Cleveland Sports Forum

And the boxscores:

http://www.milb.com/scoreboard/index.js ... d=20130415

Other notable performances, not too many in fact

Carrasco an almost perfect 4 innings after relieving Kazmir. Only flaw was -- guess what -- he hit a batter (but not after a homerun this time). Chen and Lattimore 2 hits apiece. Probably irrelevant, each is in AA for his 3rd season. AA rookie Jose Ramirez went 0-4 and is now batting 262.

Looks like Jose has hit his first professional bump in the road. This winter he went hitless in three games one time but drew 4 walks. He rebounded nicely. I hope this is just a hiccup.

Jose and Francisco both hit the skids at the same time. Francisco is hitless in his last three games and has only 1 hit in his last 13 at bats. Jose is hitless in his last three games and has only 1 hit in his last 14 at bats. Jose has struck out 7 times while walking 4 times. Lindor has fanned 3 times while walking 6 times. Lindor has erred 2 times while Jose has erred 3 times.

Has the midget got an extra base hit yet?

No. Not yet. Skipping over Columbus. Naquin leads with 5 (3dbls, 1tpl, 1hr). Chen has 4 (2dbl, 1tpl, 1hr). Haase has 4 (3dbls,1tpl). (Several with three including Lindor (1dbl, 2tpls). Not a lot of extra base hitting going on right now.

That's because very few of our kids have much talent.

Disappointed with the nondescript start by Paulino at Lake County.

But do I think it is not necessarily coincedental that the only one of our 4 farm teams which has seen much hitting is the one not in cold weather Ohio. Let's see if see of these kids heat up with the weather. Hard to imagine it's a lot of fun for Domincans or Venezuelans playing base in NE Ohio in April.

Possibly decent prospect Catcher Eric Haase with his 4th double and Lake County takes a 4-2 lead in the 3rd. Almost certainly nonprospect 1b (King) Leonardo Castillo has a pair of hits. Big 1B Nellie Rodriguez draws yet another walk --- 18 year old has 9 of them in 36 plate appearances.

Naquin working on his batting eye draws walks his first 2 times to the plate. Rare Tribe pitching prospect Cody Anderson less than stellar in the early going, 2 runs in 3 innings. that's the total he had allowed in his first 11, but even then he had only 5 strikeouts. Bottom line: there is not one serious starting pitching prospect in the entire system outside maybe Salazar or some 18-20 year old who needs years to develop.

Ramirez with a Double!!! Ronnie Rodriguez with one too. Aeros scoreless in the 3rd behind TJ House who I suppose could project as a 5th or with much luck 4th starter, maybe

Launching Off With The Aeros: 4/9/13 – 4/15/13

Akron falls to the bottom of the Eastern League after rough stretch of pitching
Chun Chen (Photo: Lianna Holub)By Jim Piascik

April 16, 2013 ShareThis

Last week was not kind to the Akron Aeros, as they went on the road and lost five of six games. The Aeros now sit at 3-8, the worst record in the Eastern League.

The losses piling up were a result of the team's pitching imploding, with the Aeros allowing a staggering 47 runs in 51.0 innings. The offense was actually not all that poor -- scoring 31 runs in six games -- but it is hard to overcome such poor pitching.

The Aeros will look to get back on track in the final two games of a road series in Trenton before coming home for a seven game stretch starting on Thursday.

In Orbit
Chun-Hsiu Chen, DH
.348/.464/.522 line, .436 wOBA, 8-for-23, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 9:4 SO:BB, 1 HBP, 2 SB in 28 PA

Last week is about everything we could want to see out of Chen as he attempts to hit his way to Columbus. He got on base, he hit a home run, and he drew just enough walks to limit the damage from his strikeouts. Plus, despite a lack of speed, Chen even opportunistically stole two bases!

After being moved to first base in 2012 and designated hitter this year, there is a ton of pressure on Chen's bat to carry him through the upper levels of the minors. Chen is not bringing any value on defense, meaning that he really needs to tap into his power if he is going to stick in the organization.

The Eastern League and Canal Park are not easy places to hit home runs, but hopefully last week is the start of some sort of power binge for Chen. He may not be a high profile prospect, but his bat would be intriguing if some real power manifested itself in 2013.

