Tue. 6/24 - T-Rats Finally Back Home; Others Hit the Road

[Jim Goulart]

This thread will be utilized for any minor league news Tuesday. 

Organizational Scoreboard 

Audio Links

MiLB TV (Subscribers)

[sveumrules]

Almost a perfect mirror for the early DSL results...

DSL Gold 
5 R | 8 H | 0 E
DSL Tampa
0 R | 1 H | 3 E

DSL Red Sox
5 R | 8 H | 0 E
DSL Blue
0 R | 1 H | 2 E

Gold are delayed bottom four, Blue are still going bottom five.

Gustavo Garcia (3 IP | 1 H | 0 BB | 3 K) delivered the strong mound work for Gold before the delay while a trio of Gold batters (Juan Martinez, Matthew Moses, and Pedro Tovar) doubled. Cristian Montilla also knocked a two RBI single.

On the Blue side Jefer Lista has singled, Carlos Done walked and stole a bag. 
 

[sveumrules]

DSL Blue has gone final with a 7-1 loss. Picked up a hitless run in the fifth when Frandy LaFond walked, stole second, went to third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch.

Jhosep Ospino pitched a 1-2-3 inning (1 K) amidst the carnage to run his season total to 7.2 IP without being credited with an earned run.

[sveumrules]

DSL Gold has resumed play and is back to business top of six with a single, three walks, and two wild pitches plating a pair of runs to make it a 7-1 ballgame (there goes that mirror stuff again) through six.

Carlos Canales has covered the last three frames with 1 R | 3 H | 0 BB | 2 K.

[Ro Mueller]

1 hour ago, sveumrules said:

DSL Blue has gone final with a 7-1 loss. Picked up a hitless run in the fifth when Frandy LaFond walked, stole second, went to third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch.

Jhosep Ospino pitched a 1-2-3 inning (1 K) amidst the carnage to run his season total to 7.2 IP without being credited with an earned run.

Ugh. 1 hit, 2 errors for our Blue squad, with our decent pitchers (Moreno, Toledo) getting hit relatively hard. As Chicago sang, “Look Away”!

[Joseph Zarr]

I do not know why OF Pedro Tovar has played so sparingly in this his third summer on the DSL Brewers (perhaps that answers my question?). Regardless, after quite a decent 2024 he came into today's tilt with only 11 PA in five games played. Well, he's back in the line up today batting 8th and playing in right field. 1-for-2, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 2B. That's now 3 doubles in just 11 AB! Small sample? Absolutely. But, why? WHY? 

I ask for 'the people'.

[Joseph Zarr]

Our first look at LHP Joan Peña. Clear strikeout pitches at this level in the hook and change-up. Yowza.

 

[sveumrules]

5 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Our first look at LHP Joan Peña. Clear strikeout pitches at this level in the hook and change-up. Yowza.

 

Good timing. Was just looking at the DSL leaderboards and noticed that Joan is 9th out of 197 pitchers (min. 10 IP) with a 2.26 FIP so far in his young career. 

[sveumrules]

DSL Gold holds on for an 11-5 win.

Francis Sosa got in on the doubles action alluded to upthread while Eryks Rivero went deep for his first home run as a pro.

[Joseph Zarr]

1 hour ago, sveumrules said:

DSL Gold holds on for an 11-5 win.

Francis Sosa got in on the doubles action alluded to upthread while Eryks Rivero went deep for his first home run as a pro.

You know, for a moment there, I thought you were upthread without a paddle...then I realized that was just me.

[Ro Mueller]

First half division winner Biloxi kicks off the second half of its season at Braves’ affiliate Columbus, with RHP Tyson Hardin making his 2nd AA start  (6 IP, 2 R, 5 Ks last week). SS Cooper Pratt has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games (1.103 OPS in last 54 PAs). 

[Joseph Zarr]

If anyone is feeling spry for their pre-game routine, here is Chris Mehring in his 'Rattler Monday' podcast. I love these as my warm up for Tuesday's Game 1's:

 

A little tidbit right off the bat in here: Cedar Rapids and Quad Cities never played a single game versus each other in the first half. Hard to fathom given their proximity. Cedar Rapids ended up sneaking in another division title whereas Quad Cities led the division nearly the entire first half until a late losing streak. That can't feel all that great given the end result.

[Ro Mueller]

AAA Nashville also commences the 2nd half of its 2025 season, battling first half division winner Marlins’ affiliate Jacksonville. Jeferson Quero (.765 OPS in 56 PAs) is the DH for a 4th straight game (resting throwing arm) and swingman RHP Garrett Stallings makes his 4th start (66 pitches last outing - 4.2 IP, 3 R, 3 Ks). 

[Ro Mueller]

High-A Wisconsin (34-34) is back home to take on Royals’ affiliate Quad Cities (41-28), with 20-year old LHP Anthony Flores getting the Game 1 start on 4 days’ rest (4.1 IP, 5 R, 3 Ks - 71 pitches last week). 2B Jadher Areinamo (75) and 1B Blake Burke (71) are 2nd and 3rd in the Midwest League in hits, but the team is 11th in scoring.

