Mon. 8/19: The DSL Countdown Begins - Only Two Days Remain

[Joseph Zarr]

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Monday. 

Organizational Scoreboard

 

[Jim Goulart]

As has been the case in the past, there will not be a formal Link Report Tuesday AM for just the two Monday DSL games.

I will post Link Report "copy and paste-worthy" game reports in this thread tonight that will be incorporated by Joseph into Wednesday AM's Link Report.

However, if anyone wishes to comment on the two games in advance, please do, as I likely will take your insights into account when typing this evening.

[Jim Goulart]

Speaking of News of the Day, see our Shuckers-centric thread. (Congrats, Nick Merkel!)

[Joseph Zarr]

Really nice to see the DSL Cerveceros Uno make a mild statement - against the Cubby Bears, no less! - after a week plus of mostly frustration.

OF Handelfry Encarnacion continues to have meaningful days at the dish. Venezuelan 18-year-old RHP Gabriel Colmenarez ends his season with the best start of his season - 4 IP, 4 H, 1 WP, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 R. You love to see a young man end on a high note! Brewers Uno lead 6-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Made led off the frame by smacking his 9th double of his summer and then swiping 3rd for his 28th SB of his season to boot. The aforementioned Encarnacion was HBP and then swiped 2nd himself (only his 4th SB of his season). Both men proceeded to score. Encarnacion also smacked a solo shot earlier in the contest - his second long ball of his summer. They are on to the top of the 6th still leading 6-0. 

[Joseph Zarr]

I don't think it is a remote exaggeration to state I think most DSL division leaders are thankful the red hot DSL Cerveceros Dos are not in playoff contention. They continue to be on an absolute kaiser. They lead the DSL Royals Fortuna 5-1 in the 8th inning. 8-2 over their last 10 contests, they continue to play their best baseball of the summer as the season comes to a close. I imagine the Brewers Dominican Academy is feeling good about this.

[Joseph Zarr]

Made just ripped his 6th HR - to couple with the dub and SB. OPS is back above 1.000 to 1.010 in 175 DSL AB's in his age 17 season.

[Joseph Zarr]

Not to be lost in this hoopla, with Anderson and Pena obviously sidelined for the likely remainder (one game remains), INF Juan Ortuno continues to impact games in diverse ways:

0-for-1, 2 R, 3 BB

That's a 29-to-22 BB:K ratio. For a guy with 6 2B, 3 3B, and 3 HR that is just a fantastic mark. This young man clearly has tools in the batters box. BA is sitting at 0.338 with a 0.942 OPS in what will likely be 150 AB after today - depending on what happens through the next two innings of course. DSL Crew Uno lead 9-3 in the top of the 8th.

[Joseph Zarr]

Panamanian 17-year-old RHP Manuel Moreno has given up 5 ER today - 3 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 ER - this is his second time in three August appearances conceding four or more runs in an outing. BUT, always the optimist, I tend to overlook this in the macro view:

That's now a 12 K: 3 BB ratio in August over 12 IP. On the season that is now a 30 K: 6 BB mark in 36 IP. Coming into today he also had a 1.00 WHIP over those previous 33 IP. There is much more 'yay' here than there is concern about the ERA by my DSL-tested eyes.

[Joseph Zarr]

We are now getting some DSL charity work in the bottom of the 8th to take an 11-5 lead. Walks and wild pitches do not make Jack a dull boy. With Made's walk in this frame, I'd also like to point out: in addition to all the sexy XBH and OPS and exit velo numbers...Made now also posses a 39 BB: 28 K BB:K ratio on his summer. I mean, what more can we say about these DSL Cerveceros prospect headliners. And, Encarnacion just continues to come on late in the summer: 4 R today, the HBP, the solo jack, 2 BB, the SB. Don't be fooled by the overall numbers here - he has absolutely come on these past two weeks. Amidst the overal DSL Brewers #1 playoff fading woes, Encarnacion is emphatically a late season feel good story. 

[Joseph Zarr]

The DSL Brewers #2 have 8 SB today amongst three players:

3 SB apiece for CF Frandy Lafond and 2B Moises Polanco 

2 SB for SS Jorge Quintana 

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How I wish I could continue to track and monitor this version of the DSL Cerveceros Dos squad for another couple of months. I truly believe they are just hitting their stride and the season is coming to an end. So many contributions across their line-up the past two weeks. I continue to be a devout believer there are DSL diamonds this season unlike any other in the Brewers DSL history. OF Frandy Lafond certainly continues to feel like a real find. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Just a friendly reminder that although Encarnacion has only truly come on over the past couple of weeks consistently, he was one of the select players highlighted by Baseball America post-International Class signings earlier this year:

Quote

Handelfry Encarnacion, OF, Dominican Republic: Encarnacion, 16, stood out early as one of the more advanced lefthanded hitters in the Dominican Republic before signing with the Brewers for $400,000. Early in the process, Encarnacion was small but has grown to 5-foot-11, 170 pounds with his bat still his calling card. He has consistently hit well against live pitching, recognizing pitches well and using short, efficient swing with a flat path and good plate coverage. It’s mostly gap power, though given his youth and physical growth, there could be more coming. How that power develops will be important for Encarnacion, who is athletic enough to have a shot at center field, though he’s not a burner runner, so he could end up in a corner.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

It's a Monday DSL Brewers Sweep. Oh, it's a shoutout to the early days of summer!

