Re: Minor Matters
118072 hits apiece for the Captains today by Tolentino, G Rodriguez and Bracho [who's getting within shouting distance of .200 --- 7 for his last 17, a double, two homers. OPS by month: 594; 406!; 525; 968]
Re: Minor Matters
11808Akron final lost 5-2 Valera double and single; Rocchio single and walk; Tena triple.
Re: Minor Matters
11809https://twitter.com/downonthefarm12/sta ... uGDHMzuaJA
The link shows that the Guardians have the youngest minor league system "by far"
TFIR -- I tried to copy and past and that did not work. How do you post tweets here?
The link shows that the Guardians have the youngest minor league system "by far"
TFIR -- I tried to copy and past and that did not work. How do you post tweets here?
Re: Minor Matters
11810Interesting. They do have a very good farm system and keep pumping out players. Hopefully a bunch more will be graduating soon. I especially likehow young pitchers develop with our coaching. Next impressive wave features maybe Xzavion Curry, Gavin Williams for sure, Danny Espino very much for sure in case he is healthy, Joey Cantillo, maybe Hunter Gaddis, probably Logan Allen when he gets things back in control, fast-rising hard throwing Tanner Bibee, and a cast of thousands. A kid named Jack Leftwich has just ascended from Lynchburg to Lake County where he's pitched 2 scoreless starts, don't know what he throws but maybe another fast-rising star?
Also I personally think our flying baseball logo is pretty cool. My wife immediately recognized the wings on the statues on the Lorain Carnegie Bridge.
Also I personally think our flying baseball logo is pretty cool. My wife immediately recognized the wings on the statues on the Lorain Carnegie Bridge.
Re: Minor Matters
11811Like some minor-leaguers, The Athletic’s writers of “This Week in Minor League Baseball” took a break last week from regular-season action to tend to the festivities surrounding the MLB All-Star Game. We didn’t slack off, though. We flooded the pages with so much content, I can barely link it all here. Anyway, we’re back, and we’ll be here through the end of the minor-league season. Off we go!
Who showed out this weekend
• Middle infielder Tyler Freeman may not be a member of the Guardians organization come the Aug. 2 trade deadline. Or maybe he will be. It’s hard to tell right now, a week out from decision time, what direction the team will take. But there’s little doubt at this point that Freeman could be a good chip for the Guardians in a potential trade.
Cleveland’s No. 7 prospect entering the season, Freeman has re-established himself as a successful contact hitter after missing the end of last season and the start of this season while recovering from surgery to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder, his second such operation. Freeman was 9 for 14 over the weekend for Triple-A Columbus. Despite a 2-for-24 skid in a six-game series against the Brewers’ Triple-A team in early July, Freeman has batted .331 with a .401 OBP and as many walks (12) as strikeouts in his last 30 games. Freeman had a .227 average, a .348 OBP, 10 walks and 16 strikeouts in the 30 games leading into his current streak. The resurgence is a promising development for the 23-year-old, whom the Guardians added to their 40-man roster in November.
Freeman, a second-rounder in 2017, may not be expected to hit for much power but he showed some pop against Toledo.
• Will Benson, Cleveland’s top pick in 2016, also had a strong weekend, bolstering his July numbers with an 8-for-17 performance that included a double and a homer. Benson has 30 hits since June 26 and is tied for second-most among all Triple-A hitters with teammate Will Brennan, Rockies outfielder Wynton Bernard, Angels third baseman Jose Rojas and Red Sox catcher Ronaldo Hernandez.
Who showed out this weekend
• Middle infielder Tyler Freeman may not be a member of the Guardians organization come the Aug. 2 trade deadline. Or maybe he will be. It’s hard to tell right now, a week out from decision time, what direction the team will take. But there’s little doubt at this point that Freeman could be a good chip for the Guardians in a potential trade.
Cleveland’s No. 7 prospect entering the season, Freeman has re-established himself as a successful contact hitter after missing the end of last season and the start of this season while recovering from surgery to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder, his second such operation. Freeman was 9 for 14 over the weekend for Triple-A Columbus. Despite a 2-for-24 skid in a six-game series against the Brewers’ Triple-A team in early July, Freeman has batted .331 with a .401 OBP and as many walks (12) as strikeouts in his last 30 games. Freeman had a .227 average, a .348 OBP, 10 walks and 16 strikeouts in the 30 games leading into his current streak. The resurgence is a promising development for the 23-year-old, whom the Guardians added to their 40-man roster in November.
