Jordan Milbrath (Photo: IBI)
Minor Happenings: Milbrath is making some impressive strides
By Tony Lastoria
May 1, 2014
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"Minor Happenings" is a bi-weekly column which recaps the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. Information in this report is compiled from my own research and through discussions with industry personnel inside and outside the Cleveland Indians organization. Unless otherwise noted, the intellectual property contained in this report is owned by IndiansBaseballInsider.com LLC, and any unauthorized reproduction of the information is prohibited.
In today’s Minor Happenings I talk about the incredible strides that right-handed pitcher
Jordan Milbrath has made in the organization since being drafted a little over 10 months ago. I also talk about catcher
Roberto Perez’s improvement, provide some comments from the front office on several of the Indians higher profile pitchers, and provide lots of insight and information on the development so far this season for players like
Carlos Moncrief, Joseph Colon, Shawn Morimando, Adam Plutko and others.
Also, in case you missed it, be sure to catch this week’s episode of “IBI on Site” that was taped at Double-A Akron. The show features a rundown of some of the top prospects in Akron, an on-air interview with shortstop Francisco Lindor and a tour of the ballpark from owner Ken Babby. There is lots of video of the park and players in action so check it out! Props to Hayden Gove for his excellent work on this project so far.
Onto the Happenings…
IBI Minor League Pitcher of the Week
(for games from April 22nd through April 28th)
Jordan Milbrath (Right-handed pitcher, Lake County)
2 G, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 8.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 HR, 2 BB, 11 K, .074 BAA
The Indians have had some really nice performances on the mound throughout their system over the past week with lots of scoreless outings, but one pitcher who continues to stand out is Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher Jordan Milbrath. He had two scoreless outings for the week and is now 1-1 with a 1.52 ERA in five appearances, and in 23.2 innings has allowed 13 hits, no homers, 8 walks and has 23 strikeouts.
Milbrath, 22, has made quite the rise in the system since being taken in the 35th round of last year’s draft out of Augustana College in Illinois. After showing flashes of his potential in limited action last year at rookie level Arizona and an end of season spot appearance at Lake County, he really came into his own in Instructional League last fall. It was there that he made some adjustments and really used the month long program to his advantage and made some exceptional strides that wowed Indians personnel in attendance and even talent evaluators for rival teams.
Since then Milbrath has taken the momentum from that strong showing in Instructs and carried it right into spring training this year and earned a spot on the Lake County pitching staff. With his 6-foot-6 frame, a fastball that gets into the mid-90s and two secondary offerings with a curveball and changeup which have the potential to be at least average offerings, the Indians are excited to see what he shows them this season. So far he has shown them everything they hoped for and then some as he is flashing 95 MPH with his fastball, he is striking out close to a batter an inning, his walk rate has been cut in half and he is giving hitters fits with the way he really leverages the baseball and keeps the ball down in the zone.
Milbrath has done a better job so far this season of getting ahead in the count and is throwing all three of his pitches for strikes. The key for him will be how he maintains his strike throwing ability and effectiveness as he progresses through the season and starts piling up innings. He does not have a lot of mound experience and has never really logged a lot of innings over the course of one season, so how he responds to fatigue and makes adjustments over the course of the season will go a long way at proving whether he is ready for the next challenge at a higher level.
For now the Indians appear content to continue to piggyback Milbrath in the starting rotation. He has only started two of his five games, but to them it doesn’t matter who starts as whether piggyback starters start or come in relief the five-day routine and game day preparation is the same. All they care about is him maintaining that routine, getting his four to five innings in and showing improvement each time out.
Honorable Mentions:
Travis Banwart (RHP, COL): 1 GS, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 HR, 3 BB, 4 K, .158 BAA
Josh Tomlin (RHP, COL): 1 GS, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 8.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 HR, 0 BB, 6 K, .214 BAA
T.J. House (LHP, COL): 1 GS, 0-0, 1.42 ERA, 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 2 K, .227 BAA
Trevor Bauer (RHP, COL): 2 GS, 2-0, 1.98 ERA, 13.2 IP, 11 H, 3 R/ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 10 K, .220 BAA
Kyle Davis (RHP, AKR): 1 GS, 1-0, 1.35 ERA, 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 9 K, .136 BAA
Joseph Colon (RHP, AKR): 2 GS, 1-0, 2.25 ERA, 12.0 IP, 10 H, 3 R/ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 8 K, .227 BAA
D.J. Brown (RHP, CAR): 1 GS, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 HR, 1 BB, 4 K, .200 BAA
Shawn Morimando (LHP, CAR): 1 GS, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 HR, 1 BB, 2 K, .091 BAA
Luis Lugo (LHP, LC): 1 GS, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 HR, 1 BB, 6 K, .100 BAA
Previous Winners:
04/10/14 to 04/21/14 - Ryan Merritt (LHP, Carolina)
04/03/14 to 04/14/14 - Duke von Schamann (RHP, Akron)
IBI Minor League Hitter of the Week
(for games from April 24th through April 30th)
Roberto Perez (Catcher, Columbus)
5 G, .500 AVG (6-12), 6 R, 0 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, 1.625 OPS
For the third week in a row a Triple-A Columbus player takes home Hitter of the Week honors, this time catcher Roberto Perez. In 16 games this season he is now hitting .409 with 4 HR, 12 RBI and 1.246 OPS, and has a nice 10-8 walk ratio to boot.
