Athletics Minor League Baseball Blog

Stockton had their share of quality hurlers.  Here were the best of the best in 2011.

Robert Gilliam – Gilliam led the team in innings pitched (164 1/3), strikeouts (156), walks (48) and wins (12) despite sporting a 5.04 ERA and a mediocre ground ball rate.  It’ll be interesting to see what happens when Gilliam moves up.  If he can keep striking guys, he’ll be okay but for a strikeout pitcher, his hit rate (.263 batting average against) may get him into trouble.

Daniel Straily – Straily was a lot like Gilliam (pitched a lot of innings for Stockton and racked up some strike outs) but he finished with a much nicer 3.87 ERA.  This was due in part to Straily giving up only ten home runs versus Gilliam’s 24.  Still, he should be set for a solid showing in Double-A.

Anthony Huttenlocker – This reliever struck out 60 and walked only 12 in 69 innings.  He was 4-0 and he sported an impressive 1.83 ERA.  Good stuff by this left hander who gave up only three home runs.

When it comes to Stockton hitters, one guy rose above the rest but he wasn’t the only guy who had a nice season.  Here are a few hitters that were tops on the team in 2011.

Michael Choice – the team’s top prospect, Choice belted 30 home runs, drove in 82 and he drew 61 walks. That was good for an OPS of .918 over the course of a solid season for Stockton.  It’s going to be fun to see this kid move up the ladder.

Anthony Aliotti – Aliotti  was second on the team with 80 walks and a .392 OBP in a solid season.  He was second to Choice amongst the regulars with a .788 OPS and but his big problem is, he’s a firstbaseman without a lot of power.

Connor Crumbliss – Another solid OBP guy, Crumbliss drew a team high 96 walks and he was second on the team in runs with 75.  His .404 OBP was nice but he showed even less power the Aliotti.  Still, you can’t argue with a guy who walks 96 times and only strikeouts out 85.

Jermaine Mitchell was promoted pretty quickly but when he was with the Rockhounds, he, well, rocked.  He belted 15 doubles, 13 triples and 10 home runs in 74 games and he finished with an impressive 1.042 OPS.   He was also second on the team with 67 runs despite the limited time with the Double-A affiliate.

Michael Spina led the team with 75 RBIs and he was second on the team with 32 doubles in 129 games for Midland. He had a solid .803 OPS and he also led the team with 70 walks.

Adam Heether led the team with 13 home runs and he did it while striking out just 72 times.  His OPS was .786.  So the Rockhounds didn’t have a ton of home run talent, but they definitely have some power and it’ll be interesting to see what these guys can do when the get to the PCL.

When your pitcher that led the team in innings finished with a 7.08 ERA, you  know your pitching stars are going to be few and far between.  Still, here were the guys to keep an eye on going forward that posted solid numbers for the Rockhounds in 2011.

Ethan Hollingsworth was one of the more effective starters.  In 94 2/3 innings, he finished with a 3.61 ERA but he struck out just 66 versus a nice 23 walks.  For Midland he kept the ball down and induced a ground ball well more then half the time.  He’s a pitch to contact guy though and a right hander at that so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of success he has at the big league level.

Trey Barham had a 2.95 ERA in 61 innings although he’s a lot like Hollingsworth.  Pitch to contact and he gets his share of ground balls.  He only gave up five home runs in 61 innings which is nice.  He’s also 26 now so he’s well past prospect status.

Neil Wagner was the hard thrower with 53 strikeouts (and just 13 walks) in 37 1/3 innings. He finished with a 3.38 before he was sent to Sacramento.  He also gets a lot of ground balls but he also has the strikeouts to go with them.  He’s also older (he’ll be 28 in January) so he’s hardly a prospect anymore but he’s a solid guy to have in the pen.

It’s the PCL so high pitching numbers are the norm but the River Cats had their share of solid starters in 2011.

Travis Banwart – the workhorse on the staff, this 25 year old led the team with 149 2/3 innings, 120 strikeouts and nine losses.  He didn’t get a call up but this may have had as much to do with the River Cats late run.  He did give up 22 home runs and his fly ball rate isn’t great so it’ll be interesting to see how it all translates into an MLB run.

Graham Godfrey – Godfrey had a really nice run and he finished 14-3 in 107 1/3 innings for the River Cats. He was eventually brought up for a major league stint but he got it done for the River Cats when he pitched with them.  He only gave up six home runs despite a subpar ground ball rate.

