Mar 7, 2015; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets Michael Conforto (39) drives in a run against the Atlanta Braves during the spring training baseball game at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports
In this edition of Grading on the Curve’s Advanced-A recap, we take a look at players who are newcomers to this level of the minors. Players like outfielder Bradley Zimmer have been taking up most of the space in these recaps, but some new faces have been promoted to the leagues in High-A and deserve some acknowledgement.
Some notable names have also left these leagues. The Royals’ Bubba Starling, the Mets’ Michael Conforto, the Rangers’ Preston Beck and the Detroit Tigers’ Curt Powell have all been promoted in the past few weeks.
In the California League, the Lancaster JetHawks are on a four game win streak and have jumped into second place in the California League South Division. In the Florida State League, the Daytona Tortugas and Charlotte Stone Crabs continue to maintain healthy leads in their respective divisions; the Tortugas lead the North Division by five games while the Stone Crabs lead by eight. In the Carolina League, the Wilminton Blue Rocks still have a two-game lead over the Frederick Keys despite a five-game losing streak.
Let’s start this week in the California League…
Next: California League
California League
North
Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks)—34-16
Modesto Nuts (Rockies)—24-26
Stockton Ports (Athletics)—22-28
San Jose Giants (Giants)—21-29
Bakersfield Blaze (Mariners)—18-31
South
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Dodgers)—29-20
Lancaster JetHawks (Astros)—27-23
High Desert Mavericks (Rangers)—26-23
Inland Empire 66ers (Angels)—23-25
Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres)—23-26
Notable performances:
Melvin Mercedes has rebounded from two consecutive frustrating offensive season to start off hitting .315/.384/.371 in 28 games in 2015. He started the year in Class-A, where he hit .286/.340/.306 and has responded well to the promotion to the offensively generous California League. In his 13 games in Stockton, Mercedes is hitting .350/.435/.450 with five stolen bases. That includes a 3-for-5 with a run performance Saturday against Lake Elsinore. Expect some significant regression, as his BABIP in 2015 is over 100 points higher from where it has been the past two seasons.
Thursday, Reed Garrett made his debut with the High Desert Mavericks. He went six innings and allowed two runs, bringing his 2015 line to a 3.40 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and .228 average against. It was a good start after his promotion from the Sally League, but we’ll continue to watch him, as he’ll have to compete in a hitter-friendly environment.
San Francisco Giants 2014 seventh round pick Seth Harrison is hitting decently well in 2015, even if he isn’t getting on base at a blistering pace. He started of the season off with a 22-game stint in the SALly League, and has since moved on to hit .286 in seven games in High-A. He has three doubles and has scored three runs in those seven games. He has also struck out 28 times and drawn only six walks, leading to his thin OBP (.297), but his .340 BABIP in 2015 is a sign of good swings, even if it is a small sample and there is probably a bit of luck involved.
Next: Florida State League
Florida State League
North
Daytona Tortugas (Reds)—30-20
Clearwater Threshers (Phillies)—25-25
Tampa Yankees (Yankees)—25-25
Lakeland Flying Tigers (Tigers)—23-26
Brevard County Manatees (Brewers)—22-27
Dunedin Blue Jays (Blue Jays)—21-29
South
Charlotte Stone Crabs (Rays)—33-17
St. Lucie Mets (Mets)—25-25
For Myers Miracle (Twins)—24-26
Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins)—24-26
Palm Beach Cardinals (Cardinals)—24-26
Bradenton Marauders (Pirates)—23-27
Notable Performances:
Outfield prospect Collin Radack comes to the Palm Beach Cardinals after a promotion from Peoria, where he hit .293 with a .321 OBP and .373 slugging percentage. He’s only drawn 10 walks in 335 plate appearances since being drafted in 2014, so most of his offensive success can be attributed to his ability to get hits. Even though he doesn’t draw a ton of walks, he doesn’t strike out a lot either, as he’s only struck out 56 times in those 355 plate appearances. After eight games in the Florida State League, he is slashing .333/.394/.727.
In Bradenton, centerfielder Harold Ramirez is taking off for the Marauders. Sunday, he went 3-for-4 with a run batted in, and is now hitting .529/.619/.529 in his young season. He’s only played five games in 2015, but it’s an encouraging start after he hit a combined .295/.358/.406 in 120 games from 2013-2014. Even in very limited action, Ramirez has shown to be a tough out, as he’s only struck out in 15.5 percent of his plate appearances in his pro career.
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In his Advanced-A debut Wednesday, Jupiter pitching prospect Jose Adames pitched five innings and gave up two runs on six hits and two walks. Effectively wild would be a good way to describe the 22-year-old, who has a career 3.97 BB/9 innings pitched yet only a 2.72 ERA. He was used mostly as a reliever prior to 2014, appearing in 46 games but only making six starts. Since then, he has made 19 starts, including all nine of his appearances in 2015, posting a 2.43 ERA in those 19 starts. If he finds a way to walk fewer batters, he could continue to shine.
Next: Carolina League
Carolina League
Northern
Wilmington Blue Rocks (Royals)—27-23
Frederick Keys (Orioles)—25-25
Lynchburg Hillcats (Indians)—23-27
Potomac Nationals (Nationals)—21-29
Southern
Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs)—31-16
Salem Red Sox (Red Sox)—26-24
Carolina Mudcats (Braves)—23-24
Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox)—21-29
Notable performances:
Drafted in the 14th round in 2014, Chesny Young of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans has been a pleasant surprise. He hit .327/.384/.409 in 44 games in 2014 and has carried that momentum into 2015. He played his first 28 games of the season in South Bend, where he slashed .315/.385/.380, but he has been better in Myrtle Beach: After his 3-for-5, two run performance Sunday, his line stands at .362/.449/.431 in 15 games at High-A. Even though there is notable lack of power in his game—he has yet to hit a home run and only has 20 extra base hits in 325 at bats—he has been an effective base stealer, swiping 12 bases and only being caught three times.
Keith Curcio is off to a more rugged start after his promotion to High-A. The Braves’ sixth-round pick last season went 1-for-4 with a run Sunday against Wilmington, bringing his average in the CL to .220. He was promoted two weeks ago after hitting .342 in 32 games in Single-A. He has struck out 10 times in 59 at bats since the promotion. The CL is forgiving to hitters, so his offensive numbers should rise as he gets more at bats.
Eric Skoglund, a 2014 third-round pick by the Kansas City Royals, has spent the entire season in Wilmington, but his latest performance Friday warrants some attention. The pitching prospect went eight innings and allowed three runs on ten hits, taking the loss. Even though it appears his start wasn’t stellar, it was the deepest he’s gone in a game all season and it was hits, not walks that hurt him. Even with allowing those 10 hits, Skoglund is holding opposing offenses to a .241 average and has a 5.5 K/BB ratio.