Quincy Latimore, LF
.400/.455/.600 line, .457 wOBA, 8-for-20, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4:1 SO:BB, 1 HBP in 22 PA

The return on the Jeanmar Gomez trade is looking pretty good so far in 2013, posting a .361/.395/.556 line with two home runs. Granted, that run is heavily-fueled by an unsustainable BABIP (.458) and is undercut by a poor walk rate (10:1 SO:BB in 38 plate appearances), but Latimore's run is still encouraging on some level.

This is the third time through Double-A for Latimore and he has never been particularly good with strikeouts (140 in 2011, 105 in 2012), which does not bode well for his future in the organization. Still, if he finds a way to keep hitting, Latimore will make some fans. It would be great to see him start drawing some walks, but time will tell if he can make that adjustment.

Carlos Moncrief, RF
.333/.444/.400 line, .389 wOBA, 5-for-15, 3 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1:3 SO:BB, 1 CS in 18 PA

Moncrief's overall line was not all that impressive, but the strikeout-to-walk ratio is a very good sign. Even more encouraging, Moncrief only has two strikeouts in 39 plate appearances on the year, something that has been far from the case in the past.

Last year in the Carolina League, Moncrief struck out 126 times in 101 games while only drawing 46 walks. It is still very early, but with most players in Akron striking out fairly frequently (19.8 K% as a team), the fact that Moncrief is the one that is limiting strikeouts is a great thing to see.

Moncrief has so many tools, and if this is him putting them together, he is certainly someone who could find himself with in the big league picture in short order. Assuming, of course, I am not making way too much out of 11 games...

(Honorable Mentions: Jesus Aguilar, Shawn Armstrong, Cole Cook, Jose Flores, Giovanny Urshela)

(Previous Winners: T.J. House (4/9), Toru Murata (4/9), Jose Ramirez (4/9))

Temporarily Grounded

The Starting Rotation
6.83 ERA, 5.17 FIP, 1.83 WHIP, 40 H, 26 R (22 ER), 17:13 SO:BB, 4 HR in 29.0 IP

And you thought the Cleveland starting rotation was struggling.

If you are looking for a reason for why the Aeros lost five of six games this week, this is a good place to start. The only game Akron won was a 10-7 shootout on Friday when the offense did enough to overcome.

Some starters did a decent job, like Paolo Espino (three runs in 5.1 innings) and Matt Packer (three runs in 5.2 innings). Some were the victims of a barrage of unearned runs, like Toru Murata (seven runs, but only three earned, in 4.2 innings). Others, like T.J. House (five runs in 5.2 innings) and Danny Salazar (eight runs in 7.2 innings between two starts) simply struggled.

It is hard to believe that the starting rotation will stay this bad, so look for them to bounce back in the upcoming weeks. Once the rotation gets it back together, the wins will likely start coming for the Aeros as well.

Fabio Martinez, RHP & Edward Paredes, LHP
27.00 ERA, 6.20 FIP, 3.23 WHIP, 10 H, 13 ER, 6:4 SO:BB, 1 HR, 1 HBP in 4.1 IP

It wasn't just the rotation that struggled for the Aeros last week.

Martinez turned in one of the worst performances of the young season last Tuesday, allowing nine runs to the Altoona Curve while only getting two outs. The right-hander has a reputation for being a little wild and unpredictable, but even this is ridiculous.

Right now, Martinez's ERA is sitting at 33.75. Totally unsustainable, but certainly part of why he was taken off the 40-man roster in the offseason and went unclaimed by the other 29 teams.

As for Paredes, the left-hander was off to a hot start, not allowing a walk or a run in his first three outings. That streak came to a stop on Saturday, though, when Paredes allowed four runs in 0.2 innings to the Bowie Baysox.

Now, everything 11 games into a season is a small sample size. Plus, relievers like Martinez and Paredes, by definition, have an even smaller sample size, rendering these early season statistics relatively useless.

The fact right now, however, is that these two had very forgettable performances last week, and hopefully they will push those outings out of everyone's minds in the upcoming weeks.

Jose Ramirez, 2B
.087/.160/.087 line, .166 wOBA, 2-for-25, 3 R, 2 RBI, 6:2 SO:BB, 1 SB in 25 PA

Really, some setbacks for Ramirez should be expected.

