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Visalia 26, High Desert 11 (High-A California League).

I could list all sorts of line from this game, but one almost wants to act like it didn't count. High Desert is crazy enough, but with winds officially at 20 mph and increasing to over 30 mph during the game according to Kyle Glaser of Victorville Daily Press, conditions were right for this kind of insanity. Some fun facts:

  • Visalia led 22-5 after FOUR innings, scoring two in the first, five in the second, eight in the third and seven in the fourth.
  • The combined pitching line for the three High Desert arms over that period: 4 IP, 25 H, 22 R, 2 BB, 4 K.
  • Offensively the two teams went 50-for-107 with ten doubles, three triples, and six home runs.
  • Beyond the 50 hits, the game also featured five walks and six errors, yet somehow all of this was done in a swift three hours and 22 minutes.

Others Of Note:

  • Jeremy Barfield, OF, Athletics (Double-A Midland): 3-for-3, 2 R, BB. 10-for-19 in last five games and .320/.360/.504 in 33 on the season; change in swing mechanics paying off.
  • Dellin Betances, RHP, Yankees (Triple-A Empire State): 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 6 BB, 7 K. The best word at this point is inconsistent; 104 pitches, 50 strikes.
  • Jorge Bonifacio, OF, Royals (Low-A Kane County): 4-for-5, 2B, 3 R. Hitting .329/.406/.445 in 37 games and plenty of reasons to think there will be power down the road.
  • Corey Brown, OF, Nationals (Triple-A Syracuse): 2-for-4, HR (7), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K. Three home runs in last four games and combines power with patience and good defense; .281/.400/.500 in 39 games.
  • Nick Castellanos, 3B, Tigers (High-A Lakeland): 3-for-5, 2 R, RBI, K. Back over .400 and this is 143 at-bats we're talking about; .406/.453/.552 in 36 games.
  • Garin Cecchini, 3B, Red Sox (Low-A Greenville): 3-for-5, HR (1), 2 R, RBI, 2 SB. Hitting .347 in May and .298/.366/.427 overall, but the most shocking part of the line is the 14 stolen bases.
  • Tyler Cloyd, RHP, Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. Not a ton of stuff, but great location and ability to change speeds; 0.69 ERA in four Triple-A starts with 12 hits allowed over 26 innings.
  • Gerardo Concepcion, LHP, Cubs (Low-A Peoria): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K. First good start lowers ERA to 8.10. Commanding an upper 80s fastball very well.
  • Matt Davidson, 3B, Diamondbacks (Double-A Mobile): 2-for-4, HR (9), R, RBI, K. Four home runs in last five games and .317/.431/.590 overall; all that while showing defensive improvements as well.
  • Corey Dickerson, OF, Rockies (High-A Modesto): 2-for-3, HR (7), 2 R, RBI, BB, K. Fifth straight two-hit game while adding three doubles, a triple and three home runs in the process; .363/.415/.650 overall.
  • Grant Green, OF, Athletics (Triple-A Sacramento): 2-for-2, R, 3 RBI, 2 BB. 15-for-34 (.441) in last nine games and up to .294/.333/.456 overall; playing both center and left field and needs to stay up the middle to have star value.
  • Billy Hamilton, SS, Reds (High-A Bakersfield): 0-for-2, BB, K, CS; 2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI, K. With a pair of caught stealings in the past two days he's down to averaging one stolen base per game (35 in 35); .345/.413/.521 overall.
  • Jose Iglesias, SS, Red Sox (Triple-A Pawtucket): 3-for-5, HR (1), 2 R, 2 RBI, K. Hitting .388 (19-for-49) in last 12 games and .262/.322/.315 overall; defense remains other-worldly.
  • Corban Joseph, 2B, Yankees (Double-A Trenton): 3-for-5, 2B, HR (1), R, 3 RBI. Hitting .344 in eight games since late start to season; scouts believe in the bat.
  • Junior Lake, SS/3B, Cubs (Double-A Tennessee): 3-for-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI, K. On base 19 times in his first nine games; .344/.475/.594 overall.
  • Francisco Lindor, SS, Indians (Low-A Lake County): 2-for-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB, K. Earned his first intentional walk of the year during his fourth straight multi-hit game; .319/.368/.486 overall with just four errors.
  • Shelby Miller, RHP, Cardinals (Triple-A Memphis): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K. Best Triple-A start in eight outings; 3.79 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 40.1 innings.
  • Telvin Nash, OF, Astros (High-A Lancaster): 3-for-4, HR (12), R, 3 RBI, K. Huge power, huge strikeout rate, and hitting .244/.315/.573 in 34 games.
  • Jurickson Profar, SS, Rangers (Double-A Frisco): 3-for-5, R, RBI, SB. Second three-hit game during the streak; .291/.341/.500 overall.
  • Anthony Ranaudo, RHP, Red Sox (Double-A Portland): 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 2 K. Season debut.
  • Ben Revere, OF, Twins (Triple-A Rochester): 3-for-5, CS. Hitting .373 in 15 May games and deserves another shot.
  • Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Cubs (Triple-A Iowa): 3-for-4, 3B, HR (13), R, 2 RBI, K. Six home runs in last eight games and up to .359/.420/.704 overall; it's getting close to the time for the Cubs to find a way to get him in the lineup.
  • Trevor Rosenthal, RHP, Cardinals (Double-A Springfied): 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 3 BB, 4 K. Two-level jump to Texas League has not slowed him down; .199 opponents average and 39 Ks in 41 innings.
  • Josh Sale, OF, Rays (Low-A Bowling Green): 1-for-2, HR (3), R, RBI, 2 BB, K. A potential great story in the system if 2010 first-round has really turned it around; .318/.500/.773 in nine games.
  • Matt Skole, 3B, Nationals (Low-A Hagerstown): 4-for-4, 2B, 2 HR (8), 4 R, 5 RBI, BB, SB. College product belongs at higher level; .302/.448/.569 in 34 games.

