Cleveland Sports Forum

Reminds me of the repeated hamate injuries suffered by Valera. Lonnie Chisenhall had a calf injury that repeated itself and ended his career early.
Let's hope this goes away soon and forever

Valera in the Clippers lineup!!

DeLauter remains out.

2024 MLB Draft 1.1 Stock Watch List - Week 11

JUSTIN LADA AND WILLIE HOOD

APR 30

While the first-round pick in everyone’s draft isn’t the most important, especially in baseball. Cleveland Guardians picking #1 overall for the first time in franchise history is worth paying closer attention to.

So at the end of each week, we’ll update some of the candidates’ names and stats from the past week and for the season. We will rank our current favorites, in order, to take #1 overall this July. We may add or subtract names from this list as the season goes on, depending on who we think deserves to be in the conversation.

Week 11

2B Travis Bazzana (Oregon State) 1-9, HR, 3BB, 4K vs. Oregon (.412/.576/.932, 9 2B, 4 3B, 20 HR, 52 BB/21 K, 9 SB): A slower weekend for Bazzana coming back from being hit in the hand. He did homer and made some great plays on the defensive side of the ball, so there is that. Oregon is ranked, so at the least they’re a decent college team, no idea in the way of pro pitching prospects. But either way, one of the slower weekends for Bazzana all year. Up next is Washington State, not a big matchup for Bazzana, but hopefully his had will be healthier.

https://x.com/Pac12Network/status/1784039666674512099

RHP Chase Burns (Wake Forest) 7IP, 4H, 3ER, 2BB, 14K, 2 HRA vs. Notre Dame (69IP, 127 K/21 BB, 3.26 ERA): Notre Dame isn’t much of an opponent these days, and Burns had no problems missing bats but did allow three runs. He’s still a top tier arm with a lot of risk but as the year goes on, it seems more unlikely he’d go 1-1.

https://x.com/CollegeBaseCNT/status/1783957059043533132

LHP/1B Jac Caglianone (Florida) 3-10, HR, 4 BB/1 K; 4IP, 6H, 3ER, 3BB, 4K v. Arkansas; (.404/.502/.871, 2 2B, 26 HR, 28 BB/15 K, 48.1IP, 58 K/35 BB, 4.10 ERA): Another solid weekend for Caglianone where all four of his walks were intentional, which is probably going to keep happening a lot more at this point. He didn’t manage a hit against Hagen Smith, though he didn’t strikeout either. On the mound, it was another inconsistent performance. At this point, he’s a bat first prospect, which means he’s a 1B only, which also increases his risk profile.

https://x.com/JacobRudner/status/1784353071017185334

OF/1B/3B Charlie Condon (Georgia) 5-12, 3 HR, BB, 3 K vs. Texas A&M (.461/.567/1.090, 16 2B, 29 HR, 37 BB/34 K): Condon broke Georgia’s single season record for homers in a year and then broke the career record as well all in the same weekend, facing one of the best team’s in the country. His record-tying homer came off of likely top 50-60 pick Ryan Prager, which is one of the better arms he’s seen this year, even if Prager lacks high end stuff. Still, he’s crushing the ball. We are learning more about his issues with breaking stuff and a middling chase rate, but he still is one of the best 2-3 hitters in this class.

https://x.com/JL_Baseball/status/1783996420447514785

OF/RHP Konnor Griffin (High School) .582/.718/1.040, 12 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 45 BB, 9 K, 78 SB, 55 IP, 91 K/18 BB, 0.64 ERA: Griffin continues to put up video game numbers in the Mississippi high school ranks, though the level of competition out there in past years has been a question. He’s still in play to be one of the first two prep players off the board and has some of the most upside potential in the class of anyone.

https://x.com/JoeDoyleMiLB/status/1784396498261950913

1B Nick Kurtz (Wake Forest) 2-9, 2B, HR, 4 BB, 2 K vs. Notre Dame (.307/.500/.811, 8 2B, 18 HR, 47 BB/26 K): Kurtz didn’t have a ton of hits against Notre Dame, who again, isn’t the best of competition, but they were both extra base hits. Only one of his free passes was intentional but the more data we’re learning about suggests his chase rate is among the top in the class and his exit velocities are as good as anyone’s and his contact rates are in line with other top hitters in this class, outside of Bazzana.

https://x.com/Wake_Analytics/status/1784630784135184831

OF Braden Montgomery (Texas A&M): 5-11, 2B, HR, 3 BB, 5 K vs. Georgia (.376/.514/.885, 13 2B, 23 HR, 44 BB/37 K): Georgia lacks some big end arms this year but Montgomery did the damage you’d hope to see either way. Five strikeouts in 14 plate appearances in a small sample is a little difficult, but he does have contact and chase rates that are a bit below where everyone else on this list is, minus Caglianone’s chase rate. But one of his homers was off of a 94 MPH fastball on the outside part of the plate, so velocity wasn’t an issue there, though you can sit on fastball’s more in college. Either way, it was a great swing and Montgomery still has 1-1 sleeper upside.

https://x.com/d1baseball/status/1784328525157212450

LHP Hagen Smith (Arkansas): 7 IP, 2H, 1 R (O ER), 11 K, 1BB vs. Florida (60IP, 111 K/23 BB, 1.35 ERA): Another dominant performance for Smith, who continues to thrive against everyone, even in this highly offensive environment in 2024. Cutting down on the walks was good to see for Smith as well, which has been the only thing to point to at times in his 2024 run, aside from already having TJS. If you’re looking for an arm that actually could go 1-1, Smith has a non-zero chance.

https://x.com/RazorbackBSB/status/1784016767293215009

SS/2B JJ Wetherholt (West Virginia): 3-9, 2B, HR, 6 BB, 2 K vs. Baylor (.328/.506/.569, 5 2B, 3 HR, 20 BB/8 K, 3 SB): It was a solid weekend for Wetherholt who is probably still on the outside looking in now with the time missed and other performances leaping what he can do with the bat, even though he might be the only up the middle talent, but we still don’t know if there’s enough evidence he can play short.

https://x.com/WVUBaseball/status/1783999587084128263

Justin’s ranking

Travis Bazzana
Charlie Condon
Braden Montgomery
Hagen Smith
Nick Kurtz

In next:

Jac Caglianone, Bryce Rainer, Chase Burns, Konnor Griffin

Comment: My top 5 at this point is more representative of what I think the Guardians will do, which is what this exercise was supposed to be to begin with. Bazzana continues to be the safer offensive/overall talent among this group. Condon offers more power, but does have a few more risks with the bat and position, but still offers a pretty good package in terms of power and proximity to the majors (though Bazzana would beat him to the majors in most cases). Montgomery might have more upside than both of them, however has more swing and miss in his bat than even Condon. I’ve moved up Smith in my rankings again, because I think he’s the next most likely pick if they decide to go with an arm. I have Kurtz over Caglianone in the five because I think Kurtz’s metrics more align with what the Guardians would prefer. I don’t think they’d go with either if I’m being honest, but both Kurtz and Caglianone are first baseman, and if you were to take that position, Kurtz is the safer bet with upside, even if Caglianone has the higher upside overall of the two.

