SB Nation Bay Area: All Posts by Ron Shah

California League notebook: Prospects notes, Duke von Schamann & more

2013-06-12T16:00:08Z

I spent my Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings of last week watching prospects of the Inland Empire 66ers, who are the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Angels, and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes play against one another. Below are my own scouting notes on some of the notable prospects between the two teams, for your reading pleasure.

Eric Stamets, SS, Inland Empire (Angels): Of all the positional players I saw on Inland Empire, I believe Stamets has the best chance of contributing at the major league level, because of how tremendous he is defensively at shortstop. Stamets displayed his plus arm and plus defense in a ridiculous play I saw him make, snaring a fairly hard hit ball hit up-the-middle, spinning and firing to first. Stamets is also a plus-plus runner (I timed him at 4.10 from home-to-first on a few instances, but one scout said he clocked Stamets at 4.07 before). But, it's the hit tool that Stamets lacks that would prevent him from reaching his potential. I'm not a fan of the swing, but there is an approach at the plate and he's a competitor. I wouldn't bet against him.
Alex Yarbrough, 2B, Inland Empire (Angels): Yarbrough is a 5'11'', 180 pound second baseman that can hit. The approach, especially in two-strike counts, and excellent hands at the plate is what Yarbrough has going for him. However, he's a fringe player in my eyes, because he's not a burner, doesn't show good range or an average arm. If he can continue to hit, he could make it to the big leagues, because he doesn't profile well at any position besides second base.
Zach Borenstein, LF, Inland Empire (Angels): There's a lot to like about Borenstein when it comes to hitting. At the plate, he can go to all fields with ease and shows good bat speed in his leverage swing. He's got a nice build to him and seems to have plenty of strength, which could mean some power may develop in his bat instead of only gap power. But, as one scout told me, he's a bit too far off the plate and that will need to change for him to have success at the next level. Combine that with pitch recognition that needs work, Borenstein was left flailing at any pitch with vertical break thrown down and away to him. If it all comes together, you could see an up-and-down outfielder at the big league level. The former 23rd round selection of the 2011 draft is a nice little sleeper to watch.
Lindsey Caughel, RHP, Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers): I've written about Caughel before, but he looked much better in the second outing I saw him in than the first. Caughel seemed to have his better stuff this time, throwing 91 MPH with his fastball consistently for the first few innings. But it was the changeup that stood out to me, as Caughel relied on the pitch to get him deep into the game. While he did show a feel for it, there isn't a large enough velocity difference between the offering and his fastball.
Duke von Schamann, RHP, Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers): Von Schamann had the sinker working, keeping it down and sitting 89-91 with the offering while touching 92 and 93 for strikes on several instances. The command is there for von Schamann, who can move the sinker vertically and horizontally with consistency. While I can see the righty reaching the big leagues, he will first need to improve one of his secondary offerings. The changeup is a fringe offering he can get away with at the lower levels, as he uses it to keep hitters off balance right now. The curveball is thrown anywhere from 75-77 MPH while the slider comes in at 84-86. The curveball wasn't thrown much, but the loopy offering either hanged or broke right into the middle of the zone. I thought von Schamann showed decent feel for the slider, which currently has early break. It was my first look at von Schamann and perhaps my last, as the righty was promoted to Class Double-A Chattanooga after surviving the California League. He had a pretty good outing there, too, I'd say.

Please remember the notes for the Inland Empire prospects are only derived from a sample size of three games, as this was my first look at their team. Of course, it's also from my eye of evaluation, and everyone doesn't always agree.

California League notebook: Quakes win 8-3 as bats come alive

2013-06-06T06:40:31Z

After scoring just four runs combined in the two previous games against the Inland Empire 66ers, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes offense came alive on Wednesday night, plating eight runs total in the final game of a three-game set.

Pratt Maynard began the offensive production for the Quakes in the second inning when the catcher homered to right field with one man already on base. Rancho would tack on an additional run in the third inning, but the 3-0 lead evaporated after Inland Empire tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning.

However, that's when the Quakes would do most of their damage against Inland Empire's Dan Reynolds, scoring five runs in the frame while putting the game seemingly out of hand. Reynolds, who was charged with all eight runs, would be chased from the game after Pedro Guerrero hammered a two-run double towards the left field corner.

Meanwhile, starting pitcher Duke von Schamann would turn in another excellent outing for the team. The righty allowed three runs on nine scattered hits and two walks while striking out three. The Quakes would receive three innings of scoreless work from the bullpen to close out the game.

Rancho Cucamonga will now head out for a seven-game road trip before returning to LoanMart Field on the 13th of June when the team hosts Stockton.

Hanley Ramirez doubles in rehab game, could return Tuesday

2013-06-04T06:01:02Z

Monday's game between the Inland Empire 66ers and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes wasn't just any game between raw prospects at the lower levels of the minor leagues. Instead, the spotlight focused in on Los Angeles Dodgers rehabbing star shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who is working his back from a hamstring injury.

