August 2009 - Posts

• Prospect of the Week August 17 - August 23: Amaury Rivas

  Posted Aug 28 2009, 09:36 PM by Ryan Topp

  Better late than never, this is last week's Prospect of the Week, soon to be followed by next week's....
  

  RHP Amaury Rivas

  Rivas is following up a very solid 2008, which he split between low A West Virginia and high A Brevard county, with a very impressive 2009, and he looks like another legitimate pitching prospect for the Brewers in the low minors. Rivas was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2005, got off to something of a slow start that year but did better in 2006 until an elbow injury ended his season. He was able to come back quickly from Tommy John surgury, pitching some in 2007 and then established himself as recovered in 2008.
  

  Last week he went 6 innings, allowed only 3 hits and one run while striking out 10 and only walking one. So far this year Rivas has pitched 128 innings, struck out 120 batters while walking only 41. Batters are hitting only .215 off of Rivas,  his 1.12 WHIP suggests that his 2.74 ERA is perfectly legitimate and he has improved his groundball rate from 2008. Hard to find many flaws in his stats.

  According to Baseball America, Rivas throws consistently in the 91-92 MPH range with good movement and has the ability to get it up to 95 when the situation calls for it. He has a slider with great potential and is trying to develop a change to round out the repertoire. BA believes his future is as a big league setup man, though one imagines that if he could harness that third pitch, he could profile as high as a 3rd starter. The jump to AA should help us get a better feel for where Rivas future lies, but regardless of whether it is in the rotation or the pen Rivas is an exciting young arm in a system that needs as many of them as it can get.

  Three Up

  RHP Cody Scarpetta: It's been a somewhat up and down season for Scarpetta this year and last week he was up again, allowing only 4 hits and 2 runs in 11 2/3 innings for the Timber Rattlers. He also struck out 10 while walking 4. His season ERA is down to 3.39, his WHIP is 1.30 and he's allowing only a .213 batting average. He'll have to move quickly, as he's already on the 40 man roster, but his stuff is good enough to pitch in the upper half of a playoff rotation.
  

  C Cameron Garfield: The slump appears to be over for Garfield, a high school second round pick of the Brewers this season already playing at Helena. He went 6 for 21 with a double, HR and 2 walks. Not bad for a guy who turned 18 in May playing against mostly older competition.
  

  RHP Seth Litnz: Lintz has been a bit better of late, which is why he's being mentioned here despite pitching only 2 innings last week. Since his appearance on the 31st of July, Lintz has pitched 13 innings, allowed 12 hits, 4 runs and struck out 9. Of course he also allowed 8 walks, which is his big problem considering he's given up 36 of them in 3 2/3 innings. If he can straighten out the command issues, he's got the stuff to be a big league pitcher. Fortunately he won't turn 20 until this off season, so there is plenty of time to improve.
  

  Three Down

  RHP Alexandre Periard: Periard is rehabbing from an injury that cost him much of this season, and hit a snag last week when he allowed 8 ER in 4 2/3 innings over two starts. His walks are up (12 in 21 IP at Brevard so far) but hopefully that is a result of rust more than anything else.
  

  OF Lorenzo Cain: Cain is still trying to get going after missing the first part of the season to injury. He was 2 for 20 last week with no walks and no extra base hits. The most rosy hopes for him coming into 2009 were that he would show he was ready to take over in center for Mike Cameron in 2010, but a .632 OPS in AA this year is showing exactly the opposite.
  

  RHP Kyle Heckathorn: The flamethrower from Kennesaw St. was taken in the compensation round of this June's draft, and got off to something of a slow start in Helena after signing late. Last week he allowed 7 hits and 4 runs in 4 1/3 innings over 2 starts, and only struck out one. Fortunately, he's already made another start this week and showed a bit of what he could do, allowing 2 hits, no walks and no runs in 4 innings while striking out 3. Long term Heckathorn is more likely ticked for the pen than the rotation, but the Brewers are taking a look at him to see what he can do and also getting him some innings.
  

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• Prospect of the Week August 10 - August 16: Nick Tyson

  Posted Aug 19 2009, 06:57 PM by BrewerTron

  Nick Tyson RHP

  After posting an 8.74 ERA in 2008, things could only get better for Nick Tyson in 2009.  Sometimes repeating a level can really help a minor league pitcher.  Timber Rattler Nick Tyson is the prospect of the week after throwing 3 scoreless appearances.  In 7 innings Tyson allowed 4 Hits, with an 0.85 WHIP and 0 ER.  He also had 9 K's and had only 1 walk for the week.