Willie ranking

Charlie Condon
Travis Bazzana
Braden Montgomery
Nick Kurtz
Jac Caglianone

Comment:

Charlie Condon sits atop most boards. It's no different here. His ability to hit in one of the better conferences while producing massive power (29 homers) continues to be impressive. While Condon appears to be re-writing history books in Athens, GA it seems it's going around college baseball. The obsession for offense seems to have hit the college baseball world as questions about juiced bats and balls emerge. We've seen Cleveland diverge from their previous history a bit, but the big league club is finding success, and run production with holistic play over pure emphasis on power.

Warning:

(Parental discretion is advised) some Charlie Condon fans will think I have declared war on his prospective selection and their fandom with the following comments. Indeed, that is not the objective this week. Instead, I offer fact driven logical analysis of the current 1.1 appraisal.

Travis Bazzana is the combination of parts for the Guardians draft. Plate discipline, Cape Cod tools, left-handedness, professionalism, and polish. He is the epitome of what Cleveland drafts in hitters. An easy comparison in terms of production and value Travis Bazzana is the Jose Ramirez of college baseball. This is not an emotional fan based commentary. Rather fact based opinion. That said, he is likely 1.1 on draft day but it will come down to his price and the team's belief in his ability to (likely) transition to another position. Before that gets stuck in your crawl he does have outfield experience. That said, is it wise to draft a player you need to switch to another position?

Braden Montgomery continues to rake mashing from both sides of the plate. Montgomery added another homer this weekend. He's shown off plus power from both sides. In fact, he is producing XBH hits at a higher clip (60%) than anyone in this top 5, minus Nick Kurtz (68%). “Monty” is somehow underrated even as a top talent. The young native Iowan is one of the youngest college bats available coupled with plus power from both sides. He is a tremendous athlete sometimes shown up by college teammate Jace LaViolette (potential 1.1 in 2025). There's a general belief among some of the writers and evaluators I've spoken with that Montgomery could play CF. He's a premium athlete with an unquestionably strong RF arm.

Nick Kurtz would be the top hitter in this draft class if not for a slow start and missing a few weeks in this writer's opinion. He makes consistent contact (82%) without the chase (14%). Add double plus power and positional value is the only knock here. How much does his positional value hold him back and what's his price?

Finally, last but not least is Gators enigma Jac Caglianone. He's hitting over .400 with 25 homers (last checked). “Cags” has nearly twice as many walks as punchouts but the deep dive on numbers tells another story. He's running a contact rate around 78% and a more concerning chase rate around 38%. The lefty has been dominant on the mound with upper-90s velocity and an emerging CH. That makes him a perplexing case. Is he a power bat or power pitcher, can he be both?

Just missed:

Hagen Smith, Konnor Griffin, Chase Burns, JJ Wetherholt, Bryce Rainer, Trey Yesavage, Slade Caldwell

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 4/30/24

ARTHUR KINNEY

MAY 1

SCORE BOARD

Triple-A - Columbus Clippers 7, Toledo Mud Hens 6 (10 innings)
Double-A - Akron RubberDucks 3, Richmond Flying Squirrels 0
High-A - Lake County Captains 1. Fort Wayne TinCaps 0 (10 innings)
Single-A - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 5, Lymchburg Hillcats 1 (SUSPENDED - RAIN - TOP 5)

Note: Performances from the suspended Lynchburg contest will be included in tomorrow’s Prospect Report.

HIGHLIGHTS

Kyle Manzardo (Columbus, starting 1B): 2-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI - I’m literally running out of things to say about Manzardo’s start to the season. He started the first iteration of 2024’s edition of the Triple-A Batt;e of Ohio with a pair of extra-base hits in a game that got his batting average back over .30 (.304) and has his OPS flirting with four figures (.991). While those numbers are impressive enough, he;s getting even better, with six of his seven homers coming in the ;ast eleven days. By the way, don;t get worried about the “starting” part. He was pulled for Ray Delgado to start the bottom of the tenth as the extra runner.

Daniel Schneemann (Columbus, SS): 2-4, 2 R,1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - Not to be overlooked in the midst of Manzardo Mania is Schneeman’s stellar start to the season. Not only did his seventh double and fifth homer of the season further grow an ISO and slugging percentage that now stand at .304 and .570, respectively. He’s also paired that power with plate discipline as his K:BB ratio under 1.00 at 21:24 (0.875) - bringing his on-base percentage and OPS to .442 and 1.012. Once Manzardo is in Cleveland, look for Daniel to be the next hot name everyone’s clamoring to see called up to the Big Club.

Yordys Valdes (Akron, SS): 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 K, Picked Off 1 time - Valdes appears to be back on track following a mid-April slump. This two-hit effort followed a three-for-three finale to last week’s series and seems to indicate that he has returned to early-season form.

Tommy Mace (Akron, SP): W (3-1), 6 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K - Mace tied his longest Double-A outing (also pitched six frames last July 3 in Erie) in a dominant effort that allowed a relatively light evening from the RubberDuck offense to stand up for a victory. Through his first five starts of the season, Tommy has a 2.45 ERA. 1.05WHIP. 19:9 KBB ratio, and .189 opponents’ batting average. His is definitely a name to keep an eye on.

Jose Devers (Lake County, SS): 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K, 1 SB - Devers provided pretty much all of the position player production for the Captains on Tuesday night, but his stellar night was all that they needed. In addition to the impressive statline you see above - including scoring the game’s only run on one of the craziest walkoff rundowns (yes you read that right) that you will ever see - Jose saved the game twice with his glove: First by ending the to pof the ninth with a spectacular unassisted double play and again a frame later by converting a difficult 6-3 groundout to send the ballgame o the bottom of the tenth on even terms. Devers, quite simply, did it all on a night the Eastlake nine needed him to do so.

Austin Peterson (Lake County, SP): ND, 7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 K 1 Pickoff - Of course, for any of the above to be enough to secure a victory, top-notch pitching is necessary - and Peterson filled that role beautifully in last night’s contest. While 7.2 frames seems like (and is) a long outing in A-ball, especially in April, it’s nothing new for Peterson, who has been a paragon of efficiency in his brief pro career so far. Not only has he pitched fve or more innings in each of his five 2024 starts so far, he averaged 4.875 IP per start in his rookie season, including going eight full frames twice for Single-A Lynchburg (June 30 vs. Delmarva [Orioles] and July 21 vs. Fayetteville [Astros]). For those wanting to see him pitch in person, the two-week homestand means his next start will also be at the Corner of SOM Center and Vine, likely either Sunday or next Tuesday.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Johnathan Rodriguez (Columbus, RF): 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB (intentional), 1 K, 1 Outfield Assist - After failing to reach safely for the first time in 2024 in Sunday;s nightcap, Rodriguez started another streak by reaching base twice, including on an intentional walk.

Jhonkensy Noel (Columbus, LF): 2-4, 2 R, 1 HBP - A pair of homers and a two-hit game in his last four played gives hope that Noel is turning it around.

Micah Pries (Columbus, DH): 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI - Pries broke out of a three-game 0-for-7 slump with an RBI double to left in the second that started the Clip Show scoring.