The young switch-hitter is making a very difficult jump in going from Low-A Lake County to Double-A Akron and is probably going to have plenty of bumps along the way to establishing himself. Ramirez is known for his ability to simply get hits, but when those hits are not falling in, weeks like this happen.

Now, it is way too early to sound the alarm; after all, Ramirez was In Orbit after a 9-for-19 showing two weeks ago. A little caution, though, is probably warranted.

Making the adjustments to and getting past the Eastern League is probably something that will take Ramirez all year if he can pull it off. Any visions of him in Columbus and/or Cleveland by the end of 2013 (something I let myself entertain after the first week) are probably something that should be shelved.

Ramirez is a very good ballplayer, but I am going to let him make his way in Akron without attaching even higher standard to him.

(Dishonorable Mentions: Delvi Cid, Tyler Holt, Alex Lavisky, Ronny Rodriguez)

(Previous Losers: Tyler Holt (4/9), Carlos Moncrief (4/9), Matt Packer (4/9), Ronny Rodriguez (4/9), Giovanny Urshela (4/9))

Stats Oddities
See full weekly and yearly Aeros stats here.

2.04
Most of the pitching for the Aeros was pretty bad last week, but most of the bullpen found a way to keep opposing lineups in check to the tune of a 2.04 ERA. Left-hander Eric Berger and right-handers Shawn Armstrong, Brett Brach, Cole Cook, Kyle Landis, and Bryce Stowell combined to hold down the fort in 17.2 innings, unlike the other seven pitchers on the roster (9.45 ERA in 33.1 innings).

If the Aeros are going to win more games heading forward, they will need more than their relievers to throw well in about a third of the innings. It is good that Akron has this, though.

.239
Center fielder Tyler Holt is the prototypical leadoff hitter and tablesetter, yet things have not gone so smoothly to start the year. It is hard to complain about an offense that is averaging over five runs a game, but if Holt was getting on base at a higher rate, the offense could be even better.

With an extremely low BABIP likely to stabilize before too long (.200), it is hard to believe that Holt will have a .239 on-base percentage by the end of April. Yet, Holt is in need of a big season to leave his mark on the system and this is not the foot he wanted to get off on in 2013.

6:6
Considering that power is first baseman Jesus Aguilar's calling card, it seems strange to see him without an extra base hit for the week. On the bright side, however, Aguilar walked as much as he struck out, possibly showing growth in his approach at the plate.

You cannot scout the box score, since the walks could be a byproduct of poor pitchers, but manager Edwin Rodriguez noted that Aguilar had been making adjustments. If Aguilar can get to the point that he is able to take the ball the other way and draw plenty of walks, that could be one of the final touches he needs to make it on his trip to Cleveland.

Odds & Ends
Shortstop Ronny Rodriguez is yet to draw a walk this year, a pretty big concern considering he only has 32 walks in 224 career games. Rodriguez has decent pop, but you have to walk more than every once and a while to make it in the upper levels of the minors.

Fellow young callup third baseman Giovanny Urshela is still working on adjusting. His .300/.364/.350 line from the past week is a good sign -- as is him only striking out once in 22 plate appearances -- and with more weeks like this, Urshela will avoid the slow start that plagued him last year.

M*A*S*H Unit
The catching problem in the Cleveland organization reached Akron over the past week, with catcher Alex Lavisky suffering a broken left big toe that has put him on the disabled list. Lavisky had not had the best start to the season (.235/.350/.294 line), but on the bright side he had not struck out yet and earned praise from his manager at how he handled pitchers.

On the bright side, Stowell was activated from the disabled list and threw well in his first night back. He still has talent, but needs to stay healthy.

Moves (Like Orbit)

April 8 - RHP Bryce Stowell placed on 7-day DL retroactive to April 7

April 8 - RHP Robert Whitenack added to active roster

April 9 - C Roberto Perez assigned to Columbus Clippers

April 9 - RHP Robert Whitenack designated for assignment

April 9 - RHP Brett Brach assigned from Mahoning Valley Scrappers

April 14 - C Alex Lavisky placed on 7-day DL (Fractured Left Big Toe)

April 14 - C Jeremy Lucas assigned from Mahoning Valley Scrappers

April 14 - RHP Bryce Stowell activated from 7-day DL

April 15 - LHP Eric Berger traded to Houston Astros organization for C Chris Wallace

April 16 - INF Matt Lawson promoted to Columbus Clippers

April 16 - 3B Kyle Bellows activated from 7-day DL

IBI Hot List: 4/4/13 - 4/15/13
Joey Wendle (Photo: IBI)By Tony Lastoria

April 16, 2013 ShareThis

The IBI Hot List returns this week with the first edition recapping the hot performances to date in the Indians system.

