Feb 26, 2014; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Eddie Butler poses during photo day at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
It has almost become a tired story, but the team with the ballpark at the highest altitude and a club that has had trouble developing pitchers, has one of the best pitching staffs in the minor leagues. The Tulsa Drillers feature two fantastic prospects in Jon Gray and Eddie Butler, both of whom are pitching up to their hype, but neither are putting up the best numbers on the staff.
Daniel Winkler is not considered much of a prospect, he is not found on any of the major outlets top Rockies prospects, yet he simply goes out and puts up fantastic numbers start after start. In 2013, between the California League and the Texas League, Winkler pitched 157 innings while striking out 175 and posting an ERA under three. So far this season, his K/9 rate has dropped from 10 to 9.1, but his ERA, 1.46, and WHIP, .737, are second-to-none in the Texas League.. He is also the only Texas Leaguer to post a shutout this season while leading the league in strikeouts and is tied for the league lead in wins.
While the 24-year old Winkler is not often talked about when discussing Rockies pitchers with upside, his teammates certainly are, and for good reason. Winkler may lead the league in ERA, but both Gray and Butler are in the top five in the Texas League. Butler has not allowed an earned run in three starts. Gray has not struck out batters at the rate many were expecting, but he still sits tied for seventh in strikeouts for the season, and has allowed less than one base runner per inning.
The best batting line of the week came from San Diego Padres prospect, Yeison Asencio. Asencio went 5-6 on Friday, homering twice and driving in five runs. Friday night accounted for 2/3 of his home run production on the season and half of his RBIs. He is still hitting just .237 and reaching base at a .265 clip, which is far from his career .288 average. Asencio has really struggled ever since his call-up to Double-A last season, but has recorded a base hit in both games since his 5 hit outburst, potentially being a sign of an impending breakout.
Asencio’s teammate, Rymer Liriano, just might be the batter most deserving of a promotion in the Texas League. He is hitting .368 over his past ten games and, while he has only hit one home run in those games, he is one of the pace among home run league leaders. Liriano has spent the majority of his time thus far in left field after coming off Tommy John Surgery last season. Before the surgery, one of his best tools was a cannon of an arm, but he has yet to show complete confidence in that arm, and has seen just four games in right field. His power is real, and he has shown he can put bat to ball with consistency, he just needs to prove he is fully healthy, and he could be an impact player in the big leagues as early as this season.