Cleveland Sports Forum

for this "negative" story, I'd hope we strike out

10 MiLB Prospects In Need Of A Productive Second Half

but i would include Rocchio who is struggling to hit much over 200 with little else to show offensively at Akron
but BA finds 10 guys who have more to prove

Full report from Sunday games:

CLE AAA #1 Tyler Freeman, SS 5 2 1 0 .220
CLE AA #3 Brayan Rocchio, SS 4 0 1 0 .205 BB (24),
CLE AA #4 George Valera, SS 4 2 2 1 .280 2B (12), HR (9), BB (32),
CLE AAA #6 Nolan Jones, 3B 5 1 0 1 .300 BB (5),
CLE HiA #18 Gabriel Rodriguez, 3B 4 0 2 2 .258 2B (9),
CLE HiA #20 Jhonkensy Noel, 3B 4 1 1 2 .219 HR (15),
CLE HiA #22 Petey Halpin, OF 3 2 2 0 .206 3B (2), BB (16),
CLE MAJ #24 Ernie Clement, 2B 4 0 0 0 .214
CLE HiA #25 Aaron Bracho, 2B 4 0 0 0 .147 [dead and buried]
CLE LoA #33 Milan Tolentino, 2B 5 1 2 0 .333
CLE LoA #37 Luis Durango, OF 4 2 2 0 .185 2B (4),
CLE LoA #38 Yordys Valdes, SS 4 1 2 1 .268 HR (1), [slick fielder hitting well enough for a promotion]
CLE AAA #39 Will Brennan, OF 5 1 3 1 .328 2B (18), BB (25), [4-4 on Saturday, started Sunday 3-3]
CLE LoA #40 Jake Fox, SS 4 0 2 1 .237 2 2B (7), BB (42), CS (2),

CLE AA #8 Gavin Williams, RHP 5.2 1 1 1 3 5 1.44
CLE HiA #29 Tommy Mace, RHP 2.0 2 0 0 2 2 5.87

Have soon nothing about when Daniel Espino will be back with Akron; he was off to a super start. The R'ducks were overloaded with 6 starters to start the year and some were doubling up. Then they lost Espino to a knee sprain; and for a couple starts Tanner Burns was out. Burns is back although on limited pitch count for now. Meanwhile Logan Allen has had some bumps in the road but could be earning a callup to Columbus. Joey Cantillo and Hunter Gaddis and Xzavion Curry are all racking up big strikeout numbers and generally quite impressive. Now Gavin Williams joins the crowd.

I read that Scott is being moved to the AAA bulpen, leaving room for any of these guys to move to AAA.

After a sizzling week for Columbus, Will Brennan gets top billing on the Baseball America Hot Prospect list.
Do we suddenly have a glut of talented outfielders?
Valera, 3 years younger than Brennan, is putting up very solid power numbers in Akron.

1. Will Brennan, OF, Guardians
Team: Triple-A Columbus (International)
Age: 24

Why He’s Here: .640/.677/.720 (16-for-25), 4 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 7 RBIs, 5 BB, 5 SO, 4-for-4 SB

The Scoop: Brennan has emerged as one of the bigger movers in the Guardians’ system. The Kansas State alum and 2019 eighth-round choice was excellent in 36 games at Double-A before moving to Triple-A on May 26. He hasn’t missed a beat. He has a hit in all but two of his 16 games with Columbus, and has multiple hits in his last five games. In four games since June 9, Brennan went 13-for-18.

Like Kwan and Palacios he's not a power hitter, and like both he's a left hand hitter. As is Valera. The only thing Mercado has going for him is that he is a righty.

Do clubs still have "short season" teams for drafted college players?

They eliminated the Short Season A leagues [e.g. the New York Penn League where the Mahoning Valley Scrappers represented Cleveland] Instead they have a "draft league" for amateurs who are eligible for the draft in which MHV participates. Then at midseason the league morphs into a league for players who were drafted, I think that's how the second half is defined, but at no stage are the teams actually part of a major league team's minor league system

There are still leagues, now called "Complex Leagues' which play at the organizations' Arizona and Florida complexes. Our Rookie level team got under way last week.
And finally the Dominican Summer League for signed Latin American kids is also in action. I believe we have 2 teams there.

