Luigi Rodriguez (Photo: IBI)
Minor Happenings: Rodriguez finding confidence in approach
By Tony Lastoria
June 27, 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 edition of Minor Happenings, I take a look at the resurgence of High-A Carolina outfielder Luis Rodriguez and what has helped him turn his season around. I also talk about Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher Joseph Colon’s improvements and rise in ranks, provide lots of quotes from Low-A Lake County pitching coach Rigo Beltran on several of his pitchers, plus provide insight and news on players such as Francisco Lindor, Yandy Diaz, Ben Heller and more.
Also, in case you missed it, be sure to check out this week’s excellent “IBI on Site” hosted by Hayden Grove. He was at Progressive Field and had the opportunity to interview Mickey Callaway, Lonnie Chisenhall and a few Indians beat reports on camera.
Onto the Happenings…
IBI Minor League Hitter of the Week
(for games from June 19th through June 25th)
Luigi Rodriguez (Outfielder - Carolina)
.480 AVG (12-25), 8 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 2 K, 2 SB, 1.447 OPS
There were no shortage of good performances this past week as the Indians enjoyed some big weeks up and down the full season circuit and even had a few nice showings in short season ball. Audy Ciriaco continues to swing a hot bat in Columbus and Carlos Moncrief is heating up in June once again, but the one performance which stood out above them all was that of High-A Carolina outfielder Luigi Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, 21, has been on quite a hot streak of late hitting .397 with 3 HR, 8 RBI and 1.162 OPS in 18 games this month. Most notably, he has completely flipped around his walk and strikeout numbers as he has 14 walks and 11 strikeouts. There is no doubt that the much improved approach has led to much better at bats overall and a ton of confidence at the plate. His good play of late has helped him overcome a slow start to his season and he is now hitting .274 with 5 HR, 17 RBI and .803 OPS in 48 games at Carolina.
Rodriguez has struggled with injuries over the past 12 months, so now that he is getting healthy his bat seems to be coming alive again. He suffered a shoulder injury last May which sidelined him for most of the rest of the season and then it cropped up again this spring which forced him to miss some time early this season. As with any hitter, an injury to the shoulder can lead to a lack of confidence in their swing and the conviction in which they swing the bat, and it has taken some time to get over that mental block where he was confident that when he swung he would not reinjure himself.
But the biggest different for Rodriguez may be an approach that is finally starting to develop for him. He has always lacked consistency with his approach and comfort with his swing and setup at the plate, but he is showing improved pitch recognition skills over the past three to four weeks and is doing a better job of staying in the zone with his swing. Maintaining that consistency with his swing and approach will be the key for him the rest of the season and something he really need to try and solidify over the final 60 or so games.
There is no doubt that Rodriguez is one of the Indians better prospects. He has upside with the bat, runs well and is very athletic. The defense is still an area of concern and might be what ultimately holds him back unless he makes some significant strides with his jumps, instincts and route running, but for now that is a secondary concern to him proving health and showing consistency with the bat. Barring a surprise promotion due to injuries at Double-A Akron he should remain in Carolina for the remainder of the season so he can really hone in on his limitations and rebuild confidence in his game.
