Cleveland Sports Forum

Valera on the Hot Sheet

16. George Valera, OF, Indians
Team: Short-season Mahoning Valley (New York-Penn)
Age: 18
Why He’s Here: .318/.483/.545 (7-for-22) 4 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 7 BB, 6 SO, 3 SB

The Scoop: It was frustrating for the Indians, Valera and prospect fans in general that Valera missed almost all of his pro debut in 2018 thanks to a hamate injury. The Indians were still comfortable with jumping Valera to the New York-Penn League, which is a pretty aggressive assignment for an 18-year-old. Valera has shown he’s more than capable of handling the jump. He’s shown an ability to draw walks to go with his solid power. (JJ)

I'm sorry, I didn't see a score for the AZL Blue team last night but they must have played cause IndiansPro has a highlight. Updated leaderboard from him too.

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Indians Prospective @indiansPro

AZL Indians (Blue) 7 Padres (2) 2

Gaddis 3.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 5SO
Amditis 2-2 R HR 2RBI 2BB
Bracho 1-4 R 2B RBI BB SB
Cespedes 1-3 3R BB SB
Brennan 2-5 R RBI SB

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#Indians minor league leaders (OPS) 250+ PA

Bobby Bradley (Columbus) .997
Eric Haase (Columbus) .930
Ka'ai Tom (Columbus) .914
Brandon Barnes (Columbus) .897
Daniel Johnson (Columbus) .885
Will Benson (Lynchburg) .876
Nolan Jones (Akron) .840

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#Indians minor league leaders (OBP) 250+ PA

Nolan Jones (Akron) .427
Tyler Freeman (Lynchburg) .394
Ka'ai Tom (Columbus) .392
Ryan Flaherty (Columbus) .383
Daniel Johnson (Columbus) .364
Mitch Reeves (Lynchburg) .363
Bobbt Bradley (Columbus) .359

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#Indians minor league leaders (AVG) 250+ PA

Oscar Gonzalez (Lynchburg) .328
Tyler Freeman (Lynchburg) .314
Kai'ai Tom (Columbus) .299
Ruben Cardenas (Lake County) .297
Bobby Bradley (Columbus) .292
Ernie Clement (Akron) .290
Brandon Barnes (Columbus) .285

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#Indians minor league leaders (SB)

Will Benson (Lynchburg) 21
Jose Fermin (Lake County) 18
Quentin Holmes (Lake County) 17
Oscar Mercado (Columbus) 14
Tyler Freeman (Lynchburg) 14
Mark Mathias (Columbus) 11
Daniel Johnson (Columbus) 11

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#Indians minor league leaders (HR)

Bobby Bradley (Columbus) 24
Eric Haase (Columbus) 23
Trayce Thompson (Columbus) 21
Will Benson (Lynchburg) 21
Brandon Barnes (Columbus) 20
Daniel Johnson (Columbus) 14
Ka'ai Tom (Columbus) 14
Ryan Flaherty (Columbus) 12

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#Indians minor league leaders (Triples)

Daniel Johnson (Columbus) 6
Ka'ai Tom (Columbus) 6
Ruben Cardenas (Captains) 6
Angel Martinez (DSL Indians) 6
Bo Naylor (Lake County) 5
Skeiling Rodriguez (DSL Indians) 5

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#Indians minor league leaders (Doubles)

Tyler Freeman (Lynchburg) 25
Brandon Barnes (Columbus) 24
Wilson Garcia (Akron) 23
Daniel Johnson (Columbus) 22
Mark Mathias (Columbus) 21
Connor Marabell (Akron) 20
Oscar Gonzalez (Lynchburg) 20
Mitch Reeves (Lynchburg) 20

just as an addendum for guys who've been on two teams the numbers are the season total, the team listed in their current residence.

Indians Prospective @indiansPro
Mahoning Valley Scrappers 19yr old LHP Matt Turner over his last 3 starts.
- 16.0(IP) 11(H) 1(R) 1(ER) 1(BB) 11(SO) 0.56 ERA

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Only allowed 1 walk and 1 earned run the last 3 starts. Not shabby.

