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| Recent Blog Post: Interesting Spring Performances, Part One: The NL |
| As spring training ambles nonchalantly towards the finish line, it's always fun to take a look at spring stats to see who really jumps off the page and might be making some kind of statement or other.
Now this being spring training, caveats abound. The sample sizes are tiny. The quality of competition, defense and field conditions are erratic at best. More often than not pitchers aren't particularly trying to get anybody out. And did I mention the sample sizes are tiny? But even with all that, it's human nature to try and tease some kind of signal out of all that noise, so what the hell. If a club has an opening, or a plausible path to an opening, then a big spring can allow an otherwise unheralded player to seize a role. And every once in a blue moon some guy comes along and puts up ridiculous numbers and turns out to be Albert Pujols and not all the other guys who put up ridiculous spring training numbers in 2001.
Since there are 15 players in each league now, I've sifted through and listed 30 interesting players (15 AL, 15 NL) who did interesting things this spring. Note that I said 'interesting'. Clayton Kershaw striking out a lot of guys is not interesting, it's expected. And fascist (contractually required Bull Durham joke - check). Mark DeRosa is not interesting as a fantasy player no matter how well he's hitting, although I'm sure that doesn't reflect on him as a person. Also note that I didn't pick one player per team, because some clubs had excruciatingly boring spring trainings (coughCubscough).
Here's the NL crew:
Adam Eaton, Ari: Poor, poor Adam Eaton. He goes out and hits .390/.403/.542, becomes everybody's trendy darling, shoots up draft boards and then hurts his elbow to sideline him for at least the first month of the season. For the record, though, there were indications he wasn't going to set the world on fire even if he hadn't gotten hurt. One walk in 59 spring at-bats isn't exactly leadoff material, nor is three steals in seven tries. If you were hell-bent on landing him, the injury might be a blessing in disguise.
Evan Gattis, Atl: If you don't know who Evan Gattis is, he's basically the Kwai Chang Caine of baseball. He gave up a college scholarship to try and get his head straight, went to junior college and injured his knee, then quit the game and wandered the west trying to find himself and probably solving crimes or something. He finally picked up a bat again in 2010 and this time it stuck, and he got drafted by the Braves and tore it up in the minors last year. He's still tearing it up, hitting .388/.404/.796 this spring, and with Brian McCann starting the season the shelf he might win a bench spot as a backup catcher and utility masher (a role that might become more common in the NL now that interleague play is scattered all across the schedule). Yeah, the zero walks and 13 K's aren't good, but if you aren't rooting for him to make the club (and/or his life story to become a Ryan Gosling vehicle) then you just have no soul at all, no sirree.
Julio Teheran, Atl: 35 strikeouts against nine walks in 26 spring innings. That, folks, is how you force your way into a major league rotation. Teheran was the Braves' best pitching prospect headed into last year but had a bumpy ride which, after the fact, got attributed to mechanical issues which he's since cleared up. He's done nothing this spring to prove that theory wrong, and with a spot open thanks to Brandon Beachy's Tommy John surgery Teheran has stepped up big-time. He might falter again of course, but he also might win Rookie of the Year.
Devin Mesoraco, Cin: Ah, the life of a youngster under the baleful eye of Dusty Baker. Mesoraco got his first crack at the majors last year and struggled, but he struggled in his first look at Triple-A in 2010 as well and that turned out pretty well the following year. His .406/.472/.688 line this spring, as well as a strong 2:3 BB:K ratio in 32 at-bats, hints that 2013 might turn out pretty well too, except that the Reds went out and got Miguel Olivo to caddy for the reliably vanilla Ryan Hanigan in case Dusty decides he don't trust no damn kids behind the damn plate. Mesoraco should probably still beat out Olivo for a roster spot but unless he hits like Johnny Bench right out of the gate (or, better, wears a Bench retro jersey to try and fool Dusty) playing time could be hard to come by. Still, as an upside play in deep two-catchers leagues, he's probably one of your best bets.
Rex Brothers, Col: His name makes him sound like the chief surgeon on a hospital-themed soap opera ("Rex, I'm having your baby!"), but he's actually a former first round pick and the duly annointed Rockies Closer of the Future. Rafael Betancourt is their Closer of the Right This Second, but hands up anyone who thinks a) Betancourt will stay healthy all year, b) Betancourt will stay effective all year, and c) Betancourt won't get dealt for something vaguely prospect-like at the deadline if the a) and b) parlays come through. Brothers' 11:2 K:BB ratio in seven spring innings (to go along with a 0.00 ERA and just five hits and two walks allowed) just reinforce that he's ready for the job, and really the only thing that might stop him from getting the closer gig in Betancourt's absence is that the Rockies might try Matt Belisle instead.
