Kendry Flores, RHP. 6'2", 175 lbs. DOB: 11/24/1991
Low A: 10-6, 2.73, 141.2 IP, 17 BB, 137 K, GO/AO= 0.90
Perhaps no Giants prospect made a bigger move last year than Kendry Flores. After moving slowly through the short season leagues since his signing in 2009, 2013 was a breakout year for him in his first taste of full season ball. The year was punctuated on August 21 with a 15 K, 0 BB performance against the Lexington Legends that gained national notice. Over the second half of the season, he struck out 79 batters in 72.2 IP, while walking a ridiculous 4 batters.
Flores reportedly throws a FB in the low-mid 90's. I have seen reports of him reaching 95 late in the 2013 season. He also throws a cutter, curve and change up all of them with plus command allowing him to throw them for strikes at any time. I found one video showing his final strikeout in the 15 K game. He got the K by painting the outside corner for a called 3'rd strike. There seems to be some concern that his success in Augusta was based more on command than on stuff and that his stuff will get exposed at higher levels. That remains to be seen, but it seems to me that kind of velocity with superior command of multiple pitches should play at any level.
Since this was his 5'th professional season, the Giants felt compelled to add him to the 40 man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. This re-sets his clock to 3 more years in the system before the Giants have to keep him in the majors or expose him to waivers. He is expected to be part of the starting rotation in San Jose for 2014 which should give an indication of whether he has the stuff to succeed at higher levels.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Blast From the Past: Kurt Ainsworth
Kurt Ainsworth was the Giants first round draft pick in 1999 after solid junior season pitching for LSU. He worked his way up through the Giants minor league system as a member of AFW(Ainsworth, Foppert, Williams) the pitching triumvirate that was supposed to lead the way out of the Barry Bonds era. He made his MLB debut in 2001 appearing in just 2 games.
He spent most of 2002 in Fresno but appeared in 6 games for the Giants including 4 starts(man, I don't remember that! 2002 was the year they went to the World Series). He compiled a 1-2 record with a 2.10 ERA over 25.2 IP. He started 2003 in the Giants rotation and pitched well, 5-4, 3.82, 66 IP, 26 BB, 48 K. I don't recall if it was in 2002 or 2003, but he had one start in particular against the Dodgers that was a thing of beauty dominating them with great command of at least 5 different pitches.
About a third of the way into the 2003 season, the injuries started to set in. Ainsworth had undergone TJ surgery in college and now had shoulder pain. He was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the scapula, a rare injury. He as later included in the trade to Baltimore for Sidney Ponson as Sabes had probably seen enough of the injury thing. He later underwent a second TJ and his MLB playing career was done.
So, why am I writing about Kurt Ainsworth now, you may ask? Well, I just happened to click on a video article over on BA(no subscription required) called Googe Hangout With Adam Dunn. Right at the beginning the conversation mentioned Kurt Ainsworth and a baseball equipment company named Marucci that both Adam Dunn and Kurt are involved with. Dunn mentioned that the products are designed by ballplayers for ballplayers. I recalled Ricky's mom mentioning last year that Ryan Vogelsong was the owner of baseball equipment company. For some reason a light bulb went on in my head as I was watching the Dunn interview. I Googled Kurt Ainsworth and found an SFGate article that explained it all.
Turns out, Kurt is a co-founder and Chairman of a bat company named after another co-founder named Joe Marucci who was the head athletic trainer at LSU. There are 26 major league ballplayers, including Albert Pujols and Ryan Vogelsong, who are investors and together they own the majority of the company. I assume Adam Dunn is an investor too. Remember when Pablo Sandoval hit 3 HR's in the World Series off Justin Verlander and Al Albuquerque? He was using a Marucci bat!
In addition to manufacturing baseball equipment, Marucci also supports amateur baseball and sponsors several showcase and travel teams. I sounds like the player investors interact with the prospects and get to know them. Adam Dunn was able to discuss several of them by name off the top of his head in the interview.