Turner was an 11th round pick of ours 2 years ago. 6'4" 190# 19 year old lefty.

First year in our system, 2017, he got his ass handed to him in AZL as a 17 year old. 36 hits in 24 innings. 22 K. 6.75 ERA

Last year he was much better in AZL at 18 years old. (how could you be worse tho, right?) 35 hits in 36 innings. 36 K. 3.75 ERA.

This year he is doing very well in Mahoning Valley at 19 years old. ... 31 IP ... 26 H ... 5 BB ... 23 K ... 1.00 WHIP ... 2.90 ERA

Might be a kid to start keeping tabs on.

Yeah, he's making some very impressive progress.

Meanwhile today for the Scrappers, Valera hits his league leading 8th homer. Hankins with 3 shutout innings so far. Otero opened facing 3 hitters. Danile Johnson with 2 hits in his first 2 Columbus at bats; Jones similar in AKron and one was his first AA homerun

Clip Show lost tonight 6-4. They drop to 56-37 on the year. ... The Buckeye, Tully, got his ass handed to him. 6 earned all his. ... Daniel Johnson, however, killed it. 4-4 with a double and 2 runs. He is hitting .320 now. ... Haase 0-4.

Akron lost 5-4 when Nelson allowed an RBI hit in the bottom of the 9th. Ducks are 42-52 on the year now. ... Krauth allowed 3 earned in the 6th and 7th innings so not a good night for Akron relief prospects. ... Clement 2-4, R, RBI. ... Jones had a big night. 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI. Up to .286 in AA now.

Lynchburg, well, I’m not even sure they showed up tonight. Lost 10-0. 44-49 on the year now. ... Hartson pitched 3 shutout innings on his way back. 1 hit, 3 K. ... Freeman 1-4 with 3 K. ... Think that was bad? Benson was 0-4 with 4 K. He gets the golden sombrero. ... OscarG 1-3, BB.

Lake County lost 3-1. They are 54-39 on the year. ... Draper had off night. 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. His ERA drops to 2.69. ... Naylor 0-3.

Michael Cooper gets a single in ninth to give Scrappers a 6-5 walk off win. They are 15-16 on the year. ... Otero pitched 2/3 shutout inning. ... Rocchio 2-5 with a double. ... Delgado 0-3, BB, RBI. ... Valera 1-4, his 6th home run. BB, R, RBI.

Both AZL teams were off. Well, I couldn’t find a score any way.

DSL Indians beat their little Coop brothers 8-4. ... SRod 2-4, 2B, R. ... Sanquintin 1-4, 2B, SB, RBI

3K by Freeman is usually a week or two's worth.

Johnson had 10 homers while in Akron in 167 AB. only 4 in Columbus in 203 AB. Meanwhile he's slugged 16 doubles and 4 triples; in Akron it was 7 doubles and 2 homers. Apparently fulfilling his usual scouting report as a line drive gap hitter more than a power bat. Either way he looks like a solid offensive performer. [Overall 43 xb his in 370 AB]

Indians Prospective @indiansPro

Mahoning Valley Scrappers OF George Valera New York-Penn League ranks:

1) HR 6
1) RBI 22
1) BB 20
1) OPS .905
1) HR/FB% 30.0%
2) wRC+ 167
3) Runs 17
3) BB% 16.1%
4) OBP .395
4) SLG .510
4) ISO .231
5) Hits 29
9) 2B 6

(and he's an 18 year old who missed all of last season playing against largely college men)

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#Indians minor league leaders (SO/9) 60+ IP

Cody Morris (Lynchburg) 10.59
Adam Scott (Akron) 10.55
Juan Mota (Lake County) 9.58
Zach Plesac (Columbus) 9.19
Shao-Ching Chiang (Columbus) 9.03
Alex Royalty (Lake County) 8.65
Matt Solter (Lynchburg) 8.41
Sam Hentges (Akron) 8.39

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Indians minor league leaders (Strikeouts) by RP

