Down on the Farm (2021)

[LHG]

Frankie Tostado sounds more like a minor league mascot nickname than a ballplayer...

I remember the year he got drafted a few posters said that was their first name of the draft.

 

[LHG]

Watching this video, I would have to say that the only thing in question was whether it was fair or foul.

 

[Stokes1931]

I went to see the San Jose Giants play the local Modesto Nuts tonight. I like how the Cal League has each team play a six game series, then Mondays are off for travel. I noticed the Giants were in town on Wednesday, but couldn't make it until tonight.

Good game, the Giants won, scoring three in the 9th to go ahead 5-4.

The starter, Berroa, was a beast. He struck out 9 and walked only 1 in 4.2 innings. I think he could have gone longer, but looked like he was on a pitch count. He threw several fastballs clocked at 97.

Luciano scored the first run by himself. He singled, stole 2nd, went to 3rd on the errant throw by the catcher, and then scored on a passed ball.

In the 9th, after Schmitt walked, Luciano doubled him in. Then Pomares homered to deep left, and the Giants had the lead.

A week ago, the Giants and Nuts were close, the Giants were 37-23 and the Nuts were 36-24. The Giants swept the six game series, and are now 43-23, while the Nuts fell to 36-30,

 

[LHG]

I went to see the San Jose Giants play the local Modesto Nuts tonight. I like how the Cal League has each team play a six game series, then Mondays are off for travel. I noticed the Giants were in town on Wednesday, but couldn't make it until tonight.

Good game, the Giants won, scoring three in the 9th to go ahead 5-4.

The starter, Berroa, was a beast. He struck out 9 and walked only 1 in 4.2 innings. I think he could have gone longer, but looked like he was on a pitch count. He threw several fastballs clocked at 97.

Luciano scored the first run by himself. He singled, stole 2nd, went to 3rd on the errant throw by the catcher, and then scored on a passed ball.

In the 9th, after Schmitt walked, Luciano doubled him in. Then Pomares homered to deep left, and the Giants had the lead.

A week ago, the Giants and Nuts were close, the Giants were 37-23 and the Nuts were 36-24. The Giants swept the six game series, and are now 43-23, while the Nuts fell to 36-30,

Interesting about the 6 game series. That is different than both how college ball usually handles schedules and how the big leagues handle it. I wonder if that will help, hurt or be neutral for these guys' development?

 

[pachyderm]

Interesting about the 6 game series. That is different than both how college ball usually handles schedules and how the big leagues handle it. I wonder if that will help, hurt or be neutral for these guys' development?

I think if they are playing that consistently it helps no matter what.

 

[LHG]

Would anyone have guessed, two months into the minor league season, that the best hitter on the Flying Squirrels would be Frankie Tostado? I thought he had one foot out of the org and may get released in the crunch of teams being eliminated (little did I know that rosters would be expanded everywhere). However, he's hitting .286/.326/.470 (168 ABs) as the team's regular 1st baseman. Right behind him is David Villar, the starting 3rd baseman. He's slashing .241/.335/.459 in 170 ABs.
There are no other hitters even close to the two of them. The 3rd best has an OPS 35 points lower than Villar. And guess what, that isn't uber prospect Heliot Ramos. He's the 6th best hitter by OPS.

In the course of 2 and a half weeks, Vince Fernandez has been absolutely on fire with Richmond. In 13 games, he has gone 16 for 40, with 2 doubles (his 2nd and 3rd of the season), 6 home runs, 14 RBIs, 3 HBPs, 7 walks and 15 strikeouts. (.400/.520/.900). His season OPS (.970) now puts him in 1st place with the Flying Squirrels and over 100 points above the 2nd place hitter (Tostado, who is now at .818).
Fernandez was a guy I'd hope would begin the year at Sacramento, along with Ramos. Hopefully, he soon follows Ramos to the RiverCats.

