Re: Minor Matters

12527
DeLauter finished yesterday with 2 hits and a sac fly for 3 rbi; 333 for his few days in Akron and 733 OPS
Aaron Bracho with his 18th homer and a single and 3 rbi OPS 796. few more games to get it back over 800
Brito single and walk; OPS 818

Is lefty Tyler Thornton a bullpen prospect? inmpressive 79 strikeouts in 50 innings; 2.66 ERA, well he's walked 32 that's not a good stat

Re: Minor Matters

12530
3 2/3 hitless by Bieber 7 strikeouts 3 walks.

Oscar 3 doubles and a walk; Brayan a double and a single and a steal; Johnathan dobule and two walks
One more week for Columbus


Akron's season finale, 4 innings in; DeLauter single and walk; Bracho single and RBI
Ross Carver acquired when we removed Carlos Vargas from the roster last fall completing a very unsuccessful campaign, 3 runs so far today, for the year he's at 6.24 ERA. Don't imagine we'll see him again.
Looks like a pretty even exchange; Vargas got 5 2/e innings in the majors for Arizona and produced a 5.74 ERA. Was worse in AAA with a 6.80 ERA and 31 walks in 41 relief innings.

Re: Minor Matters

12534
Teams' players of the year are being announed by Baseball America this week; and soon Cleveland will pick Feller and Boudreau winners for top pitcher and top position player.

Pitcher is a tough one since the stars in AAA all only played there for 1/2 the season before joining the big league club. Cantillo wasn't all that impressive statistically. I would vote for Will Dion based on performance not on prospect status. Not a great year for our young pitchers.
Lake County 1.87 ERA .198 avg against 1.01 WHIP
Akron 2.81 ERA .225 avg against 1.13 WHIP

Position player: J. Rodriguez with his 28 homers total. His splits
Akron 289/364/512
Columbus 291/379/595
Again not the top prospect but top performer

Re: Minor Matters

12536
BA's choice:

Juan Brito: Guardians 2023 Minor League Player Of The Year

Typically, the Guardians’ front office prioritizes flexibility each November, trading away players who would need to occupy a 40-man roster spot or else become Rule 5 draft eligible.

They made an exception for 21-year-old second baseman Juan Brito.

Cleveland traded power-hitting outfielder Nolan Jones to the Rockies last November to acquire Brito, who was coming off a breakthrough season at Low-A Fresno. The Guardians added Brito to the 40-man roster on Nov. 15, 2022.

The switch-hitting infielder split the 2023 season between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron. In 122 games he hit .273/.375/.439 with 14 home runs and six stolen bases. He ranked third in the Eastern League with a .817 OPS. [NOTE: He's now in Columbus for the last week of the season]

“Brito has transitioned well to our organization and has displayed a work ethic and desire to get better every day,” Guardians assistant general manager James Harris said.
Brito appears to be the latest prospect in a crowded field of emerging Guardians middle infielders that includes Gabriel Arias and Tyler Freeman, who debuted in 2022; and Brayan Rocchio and Jose Tena, who made their MLB debuts this season.

Brito could be next. His primary position is second base, but he made more than a dozen starts at third base and shortstop this season.

“In addition, he has added arm strength in season that he will continue to develop during the offseason,” Harris said. “Currently, second base is his best position, but the added arm strength will make him a good option for us at third base as well.”

In addition to his versatility, Brito has nice secondary skills at the plate. He draws walks at a high rate (13.5%), makes a lot of contact (15.7% strikeouts) and shows good power for a young middle infielder.

“As a switch-hitter, he has demonstrated an elite skill to make contact and has shown the ability to hit the ball hard at productive angles,” Harris said. “He is slightly more powerful hitting lefthanded but has improved his swing decisions—and contact is his trademark.”

Re: Minor Matters

12538
BA's featured player of the day:

September 21 Baseball America Prospect Report

Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Guardians: Acquired for Aaron Civale from the Rays at the trade deadline, Manzardo had to overcome injury before debuting for his new club. After a difficult 2023 season Manzardo looks to be hitting his stride late. With a home run in last night’s game, Manzardo has three home runs over the last two games and five home runs over his last eight. Blessed with advanced plate skills, if Manzardo can recapture his power swing from 2022, he could be a rookie of the year candidate for the Guardians in 2023.