The Hot List will normally post on Monday’s and recap the Top 20 performances from the previous seven days, but for this first edition the Top 15 performances to date are recapped with some commentary. The hot list will also list about five players who struggled the most over the past seven days, but for this week that has been extended out to ten players.

This listing is a quick rundown through the hottest and some of the coldest players in the Indians system over the past seven days. In no way does it rank or list players based on value; it is simply a snapshot of the best and worst performances from the past week without any discrimination regarding whether a player is a prospect or not. In a way it is sort of like Around the Farm as it includes brief comments about each player, but the performances for the week are ranked from 1 to 20.

The Hot 15

1. Jerrud Sabourin (1B – CAR): 9 G, .438 AVG, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 7 BB, 4 K, 1.070 OPS. Talk about making your presence felt. That’s what “Sabes” has done so far as he has played consistent defense and continues to put up great at bats. He has limited power so it hurts his value as a first baseman and makes him a marginal prospect, but if he keeps performing like he has the last year-plus he is going to stick around and continue to rise in standing.

2. Joey Wendle (2B – CAR): 10 G, .421 AVG, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 6 BB, 9 K, 1.068 OPS. Wendle is showing why the Indians decided to keep him at second base and move Tony Wolters to catcher. He needs priority time at second base to develop more consistency with his defense, but the bat is looking good and has been more than expected so far between his short time in Carolina and his season at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley last year.

3. Trevor Bauer (RHP – COL): 1 GS, 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 9 K. Coming off his first start of the season in Cleveland where he struggled with his command walking 7 batters in 5.0 innings, this was a very nice rebound and he looked comfortable from pitch one on Saturday. He ran deep into some counts and still shows command issues, but his fastball was good at 91-94 MPH and his offspeed stuff was outstanding.

4. Tyler Naquin (OF – CAR): 10 G, .381 AVG, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 10 K, .994 OPS. Naquin continues to rake and show impressive bat speed and good bat to ball ability. It is early, but the walkout to strikeout rate is something that bears watching over the next several weeks to see if it levels out or continues as it has. He could be promoted to Double-A Akron at any time, but a continued poor showing with his discipline and walk rate could be enough to keep him in Carolina longer.

5. Luis Morel (RHP – LC): 2 G, 0-0, 3.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 0 HR, 0 BB, 11 K. Morel is a guy that I really liked at the conclusion of last season and is someone who I think is on the prospect periphery. The Indians would like to start him but at the moment have other arms in Lake County that have higher priority, but he could easily be inserted into the rotation as the year progresses. What’s not to like from a guy with a low 90s fastball that touches 97 MPH with a very good curveball?

6. Jeremy Hermida (OF – COL): 11 G, .297 AVG, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 7 BB, 12 K, .977 OPS. This should be expected from Hermida as he is a fringe Major League player at this point that has been productive in the big leagues. He very well might be the first outfield option the Indians call upon when a need arises.

7. Quincy Latimore (OF – AKR): 10 G, .361 AVG, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 10 K, .950 OPS. Latimore is the player the Indians acquired from the Pirates for Jeanmar Gomez and has proven quite valuable in the early going for Double-A Akron with so many regulars struggling at the plate. He is just an organizational player at this point, but has a chance to fill in at Triple-A Columbus at some point.

8. Cody Anderson (RHP – CAR): 2 GS, 2-0, 1.64 ERA, 11.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R/ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 9 K. Anderson is off to another hot start and is a prospect with big time helium potential. The Indians love his size, delivery, and stuff and feel that his fastball-cutter combination could make him a very good Major League starter down the road.

9. Chun Chen (1B – AKR): 11 G, .324 AVG, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 8 BB, 13 K, .970 OPS. The Indians have had a serious need at catcher the first two weeks of the season, but the fact they never considered moving him back to catcher in the wake of that need shows his catching days (outside of an emergency) are completely over.

