Chronicles of the Lads

WATCH LIST UPDATE
I last did this on April 26.

Mike Napoli and Howie Kendrick have been removed from the list for the duration of their major league stays; Jeff Mathis has been added in Napoli's stead. I've also kicked Warner Madrigal and Bob Zimmerman to the Watch Out list, because I'm out of patience.

As an aside, a Brewers blogger has started collecting and posting splits for minor league hitters and pitchers (previously linked at BTF and by Halofan). This is, of course, totally sweet. Sample sizes for platoon splits are still pretty low, but data is also included for groundballs and flyballs hit and allowed, as well as line drives and bunts. This is great stuff.

Anyway, here's the Watch List, with everyone's current numbers compared to where they were on April 26.

Position Players

Erick Aybar, SS, AAA Salt Lake, BB/TR

When    AB  H  2B  3B  HR  BB  SO  SB  CS  AVG OBP SLG
Now    127  37  6   2   3   8  17  12   6  291 338 441
Then    78  27  2   2   2   5  10   6   4  346 393 500

After a very hot start, Erick has cooled considerably, going 10 for his last 49 (a .204 average). His current numbers are in line with what we would expect from him.


Michael Collins, C, A Rancho Cucamonga, BR/TR

When    AB  H  2B  3B  HR  BB  SO  SB  CS  AVG OBP SLG
Now    118  40  5   1   3   6  19   2   1  339 383 475
Then    67  25  5   1   2   4  10   0   1  373 427 567

The Irish freedom-fighter has suffered a power outage the last two weeks, managing only one extra-base hit out of his 15 safeties. His free-falling batting average doesn't really concern me, it's not like he has to hit .370, but I would like to see him reclaim some of the bases on balls he's posted in the past.


Nick Gorneault, OF, AAA Salt Lake, BR/TR

When    AB  H  2B  3B  HR  BB  SO  SB  CS  AVG OBP SLG
Now    121  36  8   3   4  12  28   0   1  298 361 512
Then    73  20  2   1   4   5  18   0   1  274 321 493

Nick Gorneault is currently on pace to have a typical Nick Gorneault season.


Jeff Mathis, C, AAA Salt Lake, BR/TR

When    AB  H  2B  3B  HR  BB  SO  SB  CS  AVG OBP SLG
Now     23   8  3   0   0   2   7   0   0  348 385 478

A nice return to AAA, but it's too early to draw any conclusions.


Kendry Morales, 1B/DH, AAA Salt Lake, BB/TR

When    AB  H  2B  3B  HR  BB  SO  SB  CS  AVG OBP SLG
Now    116  28  3   1   3   9  22   0   2  241 296 362
Then    74  18  1   0   3   1  13   0   2  243 253 378

He's drastically improved his walks, which is welcome, but Kendry hasn't started to do much of anything when he has to swing at pitches. I suspect he'll turn it around sooner than later.


Sean Rodriguez, SS, A Rancho Cucamonga, BR/TR

When    AB  H  2B  3B  HR  BB  SO  SB  CS  AVG OBP SLG
Now    117  38  6   1   4   4  34   6   3  325 365 496
Then    58  23  4   1   3   2  16   4   1  397 429 655

Another guy who has cooled off after a great start, Sean Rodriguez seems to have forgotten how to walk. I'm happy with his batting average where it is, and the SLG isn't too far off of what I'd like to see, but walks were a key part of his game at lower levels. I don't know that he projects to be a high-average hitter, so getting on base and controlling the strike zone is important for him. A SO:BB ratio of 8.5:1 is a bit frightening.


Drew Toussaint, OF, A Rancho Cucamonga, BR/TR

When    AB  H  2B  3B  HR  BB  SO  SB  CS  AVG OBP SLG
Now    103  20  6   0   3  12  38   1   0  194 291 340
Then    62  17  6   0   3   7  20   1   0  274 357 516

Egad. Drew is mired in the slump to end all slumps, going 3-for-41 over the last two weeks, adding up to a 073/174/073 AVG/OBP/SLG line. Not to mention that he's struck out in 44% of his last 41 at-bats. I think he's better than this -- hell, I think I'm better than this, but yikes. This makes Mike Napoli's 23-for-158 last summer look like a DiMaggian streak.


Mark Trumbo, 1B/3B, A Cedar Rapids, BR/TR

When    AB  H  2B  3B  HR  BB  SO  SB  CS  AVG OBP SLG
Now     92  17  3   0   4   5  22   1   0  185 232 348
Then    48   8  0   0   1   3  12   1   0  167 226 229

Trumbo is one of the few guys here who seems not to have been affected by the major offensive slump afflicting this organization from the top down. Of course, the fact that his hitting .205 for a couple of weeks raises his batting average illustrates how poorly he has started the season.


Reggie Willits, CF/LF, AAA Salt Lake, BB/TR

When    AB  H  2B  3B  HR  BB  SO  SB  CS  AVG OBP SLG
Now     76  24  5   2   1  12  13   8   3  316 404 474
Then    47  14  4   1   1   4   6   6   x  298 353 489

I guess his pinch-running cup of coffee with the big club make him hungry. I think Tommy Murphy has the defensive caddy spot locked up in the majors for now, which is fine as it allows Willits to continue his development on the farm.