Although Kurt Ainsworth's baseball playing career came to a premature and sad end, he has obviously come out in great shape finding a way to give back to the game in multiple ways and earn a nice living for himself in the process. Not that Albert Pujols needs any more ways of making money or Adam Dunn, for that matter, but it is gratifying to see a guy like Ryan Vogelsong find a way to extend his earning power beyond his playing career.
I just thought this was a fascinating story and am so happy to see the names of current and former Giants figuring prominently into it.
He spent most of 2002 in Fresno but appeared in 6 games for the Giants including 4 starts(man, I don't remember that! 2002 was the year they went to the World Series). He compiled a 1-2 record with a 2.10 ERA over 25.2 IP. He started 2003 in the Giants rotation and pitched well, 5-4, 3.82, 66 IP, 26 BB, 48 K. I don't recall if it was in 2002 or 2003, but he had one start in particular against the Dodgers that was a thing of beauty dominating them with great command of at least 5 different pitches.
About a third of the way into the 2003 season, the injuries started to set in. Ainsworth had undergone TJ surgery in college and now had shoulder pain. He was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the scapula, a rare injury. He as later included in the trade to Baltimore for Sidney Ponson as Sabes had probably seen enough of the injury thing. He later underwent a second TJ and his MLB playing career was done.
So, why am I writing about Kurt Ainsworth now, you may ask? Well, I just happened to click on a video article over on BA(no subscription required) called Googe Hangout With Adam Dunn. Right at the beginning the conversation mentioned Kurt Ainsworth and a baseball equipment company named Marucci that both Adam Dunn and Kurt are involved with. Dunn mentioned that the products are designed by ballplayers for ballplayers. I recalled Ricky's mom mentioning last year that Ryan Vogelsong was the owner of baseball equipment company. For some reason a light bulb went on in my head as I was watching the Dunn interview. I Googled Kurt Ainsworth and found an SFGate article that explained it all.
Turns out, Kurt is a co-founder and Chairman of a bat company named after another co-founder named Joe Marucci who was the head athletic trainer at LSU. There are 26 major league ballplayers, including Albert Pujols and Ryan Vogelsong, who are investors and together they own the majority of the company. I assume Adam Dunn is an investor too. Remember when Pablo Sandoval hit 3 HR's in the World Series off Justin Verlander and Al Albuquerque? He was using a Marucci bat!
In addition to manufacturing baseball equipment, Marucci also supports amateur baseball and sponsors several showcase and travel teams. I sounds like the player investors interact with the prospects and get to know them. Adam Dunn was able to discuss several of them by name off the top of his head in the interview.
Although Kurt Ainsworth's baseball playing career came to a premature and sad end, he has obviously come out in great shape finding a way to give back to the game in multiple ways and earn a nice living for himself in the process. Not that Albert Pujols needs any more ways of making money or Adam Dunn, for that matter, but it is gratifying to see a guy like Ryan Vogelsong find a way to extend his earning power beyond his playing career.
I just thought this was a fascinating story and am so happy to see the names of current and former Giants figuring prominently into it.
Dr B's 2014 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #11 Joe Panik
Joe Panik, 2B. B-L, T-R. 6'1", 190 lbs. DOB: 10/30/1990.
2012 High A: .297/.368/.402, 27 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 535 AB, 58 BB, 54 K, 10 SB.
2013 AA: .257/.333/.347, 27 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 522 AB, 58 BB, 68 K, 10 SB.
2013 was a rough year for the former first round draft pick from 2011. If you recall, he signed early in his draft year and then tore up the Northwest League hitting .341. He followed that up with a strong 2012 campaign in San Jose and in particular had a very strong finish there, barely falling short of a .300 BA in a last month batting surge.
2013 started out with a move to 2B which immediately diminished his value in the eyes of many analysts, although the move was not unexpected despite the earlier denials of the Giants player development people. He then missed most of spring training with a pulled hammy then headed off to Richmond to face the challenges of the Eastern League. According to Baggs report from BA, the hammy continued to be an issue into the regular season and he went through a brutal slump in May and June.