Freeman, a second-rounder in 2017, may not be expected to hit for much power but he showed some pop against Toledo.
• Will Benson, Cleveland’s top pick in 2016, also had a strong weekend, bolstering his July numbers with an 8-for-17 performance that included a double and a homer. Benson has 30 hits since June 26 and is tied for second-most among all Triple-A hitters with teammate Will Brennan, Rockies outfielder Wynton Bernard, Angels third baseman Jose Rojas and Red Sox catcher Ronaldo Hernandez.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Minor Matters
11812buck - I think linking like you did is the only way - however the graphic there can be posted like you would do any picture.buck84 wrote:https://twitter.com/downonthefarm12/sta ... uGDHMzuaJA
The link shows that the Guardians have the youngest minor league system "by far"
TFIR -- I tried to copy and past and that did not work. How do you post tweets here?
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Minor Matters
11813I'll take Freeman over Clement and Miller. He's on the 40 man roster already and I'd like to see him in the majors this year.
Re: Minor Matters
11814Absolutely.
Remember Amed Rosario could be dealt this trade deadline. If so they could move Gimenez back to SS or call up whomever.
Guardians: Amed Rosario, SS
Under club control through 2023
Rosario is arbitration-eligible for one more year, and although the 26-year-old has played well for Cleveland, moving him would allow Andrés Giménez to move back to shortstop while opening a spot for a top prospect, such as Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman or Brayan Rocchio. One or two of those Minor League infielders could also potentially be on the block, if the Guardians find value on the trade market.
Remember Amed Rosario could be dealt this trade deadline. If so they could move Gimenez back to SS or call up whomever.
Guardians: Amed Rosario, SS
Under club control through 2023
Rosario is arbitration-eligible for one more year, and although the 26-year-old has played well for Cleveland, moving him would allow Andrés Giménez to move back to shortstop while opening a spot for a top prospect, such as Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman or Brayan Rocchio. One or two of those Minor League infielders could also potentially be on the block, if the Guardians find value on the trade market.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Minor Matters
11815Freeman had to prove he is healthy. So it made sense to keep him down until that happened.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Minor Matters
11816Well, Who Is Cleveland Guardians Prospect Jhonkensy Noel Then?
Jhonkensy Noel was signed out of the Dominican Republic on July 15th, 2017 to a $100,000 contract.
Heading into his first season in the 2018 campaign, Noel played for the DSL Indians as a foreign rookie. With the DSL Indians, he batted .243 with 53 hits, 34 RBIs, and ten home runs at the young age of 16.
After his first season as a Guardian with the DSL Indians, he was assigned to the Arizona League to play for the Indians’ secondary team where he once again dominated with a .287 batting average, 51 hits, 42 RBIs, and six home runs.
With two seasons down under his belt, the future looked bright for the young prospect out of the Dominican Republic – until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Noel, and the entire minor-league system, would miss the 2020 minor-league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An entire year without professional baseball would normally cause a player to be rusty to begin the following season but with a solid start in the Arizona League through six games, he would be promoted to the Lynchburg Hillcats.
While with the Arizona League, and into his time with the Hillcats, he would make his transition from first base to third base. And with the 2021 season giving him the opportunity to showcase his talent in Low-A, he would dominate.
And that word would be an understatement.
Noel batted .393 while racking in 59 hits, ten doubles, one triple, and ten home runs. On top of his incredible hitting statistics, he showcased his ability to bring in runs by recording 40 RBIs.
He would do all of this through just 38 games of play for the Hillcats before being promoted to the Lake County Captains where he would finish the 2021 MiLB season.
Through 26 games with the Captains, Noel would fall back down to reality as his batting average fell from .393 with the Hillcats to .280 with the Captains to finish the season.
Despite dealing with injuries to his ankle and hand during the season, he still hit .340/.390/.615 throughout his time with the Captains and Hillcats.
What has the 2022 season looked like for the 21-year-old prospect?
Jhonkensy Noel has not slowed down in the 2022 season.
