So just what is it about Appel that is so appealing. Well, if the comparison to Mark Pryor is true (and there is nothing that he shows that says it’s not), this kid is going to be really good. In fact, he may be better than just good. And he’s now going to be a Houston Astro. I know, sign on the dotted line kid before we all pass out from holding our collective breath here. All in all, looks like Houston just drafted an Ace of the near future.

And there ain’t nothing wrong with that at all!

But the pundits were dead certain that either Mark Appel, pitcher at Stanford, or Byron Buxton, a very talented high school OF from Georgia were going to be the next Astros pick. The last time the Astros had an overall number 1 pick, they chose Phil Nevin, so things were a bit exciting around the organization. But neither Appel nor Buxton’s name were called out, instead it was Correa.  Stretch pick? No, not really… maybe the prototypical “scout” pick if you will. But you would have thought with the reaction around the media types, the Astros just threw away the pick. From here, doesn’t look to be the case.

Later in the night, the Astros pulled another stunner. Young Lance McCullers, he of former major leaguer stock, fell all the way to the supplemental round where the Astros were able to tab him. What is unique about this pick is the noise surrounding the young man, not because of talent, but because of the choice of agent… one Scott “I’m the real Devil Lanse” Boras. McCullers probably scared away a whole slew of good organizations because of the talk of what might be his asking price. The Astros made the pick and hope to sign both Correa and McCullers based on slot money or little above without hurting themselves in the process. If they do, this may be the day everyone looks back on and says “This was the day the organization turned it all around!”

Good job Bobby Heck and new GM Jeff Luhnow!

]]> http://www.orangewhoopass.com/2011/04/19/alex-meyer/ Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:19:33 +0000 http://www.spikesnstars.com/?p=8412
Talk of the 2011 Baseball draft is starting to heat up, with conversations about the #11 pick for the Houston Astros making the rounds in the Bus Ride Discussion Forum.

Join in the fun!

Breaking the top 50

Jason Castro breaks in to Jonathan Mayo’s top 50 prospects list at number 27.

(h/t to Leeaire for the link)

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Not bad for a ‘fourth outfielder’

Drew Locke broke the Hooks single season RBI record on August 3rd with his 95^th RBI in his 105^th game of the season (he currently has 101 RBIs in 110 games). The previous record holder was Hunter Pence, who had 95 RBIs in 136 games played with the Hooks in 2006.

Locke’s 101 RBIs lead the Texas League, outdistancing second in the league by 14 RBIs. As of Saturday, he also was second in batting average at .331 (first was .333) and tied for third in home runs (first was 20). Greg Rajan at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times notes that Locke is making a run at the third Triple Crown in the Texas League since 1888, and is doing so despite a .238 batting average in June.

Rajan also notes that Locke leads the Texas League in outfield assists, and is one of only three outfielders in the league with double-digit assists.

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Speaking of broken records…

Another Hooks’ record goes down in flames.

Boone will mark the Hooks’ sixth rehab assignment this season, joining Brandon Backe, Doug Brocail, German Duran, Darin Erstad and Kaz Matsui as Astros who’ve played in Corpus Christi in 2009.

The Hooks’ previous high for rehab assignments in a season was four, in both 2005 and 2007. No individual player has had more rehab assignments than Backe’s three in 2005, 2007 and this year.

From that same article Rajan notes that German Duran has only appeared in three games with the Hooks this season.

Duran has played only two games since straining a quadriceps muscle during his July 16 Corpus Christi [debut]. He hasn’t seen action since Aug. 2 at Midland. Hooks manager Luis Pujols said Duran’s status is “day to day.”

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Just because

Another look at Wladimir Sutil’s entertaining glovework against Northwest Arkansas in July 3, 2009 (original post by Duder here).

He mighta been a receiver or defensive back, but…

Bill Dwyre at Los Angeles Times writes about Jiovanni Mier and on the baseball career that almost wasn’t.

“I remember my mom crying,” [Mier] says. “I remember being strapped down. It was the worst feeling ever. Just terrible. After about three hours at the hospital, I asked them if they could loosen it up a bit. I remember being able to move my elbow to my head and that was great.”