Batting lines are expected to take a hit moving from the Cal League to the Eastern League, but Panik's offensive performance is widely viewed as more of a dropoff than was expected, especially in the power numbers. If you take a closer look, though, the dropoff in SLG and OPS was almost entirely due to a drop in singles and not in XBH's. Take a closer look! In almost the same number of AB's, he hit 3 fewer HR's but exactly the same number of doubles and triples and had exactly the same number of walks! His IsoP only dropped from .105 to .090. The only significant differences in his numbers were 22 fewer singles and 13 more K's. When you add in the difference in league average OPS between the Cal League and the EL of .761 vs .717 and Panik really did not have nearly as terrible a season as it may appear and he actually had a higher percentage of his hits go for extra bases.
Assuming he stays healthy and moves up to AAA Fresno, I think we'll see a much better season out of him in 2013. If he can avoid the month-long slumps, which may have been injury related, he should put up similar numbers to his 2012 campaign or better.
Looking at MLB second basemen, Panik comps most closely to Marco Scutaro. Look, Panik is never going to hit a lot of HR's, especially in San Francisco and the NL West, and I don't think it is in his or the Giants interest for him to try to hit for more power that is going to be severely limited by the park anyway. He has said he tries to hit line drives and put the ball in play. If he can hit .280-.290 with an OBP of .340-.360, he will be a valuable middle infielder regardless of his power and he should be able to hit the gaps regularly. He should be ready to make is MLB debut about the time Scooter is done.
2012 High A: .297/.368/.402, 27 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 535 AB, 58 BB, 54 K, 10 SB.
2013 AA: .257/.333/.347, 27 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 522 AB, 58 BB, 68 K, 10 SB.
2013 was a rough year for the former first round draft pick from 2011. If you recall, he signed early in his draft year and then tore up the Northwest League hitting .341. He followed that up with a strong 2012 campaign in San Jose and in particular had a very strong finish there, barely falling short of a .300 BA in a last month batting surge.
2013 started out with a move to 2B which immediately diminished his value in the eyes of many analysts, although the move was not unexpected despite the earlier denials of the Giants player development people. He then missed most of spring training with a pulled hammy then headed off to Richmond to face the challenges of the Eastern League. According to Baggs report from BA, the hammy continued to be an issue into the regular season and he went through a brutal slump in May and June.
Batting lines are expected to take a hit moving from the Cal League to the Eastern League, but Panik's offensive performance is widely viewed as more of a dropoff than was expected, especially in the power numbers. If you take a closer look, though, the dropoff in SLG and OPS was almost entirely due to a drop in singles and not in XBH's. Take a closer look! In almost the same number of AB's, he hit 3 fewer HR's but exactly the same number of doubles and triples and had exactly the same number of walks! His IsoP only dropped from .105 to .090. The only significant differences in his numbers were 22 fewer singles and 13 more K's. When you add in the difference in league average OPS between the Cal League and the EL of .761 vs .717 and Panik really did not have nearly as terrible a season as it may appear and he actually had a higher percentage of his hits go for extra bases.
Assuming he stays healthy and moves up to AAA Fresno, I think we'll see a much better season out of him in 2013. If he can avoid the month-long slumps, which may have been injury related, he should put up similar numbers to his 2012 campaign or better.
Looking at MLB second basemen, Panik comps most closely to Marco Scutaro. Look, Panik is never going to hit a lot of HR's, especially in San Francisco and the NL West, and I don't think it is in his or the Giants interest for him to try to hit for more power that is going to be severely limited by the park anyway. He has said he tries to hit line drives and put the ball in play. If he can hit .280-.290 with an OBP of .340-.360, he will be a valuable middle infielder regardless of his power and he should be able to hit the gaps regularly. He should be ready to make is MLB debut about the time Scooter is done.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Scouting the Draft: 3 HS LHP's
We'll take a quick look at 3 HS LHP's who will be eligible for the 2014 draft. These guys would all probably be good for late first or supplemental round picks, but there is an good chance that at least 2 would fall to the mid 2'nd round where the Giants will be selecting and an outside chance that at least 1 will be there in round 3:
Mac Marshall, Georgia. 6'2", 185 lbs. FB 90-94. Strong frame. 3/4 release point. 3 pitch mix. Ranked #21 by BLF, 43 by Minor League Ball, 15 by BA!
