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Re: Minor Matters

8716 by civ ollilavad
featured on milb.com

McKenzie lights-out in RubberDucks' gem

Indians No. 2 prospect carries no-no into seventh, yields one hit

By Gerard Gilberto / MiLB.com | July 3, 2018 9:13 PM ET




After breaking camp on the disabled list, Triston McKenzie's delayed debut with Double-A Akron came with an abbreviated workload. Judging by the results, he seems ready to be turned loose.

The second-ranked Indians prospect carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Ke'Bryan Hayes tripled to lead off the frame as the RubberDucks blanked the Curve, 3-0, on Tuesday at Canal Park. McKenzie struck out four and walked one, lowering his ERA to 3.34 in his sixth Eastern League start.


"The ball wasn't flying tonight," he said. "I think I was just pitching to where they weren't hitting the ball hard enough to get it out or above my outfielders, and I got weak contact on some ground balls."

McKenzie experienced right forearm soreness coming out of Spring Training and was sidelined until his Double-A debut on June 7. The 20-year-old earned his first win on the circuit with five one-hit innings in his return against New Hampshire. In the four starts since, he has allowed 12 earned runs over a 21-inning span but has not eclipsed 90 pitches.

MLB.com's No. 21 overall prospect said he didn't feel he was as sharp Tuesday as in his previous few outings, but found success pitching to contact and getting quick outs.

The lanky 6-foot-5, 165-pounder finished five whiffs short of Minor League leader Alec Hansen, the White Sox No. 5 prospect, with 186 strikeouts last season for Class A Advanced Lynchburg, averaging 11.71 punchouts per nine innings. McKenzie has fanned just 26 in 32 1/3 frames this year with a 7.24 K/9 rate.

With his focus in the season's early months on getting healthier, the Royal Palm Beach, Florida native said his increased contact rate doesn't represent a change in approach on the mound.

"It's more filling up the zone and getting ahead of guys," he said. "Usually that leads to early contact and you're kind of getting through innings a little bit faster."

Now that his arm is feeling "great," McKenzie isn't emphasizing strikeouts, since the differences in talent between the Carolina League and his current competition in Double-A represent a more immediate hurdle.

"It's ... understanding the level and understanding how to get guys out," he explained. "Being successful at this level and understanding what makes other guys successful at this level."

A two-out walk to Pirates No. 5 prospect Bryan Reynolds in the fourth inning was the only thing between McKenzie and perfection through six innings Tuesday. He recorded 10 outs through the air and five on the ground with three strikeouts -- including two of fourth-ranked Cole Tucker.

The first-round selection in the 2015 Draft got ahead of Hayes, 0-2, to start the seventh before Pittsburgh's No. 3 prospect lofted the three-bagger to center field. Already at 83 pitches, McKenzie struck out Reynolds on an eight-pitch at-bat to conclude his night. The Brooklyn-born right-hander wished he could have gotten a shot at finishing the inning, but understood the pitch count wasn't in his favor.

"Definitely glad to be going deeper into games and helping my team out a little bit more," he said. "If I'm going deeper into games and I'm doing that successfully, I'm doing something well on my part to try and win my team a game."

Right-handed side-armer Nick Pasquale took over for McKenzie and stranded Hayes at third with strikeouts of 16th-ranked Will Craig and Bralin Jackson. Pasquale walked one in a scoreless eighth before Henry Martinez got Craig to bounce into a game-ending double play after Hayes' ninth-inning single.

"It's huge having a bullpen that you can trust and knowing that when you're coming out of the game, regardless of whether there's guys on or not, you're going to get out of that," McKenzie said.

Cleveland's No. 26 prospect Tyler Krieger collected two hits, including a two-run double for Akron

Re: Minor Matters

8717 by civ ollilavad
Sweep by the Arizonans. No George Valera. No Quentin Holmes.

2B Delgado 2-3 2 walks 344 ops 911 SB CS
RF Jo.Rod 1-4 1 walk 271 ops 711 2nd double, 9 walks CS [one of three Rodriguezes in the starting lineup]

in Mahoning Valley
ermin 2-4 double walk 375 ops 917 10 walks 3 strikeouts
Freeman 0-2 walk 439 OPS ops 1033

Re: Minor Matters

8719 by civ ollilavad
Our top pitching prospects in summary:

McKenzie's getting back to what we are expecting.
Bieber graduates off the list
Morgan hasn't missed a beat yet.
Civale has been good but not great. Probably slips a bit on our list.
Oviedo's projection could move him to our No. 2 pitching prospect.
Karinchak and Nick Sandlin are both fast-moving relievers.
Plesac has been hot and cold. Garza and McCarty and Vasquez and recently Hillman have shown possibility.
Bunch of college kids off to hot starts in Arizona add depth.