 

[LHG]

How about Aeverson Arteaga? This year is his professional debut, skipping the DSL, and playing in the ACL at the age of 18. Thus far, the shortstop is hitting .359/.431/.750 in 18 games. With no short season team, it will be interesting to see if he stays in the ACL or eventually gets moved to San Jose. I assume a big part of that will be whether Luciano gets promoted to Eugene.

 

[tzill]

Luis Matos blasts his eighth home run of the season for the #SJGiants. A two-out, three-run homer in the fifth. Matos batting .388 (19-49) in his last 11 games. Jairo Pomares also with two more hits, including his 16th double in 34 games with San Jose. 111 off the bat.

 

[Stokes1931]

Luis Matos blasts his eighth home run of the season for the #SJGiants. A two-out, three-run homer in the fifth. Matos batting .388 (19-49) in his last 11 games. Jairo Pomares also with two more hits, including his 16th double in 34 games with San Jose. 111 off the bat.

Joe Rizzo recently said that Matos hits the ball harder than anyone he has seen at this level.

Murphy with another strong outing tonight, six shutout innings with 11 K's. (76 IP, 116 K's) He should be on the move to Eugene pretty soon, I think.

 

[LHG]

With Moronta, Sanchez, La Stella and Davis all on rehab assignments with the RiverCats, things are getting crowded in Sacramento. They've got 36 players on the active roster right now. That's like previous Septembers in the big league dugouts.

 

[tzill]

With Moronta, Sanchez, La Stella and Davis all on rehab assignments with the RiverCats, things are getting crowded in Sacramento. They've got 36 players on the active roster right now. That's like previous Septembers in the big league dugouts.

Yup, and FZ is going to need space on the ML roster as well. Trades be comin.

 

[Stokes1931]

Brilliant start tonight for Sean Hjelle Stats, Fantasy & News

7.0 innings, 1 hit, no runs, 2 walks, 4 K's, lowers ERA to 3.15

Another brilliant start for Ryan Murphy Stats, Fantasy & News, making his first start for High-A Eugene, moving up from success at San Jose.

5.0 innings, 3 hits, no runs, 1 walk, 8 K's

Murphy is 21 years old, (22 in October), and a 5th round draft choice in 2020.

 

[LHG]

Almost a week old but still an exciting announcement:

 

[calsnowskier]

Sounds like they won’t him to start in Richmond next year

 

[tzill]

Sounds like they won’t him to start in Richmond next year

I'd be shocked if that wasn't the case. He'll be up in Sep 22 on the big roster. And here for a decade.

 

[calsnowskier]

I'd be shocked if that wasn't the case. He'll be up in Sep 22 on the big roster. And here for a decade.

I think sept ‘22 is aggressive, but I think they are paving the road for that to be a possibility.

 

[tzill]

I think sept ‘22 is aggressive, but I think they are paving the road for that to be a possibility.

You think so? I dunno, he finishes this year at high A, starts next year at AA, promoted to AAA midseason, cuppo in September?

I don't think it's that aggressive, even if he doesn't make it to AAA next year. ST 2023 he makes the roster full time.

 

[LHG]

I think sept ‘22 is aggressive, but I think they are paving the road for that to be a possibility.

You think so? I dunno, he finishes this year at high A, starts next year at AA, promoted to AAA midseason, cuppo in September?

I don't think it's that aggressive, even if he doesn't make it to AAA next year. ST 2023 he makes the roster full time.

Considering September rosters only open up by another 2 or 3 roster spots, I doubt he'll get called up, if he hasn't already appeared in the big leagues. He'll need to be lights out in AA, get an early promotion in AAA, kills it there and comes up before September as an injury replacement, to make his debut next year, in my opinion.

 

[tzill]

Sean Hjelle set to make his Triple-A debut with the River Cats.

 

[Stokes1931]

Sean Hjelle set to make his Triple-A debut with the River Cats.

Hjelle gave up 3 runs in 6 innings today. That's damn near a shutout in the PCL!