He started this year’s campaign with the Lake County Captains, batting .219 through 62 games while recording 50 hits. Within those 50 hits and 62 games sat a career-tying high of 42 RBIs and a career-high 19 total home runs with the season not over yet.
The Guardians organization obviously took note of the rising power hitter in the minors and elevated Noel to the Akron Rubber Ducks, the Guardians’ Double-A affiliate team.
He joined the Rubber Ducks on June 25th of this season, and through just five games he would have six hits and three home runs. His home-run hitting would continue to define his game as he’s smashed five more through the month of July.
Noel would also be invited to participate in the MLB All-Star Futures Game, where some of the top prospects in each league compete against one another.
So why has Jhonkensy Noel not gotten the call up to Triple-A?
Through his dominance in Low-A, High-A, and now Double-A, one issue major issue has formed.
His excessive amount of strikeouts.
While he didn’t strike out excessively in Low-A, he has shown little patience and poise inside the strike zone with the Captains and Rubber Ducks. One thing he needs is discipline against the more advanced pitching he has seen so far.
With the Lynchburg Hillcats, he only struck out 27 times in 150 at-bats, but when jumping quickly to the Lake County Captains he struck out much higher.
Through the 2021 and 2022 seasons he recorded a total of 111 strikeouts through 328 at-bats, a drastic difference from previous levels.
His strikeouts have only increased with the Rubber Ducks, where he would strike out 18 times through 66 at-bats.
His heavy-hitting power has been nothing short of phenomenal and game-changing, but with the recent influx of strikeouts at higher levels plaguing his game, Noel’s chances of continuing his fast rise through the ranks have slowed down.
Jhonkensy Noel is one of the best power hitters in the Guardians organization, and if he can find a way to lessen his strikeouts, he will find a spot in the majors in due time.
At the ripe age of 20 years old, the future is bright for the 6-foot-3 power hitter from the Dominican Republic.
Jhonkensy Noel was signed out of the Dominican Republic on July 15th, 2017 to a $100,000 contract.
Heading into his first season in the 2018 campaign, Noel played for the DSL Indians as a foreign rookie. With the DSL Indians, he batted .243 with 53 hits, 34 RBIs, and ten home runs at the young age of 16.
After his first season as a Guardian with the DSL Indians, he was assigned to the Arizona League to play for the Indians’ secondary team where he once again dominated with a .287 batting average, 51 hits, 42 RBIs, and six home runs.
With two seasons down under his belt, the future looked bright for the young prospect out of the Dominican Republic – until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Noel, and the entire minor-league system, would miss the 2020 minor-league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An entire year without professional baseball would normally cause a player to be rusty to begin the following season but with a solid start in the Arizona League through six games, he would be promoted to the Lynchburg Hillcats.
While with the Arizona League, and into his time with the Hillcats, he would make his transition from first base to third base. And with the 2021 season giving him the opportunity to showcase his talent in Low-A, he would dominate.
And that word would be an understatement.
Noel batted .393 while racking in 59 hits, ten doubles, one triple, and ten home runs. On top of his incredible hitting statistics, he showcased his ability to bring in runs by recording 40 RBIs.
He would do all of this through just 38 games of play for the Hillcats before being promoted to the Lake County Captains where he would finish the 2021 MiLB season.
Through 26 games with the Captains, Noel would fall back down to reality as his batting average fell from .393 with the Hillcats to .280 with the Captains to finish the season.
Despite dealing with injuries to his ankle and hand during the season, he still hit .340/.390/.615 throughout his time with the Captains and Hillcats.
What has the 2022 season looked like for the 21-year-old prospect?
Jhonkensy Noel has not slowed down in the 2022 season.
He started this year’s campaign with the Lake County Captains, batting .219 through 62 games while recording 50 hits. Within those 50 hits and 62 games sat a career-tying high of 42 RBIs and a career-high 19 total home runs with the season not over yet.
The Guardians organization obviously took note of the rising power hitter in the minors and elevated Noel to the Akron Rubber Ducks, the Guardians’ Double-A affiliate team.
He joined the Rubber Ducks on June 25th of this season, and through just five games he would have six hits and three home runs. His home-run hitting would continue to define his game as he’s smashed five more through the month of July.
Noel would also be invited to participate in the MLB All-Star Futures Game, where some of the top prospects in each league compete against one another.