Fernando Cabrera – Cabrera was probably the best guy out of the pen in 2011.  He struck out 73 in 63 and he needs it because he has a rough ground ball rate.  He saved nine games and finished with a 2.71 ERA.

The River Cats had another great season and while they came short in the championship, they won the PCL again and had their share of hitting stars.  Here’s a look at the top of the list.

Jai Miller – Miller led the team in most offensive categories.  He finished with 32 home runs, 88 RBIs and 81 run in 110 games.  He had a very nice .956 OPS the soon to be 27 year old had a short stint with the A’s.

Chris Carter – Before getting called up, Carter hit 18 home runs with an .897 OPS.   He didn’t put up the numbers that Miller had, but what he did do he managed in 75 games.

Matt Carson – Matt was second on the team with 19 home runs and he drove in 65 in his stint with the River Cats.  This was in just 90 games.

Sacramento River Cats – 88-56, first place in the Pacific Coast League
Midland Rockhounds – 36-34 in the second half, nine games back of first place
Stockton Ports – 37-33 in the second half, four games back of Modesto in the California League
Burlington Bees – 31-37 in the second half, ten games back of Quad Cities
Vermont Lake Monsters – 39-35, first place in the New York Penn League
AZL Athletics – 27-29, fourteen games back of the first place AZL Giants

Stockton lost 10-3 to Lake Elsinore and that wrapped up their bid at the California League championship. They best Modesto 2-1 to move on, then took care of San Jose 3-1 but Lake Elsinore was too much to handle.

Stockton was the first half winner so they could skate a little on the second half of the season.  Their second half record was just 37-33 and that was third best behind first place Modesto who were 41-29.

The River Cats had to come back from a 0-2 deficit to beat Reno but then they couldn’t do the same against Omaha as they were swept 0-3 against Omaha.  The third loss of the series also saw the River Cats give up double digits in runs again and that was after a game one pitchers duel.

Still, 88-56 is nothing to scoff at.  They finished 17 games ahead of second place Las Vegas and they were the lone team in the division with a winning record.  Omaha was just a little bit better though.  Of course Omaha went on to lose to Columbus in the Triple A championship game.

Midland won their final game of the season 3-1 against Frisco.  Brett Hunter picked up the win despite he throwing the fewest innings out of the four pitchers that got into the game.  Jonathon Ortiz struck out two in two shutout innings and he picked up his first save of the season.

Jose Rivero tripled and he drove in two runs.  Michael Spina went two for five with an RBI.

Carlos Hernandez improved to 7-6 with a really nice start in the Fisher Cats 7-0 win over the Isotopes.  He gave up just four hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven shutout innings.

Adrian Cardenas went three for five with two runs in the win.  Chris Carter had just one hit but it was a home run and he scored two runs and drove in a pair.

Ethan Hollingsworth improved to 5-4 on the season with a really nice start in the Rockhouds 1-0 win over the Hooks.  He gave up just seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.  Jared Lansford pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings and he picked up his sixth save of the season.

Matthew Sulentic went two for five with a double and he drove in the lone run.  Michael Spina went two for four with a run.

Graham Godfrey improved to 9-2 on the season with another really nice start in the River Cats 10-1 win over Reno.  He gave up a run on five hits with eight strikeouts in seven shutout innings.

Michael Taylor had the big day at the plate.  He went three for three with a walk, a double, a home runs and five RBIs.

Yadel Marti improved to 2-0 on the season with a fantastic start in the Rockhounds 5-1 win over San Antonio.  He gave up three hits and a walk with five strikeouts in seven shutout innings.  Andrew Carigan got the final four batters out and he picked up his second save of the season.

Grant Green went three for five with an RBI.  Adam Heether singled twice, drew a walk and scored two runs.

The Ports did it again.  They won their sixteenth straight game as five pitchers combined to hold the Blaze to three runs.  Scott Deal gave up a run on two hits and a walk in three innings of work and he improved to 4-1.  Andrew Carigan threw a shutout ninth inning and he picked up his fifth save of the season.

Anthony Aliotti went one for two with a solo home run and two walks.  Michael Gilmartin doubled and drove in two runs.

Gary Daley improved to 2-1 on the season with a fantastic start in the Rockhounds 3-1 win over the RoughRiders.  He gave up one unearned run on one hit with three walks and six strikeouts in eight innings of work.  Neil Wagner threw a shutout ninth and he picked up his fourth save of the season.