Yasiel Puig, LA: Suddenly Yoenis Cespedes doesn't look so special, does he? The 21-year-old Puig fled Cuba, signed a big deal with the Dodgers, didn't look out of place in High-A at the end of last year and was assumed to be ticketed for Double-A this season. Then he goes out and hits .527/.509/.855 in his first spring training, and the Dodgers secretly start hoping maybe Carl Crawford doesn't recover so quick after all. Alas, Crawford's elbow looks like he'll be fine for Opening Day, and with three pricey, veteran outfielders on the roster El Naturale will probably have to bide his time in the minors before getting a chance to show what he's really made of. That OBP is no typo, by the way. Puig's got a 0:10 BB:K ratio in 55 spring at-bats, which is fine when you're putting up video game numbers every time you swing the bat but might be a bit of a problem over the long haul. Then again his plate discipline wasn't an issue in the minors last year, so maybe this is more a case of a player seeing beachballs than something Puig needs to work on a lot.
A.J. Ramos, Mia: Steve Cishek is the closer for the Marlins and has been plenty effective the last couple of years, but in Miami being effective just paints a big trade bullseye on your back. Ramos is actually a year older than Cishek but is just now getting to the majors after striking out everything in sight the last couple of years at High-A and Double-A. His 11:0 K:BB ratio in eight spring innings is more of the same, and if Cishek for whatever reason ends up out of the saves picture then Ramos seems like the kind of high octane arm to become the Marlins' next tradable asset. Umm, I mean closer.
Christian Yelich, Mia: While the Marlins sort out a bunch of fringy riff-raff to man their non-Stanton outfield spots, their top hitting prospect scorched the spring to the tune of .364/.451/.818 and an impressive 6:7 BB:K ratio. Another organization worried about quaint, antiquated notions like fan loyalty and winning ballgames might think about giving Yelich a job this April, but since he was only in High-A last year the club will send him to Double-A and wait long enough before calling him up to save a year on his arbitration clock. Assuming they don't just wait until mid-season 2014, of course.
BONUS PLAYER! Speaking of Giancarlo Stanton, he's hitting .379/.472/.655. That's not the interesting part though; it's his 6:2 BB:K ratio in 29 at-bats, and 10:5 ratio in 46 at-bats including his work in the WBC, that gets you wondering what kind of numbers he might put up if his strikeouts drop into the double digits...
Khris Davis, Mil: The Brewers' attrition at first base has left them looking at giving the position to Alex Gonzalez because, hey, moving an aging shortstop to first base worked with Ernie Banks that one time, right? It's a terrible idea, but until Corey Hart gets healthy the team didn't really see any other options. Davis, who's yet another bat-first Brewers prospect, hit .294/.345/.667 in 51 at-bats with six home runs and did his best to give them that other option. He might still end up back in Triple-A to begin the season, and Hart should be back sometime in May anyway, but if Davis does win a bench spot and Gonzalez shockingly proves not to be the answer at first base there could be an opening for the kid.
Matt Harvey, NYM: Harvey's hardly a secret, which makes him somewhat less interesting, but racking up a 29:7 K:BB ratio in 23.1 spring innings the first time you know you have a job locked up does wonders for cementing your status as the next big thing. If you miss out on one of the big seven elite starters, Harvey's a very nice consolation prize.
Domonic Brown, Phi: He's basically had a full season worth of at-bats over three seasons now with disappointing results, but busting out for a .368/.429/.671 spring and launching seven home runs in 76 at-bats nicely fans those last dying embers of his prospect status. Plus, having Delmon Young as your main competition for playing time pretty much guarantees that you'll get a chance at some point to run with a starting job. Brown might just be a late bloomer, or he might never meet the expectations created by his minor league performance, but either way it's still fairly cheap to find out if this is the year he finally does something useful.
Jonathan Galvez, SD: Everyone knows the story by now. The Padres need a second baseman, so in comes one of their top prospects to hit the cover off the ball this spring and seize the job... wait, no, that was Jedd Gyorko, and his .283/.306/.517 line is actually kind of limp next to Galvez's .375/.409/.550 performance. So why is Gyorko breaking camp as a starter while Galvez has to go ride buses some more? Well, Gyorko's already proven himself against Triple-A pitching while Galvez had some injury issues that cut into his counting stats at Double-A last year (although his slash line was still solid). If Chase Headley's own injuries force Gyorko back over to third base though, and Galvez continues hitting well in the minors, the Padres might find themselves with two rookies on their infield this season.
