OF Scouting Reports

Two scouting reports of signed draftees courtesy of Baseball America:

OF Ryan Mantle, 19th round:

Outfielder Ryan Mantle has the most intriguing bloodlines in the state, as he’s a third cousin of Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle. Ryan piques the interest of scouts with his athleticism as well. He’s a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder with power, speed and arm strength, but his tools never have translated into performance and he’s still susceptible to breaking pitches. A redshirt junior, Mantle was passed over despite being eligible for the last two drafts.

OF Damon Wright, 25th round:

Dartmouth center fielder Damon Wright is a good athlete who had his best year offensively as a senior, batting .397/.466/.682 with nine homers and 39 RBIs. He’s got occasional power and average speed, but his swing is long and his approach is suspect, despite an 18-17 BB-K ratio in 151 at-bats this spring.

Injury Reports

According to the Statesman Journal, Caleb Curry has sustained some sort of injury and Michael Ambort has reinjured his previously injured arm. Ambort’s injury is supposed to be minor, as he was available to play last night. No word on Curry’s however.

A couple of days ago, I had linked a scouting report of Caleb Curry from PG Crosschecker. Here’s a short one from BA:

Caleb Curry stole an Iowa-record 45 bases as a senior, ranking third nationally in that category entering NCAA regional play. He’s a plus runner with good instincts on the bases and in center field, and he also gets the job done at second base. Though he’s just 6 feet and 175 pounds, he has a little pop and isn’t just a slap hitter.

In non-Volcano news, San Jose Catcher Elio Sarmiento was demoted to Augusta presumably to make room for Jackson Williams. Elio was an unheralded international signee and I’ve never read a scouting report on him. He’s always been young for the league he’s been assigned to which tells me that the Giants think highly of his catching ability. I saw him in person, and he seemed to be solid defensively behind the plate. He threw out a runner at second, but the runner also seemed to have gotten a bad jump. He might be destined to be a roster filler. He’s been treated like one so far.

Minor Blog Notes

Some bits of housecleaning:

- I fiddled around with some of the doodads here so that posting comments will be easier. Thus far the blog has had only two, which– according to recent polls– is two more than I expected. Thanks! now I know my readership is not all spambots.

- I’ve been testing out some of the other WordPress templates for this blog. I like this one just fine, but it smacks too much of an OMG I JUST SAW SARAJ ESSICA PARKER BUYING A SQUASH!!!! HERES PIX!!!1!! kind of a blog. If you see new colors and a wider frame, breathe, center yourself and go to your happy place. Everything will be just gravy, baby.

- I’ve added some more links to the right. They are all quality and I visit them all regularly.

- Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while might remember that I’m currently back in the Bay Area visiting family and friends. What that means of course is that posting has been sporadic– especially since it seems my younger brother is taking internet downloading to new heights– and I apologize for that.

- But anyway, this is just a short state of the blog type deal. I will now slink back to my dark corner. But thanks for visiting! Take a load off and make yourself at home! Why not try the veal?

Prospect Watch 6/29/08

Fresno defeats Las Vegas 8-4.

2B Eugenio Velez: 0 for 3, 2 BB, 2 K (.315/.372/.503)
RF Nate Schierholtz: 2 for 5, 3B, K (.292/.343/.529)
1B Travis Ishikawa: 2 for 5, 2B, K (.323/.371/.677, 31 AB)
LF Matt Downs: 1 for 3, BB (.240/.269/.440, 25 AB)
SP Brad Hennessey: 8.1 IP, 7 H, HR, 3 BB, 6 K, 3 ER (5.12 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 58 IP)

Connecticut whomped Binghamton 14-5.

CF Antoan Richardson: 3 for 5, BB (.220/.345/.287, 23:4 SB:CS)
LF Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 4 for 6, 2B (.297/.386/.375)
C Adam Witter: 2 for 4, 2 BB (.211/.335/.339)

RF Ben Copeland: 4 for 6, K (.249/.329/.402)
Ben is hitting .390 in his last ten games. He is OPSing .768 on the road and .692 at home.

San Jose defeated Modesto 4-3.