Jared Robinson (Akron) 71
Aaron Pinto (Lynchburg) 57
Argenis Angulo (Columbus) 55
Robert Broom (Akron) 55
Josh Smith (Columbus) 53
Skylar Arias (Lake County) 53
Kellen Rholl (Lake County) 51
Kyle Nelson (Akron) 51

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Indians minor league leaders (Strikeouts)

Adam Scott (Akron) 102
Eli Morgan (Akron) 101
Shao-Ching Chiang (Columbus) 88
Sam Hentges (Akron) 83
Justin Garza (Lynchburg) 79
Michael Peoples (Columbus) 78
Juan Mota (Lake County) 72
Cody Morris (Lynchburg) 71

civ ollilavad wrote:3K by Freeman is usually a week or two's worth.

Johnson had 10 homers while in Akron in 167 AB. only 4 in Columbus in 203 AB. Meanwhile he's slugged 16 doubles and 4 triples; in Akron it was 7 doubles and 2 homers. Apparently fulfilling his usual scouting report as a line drive gap hitter more than a power bat. Either way he looks like a solid offensive performer. [Overall 43 xb his in 370 AB]

I was listening to MLB radio. They are studying all the home runs and mentioned that the ball has less drag for MLB and for Triple A. Home runs are way up for both MLB and Triple A.

AA on down, they are using a minor league ball and the home runs have not changed. Johnson HR splits are doubly strange.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/ml ... ar-BBW4myT

Found this online.


There has been considerable evidence amassed over the past year or two that the baseball used by Major League Baseball has a lower aerodynamic profile, leading to less drag, which leads directly to more home runs. If you doubted that at all, get a load of what is happening in Triple-A right now.

The minors have always had different balls than the majors. The MLB ball is made in Costa Rica at a Rawlings facility. The minor league balls are made in China. They use slightly different materials and, by all accounts, the minor league balls do not have the same sort of action and do not travel as far as the big league balls. Before the season, as Baseball America reported, Major League Baseball requested that Triple-A baseball switch to using MLB balls. The reason: uniformity and, one presumes, more accurate analysis of performance at the top level of the minor leagues.

I'm quoting this piece of an article from BA in this folder just to note the last phrase about our AZL kids:

"their collection of international signees drawing rave reviews in Arizona."

Monday highlights from BA

Daniel Johnson, OF, Indians. Johnson collected four hits for Triple-A Columbus. The Indian’s No. 14 prospect had four base hits and came around to score twice from the leadoff spot. Johnson is hitting .304/.387/.509 with 23 extra-base hits in 171 at-bats against International League pitching. [the rest wont' open]

The Indians have flip flopped Eli Morgan and Tanner Tully. Tully down to Akron, Morgan up to Columbus. And Morgan is starting tonight for the Clippers.

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Also, there is a site, Prospects365, that just released an updated Top 200 prospect list for minor leaguers. Not familiar with the site so not an endorsement, but here is Indians on the list:

33) OF George Valera
35) 3B Nolan Jones
43) SS Tyler Freeman
67) SS Brayan Rocchio
123) SS Gabriel Rodriguez
127) INF Angel Martinez
135) RHP Ethan Hankins
136) RHP Triston McKenzie
152) OF Daniel Johnson

I said a week or two ago I didn’t agree with a recent list that came out that only had like 1 or 2 Indians in the top 100. This list is more like it. I totally agree with their top 4, then my list would start changing a bit after that.

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This is very impressive...

Indians Prospective @indiansPro

#Indians organization with 4 of the top 10 leaders SwStr% in all of MiLB (250+PA)

2) Steven Kwan 3.5%
4) Jose Fermin 3.7%
6) Ernie Clement 4.4%
8) Tyler Freeman 4.5%

This is one of those weird stats, so just so you know, that means Freeman only swings and misses on 4.5% of his swings. These guys are all crazy good, and crazy we have 4 of top 10 in all of minor leagues.