Scores, stats and rosters are available through milb.com that's MI as in "minors" as distinct from mlb.com

some recent promotions:

IF Raynal Delgardo from Lake County to Akron
IF Milan Tolenino from Lynchburg to Lake County

Noel with his daily home run Wednesday, his 17th, leads the league by 3; and his 9th double. Like Jones, he's another 3B getting work in RF

for Akron:

Bo Naylor 6th homer, 2 singles, 11th steal. 280 with 920 OPS.
Rocchio 2 singles, walk 211 632
Valera single, walk sac fly 286 887
Joey Cantillo 5 2/3 9K 5 hits, 3 BB, 1 ER ---- maybe we'll wind up with something useful in the Clevinger deal after all


foir Lynchburg:

Isaiah Green single, and walk 221 745
Wolf off the IL in his second start 4 3 1 1 2 2 --- maybe those two will give us something from the Lindor deal after all

Fox 2 singles and his daily walk

for Columbus:
Benson 28 #11 232 but 821 OPS
Freeman 2 singles walk 236 687
Jones single 3 srikeouts 276 727

on rehab: Civale 4 2/3 2 1 0 1 7 Maybe one more rehab start? Maybe not
Karinchak 3 walks, 2 hits, 2 strikeouts facing 7 batters. He is not ready for the big time

BA lines for Wednesday games:


CLE AAA #1 Tyler Freeman, SS 3 0 2 2 0.235 BB (11), E (3),
CLE AA #3 Brayan Rocchio, SS 4 3 2 0 0.211 BB (25), SB (7),
CLE AA #4 George Valera, SS 3 0 1 2 0.286 BB (34),
CLE AAA #6 Nolan Jones, 3B 4 1 1 0 0.276
CLE HiA #18 Gabriel Rodriguez, 3B 3 0 1 0 0.254
CLE HiA #20 Jhonkensy Noel, 3B 4 1 2 1 0.230 2B (9), HR (17),
CLE HiA #22 Petey Halpin, OF 4 0 0 0 0.201
CLE MAJ #24 Ernie Clement, 2B 3 0 0 0 0.207 BB (7),
CLE HiA #25 Aaron Bracho, 2B 3 0 0 0 0.143
CLE MAJ #27 Steven Kwan, OF 2 0 0 0 0.272
CLE LoA #32 Isaiah Greene, OF 3 1 1 2 0.221 BB (41),
CLE HiA #33 Milan Tolentino, 2B 3 0 1 1 0.326
CLE LoA #37 Luis Durango, OF 4 0 0 0 0.175
CLE LoA #38 Yordys Valdes, SS 5 1 2 2 0.272
CLE AAA #39 Will Brennan, OF 4 0 0 0 0.316
CLE LoA #40 Jake Fox, SS 4 2 2 0 0.240 BB (45),

CLE MAJ #30 Konnor Pilkington, LHP 4.1 6 4 2 1 3 4.17
CLE AA #34 Joey Cantillo, LHP 5.2 5 3 1 3 9 2.25 W (3-3)

Big night for Logan Allen

Logan Allen, LHP, Guardians: Allen set a career-high in strikeouts as he fanned 11 Hartford hitters. Allen gave up two singles and one walk in his six innings of work. He struck out five of the final six batters he faced.