10. Francisco Lindor (SS – CAR): 10 G, .324 AVG, 1 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 6 BB, 3 K, 5 SB, .878 OPS. Lindor has done it in every phase of the game so far this season. His at bats have been incredible as he is taking pitches, drawing walks, limiting strikeouts, taking good swings, and making good, hard contact, and on top of that is playing exceptional defense and stealing bases at a high rate.

11. Preston Guilmet (RHP – COL): 4 G, 0-0, 3 SV, 0.00 ERA, 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 5 K. Guilmet was once an overlooked relief prospect because he lacked any true plus stuff, but not any longer. He continues to dominate hitters as he moves up the minor league ladder and is now doing it at the highest level in the minors. He’s an immediate bullpen need for the Indians.

12. Bryson Myles (OF – CAR): 8 G, .300 AVG, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 SB, .920 OPS. Myles is one of the more noteworthy players in the Indians’ system who really needs to get off to a strong start this season, and so far he has. Coming off an inconsistent season last year where he battled some leg injuries, he needs to stay healthy and perform and to date he is showing what he can be when healthy.

13. Matt Langwell (RHP – COL): 4 G, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K. Langwell has been Mr. Consistent the past several years and just continues to perform each time out. The Indians liked what they saw from him this spring in big league camp, and he has a great chance to make it to Cleveland at some point before the end of the season.

14. Michael Peoples (RHP – LC): 2 G, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 HR, 2 BB, 9 K. Peoples is a big, projectable pitcher at 6’5” with a 90-94 MPH fastball and the arm strength to add more velocity as he matures and refines his mechanics. He really gets his ball on a good downhill plane with good sink, and is a bullpen prospect worth monitoring if his fastball command continues to improve.

15. Felix Sterling (RHP – LC): 3 G, 0-0, 2.45 ERA, 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 0 HR, 0 BB, 6 K. Everyone knows the struggles that Sterling has had in the rotation the last two years, but there is no denying his stuff as he has a powerful mid-90s fastball and good changeup. The Indians are hoping a move to the bullpen allows him to be more consistent in shorter stints.

The Bottom 10

1. LeVon Washington (OF – LC): 1 G, 3 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K. Washington had to be removed late in the first game of the season and has not been seen since. He was sent off to Arizona with an apparent lower leg injury and his return is unknown. For a player that has battled injuries throughout his Indians career, this was not the start everyone hoped for.

2. Tyler Holt (OF – AKR): 10 G, .171 AVG, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 5 BB, 11 K, .410 OPS. Holt has really struggled at the outset of the season, though thankfully there are still over 120 games to go. Even with the rough start he continues to play great defense and is considered one of the Indians best defensive outfielders.

3. Mitch Brown (RHP – LC): 2 GS, 0-1, 15.43 ERA, 4.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R/ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 5 K. Brown had a tough first start of the season where he did not make it out of the first inning because of some well-placed hits and poor defense behind him, but while the line was improved the next time out he was touched up for two homers and another four runs.

4. Jordan Smith (OF – CAR): 9 G, .158 AVG, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K, .430 OPS. The “Milk Man” has been a “Milk Dud” so far at Carolina. Tasteless jokes aside (Jordan is one of my favs), he is making an adjustment to the new league and has maintained a solid approach.

5. Danny Salazar (RHP – AKR): 3 GS, 0-3, 6.39 ERA, 12.2 IP, 16 H, 9 R/ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 13 K. Salazar has shown the power with a mid-90s fastball and piled up some good strikeout numbers, but he has been hit hard in the early going, especially the last two where he has allowed 14 hits in 7.2 innings of work.

6. Tony Wolters (C – CAR): 9 G, .188 AVG, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 12 K, .462 OPS. For whatever reason, Wolters just does not get off to good starts. Last season he hit .130 with a .390 OPS in April at Carolina, and his 12 strikeouts in 32 at bats are a sign of a guy pressing or preoccupied with his position change to catcher.

7. Corey Kluber (RHP – COL): 2 GS, 1-1, 6.57 ERA, 12.1 IP, 14 H, 9 R/ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 12 K. For a starter that is considered to be the first or second callup option to Cleveland, you would hope for a much better showing than this so far. Kluber continues to show two things: he can get a strikeout, but he also gives up a lot of hits.

