This Week’s Schedule
- Lehigh Valley (46-28) @ Buffalo (30-43)
- Reading (25-42) @ Richmond (21-46)
- Jersey Shore (26-40) @ Brooklyn (48-21)
- Clearwater (38-31) @ Lakeland (39-28)
- FCL Phillies (11-26)
- DSL Phillies White (5-10)
- DSL Phillies Red (8-8)
Hitter Spotlight
7-17 1 2B 1 3B 1 HR 4 RBI 1 BB 2 K 1 SB
I try to avoid writing up the same player twice, but if you hit for the cycle you get to break the mold. On Friday, Mendez pulled off the feat in 8-5 loss and in only 4 PAs after starting with the triple in the first and ending with the double in the 8th. They were Mendez’s only 3 extra base hits of the week, but it was also a week cut short by what looked like a back injury early on Sunday as he was tagged after sliding in safely at home. When I last wrote about Mendez he was rapping up a May where he was hitting for more power, and in June he has not hit for the home run power, but he also weirdly now has 3 triples. Overall since we last spoke about Mendez in detail he is hitting .284/.358/.463 with 10 walks to 6 strikeouts. His number of times (and success) facing a lefty has grown as well, including his home run in his cycle. He still has a lot of work to do, but he has gone from a player we were worried was stuck forever in poor habits to one that might be a top 10 prospect in the Phillies system.
Pitcher Spotlight
LHP Zuher Yousuf
4 IP 3 H 0 R 3 BB 7 K
Not to take anything away from Yousuf, but it has not been a good year for pitching, especially if you don’t want to repeat players without cause. Watching poor pitching can also be a real drag, even if it is on video and you can jump ahead. Right now in the Phillies system only the Threshers and IronPigs are allowing under 5 runs a game, and it feels like the IronPigs bullpen has been really testing that of late. Over the last few years I have taken to watching a lot of DSL baseball because the Phillies have had a stream and I like seeing and learning about unknown players. It is not great baseball. Zuher Yousuf is not a particularly exciting prospect by prospect standards. As I detailed last week he is 5’10”, young, but not really for DSL (turned 19 last month), and his fastball sits 88-92. He has an actually good changeup for the level and his slider has performed well against righties and lefties. He generally throws quality strikes, though he did expand the zone more this week. So far on the season he has a 0.73 ERA in 3 starts with 3 walks and 18 strikeouts. In a sea of searching for positives in some pretty bad baseball he is a palate cleanser. It isn’t that he isn’t a prospect, Ranger Suarez spent 5 seasons in short season ball, it just is an uphill battle. Until then, or he runs into adversity, I will enjoy when Yousuf takes the mound next.
Notes and Thoughts
- Aroon Escobar is now hitting .211/.277/.351 in June with 4 walks and 13 strikeouts, and this week’s 1-18 was a major contributor. His season numbers are still strong, but definitely a major slump as he pushes deeper into a season than he ever has.
- It was a 2-14 week for Eduardo Tait, but once again in his 4 games 2 walks, a hit by pitch, and just 2 strikeouts. You would like to see some more power after he hit 6 home runs in April, but in June he is still running a 15.1% BB% and just 11.0% K%.
- Dante Nori played 6 games this week and went 9-24 (.375) and while he only added on
- The hits didn’t really come for Alirio Ferrebus in his second week with the Threshers, but he did hit his first home run with the team.
- Keaton Anthony has had a hit in all 10 games he has played with the IronPigs (and now 14 in a row) and has 5 doubles in that time frame. Unfortunately he landed on the IL with a left abductor strain so we will need to wait for him to continue that trend. Prior to the injury he continued to not post high end exit velocities while having good contact numbers.
- Justin Crawford walked once in his return last week and 6 times this week, now 9 walks to 5 strikeouts in 11 June games. He only has 2 extra base hits in that span. We will need to look at the full numbers at the end of the month, but a better approach could help unlock other things.
- It continues to just be 2-3 outcomes for Gabriel Rincones Jr. who went 1 for 6 this week in 4 games, but had 5 walks, 1 hit by pitch, and 3 strikeouts, meaning he came to the plate 12 times this week and 2 times the ball was on the field of play.
- It isn’t great when Andrew Painter has 4 walks and 5 strikeouts in 5 innings. He did throw a season high 89 pitches after being held in the mid 70s last week for the two start week. He is not really throwing his changeup and he is not getting chases or swings and misses on his fastball.
