Feb 26, 2017; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds right fielder Aristides Aquino (66) returns to the dugout after the top of the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene/Cincinnati Enquirer via USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2017; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds right fielder Aristides Aquino (66) returns to the dugout after the top of the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene/Cincinnati Enquirer via USA TODAY Sports /
Future NL Central rivals face off in the minor league baseball feature series this week in the Southern League.
Our MLB coverage at Call to the Pen is fairly well-balanced, but in an effort to give you better breadth and depth of coverage of minor league baseball, we will begin a number of weekly posts.
The first will examine the big news items along with the top performers in the minor leagues each Monday. Tuesday will bring a review of the weekend highlight series. Wednesday will bring draft news and college baseball news until that is complete. Thursday will preview the weekend series of note in minor league baseball to watch. Friday will feature a new series, “The Video Room”, where CTTP contributor Benjamin Chase will examine one game from the week from a scouting perspective and break down the game.
Scouting reports will be scattered throughout the week and weekends, so keep on the lookout for those as well. As always, if there is anything you would like to see covered more thoroughly here at CTTP, let us know in the comments section below!
This week’s featured series will be our first ‘high minors” series, featuring two NL Central affiliates in the AA Southern League.
This week’s minor league baseball feature series focuses on the Biloxi Shuckers, the Milwaukee Brewers AA affiliate, and the Cincinnati Reds’ AA affiliate, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
Let’s take a look at each squad…
Next: Buies Creek Astros
Biloxi Shuckers Offense
The elite of the elite in the Brewers system are at their high-A and AAA affiliates in Carolina and Colorado Springs, respectively, but there are plenty of top 30 guys in the Milwaukee system in the Biloxi system.
The top offensive player by ranking, according to MLB Pipeline’s team top 30 is infielder Mauricio Dubon, ranked #9. Dubon has good contact skills without much else to offer, though he has shown good ability on the base paths this season with 8 steals to just one caught stealing.
The offense of the Shuckers has been a big reason why they have started poorly as only Dubon is currently hitting over .260. In fact, only four hitters are even hitting above .230.
One of the guys struggling heavily is Jacob Nottingham, the #14 prospect on Pipeline’s list. The big catcher worked in the Arizona Fall League on his receiving skills as the Brewers are hopeful to turn him into a legit two-way catcher, but Nottingham has not only struggled to show himself with the glove but also with the bat since the Brewers acquired him, currently slashing .163/.293/.265 on the season.
Thursday’s starter will be former top prospect Taylor Jungmann. Jungmann has fallen off of most lists for the Brewers and really out of the team’s long-term plans, but he offers a solid org arm in the high minors. He’s had struggles on the season thus far with a 5.14 ERA over 7 innings on the seasons.
On Friday, #13 prospect Jorge Lopez takes the hill, and Lopez has opened the season very well. He did similar for Biloxi last season, however, and then when he got to AAA, he struggled incredibly to find the plate. To open the season, Lopez has made 4 starts, throwing 20 innings, with a 2.25 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and a 3/20 BB/K ratio.
The best ERA from any of the starters in Biloxi is Taylor Williams, who will go on Saturday for the Shuckers. Williams is a 4th round selection from 2013 who missed multiple seasons due to injury. He’s currently thrown 9 2/3 innings with a 0.93 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and a 6/12 BB/K ratio.
The top-rated prospect on the Biloxi squad is scheduled to go on Sunday in righty Luis Ortiz, rated the #4 prospect in the Brewers system. He’s shown good strikeout stuff, but so far, he’s struggled with the long ball as well to the tune of a 3.72 ERA over 19 1/3 innings with a 0.93 WHIP and a 5/20 BB/K ratio.
In the rare 5-game series, Biloxi and Pensacola play on Sunday as well, but neither team has currently announced their starter. Currently, that would be the rotation spot for Angel Ventura, who has been tremendous this season. Ventura took multiple seasons to work out of the Dominican Summer League, but he’s made progress consistently up the system since, and this year, he’s got a 3.00 ERA over 15 innings with a 1.80 WHIP and a 8/12 BB/K ratio.