CLE AAA #1 Tyler Freeman, SS 2 2 0 0 .232 3 BB (14),
CLE AA #4 George Valera, SS 3 1 2 1 .291 HR (10), BB (35), CS (3), Columbus bound sometime this summer
CLE R #5 Gabriel Arias, SS 2 0 0 0 .185 rehabbing
CLE AAA #6 Nolan Jones, 3B 4 1 2 1 .303 2B (3), BB (6), SB (1),
CLE HiA #10 Angel Martinez, SS 4 0 2 0 .274 CS (3),
CLE AA #11 Jose Tena, SS 4 0 0 0 .269 2 E (9),
CLE MAJ #13 Richard Palacios, 2 0 0 1 .270
CLE AAA #16 Bryan Lavastida, C 4 0 0 0 .218 Not showing much; I am ready for Naylor to share the AAA catching with him or perhaps trade places with him
CLE HiA #18 Gabriel Rodriguez, 3B 3 0 0 0 .248 BB (13),
CLE HiA #20 Jhonkensy Noel, 3B 4 1 0 0 .225 Homer streak ends
CLE HiA #22 Petey Halpin, OF 3 0 2 0 .209 3B (3), BB (17), SB (9),
CLE MAJ #27 Steven Kwan, OF 5 1 1 0 .270
CLE HiA #33 Milan Tolentino, 2B 4 0 1 0 .324
CLE R #35 Jose Pastrano, 2B 3 1 1 0 .286 BB (1), SB (1), E (1),
CLE LoA #37 Luis Durango, OF 4 0 1 0 .177
CLE LoA #38 Yordys Valdes, SS 1 1 0 0 .270 BB (16),
CLE AAA #39 Will Brennan, OF 4 1 2 2 .319 HR (5), BB (27),

CLE AA #9 Logan Allen, LHP 6.0 2 0 0 1 11 3.55 W (4-3)
CLE AAA #14 Peyton Battenfield, RHP 7.0 5 1 1 1 3 3.08 W (4-4) Not a strikeout guy but effective

Some big names with good news.

Franmil Reyes and Will Benson drove in three runs each as Class AAA Columbus beat St. Paul, 10-1, Thursday. Reyes and Will Brennan homered, while Peyton Battenfield (4-4, 3.05) allowed one run over seven innings for the win. ...

George Valera homered in the sixth inning as Class AA Akron beat Hartford, 1-0. The homer was Valera’s 10th of the season. Logan Allen (4-3, 3.55) struck out 11 over six scoreless innings. ...

Beloit scored three runs in the 10th to beat Class A Lake County, 3-1.

Alexfri Planez drove in the Captains’ only run. Mason Hickman didn’t allow a run over five innings with nine strikeouts. ... Will Dion allowed two runs over seven innings in a no-decision as Class A Lynchburg lost to Down East, 5-2. Jorge Burgos and Wilfri Peralta drove in the Hillcats’ two runs.

and on Friday:

Lynchburg:

Another impressive pitcher from '21 draft 6-4 RH Jack Leftwich fanned 8 walked none in 5 2/3 innings; 3 hits 1 run
70 K 8 BB in 48 innings that looks like a Bieber, Civale, etc. line

2 singles and a steal by Isaiah Greene

Lake County

stumble by Rodney Boone is his second start 3 2/3 4 5 5 4 4
Planez with his 5th homer; 4th in June in 47 AB

Akron:

Rocchio single and double
Naylor a walk
Valera his 11th homer
Xz Curry bit his nemisis: 2 homers in 5 2/3 4 runs

Columbus

Benson's 10th homer
Brennan 2 doubles 8th since call up hitting 354 OPS 914 the week after being Int League player of the week
A typical rotten start by Tobias Myers, 3 homers in 5 innings 5.86 ERA On the 40 man roster until they need a space for someone to advance

Arizona

a 3rd basekid Juan Benjamin with 3rd double, also has a homer among his 8 hits; and has drawn 7 walks 348/500/609

as of today, in the Eastern League, league strikeout leaders:

1. Logan Allen 93
2. someone with 81
3. another guy
4. Xzavion Curry
5. Hunter Gaddis
6. Joey Cantillo

Noel with his 18th homer last night, and his 7th of June. But the rest of his stats are pretty bad. I looked up the handful of other minor leagues with equal or greater number of homers and most of them also are one-dimensional and none rate among their organizations' prospects.
Russell Branyan had a strong arm and could play 3rd and RF. He had something of a major league career
Bobby Bradley is an average at best 1st basemen; he seems unlikely to achieve much until he signs a deal with a Korean team
Noel is talented enough, apparently, to try his skills at 3rd and RF but most reports suggest he's unlikely to be anything other than an 1B or DH; he's only 20 so he has lots of time to develop but he's the most unfortunate player to have been added to the 40 man roster. He will have to be pushed along through the farm system even he's not always ready for promotion.