
Five Years Ago Yesterday
Low-A Hickory’s Alex Speas tossed a seventh consecutive scoreless outing. Jonathan Hernandez allowed six runs in four innings in his first start for Frisco. Texas announced the signing of the top five draft picks (Cole Winn, Owen White, Jonathan Ornelas, Mason Englert, and Jayce Easley).