DSL Brewers #1 12-5 'W'

DSL Brewers #2 9-3 'W'

What a way to get this week headed in the right direction. May it be a premonition of the series ahead!

[Joseph Zarr]

Let's briefly move to Triple-A Nashville for a moment and everyone's darling of 2024, RHP Craig Yoho. Glad the hype train finally caught up to several of us - cough. This is from Yoho's headliner write-up from BA's most recent 'Statcast Standouts' (8/19). It's behind a Paywall so I'm not going to share much but suffice to say it validates what I've been saying since mid-April (for crying out loud what a run he has been on!). There aint a pitcher in all of baseball who throws a pitch like him. Not. A. Single. One. At any level:

Quote

My sample starts to taper off around 268 degrees. Yoho’s changeup? Almost 300 degrees. There is literally no pitch like it in the major leagues. It’s a complete outlier, quite literally off the chart. I had the privilege of having Meg Rowley (Managing Editor of FanGraphs) edit my work many years ago, so I’ll refrain from describing Yoho’s changeup as “very unique”, instead, I’ll merely describe it as an outlier of an outlier of a pitch.

He truly is a Unicorn. @wiguy94: We may indeed get our wish of a Yoho-Miz September call-up power tandem. We just may yet!

[sveumrules]

Obviously only four innings, but Yoho has a 0.01 FIP in Nashville. 

If he had one more strikeout it would be negative.

[Joseph Zarr]

6 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

Obviously only four innings, but Yoho has a 0.01 FIP in Nashville. 

If he had one more strikeout it would be negative.

I mean, my friend:

47 1/3 IP of 90 K-to-14 BB baseball across four levels of affiliated baseball is...bananas. 

I hear, and this may just be a rumor I've crafted in my own head, the five players who were bean balled by Yoho this season are getting over $5,000 per bean, well, ball on Ebay. May be a rumor I've crafted right here in this post. Can't confirm. 

[Jim Goulart]

For Wednesday AM's Link Report:

Final: DSL Brewers #1 Squad 12, DSL Cubs Red 5
Box Score and Game Log

The penultimate game for the DSL Uno men saw them move their record to 31-23, not quite in the playoff position envisioned just a week ago, but still more than respectable. A thrashing of a weak Cubs entity (18-35) added to Monday's fun.

Twelve runs on just seven hits (four for extra bases) for Team Prime, as the Chicago pitchers walked ten and plunked two others. 17-year-old RF Handelfry Encarnacion had a remarkable game, scoring five runs despite just one official at-bat. In that AB, the LH-hitting Encarnacion clubbed his 2nd home run to center field. He was also the victim of both HBP's and walked twice. The fact Encarnacion crossed the plate five times reflects that these Cerveceros scored in six of their eight innings as the home team. Let's give credit to those behind him in the lineup for plating him consistently.

Speaking of players who scored each time they reached, studly SS Jesus Made homered (his 6th), doubled and walked, and stole his 28th base. We'll await Tuesday's finale for his 2024 swan song on a glorious season.

Barring a surprise in Tuesday's season finale, it appears as though injury ended 17-year-old infielder Luis Pena's season with a .393/.457/.583 line, 39-of-43 in SB attempts. Pena last played on August 12th.

Fellow 17-year-old Jose Anderson last saw action August 10th, Anderson's 20 XBH's, including 8 HR's, had him enjoy his debut campaign.

18-year-old Venezuelan RHP Gabriel Colmenarez allowed just four hits in four scoreless innings (no walks, five K's). The zero walks are big for Colmenarez as he wraps up his second DSL season.

 

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Final: DSL Brewers #2 Squad 9, DSL Royals Fortuna 3
Box Score and Game Log

Actually, with a record percentage points better than their Brewers #1 brethren, Team Dos moved to 30-22 with this win.

A 5-3 lead on the road exploded with a four-run 9th to break things open. 

These youngsters reached base 19 times - ten hits (four for extra bases), five walks, and four HBP's. Add on eight stolen bases (only 17-year-old catcher Yoneiker Lugo had a rough day on the bases, only slightly offsetting his double, single, and three RBI). Lugo lit up the box score from every angle, with a catcher's interference and passed ball as well.

Wonderful five-inning start for 17-year-old RHP Lonell Downs, now sporting a 1.23 WHIP. Downs is another of the arms out of Nicaragua, where the Brewers have lapped the rest of MLB in blanket coverage and signings of very encouraging pitchers.

For additional insights on both of Monday's DSL games, check out comments made in our daily "as it happened" thread.