Franco Aleman (Columbus, RP): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K - Aleman continues to rack up the Ks, having now struck out 19 in eleven innings pitched (13.75 K/9).

Kahlil Watson (Akron, 2B): 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI - Watson’s fourth-inning solo shot to right center made it 14 games out of 18 played this year with at least one hit.

Milan Tolentino (Akron, 3B): 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K - After surpassing his offensive output from the season’s first two-and-a-half weeks (three hots) with a four-hit series last week in Altoona, Tolentino continued his breakout from a rough start with his first extra-base hit of the 2024 campaign on Tuesday night.

Aaron Bracho (Akron, DH): 0-3, 1 BB, 1 SB - Speaking of season firsts, Bracho stole his first base of 2024 (and the sixth of his career).

Bradley Hanner (Akron, RP): H (3), 2 IP, 1 H, 1 K - Hanner pitched 2+ shutout frames for the second straight outing (2.1 scoreless last Thursday).

Jack Leftwich (Akron, RP): S (2), 1 IP, perfect, 1 K - After a pair of blown saves and a subsequent two-game stretch in which he allowed seven runs in a combined 3.1 innings, Leftwich has rebounded to convert a pair of saves in the last four days of April.

C.J. Kayfus (Lake County, 1B): 1-4, 1 3B - Another day, another hit for Kayfus, whose OPS is now 1.040 following his first-inning triple.

Magnus Ellerts (Lake County, RP): 1.1 IP, 2 BB - Ellerts is off to a strong start to his second pro season, allowing only one earned run in seven innings.

Alaska Abney (Lake County, RP): W (1-0), 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K - Abney’s third season as a Captain is off to a similar start, with Alaska allowing one earned run in 7.1 frames.





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Kyle Manzardo and Daniel Schneemann homer for second day in a row in Guardians affiliate sweep

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Wednesday, May 1, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger May 1, 2024, 11:00am EDT



Columbus Clippers 7, Toledo Mud Hens 6 (F/10)
Clippers improve to 11-16


After splitting home runs in a double-header this past Sunday, Daniel Schneemann and Kyle Manzardo decided to combine their powers in one game with Manzardo blasting his seventh homer and going 2-for-5 at the plate with a double while Schneemann went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk. They have OPS of .991 and 1.012 on the season, respectively.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785457055987327155

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785468584350593163

Other offensive standouts included Jhonkensy Noel, who went 2-for-4 with a hit by pitch while Johnathan Rodriguez and Juan Brito both went 1-for-4 with a walk. Micah Pries doubled in his lone hit.

After holding Toledo scoreless in the top of the 10th inning, Columbus walked it off on a throwing error, which allowed Rodriguez to score.

Will Dion had one of his best starts at Triple-A, allowing two runs on four hits in four innings pitched, striking out three and walking two. Anthony Gose, Franco Aleman and Peter Strzelecki closed out the game with three scoreless innings combined, with Aleman striking out the side.



Akron RubberDucks 3, Richmond Flying Squirrels 0
RubberDucks improve to 14-8



Akron’s first run in the third inning was all the offense the RubberDucks would need thanks to some tremendous pitching.

Yordys Valdes went 2-for-3 with an RBI single while Kody Huff and Milan Tolentino both doubled and scored a run and Kahlil Watson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run to account for Akron’s offense.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785451678063288721

Starting pitcher Tommy Mace was sensational, tossing six scoreless innings of four-hit ball with six strikeouts and a walk.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785466185087352913

Hanner added two scoreless innings out of the bullpen and Jack Leftwich closed out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his second save.



Lake County Captains 1, Fort Wayne TinCaps 0 (F/10)
Captains improve to 12-9



Tuesday was the Austin Peterson show.

Peterson had the best pitching performance of his career, tossing 7 2⁄3 scoreless innings on four hits while striking out six and walking one, but he unfortunately got a no decision due to a lack of offensive support.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785673076719444350

Magnus Ellerts added 1 1⁄3 scoreless innings of relief and Alaska Abney earned the win by holding Fort Wayne at bay in the top of the 10th inning despite a ghost runner, which allowed Lake County to walk it off in the bottom of the 10th.

Jose Devers had singled with no one out, but ghost runner Alex Mooney was gunned down at the plate, allowing Devers to advance to second. With two outs, Justin Boyd played hero, singling to right field and Devers scored following a throwing error following a botched rundown.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785484396868313191

Devers had a three-hit game, his second in a row. CJ Kayfus tripled in his lone hit.

<

Columbus had 14 runs on 17 hits. Multi hit games for Straw, Manzardo, Rodriguez, Valera, Sneemann, and Tena
Big hit of the night was Rodriguez's Granny.

Big hit of the night was Rodriguez's Granny.

But the Surprise Event of the Night was Homer by Myles Straw

And the reappearance in the lineup of George Valera ranked up their too

Very slight update to BA's Top 100 Prospects

Despite lousy start and recent injury DeLauter remains at 26
Despite hot surge Manzardo remains at 87
New man on the list at No 100: Jaison Chourio

Today's games:
Columbus Hunter Stanley 26 year old 11th round 2021 6.00 ERA
Akeon Aaron Davenport 23 2021 6th round 2.21 ERA
Lake County Carter Spivey 24 year old undrafted 5.40
Lynchburg: never announces ahead of time

Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 5/1/24

MATTHEW KENNELL

MAY 2


Scoreboard:


Triple-A: Columbus Clippers 14, Toledo Mud Hens 8
Double-A: Akron RubberDucks 7, Richmond Flying Squirrels 2
High-A: Lake County Captains 7, Fort Wayne TinCaps 6
Single-A: G1 - Lynchburg Hillcats 7, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 6 (F/10 - Continuation of 4/30 suspension);
Single-A G2 - Lynchburg Hillcats 5, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 0 (F/7)


Rehab:

RP Sam Hentges (Columbus): W (1-0), 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 2 Ks - In what Guardians fans hope is his final rehab appearance, he went two innings of hitless and scoreless baseball and calmed down bats that had put up eight runs prior to him entering from the bullpen. The southpaw tossed 24 pitches (12 strikes) and hit 95 mph on the fastball.

Highlights:

LF Johnathan Rodriguez (Columbus): 2-for-5, 2 R, HR, 4 RBIs - If not for the first inning grand slam by Rodriguez, the Clippers might not have overcome the six spot Toledo slugged in the top of the first. The longball was tracked at 106.2 mph off the bat and both of his hits were over 100 mph.

https://x.com/CLBClippers/status/1785810371321733544

SS Daniel Schneemann (Columbus): 3-for-5, R, HR, 4 RBIs, DP - Schneemann also had a homerun for the team on Wednesday and tied Rodriguez with four RBIs. His three-run bomb in the fourth inning propelled Columbus to a 12-8 lead. It was hit at 103.8 mph and traveled 409 feet and this marks his second straight game with a homerun.