Perez, 25, has shown much more consistency with his at bats from game to game this season which in turn has brought some pretty incredible results. Just a month into the season he has already doubled his home run output for all of 2013 and 2012 combined (3 HR, 194 G, 563 AB), and his slugging percentage (.727) and isolated power (.318) are at ridiculous levels compared to his career. Obviously, as the season progresses those power numbers will decrease significantly, but after putting up a .286 slugging percentage and .086 ISO last year it looks like he has a good shot to put up around a .400 slugging percentage and .140 ISO this season which are about average. That would be a stark improvement over the below average power numbers from last season.
What is also great to see is Perez’s discipline has returned. He was always renowned for his discipline but last season saw a decent sized step back when he walked 54 times and struck out 84 times. If he is able to get closer to a 1:1 ratio with his walks and strikeouts and show average power, then he is suddenly back in the mix as a Major League catching option because his defense no doubt should be above average at the next level.
So what is the reason behind Perez’s sudden surge in performance? Well, some of it may just be luck and the results of a small season sample size, but a lot of it has to do with the quality of his at bats improving. His confidence has returned at the plate because he is able to see the ball better, something that was a problem for him last season as he was suffering through Bell’s palsy – which involves partial facial paralysis and affected his eye on the one side as he could never blink it and often had to wear a patch so he could sleep.
The condition has since gone away and the results have come, so hopefully we are seeing Perez return to form as a legit Major League backup catching option. The bat is suspect at the next level, but as long as his approach has returned and some of his power is back then a team can live with his at bats as a backup catcher playing once or twice a week seeing that he provides good defense. With Yan Gomes set to go on paternity leave any day, he very well could be an option to be added to the Cleveland roster for a few days – though the expectation is that George Kottaras will fill that spot provided he has not since elected to use his April 30th opt out clause to get out of his minor league contract with the Indians.
Honorable Mentions:
Jesus Aguilar (1B, COL): 6 G, .318 AVG (7-22), 2 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, 1.081 OPS
Carlos Moncrief (OF, COL): 5 G, .333 AVG (5-15), 3 R, 0 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K, 3 SB, .908 OPS
Francisco Lindor (SS, AKR): 6 G, .409 AVG (9-22), 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 SB, 1.004 OPS
Giovanny Urshela (3B, AKR): 5 G, .300 AVG (6-20), 3 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, .933 OPS
Tyler Naquin (OF, AKR): 5 G, .333 AVG (6-18), 6 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 3 SB, .929 OPS
Anthony Santander (OF, LC): 7 G, .370 AVG (10-27), 4 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K, 2 SB, .989 OPS
Previous Winners:
04/17/14 to 04/23/14 – Jose Ramirez (2B, Columbus)
04/03/14 to 04/16/14 - Jesus Aguilar (1B, Columbus)
Director’s Cuts
Here are some recent comments from Indians Vice President of Player Development Ross Atkins on some higher profile pitchers in the system:
On Cody Anderson: “It is tough to say, but with starting pitching there is huge value in the development and going step by step. You look at guys that have transitioned over the years in Zach McAllister and Corey Kluber, and that Triple-A level is a very important level and this will be a very important hurdle for him. He is ready for the challenge of Double-A with a mid-90s fastball and very good breaking ball and developing changeup, but he is not someone we are thinking about needs to come in and save the day for the Cleveland Indians. He is more of someone we feel like could solidify himself into being a middle of the rotation starter and we are not going to cheat the process with him.”
On Ryan Merritt, Dylan Baker, Shawn Morimando, and Cole Sulser: “[They] are all really interesting starting pitching prospects. They all have the intangibles to do it and have all shown they can strike guys out, throw the ball over the plate and not give up a ton of hits - and they have youth on their side. An interesting guy is Cole Sulser who we got in the draft last year and pretty much dominated the NY-Penn League. He is out of Dartmouth with a low 90s fastball, a real good feel to pitch, real aggressive style and puts the ball over the plate with three pitches.”
On Dace Kime and Adam Plutko: “[They] are probably going to have a lot of success. They are more than ready for that level and I would imagine that they won’t be there too long. We just want to make sure that they have a foundation as they have not pitched much in pro ball and make sure they are ready for the rigors of the five day rotation.”