Grant Green went two for two with two walks and a solo home run.  Adam Heether went one for three with a walk and an RBI.

Lenny Dinardo improved to 1-3 on the season with a solid start in the RiverCats 10-2 win over the Salt Lake Bees.  He gave up two runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts in seven innings of work.

Andy LaRoche went two for four with two doubles, three RBIs and a run.  Chris Carter belted two solo home runs and he drew two walks.

The Bees couldn’t get anything done at the plate in their 5-0 loss to South Bend.  Josh Whitaker went two for three with a walk and the only other player with a hit was Douglas Landaeta.

Jose Macias fell to 1-1 despite an okay start.  He gave up three runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five innings.

Shawn Haviland improved to 2-3 on the season with a nice start in the RockHounds 3-0 win over the Hooks.  He gave up three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 6 1/3 shutout innings.  Jon Meloan pitched a shutout ninth and he picked up his first save of the season.

Tyler Ladendorf went three for four with a run in the win.  Jermaine Mitchell went two for five with a run.

Murphy Smith improved to 2-3 on the season with one of his best starts so far in a 7-0 win over the Blaze.  He gave up six hits and a walk with three strikeouts in six shutout innings.  Brett Hunter threw two shutout innings of relief.

Michael Choice went two for two with three walks, a home run and two RBIs.  Ryan Lipkin went two for five with a pair of RBIs and Rashun Dixon went two for four with a walk and three runs.

 Guillermo Moscoso improved to 2-2 on the season with a nice start in the River Cats 4-0 win over the Sky Sox.  He gave up just a hit and two walks with eight strikeouts in six innings.  Willie Eyre pitched a shutout ninth and he dropped his ERA down to a miniscule 0.77.

Steve Tolleson provided the bulk of the offense in this one.  He went three for four with a home run and two RBIs.  Eric Sogard went one for three with a walk and an RBI.

At the Triple-A level,the Sacramento RiverCats are off to their usual hot start.  The perennial contenders finished the month 14-9 and they sit atop the standings in the PCL Southern Division.  You don’t have to look very far for a hitting star because Jai Miller has a 1.229 OPS as he continues to rake.  Thirteen of his 21 hits are for extra bases and he’s driven in 22 runs.  Jemile Weeks has also been solid with a .986 OPS and a 17 to 14 strikeout to walk ratio.  On the pitching side, Graham Godfrey and Guillermo Moscoso lead the way.  Godfrey is 3-0 with a 2.66 ERA while Willie Eyre is 2-0 with a 0.98 ERA.

The A’s Double-A affiliate, the Midland Rockhounds have gotten off to a decent start and they’re 12-10.  That’s good enough for second place in their division and they’re three games back of San Antonio.  Jermaine Mitchell and Michael Spina have been the two best hitters.  Mitchell has a 1.111 OPS with 24 runs while Spina leads the team with six home runs and he sports a 1.093 OPS.  On the pitching side, Ethan Hollingsworth has been the most effective starter. He’s gone 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA although you can be too encouraged by his 12 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings.

The Stockton Ports, the A’s High-A affiliate, is also off to a nice start.  They’re tied for first in their division with a 15-8 record.  Michael Choice, despite hitting just .247, has been the most productive hitter.  He leads the team with 15 runs, four home runs and fourteen RBIs.  Daniel Straley has been lights out on the mound.  He’s 3-1 with 27 strikeouts in 28 innings and he has a 0.96 ERA.

Not to be left out, the Burlington Bees are also in first place with a 15-6 record.  Royce Consigil, Nino Leyja and Tony Thompson are quite a formidable trio in the linup for the Bees and all three sport an OPS of at least .850.  A.J. Griffen and Jacob Brown both are 3-0.  Griffin has 34 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings and he has a 1.38 ERA.

The Oakland A’s minor league affiliates have four openers this Thursday.  He’s the run down of where each team starts the season:

Sacramento Rivercats – at home against Tacoma
Midland Rockhounds – at home against Arkansas
Stockton Ports – at Modesto
Burlington Bees – at Clinton

I also think the AL West is wide open so Athletics tickets might not be as easy to come by as they were last season.  I’m just happy that baseball is here.