SP Tim Alderson: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 ER, 12/3 GO/AO
A dominant game for big Tim, as he lowers his season ERA to 3.13. His groundout ratio in this game is uncharacteristically high, as his season rate is a very even 1.11. Tim’s performance this season has been very impressive, especially when you remember that he is only 19 years old, the youngest player on his team. I still maintain my prediction for Tim as a solid #3 starter. I expect he will start at Connecticut next year, but the Giants have been known to fast track pitcher who are near their ceilings. If he continues to keep the ball down and strike out batters at a decent rate, you might see him in Connecticut at the end of the season. My personal preference would be for him to finish the year in San Jose and play all of next year in Connecticut. Because of his age, he’s got plenty of time to refine his curve ball into a more dominant pitch.

Augusta lost to Hickory 6-4.

2B Nick Noonan: 1 for 4, K (.301/.330/.452)
1B Angel Villalona: 2 for 4, K (.238/.292/.417)

SP Waldis Joaquin: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 ER
I approve of this decision to start Waldis and hopefully it’s a permanent decision rather than a spot start due to yesterday’s double-header. Waldis throw mid-90s heat with a hard slider. Waldis has been especially effective of late, striking out 20 batters over 14.1 innings in the month of June. I had joked last time about Waldis finding his control. If he has indeed managed to figure out how to control his great stuff, you will see him move quickly up the minors, maybe finishing his season in San Jose as a starter or Connecticut as a reliever.

Salem-Keizer defeated Everett 8-6.

LF Casey Bond: 2 for 3, 2 2B, BB, K (.260/.339/.429, 51 AB)
Casey (no relation to Brock) was drafted in the 25th round last year and spent the early part of this season in extended spring training. At 23 years old, he is old for the league.

RP Eric Stolp: 3 IP, 1 H, 3 K
Eric was drafted in 14th round of the 2006 draft. He works in the mid-90s, touching 96 with his fastball. His offspeed stuff is still raw, and he has problems controlling his pitches. He’s still got a long way to go and unfortunately, he’s already 23 years old so he doesn’t have much time.

The Giants lost to the Padres 9-3.

1B Craig Ziegler: 1 for 3, HR, BB (.407/.452/.889, 27 AB)

CF Wendell Fairley: 1 for 5, 2 E (.214/.273/.286, 28 AB)
I believe the phrase is raw as rain.

RP Mario Rodriguez: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 ER
A 19 year old LHP from the Dominican, Mario has spent the last few season in the DSL, putting up good numbers. It’s too early to make any judgments of course, but he’s on my list of players to watch.

Minor Survey: Fresno Pitchers

You’ve waited a long time for this. When I stated my intent to start a series of posts in which I ask probing questions, then answer those questions in a haughty and cavalier manner, you thought, “Yes, MY GOD, yes! Finally a series of posts I can get behind!” Well– *clears throat, adopts Darth voice*– You Shall Wait No Longer.

Fresno Pitchers

The strength of the San Francisco Giants farm system in recent years have been pitching. If you look at the pitchers on the major league roster, all but two members of the staff (Yabu and the 126 million dollar man) came through the farm. This year alone, Giants fans saw Merkin Valdez, Alex Hinshaw, and Billy Sadler lose their prospect status. Good news for San Francisco, but bad news for Fresno. The pitching graduations coupled with a couple of weak 2003-2005 drafts have led to a Fresno staff almost barren of pitching prospects. How exciting!

True Prospects

There are no true pitching prospects in Fresno at this time.

Fringe Prospects

SP Nick Pereira

A local kid from Fremont, Nick was drafted in the tenth round of the 2005 draft from USF. He was a middle infielder until his sophomore year, when he converted to pitching. On draft day, BA reported him as throwing a 92-93 mph sinker and a good slider. Recent scouting reports, however, indicate that he works in the 87-89 range, touching 90 on occasion. He still has his slider and has added a change and curve to his repertoire. In 2006 he had a breakout season at San Jose, and the Giants decided to promote him midseason to Fresno. At Fresno, Nick flopped. His walk rate jumped from 1.89 to 5.47, and his home run rate similarly soared from 0.11 to 1.14. What happened here? The likely answer is that the 92-93 mph sinker was a draft day mirage, and his high 80s fastball and offspeed stuff which dominated San Jose couldn’t cut it in Fresno.

Now it’s two years later, and Nick is back in Fresno. He is still allowing more than a hit an inning, but he has cut his walk rate to 3.76. If Nick can regain that mythical 92-93 mph sinker through a complicated ritual involving a live steer and mardi gras beads, then he has a chance to be a back of the rotation starter. The more likely scenario, however, is that he learns how to keep the ball down and continues to improve on his control. If that happens, he may be a #5 pitcher/ spot starter.