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#Indians minor league leaders (ERA) by RP (30+ IP)

Robert Broom (Akron) 0.65
Kellen Rholl (Lake County) 1.06
Skylar Arias (Lake County) 1.85
Aaron Pinto (Lynchburg) 1.86
Yapson Gomez (Akron) 2.23
Jared Robinson (Akron) 2.23
Kyle Nelson (Akron) 2.34

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#Indians minor league leaders (ERA) 60+ IP

Zach Plesac (Columbus) 1.70
Eli Morgan (Akron) 2.70
Zach Draper (Lake County) 3.14
Cody Morris (Lynchburg) 3.28
Adam Scott (Akron) 3.41
Alex Royalty (Lake County) 3.59
Matt Solter (Lynchburg) 3.66

Columbus lost 3-1. ... Morgan was doing very well his first 4 innings but wheels fell off in 5th. 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2BB, 2 K. Clint Frazier was one of his 2 Ks. His fastball was low 90’s and his changeup was 76. Such a big difference in the two, and he does so well at making them look the same. Even RailRiders announcers talked about how great a pitch it was. ... Johnson 1-4.

Akron lost 5-3. ... Salazar 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. Not seeing the 97 MPH fastball he used to have. Low 90’s for now. ... Jones 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, R. Hitting .320 in AA now. Second homer.

Lynchburg, Lake County, and Mahoning Valley were all off tonight.

AZL Red were spanked, 15-5. ... Prospects given night off. No highlights of note. Let’s get to the good news ...

AZL Blue won 12-10. ... And there is a James Karinchak sighting!! And he, of course, pitched an immaculate inning. 1 inning, struck out the side. ... Tena 2-6, 2 SB, 2 R. ... Bracho 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, 3 RBI, R. ... Noel 1-5, HR, BB, 2 RBI, 2 R. ... Brennan 3-5, HR, SB, 3 RBI, 2 R.

DSL teams game was suspended due to rain.

Carolina League
Oscar Gonzalez, OF, Indians
By Emily Waldon Jul 16, 2019

Signed: IFA (July 2014)
Age: 21 Height: 6-2 Weight: 180 lbs. Bats: R Throws: R
Season Stats: 333 AB, .327/.345/.462, 109 H, 40 R, 18 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 52 RBI

Gonzalez, 21, grabbed attention early on with a combination of potential power and a near-70-grade arm from the outfield. At 6-2 and 180 pounds, Gonzalez has a body that should produce more in the way of power and he previews this in flashes. In 2018, Gonzalez launched 13 home runs over 114 games. One year later, the power has struggled to surface at the same pace with six home runs over 76 games on the year.

Gonzalez’s eye has steadily improved year by year. He has dropped his strikeout percentage by roughly five points since last season, to 17 percent on the year in 2019.

Gonzalez doesn’t walk often. Over the last three years, the 21-year-old outfielder has walked at a rate between 2 and 2.6 percent. If he’s able to tap into his muscle at the plate consistently, there is added value coming down the road and it’s certain the Indians have their eye on his progress.

While Gonzalez’s power isn’t especially flashy, his contact has been impressive. Gonzalez hit safely in 14 of his past 16 games with High-A Lynchburg, adding a trio of extra-base hits.

Defensively, it’s impossible to ignore Gonzalez’s arm, but the contact rate will need to remain consistent in order for him to make a case for a starting role behind Lynchburg. Despite the arm, Gonzalez isn’t the only outfielder in the Indians’ system that is producing. He’s spent time in both left and right field in 2019, with a primary focus on the left-field post.

A blurb about old buddy Willi Castro from late May:

General manager Al Avila said in spring training the team intended to keep the switch-hitting shortstop at Triple-A until September, and McCosky notes that the prevailing belief within the organization is that that plan is still in place. Castro certainly looks ready for a stiffer test while he maintains a gaudy .351/.425/.523 slash line and manageable 21.3 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A, but the Tigers apparently still have some reservations about the 22-year-old's defense. It's always possible that Detroit changes its stance with Castro's big-league ETA, but for now, all signs point to him remaining with Toledo for at least a couple more months.