Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - MLU Friday

Some really solid pitching performances across the farm over the weekend while some fringe-y prospects continue to put themselves on the map. Cavan Biggio could well hit 30 homeruns this season and Kevin Smith continues to rake. Way down there our high draft picks from this past year's draft are off to impressive starts.

Buffalo Bisons

Buffalo won Friday and Saturday and lost Sunday. Friday’s standout performer was Danny Jansen. He homered as part of a two-hit night. Sean Reid-Foley also pitched six innings of three-run baseball. He struck out eight to just one walk. Saturday’s win featured an Anthony Alford homerun. He collected two hits along with Roemon Fields, Gio Urshela, and Darnell Sweeney. Thomas Pannone pitched a solid six innings of two-run baseball. The Bisons were shutout on Sunday. Chris Rowley though pitched six innings of two-run baseball.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats

After two late inning losses on Friday and Saturday, New Hampshire walked away with a 14-2 victory on Sunday. Jordan Romano pitched six and a third innings of one-run baseball in Friday’s loss. T.J. Zeuch could not follow suit on Saturday, yielding three earned (four runs in total) in four innings of work. Jonathan Davis and Cavan Biggio homered. Biggio also doubled, singled, and walked. Davis homered again on Sunday and collected four RBIs. Gunnar Heidt homered as well. Harold Ramirez had three hits on Sunday and should be noted, six hits overall on the weekend. Jon Harris was the starter Sunday and pitched four innings of two-run baseball.

Dunedin Blue Jays

Dunedin were rained out Friday, got one in on Saturday, and played two Sunday. Dunedin won all three played. Dunedin did all their work in the sixth Saturday—the highlight being a Kevin Smith two-run homerun. The makeup game Sunday featured six innings of one-run baseball from Yennsy Diaz while the regularly programmed game featured a three-run homerun from Santiago Espinal.

Lansing Lugnuts

Lansing won Friday and lost on Saturday and Sunday. Ryan Noda hit his eleventh homerun Friday. Turner Larkins was the bright spot in Saturday’s loss. He was clean through four and two-thirds. Maximo Castillo was not so lucky on Sunday. He got hit around over four innings of work. He allowed two earned (three runs in total) on seven hits.

Vancouver Canadians

Vancouver beat Everett on Friday and Spokane on Saturday and Sunday. Griffin Conine had two homeruns on Friday. Conine was then curiously benched Saturday and returned to the lineup Sunday where he singled and walked twice. Conine has been as advertised. Lots of power (four homers in sixteen minor league games) and lots of swing and miss (nineteen strikeouts).

Bluefield Blue Jays

Bluefield is out to a 15-4 start. They beat Pulaski in extras Friday and split Saturday and Sunday’s games against Kingsport. Hagen Danner is off to a better start this year. He caught Saturday’s game and DH’d Sunday. He had two hits over the weekend.

GCL Blue Jays

The GCL squad were beat by the Yankees West affiliate Friday and then by the Pirates affiliate Saturday. Jordan Groshans was held hitless for the first time in his young career Saturday. As of time of writing Groshans is slashing at .362/.446/.574.

DSL Blue Jays

Miguel Hiraldo, our other bright left-sided infield prospect in short season ball, picked up two hits over Friday’s and Saturday’s DSL games. Hiraldo is slashing at .336/.394/.496. The DSL squad won both their weekend games, beating both the Reds’ and Orioles’ affiliates.

Three Stars

3. Griffin Conine

2. Harold Ramirez

1. Cavan Biggio

Friday’s Box Scores

Saturday’s Box Scores

Sunday’s Box Scores

Posted by sam on Monday, July 09 2018 @ 03:25 PM EDT.

MLU Friday - Sunday | 20 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

greenfrog - Monday, July 09 2018 @ 06:55 PM EDT (#361540) #

I’m interested to see how Biggio turns out over the next few years. Keith Law recently said that he’s not a great prospect (lacks bat speed and is therefore not a great hitter, defense at second base not that great, performance over the last five weeks has fallen off).

His stats this year are really good, though. And his July numbers have rebounded in a big way (in a small sample size).

GabrielSyme - Monday, July 09 2018 @ 07:05 PM EDT (#361541) #

Kevin Smith with his 8th HR in Dunedin tonight. After completely dominating the Midwest league, he's showing some warts in high-A - his strikeout and whiff rates are significantly up, and he's hitting a few more grounders - but he's maintaining his home-run power, even as he's hitting far fewer doubles and triples.

I expect Smith will need time to adjust to most levels, and it will be interesting to see if his contact ability improves far enough to make him a MLB regular.

uglyone - Monday, July 09 2018 @ 07:36 PM EDT (#361543) #

Yeah this is the level Smith needs to be at right now. He's doing great but with enough things to work at.

Bichette is also at the right level at AA.

but there's guys who imo are at levels where they're at risk of not having to address their weaknesses - like vladdy and biggio and maybe some of the short season guys.