1B Kyle Manzardo (Columbus): 3-for-4, 4 R, 2 2Bs, HR, RBI, BB, DP - All three hits on the day for Manzardo resulted in extra bases, highlighted by his eighth homerun of the young 2024 season. His three hits were all over 100 mph off the bat and were inside the top eight of all batted balls in the game. All four times he reached base, he came around to score.

https://x.com/MLBPipeline/status/1785841030379536411

RF George Valera (Columbus): 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI, 2 BBs - Valera reached base four times in his first game of the season with two hits (a single and a double). He looks to be back and hopefully can continue to carry this momentum in the month of May.

SP Rodney Boone (Akron): W (2-0), 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BBs, 5 Ks, DP - Have a day, Rodney Boone! This ties his longest outing of Boone’s professional career as he peppered the strike zone for 61 strikes on 80 pitches. He did surrender a pair of solo homeruns, but he did not do anything to hurt himself further with no walks. He lowers his ERA to 2.84 with a WHIP under one at 0.91 in 2024.

1B Joe Naranjo (Akron): 3-for-4, R, HR, 4 RBIs, DP - Four of the team’s seven runs came off the bat of Naranjo on Wednesday and his three-run homerun was his first of 2024. He added an RBI single as well later in the night to increase the team’s lead as the RubberDucks won their ninth straight game.

https://x.com/AkronRubberDuck/status/17 ... 7372885206

SS Jose Devers (Lake County): 3-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBIs, BB, E6F - Devers bookended the scoring for the Captains and each of his final four plate appearances resulted in a hit or a run scored. In the bottom of the fifth, Devers clobbered his first homerun of the season and High-A career to cut into the Fort Wayne lead at 4-1 and concluded the game with a walk-off bases loaded walk. The 20-year-old now has a trifecta of hits in three straight games and the team has won seven in a row.

https://x.com/LCCaptains/status/1785720250085802375

1B CJ Kayfus (Lake County): 2-for-5, R, 2 RBIs, GIDP - The hottest man in the Captains’ lineup was positioned perfectly in the bottom of the ninth for a two-run single to tie the score at 6-6. He would add a single in the sixth inning right back up the middle. The Miami alum has now hit safely in seven straight games and is leading the team with a .356 batting average and 1.019 OPS.

SS Angel Genao (G1 - Lynchburg): 3-for-5, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBIs - Genao was a triple short of the cycle in total after collecting three hits just in the Wednesday portion of the game. He was also the man who slugged the team’s walk-off two-run homerun immediately following a double play that could have sucked the life out of the team.

https://x.com/MiLB/status/1785818814858617176

RP Rorik Maltrud (G1 - Lynchburg): 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BBs, 6 Ks, WP - Maltrud picked up where the game was left off due to rain last night in the fourth and got the Hillcats through regulation with over four innings of work. He tied his season-low with two hits allowed and it was his first appearance of the year without surrendering a run. He fanned six on the back of an eight-K performance in his last outing.

SP Matt Wilkinson (G2 - Lynchburg): W (3-0), 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BBs, 5 Ks, PO, WP - Tugboat has gotten off to such a hot start that this outing is considered “ho-hum” for the lefty. His K-rate actually went down by only retiring five batters on strikes in five innings of work, but his ERA was lowered to a miniscule 0.35 thus far. He tied his season-high in walks, but just like in that appearance, he put up zeros in every inning, so you can’t complain too much.

RP Jack Jasiak (G2 - Lynchburg): S (1), 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 2 Ks - After being baffled by the big lefty, Jasiak continued the opponent’s confusion as he sat down all six hitters he faced to lock up the save. He was able to strikeout the first two batters in the sixth and utilized his defense to retire the side in the seventh and final frame.

Notable Performances:
CF Myles Straw (Columbus): 3-for-6, 2 R, 3B, HR, RBI - Straw turned the page to May in a big way with a triple and his first homerun in Columbus this season. It is his second three-hit game of the year and first time he has hit eight total bases in a game.

RP John Doxakis (Columbus): H (1), 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 Ks - Doxakis continued where Hentges left off and kept the Mud Hens without a run and without a hit over three innings of work. He drew seven whiffs on 20 total swings, three apiece coming on the sinker and the slider.

2B Jose Tena (Columbus): 2-for-4, RBI, BB, DP - Tena added a multi-hit game to his ledger with a walk as well. His single in the third allowed the team to take the lead at the time, 8-7.

RP Anthony Banda (Columbus): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 2 Ks - The lefty struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth to wrap up the victory.

SS Yordys Valdes (Akron): 2-for-4, 2 R, SB, DP - Valdes had a multi-hit game, swiped his second bag of the year and scored twice. It is his third consecutive contest with multiple hits.

C Kody Huff (Akron): 1-for-3, R, HR, RBI, BB - A solo homerun off the bat of the catcher Huff in the sixth carried on the scoring after a four-run fifth. It is his second homerun of the year and each of his last three hits have gone for extra bases.

https://x.com/AkronRubberDuck/status/17 ... 0324825214

RP Andrew Walters (Akron): 1.1 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 2 Ks - This makes it seven straight appearances for Walters without allowing a run as he reduces his ERA to 0.79 in 2024.

RP Erik Sabrowski (Akron): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BBs, 2 Ks - Sabrowski struck out both batters he faced on Wednesday to give him 19 K’s in 9.1 innings of relief work in Akron.

CF Jake Fox (Lake County): 2-for-5, R, 2B, OF assist - Fox had a pair of hits and displayed poise in the outfield to save a run from crossing the plate. His ground-rule double in the ninth helped to put him in scoring position as the game’s tying run and in the top of the fourth, he threw out a runner attempting to score.

2B Alex Mooney (Lake County): 1-for-3, R, 2B, RBI, 2 BBs, SB - Mooney reached base three times thanks to a pair of walks and hit his sixth double of the year to tie Cooper Ingle for the team lead. The RBI double helped spark a three-run seventh and get Lake County back in the game.

LF Guy Lipscomb (Lake County): 2-for-5, R, CS - Lipscomb had multiple hits from the lead-off spot in the Captains order.

RF Wuilfredo Antunez (G1 - Lynchburg): 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBIs, BB - Antunez’s double in the seventh helped keep the train moving and drove in a run on top of his bases loaded walk he drew early in the game.

LF Luis Durango (G1 - Lynchburg): 2-for-5, RBI, 2 SBs - Durango drove in a run in the eighth to cut the gap to 5-4 and immediately swiped second base to put himself in scoring position as the go-ahead run. He had two successful steals in total.

2B Christian Knapczyk (G1 - Lynchburg): 0-for-2, 3 R, 4 BBs - He was trouble on the basepaths despite not recording a hit with four walks, three of them resulting in runs scored.

C Robert Lopez (G2 - Lynchburg): 1-for-2, 2 RBI, BB, PB - Lopez plated the first run of the game via a bases loaded walk and an RBI single later in the game made him the only man with multiple RBIs in game two.

SS Angel Genao (G2 - Lynchburg): 1-for-2, 2 R, 2B, BB - The lone extra base hit for the Hillcats in game two belonged to Genao. He scored on his double and his walk.