Justus Sheffield, Tennessee. 6'0", 190 lbs. FB 88-93. Big lower half, strong frame. 3/4 release point. 3 pitch mix. Ranked 41 buy BLF, 44 by Minor League Ball, 38 by BA.
Foster Griffin, Florida. 6'5", 195 lbs. FB 89-92. Tall and thin, but with a big enough frame to fill out considerably. Windup and delivery reminiscent of Madison Bumgarner with a slightly higher release point, but has the long drawback. 3 pitch mix. Ranked #46 by BLF, #104 by Minor League Ball. Not in BA's top 50 draft prospects but ranks #53 in the top 100 HS prospects which would put him in the low 100's. I really like this kid's growth potential and upside. Would make a very nice 3'rd round snag for the Giants!
Mac Marshall, Georgia. 6'2", 185 lbs. FB 90-94. Strong frame. 3/4 release point. 3 pitch mix. Ranked #21 by BLF, 43 by Minor League Ball, 15 by BA!
Justus Sheffield, Tennessee. 6'0", 190 lbs. FB 88-93. Big lower half, strong frame. 3/4 release point. 3 pitch mix. Ranked 41 buy BLF, 44 by Minor League Ball, 38 by BA.
Foster Griffin, Florida. 6'5", 195 lbs. FB 89-92. Tall and thin, but with a big enough frame to fill out considerably. Windup and delivery reminiscent of Madison Bumgarner with a slightly higher release point, but has the long drawback. 3 pitch mix. Ranked #46 by BLF, #104 by Minor League Ball. Not in BA's top 50 draft prospects but ranks #53 in the top 100 HS prospects which would put him in the low 100's. I really like this kid's growth potential and upside. Would make a very nice 3'rd round snag for the Giants!
Dr B's 2014 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #10 Chris Stratton
Chris Stratton, RHP. 6'3", 186 lbs. DOB: 8/22/1990
Low A: 9-3, 3.27, 132 IP, 47 BB, 123 K, GO/AO= 1.13.
It's probably too early to call Chris Stratton an enigma, but his pro career has to this point not been typical of a first round draft pick out of a major college program. The Giants drafted Stratton in 2012 after a sensational junior season at Mississippi St. His pitching line that season was 11-2, 2.38, 109.2 IP, 25 BB, 127 K. The Giants decision was probably sealed when he struck out 17 batters the day John Barr was in the stands watching.
Stratton signed that summer and was assigned to Salem-Keizer where he went 0-1, 2.76, 16.1 IP, 10 BB, 16 K. He was also hit on the head by a line drive during batting practice and suffered a season-ending concussion. That may have played a role in his 2013 assignment to low A Augusta for 2013. I have also seen reports that his velocity was down in spring training and that the Giants wanted him to concentrate on developing his two-seam FB as reasons for the assignment. Baggs says it was because the SJ rotation was "loaded", but organizations usually find spots for first round draft picks. His numbers for Augusta were not at all bad, but perhaps they were not quite as dominant as you might expect from player of his pedigree. He did put up a 2.98 ERA in the second half but his K and BB numbers were no more impressive.
From Baggs' BA scouting report, Stratton's two-seam FB sits 89-93, touches 95 and has impressive downward movement. He has a tight slider that serves as a strikeout pitch. I've seen a classic curveball with downward movement in videos from college. Baggs says his curve and changeup are pitches that still need development.
Stratton will probably be assigned to San Jose for 2014 which will likely be an important year in is development path. All in all, Stratton is not a bad guy to have as your organizations 10'th ranked prospect, but you'd really like to see a first round draft pick from a major college program up there challenging Crick for the #1 slot. Baggs has him ranked #3 in BA, so maybe he knows something we don't, but you really can't find it in his discussion.
Low A: 9-3, 3.27, 132 IP, 47 BB, 123 K, GO/AO= 1.13.