RP Geno Espineli

Geno was drafted in the 14th round of the 2004 draft. A 6’4 lefthander, he threw in the high 80s when he was a starter. He was converted exclusively to a reliever this season, and he has thrived in the role, lowering his walk rate and increasing his strikeout rate. Through 43.2 innings this season, he has not yet allowed a homerun. His improvements are all the more impressive when you consider that this is his first season in Fresno. What does the future hold for Geno? The knocks against him are his age (he will turn 26 in September) and his stuff. While I don’t think his 7.63 k/9 ratio will hold in the majors, I think his 2.21 GO/AO ratio will. If called up tomorrow, his role in the bullpen will be as a lefty specialist.

Next up, Connecticut hitters!

Prospect Watch 6/28/08

Fresno lost to Las Vegas 7-4.

CF Clay Timpner: 2 for 4, HR (.250/.316/.342)

RF Nate Schierholtz: 0 for 5 (.290/.342/.542)
- Nate’s been slumping in his last five games, hitting .194 in 31 AB’s. His line is still good, but not great when you consider that he is repeating the league.

1B Travis Ishikawa: 2 for 5, 3B, 2 K (.308/.367/.692, 26 AB)
- Travis has 6 strikeouts and 3 walks in 26 at bats.

LF-2B Matt Downs: 0 for 4 (.227/.227/.455, 22 AB)

Connecticut lost to Bimhamton 5-4.

RF Ben Copeland: 2 for 4, 2B
- Ben’s been hot, hitting .315/.360/.489 for the month of June. At 24 years old, he can’t afford to stall at a level. If he puts up a decent line this season, the Giants may consider him as a 4th’5th OF for next year’s team.

C Pablo Sandoval: 2 for 4, 2B (.267/313/.333, 15 AB)

SP Ben Snyder: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 5 ER
- Ben’s first appearance in AA was lackluster. It’s still SSS, but I’m sticking to my projection that Ben will turn out to be a Pat Misch type pitcher, a 5th starter/ long reliever.

San Jose lost to Modesto 7-4.

LF Bobby Felmy: 2 for 2, 3B, 2 BB, CS (.287/.340/.388 )
-A 24 year old lefty in his first year in A+, Bobby seems to have lost his power this year. Last year in Augusta, he put up a .281/.348/.447 line. Unless he surprises everyone and has a breakout season, Bobby will be destined to be a roster filler in his future.

DH Andy D’Alessio: 2 for 4, BB, K (.300/.350/.502)
-Andy’s got the power, but he’s also struck out 83 times in 70 games. He will turn 24 in September. He’s the type of player that will stall in AA.

CF Mike McBryde: 3 for 3 (.275/.367/.369)
Mike has 24 stolen bases on the season with a 75% success rate. A good base stealer with a decent on base mark is a valuable bench player to have around. If he can hit at AA next year, Mike may find himself in the majors in a couple of years. The lack of power, however, may spell doom for him in the upper minors.

SP Jesse English: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 ER (2.45 ERA, 1.15 WHIP)

Augusta swept its doubleheader with Hickory, winning the first game 6-3 and the second game 9-1.

SS Charlie Culberson (combined): 4 for 7, 2 E (28 ) (.232/.280/.316)
- Charlie continues his good June, and unfortunately also continues to make errors at an alarming rate.

SP Madison Bumgarner: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 ER (1.77 ERA, 0.97 WHIP)
- I’ve been spoiled by Mad Bum’s dominance, as I was disappointed when I saw this line.

SP Craig Clark: 6 IP, 2 H, 4 K (4.00 ERA, 1.20 WHIP)
- That ERA seems unusually high for that WHIP. Maybe it’s an aberration,

RP David Mixon: 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K (0.00 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 3.2 IP)
- David has 9 strikeouts in 3.2 innings, good for a wacky 22.09 K/9. Last year David was a groundball pitcher. This year (SSS) he’s been a strikeout pitcher. At 23 years old, I’d like to see him in San Jose to finish the year. If he continues to dominate, he may be in Connecticut next year.

Salem-Keizer lost to Everett 9-4.

RP Kelvin Marte: 2 IP, 1 H, 3 K (4.15 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 4.1 IP)

The Baby Giants crushed the Baby Athletics 13-0.