The starter that could be slotted in ahead of Ventura is Aaron Wilkerson, who was acquired by the Brewers last summer for Aaron Hill, arguably the best overall performer for the Shuckers this season. He’s thrown 19 1/3 innings with a 3.26 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and a 6/25 BB/K ratio. Wilkerson was placed on the temporarily inactive list this week.
Now let’s take a look at the Blue Wahoos…
Next: Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Pensacola Blue Wahoos Offense
The top Reds prospect on the Pensacola roster, according to MLB Pipeline, is #6, outfielder Aristides Aquino. Aquino got quite a bit of love at the end of top 100 lists this offseason as a toolsy outfielder from the Dominican Republic who took a few years to get his feet under him, but had a big break through year in 2016. He’s started rough in 2017 thus far, with a line of .174/.216/.275 and a putrid 3/24 BB/K ratio in 69 at bats.
Blake Trahan is the next-highest rated hitter at #24 on Pipeline’s list. Trahan was the Reds’ 3rd round pick in 2015, and he’s shown to be a very solid shortstop defensively. Offensively, he has work to do, though his line this year has been solid enough at .275/.329/.304 with a 6/13 BB/K ratio over 69 at bats.
Former first-round selection Alex Blandino is the final ranked hitter at #25. Blandino was the #29 overall pick out of Stanford in 2014, but he’s struggled to produce in the high minors after breezing through the low minors. He’s in his third season with Pensacola, and currently he’s struggling to a .178/.351/.244 slash line with an 11/12 BB/K ratio over 45 at bats.
Currently, catcher Devin Mesoraco is rehabbing with Pensacola. He’s struggled to be healthy in the last few years. He’s slashed .170/.291/.255 on the season thus far in 47 games.
Third baseman Eric Jagielo was once a top prospect and first round selection for the Yankees that came to the Reds in the Aroldis Chapman deal. He’s struggled with the bat this season, hitting .226/.305/.302 over 53 at bats this season.
Pensacola’s best hitters this year have been two outfielders that weren’t highly regarded coming into the season. Angelo Gumbs was a second round pick out of high school, and he’s been on the short side of a platoon most of the season, but he’s hit well in that role, with a .393/.469/.571 line in 28 at bats.
Gabriel Guerrero is the other outfielder hitting well. The 23 year-old outfielder is on his third organization after originally signing with the Seattle Mariners. So far on the season, he’s hitting .304/.329/.405 over 79 at bats.
Blue Wahoos Pitching
The real headline of this series will be Thursday as Pensacola starter Tyler Mahle will make his first start after his perfect game. On the season, Mahle has been brilliant, going 4-0 over 26 2/3 innings with an 0.67 ERA, 0.45 WHIP, and a 5/27 BB/K.
The Reds acquired righty Luis Castillo from the Miami Marlins for Dan Straily in the offseason, and he’s shown to be a tremendous acquisition. He’s thrown 24 1/3 innings on the season with a 2.22 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and a 3/21 BB/K ratio.
One of the more pleasant surprises for the Reds this year so far has been the development of Keury Mella as a viable starter. Mella was the “other” piece acquired in the Mike Leake trade with the Giants that brought in Adam Duvall, who made a big impression for the big league club in 2016. Mella has thrown 19 2/3 innings, posting a 4.12 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and a 3/17 BB/K ratio.
Currently, the Saturday and Sunday starters are both to be determined on the schedule. Saturday would be the typical rotation spot for veteran righty Deck McGuire, who has had a nice season for the Blue Wahoos. He’s thrown 22 innings with a 3.68 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 11/22 BB/K ratio.
Sunday would be the typical rotation spot for another minor league free agent who is throwing very well, righty Austin Ross. Ross currently leads the team in innings pitched with 27 1/3 while posting a 0.99 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and a 9/16 BB/K ratio.
The Pensacola pitching staff is also notable for two of the team’s top 30 being relievers that are both Blue Wahoos pitchers. Righty Ariel Hernandez has already been called up to the major leagues this season, where he acquitted himself well, throwing 2 2/3 perfect innings with 5 strikeouts. In Pensacola, he’s thrown 8 innings, with a 1.13 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a 4/14 BB/K.
Righty Jimmy Herget is also tallying big strikeout numbers in the bullpen, as he’s thrown 10 innings on the season with 8 saves, posting a 1.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 4/19 BB/K ratio.