It's probably too early to call Chris Stratton an enigma, but his pro career has to this point not been typical of a first round draft pick out of a major college program. The Giants drafted Stratton in 2012 after a sensational junior season at Mississippi St. His pitching line that season was 11-2, 2.38, 109.2 IP, 25 BB, 127 K. The Giants decision was probably sealed when he struck out 17 batters the day John Barr was in the stands watching.
Stratton signed that summer and was assigned to Salem-Keizer where he went 0-1, 2.76, 16.1 IP, 10 BB, 16 K. He was also hit on the head by a line drive during batting practice and suffered a season-ending concussion. That may have played a role in his 2013 assignment to low A Augusta for 2013. I have also seen reports that his velocity was down in spring training and that the Giants wanted him to concentrate on developing his two-seam FB as reasons for the assignment. Baggs says it was because the SJ rotation was "loaded", but organizations usually find spots for first round draft picks. His numbers for Augusta were not at all bad, but perhaps they were not quite as dominant as you might expect from player of his pedigree. He did put up a 2.98 ERA in the second half but his K and BB numbers were no more impressive.
From Baggs' BA scouting report, Stratton's two-seam FB sits 89-93, touches 95 and has impressive downward movement. He has a tight slider that serves as a strikeout pitch. I've seen a classic curveball with downward movement in videos from college. Baggs says his curve and changeup are pitches that still need development.
Stratton will probably be assigned to San Jose for 2014 which will likely be an important year in is development path. All in all, Stratton is not a bad guy to have as your organizations 10'th ranked prospect, but you'd really like to see a first round draft pick from a major college program up there challenging Crick for the #1 slot. Baggs has him ranked #3 in BA, so maybe he knows something we don't, but you really can't find it in his discussion.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Dr B's 2014 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #9 Ty Blach
Ty Blach, LHP. 6'1", 200 lbs. DOB: 10/20/1990
High A: 12-4, 2.90, 130.1 IP, 18 BB, 117 K, GO/AO= 1.17
There was some head scratching when the Giants named Ty Blach out of Creighton University as their 5'th round draft pick in 2012. He had pitched well enough in college with a 2.69 ERA his junior season, but the secondary stats did not look like anything to write home about, 28 BB and 83 K in 120.1 IP.
Blach did not start his pro career until 2013 but the Giants assigned him aggressively to high A San Jose. His performance there was an eye-opener for many observers including me as he dominated, particularly in his control of the strike zone.
According to Baggs' BA scouting report, he throws both a 4-seam and 2-seam fastball with plus command which sits 89-90 MPH and tops out at 94. He can throw his slider at the back foot of RH batters and has a solid curve. His changeup is his best offspeed offering. I saw him pitch in the Cal League Championship series in San Bernardino. In that game he sat at 91 MPH and topped out at 92. He was able to keep 66'er hitters off balance by mixing his pitches and changing speeds. He's got a bit of awkwardness and herky-jerkiness to his motion.
He should to to AA Richmond along with his 3 younger colleagues from the SJ rotation where he should do well in a pitching-friendly environment. I see him as a possible Tom Glavine type of SP. Of course, not every LHP who comps to Tom Glavine puts up Tom Glavine numbers in the majors, but hey, if Tom Glavine did it...... I think we'd all be happy if Blach turned into the next Woody Reuter, or a Noah Lowry who stays healthy!
High A: 12-4, 2.90, 130.1 IP, 18 BB, 117 K, GO/AO= 1.17
There was some head scratching when the Giants named Ty Blach out of Creighton University as their 5'th round draft pick in 2012. He had pitched well enough in college with a 2.69 ERA his junior season, but the secondary stats did not look like anything to write home about, 28 BB and 83 K in 120.1 IP.
Blach did not start his pro career until 2013 but the Giants assigned him aggressively to high A San Jose. His performance there was an eye-opener for many observers including me as he dominated, particularly in his control of the strike zone.
According to Baggs' BA scouting report, he throws both a 4-seam and 2-seam fastball with plus command which sits 89-90 MPH and tops out at 94. He can throw his slider at the back foot of RH batters and has a solid curve. His changeup is his best offspeed offering. I saw him pitch in the Cal League Championship series in San Bernardino. In that game he sat at 91 MPH and topped out at 92. He was able to keep 66'er hitters off balance by mixing his pitches and changing speeds. He's got a bit of awkwardness and herky-jerkiness to his motion.