Mike Green - Monday, July 09 2018 @ 08:19 PM EDT (#361546) #

Pardinho is throwing for Bluefield- so far, 4 innings, 2 runs on 3 hits and 1 walk with 6 strikeouts. That's good.

hypobole - Monday, July 09 2018 @ 09:12 PM EDT (#361547) #

Biggio is running a 26% K rate in AA. He definitely work on that.

hypobole - Monday, July 09 2018 @ 09:29 PM EDT (#361548) #

I’m interested to see how Biggio turns out over the next few years. Keith Law recently said that he’s not a great prospect

Don't think anyone is saying Biggio is a great prospect. But he is a prospect. This is what Law actually said about his bat:

"Biggio's power looks legitimate; there's some length to his swing and it's not great bat speed, but he does seem to have loft to his finish and enough strength to be this sort of 20-homer bat."

cybercavalier - Monday, July 09 2018 @ 09:59 PM EDT (#361549) #

The Bisons roster holds a few aged late 20s pitcher, including a former Jays: Rowley, Tepesch, Tracy, Stewart. Is the Jays trying to increase the value of these matured players in MLB settings --- they faced MLB hitters in Triple-A and in Toronto -- possible promotions in future trades this season?

cybercavalier - Monday, July 09 2018 @ 10:03 PM EDT (#361550) #

The following is a question. Shall an MLB organization sign an international player who played well in previous season but has struggled so far this season in the hope of trading the player to an international league ?

greenfrog - Monday, July 09 2018 @ 10:07 PM EDT (#361551) #

hypobole, you should read Law’s comments about Biggio in his recent chat on The Dish. My post is a summary of those more recent comments, not his assessment of Biggio from earlier this season.

hypobole - Tuesday, July 10 2018 @ 12:03 AM EDT (#361552) #

Ok. Found it, greenfrog. not dissimilar of what he reported earlier, other than the June slump.

uglyone - Tuesday, July 10 2018 @ 07:31 AM EDT (#361553) #

"Biggio is running a 26% K rate in AA. He definitely work on that."

but that was kinda my point - He's having too much success right now to want to make any changes to address that issue.

although I have to add that even a 26k% doesn't look too bad when you have an 18% bb rate and a .280iso. and given his previous track record, we might not want him to change anything.

Mike Green - Tuesday, July 10 2018 @ 08:50 AM EDT (#361554) #

Here's the prospect report when Biggio was drafted. I didn't know that he was widely considered a top 100 prospect out of high school for his defence and his advanced approach at the plate. It's interesting that the scouts identified a possible move to third base for him.

Biggio's dad was remarkably durable considering how many times he was hit by pitches. So far, so good for Cavan in this department.

Shoeless Joe - Tuesday, July 10 2018 @ 09:19 AM EDT (#361555) #

I think it is interesting that Biggio has a swinging strike percentage lower than Vlad despite the much higher strikeout percentage. I'm not sure the strikes are as much contact ability but rather a result of his approach at the plate.

whiterasta80 - Tuesday, July 10 2018 @ 09:28 AM EDT (#361556) #

"although I have to add that even a 26k% doesn't look too bad when you have an 18% bb rate and a .280iso. and given his previous track record, we might not want him to change anything."

His name is Cavan Biggio...

Am I dating myself with that reference?

uglyone - Tuesday, July 10 2018 @ 09:35 AM EDT (#361557) #

shoeless - I think you can even find a reference to his (over?)patience getting him into bad counts even in Mike's link there to his scouting report from draft day.

whiterasta80 - Tuesday, July 10 2018 @ 09:57 AM EDT (#361558) #

Joey Votto has been accused of being "over-patient". I'll take that over Kevin Pillar's "walks be damned" philosophy.

Even when you make an out you force a pitcher to throw more pitches.

hypobole - Tuesday, July 10 2018 @ 10:24 AM EDT (#361559) #

One guy I recall with the same passivity "issue" was Jaff Decker. As pitchers get better, there are fewer and fewer mistake pitches. It's great not swinging at everything, but to find success hitters can't let mistake pitches go by with the bat an their shoulder.

Unless a hitter has truly elite skills (like Votto) they have to find the proper balance between patience and aggressiveness.

uglyone - Tuesday, July 10 2018 @ 10:59 AM EDT (#361560) #

despite the runs allowed, Pardinho actually improved his fips again last night, thanks to his night being mostly about seeing-eye groundball hits.

this kid could rocket a long way up our list this year. almost all the way, tbh.

Marc Hulet - Tuesday, July 10 2018 @ 11:14 AM EDT (#361561) #

Being over patient was Noda's issue early in the year. Once he became more aggressive and attacked strikes early in the count, his results skyrocketed.

I don't think that's the issue with Biggio. Pitchers adjusted and it took time for him to re-adjust. (Plus I think he got in the bad habit of chasing the homer a bit).

Mike Green - Tuesday, July 10 2018 @ 11:31 AM EDT (#361562) #

It's all a question of power and level- Ryan Noda would be an example of a player at a low level with a very selective approach and some power. You wouldn't want to project him as a major league hitter until you see what he does at a higher level.

Decker had a great year in the Midwest League at age 19 (.299/.441/.542) but as he rose up the developmental ladder, his power was reduced. At age 21, he was in the Texas League and hit .236/.373/.417 with 105 walks and 145 strikeouts and 19 homers, and his power faded further from there.

Biggio is different. An IsoP of .250 (if he can maintain that) combined with a very selective plate approach and decent contact skills at age 23 in the Eastern League is a winning combination. It is interesting that he has been much, much better on the road this year- not only from a power perspective but also on the plate control side (39 walks and 37 Ks in 167 PAs).

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