Brandon Wood, SS, AA Arkansas, BR/TR

When    AB  H  2B  3B  HR  BB  SO  SB  CS  AVG OBP SLG
Now    131  36 11   0   8  14  42   3   0  275 356 542
Then    78  25  8   0   5   8  29   1   0  321 386 615

A guy who strikes out a third of the time is much more likely to hit .250 than .320, so the drop in his batting average has been expected. But there are some things to like; his strikeout rate dropped from 34% of plate appearances in his first three weeks to 22% over the last two weeks, and his walk rate marginally increased from 9.3% to 10.2%. A guy who strikes out a fifth of the time will whiff 120 in a 600-PA season, which if accompanied by prodigious power at a premium defensive position is not a horrible thing.


Watch Out: Brett Martinez, Dallas Morris, Warner Madrigal, Ryan Mount, Aaron Peel, P.J. Phillips, Freddy Sandoval, Hainley Statia, Bobby Wilson


Pitchers

Nick Adenhart, RHSP, A Cedar Rapids

When  W  L  SV  G  GS  IP    H  HR  SO  BB   ERA
Now   5  0   0  7   7  43.7  30  1  46  10  1.65
Then  3  0   0  4   4  24.7  14  1  24   5  1.46

I don't think this kid has anything to prove in the Midwest League. I hope he gets promoted to Rancho so that I can make a field trip and see him.


Steve Andrade, RHRP, AAA Omaha (Royals Organization) and MLB Royals

When  W  L  SV  G  GS  IP    H  HR  SO  BB   ERA
Now   0  0   0  4   0   4.7   5  0   5   4  9.64
Now   0  0   0  5   0   9.0   4  0  13   4  2.00 AAA Final
Then  0  0   0  4   0   7.0   2  0  10   3  2.57

STEVE ANDRADE HAS BEEN FREED!

And, so far, he's been lit up. Well, he pitched well in two outings and poorly in two outings, so obviously it's far too early to say anything. But he's definitely earned his shot, so I'm glad he's getting it.


Jose Arredondo, RHSP, A Rancho Cucamonga

When  W  L  SV  G  GS  IP    H  HR  SO  BB   ERA
Now   1  1   0  6   6  31.3  29  1  49  12  2.59
Then  0  0   0  4   4  19.7  21  0  32   7  2.75

His walks have shot up in the past couple of weeks, but he's more than holding his own in a tough league for moundsmen.


Daniel Davidson, LHSP, AA Arkansas

When  W  L  SV  G  GS  IP    H  HR  SO  BB   ERA
Now   1  3   0  7   7  44.3  52  4  20  12  5.08
Then  0  1   0  4   4  23.7  27  2  12   9  4.56

Another guy for whom my patience wavers. You're repeating AA and can't strike out a guy for every two innings? With the Arredondos and Mendozas and Mareks (Stephen Marek has a great chance at taking this spot on my next go-around of this thing) and everyone else in the system, Davidson is pretty much buried if he doesn't turn this around, and stat.


Gustavo Espinoza, LHSP
He has tendonitis and is due to start the season with Orem in late June. I'll keep here just so no one forgets about him.


Tommy Mendoza, RHSP, A Cedar Rapids

When  W  L  SV  G  GS  IP    H  HR  SO  BB   ERA
Now   1  3   0  7   7  41.7  42  5  36   6  4.10
Then  1  1   0  4   4  23.7  25  1  17   3  3.42

Tommy's gotten a bit home-run-happy in his last three starts, but the strikeout-to-walk ratio is hard to argue against.


Rafael Rodriguez, RHSP, AA Arkansas

When  W  L  SV  G  GS  IP    H  HR  SO  BB   ERA
Now   0  1   0  4   4  18.3  26  8  14   8 10.31
Then  0  0   0  1   1   6.0   6  3   3   2  6.00

I was quick to add him after he annihilted the Cal League for two weeks and earned a promotion, but since then he's gone from K-Rod2 to HR-Rod. Growing pains, certainly, but so far it's been ugly.


Steve Shell, RHSP, AAA Salt Lake

When  W  L  SV  G  GS  IP    H  HR  SO  BB   ERA
Now   0  0   0  3   2  18.0  10  3  14   4  2.00
Then  0  0   0  1   0   3.0   2  1   3   0  6.00

Shell has acclimated nicely to AAA, possibly putting himself in the mix for a spot start for the big club in the future (though he obviously ranks behind Jered Weaver on that list).


Von Stertzbach, RHRP
Hasn't played.


Jered Weaver, RHSP, AAA Salt Lake

When  W  L  SV  G  GS  IP    H  HR  SO  BB   ERA
Now   2  1   0  6   5  35.0  32  4  46   6  3.34
Then  2  1   0  4   4  23.0  23  4  26   4  3.91

Jered is pitching very well of late, striking out 20 against only two walks in his last couple of appearances, and allowing no homers. It was reported that his groundball-to-flyball ratio last season was .40, but this year it's a much more healthy .59. He still looks like a guy who will give up more than his fair share of home runs, just because of the volume of flyballs, but he's making strides in that regard and the rest of his performance is unassailable.


Watch Out: David Austen, Trevor Bell, Stephen Marek, Bob Zimmerman