Future Shock Blog: Minor League Update: Games of May 8

Avasail Garcia, OF, Tigers (Low-A Lakeland): 3-for-4, HR (4), 2 R, 3 RBI.

Garcia has intrigued scouts for years. Massive and toolsy, he's the kind of player who grabs your eye the second he steps off he bus, but you quickly lost interest once you look at the stat sheet, as he entered the 2012 season with career averages of .275/.308/.375. Repeating the level but still only 20 years old, Garcia has been overshadowed by teammate Nick Castellanos, but he's having a breaking season of his own, showing plus power to go with a solid hit tool, with averages of .336/.378/.487 in 29 games. The Tigers are desperate for positional players, and they have two good ones now at their Florida State League affiliate.

Others Of Note:

• Manny Banuelos, LHP, Yankees (Triple-A Empire State): 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K. Good things happen when you throw strikes; 0 BB in two starts since return from DL.
• Jeff Bianchi, SS, Brewers (Triple-A Nashville): 3-for-4, RBI, CS. Suddenly worth watching again with the Alex Gonzalez injury; 5-for-7 since promotion to Pacific Coast League.
• Jared Cosart, RHP, Astros (Triple-A Oklahoma City): 6 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 5 K. Triple-A debut as scouts continue to wonder why he doesn't dominate with electric stuff.
• James Darnell, 3B/OF, Padres (Triple-A Tucson): 2-for-7, 2 HR (7), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K. Some in the industry are anticipating a house cleaning in San Diego, and Darnell could be a beneficiary; .261/.364/.495 in 30 games.
• Keury De La Cruz, OF, Red Sox (Low-A Greenville): 2-for-4, 2B, HR (5), R, RBI, K. Not especially big nor toolsy, but can hit; 22-for-47 (.468) during 11-game hitting streak and .351/.400/.595 overall.
• Wilmer Flores, 3B, Mets (High-A St. Lucie): 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, K, CS. Back-to-back three-hit games; .319/.346/.504 in 31 games.
• John Gast, LHP, Cardinals (Double-A Springfield): 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. Lefty with good command of three-pitch mix; 2.03 ERA in seven starts with .213 opponent’s average.
• Sean Gilmartin, LHP, Braves (Double-A Mississippi): 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K. Career high in Ks and second straight complete game (both in seven-inning contests); 3.20 ERA in seven starts.
• Anthony Gose, OF, Blue Jays (Triple-A Las Vegas): 2-for-5, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI. Nine-game hitting streak and three-straight two-hit games; .244/.331/.356 line continues to go up.
• Matt Harvey, RHP, Mets (Triple-A Buffalo) 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K. The Mets keep saying he's not coming up anytime soon, and yet he keeps pitching well; 23 IP, 16 H, 8 BB, 23 K in last four starts.
• Matt Lipka, OF, Braves (High-A Lynchburg): 4-for-6, 2 R, K, 2 SB. Showing some improvements with the bat now the defensive pressure is off; 17-for-40 (.425) in last 10 games and .291/.357/.379 overall.
• Tyler Matzek, LHP, Rockies (High-A Modesto): 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 7 BB, 2 K. Suddenly going backwards again; 15 walks over seven innings in last two starts.
• Jace Peterson, SS, Padres (Low-A Fort Wayne): 5-for-8, 3B, R, SB, CS. Athletic but raw and has surprised with the bat so far; .325/.413/.475 in 30 games.
• Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Cubs (Triple-A Iowa): 2-for-5, 2 HR (9), 2 R, 6 RBI. Fourth two home run game of the season and first home run in nearly three weeks; .357/.413/.643 in 30 games.
• Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees (Low-A Charleston): 2-for-4, HR (1), R, RBI, K, SB. Now that he's gone deep can he move up? Eleven total bases in last three games and .359/.411/.495 overall.
• Miguel Sano, 3B, Twins (Low-A Beloit): 1-for-4, HR (10), R, 2 RBI, 2 K. Four home runs in six games and .304/.421/.670 overall; dings against him are defense and 39 Ks in 115 ABs.
• Andrelton Simmons, SS, Braves (Double-A Mississippi): 2-for-3, BB, SB. 15-for-35 (.429) during nine-game hitting streak; .330/.397/.425 in 26 games.
• Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Astros (Double-A Corpus Christi): 1-for-3, HR (4), 4 R, RBI, 3 BB. Lining up for September look? .310/.415/.550 in 29 games.
• Oscar Taveras, OF, Cardinals (Double-A Springfield): 2-for-4, HR (9), R, 3 RBI, K. Home run in back to back games and hitting .331/.378/.678 in 30 games; do I need to remind you that he's just 19?
• Jacob Turner, RHP, Tigers (Low-A Lakeland): 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K. Best start since return to health; should move back to Double-A.
• Josh Vitters, 3B, Cubs (Triple-A Iowa): 3-for-5, 2B, HR (2), 2 R, 4 RBI. Overall season has been a disappointment; .263/.297/.368 in 28 games.
• B.A. Vollmuth, 3B/1B, Athletics (Low-A Burlington): 3-for-4, 2B, HR (3), R, 2 RBI. 2011 third-round pick is coming around after slow start; 7-for-12 with 12 total bases in last three games to lift averages to .250/.300/.408.