Reaching the major leagues marks the achievement of a significant milestone in any player’s career. Whether it is a high profile prospect or an aging, grizzled veteran of the minor leagues, there is something about a debut that strikes a chord with me. For that reason I will take a look at each player that makes his major league debut in a regularly occurring article which will typically appear on Wednesdays.
This past week (July 20th-July 26th) nine players made their major league debuts including pairs from the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks. Some of these promotions were justified, some were not and the timing of one was rather curious. None however was more notable than the young man who leads off this week.
2B Jose Altuve (21) – Houston Astros
Preseason Ranking: #28 in BA’s Astros Top-10
2011 Minor League Performance: 0.408/.451/.606, 25 XBH, 19 SB, 19 BB and 26 SO in 213 AB (52 G) for the Lancaster Jethawks (A+) and 0.361/.388/.569, 17 XBH, 5 SB, 7 BB and 14 SO in 144 AB (35 G) for the Corpus Christi Hooks (AA)
Debut Date: July 20th
Talk about a break-out season. Altuve, as you can see above, was barely inside the Astros Top-30 at #28 and started out the 2011 season back in Lancaster – which is where he played his last 31 games in 2010. With a 0.307/.373/.445 minor league line after 4 seasons it was reasonable to expect Altuve would keep hitting in 2011, but I don’t know how anyone could have expected him to incinerate Cal League pitching and then blaze through the Texas League as well. On July 20th, at just 21 years old, and months removed from playing in High-A, Altuve stepped onto the field at Minute Maid Park as the starter at 2B for the Houston Astros. He flew out in his first 3 at bats and struck out in his 4th, but singled in his 5th and final at bat of the night. A week later the 5’5″ 170 lb 21-year old with a “fire hydrant” build is entrenched as the Astros 2B going forward and just 7 games into his major league career he’s hitting 0.423/.444/.500 in 27 PA.
On July 2nd Nathaniel pegged Altuve as the top-hitting minor league 2B in baseball and Jose is showing no signs of slowing down.
RHP Ryan Cook (24) – Arizona Diamondbacks
Preseason Ranking: Not Ranked
2011 Minor League Performance: 2.25 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9 and 10.2 SO/9 in 44.0 IP (34 G) for the Mobile Bay Bears (AA)
Debut Date: July 20th
Nothing like throwing a reliever to the fire. Cook was having a very strong season in the Southern League but I don’t know that having him skip over Reno to pitch in the Arizona’s bullpen for 2 appearances was the brightest maneuver. The Milwaukee Brewers apparently agreed with my assessment and were not kind to young Mr. Cook in his debut. He gave up 3 H, 1 BB and 3 ER and failed to record an out. Cook pitched again on the 22nd and gave up 1 H, 1 BB and 1 ER in 1.0 inning of work. On July 25th he was optioned to the Reno Aces where he should have been sent in the first place.
LHP Duane Below (25) – Detroit Tigers
Preseason Ranking: #15 in BA’s Tigers Top-10
2011 Minor League Performance: 3.13 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9 and 6.5 SO/9 in 115.0 IP (18 GS) with the Toledo Mud Hens (AAA)
Debut Date: July 20th
Detroit needed help in the rotation and Below was pitching reasonably well in Triple-A. His call-up was a logical move by the Tigers and Duane gave the team a decent outing in his debut. In 5.0 IP he allowed 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB and recorded 2 SO. He started again on Tuesday and gave up 6 H, 4 ER, and 2 BB while striking out 1 in 4.2 innings. Through 2 starts he has a 4.66 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and ERA+ of 85 and could quickly settle into the back-of the rotation role that his stuff and profile project him to be long term.
RHP Dane De La Rosa (28) – Tampa Bay Rays
Preseason Ranking: Not Ranked
2011 Minor League Performance: 3.72 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 4.1 BB/9 and 10.1 SO/9 in 48.1 IP (37 G) with the Durham Bulls (AAA)
Debut Date: July 20th
De La Rosa is 28, is on his 3rd organization and spent time in independent baseball from 2007-2009. The fact that he stuck with it and reached the major leagues is heartwarming, but I don’t have much to say beyond that. In his debut he pitched 1.0 inning, walked 2 and struck out 1. He didn’t allow a hit but was saddled for 2 earned runs as the reliever that followed failed to pick him up (the joys of inherited runners). The Rays optioned him back to Durham on the 22nd and he’s thrown 2.2 scoreless innings with a 5-to-1 SO-to-BB rate while allowing just one hit.
2B Jason Kipnis (24) – Cleveland Indians
Preseason Ranking: #3 in BA’s Indians Top-10
2011 Minor League Performance: 0.279/.361/.481, 15 2B, 9 3B, 12 HR, 12 SB, 44 BB and 72 SO in 341 AB (91 G) for the Columbus Clippers (AAA)
Debut Date: July 22nd
In the spirit of full disclosure, I am a big fan of Cord Phelps and that does bias my assessment of Kipnis. In his 19 game audition, Phelps hit 0.196/.315/.326 with 8 BB and 11 SO in 55 PA which wasn’t awful but for a team riding a miracle season like the Indians, their patience was justifiably limited and Cord was optioned back to Columbus on July 7th. Two weeks later, the Tribe turned to the far more ballyhooed prospect, Kipnis, in an attempt to solve their problems at 2B. I understand the promotion since Cleveland basically has to go all in this year but the timing is awfully curious. Generally players get promoted when they are in the middle of a hot stretch or at least luke warm and holding steady in the minors. In July, Kipnis was hitting 0.154/.250/.234 through 14 games and was having by far his worst month of the season. If you don’t believe me, check out his monthly OPS with Columbus for yourself:
April: 0.820 / May: 0.854 / June: 1.024 / July: 0.481
Like I said, curious. In his debut he went 0-2 and got hit by a pitch, but picked up his 1st major league hit in his next game on the 25th. Through 4 games and 14 PA he’s hitting 0.154/.214/.231 with 0 BB and 5 SO and given the way he was going in Triple-A at the time of his promotion that’s about what Cleveland should have expected from him.