He should to to AA Richmond along with his 3 younger colleagues from the SJ rotation where he should do well in a pitching-friendly environment. I see him as a possible Tom Glavine type of SP. Of course, not every LHP who comps to Tom Glavine puts up Tom Glavine numbers in the majors, but hey, if Tom Glavine did it...... I think we'd all be happy if Blach turned into the next Woody Reuter, or a Noah Lowry who stays healthy!
Dr B's 2014 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #8 Clayton Blackburn
Clayton Blackburn, RHP. 6'3", 220 lbs. DOB 1/6/1993.
High A 7-5, 3.65, 133 IP, 35 BB, 138 K, GO/AO= 1.34.
Clayton Blackburn can be thought of in many ways as the RH mirror image of Adalberto Mejia. He's a big kid who showed extraordinary command and pitchability at a young age, but has questions about his ceiling and whether his stuff will play at the highest levels. The Giants drafted him out of HS in the 16'th round in 2011. He signed almost immediately and rang up a 3-1, 1.08, 33.1 IP, 3 BB, 30 K line for the Arizona League Giants. His 2012 assignment was to Low A Augusta where he continued to show similar dominance, 8-4, 2.56, 131.1 IP, 18 BB, 143 K.
His first half for San Jose of the High A California League was a bit of a struggle as his ERA went to over 4. He turned it around in the second half with a 4-1, 2.40, 63.2 IP, 16 BB, 59 K run over his last 10 starts. He took a perfect game into the 7'th inning against Lancaster on July 25.
There is some variability in his scouting reports in regards to his velocity. Baggs has him at 89-93 in his BA writeup. I saw him pitch early in the season against Ranch Cucamonga and even though he got knocked around a bit, his FB sat 92-93 the whole start. He also has a high 70's curveball with excellent action, a changeup and a slider. I did not see the slide piece during his RC start and believe he would benefit from more liberal use of a harder breaking ball. One big difference between him and Mejia is the groundball tendency although that slipped between low A and high A ball. Baggs does allude to some nagging injuries that may have been partly to blame for his subpar showing in the first half.
Like Mejia and Kyle Crick, Blackburn should be part of the starting rotation for AA Richmond in 2014, a good place to solidify his game.
High A 7-5, 3.65, 133 IP, 35 BB, 138 K, GO/AO= 1.34.
Clayton Blackburn can be thought of in many ways as the RH mirror image of Adalberto Mejia. He's a big kid who showed extraordinary command and pitchability at a young age, but has questions about his ceiling and whether his stuff will play at the highest levels. The Giants drafted him out of HS in the 16'th round in 2011. He signed almost immediately and rang up a 3-1, 1.08, 33.1 IP, 3 BB, 30 K line for the Arizona League Giants. His 2012 assignment was to Low A Augusta where he continued to show similar dominance, 8-4, 2.56, 131.1 IP, 18 BB, 143 K.
His first half for San Jose of the High A California League was a bit of a struggle as his ERA went to over 4. He turned it around in the second half with a 4-1, 2.40, 63.2 IP, 16 BB, 59 K run over his last 10 starts. He took a perfect game into the 7'th inning against Lancaster on July 25.
There is some variability in his scouting reports in regards to his velocity. Baggs has him at 89-93 in his BA writeup. I saw him pitch early in the season against Ranch Cucamonga and even though he got knocked around a bit, his FB sat 92-93 the whole start. He also has a high 70's curveball with excellent action, a changeup and a slider. I did not see the slide piece during his RC start and believe he would benefit from more liberal use of a harder breaking ball. One big difference between him and Mejia is the groundball tendency although that slipped between low A and high A ball. Baggs does allude to some nagging injuries that may have been partly to blame for his subpar showing in the first half.
Like Mejia and Kyle Crick, Blackburn should be part of the starting rotation for AA Richmond in 2014, a good place to solidify his game.
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