<



Valera, Manzardo, Schneemann, Devers and Tugboat shine as Guards affiliates sweep five games

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Thursday, May 2, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger May 2, 2024, 10:00am EDT



Columbus Clippers 14, Toledo Mud Hens 8
Clippers improve to 12-16



Wednesday was the much-anticipated season debut of No. 6 Guardians outfield prospect George Valera, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury in Spring Training.

He didn’t disappoint.

Valera reached base safely four times, going 2-for-3 with a double and two walks.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785933369714397412

Kyle Manzardo continues to rake, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and a walk. It was his org-leading eighth bomb of the season, raising his OPS to a ridiculous 1.067.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785841030379536411

The hits just keep coming as both Daniel Schneemann and Myles Straw had three-hit games, with Straw tripling and homering and Schneemann homering for his third game in a row. Schneemann had four RBIs, raising his OPS to 1.057.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785854554858213518

That’s not all, Johnathan Rodriguez went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and he only has a .923 OPS for the season.

Jhonkensy Noel reached base safely twice, going 1-for-4 with a hit by pitch while Jose Tena went 2-for-4 with a walk to reach base safely three times.

All that offense helped overcome a rough start from Adam Oller, who gave up six runs (five aerned) on five hits and two walks without getting out of the first inning.

Mason Hickman followed with 2 1⁄3 innings, giving up two runs on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Rehabbing reliever Sam Hentges pitched two scoreless innings, striking out a pair to earn the win. He should be ready to join the Guardians bullpen any day now.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785869193356710120

John Doxakis added three scoreless innings and Anthony Banda closed out the victory with 1-2-3 ninth inning, striking out a pair.



Akron RubberDucks 7, Richmond Flying Squirrels 2
RubberDucks improve to 15-8



Akron got a great pitching performance from Rodney Boone and never looked back. Boone allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings with five strikeouts and no walks, lowering his season ERA to 2.84.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785916344870838689

Andrew Walters struck out a pair in 1 1⁄3 scoreless innings of relief and Sabrowski closed out the victory by striking out the only two batters he faced in the ninth inning.

Offensively, it was the Joe Naranjo show. The former third round pick had his best game of the season, going 3-for-4 from the No. 9 hole in the lineup, hitting his first home run of the season.

Yordys Valdes had the other multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base, raising his season batting average to a ridiculous .370.

Petey Halpin doubled and walked while catcher Kody Huff homered and walked. Joe Lampe went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.


Lake County Captains 7, Fort Wayne TinCaps 6
Captains improve to 13-9


There was no quit in Lake County on Wednesday.

The Captains trailed 6-1 and fought back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, then walked it off with three more in the bottom of the ninth.

Jose Devers made history with his third straight three-hit game, including a walk-off walk with the bases loaded. He also hit his first home run of the season.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785743758329282933

Devers wasn’t the only member of the Captains to have a big day at the plate. Guy Lipscomb went 2-for-5, Jake Fox went 2-for-5 with a double, CJ Kayfus went 2-for-5 wiht two RBIs, Alex Mooney went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks and a stolen base, and Angel Zarate and Tyresse Turner both went 1-for-3 with a walk.

Starting pitcher Parker Messic had his first outing where he looked human, although he still was effective, allowing four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks in six innings.

Jay Driver earned the win with a scoreless ninth inning, striking out a pair.



Lynchburg Hillcats 7, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 6 (F/10) G1
Lynchburg Hillcats 5, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 0 (F/7) G1
Game 1 Box Score · Game 2 Box Score · Hillcats improve to 13-10



Game one wasn’t a traditional doubleheader, as it was the completion of a suspended game from Tuesday, where Lynchburg had been trailing 5-1 at the time after another rough starting pitching performance from Alex Clemmey, who allowed five runs on five hits and three walks in just 2 1⁄3 innings, striking out one.

Lynchburg battled back with one run in the first, fifth, seventh and then two in the eighth to tie it. When Kannapolis took a 5-4 lead in the top of the 10th, the Hillcats ended the game with a two-run home run from Angel Genao.

Genao had a monster day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a double and the walk-off home run, raising his season OPS to .957, which is now higher than stud prospect teammates Ralphy Velazquez and Jaison Chourio.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785818814858617176

Chourio went 2-for-6 while leadoff hitter Christian Knapczyk impressively walked four times and scored three runs. Wuilfredo Antunez doubled and walked while Luis Durango went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases. Robert Lopez and Velazquez both walked twice and Manuel Mejias went 2-for-5.

The pitching hero of the game was Rorik Maltrud, who tossed 4 1⁄3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball, striking out six and walking two. He’s impressed as an undrafted free agent from 2023.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785920668833325348

Game two was the Tugboat show as starting pitcher Matt Wilkinson continues to absolutely dominate. This time, he tossed another five scoreless innings, striking out five while walking three and surrendering a pair of hits. He lowered his season ERA to a ridiculous 0.35 through five starts. Someone promote this man already!

https://twitter.com/i/status/1785880461883179474

Jasiak finished off the shutout with two scoreless innings of relief.

Lynchburg didn’t need much offense, but the Hillcats clustered their three hits perfectly with five walks, with Angel Genao again reaching base safely twice, going 1-for-2 with a double and a walk. Knapczyk was hit by two pitches and Esteban Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with a stolen base. Robert Lopez went 1-for-2 with a walk and Juan Benjamin walked twice.

<

Pulling out of those reports:
SP Matt Wilkinson (G2 - Lynchburg): W (3-0), 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BBs, 5 Ks, PO, WP - Tugboat has gotten off to such a hot start that this outing is considered “ho-hum” for the lefty. His K-rate actually went down by only retiring five batters on strikes in five innings of work, but his ERA was lowered to a miniscule 0.35 thus far. He tied his season-high in walks, but just like in that appearance, he put up zeros in every inning, so you can’t complain too much.

So is he simply way too good for Low A hitters or is he actually a prospect? I'd like to see some analysis. And also a quick promotion to Lake County

on list of top 10 Arizona Complex League players to watch:

Welbyn Francisca, SS, Guardians

Francisca, who was one of several intriguing players on Cleveland’s DSL team, centers his game on contact, defense and speed. While no single tool grades as plus, he gets above-average grades for his hittability, glovework and baserunning. He also earns high marks for his personality. Francisca opened his DSL campaign with a five-hit game, then repeated the feat six weeks later. He has a chance to stick at shortstop but also could slide over to second base as he matures.

BA has commented on Tugboat:



It was hard to say which caused the biggest stir in late April:

That lefthander Matt Wilkinson struck out 15 in six hitless innings for Low-A Lynchburg against Myrtle Beach. Or that the 6-foot-1, 285-pound Wilkinson’s nickname is “Tugboat”.

The Guardians drafted Wilkinson in the 10th round in 2023 out of Central Arizona JC. In his first four starts for Lynchburg this year, he allowed one run in 20.2 innings. He paired a 0.44 ERA with 41 strikeouts and six walks, while holding opponents to an .091 average. Wilkinson has a history of standing out. In 2015, he struck out 16 batters in a Little League World Series start for his Canadian team. Last year, he was named junior college pitcher of the year.