3B Brandon Laird (23) – New York Yankees
Preseason Ranking: #10 in BA’s Yankees Top-10
2011 Minor League Performance: 0.266/.296/.415, 21 2B, 10 HR, 13 BB and 55 SO in 342 AB (90 G) for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (AAA)
Debut Date: July 22nd
When you see a guy with a 0.296 OBP in Triple-A get called-up you can assume one of three things. One, the major league team was desperate. Two, the player in question brings excellent defense to the table. Three, the organization doesn’t acknowledge OBP as useful tool and still relies on BA to evaluate a player’s statistical performance. In the case of Brandon Laird we know that option number two is not in the mix here as he is – at best – average defensively with below average range. The Yankees generally work opposing pitchers and make them throw strikes and it seems to be part of their organizational philosophy so I don’t think they are in the dark ages when it comes to OBP (like the Royals are) so that rules out number three. That brings us to desperation and it seems odd that Brandon Laird’s debut was the solution. There’s no doubt Laird has his share of fans and believers in prospect circles and scouts love his bat, but I’m not one of those people. Yes, he has some pop, but carrying a career 0.330 OBP in the minors and a 0.288 career OBP in 121 AAA games significantly limits his stock, especially given the lack of defensive capability. In his major league debut he went 1-1 with a run scored, a RBI and a walk but has gone 0-5 since. Through his first 9 PA with the Yankees he’s hitting 0.167/.375/.167. He’s got some work to do just to be considered a 4A player in my book.
RHP Chance Ruffin (22) – Detroit Tigers
Preseason Ranking: #7 in BA’s Tigers Top-10
2011 Minor League Performance: 2.12 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 4.2 BB/9 and 11.4 SO/9 in 34.0 IP (31 G) for the Erie SeaWolves (AA) and 2.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 4.0 BB/9 and 12.0 SO/9 in 9.0 IP (8 G) for the Toledo Mud Hens (AAA)
Debut Date: July 25th
When the Tigers drafted Ruffin in the supplemental round of the 2010 draft, they elected to put him on the fast track as a reliever, instead of letting him develop as a starter. The fast track worked, as he made his debut less than a year after signing at the deadline, but I have to wonder if it was the best move for the team and the player. Ruffin features a low to mid-90s fastball with good life, a devastating slider, curveball and changeup. With that arsenal it seems like he’d have a chance to make it as a starter, and many scouts thought that was his best path for future success on draft day. The Tigers obviously disagreed and may wind up under-utilizing a very talented arm as a result. In his debut he worked 1.2 innings against the White Sox and gave up 3 hits – 2 of them solo home runs – while striking out one. I believe the Tigers are being short-sighted and impatient with Ruffin and I fear that is going to cost them in the long run.
LHP Steve Garrison (24) – New York Yankees
Preseason Ranking: Not Ranked
2011 Minor League Performance: 6.26 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 2.3 BB/9 and 6.1 SO/9 in 46.0 IP (11 G/10 GS) for the Trenton Thunder (AA) and 1 start (5.0 shutout innings) for the Staten Island Yankees (A-)
Debut Date: July 25th
Sometimes you come across a player that gets called up to play in the majors and you have no earthly idea why. Steve Garrison is one of those guys. In 7 minor league seasons, he has only 22.1 innings of Triple-A experience (8.87 ERA, 1.84 WHIP) and that came in 2010 when he was a part of the Padres organization. Fortunately for his career, he throws a baseball left-handed and that netted him 0.2 spotless innings in the majors. He needed just 9 pitches to get those 2 outs and close out a 10-3 Yankees victory over the hapless Mariners. I wouldn’t have called him up, but to his credit he got the job done … for one day anyway.
OF Collin Cowgill (25) – Arizona Diamondbacks
Preseason Ranking: #18 in BA’s D-Backs Top-30
2011 Minor League Performance: 0.354/.430/.554, 24 2B, 13 HR, 30 SB, 51 BB and 63 SO in 395 AB (98 G) for the Reno Aces (AAA)
Debut Date: July 26th
You can certainly question how deserving Garrison was of his call-up with the Yankees, but you cannot do the same when it comes to Cowgill’s promotion and subsequent debut. Obviously being ranked 18th in Arizona’s system is far from being an upper echelon prospect but that didn’t stop him from tearing apart AAA this year. His 2011 performance continues the trend he’s established. As he’s advanced through the minor leagues his offensive numbers have improved at each stop along the way. Guys like Cowgill, who have decent skills, but off the charts intangibles are always hard to project and they often get type-cast. While his scouting reports suggest he will have a career as a 4th outfielder, the way he’s been able to elevate his game at each stop suggests to me that he could hold down an everyday spot for many years if given the opportunity. In his debut on Tuesday he went 0-4 with 2 SO and followed that up with another 0-4, 2 SO game last night. Hopefully Arizona doesn’t overreact to his lackluster start by demoting him quickly, but if they do (since they are just 3.0 GB in the NL West) they would be well served to give him a longer look as a regular as early as next season.
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