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Fun with numbers: draft bonus slotting system edition

The draft signing deadline is less than two weeks away, yet 20 of the 32 first round picks from this years draft remain unsigned and there have been no above-slot first round deals. What about Jiovanni Mier you say? Well… Jim Callis at Baseball America is reporting that while the number was above slot, MLB is playing with the numbers a bit as to show otherwise.

“The commissioner’s office won’t even acknowledge that Mier got an above-slot bonus. Like most draftees, he’ll collect all of his bonus by Jan. 1, but MLB is calculating that the slight deferral of the final payment decreases the net present value of his deal to $1,329,224—just under its recommendation of $1,332,000. MLB never has applied that reduction to a standard bonus payout in the past.”

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Speaking of prospects

While there have been no additional reported signings of ’09 draftees by the Astros since Dallas Keuchel signed, they continue to be active in the free-agent prospects market. According to the Creighton Blue Jays athletics website, the Astros have signed Kirk Clark to a free-agent deal.

“A hard-throwing right-hander from Moline, Ill., Clark elected to bypass his senior season to start his professional career with the Astros organization. He has been assigned to the Tri-City ValleyCats in the New York-Penn League (short season A), though he has yet to appear in a game. After transferring in from Iowa Western CC, Clark went 0-2 with two saves and a 4.21 ERA in his only season for Creighton. Clark appeared in 26 games, including two starts, and threw 36.1 innings of work. He struck out 37 and walked 25 men, holding foes to a .261 average. He had been pitching this summer for the Glacier Pilots in the Alaska Baseball League, where he was 2-2 with a 1.95 ERA and two saves in 27.2 innings of work, before impressing scouts with his low-90s fastball.”

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Staying put

Levine comments on late-season movement of prospects within the Astros system.

“We’ve made most of our moves. There may be one or two more moves toward the end of the season from a promotion standpoint that we may look to do,” assistant general manager Ricky Bennett said. “But generally speaking, our players are where they need to be, and I want them to settle in and finish on a good note and look toward next year.”

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Starting to put it together

Levine also notes that Koby Clemens has been filling in for T. J. Steele in left as of late, and is starting to put things together at the plate.

“I think [experience at multiple positions] will increase [Clemens] value,” Bennett said. “He’s a baseball player, and that’s what we like about Koby. It doesn’t matter where he plays; he just wants to be in the lineup every day.

***

This year being his second year in High A ball, he’s really putting it together. I think he’s really understanding how to use his hands, and he has a much better approach using the whole field that’s really helping him.”

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Players of the month

And the Astros minor league players of the month for July are…

Round Rock: RHP Casey Daigle, OF Brian Bogusevic, IF Jason Smith;

Corpus Christi: LHP Andy Van Hekken, OF Andrew Locke, IF Jhon Florentino;

Lancaster: RHP Leandro Cespedes, OF Jon Gaston, IF Marcos Cabral;

Lexington: LHP Patrick Urckfitz, OF Jay Austin, IF Andy Simunic;

Tri-City: RHP J.B. MacDonald, OF Brian Kemp, IF Barry Butera;

Greeneville: RHP Jose Cisnero, IF Jose Altuve, OF Grant Hogue;

GCL: RHP Juan Minaya, RHP Michael Schurz, IF Enrique Hernandez, IF Luis Bryan;

DSL: RHP Francisco Baso, IF Hector Rodriguez, IF Mario Gonzalez.

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In case you weren’t aware

Minor League Splits dot com posts daily recaps of “Top Prospects and Yesterday’s Top Performances” for each MLB teams minor league affiliate. You can catch daily recaps of the Astros affiliates here.

The Astros site lists:

Affiliate results (with links to box scores and play-by-play)

Top pitching prospects (with a line from the previous game)

Top batting prospects (with a line from the previous game)

Top pitching performances

Top batting performances

Affiliate box scores

Definitely worth a look-see if you are interested in keeping up with Astros minor leaguers.

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And from the ‘shoulda posted this weeks ago and you’ve probably already seen it so why bother’ department…

Greg Rajan at the Caller-Times writes that Whataburger Field has not turned out to be the bandbox some originally thought it would be (July 18).

Zach Levine at the Chronicle profiles Drew Locke of the Corpus Christi Hooks (July 18).