Honorable Mentions:
Audy Ciriaco (INF, COL): .391 AVG (9-23), 7 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K, 1.310 OPS
Roberto Perez (C, COL): .300 AVG (6-20), 4 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K, 1.041 OPS
Carlos Moncrief (OF, COL): .385 AVG (10-26), 5 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 8 K, 1 SB, 1.005 OPS
Giovanny Urshela (3B, COL): .318 AVG (7-22), 5 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, .893 OPS
Francisco Lindor (SS, AKR): .333 AVG (6-18), 2 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0 BB, 6 K, 1.038 OPS
Anthony Gallas (OF, AKR): .368 AVG (7-19), 0 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 3 K, .824 OPS
LeVon Washington (OF, CAR): .455 AVG (10-22), 5 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K, 1.045 OPS
Joe Sever (INF, CAR): .400 AVG (12-30), 3 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 SB, .921 OPS
Yandy Diaz (3B, CAR): .387 AVG (12-31), 4 R, 3 2B, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K, .908 OPS
Todd Hankins (INF, CAR): .348 AVG (8-23), 6 R, 0 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K, 4 SB, .901 OPS
Nellie Rodriguez (1B, LC): .313 AVG (5-16), 2 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K, 1.101 OPS
Grant Fink (INF, LC): .333 AVG (7-21), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 8 K, 1.036 OPS
Eric Haase (C, LC): .313 AVG (5-16), 2 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K, .978 OPS
Logan Vick (OF, LC): .333 AVG (5-15), 2 R, 0 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K, .908 OPS
Drake Roberts (INF, MV): .381 AVG (8-21), 3 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 SB, .995 OPS
Emmanuel Tapia (1B, AZL): .333 AVG (5-15), 3 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K, 1.067 OPS
Previous Winners:
06/05/14 to 06/18/14 – Tyler Naquin (OF, Akron)
05/29/14 to 06/04/14 – Audy Ciriaco (INF, Columbus)
05/22/14 to 05/28/14 – Tyler Holt (OF, Akron/Columbus)
05/15/14 to 05/21/14 – Claudio Bautista (2B, Lake County)
05/08/14 to 05/14/14 – Paul Hendrix (SS, Lake County)
05/01/14 to 05/07/14 – Matt Carson (OF, Columbus)
04/24/14 to 04/30/14 – Roberto Perez (C, Columbus)
04/17/14 to 04/23/14 – Jose Ramirez (2B, Columbus)
04/03/14 to 04/16/14 - Jesus Aguilar (1B, Columbus)
IBI Minor League Pitcher of the Week
(for games from June 17th through June 23rd)
Joseph Colon (Right-handed pitcher – Akron)
2 GS, 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 15.0 IP, 15 H, 3 R/ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 8 K
Over the past month it has been the Lugo and Colon show here at the IBI. That is because over the past five weeks Low-A Lake County left-hander Luis Lugo and Double-A Akron right-hander Joseph Colon have won all of the weekly Pitcher of the Week awards.
Colon, 24, is in the midst of his finest season as a pro. In 15 starts he is now 7-4 with a 2.84 ERA, and in 88.2 innings he has allowed 79 hits, 4 homers, 29 walks and has 58 strikeouts. He has been at 90-94 MPH with his fastball and gets it up to 96-97 MPH when he reaches back for extra, but strikeouts are not part of his game (5.9 K/9) because of his pitch to contact approach. He has averaged six innings an outing this season and has maintained a solid 2.9 BB/9 rate to go along with a nice heavy sinker that produces a good amount of groundballs and quick outs.
The command of all of Colon’s pitches has been improved by a focus this season on his mechanics and improving his rhythm on the mound. He has been working to develop the consistency of his changeup this season and continues to make incremental strides with it, and his curveball is another pitch he has worked to develop more confidence and consistency in. Finding that go-to secondary offering is key for him as even if he is throwing 75-80% sinkers he still needs something else to keep hitters honest and change what they are seeing.
The durability is probably the most encouraging thing that Colon has shown this season. The injuries have been something that have held him back for most of his career and now that he has been able to stay on the field without an interruption due to injury his performance and overall development have really started to come together and solidify themselves. This in turn has also solidified his prospect status and as a guy who, barring injury these next few months, should find his way onto the 40-man roster this offseason.
The Indians need starters and with Danny Salazar struggling this season and Justin Masterson banged up there is an outside shot he could be an option in Cleveland if the Indians have any more injuries and decide to pass on veterans Kyle Davies and Travis Banwart for short-term fill in options (or don’t make a trade). However, the Indians are unlikely to push Colon to the big leagues unless out of a complete act of desperation because he is probably better served to stay in the controlled environment of the minors this season and work to finish off his development. A promotion to Triple-A Columbus at some point this season is not out of the question.