  The Brewers selected Nick Tyson in the 32nd round out of junior college in 2006.   Last season Tyson struggled at low-A ball with an 8.74 ERA and 1.97 WHIP. Tyson has rebounded from his dismal 2008 and has a respectable 3.04 ERA this season.  Working as a reliever Tyson has held opponents to .225 BA, 1.08 WHIP and has a very solid 3 to 1 K to BB ratio in 47 innings this season.  Tyson has the best curveball in the Brewers farm system according to Baseball America.  Tyson's fastball sits in 87 to 89 range and he is developing a changeup.

  Nick Tyson isn't at the top of any Brewers prospect lists but he could continue to progress if his fastball and change up show some improvement.  Tyson is only 21, which is still relatively young for low-A ball.  Lets hope Nick Tyson's great curveball helps the Brewers more than Ben Henderickson's did.

  Three Up

  2B Brett Lawrie  Lawrie's bat is heating up with .429/.448/.679/1.127 line for the week and has been promoted to double-A Huntsville.  It will be interesting to see if Lawrie breaks the top 50 prospect list for next season.

  LHP Daniel Meadows  Meadows is having a solid season up in Appleton.  Last week Meadows allowed 3 ER in 12 innings.  He also had  9 K's and only 1 walk which is another sign of a good week.

  C Tyler Roberts  Roberts was a 10th round pick in the 2009 draft.  Last week Roberts was 10-15, had 1HR and 4 BB on the week for the Arizona rookie team.  Robert's OPS of 1.603 might be the highest I have ever seen for a Brewer prospect for a week.  He would have been the prospect of the week but I don't know much about him yet.  He is just out of high school so let hope the Brewers have something.

  Three Down

  RHP Blakeney Billings  2 1/3 IP, 11BB and 6 ER= another bad week for Billings.  Billings is not having the type of year that Brewer fans have hoped for.

  OF Erik Komatsu  Komatsu has struggled since coming back for a early season injury.  He was 2-14 last week and has low OPS of .602 on the season.

  RHP Tim Dillard  Dillard is really having a bad season if he can't get a call up with the Brewer staff in its current state.  Last week Dillard gave up 5H, 3BB, 5ER in 6 innings. Dillard might have to go back to relief pitcher.

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• Prospect of the Week August 3 - August 9: Jon Lucroy

  Posted Aug 10 2009, 04:06 PM by Ryan Topp

  C Jon Lucroy

  The Louisiana-Lafayette backstop was drafted in the third round of the 2007 draft and established himself as a legit hitter right away in 2007. He then powered his way through both low and high A last season, posting an .872 OPS and, remarkably, maintaining his power after moving to the Florida State League.

  2009 has been an up and down year for Lucroy at AA Huntsville, but last week he went 8 for 17 with a couple of doubles, a triple, a homer and a couple of walks. In the last 10 days, Lucroy is hitting .429 with 5 extra base hits and three walks, and he has his season line up to a very solid-for-a-catcher .265/.379/.411. His HR power is certainly down (8 after hitting 20 last year) but he continues to develop his already outstanding plate discipline and has walked more (63) than he has stuck out (55), which bodes well for that power to reemerge at some point.

  With fellow catching prospect Angel Salome taking a step back with the bat this year in AAA, Lucroy is positioning himself for real consideration to be the catcher-of-the-future for the Milwaukee Brewers franchise. Given the fact that Salome has struggled defensively in the past, it would not be at all surprising to see him traded to an AL club as part of a package to aquire pitching. They will need to make room for Lucroy to play everyday in AAA next season, so unless they plan on making Salome the backup at the big league level he'll have to be moved. The smart money is on Jon Lucroy being the opening day catcher in 2011, though it could happen even faster than that if he hits well next year in AAA.
  

  Three Up
  

  RHP Jose Oviedo: The Dominican Republic native was taken in the 31st round of this year's draft out of a Florida Community College, and thus far the results have been good down in the Arizona Rookie League. Oviedo threw 4 hitless innings last week, striking out 7 and walking only one. So far this year he has a 2.78 ERA in 22 2/3 innings while posting a 23:12 K:BB ratio. He's a tad old for the AZL at 21, but not outrageously so.
  

  CF Corey Patterson:  Patterson hasn't been a prospect since well before Scott Podsednik was patrolling center for the Milwaukee Brewers, but since being picked up and sent to AAA Nashville he's done too well to ignore. In 20 AB's over 5 games, Patterson is hitting .400/.455/.600. Hard to say if Patterson, who can play an excellent defensive CF, really has a future with the Brewers because he has been so bad at the major league level at getting on base (.291 OBP career) but this is still better than if he were struggling.
  