“The questions that linger with Locke halfway through his first season in the organization are his age and his defense. But it remains to be seen whether that reflects just a lack of opportunity in a crowded Dodgers system. He plays left and right field… but he is still a work in progress as he adjusts back to a position that he vacated last year. Locke’s bat, though, is what made him a Texas League All-Star this year and what the Astros hope will eventually get him to Houston.”

Houston Chronicle ‘Minor League Notebook’ on Chia-Jen Lo and Daniel Meszaros (July 20)

Bailey Stevens profiles Jon Gaston for MLB.com (at Astros.com on July 21).

Castro stands out at the Futures Game

Rick Hummel at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch remarks on Castro and his performance at the Futures Game.

One of the most impressive players on either side was Castro, the top pick of the Astros last year who already is in Class AA. He has hit .295 for basically one year of minor league ball, but, perhaps more significantly, has thrown out 49 of the runners who have tried to steal against him.

[Ozzie] Smith made a whistling motion when he described Castro’s throwing motion. “Vinny (former base-stealing champion Vince Coleman) would have a hard time stealing on him,” Smith said.

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Onward and upwards

Justice provides some commentary on Jason Castro and on his performance at the Futures Game.

He’s the son of a California firefighter and has played all over the field but was always drawn to catching because of the extra responsibility.

How’d he end up a catcher?

“I’d caught when I was real young and always had catching in my back pocket. You’re the one back there controlling things. It’s exciting and keeps you on your toes.”

What has it been like at Double-A?

“When I first got to Double-A, I didn’t know what to expect. Now having been there a month or so, I’m kind of settling in and getting more comfortable.”

What does he still need to work on?

“Obviously, I need to improve in all aspects to keep advancing, to continue to refine my skills, not just as a hitter, but I need to work on the small things that make you a big league catcher.”

Castro on being invited to the Futures Game:

“It’s an honor to be invited. It’s exciting to be in here with all these guys.”

And on his performance:

“I was excited to get in there. It puts things in perspective a little bit. You get to see some other talent. It’s a good opportunity to go out and compete. I was fortunate enough to have some things go my way.”

Astros Scout Joe Graham talks about the intangibles:

“Obviously, anyone can see the tools. He’s more of a quiet leader. He has intangibles you look for in a catcher. He’s not a rah-rah guy. He has a calm demeanor and helps calm the pitching staff down.”

Bobby Heck chimes in as well:

“The more we watched him, the more we appreciated him. *** It’s his makeup, preparation and intelligence. He was involved in game plans at Stanford. A lot of times amateur catchers don’t call their own games. The more we looked at him, the more our guys talked, there was a common thread. He’s a good teammate. He gives the same effort every game.”

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Who is better, Lyles or Seaton?

A Baseball America subscriber asks Jim Callis about Lyles, Seaton and Mier.

Lyles and Seaton in BA’s top ten Houston prospects list:

When both were coming out of high school a year ago, we regarded Seaton as a first-round talent and Lyles as a fifth- or sixth-rounder. *** After their pro debuts, we ranked Seaton No. 3 and Lyles No. 6 on our Houston Top 10 Prospects list.

Pitching performances at Lexington

Seaton has the better ERA (2.57, fifth in the South Atlantic League), but Lyles is having the better year. Lyles, who has a 2.92 ERA, has superior numbers in more important categories: strikeouts (118, second in the SAL, in 96 innings), K-BB ratio (118-21), opponent average (.238), groundout/airout ratio (1.04) and homers per nine innings (0.4). Seaton’s strikeouts are surprisingly low (55 in 95 innings), but SAL hitters haven’t made hard contact against him.

Comparing Lyles and Seaton

Lyles’ fastball sat in the high 80s for much of last spring, but he pitched at 90-96 mph in his debut and has shown similar velocity this year. Seaton, who threw at 90-94 mph in high school and pitched just four innings after signing last summer, has worked more in the high 80s in his first extended taste of pro ball. His slider is better than Lyles’ curveball, but I’d give Lyles the edge as a prospect right now because he has more present velocity, more projection remaining and better results in 2009.

What does Lyles project as?

Scouts definitely think more highly of [Lyles] these days, and he projects as a possible No. 3 starter, maybe more.

Will Jiovanni Mier crack BA’s next Houston top ten prospects list?

As for Mier, he’ll probably rank around No. 5 on our next Astros Top 10. He was the best defensive shortstop in the draft and he’s off to a nice start with the bat (.327/.422/.509) at Rookie-level Greeneville.