2B Vladimir Frias: 2 for 3, 3B, BB (.421/.435/.526)

SS Ehire Adrianza: 2 for 4, 2B, HR, BB (.286/.375/.500)
- Ehire Played in the DSL last year, putting up a line of .241/.351/.325. He had 41 walks to 31 strikeouts, but there were few indicators that he was going to break out. It’s still early in the season, so I would wait before I anoint him as the next hot prospect.

SP Jose Casilla: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 K (0.90 ERA, 0.80 WHIP)
His GO/AO through two games is 4.75. He also showed a tendency to induce groundballs last season in the DSL. Worth keeping an eye on.

Prsopect Watch 6/27/08

Fresno lost to Las Vegas 5-4.

2B Eugenio Velez: 2 for 5, K (.317/.367/.504– 139 AB)
1B Travis Ishikawa: 1 for 4, 2B (.286/.360/.667– 21 AB)
LF Matt Downs: 0 for 5, K (.278/.278/.556– 18 AB)
-Left field? I guess the G’s want to add some versatility to Matt’s defense.
RP Erick Threets: 1 IP, K (16:13 K/BB in 23.2 IP

Connecticut defeated Binghamton 4-2.

C Pablo Sandoval: 2 for 3, BB, K (.182/.250/.182– 11 AB)
LF Eddy Martinez-Esteve: 1 for 4 (.289/.381/.364– 225 AB)
RP Kelvin Pichardo: 0.2 IP, K (32:17 K/BB in 36.1 IP)

San Jose defeated Modesto 6-2.

C Jackson Williams: 2 for 3, 2 BB
-Jackson was drafted in the supplemental first round last year as a defensive. Thus far, his bat has not played up to par, as he hit only .179/.275/.263 in Augusta this season. The Giants decided to promote him after a hot June, a decision that is probably influenced by Pablo’s promotion to Connecticut. This may be a temporary promotion, but this move probably won’t set back his development any.

2B Brock Bond: 3 for 5, K
-Recently promoted from Augusta, Brock put up a .333/.401/.393 mark in low A. A 5’10 switch-hitter, Brock will turn 23 in September. He’s never hit for much power, and it may be interesting to see how his contact ability will hold up against advanced pitching especially if pitchers start challenging him to take them yard.

Augusta’s game was postponed due to rain.

Salem-Keizer defeated Eugene 6-5.

CF Caleb Curry: 3 for 5, K (.311/.404/.356– 45 AB)

SP Wilber Bucardo: 5 IP: 6 H, 3 ER, K
Only one strikeout, but it looks like Wilber had the sinker working, as he induced 10 groundouts to 4 flyouts in the night. He has a 2.70 GO/AO ratio for the season.

AZL Giants defeated the Rangers 8-4.

CF Wendell Fairley: 1 for 4, K (.217/.286/.304– 23 AB)
2B Vladimir Frias: 3 for 4
- Drafted in the 30th round this year as a SS from Tennessee Wesleyen, Frias hit .411 in the NAIA. He’s another player whose statistics you should take with a grain of salt especially since he is facing weaker competition. He will turn 22 in September

Visalia at San Jose Game Report 6/21/08

Last week I attended a game in San Jose in which they trounced Visalia 7-2 on the back of a strong pitching performance by Henry Sosa and four home runs by the San Jose offense.  It was the last game before the California League’s All Star break.  I went to the game hoping to see Pablo Sandoval, Matt Downs, Ryan Rohlinger, and Henry Sosa.  I got to see Pablo and Matt, but Ryan had the day off.  Henry was the scheduled starter.  Some reactions:

SP Henry Sosa:

Statistically, his performance was the best of the year.  He went 6 innings, allowing four hits, no walks and garnered nine strikeouts.  The no walks were particularly impressive, as that has been and will continue to be his biggest obstacle to the major leagues.  The stuff was fantastic.  There were no radar guns in the stadium, and I couldn’t identify the pitches from my seat (I sat pretty far up the first base line), but with my eyes and ears, he was easily the hardest thrower in the game.  He also offered two different offspeed pitches (a change and a slider?) that had the Visalia batters absolutely flummoxed.  Eric Byrnes was the beer batter, and he struck Eric out twice, both times looking, the first time with a fastball.  He started the game pumping only fastballs, but the Visalia batters seemed to get a good read on them, sending a couple of shots to the outfield, including one for a double.  After he gave up his lone run of the night, Henry settled down and started mixing in the offspeed pitches, and his opponents had no chance.  He mixed his pitches well, throwing them in all counts.  I couldn’t keep track as my pen had run out of ink, but I would say 2/3 of his pitches were fastballs.