8. Jorge Martinez (OF – LC): 9 G, .219 AVG, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 11 K, .531 OPS. Martinez has struggled a lot both offensively and defensively in the early going. He has yet to walk but has 11 strikeouts in 32 at bats, and he is still a work in progress in the outfield as he has four errors already. He is a project for sure, but the early returns are disappointing.

9. Mike McDade (1B – COL): 10 G, .229 AVG, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 15 K, .593 OPS. McDade had a nice showing in spring training, but so far he has been forgettable at Triple-A Columbus with 15 strikeouts in 35 at bats and hardly looks like an option in Cleveland and could be waiver wire fodder later in the season if he doesn’t turn things around.

10. Tim Fedroff (OF – COL): 12 G, .229 AVG, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 12 K, .538 OPS. Like most of the players in the Triple-A Columbus lineup, Fedroff is off to a very cold start. To stay relevant to the Indians he needs to continue to perform and overachieve, otherwise other outfielders like Jeremy Hermida could jump him in the pecking order to Cleveland (if that hasn’t happened already).

Around the Farm: April 16, 2013
T.J. House (photo: MILB)By Andrew Zajac

April 17, 2013 ShareThis

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday’s performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday’s game.

Note: The Columbus Clippers game was cancelled due to rain.

SP T.J. House, Akron Aeros: (W, 1-1) 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER/R, 9 K: In what was a masterful outing by House, this might be the springboard House needed to take the next step forward as a prospect. House has been considered by many as one of the top pitching prospects in the Indians' farm system for quite some time, but he's had quite an up and down career. If he can continue to be as brilliant as he was tonight, he can start living up to the hype.

1B Leonardo Castillo, Lake County Captains: 3-5, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, E: At just eighteen years of age, Castillo is a player who is quickly catching the eyes of many. He was labeled as a "prospect on the rise" and a "sleeper" prior to the season, and so far, he's lived up to most of that. He's been known for his defensive abilities and versitility, but his bat has been impressive as well.

•CF Tyler Holt, Akron Aeros: 1-4, R, RBI, BB, K, SB: Early season struggles have plagued Holt to this point in mid-April, but he played a big role in the Aeros win. Holt has failed to find consistency offensively for the Indians since being drafted, and it's allowing others to pass him by who have a similar skill-set.

•2B Jose Ramirez, Akron Aeros: 1-4, 2B, RBI, SB: Hitless in his past four of five games, Ramirez got out of the funk with a solid double, run batted in, and stolen base. This is really the first time in two years that he has struggled. Perhaps stamina is an issue, as he hasn't had an extended break since the beginning of last season

[ I don't think so. I believe he has to see the league pitchers at least one time around plus get used to the league. He should be used to seeing multiple pitchers in one game since they change pitchers often in one game during the winterball season. It's not unusual for Ramirez to face 2, 3, or even 4 pitchers in one winterball league game. If he keeps hitting the ball hard, the hits will start falling again. ]

•1B Jesus Aguilar, Akron Aeros: 0-3, R, BB, K: Aguilar's five game hitting streak came to an end, but he still managed to get on base and cross the plate in the Aeros victory. Aguilar will only go as far as his power can take him, but he seems to be improving his pitch selection at the plate, which has been his big knock.

•C Chris Wallace, Akron Aeros: 0-3, RBI, BB, 2 K: In his first game with his new team, Wallace went hitless, but contributed with a RBI.

•SS Ronny Rodriguez, Akron Aeros: 2-3, R, 2B, RBI: Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to five games on Tuesday and is a prospect who I'm very high on. The only question for the talented middle infielder is whether or not he has a position going forward.

•RP Shawn Armstrong, Akron Aeros: IP, H, 2 K: One of the most intriguing bullpen arms in the farm system, Armstrong is a guy who you can see in Cleveland soon. He should be the next in line to the solid bullpen arms the Indians have produced over the past two years.

•CF Tyler Naquin, Carolina Mudcats: 0-3, R, 2 BB, 3 K: The good news is, despite Naquin going hitless, he drew two walks. The bad news: All three outs he made were strikeouts. Still, the name of the game is getting on base, and while you'd like to see his selection better, this will happen to a young hitter.