Back in 2007, the Athletics drafted Jonathan Johnston in the 42nd round and signed him to a major league deal.  Since then, he’s bounced between the minor leagues and his more pressing assignments with the Navy.  BA had an interesting profile on this catcher and now with his active duty behind him for now, he’s shooting for a spot on a minor league club that needs a catcher.  It’ll be interesting to see what he can do with basically being out of baseball for three years but it would make for a great story.

The prospect lists keep rolling out and the latest is the top eleven list by Kevin Goldstein.  There’s some talent in the system and Goldstein gives the Athletics two five star prospects and two more four stars.  Topping the list is slugger Chris Carter who looked poised to start for the Athletics but after a couple of signings, he’ll probably start the year at Sacramento. This guy can mash and he should hit home runs for the A’s for years to come.

Shortstop Grant Green comes in at number two.  He had a really nice year at High-A last year and he should make the jump to Double-A with possibly a knock on the door of the Athletics.  He may not stick at shortstop but even a .300 hitting second baseman is someone to get excited about.

The Athletics first round pick in 2010, outfielder Michael Choice, is number three.  Another slugger, Choice also has some wheels under him.  Goldstein speculates that he could jump all the way to High-A in 2011 but this kid is still a couple of years away.

Ian Kroll (left hander, top pitching prospect) comes in at number four while Yordy Cabrera (highschool shortstop drafted in 2010) round out the top five.  He rounds out the piece with the top ten guys in the system 25 and under and the top four are already in the bigs.  Having some of these guys coming up the ladder is just going to help the team.

Baseball America recently unveiled their top ten Athletics prospects.  Coming in at number one is the crown jewel, shortstop Grant Green.  He spent the entire season at Stockton and then numbers speak for themselves.  The high strikeout rate is some concern so we’ll see what happens when he makes the jump to Double-A.

Number two is Chris Carter.  This is their masher and he’s major league ready.  Daric Barton is the team’s first baseman, but Carter should get plenty of at bats whether it’s at a corner outfield spot or at designated hitter.  He got a cup of coffee and struggled (0 for 33 to start his career) but he had a great second half for Sacramento. 

Number three is the A’s 2010 first round draft pick, Michael Choice.  The outfielder signed early enough to get some time with the A’s two short season teams.  This is another potential masher, he’s just a couple of years away.  Tyson Boss (the top pitcher, major league ready) and Jemille Weeks (injury prone, Rickie Weeks brother and a second baseman) round out the top five.

There were only two pitchers on the list and that’s a little disconcerting. Still, you can always sign those and the A’s are always able to find some value with their draft picks.

The River Cats took care of the Cubs in a 3-1 win and it was Vin Mazzaro who picked up the win.  He improved to 2-2 and he gave up just one unearned runs on four hits and a walk with six strikeouts in six innings of work.

Eric Patterson had just one hit but it was a two run blast in the third inning.  Daric Barton drove in the other run with a solo shot in the second inning.

I’ve come to learn that Demarini baseball bats are the only way to go.  I went from hitting chump to a slugger with my double wall and the ball just springs off the bat.  I picked up my bat as well as a nice new Rawlings glove over at Baseball Rampage.  I may be in the 35 and older league, but I’m hitting like I did in high school.

In a very interesting piece at Baseball America, columnist Chris Kline caught up with a National League scout to talk about Athletics first round draft pick James Simmons.  Simmons put up solid numbers as a reliever for the Rockhounds and he’s had a solid campaign for the Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League.  The scout talks about Simmons workload and he thinks the big thing with Simmons will be whether he can refine his breaking ball or not. He talks about he’s shown improvements in his breaking ball but whether he can perfect will determine the extent of Simmons major league career.

Lou Merloni and Brant Colamarino combined to drive in all seven runs for the River Cats as they dispatched the PCL champion Richmond Braves to win the Bricktown Showdown.  Merloni went two for five with a homerun and four RBIs while Colamarino went three for five with a homerun and three RBIs.

Shane Komine didn’t finish the second inning and he came out after an injury and Kazuhito Tadano took over from there to pick up the win.  He gave up one run on three hits with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

The River Cats won their sixth straight playoff game to capture their third PCL championship in five years in a 4-3 win over the Zephyrs.  Brad Knox was cruising along until he gave up a three run homer in the eighth inning that made it close but the River Cats buckled down and pulled of the win.  Knox gave up three three runs on three hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.

Brian Stavisky went two for four with a run and an RBI.  Brant Colamarino doubled, drove in a run and scored.