“He’s competitive, not afraid of the bat or attacking hitters, is able to work the ball to his targets and cares about being a complete pitcher,” Guardians director of pitching development Stephen Osterer said. “Those are pretty good ingredients for success.”

The 21-year-old Wilkinson doesn’t have a show-stopping repertoire, but “he has some very unique release traits and deceptive qualities that play it up,” Osterer said.
He executes a low-90s four-seam fastball to create elite levels of in-zone whiff, according to Osterer.

Working with Cleveland’s pitching factory should only hasten and improve Wilkinson’s development.

“Matt has a long way to go, but there’s a lot to like moving forward,” Osterer said. “Tons of credit to Matt for coming into professional baseball and owning his development, crafting routines to support his growth and being disciplined in executing that daily.”

Wilkinson’s development is well underway. His fastball velocity is beginning to tick up, the shape of his slider has improved, and he continues to mature as a pitcher.
“It’s been fun watching him perform in the early stages and showcase a lot of that competitive mindset that we loved in the draft,” Osterer said.

Friday games

Akron lost 4-0,
Ryan Webb 6 9 4 4 2 4 3.33 ERA
Lenny Torres 1 0 0 0 0 1 0.00 ERA in only 8 innings; he pitches a couple times a week.
No DeLauter

Columbus lost 6-4
Curry 4 5 5 5 4 2 2Homers 6.86 ERA 8 homers in 21 innings; He is NOT ready to replace Carrasco
Franco Aleman 3 batters faced, all 3 struck out. 2.25 ERA 22 K in 12 IP
Nic Enright who had similar K/IP ratio went on the IL about a week ago
Brito 2b and 3rd homer and 2 walks avg 196 OPS 676
Manzardo 0-5 Avg 305 OPS 1006
Valera played and did not get hurt.
Tena 2 hits
Straw a single and a walk. Hitting 239 OPS 660.

Lake County won 6-4
Red Hot 1B C.J. Kayfus with 2 doubles and a single and 2 rbi Hitting 364 OPS 1040
Monney single and double. 316/971

Lynchburg hammered 12-6
Bullpen was awful as was defense but starter Jackson Humphries pitched 3 no hit 1 walk innings with 4 K. That's 7 2/3 shutout innings in his last 3 times out after an inaugural disaster 6 runs with no outs. ERA will stay elevated for a long time after that debut [7.04 now] but his continued success is encouraging
19 year old Catcher Manuel Mejias 2 hit and a walk 328 OPS 897
OF Esteban Gonzalez 2 hits and his 15th steal
"breakout candidate" Rafael Ramirez Jr. 1-5 hitting 192 562 OPS And makes his 11th and 12th errors; 18 year old SS not quite polished

Scoreborad

Triple-A - Toledo Mud Hens 6, Columbus Clippers 4
Double-A - Richmond Flying Squirrels 4, Akron RubberDucks 0
High-A - Lake County Captains 6, Fort Wayne TinCaps 4
Single-A - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 12, Lynchburg Hillcats 6

HIGHLIGHTS


Juan Brito (Columbus, 2B): 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB - Brito’s first multi-hit game since April 19 was a huge one. Reaching four times with both hits being of the extra-base variety while driving in half of the team’s runs is an impressive performance from anyone, but even more so from someone who’s been in a slump recently. Hopefully, this is not merely an isolated big performance.

C.J. Kayfus (Lake County, 1B): 3-4, 1 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI - Kayfus resumed normal service following only his third hitless game of the season (out of 17 games played) in a big way with this three-hit extravaganza that got his slugging percentage back over .600 (.621).

Manuel Mejias (Lynchburg, C): 2-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 E - Mejias, who is now slashing .328/.466/.431, extended his on-base streak to 15 games by reaching a quartet of times on Friday night. While his streak started with five one-hit or hitless games, his bat has since become more active, with half of his last ten outings being of the multi-hit variety.

Esteban Gonzalez (Lynchburg, LF): 2-4, 3 R, 1 HBP, 1 K, 1 SB - While Gonzalez scoring half of the Hillcats runs is a notable feat in and of itself, the real story was Esteban stealing his 15th base of the season to maintain his one-steal lead on Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles) 1B Angel Tejada, who also nabbed a bag on Friday.

Wuilfredo Antunez (Lynchburg, RF): 2-5, 1 2B, 2 K, 1 Outfield Assist - Antunez has been on a roll since April 14. During that time, he has ten multi-base games out of twelve played, with eight of them being three-base or better. The result has been a .340/.375/.585 slash in that time frame.

Jackson Humphries (Lynchburg, SP): ND, 3 IP, 1 BB, 4 K - Humphries remains unstoppable, extending his shutout streak to three starts which have seen him allow a total of one hit and two walks while striking out twelve (exactly four in each start) in 7.2 combined frames. He seems like a potential candidate for a midseason callup to Eastlake.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Jose Tena (Columbus, SS): 2-4, 1 R, 1 K - Tena has provided a roadmap for what a Brito resurgence might look like. After a five-game hit drought in mid-late April, Jose has four multi-hit games in the subsequent seven contests.

Bryan Lavastida (Columbus, C): 1-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 E - Lavastida’s fourth-inning double provided the other Clipper RBI on Friday night.

Daniel Schneemann (Columbus, 3B): 1-3, 1 R ,1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K - Schneemann just keeps raking.

Jaime Barria (Columbus, RP): 2 IP, perfect, 3 K - Despite striking out three in a row (across an inning break) - which can be pitch count-intensive, Barria was efficient, needing only 22 pitches to hurl a pair of perfect frames.

Franco Aleman (Columbus, RP): 1 IP, perfect ,3 K - Barria wasn’t the only Clipper to strike out three Mud Hens in a row last night as Aleman followed him by striking out the side in order (on 14 pitches) in the eighth.

Alexfri Planez (Akron, RF): 1-4, 1 2B - Planez’s double gave some hope that the RubberDucks could recover from their early deficit, It was all downhill from there.

Lenny Torres Jr, (Akron, RP): 1 IP, perfect, 1 K - Torres remains unscored upon in a full game’s worth of action this season following this perfect eighth frame.

Alex Mooney (Lake County, 3B); 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 E - Mooney’s double was his fifth in his last six games (out of seven total this season).

Guy Lipscomb (Lake County, RF): 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB,1 CS - Lipscomb is off to a stellar start to his month of May, going 4-for-10 with two runs, and RBI and two walks so far this week. The basepaths have been a different story, however, as the TinCaps have thrown out Guy on two of his three steal attempts this series.

Adam Tulloch (Lake County, RP): W (2-0)< 3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 4 K - A Nagy-esque tightrope act earned Tulloch his second individual victory of the 2024 campaign.

Alaska Abney (Lake County, RP): H (2), 1 IP, 2 H, 1 K - Again, not a drama-free frame, but Abney was perfect in the stat that matters most, extending his scoreless streak to eight games (7.1 innings).

Allan Hernandez (Lake County, RP): S (1), 1 IP, 2 BB, 1 K - Hernandez provided the finale of the three-ring circus of run prevention at the Corner of SOM Center and Vine to earn his first professional save in his second opportunity.