So why has Jhonkensy Noel not gotten the call up to Triple-A?
Through his dominance in Low-A, High-A, and now Double-A, one issue major issue has formed.
His excessive amount of strikeouts.
While he didn’t strike out excessively in Low-A, he has shown little patience and poise inside the strike zone with the Captains and Rubber Ducks. One thing he needs is discipline against the more advanced pitching he has seen so far.
With the Lynchburg Hillcats, he only struck out 27 times in 150 at-bats, but when jumping quickly to the Lake County Captains he struck out much higher.
Through the 2021 and 2022 seasons he recorded a total of 111 strikeouts through 328 at-bats, a drastic difference from previous levels.
His strikeouts have only increased with the Rubber Ducks, where he would strike out 18 times through 66 at-bats.
His heavy-hitting power has been nothing short of phenomenal and game-changing, but with the recent influx of strikeouts at higher levels plaguing his game, Noel’s chances of continuing his fast rise through the ranks have slowed down.
Jhonkensy Noel is one of the best power hitters in the Guardians organization, and if he can find a way to lessen his strikeouts, he will find a spot in the majors in due time.
At the ripe age of 20 years old, the future is bright for the 6-foot-3 power hitter from the Dominican Republic.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Minor Matters
11817Make sure he is ready. Don't need another Bobby Bradley/Franmil Reyes
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Minor Matters
11818Who would ask that kind of question? is that that DeMatteo expert again?So why has Jhonkensy Noel not gotten the call up to Triple-A?
The answers are so incredibly obvious:
1. He is only 20 years old, making him extremely young at the league he plays in now
2. He has been with Akron for about a month
3. He has one great tool but is not hitting for average and has no defensive position.
Re: Minor Matters
11819Today's starters:
Logan Allen who has been awful since he was promoted to AAA, with a 12.54 ERA
Tanner Bibee who has not stumbled since he was promoted to AA with a 1.72 ERA
Tommy Mace who has been pretty lousy all year for Lake County until his last couple outings ERA now 4.86
Lynchburg absolutely NEVER announces the starting pitcher ahead of gametime TBD as always
Logan Allen who has been awful since he was promoted to AAA, with a 12.54 ERA
Tanner Bibee who has not stumbled since he was promoted to AA with a 1.72 ERA
Tommy Mace who has been pretty lousy all year for Lake County until his last couple outings ERA now 4.86
Lynchburg absolutely NEVER announces the starting pitcher ahead of gametime TBD as always
Re: Minor Matters
11820as for yesterday's games:
Columbus:
Benson 2b #19
Freeman 2 walks
Palacios 2 walks
Brennan single
Arias homer 3 strikeouts
Naylor double
Xz Curry 4 6 3 3 1 4 HR
Akron:
Tena single double
Rocchio 2 singles
Valera double single
Noel single
C Vargas 1/3 2 3 3 1 0 HR
Lake County:
Tolentino 0-5
Planez HR 13, single walk
Halpin double 13 2 walks; he walks all the time now, rarerly early in the year
J. Rod 2b 15
G Rod 2 singles walk
Bracho single
Leftwich first runs allowed after promotion in his 3rd start 4 6 4 4 0 7 2 homers
Lynchburg:
Fox 2 walks steal 14
Burgos homer #4 single another single
Greene double 10 steal 21 and 22
Will Dion 4 4 2 2 2 9 no homers
Columbus:
Benson 2b #19
Freeman 2 walks
Palacios 2 walks
Brennan single
Arias homer 3 strikeouts
Naylor double
Xz Curry 4 6 3 3 1 4 HR
Akron:
Tena single double
Rocchio 2 singles
Valera double single
Noel single
C Vargas 1/3 2 3 3 1 0 HR
Lake County:
Tolentino 0-5
Planez HR 13, single walk
Halpin double 13 2 walks; he walks all the time now, rarerly early in the year
J. Rod 2b 15
G Rod 2 singles walk
Bracho single
Leftwich first runs allowed after promotion in his 3rd start 4 6 4 4 0 7 2 homers
Lynchburg:
Fox 2 walks steal 14
Burgos homer #4 single another single
Greene double 10 steal 21 and 22
Will Dion 4 4 2 2 2 9 no homers