Ramirez, who hasn't played since suffering the injury on May 3rd, appeared in a pair of games for the Quakes over the weekend. Monday's appearance in Rancho made it the shortstop's third rehab appearance with the Dodgers' affiliate, and you could tell.

Batting second and playing shortstop, Ramirez put on a show in batting practice with his final hacks, hitting a set of screaming liners well out of the park. It translated into the game, too, as Ramirez lined a 91 MPH fastball offering the other way for a stand-up double in his first plate appearance.

In his second plate appearance, Ramirez hit a slow grounder to shortstop, but was called safe at first after the shortstop mishandled a hop to him as well as making an errant throw to the bag. To Ramirez's credit, he ran hard out of the box and quite well.

Before being pulled after the sixth inning (as planned), Ramirez would get one more plate appearance in, but wouldn't get on base for a third consecutive time. Instead making a loud fly out to Angels outfielder Peter Bourjos, who is also rehabbing from a hamstring injury.

Monday's game may have been the final step before Ramirez returns to the Dodgers big league club. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly sure hopes so, at least.

"Hopefully we'll have Hanley tomorrow," Mattingly said after the game.

Some game notes on Astros prospects

2013-05-31T05:46:59Z

Some game notes on Astros prospects

Hi, I write for True Blue LA and am am getting my feet wet in the scouting/prospect world. I went on my first trip Wednesday and wrote about it here. There are several notes on Lancaster's players and I tweeted out a few as well (http://twitter.com/Rontrarian). I think you will like it quite a bit.

California League notebook: Quakes lose 9-4, Lindsey Caughel, Ryan Mount profiles & more

2013-05-31T04:49:02Z

The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes took an early 2-0 lead against Lancaster JetHawks' starter Tyson Perez, but were unable to hold it against the JetHawks' potent offense, ultimately falling by the score of 9-4 and being swept at home by the Houston Astros' affiliate.

Behind Wednesday's starting pitcher Lindsey Caughel, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes contained the Lancaster JetHawks offense for the first five innings of play, as the two teams played to a 3-3 draw. Caughel began to lose effectiveness and the game was put into the hands of the Quakes' bullpen, who couldn't find an answer for Lancaster's offense.

Once Daniel Coulombe came in to relieve Caughel, the JetHawks offense exploded in the two subsequent innings, scoring six runs against Coulombe. One of the runs came off the bat of Lancaster's first baseman Telvin Nash, who absolutely unloaded on an offering for a home run that must have been around 480 feet or so (more on that below).

Before the Quakes could catch their breath, they were down 9-3 in the bottom of the ninth. The Quakes were able to knock in one run before it was all said and done, but couldn't cut into Lancaster's lead any further than that.

Notes:

Delino DeShields, 2B, Astros: The 5'9'' DeShields was the prospect scouts came to see on Wednesday night as he was the top prospect on the field on Wednesday. DeShields went 2-for-6 at the plate. While he didn't hit any ball with great authority on the night, he showed an ability to get the bat through the zone and and an approach at the plate. He certainly didn't get cheated or fooled at the plate from what I saw; if anything, he almost seemed too passive.
Telvin Nash, 1B, Astros: Nash showed the good and the bad on Wednesday. Starting with the good, Nash displayed his plus-plus power, hitting a pair of homers during the game, including the aforementioned 480 foot blast that was absolutely jaw-dropping. (Note: The ball hit a pole, so we will never know, but that's the estimate).
Ryan Mount, 3B, Dodgers: I didn't know much about Mount heading to the stadium on Wednesday, but he was the one player that stood out the most, at least at the plate. During batting practice, Mount put on a show, going deep towards right-center frequently. It translated to the game, too, smoking a double to left-center, a hard hit ball up the middle and another liner that a JetHawks pitcher somehow snared. Defensively, Mount looked uncomfortable and quite frankly not good at the hot corner. However, the 26-year-old is not a prospect.
Lindsey Caughel, RHP, Dodgers: The Dodgers took Caughel in the 23rd round of the 2012 draft and is playing in the CAL for the first time. The right-handed pitcher was throwing in the 88-90 range, but mostly sitting 89. He did a touch a few 91s, but nothing close to the strike zone. Despite the results, he was getting hit quite hard and lost a few ticks off of his fastball velocity in the top of the fifth inning.
Casio Grider, 2B, Dodgers: It was the bottom of the sixth inning when Grider hit a ball towards second base. It seemed like a routine ball, but it was a bit more than that. The 25-year-old turned on the jets and showed plus-plus speed as a right-handed hitter, legging out a home-to-first time of 4.01 seconds.