Tommy Hawke (Lynchburg, CF): 2-5, 1 3B, 1 RBI - Hawke’s sixth multi-hit game of the 2024 season included his first professional triple.

Christian Knapczyk (Lynchbrug, 2B): 1-3, 1 R, 2 BB,1 K - Knapczyk has been excellent at waiting out the Kannapolis pitching staff, drawing six walks (as well as 2 HBPs) in 15 plate appearances this week. That's a stratospheric .457 isolated plate discipline!


<


Minor League Recap - Lake County Brings Home Sole Victory for Cleveland Affiliates

Minor League Recap for Saturday, May 4th

By Nicole_W22 May 4, 2024, 9:00am EDT


Columbus Clippers (12-18) - AAA
TOL 6 - COL 4


The Columbus Clippers fell to the Detroit Tiger’s AAA Affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens 6 to 4 Friday night. Starting pitcher Xzavion Curry got the loss pitching 4 innings, with 5H, 5R, 4BB, and 2K. He is now 0-3 in Columbus.

Columbus offense recorded 8 hits on the night. Juan Brito starting the scoring in the 1st inning with a 410 ft homerun to center. Both Juan Brito and Jose Tena recorded 2 hits while Myles Straw, Jhonkensy Noel, and Daniel Schneemann recorded 1 hit a piece.

3B Daniel Schneemann went 1-for-3 last night with a double and a walk. He is currently sitting at a .275 BA/.441 OBP/1.023 OPS.

Outside of Tanner Burns giving up a home run to Toledo RF Ryan Vilade, the Columbus bullpen held it down for the remainder of the game.

Anthony Gose made another appearance with Columbus. Pitching 1 inning, giving up only 1 H and 2 BB with 1 K. He is currently sitting at a 3.09 ERA.


Akron RubberDucks (16-9) - AA
RIC 4 - AKR 0


The RubberDucks were blanked by the Richmond Flying Squirrels (SF).

Starting pitcher Ryan Webb recorded the loss, bringing his record to 1-1. His final line reads: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K with a 3.33 ERA. The bullpen locked in to end the game, only giving up 1 H across the 3 relievers. RHP Lenny Torres Jr. pitched 1 inning with 1 strikeout, maintaining his 0.00 ERA. Torres Jr. has pitched 9.0 innings in 8 games and is sporting a 1.22 WHIP.

Akron offense recorded 5 hits, but no one was able to capitalize and bring the runners home. Akron falls to 16 and 9 on the season.


Lake County Captains (14-11) - High A
FW 4 - LC 6


The Lake County Captains broke up the Cleveland Affiliate losing streak with a win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps (SD).

Starting pitcher Trenton Denholm started the night strong with a 2-out K to retire the side.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1786528565229469904

Denholm went 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, and 5 K with a 3.20 ERA.

LHP reliever Adam Tulloch got the win and is now sitting at 2-0. He went 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, and 4 Ks. Tulloch battled his way out of a 2-out bases loaded jam to retire the side.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1786565605270642957

Alaska Abney added to his strong season. He currently has an impressive 1.08 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in 8.1 IP across 9 games.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1786566330964943081

The Lake County offense matched the TinCaps in hits at 9 for each team, but the Captains were able to capitalize, scoring 6 runs last night.

C.J. Kayfus continues to keep his name in the conversation. He went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, a single, 2 RBI, a .364 BA and a 1.040 OPS.

Alex Mooney also had another good night going 2-for-4 with a single and an RBI double. He is currently batting .316 with a .971 OPS.


Lynchburg Hillcats (13-12) - Low A
KAN 12 - LYN 6


The Hillcats followed the Clipper’s and RubberDuck’s lead with a definitive loss on Friday night. The loss went to RHP reliever Kyle Scott who owes a big thank you to 1B Ralphy Velazquez. Ralphy’s defensive error in the 4th inning contributed to Scott ending the night on 0.2 IP, 4H, 7 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, with 0 K keeping his ERA at 5.19. Scott is now 1-2 on the season with this loss.

Lynchburg strung together 11 hits and were able to score 6 of them. Unfortunately the team was unable to dig out of the hole left by Scott. Four Hillcats had multi-hit nights. Left Fielder Esteban Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with 3 runs. He is currently batting .277 with a .724 OPS.

Lynchburg falls to 13-12, staying just above .500.

<

Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 5/4/24

The Force is strong with the young padawans

JUSTIN LADA MAY 5

Scoreboard

Triple-A: Toledo Mud Hens 3, Columbus Clippers 1
Double-A: Akron RubberDucks 9, Richmond Flying Squirrels 4
High-A: Lake County Captains 10, Fort Wayne TinCaps 1
Single-A: Lynchburg Hillcats 6, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 5
ACL: Guardians 11, Mariners 10

Rehab

Sam Hentges (RP, Columbus): IP, H, K - Hentges didn’t make the Kessel run in 12 seconds, but he was again up to 95 in another rehab stint for Columbus. He should be ready to be activated perhaps Cleveland would like him to go in back to back games, which he hasn’t done yet. Maybe that’s on the docket for Sunday. He should be just about ready though unless they’re testing something else or delaying a decision on who to move on from in the bullpen.

Eli Morgan (RP, Columbus): IP, 3K - Morgan was solid in his rehab first rehab stint from his shoulder issues. It will be a question for him as well about who’s spot he takes. These things do often work themselves out though. Part of me thinks stretching him out to start might make more sense given the lack of depth, however.

Highlights

Kyle Manzardo (1B, Columbus): 1-4, 2 K - Manzardo had his saber out for another homer on May 4, sending one was 362 feet to left off of a lefty. He’s improved against lefties this year, albeit in a small sample size thus far. This ball probably doesn’t get out in Cleveland, but perhaps off of the big wall. Nonetheless, taking the ball the other way with power is a sign of a good approach for Manzardo vs. LHP. The young padawan did strike twice, once against some big heat, up to 97 from Toledo RHP Beau Briske. So he’ll want to brush up on his saber work against high heat blasters.

https://x.com/MLBPipeline/status/1786873252213936486

Christian Cairo (2B, Akron): 1-2, 3 BB - Anytime you work three walks and get on base four times is a good day. Especially for someone who is trying to make a name for themselves in a utility role.

Milan Tolentino (SS, Akron): 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI, 2K - Tolentino had himself maybe the best offensive day he’s had all season so far.

Andrew Walters (RP, Akron): IP, H, BB, 2K - Even when he’s able to put his fastball into hyperdrive, the last few outings, Walters has been as human as he’s really getting so far. He did have a walk and a hit in each of them, but always manages to fan quite a few hitters in the process, so he limits the damage. Honestly, Cleveland probably prefers he pitches with traffic anyway for his development. And so far, so good. Even when he does allow runners, he gets out of it. They may want to see if he faces even more adversity than that. But will that happen at Double-A? Or would he be better served doing this in Triple-A?

Jack Leftwich (RP, Akron): 2IP, 2BB, 5K - He walked two but missed plenty of bats as he is now getting comfortable again in a relief role.

Guy Lipscomb (RF, Lake County): 4-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB - Five times on base will really boost your numbers this early in the season and he did add an extra base hit. The only thing he didn’t do was steal a base, which is normally a big part of his game. But hard to nitpick anything here.