Brandon Belt, SF: Pretty much everything I said about Domonic Brown applies to Belt, except that he actually hit OK in the majors last year, has even less competition for playing time than Brown does, and his .433/.460/.900 (yes, NINE HUNDRED) spring line is even more impressive. Heck, he's hit as many home runs this spring as he did in the entire 2012 regular season. Brown might be the mayor of Posthypesleeperville, but Belt is the governor of the state of New Posthypesleepershire. I mean, what are the Giants going to do to deny him a starting spot this year, trade for Justin Morneau? Wait, I probably shouldn't give Brian Sabean ideas. Scratch that.
Michael Wacha, StL: Wacha seems to be good at this pitching thing. 40:4 K:BB ratio in 21 innings across three levels in his pro debut last year, then 15:1 in 11.2 spring innings, is about as dominant as you can get. The Cardinals haven't yet decided whether they want him in the rotation or bullpen long-term, but between Jason Motte's suddenly-balky elbow and an unsettled fifth starter spot there could be plenty of openings for St. Louis' latest high-K wunderkind. Plus his name sounds like the noise you make when you're flailing in the air after watching a really cool martial arts flick, which has to count for something.
Anthony Rendon, Was: Rendon pounded out a .375/.412/.875 line in 32 at-bats during stints of not being on the DL this spring, and assuming he can keep that up (the not being on the DL part, I mean) he'll probably force the Nationals to figure out a way to add him to the lineup much as they did with Bryce Harper last year. It may not be that hard, actually. Denard Span has his own history of failing to stay healthy to fall back on, and Danny Espinosa's left shoulder could cause him problems all year. This could be one of those problems that has a way of resolving itself.
Posted by Erik Siegrist at 3/24/2013 9:14:00 PM |
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| Comments (5) |
Recent Atlanta Braves Player News
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| RotoWire Update |
Recommendation |
| Cory Rasmus (P) ATL |
5/23/2013 |
| Rasmus made his major league debut Wednesday against the Twins, allowing two solo homers and one walk while striking out three over 1.2 innings. |
It was a long-awaited debut for the 2006 first-round draft choice, and while he had trouble with the long ball Wednesday, Rasmus will likely continue to work out of the Braves' injury-riddled bullpen at least until Jordan Walden (shoulder) returns. The 25-year-old right-hander went 7-for-7 in save chances with a 0.93 ERA and a 21:9 K/BB ratio in 19.1 innings at Triple-A Gwinnett this season prior to his promotion. |
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| B.J. Upton (OF) ATL |
5/22/2013 |
| Upton went 1-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season in Wednesday's game against the Twins. |
Upton raised his batting line to a meager .155/.246/.264 but seems to have been able to manage the shoulder issues that were nagging him. The homer was his first since April 23 so hopefully this is the power sign that he is on the upswing hitting down in the Braves' order. |
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| Evan Gattis (C) ATL |
5/22/2013 |
| Gattis went 1-for-3 with his first career grand slam in Wednesday's win over the Twins. |
Gattis took Twins starter Vance Worley deep with the bases loaded in the fourth inning to push the Braves' lead to eight runs as they completed the sweep over the Twins. After a power drought to start May, he has bounced back with three home runs and seven RBI in his last four games. |
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| Paul Maholm (P) ATL |
5/22/2013 |
| Maholm earned the win on Wednesday against the Twins allowing one unearned run on seven hits and one walk while striking out four over 7.1 innings. |
Maholm was very efficient cruising to a win over the Twins at home allowing one unearned run that reached as a result of a Chris Johnson error at third base. The win was Maholm's sixth of the season and his ERA dropped to 3.38. The 112 pitches in the outing were the most for him since April 12 against Washington. The win at home was his third of the season at home to go along with a sub-2.00 ERA. His next start is scheduled for Tuesday in Toronto. |
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| Brian McCann (C) ATL |
5/22/2013 |
| McCann is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins. |
McCann went 3-for-4 with a home run in Tuesday's game, but with the Braves playing an early afternoon game Wednesday, and McCann just two weeks removed from a lengthy DL stint, he will be held out Wednesday. Evan Gattis will get the start behind the plate for the Braves. |
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| Justin Upton (OF) ATL |
5/22/2013 |
| As expected, Upton is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins. |