  RHP Amaury Rivas: Rivas may be old for High A (he'll be 24 in December), but his outstanding year there just got better last week with him allowing only 3 hits and no runs in 7 innings, striking out 7 while only walking one. He'll be an arm to keep an eye on next year in AA.
  

  Three Down
  

  LHP Chris Cody: After shutting down hitters to open the year in AA (2.30 ERA in 58 2/3 innings), Cody has had a not unexpected regression in AAA Nashville. Last week Cody gave up 5 runs in 6 innings and he has given up 13 runs in his last 16 innings of work. His 4.33 ERA in 68 2/3 innings at AAA shouldn't be enough for the Brewers to plan on him contibuting towards the major league squad next year, though it isn't out of the question that he could be given the opportunity.
  

  3B Taylor Green: This is starting to shape up as a year to forget for Taylor Green. The Canadian third baseman got off to a late start due to injury and after a strong start his numbers at AA Huntsville have dipped badly. Last week he was hitless in 16 AB's, though, if you're looking for a silver lining, he did walk 4 times.
  

  RHP R.J. Seidel: The La Crosse native keeps showing up on this list because he keeps having weeks worth noting. This week it's on the down side due to 8 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. Hopefully this is just Seidel getting back up to speed after losing he first half of the season to injury, because the Brewers invested 3rd round money in the 16th rounder to get him to sign.
  

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• Prospect of the Week July 27 to August 2: Mark Rogers

  Posted Aug 06 2009, 01:23 PM by BrewerTron

  RHP Mark Rogers 

  The Brewers starting rotations is desperate for help and unfortunately there is very little help to be found in the minors.  A few years ago the Brewers were counting on Mark Rogers to contribute by 2009.  Rogers, who battled through three years of shoulder surgeries, is finally healthy and trying to fulfill the promise that made him the fifth overall pick of the 2004 draft.  After allowing only 1 run in 7 1/3 innings last week with 10 K's and 2 hits in 2 appearances, Mark Rogers is our Prospect of the Week.

  The Brewers selected Rogers out of high school in 2004. Due to concern about injury risks, the Brewers decided to alter Rogers' violent cross body delivery.  The change in mechanics hurt Rogers' control, as he walked 70 batters in 98 1/3 innings in 2005 and 55 in 75 innings in 2006.  The lack of control led to a combined 5.02 ERA during those seasons.  The positive during those years was that Rogers did have impressive strikeout rates of 10 per nine innings in 2005 and 12 in 2006.  At the end of 2006, Rogers had his first several of shoulder surgeries that have sidelined him until this season.  Playing for High A Brevard County, Rogers has started to put things together with a 2.12 ERA, 48 Ks,1.22 whip and a .202 batting average against in 46 2/3 innings.  Rogers has been getting better with his control, but 24 walks is still to high for 46 2/3 innings.  It has been reported that Rogers has been hitting the mid-ninties again with his fastball at Brevard County.

  The Brewers have been placed a 50 pitch limit per outing on Mark Rogers this season to keep him healthy.  Mark Rogers was placed on the 40 man roster this offseason which surprised some Brewer fans. The Brewers must have still seen enough potential that they didn't want to expose him to the Rule 5 draft.  Health is probably the biggest determining factor if Rogers is a future starter or reliever for the Brewers.  The Brewers should be very happy about any production out of Mark Rogers because it is rare to see a guy come back from so many shoulder surgeries. 

  Three Up

  2B Mike Brownstein:  Brownstein was 10-26 and had 5 walks last week.  He posted a .483 OBP and has an excellent .436 OBP for the season at Helena.

  RHP Nike Bucci:  Bucci had another great week coming off his Pioneer League Pitcher of the Week award.  In 7 innings he allowed only 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB and 7 K's.  On the season he is holding hitters to .195 BA and has 43 K's in 47 innings.

  OF Logan Schafer  Schafer's bat was solid around the board going 10-27, 2 2B, 1 HR and 3BB at Brevard County.  His slash stats were .370/.433/.592/1.025.  Schafer just missed out on being the prospect of the week.

  Three Down

  SS Brent Brewer  Brent Brewer's struggles continued with a 3-19, .238 OBP and .210 slugging week.  Good athletes don't always make good baseball players.

  LHP Evan Frederickson  4 ER in 7 innings doesn't look like that bad of a week.  When you look at the 10 walks and 7 hits in those innings, you can see some potential problems.

  3B Mat Gamel  I think scouts figured out a few things about Mat Gamel during his stint in the majors.  A week of .091/.200/.191/.391 and 11 K's shows that some adjustments must be made. 

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