Alex Mooney (SS, Lake County): 2-5, 2B, RBI - Mooney has been a doubles machine at High-A so far this year.

Zac Fascia (C, Lake County): 1-4, 2B, 4 RBI, BB - Not known for his saber skills, he worked a walk to push in a run and doubled in three more.

Jake Miller (SP, Lake County): 5IP, 5H, ER, 6K - Easily the best start of Miller’s young career, showing the stuff that Cleveland liked enough to give him a good chunk of money in the 20th round in 2021.

Jaison Chourio (CF, Lynchburg): 3-4, 3 RBI, BB - Won the battle for the rebellion against the Cannons(ballers) with some last minute heroics. Chourio has not had much struggle at Single-A so far. Given his age, even with it being a lower level, it’s still impressive that he’s really looked like he’s been better than the competition. He could force his way to the galaxy of Lake County in the second half easily.

https://x.com/MLBPipeline/status/1786949015952883854

Jose Pirela (CF, ACL Guardians): 1-5, HR, 4 RBI, K - Just one hit bit swing of the saber from, but a powerful one that produced three runs in the ninth inning as the ACL Guardians game back to win 11-10. He also had an RBI groundout.

Jeffrey Mercedes (3B, ACL Guardians): 3-5, 2B, RBI - The Yoda-sized corner infielder put up decent numbers in 2023 in the ACL a year ago as an 18 year old but is back in the ACL again and hit well to start

Notable Performances

Dayan Frias (3B, Akron): 1-3, 2 BB, RBI - Frias had an OK day, also getting on base three times. He’s had a few solid games here and there but hasn’t gotten off to the kind of hot stretches he did last year in High-A, which is why his numbers are still slumping. Though it’s not surprising to ee him struggle early.

Micael Ramirez (DH, Akron): 2-4, 3 RBI - Not known as much of a hitter, Ramirez was the DH in this one and drove in three of Akron’s runs and has had a few good days at the plate here and there recently.

Angel Zarate (LF, Lake County): 2-3, RBI - Zarate has hit some so far this year but nothing overly impressive. But it’s still early.

Luis Durango Jr. (LF, Lynchburg): 1-2, 2 BB, SB - Durango got on base three times and stole a base, though with his speed, you’d expect more. He did make an exceptional catch in LF as well.

https://x.com/LynHillcats/status/1786910937309479330

Tommy Hawke (RF, Lynchburg): 2-4, BB, 2 SB - Hawke got on base three times and stole two bases. He’s having the Nate Furman start in Low-A because again, ACC competition is likely better than what he’s seeing now, or close to it. We’ll see what he does at the next level, but I do like the skill set. Although it’s Myles Straw-esque, which I know nobody wants to hear.

Heribet Silva (PH-LF, ACL Guardians): 1-2, 3B, RBI - Another youngling with promising skills from the DSL a year ago had a pinch hit RBI triple in the seventh.

Welbyn Francisca (SS, ACL Guardians): 0-3 - The chosen one was an unspectacular 0-3 in his stateside debut and left the game early for an unknown reason at this time.



<


Kyle Manzardo homers again and ACL Guardians kick off season with 7-run 9th inning comeback

Cleveland Guardians minor league recap for Sunday, May 5, 2024

By Brian Hemminger@BrianHemminger May 5, 2024, 10:00am EDT


Columbus Clippers 1, Toledo Mud Hens 3
Clippers fall to 12-19


It was a rough day at the office for the Columbus offense, but on the bright side, the one run came from a solo shot from Kyle Manzardo, his org-leading ninth home run of the season.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1786873252213936486

No one else on the Clippers had an extra base hit or reached base safely more than once.

Starting pitcher Connor Gillispie gave up three runs on six hits in five innings while striking out four and walking three.

A rehabbing Eli Morgan and Sam Hentges both tossed a scoreless inning of relief, with Morgan striking out the side. Anthony Banda struck out four batters in a perfect two innings.


Akron RubberDucks 9, Richmond Flying Squirrels 4
RubberDucks improve to 17-9


Akron had several players stand out offensively as the RubberDucks ran away with a victory against Richmond.

Joe Naranjo reached base safely four times, going 2-for-3 with two walks. Dayan Frias and Alexfri Planez both reached base safely three times, going 1-for-3 with two walks. Christian Cairo walked three times.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1787032363173625987

Milan Tolentino went 2-for-5 with a triple while Micael Ramirez went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in.

Starting pitcher Jaime Arias allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings while striking out eight and walking one.

Jack Leftwitch struck out five in two scoreless innings of relief while Erik Sabrowski and Andrew Walters both struck out a pair in a scoreless inning pitched each.


Lake County Captains 10, Fort Wayne TinCaps 1
Captains improve to 15-11


Lake County ran away with this one, led by leadoff hitter Guy Lipscomb, who reached base safely five times, going 4-for-4 with a double and a walk.

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Several players reached base safely multiple times. Alex Mooney went 2-for-5 with a double, Angel Zarate went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, CJ Kayfus went 1-for-4 with a walk, Tyresse Turner went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk and Zac Facia went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and four runs batted in.

Starting pitcher Jake Miller gave up one run on five hits in five innings, striking out six and walking none. Zach Jacobs and Magnus Ellerts both pitched two scoreless innings of relief, adding seven more strikeouts to the total.


Lynchburg Hillcats 6, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 5
Hillcats improve to 14-12


Jaison Chourio had a monster game for Lynchburg, going 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs batted in, including the walk-off winner on a single in the bottom of the ninth inning.

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Leadoff hitter Tommy Hawke went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases. Luis Durango went 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base. Wuilfredo Antunez walked twice while Robert Lopez went 1-for-3 with a walk.

Starting pitcher Alonzo Richardson struggled, allowing four runs on five hits and five walks in 3 2⁄3 innings while striking out just one.

Jack Jasiak chipped in 2 1⁄3 innings of scoreless relief. Matt Jachec gave up an unearned run in two innings and Abel Brito earned the win by pitching a scoreless ninth inning


ACL Guardians 11, ACL Mariners 10
Guardians improve to 1-0


The ACL Guardians kicked off the summer season with a wild victory, scoring seven runs in the top of the ninth inning to rally back from a 10-4 deficit and defeat the ACL Mariners.

Leading the way was Jeffrey Mercedes, who went 3-for-5 with a double. Yerlin Luis went 2-for-5 with a stolen base. Fran Alduey went 1-for-2 with a triple and a walk. Christopher Espinola went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk while Heribert Silva went 1-for-2 with a triple and three runs batted in. Yaikel Mijares went 1-for-4 with a walk.

The big blow was a three-run home run from Jose Pirela in the top of the ninth inning.

Both teams had four errors, but the ACL Guardians’ errors led to a whopping seven unearned runs.

Starting pitcher Jogly Garcia allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 4 1⁄3 innings. Tommy Ventimiglia, an 18th round pick out of Longwood High School by the Guardians in 2021, tossed the lone scoreless inning, earning the win with a strikeout in the ninth frame.

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