Honorable Mentions:
Kyle Davies (RHP, COL): 1 GS, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R (0 ER), 0 HR, 2 BB, 1 K
Travis Banwart (RHP, COL): 2 GS, 0-0, 1.86 ERA, 9.2 IP, 12 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 HR, 1 BB, 11 K
Gabriel Arias (RHP, AKR): 1 GS, 0-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 9 K
Will Roberts (RHP, AKR): 1 GS, 1-0, 2.25 ERA, 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 7 K
Ryan Merritt (LHP, CAR): 1 GS, 1-0, 1.13 ERA, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 5 K
Adam Plutko (RHP, CAR): 1 GS, 0-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 0 HR, 0 BB, 6 K
Mitch Brown (RHP, LC): 1 GS, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 HR, 2 BB, 5 K
Jordan Milbrath (RHP, LC): 1 GS, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 HR, 0 BB, 4 K
Dace Kime (RHP, LC): 1 GS, 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 8 K
Francisco Lopez (RHP, AZL): 1 G, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 HR, 2 BB, 6 K
Casey Shane (RHP, AZL): 1 GS, 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 6 K
Previous Winners:
06/03/14 to 06/16/14 – Luis Lugo (LHP, Lake County)
05/27/14 to 06/02/14 – Luis Lugo (LHP, Lake County)
05/20/14 to 05/26/14 – Joseph Colon (RHP, Akron)
05/13/14 to 05/19/14 – Robbie Aviles (RHP, Lake County)
05/06/14 to 05/12/14 – Adam Plutko (RHP, Lake County)
04/29/14 to 05/05/14 - Robbie Aviles (RHP, Lake County)
04/22/14 to 04/28/14 - Jordan Milbrath (RHP, Lake County)
04/10/14 to 04/21/14 - Ryan Merritt (LHP, Carolina)
04/03/14 to 04/14/14 - Duke von Schamann (RHP, Akron)
Coach’s Corner
I recently sat down with Low-A Lake County pitching coach Rigo Beltan and we talked about a few of the pitchers on his staff. Here are his comments…
On Robbie Aviles: “For me I never really worked with him prior to this year, but one of the things we really focused on during spring training which really helped him was making sure that his mechanics in his delivery improved a little bit. He was a guy who kind of threw across his body and never really had his full extension off his back leg. In spring training we really focused on keeping a straighter line and better hips and backside direction to home plate. That has really freed him up and allowed him to maximize his delivery with a lot of success. He is a guy who just pounds the zone and attacks hitters.”
On Mitch Brown: “For him just being so young at 19 years old in this league he did probably get off to a bad start, but with him one of the biggest things I have focused on with him is teaching him how to slow the game down because there were times where he would walk a guy and one walk would lead to two and then two would lead to three and he would have a difficult time working out of trouble. This year he has done better on the mental side of the game controlling his emotions. He has learned how to do that, and because of that he has been able to compete and is now able to go deeper into games.”
On Dace Kime: “Coming into his first season his first year out of the draft there were some mechanical changes that were made. Those mechanical changes are the first year he has brought them into a season, and he was trying to compete with the mechanical changes at the professional level and it took him a while to figure it out. Now he is starting to figure out and understand his mechanics, and now that he is more comfortable with better rhythm and timing in his delivery we are starting to see the results and start to see the ability and why he was a third rounder. We are just making sure he gets a better backside drive and hip direction toward the plate. He is a guy who was kind of flying open and was putting himself in a bad position to throw the ball. Now he is able to repeat his arm slot and is able to command the ball better with the lower half adjustment.”
On Jordan Milbrath: “What I like about him is he always wants to get better. Day in and day out he comes in here and is a hard worker and is open to new ideas. I like the way his arm works and I like his height. He is a good athlete for as tall as he is. I see a lot of upside in him and potential. He is another guy who just needs to get out there and get innings and constant repetition so he starts learning how to pitch as far as understanding pitch sequences with when to use his fastball and when to use his changeup. That comes with experience. I really like that guy a lot.”