Jose Fernandez's MLB Debut

2013-04-08T06:51:30Z

Jose Fernandez's MLB Debut

At 20 years of age, Jose Fernandez made the jump few do from High-A to the major leagues. But you wouldn't have been able to tell by his performance. Feedback welcome.

On Trevor Bauer's poor start

2013-04-07T10:07:40Z

With a week of baseball filed away, Justin Upton is playing extremely well and making the Arizona Diamondbacks look foolish in trading him. Trevor Bauer is doing the exact opposite, after the 22-year-old made his American League debut with the Cleveland Indians on Saturday.

An interesting decision by the organization considering Bauer didn't make the team out of spring training, instead being sent down to the minor leagues. But with Scott Kazmir landing on the disabled list, Cleveland suddenly needed a spot-start and called upon Bauer to give them one instead of throwing for their Triple-A affiliate in Columbus.

So, Bauer faced the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. The former No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 draft walked seven batters in five innings while striking out two and, thanks to good fortune, allowed just three runs on two hits. It could should have been a lot worse than that, but the Rays made two outs at the plate and couldn't further capitalize on Bauer's struggles.

The former Diamondback struggled mightily out of the gate, walking the very first four batters he faced before getting James Loney to pop out. Then this happened:

Bauer is very open when it comes to his pitching philosophy, such as how he warms up for a start. Well, another unique thing he did during Saturday's game is move around the rubber, as noted by Tommy Rancel (@TRancel) on Twitter.

If the batter is right-handed, Bauer would pitch from the first base side of the rubber. If the batter is left-handed, he would pitch from the third base side of the rubber. In a larger sense, this means Bauer is working on perfecting two different release points per outing. Quite the tall task, especially with someone who is already struggling with command.

Ignoring the results, the plan had been to send Trevor Bauer back to the minor leagues after his spot-start. He remains one of the more intriguing pitchers to follow given his unorthodox style and quality of pitches, but the question remains if he can put it all together at the major league level.

The former Diamondback struggled mightily out of the gate, walking the very first four batters he faced before getting James Loney to pop out. Then this happened:

Astros Stay Swinging and Missing

2013-04-07T07:56:44Z

In their first four games, Houston Astros batters have been fooled at the plate all too many times, striking out in nearly 42% of their combined plate appearances. Oh, and they don't have a pitcher due up to bat in case you forgot the Astros transitioned to the American League.

But if you compare the strikeout rates between pitchers and Astros batters, it would be hard to tell the difference. Pitchers have went down on three strikes in 42.0% of plate appearances compared to 41.8% of Houston batters. The kicker is those same pitchers have managed to walk in 4.2% of plate appearances versus Houston's 3.7% walk rate.

Believe it or not, the Astros won their first game handily over the Texas Rangers by the score of 8-2. They sent 35 batters to the plate that game, and 13 went down on strikes, or 37%.

After an off-day on Monday, the Houston Astros were given the task of facing Yu Darvish. They didn't do particularly well in any phase besides the category of ''breaking up perfect games with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning''. 14 of the 27 batters became strikeout victims against Darvish and 15 of 29 overall.

Alexi Ogando and Rangers relievers that followed had similar success, striking out 15 of 33 Houston Astros batters.

Relatively speaking, Houston did better on Friday against Dan Straily and the Oakland Athletics relievers, managing to limit the strikeouts to 13 times in 37 plate appearances. Clearly, the A's weren't impressed, sending Straily down immediately after the game.

Are the Astros lacking aggressiveness at the plate? Do they need to swing more often in hopes avoiding two-strike counts? What the hell is going on?

For one, the Astros are seeing just 42% of total pitches inside the strike zone; a slightly higher rate than the Diamondbacks (41.1%) and Marlins (39.6%). But it doesn't matter whether the pitch is in the strike zone or not as Astros batters make contact with just 63.3% (dead last) of pitches, regardless of pitch location. It also doesn't help the Astros are swinging-and-missing on 19.20% of pitches. No one is in their neighborhood. Or zip code, city, county, state, etc. with the Angels' 13.10% a very, very distant second.

Usually when teams are whiffing at this alarming rate, some positive consequences would be power and walking.

As mentioned above, pitchers are walking more often than the Astros batters. Entering Saturday's slate of games, only the Rays are walking less frequently. As for the power, the Astros entered Saturday's games ranking 26th in ISO (Isolated Power). So even when one of Houston's batters are recording a hit, it's basically always a single (17 singles, 25 hits).

Believe it or not, the Astros won their first game handily over the Texas Rangers by the score of 8-2. They sent 35 batters to the plate that game, and 13 went down on strikes, or 37%.

Alexi Ogando and Rangers relievers that followed had similar success, striking out 15 of 33 Houston Astros batters.

Are the Astros lacking aggressiveness at the plate? Do they need to swing more often in hopes avoiding two-strike counts? What the hell is going on?

Usually when teams are whiffing at this alarming rate, some positive consequences would be power and walking.