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Lyles cracks the Baseball America Prospect Hot Sheet (again)

Coming in at number four this time.

Lyles’ overpowering fastball has helped him rack up 118 strikeouts in 95 2/3 innings, good for second in the league, and he’s allowed three or fewer runs in all but two of his 17 starts on the season.

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Concussive power

Mark Maloney at the Lexington Herald-Leader writes about Jay Austin’s power surge.

Perhaps Jorge De Leon knocking Jay Austin upside the head wasn’t a bad thing. DeLeon, a shortstop, collided with the Lexington Legends center fielder as both pursued a fly ball on May 30. Did DeLeon knock a “hitting sense” into Austin? Not really. But since his return, Austin has been H-O-T.

Austin on his problems early in the season and the changes he’s made to get past them:

“I was getting out in front [of the ball]. After talking to Lawless, he helped me out a lot. So now I’m staying back behind the ball, seeing it better. … He tells you how it is. No sugar-coating or anything.”

“It was hard coming in every day and playing. My confidence was low, but you’ve just got to grind through it. I never doubted myself.”

Manager Tom Lawless says Austin is on the right path:

“There’s a lot of learning involved in what he’s got to do before he gets to play at the big-league level/ He’s definitely on the right path of understanding what everybody is trying to get to him — the information and knowing how to play the game.”

“He did a lot of work … and he made a few changes in his swing. You could probably say he’s the best player on the team right now.”

Ricky Bennett on Austin’s first full year of pro ball:

“We knew the first half of the season would be a learning curve for him. A young kid going into his first (full) year. There was a lot of things that we felt he needed to learn and, as the season went along, we were hoping that he would start to pick things up a lot quicker, apply things a lot quicker. Since he’s come back from the DL, he’s really done that and we’re really happy with where he is. We’re going to continue to work with him every day and continue to feed things to him. Hopefully, he’ll continue to make progress.”

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Hitting the links

The Hooks official website highlights the performance of Castro and Lo at the Futures Game.

Zach Levine provides a progress update on this years signed draftees.

The Greenville Astros do a good deed.

Astros sign ‘em quick, but that is not true with other teams and their Oklahoma draftees.

The Astros return to the Gulf Coast League (“GCL”) for the first time since 1998, and Ken Jackson at Around Osceola has an informative article discussing the return of minor league baseball to Osceola County Stadium.

Make-up of the GCL:

[The GCL is] made up of newly drafted high school players, young Caribbean-born players in the U.S. for the first time, and other minor-leaguers rehabbing from injuries.

Omar Lopez, GCL Astros manager and former coach for the Astros in the Venezuelan Summer League, on acclimating players to professional baseball and (in the case of the 18 Latin American players on his roster, to the US):

“I have to be a manager, a parent and a babysitter, but I only get one paycheck. The Latin guys are here for the first time, and they need a bilingual person to give them some idea of the culture and how to do a lot of things. The high-school guys have some idea, but we still find ourselves teaching them everything. But, we try not to adjust the games of the ones who have a better idea.”

Jay Edmiston, General Manager of the GCL Astros and Astros Assistant Director of Baseball Operations, on the Astros return to the GCL:

“We needed a league for the younger players, and it made sense to be where players who report for the spring and stay for the extended spring.”

Tanner Bushue on adjusting to moving away from a town of 900 people (and no stoplights):

“I’m taking it all in, adjusting the best way I can. Everybody talks about the hot weather (95 degrees Friday) but I worked out in Houston before the draft and it was hot there and it didn’t bother me.”

Lopez on pitching roles and goals:

“We’ve got to see their stuff and make sure they’re physically and mentally ready to go to the mound. It’s our job to find their role. Right now, we want them to locate and command their best pitch. By the end of the year, we’d like them to leave with a second and third pitch.”

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A new season opens in Oneonta

Ed Weaver at The Saratogian takes a look at the 2009 Tri-City ValleyCats with first-year manager Jim Pankovits and new pitching coach Gary Ruby.

Pankovits on some of the positives for the ValleyCats:

“It’s going to be interesting to see how it evolves. But just on paper right now, we have a nice mixture of some veterans coming back; I call them veterans. They have two to three years of professional experience and experience playing here. Along with the new signees right out of the (2009) draft, having that mixture like that will help the transition for the new guys as well as provide some new blood.”