On Luis Lugo: “The biggest thing with him is just trusting his fastball and cleaning up his delivery. He was a guy who kind of kept flying open and could not have a consistent arm slot. Now he has cleaned up his arm action from the backside and is keeping his font side closed. Just with those two minor adjustments he has been able to take off. I know he only throws his fastball 88-92 MPH but it plays a lot harder and he throws a lot of fastballs by people, has really developed his changeup and right now we are really trying to sharpen up those breaking ball pitches. He definitely has some deception not only with his front side but with his height. Because of his height he creates a good downhill plane to the ball. With that deception and downhill plane he gets a lot of swing and miss with his fastball.”
Random Notes
Double-A Akron shortstop Francisco Lindor suffered a minor injury in Wednesday’s game where a groundball skipped up on him and hit him in the face. He was taken out of the game for precautionary reasons and underwent X-rays and a CT scan in the clubhouse, and on Thursday it was revealed that he suffered a nondisplaced nasal fracture and will miss about 7-10 days. The Indians may have caught a break as the ball just missed his eye, an injury that could have been much more devastating and really affected the short term plans of the organization. He is still expected to be back before the All Star break and should participate in the third consecutive Future’s Game that he was elected to this week and is played on Sunday July 13th. He is having another good season hitting .283 with 6 HR, 43 RBI, 19 stolen bases and .770 OPS in 72 games and continues to play excellent defense and provide great leadership on the field. This small setback should not affect any future plans with him at Triple-A Columbus or Cleveland. He will probably finish the season at Akron and take part in their playoff run and then has a good chance to be a September callup to Cleveland when rosters expand that month in order to break him in at the big league level to prepare for a much more expanded role there next season.
High-A Carolina third baseman Yandy Diaz has settled in quite well after missing two months with a hand injury. Diaz broke his hand in the first inning of the first game of the season sliding into third base and and returned to the lineup on June 5th and in 18 games he is hitting .304 with 0 HR, 8 RBI and .722 OPS. He is still getting his feel for hitting back and his timing down, so he has yet to show the good power that he displayed in spring training when he blistered balls all over the field. He was signed earlier this year as a defector out of Cuba and what impressed the Indians the most about him are his impressive hitting instincts. He has good bat speed and the ball explodes off his bat which projects him to have at least solid average power, but he is more of a line drive hitter who just pounds the gaps to pile up extra base hits. He was an outfielder in Cuba but the Indians are trying to develop him first as a third baseman because he has the arm and athleticism to handle the position, though there is uncertainty whether he has the hands to play there. He will be a project at the position and there will no doubt be some growing pains there, but the Indians are committed to him there to see if he can stay on the dirt before considering a move back to the outfield. He is an offensive oriented player who can also run a little bit and is no doubt one of the most exciting prospects to watch at Carolina right now.
Low-A Lake County right-handed reliever Ben Heller is having a banner season and is establishing himself as one of the Indians better relief pitching prospects in the lower levels of their system. In 25 appearances he is 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA, and in 32.2 innings has allowed 16 hits, 3 homers, 15 walks and has piled up 54 strikeouts. His ability to get a lot of swing and miss and limit good contact when hitters do make contact has been impressive. He is fearless on the mound and goes right after hitters by attacking the zone and has done a better job this season of getting ahead in the count. While he is armed with a mid-90s fastball that reaches 96 MPH when he reaches back for extra, it is the late life of his ball and the movement which makes his fastball so effective. He also mixes in a split-changeup and has a developing slider, but while both have potential to be an average Major League offering they are both still inconsistent and below average pitches. He is blowing hitters away with his fastball at the Low-A level and probably needs a challenge at a higher level at High-A Carolina in order to challenge him to work on developing his secondary offerings and refine his command.
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.