•SS Francisco Lindor, Carolina Mudcats: 2-5, 2 K: After going 0-9 in his past three games, Lindor broke out of his mini slump and went back on track. He continues to be extremely impressive in all facets of the game. The big thing with Lindor this year will be to see if he can continue to play as well as he has offensively from beginning-to-end of the season.

•2B Joe Wendle, Carolina Mudcats: 1-3, RBI: Joe Wendle is one of the hottest hitters in the Cleveland farm system. After Tuesday's game, he's hitting .415. He's certainly a sleeper prospect in this organization, but has a rock-solid skill-set that has progressed with him in the early levels. The big question will be what happens when he moves up to the better pitchers in Double and Triple A.

•1B Jerrud Sabourin, Carolina Mudcats: 1-4, R: Named Indians Minor League Player of the Week, Sabourin didn't skip a beat, and is now hitting .417. He's certainly not a major prospect with the Indians, but continues to make himself an interesting watch, as he seems to hit everything.

•CF Luigi Rodriguez, Lake County Captains: 2-5, 2 R, RBI, K: Rodriguez is a guy who flies under the radar for many and someone who I consider a sleeper in our farm system. He may have the best RAW tools in the entire system, but just can't seem to put the bat on the ball with any consistency. If he can polish off his tools, he could be special.

•SS Dorssys Paulino, Lake County Captains: 2-4, R, RBI, BB, K, E: After coming out to a slow start, Paulino has picked it up as of late offensively. The down side is he committed his fourth error on the season already, which is something he's been knocked for in the past. Is it only a matter of time before he moves positions, or can Paulino become a skilled shortstop. The offense will always be there.

•RF Logan Vick, Lake County Captains: 3-5, R, 2 RBI, 2 K: The Captains had an offensive onslaught on Tuesday and Logan Vick played a huge part of that. He is an intriguing prospect that continually gets overlooked, but has been playing well of late.

•RP Josh Martin, Lake County Captains: (W, 1-1) 2.1 IP, H, K: After getting his season started pretty rough, Martin rebounded nicely and gave the Captains quality innings.

•RP Felix Sterling, Lake County Captains: IP, K: Sterling continues to impress early on and if he keeps it up, his stock as a prospect will rise quickly. He had a similar start to his year in 2012, but as a starter. The key with the electric Sterling will be his consistency.

BA notes these lines from Tuesday games:

CLE AA Ramirez, Jose 2B 4 0 1 1 .261 2B (1), SB (2)
CLE AA Rodriguez, Ronny SS 3 1 2 1 .268 2B (1)
CLE HiA Lindor, Francisco SS 5 0 2 0 .333
CLE LoA Paulino, Dorssys SS 4 1 2 1 .267 BB (2)
CLE LoA Rodriguez, Luigi CF 5 2 2 1 .250

The 3 A's on the mound; all were drafted in 2011 in later rounds and signed for early round money

LE AA Armstrong, Shawn 1 1 0 0 0 2 1.80
CLE HiA Anderson, Cody 5 4 2 2 4 2 2.25
CLE MAJ Allen, Cody 3 4 0 0 1 6 3.86

Clippers got shellacked; someone named Martinez started and was bombed for 6 runs. A couple shutuout innings for Huff, 1 by Barnes. There really are no position players here of any interest.

Akron won 10-6. Lousy Tyler Holt with 4 singles, Jose Ramirez 2 hits. Jesus Aguillar continues to drive in runs with singles: 2 singles, 4 rbi (that's 17 rbi in 13 games!). Giovanny Ursehala with a 2run homer. Perpetual Aero Bryce Stowell fans 3 in 1 inning.

Carolina lost 6-2. Naquin a single; wolters a double and walk; Lindor day off; Joe Wendle double, 2 walks 419/491/581

Lake County holding a 4-1 lead. Only 2 hits for the Captains through 6; 9 walks help. Nellie Rodriguez with 2 of them, that makes 11 (and 11 K_) in 10 games.
Ryan Merritt 6-5-1-1-0-4

Boxes for all the games:

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.js ... x&sid=milb

Aguilar's 17 rbi's leads the Eastern League.