Random Notes
Triple-A Columbus outfielder
Carlos Moncrief had a rough go of things early on, but he finally looks to be settling in and playing up to his standards. Through his first 14 games this season he was hitting .163 with 0 HR, 3 RBI and .451 OPS; however, in the eight games since he is hitting .385 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and .967 OPS. The hot play of late has raised his overall season numbers to a .240 batting average and .630 OPS, numbers still well below expectations but are trending upward. One concern in the early going has been the drop in walks from 10.0% last season to 7.3% this season and the increase in strikeouts from 17.8% last season to 24.4% this season. It was that walk and strikeout improvement last year which really paved the way to his success and really caught the attention of talent evaluators everywhere, so it bears watching if the early season regression with his plate discipline is him just adjusting to a new level or if his plate discipline is on the verge of a kick back this season. The incredible strides he made last season by having more professional at bats and making more consistent contact while not taking away from his power was great to see, and when you combine that with his power, athleticism and above average defense and throwing ability it makes him a very intriguing prospect for the Indians. Where his discipline goes from here is going to determine how much of a chance he gets in Cleveland and how the Indians prioritize a potential callup later in the year.
Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher
Joseph Colon is off to a solid start this season with a 1-2 record and 3.14 ERA, and in 28.2 innings he has allowed 24 hits, 1 homer, 14 walks and has 21 strikeouts. The walks may be a little high (4.4 BB/9) and the strikeouts a little low (6.59 K/9) but he has done a good job of getting groundballs (1.32 GO/AO), competing even though he has not had his best stuff and pitching deep into games as he has gone six innings in four of his five outings and has four straight quality starts. He is an underrated starting pitching prospect that the Indians have liked for some time now who has some interesting stuff but has struggled with injuries for most of his career. The Indians are hopeful for a healthy season from him to see what he can do this year at the Double-A level and potentially end up a starting pitching option for them at the big league level by the end of 2015. For that to happen he needs to hone in on his command and not only decrease his walks but the quality of his pitches around the zone and avoid so many big misses. His ability to log innings is intriguing so if he can be a little more aggressive earlier in the count the Indians believe his outings will improve, his walk rate will go down and he could pitch into and past the seventh inning on a routine basis.
High-A Carolina left-handed pitcher
Shawn Morimando really had a strong month of April and looks to have made some significant improvement with his command. In five starts he is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA, and in 28.2 innings he has allowed 21 hits, 3 homers, 5 walks and has 19 strikeouts. Not only is he limiting opposing hitters to a .196 batting average against (though helped by an extremely low .212 BABIP), he has cut his walk-rate by over two thirds since last season when he had a 5.1 BB/9 and this season has a 1.6 BB/9. His numbers will likely normalize as the season progresses as a 1.88 ERA and .212 BABIP are hard to sustain, but it is important to note that a lot of that fortune is self-driven as he is really attacking the zone, making quality pitches and just looks more like a pitcher this season rather than a thrower like he was in season's prior. His main area of focus coming into the season was to get him to cut his walk rate, something he has done exceptionally well so far, so the key will be how he maintains his command. There is no doubt about his stuff as he is now sitting at 92-93 MPH with ease, he gets good movement on his fastball and he has a wide range of secondary offerings led by an improving slider which is really turning into an out pitch for him – especially against lefties. The Indians believe his stuff is pretty refined though want to see him work his fastball better to both sides of the plate, but if he can continue make strides with his command and refine his stuff and delivery then the consistency in his outings should continue. With his early season development and having pitched all last season at Carolina, he could be moved up to Double-A Akron at any time – perhaps once the Indians call up a starter from Triple-A Columbus next week which forces a system-wide reshuffling from Columbus on down.
Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher
Adam Plutko has had an up and down start to his season going 1-0 with a 4.43 ERA in five starts, and in 22.1 innings has allowed 21 hits, no homers, 10 walks and has 31 strikeouts. His outings have been somewhat inconsistent in the early going and he has only gone five innings in one of his five outings and allowed three or more earned runs in three of them. What is interesting is batters are only hitting .247 off of him even though they have a .382 BABIP against him, which shows that he should get even tougher on hitters once his numbers level out and the defense behind him improves. Another interesting thing is his exceptional 12.5 K/9 which is a bit of a surprise and probably not sustainable and should fall to around a strikeout an inning by midseason. But the high strikeout totals, no home runs allowed and weak contact against show that he is pitching much better than his ERA suggests - something proven by his 2.30 FIP. What has hurt him in the early going is the 10 walks and a 4.0 BB/9 rate which is rather uncharacteristic of him. He’s not a power pitcher by any means and relies more on his ability to hit his spots and throw all of his pitches for strikes. He is tough minded and has a no fear approach on the mound where he goes right after hitters to try and get weak contact early in the count. Once he cuts down on the walks the quality of his outings should improve significantly and force him up to High-A Carolina. He could be the guy who moves up whenever Shawn Morimando is promoted.
Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2014 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.