The only hiccup in the game was in the fourth inning.  He had been coasting with a quick second and third inning, but the first batter of the fourth shot a double into the outfield.  This seemed to unsettle Henry, as his next pitches were all high, including one that sailed over Pablo’s head to the backstop.  The Oaks’ hitters took notice, and began waiting for the high fastball.  They landed good wood on a couple, but unfortunately for Visalia, they were caught.  Henry got out of the inning with a favorable call by the first base umpire, a call that I thought he had missed.  He finished the last two innings strong and I thought he had enough left in the tank to go another couple of batters.

Overall, I was very impressed by Henry’s performance.  His pitches were sharp for the most part, and when he hit his spots, even a major leaguer like Eric Bynes had problems making contact.  Henry has definite potential to be a #2 SP or even an ace if he can polish up that slider and changeup.  The break in his composure was the only negative, but hopefully that mental aspect of the game will be toughened as he moves up the minor leagues.  You might see him as a late-season call up next year.

2B Matt Downs:

Matt’s approach to the plate told me that he was too advanced to the league.  Anything that was off the plate, he let go, and anything that was close, he made contact with.  I saw him swing and miss only once in the game.  Physically, he’s nothing to write home about.  What his average tools and good plate discipline tells me is that there is a very fine line for Matt to succeed.  If he can continue to recognize advanced pitching– know when to lay off and when to swing– then he will do well.  but if he misjudges a pitch (which he did once, resulting in a weak grounder to second) then he’s an easy out.

I sticking with my wait and see attitude toward Matt.  He’s one of my favorite prospects, but I want to see if he can maintain his discerning eye at the upper levels where the fastball velocities are higher and the breaking balls are better.  Right now, I would rank him near the end of my top 20 list, a C/C+ ranking.

DH Pablo Sandoval:

I had hoped to see Pablo catch, but alas it was not to be as Elio Sarmiento took up that charge.  The first thing noticed about Pablo (not his size, though that is the most common response when people see Pablo) was his attitude on the field.  He was very loose before the game, taking practice swings with Ryan Rohlinger and posing afterwards.  He was also very receptive to the fans, acknowledging them, when they called his name, making a face when a couple of regulars said something to him in Spanish.

In the batter’s box, Pablo was all business.  In his three at-bats, he swung at five pitches and took one, which resulted in two deep flyouts and a double to the wall.  Very aggressive.  Aggressive is good, but there’s a fine line between an aggressive hitter and a slop-hacker.  I will say, though, that all of the pitches he swung at, he made solid contact.

My enthusiasm for Pablo was tempered somewhat.  I still like him as a top 10 prospect in the system– maybe top 15– but I think it’ll be a while before he’s polished enough to be a regular in the majors.  My guess is September callups in 2009 and 2010, regular at-bats in 2012.  Luckily, he still only 21, so he has time.

Other reactions to the game:

-Everyone in the park was surprised when Tyler Graham went yard, especially the Giants dugout.  Some light-hearted ribbing went on when Tyler came back to the bench.

- Andy D’Alessio’s HR was an absolute blast.  The HR’s by Schoop, Downs, and Graham homers had some drama to it, as the outfielders converged at the wall, but for Andy’s shot, the CF didn’t even move.

-Dan Griffin’s motion on the mound resembled a giraffe that had come to a sudden stop.  Quite comical, and for that day, quite effective.

-Juan Trinidad’s pitches were drastically slower than any other pitchers’.  They seemed to float in the air.

-A couple of season ticket holders were talking about how this is the best Giants team they had ever seen.  There is certainly some merit to the statement.  In the first half, the Giants finished 43-27, good for a .614 winning percentage.  The 2005 San Jose Giants team might give them a run for their money though.  That team went 85-55 for a .605 winning percentage.  The team boasted an offense of Clay Timpner, Nate Schierholtz, Eddy Martinez-Esteve, Travis Ishikawa, John Bowker and Kevin Frandsen.  That team scored 813 runs and allowed 583.

Some pictures!

Henry Sosa.  Check out that long stride.

Pablo batting from the left side, after connecting with a double.

Matt Downs before he hits his home run.

Prospect Watch 6/26/08

Fresno defeats Las Vegas 7-2.