Pankovits on playing time:

“We want to see what the all can do. I think we have some nice versatility, some guys who can be interchanged here and there. Then eventually, their playing time will be dictated by their performance.

Pankovits on winning:

“We’re going to try to win, no doubt about it. That’s what it’s all about and the sooner they learn how to do that, the better. So, they’ll all get a chance to play early on and we’ll see from there. It’ll be fun to watch ‘em all play.”

Ruby on whether the starters would get to the fifth and sixth innings more than they did the previous year:

“I would think so. A lot depend on the college pitchers and how much they were used. We got all their (innings pitched, pitch-count) numbers and they’re pretty well-balanced. That should be OK. We’re tying to design the whole pitching program to keep everybody healthy and fresh.”

Ruby on the Astros ‘new’ pitch count philosophy:

“The organization has loosened our pitch counts. We want to get our starting pitchers as deep as possible in a game. Their health comes first but I think we have enough experience (on the coaching staff) to know how far somebody can go.”

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Mier adjusting to the minors

Jonathan Mayo at Astros.com discusses adjusting to life in professional ball with first round pick Jiovanni Mier.

Mier finds professional ball a bit different than playing high school ball in California:

“I knew it was going to be much faster, but it’s a lot quicker than I expected. Everything is much faster. I’m coming from high school, so obviously the pitching is much harder, the runners are faster. High school competition wasn’t too bad, but it’s a huge step to the pitchers, they’re much more advanced. In high school, they’re basically fastball, curve. Here, they’ve got everything else and they can do a lot more with their pitches.”

It was nice to get a hit in his first professional at-bat:

“It was exciting. It was my first at-bat and I wanted to do something good. It wasn’t much, but it was exciting to be in front of the fans and such…. You always want to go out and make a good first impression. I was happy to be able to do that and get my feet wet a little bit.”

He was pleased that he was able to come to terms with the Astros as quickly as he did:

“It was really important. That was our goal coming into the Draft, get me signed and get me out there, get me as many at-bats as I could, get me acclimated to the Minor League season, so I can have a better chance heading into instructs, Spring Training and next year. I didn’t want to waste time with anything. We did a good job getting signed as quickly as I could.”

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The Norris Express

Bud Norris has ‘caught the attention’ of Danny Davis at the Austin American-Statesman.

In his first season at the Triple-A level, Norris is leading the Pacific Coast League in earned-run average (2.17) and strikeouts (88). Among all Triple-A pitchers this season, Norris is second in strikeouts only to Tommy Hanson.

Being healthy has helped:

“I’m throwing the ball real well over the course of the year, and my health has held up. I’m going to keep letting the train keep going and throw every five days.”

The excellent numbers haven’t translated to wins though, but that doesn’t concern Norris too much:

“You go out there with the mind-set that your team is going to give you the best effort to win. I go out there every time just worrying about my job, and I know my guys are going out there and trying their hardest. Sometimes you get on the short end of the stick. But let’s not worry about one game; let’s worry about the course of the year and how the team ends up.”

While he’s progressing well, he still has some work to do:

Bombard said his young pitcher needs to work on controlling his fastball. Norris said he needs to improve on keeping base runners in check.

Is it time to make the next step?

“I’m worried about the Round Rock team now and pitching here and giving them the best opportunity to win. When the time is right, they’ll know when I’m ready.”

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Bizarre Bazardo

How does a 24 year old pitcher with a career Triple-A ERA of 4.61 get traded twice, designated for assignment twice, outrighted once and end up with four different organizations? Fangraphs takes a look, but admits it doesn’t have the answers.

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Castro is ‘Catching on’ in Corpus

Greg Rajan at the Caller-Times writes about Jason Castro’s rapid ascent through the minors.

Hooks president Ken Schrom was asked if his team’s newest player had a chance to make it to the major leagues. Schrom didn’t take long to point out that it was a matter of when, not if, Castro found his way into the Houston Astros’ lineup.

Castro on being called up to AA ball less than a year after signing with the Astros:

“It’s all happened real fast. I’ve been thankful for the opportunity I’ve been given. It’s been exciting and I’m looking forward to what’s to come, and the second half here in Corpus Christi.”