Upton has opened on the bench just one other time this season, so manager Fredi Gonzalez felt it was a good time to get his left-fielder a day off with the Braves playing an early game Wednesday. Jordan Schafer will get the start in Upton's place. |
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| Andrelton Simmons (SS) ATL |
5/22/2013 |
| Simmons is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins. |
Simmons, who saw a four-game hitting streak come to an end Tuesday, will open on the bench Wednesday for the first time since May 12. Ramiro Pena will get the start at shortstop in his place. |
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| Evan Gattis (C) ATL |
5/21/2013 |
| Gattis hit a two-out, pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning off Twins closer Glen Perkins on Tuesday to send the game into extra innings. |
It was his ninth home run of the season, but he has had just one at-bat in each of his last four games, two of which have resulted in home runs. It appears, at least for now, that the Braves plan to use Gattis primarily as perhaps the league's most deadly pinch-hitter. Still, if he keeps mashing, they will be forced to find ways to get his bat in the lineup more often -- though it won't be every day. |
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| Tim Hudson (P) ATL |
5/21/2013 |
| Hudson pitched five innings Tuesday around a 1.5-hour rain delay, surrendering two earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts against the Twins. |
The delay forced the teams to leave the field with Hudson on the mound in the third, yet he was able to come back out to finish his start. Hudson had given up 11 earned runs over 8.2 total innings in his last two starts, so even though this doesn't look like a great start, it's encouraging to think that it might have been had the delay not halted the action. He will face Toronto on Monday and should have a two-start week on tap. |
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| Brandon Beachy (P) ATL |
5/21/2013 |
| Beachy (elbow) will make his next rehab start Friday at Triple-A Gwinnett, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. |
Beachy, who is currently on the 15-day DL, started his rehab assignment Sunday. There is a chance he could be activated earlier than expected if all goes well in his rehab starts. |
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Recent Atlanta Braves Team News
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| RotoWire Update |
| ATL |
9/23/2009 |
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5/23/2008 |
| Bobby Cox signed a one-year contract extension through the 2009 season. He had said before that he may retire after the 2008 season, but will be be paid about $3 million for 2009, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. |
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10/11/2007 |
| John Schuerholz has been promoted to team president with former assistant Frank Wren promoted to general manager, the team's official web site reports. Schuerholz had been GM since 1991 and is the only GM to win world series titles in the AL and NL (1995 with Atlanta, 1985 with Kansas City). |
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Roster
Majors
Avilan, Luis P
Ayala, Luis P(15D DL)
Beachy, Brandon P(15D DL)
Carpenter, David P
DeWitt, Blake 2B(15D DL)
Francisco, Juan 3B
Freeman, Freddie 1B
Gattis, Evan C
Gearrin, Cory P
Heyward, Jason OF
Hudson, Tim P
Johnson, Reed OF
Johnson, Chris 3B
Kimbrel, Craig P
Laird, Gerald C
Maholm, Paul P
Martinez, Cristhian P(15D DL)
McCann, Brian C
Medlen, Kris P
Minor, Mike P
O'Flaherty, Eric P(15D DL)
Pena, Ramiro SS
Rasmus, Cory P
Schafer, Jordan OF
Simmons, Andrelton SS
Teheran, Julio P
Uggla, Dan 2B
Upton, Justin OF
Upton, B.J. OF
Varvaro, Anthony P
Venters, Jonny P(15D DL)
Walden, Jordan P(15D DL)
AAA
Boggs, Brandon OF
Buchter, Ryan P
Bullock, Billy P(Suspension)
Cedeno, Juan P
Constanza, Jose OF
Corcoran, Tim P
Fish, Robert P
Flande, Yohan P
Friday, Brian SS
Gilmartin, Sean P
Hale, David P
Janish, Paul SS
Loe, Kameron P
McCurry, Cole P
Mejia, Ernesto 1B
Obispo, Wirfin P
Pagnozzi, Matt C
Pastornicky, Tyler SS
Poveda, Omar P
Terdoslavich, Joe 3B
Yepez, Jose C
AA
Bethancourt, Christian C
Carrithers, Alden 2B
Colon, Roman P
Cunningham, Todd OF
Gosselin, Phil 2B
Graham, J.R. P(7-Day DL)
Hamren, Erik P
Henry, Sean OF
Jaime, Juan P
Jones, Mycal OF
Leonard, Joe 3B
Lugo, Jose P
Martin, Cody P
Northcraft, Aaron P
Nunez, Vladimir P
Pruneda, Benino P
Rice, Jason P
Russell, Kyle OF
Salcedo, Edward 3B
Schlehuber, Braeden C
Schlosser, Gus P
Weglarz, Nick OF
Wood, Alex P
A+
Beckwith, William 1B
Brewer, Caleb P
Kubitza, Kyle 3B
La Stella, Tommy 2B
Lipka, Matt OF
Reyes, Elmer 2B
A
Beimel, Joe P
Cabrera, Mauricio P
Perez, Carlos P
Rookie
Dalfonso, Jakob 3B
De La Rosa, Bryan C
Lopez, Robinson P
Masters, Chris P
Milligan, Adam OF
Rohrbough, Cole P
Sims, Lucas P
Suschak, Matt P
Williamson, Fabian P
Woolley, Ryan P
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