Thank you for reading

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crile2
5/16
what have scouts seen in Iglesias, improved approach or better mechanics/bat control?
kgoldstein
5/16
There was a scouting notebook early where I had a scout who saw him in spring and noted some minor progress.
JPinPhilly
5/16
That Visalia game must have been fun to watch.
kgoldstein
5/16
It's still the time of game that shocked me.
Infrancoeurgible
5/16
Averaged out according to time, a run was scored in that game every 5.45 minutes, and there was a hit every 4.04 minutes. I believe 5 more runs were scored as I was writing this very comment.

California League Baseball: Watch Us Take Off!
misterjohnny
5/17
It tells me that the time of game problems in MLB are all about TV.
chabels
5/16
Is there data on the number of times a team uses a pitchout with a specific player on base? I'd love to see if teams are trying to catch Hamilton that way, it's another element of his value, improving the count of the batter following him.
kgoldstein
5/16
Also forced errors, bad pickoff throws, etc.
owgreen
5/16
Kevin, when you say scouts believe in Corban Joseph's bat is the implication that he defense is questioned? If so is the bat good enough to play elsewhere? Thanks.
kgoldstein
5/16
No. Was just talking about the bat, not about anything else.
sam19041
5/16
Kevin, we haven't seen Jedd Gyorko's name in the lineup in some time. He doesn't seem to be on the minor league DL though. What's going on there in San Antonio? First he is switched to 2B, bat cools off, then he goes AWOL?
Drakos
5/16
He was hit by a pitch (in the hand I think) last Friday. He's back in the lineup today at Third base. Galvez is back from injury too so it will be interesting to see if Gyorko gets much time at third going forward.
Drakos
5/16
I meant how much time he gets at second going forward.
bloodface
5/16
A couple of suggestions for future comments?

Burch Smith - P, SD
Adam Eaton - CF, ARI
Rafael Ortega - CF, COL
Jefry Marte - 3B, NYM
Nick Noonan - SS, SF
Jeff Malm - 1B, TB

All of the above have been putting together nice seasons so far. Smith had that 13 K game, and he's still striking out more than one batter per inning. Eaton, is, well, Eaton, and hasn't hit under .300 at any level. Ortega has hit at every level as well, at at 21 seems to be progressing nicely at high-A (I have seen you cover him once or twice this year), Marte was once considered a top future prospect for the Mets, but after his splendid 2008 rookie campaign, he's essentially done nothing over three seasons, until now. 21 at AA, how does he project? Noonan is having a comeback season, is it for real, and yes, 1B caveats on Malm but his progress has to be seen as incrementally solid, right?
pobothecat
5/16
I don't see a thing in the world wrong with a reader expressing interest in specific players.

This isn't not a WATG. It's a "Hey, if you come across something noteworthy about this set of players, I'd be interested in hearing what you have to say."

Maybe the conformity police could relax a little bit.
gilgamesh
5/16
I'll only agree to that if enough people think it's a good idea.
kringent
5/16
I think whether or not that's a WATG is open to interpretation. I saw it as exactly that. Not sure what "conformity" has to do with anything.
kringent
5/16
Also, bloodface made the exact same comment at the end of yesterday's MLU thread, so it felt like spamming. That was more the reason I gave it a negative as opposed to the WATG aspect, which was merely annoying.
bloodface
5/17
Yes, and check the time it was made. I reposted it today because often KG doesn't get to things that are posted well after he posts the list. Jesus, folks. Worry about yourselves!
kgoldstein
5/17
I really don't mind the WATGs. For some of those guys, I'm waiting for a big run, especially Marte, because I want to talk about him. However, I've done Ortega, I think twice in the last few days.
bloodface
5/17
Well, then, that's what I did. WATG? All I can think of is World According To Garp. I clearly know who the players are, and I have in the past been one of the first to mention players like this on here (Adam Eaton, for example). I was making a suggestion, or calling attention to, the aforementioned players. Either way, coming at me ain't your damn job. Bug off.
delatopia
5/17
WATG = What About This Guy.
HankScorpio
5/16
Kevin,

Any other position players on Kane County to get excited about? Trapp, Mateo and Adams all putting up good numbers. And even Calixte is showing some surprising pop (and even a little patience).

Thanks.
kgoldstein
5/16
Calixte is becoming interesting because he's always been an impressive physical specimen.
mrenick
5/16
I'm curious what scouts see as Rosenthal's ceiling. Is he a potential #3 or is there a chance for even more?
kgoldstein
5/16
I think he's a potential 3, and a 3 is awesome.
hyprvypr
5/17
Lindor's sure has a complete package and is starting to really ooze top 5 prospect to me Kevin, is that a reach?
achase
5/17
When you say on Bonifacio "plenty of reasons to think the power will come" -- what are those reasons beyond his youth?