Castro on the differences he sees in playing AA ball:

“It’s been pretty good. When I first got here, I didn’t really know what to expect. After the first few games I played, I quickly recognized the jump in competition was definitely there. I’ve settled in and gotten more comfortable. I’d say (the biggest difference is) the speed of the game. The quality of pitching you see as a hitter is definitely better. And on the catching side, you’ve got to be a little smarter. The hitters are better, and they’ll punish you for it. You definitely have to be on top of your game at all times.”

Matt Galante on Astros revamped player development approach:

“Once we evaluate what we have, we’re going to get those guys here quicker because this is the level that separates the men from the boys.”

Hooks manager (and former MLB catcher) Luis Pujols on Castro:

“I think he’s holding his own and doing pretty well. I have worked with him on a couple of things, little details where the higher he goes, people will be looking more at it. I want him to be sure this is the right place to start learning those things, stuff like pitch selection, receiving and blocking.”

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Lyles is ‘Finding His Groove’

Neil White at The State gives an update on former Gamecock signee Jordan Lyles.

Lyles has compiled a 4-6 record and 3.09 ERA while striking out a league-high 98 batters in 78 innings over 14 starts. He credits his maturation to learning to pitch inside — as well as using both sides of the plate to keep hitters off-balance. His ability to throw strikes may be best evidenced by his 16 walks.

Lyles on his progress:

“I’m kind of surprised by the strikeout totals, but since I’ve gotten into pro ball, my velocity has really gone up… I’m feeling good. I’m coming into myself a little more.”

Despite having signed with the Gamecocks, Lyles is happy that he made the decision to go pro:

“I can use the three or four years (he would have spent in college) to put into the minor league system, and I’ll be right there… I’m having fun.”

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Timothy Gaffney with The Register Citizen catches up with Chris Blazek in Litchfield County after having surgery on his left shoulder (his pitching shoulder) to fix an 80-percent labrum tear.

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The Round Rock Express official website puts the spotlight on Chris Johnson.

“I’m just really excited to get going right now,” Mier said. “The money isn’t really that big of a deal. It’s nice to have, but I am really excited about having a chance to play professional baseball. It’s a dream come true.”

Oh to be a teen again and have thoughts like 1.385 million dollars isn’t that big of a deal.

The Astros have now 34 of their 51 picks and 23 of the top 25. Greeneville is now home to Mier, Meyer (3rd sup), Hyatt (4th).  The Gulf Coast League Astros are home to Bushue (2nd), and Nash (3rd).  While Tri Cities has Wikoff (5th), Walker (8th), Orloff (9th) & Castro (10th).  If the Astros are able to sign Dallas Keuchel (7th), who is the lone unsigned pick from the top 10 rounds, he will likely go to Tri Cities as well.

On his return to baseball:

“We don’t want to rush him or push him too hard or too soon or too fast,” said Ricky Bennett, the Astros’ director of player development.

On his growth as a person going through this ordeal:

“He’s having to learn patience,” said his mom, Missy Sapp. “Young people aren’t the most patient people in the world, and he’s having to learn it.”

On his physical shape right now:

He cannot control how his brain will respond when he weans himself off Phenobarbital, but he can build up his body. In the hospital, his weight plummeted from 215 pounds to 188 pounds. He now has about 210 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame and hopes to gain eight more pounds of muscle.

And on his current attitude:

“He’s just a lot more jovial, a lot more talkative and laughs a lot more,” (former high school coach) Holbrook said. “I think he’s found that as much passion as he has for the sport, it’s not the most important thing in the world.”

“I’m a guy who came from dying three times, and now I’m here alive working out,” he said. “So anything’s possible.”

He’s missed more bats as the season has progressed. He fanned 23.3% in April and 28.2% in May. He’s opened June with an even bigger bang, striking out 45.7% through his first two starts of the month.

Lyles’ walk rate was never a problem, but he’s gotten stingier with the free passes. In the first month the year, he walked 7.0% but cut it to 4.2% in May and has yet to walk a batter in June.

While his groundball rate isn’t great (44%), it’s gotten higher throughout the year. It sat at 38% in April, 47% in May and so far in June rests at a more-acceptable 50%.

He also reports that Lyles fast ball was clocked in the mid 90’s during spring training.  Good to have someone outside the organization touting Lyles development.