Overall they're looking better and deeper

Re: Minor Matters

8720 by Hillbilly
No word on Bracho or Valera. But did see these conversations on Holmes. Nothing concrete though.

-

Willie Hood @WillHoo99
Replying to @BurningRiverBB
I don't get Tito's attitude towards rookies. Mejia is obviously one of the most talented player's in the org.
Sidenote, Joe, any word on Quentin Holmes?

BRB Joe @BurningRiverBB
Jul 1
Replying to @WillHoo99
He's dressed in the dugout every night, but not playing. Not sure.

--

-Blaze- @OHioJaguaR
Replying to @JL_Baseball @WillHoo99
Any clue why Quentin Holmes hasn’t been in the line ups recently?

Justin L @JL_Baseball
Replying to @OHioJaguaR @WillHoo99
No idea. I'll check around

‏Willie Hood @WillHoo99
Joe from BRB said he has been dressed every night, but seated in the dugout.

-Blaze- @OHioJaguaR
Hmm. That’s strange.

Willie Hood @WillHoo99
Speculation: minor injury? only other thing would be disciplinary?

-Blaze- @OHioJaguaR
That’s what I was thinking, maybe a injury that they didn’t thing a DL trip was warranted.

Re: Minor Matters

8725 by Hillbilly
I think I'm in the right forum this time. Here is a bit of an update on some of our walking wounded. I can vouch for Willie. Joe from BRB (Burning River Baseball) is a very good source too. As well as Indians Prospective.

-

-Blaze- @OHioJaguaR
@indiansPro why hasn’t Valera been playing? And what’s up with the other big international sign from last year?

Willie Hood @WillHoo99
Valera is in AZ. Bracho had an arm injury and is on the 60 day DL in the DSL.

-Blaze- @OHioJaguaR
Any clue what kind of injury Valera has?

Willie Hood @WillHoo99
Not sure. I asked Joe at BRB & he was not sure either.
I heard he & Valera were impressive in EXST. Hurt his arm on a throw. Going to 60 day DL sounds like a strain. I read somewhere he would be back before end of the season. I hope so, may just mean he ends up 2b instead of SS.

-Blaze- @OHioJaguaR
Any word on if we will see Aiken soon?

Willie Hood @WillHoo99
Above my pay grade, lol.
I poked around and Joe said he is working new mechanics on the back fields in AZ.
Says alot he has not been assigned yet.

--

This kid has been looking great early on.

Indians Prospective @indiansPro
Mahoning Valley Scrappers INF Richard Palacios is red hot riding a 9 game hitting streak:
15-32 6R 1(2B) 1(3B) 1HR 9RBI 7BB 1SB .469 AVG .550 OBP

—

AZL Indians1 4 AZL D-Backs 3

JohnRodriguez 2-4, 2B, BB, 2 RBI
J.Lopez 0-2, 2 BB

—

AZL Cubs 6 AZL Indians2 1

Rocchio 0-4 K
De Oleo 1-3
Delgado 1-3

Re: Minor Matters

8726 by civ ollilavad
Luis Oviedo yesterday: 5-5-1-0-2-6 ERA 0.32 leads the league; second is 1.27 WHIP 0.68 leads the league, second is 0.83 Strikeout total is 40 in 28 innings, leads the league, second is 31. He's a 6-4 190 RH age 19. Clearly the top pitcher in the NYPL. And why he hasn't been on a BA weekly Hot Prospect list escapes me. Can't miss this time since he had two starts during the week, both of course were shutouts since the only earned run he's allowed was in his first game way back on June 16

Re: Minor Matters

8727 by civ ollilavad
The three infielders at the top of the Scrappers lineup all had good days again. Hillbilly noted Palacios who went 3-3 and is hitting 409. That puts him second in the NYPL [not officially since he hasn't enough AB to qualify] behind teammate Tyler Freeman who was 1-3 and a walk yesterday and is at 415. Jose Fermin was 1-3 with a double and a walk, he's hitting 329

Freeman leads the league in OPS with 980 [Palacios unofficial leader at 1049] and is second in doubles with 7
Fermin is near the top with 13 walks and has struck out only 5 times
Palacios had a brief stay in Arizona where he hit 438. 6th round pick signed for well above slot. HIs walks [7] also top his Ks [6]

Re: Minor Matters

8728 by civ ollilavad
Monster start for Eli Morgan: 6 innings, 3 hits 1 walk no runs 10 strikeouts.
Last 4 starts have all been 6 innings 2 were shutouts two he allowed 1 run. Total line: 24-10-2-2-5-27 0.75 WHIP 0.62.
For the season, in Lake County and Lynchburg combined he's 8-2 1.96 in 97 innings 114 K 18 walks.
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