Eugenio Velez: 1 for 4, HR, BB, K

Eugenio is hitting .313/.366/.507 in 134 AAA at bats. He also has a 10/6 SB/CS ratio. He is also hitting .213 against lefties and .368 against righties. The splits are probably SSS derived, as I had not remembered such drastic splits last season.

Travis Ishikawa: 1 for 3, HR, BB, K

Lazarus continues to do well against AAA, hitting .294/.381/.706 in his first five games at AAA. By most reckonings, the transition from AA to AAA is nowhere near as tough as the transition from A to AA. For Giants hitting prospects, the transition must be especially easy as they are moving from the pitching friendly EL to the hitting friendly PCL. In fact, according to this handy tool, Travis’s .291/.382/.462 mark in AA translates to .282/.371/.446 in AAA.

Connecticut lost to Portland 2-0.

DH Adam Witter: 2 for 3, 2B, BB, K

Adam was the only offense for the Defenders, as he raised his season line to .213/.333/.411. I like Adam a lot, even though at 25 he is already very old for the league. He’s on my list of players who will break out in a big way next season. Unfortunately, due to his age it may be too late when it happens. If things don’t break his way, he could be another AAAA lifer.

C Pablo Sandoval: 0 for 4, 3K

Ugly start, but at 21 years old, Pablo is at least three years younger than all of the other position players on the team.

SP Garrett Broshuis: 7 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 5 K

This is Garrett’s third straight start in which he has gone 7 innings (allowing 4 runs in those 21 innings). I’m rooting for Garrett because by all accounts he is a nice guy, but I don’t know if he has the pitches to succeed in the majors.

San Jose defeated Modesto 6-4 in 11 innings.

SP Henry Sosa: 3 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Henry’s only real hiccup since his return from the DL. Henry is allowing more hits this season than last, but he has also lowered his walk rate. He has 35 strikeouts in 32 innings.

RP Dan Griffin: 3 IP, 1 H, 2 K

A 6’7 RHP who throws from a low 3/4 angle, Dan is quite the presence on the mound. I like Dan more than I should. He’s already 23 and converted to a RP. His stats are good, but not fantastic (1.42 WHIP, 8.08 K/9) though he does induce a fair amount of groundballs (1.71 GO/AO). But if he can learn to control his pitches, his height and arm angle should make it hard for the batters to pick up the ball.

Augusta blanked Greenville 8-0.

2B Nick Noonan: 1 for 4 (.305/.334/.455)

1B Angel Villalona: 0 for 4, 2 K, (.233/.290/.408 )

SS Charlie Culberson: 2 for 4

Charlie had a terrible April (in which he hit .104) and a good May and June to raise his season stats to .219/.270/.306. If he ends the season at a .270/.360/.400, I would count his year a success. He is only 19 years old. Top 40 prospect for me, though he is more tools than skills right now.

SP Daryl Maday: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 R

A typical start for Maday, as he lowers his ERA to 1.58 and his WHIP to 0.95. A 6’2 RHP, he works in the low 90s, At 22 years old, I’d like to see him take on the Cal league, perhaps once Sosa, English or Pucetas get promoted. If he doesn’t get promoted, he may be the next Giant to win the Most Spectacular Pitcher Award.

Salem-Keizer defeated Tri-City 5-3.

Kelvin Marte: 1 IP, 1 K

I’m riding the K-train, and I’ve no intention of getting off.

The AZL Giants had the day off.

And of course, the really big news is Sergio Romo’s debut in the Giants game yesterday where he struck out two batters. Go Romo!

Giants! In the Future!

MLB announced today that three Giants prospects will participate in the futures game: Nate Schierholtz, Angel Villalona and Kevin Pucetas. I know what you’re thinking and yes, the correct response is Kevin Pucetas?!? Well, friends, live in ignorance no more!

Kevin Pucetas is a 23 year old 6’4 RHP who pitches for the San Jose Giants. Last year he won MiLB’s Most Spectacular Pitcher Award which is usually given to the SP with the lowest ERA in the minors (he boasted a 1.86 mark in Augusta). Kevin’s repertoir, however, is less than stellar, as he mostly works in the low 80s. This season, he is sporting a 2.76 ERA in 65 IP. He walks few batters, allows his share of hits, and doesn’t have a fantastic GO/AO ratio. He strikes out a fair amount of batters, probably due to his excellent control. He still doesn’t project to be much more than a RP, but that he has found so much success with his limited velocity is already quite an accomplishment.

PS. I’m surprised Madison Bumgarner didn’t make the list.