- I wrote up Ryan Degges a couple of weeks ago, and this week he had an ultra efficient (81 pitches) 7 scoreless innings. He didn’t have a lot of whiffs (9) and sat just 90-94, but got the results.
- It was a rough week for Carson DeMartini who struck out 9 times on the week. He has 5 walks, but 3-23 as he struggled in his second series with Reading.
- A very Felix Reyes week for Felix Reyes as he walked zero times in 4 games with just 3 strikeouts while going 6-18 with 2 extra base hits.
- Another dominant start for Giussepe Velasquez, despite give up an earned run. He probably should be with the Threshers soon given his last 3 appearances have gone 12 IP 5 H 1 ER 0 BB 12 K. He doesn’t have great stuff, but the results have been really good.
- Brad Pacheco’s scoreless streak came to an end this week. His velocity was more in the 91-93 range with a pair of fastballs.
- Another good walk (1) and strikeout (8) week for Jean Cabrera who still gave up 3 runs in 5 innings.
- This is now Jose Pena Jr.’s 5th season in Florida, 3 in the FCL and 2nd with the Threshers. His velocity is not as electric as he has shown in the past, but he has become a very good reliever this year for low-A with 11 hits in 25.1 innings to go with a sparkling 0.71 ERA.
- Griff McGarry’s final line (3.1 IP 1 H 2 R 0 ER 3 BB 3 K) is a very Griff McGarry line, but he was really good for 3 innings before the wheels came off. The rotation thing is putting him in a better place, but his future is definitely in a bullpen.
- The BlueClaws took a combined no-hitter for 26 outs on Sunday with Braydon Tucker starting with 6 no hit innings. Tucker gave up 9 runs in relief on April 13, but since then has put up a 3.20 ERA over 10 games as a swing man for the BlueClaws. His slider is a good pitch, but not enough to drag him to a major league role.
- Rene Yrish has gone two appearances with 0 walks spanning 4 innings. I wouldn’t say his control has gotten much above a 20 on the 20-80 scale, but the Phillies broadcast did have him touching 100 mph on Monday.
- It is good that Griffin Burkholder is back once again on a rehab assignment, it is bad that he struck out 7 times in 11 trips to the place in the FCL.
- A real high and low of a week for Estibenzon Jimenez who has become interesting again. He went 6 scoreless and walkless innings on Tuesday, but then got promoted to Reading for the two start week and gave up 6 runs with 3 walks to 2 strikeouts in 5 innings in his AA debut.
- Francisco Loreto has made less errors in the field, but he is still up to 18 on the season at third base. His bat has also gone ice cold as he drops down the lineup with all the rehabbers joining the team.
Injuries and Transactions
- Yordy Magdariaga (PHI-R), Estibenzon Jimenez (REA), Alan Rangel (PHI), Michael Mercado (LHV), Wil Crowe (LHV, REA), Giussepe Velasquez (FCL), Nick Dunn (LHV), Luke Davis (FCL), Luis Caicuto (JS), and Josh Hejka (JS) assigned to new levels.
- Signed RHP Marco Sipion to minor league contract and assigned him to DSL Phillies White
- Signed SS Jonathan Alcantara to minor league contract and assigned him to DSL Phillies White
- Nick Vespi and Augusto Calderon were released
- Josh Breaux and Luis Verdugo activated from Dev List
- Keaton Anthony and Braeden Fausnaught added to 7-day IL
- Wil Crowe, Gabe Mosser, Drew Garrett, Eduardo Lopez, and Koyo Aoyagi added to Dev List
- Giusseppe Velasquez, Jaeden Calderon, Griff McGarry, Austin Schulfer, Daniel Harper, and Caleb Ricketts activated from IL
- Griffin Burkholder sent on rehab assignment
- Naiker Velasquez moved from 7-day IL to 60-day IL
- Traded cash to Texas for Nolan Hoffman, added him to 40 man roster, and optioned him to Lehigh Valley.
Links and Things
Videos and Posts
I am getting somewhat concerned with Phillies prospects. I follow all of them and mostly see singles for hits. There is serious lack of gap/long ball power in this system (outside of Tait & Keaton Anthony). The pitching isn’t any better. The only real positives is Dante Nori looks like he has turned corner and Justin Crawford just gets on base. Manolfi Jimenez & John Spikerman both get promoted to Clearwater so fingers crossed. But woof on lack of progression by too many in this system.