[Joseph Zarr]

3 minutes ago, Ro Mueller said:

High-A Wisconsin (34-34) is back home to take on Royals’ affiliate Quad Cities (41-28), with 20-year old LHP Anthony Flores getting the Game 1 start on 4 days’ rest (4.1 IP, 5 R, 3 Ks - 71 pitches last week). 2B Jadher Areinamo (75) and 1B Blake Burke (71) are 2nd and 3rd in the Midwest League in hits, but the team is 11th in scoring.

More importantly? C Marco Dinges is right back in the line up. Clearly he was pulled for reasons beyond anything serious. I have my suspicions of why he was pulled. Ecstatic to see him back in the lineup after a day off. 

[Ro Mueller]

The Low-A Mudcats are in Maryland this week to crush Orioles’ affiliate Delmarva, with 19-year old RHP Bryce Meccage (3.92 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 9.0 K/9 in 39 IP) making his 12th start. 1B Eric Bitonti (11) and 3B Filippo Di Turi (9) are 1st and 3rd in homers in the Carolina League.

[Ro Mueller]

I think it’s a bit worrying that Tyler Black is not a “priority play” when starting a new series/half (e.g. ahead of Jared Oliva, who’s of course no slouch). Feels a little like when Mario Feliciano didn’t catch a AAA playoff game.

[Jim Goulart]

For a layman like myself, what is meant by “shape of his pitches”, “shape of his fastball”. And yes, I googled and AI provides plenty of info. I just get frustrated because the terms are tossed around in so many prospect write-ups without any real context.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

25 minutes ago, Jim Goulart said:

For a layman like myself, what is meant by “shape of his pitches”, “shape of his fastball”. And yes, I googled and AI provides plenty of info. I just get frustrated because the terms are tossed around in so many prospect write-ups without any real context.

 

How deep do you want to go, Jim? This is a very involved question and answer. BUT, as a baseline, this is why I am such a massive proponent of 'tunneling'. If you can expertly tunnel your pitches, the shape of the pitch itself is even more impactful. Precisely why RHP's Manuel Rodriguez and Melvin Hernandez are so successful despite their low velo. Their shapes are awesome - Hernandez's change-up is <chef's kiss> Rodriguez's slider is <chef's kiss> because it all looks the same leaving the hand in the exact same locations. Uncanny. The tunneling challenges RHP Ryan Birchard faces with his uber-viloent delivery is precisely why the shapes of his pitches - tho quite awesome - aren't as effective as they could be. It's easy to see a ball is a ball in his case. 

SO, back to the original question: how deep do you want to go?

In general, tho, I think it may just be easiest for you to think in terms of:

(1) Speed/Velo
(2) Horizontal Movement
(3) Vertical Movement
(4) Arm Slot
(5) Release Point
(6) Extension

The consistency (more important in some aspects like Arm slot, release, extension) and range (more important in speed/velo, horizontal, and vertical) of all of these impact the the effectiveness of a pitch. Hopefully, this is a good starter?😅

[Joseph Zarr]

THey haven't posted 'Warmup' on the MiLB.TV link for Biloxi @ Columbus. I can avow: it states 95 F but feels like 102 F. YIKES. I know that area and I guarantee there is some humidity to boot. Sounds awful.

[Jim Goulart]

18 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

SO, back to the original question: how deep do you want to go?

A 12-to-6 curveball that tumbles off the table. A sweeper with 16” of sweep. I get it. Those are visual shapes. I guess movement is shape, then. “Shape” just seems like a generic term, although thanks for the tunneling aspect as an important add-on.

[Joseph Zarr]

Peña flew out to the LF wall. Seigler flew out to the LF warning track. Boeve flew out to the LF warning track. Shuckers and Sounds went three up and three down. 

[Joseph Zarr]

2 minutes ago, Jim Goulart said:

A 12-to-6 curveball that tumbles off the table. A sweeper with 16” of sweep. I get it. Those are visual shapes. I guess movement is shape, then. “Shape” just seems like a generic term, although thanks for the tunneling aspect as an important add-on.

Well the shape and movement are both macro terms, if that makes sense. Then there is the nuance within. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Mudcats score one on a two out Di Turi single. Anderson was also sent home (for some reason) but was thrown out by six feet standing up. Really strange send early by Stanley given the arm of the Delmarva Rf'er. Two out BB by Bitonti. FIrst pitch single to left CF by Anderson. RBI single by Di Turi.

[Ro Mueller]

Just now, Joseph Zarr said:

Mudcats score one on a two out Di Turi single. Anderson was also sent home (for some reason) but was thrown out by six feet standing up. Really strange send early by Stanley given the arm of the Delmarva Rf'er. Two out BB by Bitonti. FIrst pitch single to left CF by Anderson. RBI single by Di Turi.

I’m just happy that Di Turi now bats 5th instead of 6th. Better for him and the team.