7/2 - 7/8 Minor League Game Thread

[marlinsfan24]

Nicolino has a 4.81 FIP and a strikeout rate of less than 5 K's per nine innings in Triple-A now.

[Mainge]

He's garbage

[Jay]

K rate actually improved from AA last year to AAA this year. What's most concerning is his walk rate has doubled

[dim]

The walks are definitely a real concern, going from 20 walks in 170 IP in Jax to 23 walks in 89 IP in NOLA is worrisome. I know everyone on this board loves strikeouts because obviously strikeouts show you have good stuff, but Nicolino's gotten by just about his entire career not needing to strike people out. In the past he's been able to get by because of the good control, giving up a lot of hits but relatively few XBH's (meaning fewer runs). If he does in the majors exactly what he did in Jacksonville last year he'll make for an excellent #4 or at his peak maybe a good #3 starter in the majors. There's a lot of variance with Nicolino that leads to risk, but I learned not to doubt him when he's done it his entire career. He's had bad starts in the past and always bounces back strong.

Look, I'd love strikeouts too. But he's able to go deep into games because he puts the ball in play and gets quick outs. As we've seen the last two starts where he's given up 5 runs, sometimes that strategy bites him in the ass. There's obvious flaws in his game, and this year his biggest issue has been walks and homers. Just like with the walks, he's given up the same amount of HR's this year in half the amount of IP as last year. In five of his truly bad starts this year, he's given up 8 of his 10 home runs, which isn't all that shocking but still telling. If he was a ground ball pitcher and doing the same thing he'd be on pace to be the next Henderson Alvarez, but the fly ball issue makes things tricky. If he's capable of finding the strike zone and keeping the ball out of the park, he'll be fine. That's what he's done most of his career. But I do understand the concern.

[Jay]

The walk rate is concerning because AA last year looks like an outlier rather than an improvement since it's lower than every other year at lower levels whereas his walk rate in AAA this year looks like he's just facing better hitters than he was facing in A ball.

[Miamarlin21]

I wonder what's going on with Don Kelly. He was rehabbing in Jupiter, but he hasn't played in a game since July 4.

[Nick]

Probably just forgotten. Team bus left without him.

[marlinsfan24]

The walks are definitely a real concern, going from 20 walks in 170 IP in Jax to 23 walks in 89 IP in NOLA is worrisome. I know everyone on this board loves strikeouts because obviously strikeouts show you have good stuff, but Nicolino's gotten by just about his entire career not needing to strike people out. In the past he's been able to get by because of the good control, giving up a lot of hits but relatively few XBH's (meaning fewer runs). If he does in the majors exactly what he did in Jacksonville last year he'll make for an excellent #4 or at his peak maybe a good #3 starter in the majors. There's a lot of variance with Nicolino that leads to risk, but I learned not to doubt him when he's done it his entire career. He's had bad starts in the past and always bounces back strong.

Look, I'd love strikeouts too. But he's able to go deep into games because he puts the ball in play and gets quick outs. As we've seen the last two starts where he's given up 5 runs, sometimes that strategy bites him in the ass. There's obvious flaws in his game, and this year his biggest issue has been walks and homers. Just like with the walks, he's given up the same amount of HR's this year in half the amount of IP as last year. In five of his truly bad starts this year, he's given up 8 of his 10 home runs, which isn't all that shocking but still telling. If he was a ground ball pitcher and doing the same thing he'd be on pace to be the next Henderson Alvarez, but the fly ball issue makes things tricky. If he's capable of finding the strike zone and keeping the ball out of the park, he'll be fine. That's what he's done most of his career. But I do understand the concern.

Major leagues are completely different than the lower levels of the minors and even AA.

[dim]

I never denied that, but that's what his career is right now. It's what we use to decide if these guys are good. You can dislike Nicolino all you want but what he did in Jacksonville was really good.

[Jay]

I never denied that, but that's what his career is right now. It's what we use to decide if these guys are good. You can dislike Nicolino all you want but what he did in Jacksonville was really good.

Yeah but he benefited from walking 1 guy or less a game which he never did before and hasn't done anything close to this year. It screams outlier now.

[Todd]

No his stuff has been great and he has a history of striking out people. But he's been in the system for nearly six years now and has always struggled to keep his walk total down. Regardless of whether any of us believed his stuff was good or not he never had the consistency to make it, and there's a good chance he still doesn't. But it's a random two game stretch of absolute dominance. Substitute Brice's name with Fernandez those starts and we wouldn't blink an eye. It's 100% out of the blue.

He's been in the system 6 years but just turned 23 less than twenty days ago. He has also been young at every level he has played at. He repeated Greensboro in 2012 and 2013 and was still young for the SALLY league.

[geemoney]

7/8

AAA New Orleans: L, 6-0

Ozuna: 1-4
Rottino: 1-4, K
Shoemaker: 2-4
Ju.Diaz: 2-4, K
Galloway: 1-3
Rienzo: L, 7 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HRA
Blackley: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HRA

AA Jacksonville: L, 6-1

C.Lopez: 2-3, R, HR (4), RBI
Adams: 2-3, 2B
Rosa: 1-2, BB, K
Keys: 1-3
Lyman: L, 5 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Logan: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K

A+ Jupiter: L, 3-2

Prado: 2-4, K
Dean: 1-3, R
Br.Anderson: 2-4
Romero: 1-3, R, 2B, RBI, 2 K
Riggins: 1-2, RBI
Cavanerio: L, 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Higgins: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

A Greensboro: L, 3-2

Norwood: 2-4, R, HR (9), 2 RBI, SB
Munden: 1-2, 2 BB, SB
Woods: 1-4, 2B, 2 K
Schales: 1-4, R, K
E.Franco: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (first game in Marlins organization after coming over from the Rays)
C.Harris: L, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

A- Batavia: W, 4-1

Alfonzo: 2-4, R, 2B
Garrett: 0-3, 2 R, BB, 2 K, SB
Haynal: 2-3, 2 RBI
Dunbar: 2-4, 2 K
Fisher: 2-3, R, 3B, RBI, CS
Rawe: 1-4, RBI, 3 K
Jacome: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K
Bautista: W, 4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 K
Farnworth: SV, 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

GCL Marlins: L, 7-4

I.White: 0-4, R, BB, 2 K
J.Naylor: 3-4, R
P.Garcia: 2-4, R, RBI
A.Reyes: 1-4, 3B, 2 RBI
R.Avello: 1-3, R, BB, K
C.Paddack: 4 IP, 3 H, 4 K
F.Ramos: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB
A.Osoria: L, 1 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

DSL Marlins: W, 2-1

R.Reynoso: 1-4, RBI, 2 K
Y.Reyes: 1-4, 2B, K
W.Bautista: 1-3, R, 2B, K
E.Solano: 1-3, RBI
H.Mejia: W, 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
E.Liriano: SV, 2 IP

[HUGG]

I kinda hope we put Nicolino in the rotation next year so he can put up his 5.4 ERA and we can stop having this debate.

He sucks.

[dim]

I hope we put him in the rotation and he posts a sub 2 ERA so we can officially anoint him the next Cy Young.

- - - - - - - - - -

Also Naylor killing it in his first looks at professional ball. I hope he makes the majors. I want see that man Naylor so hard. I promise you I'm not Joshing around. He needs to show us his power stroke and pound some balls both in and out of the zone. I feel confident in saying that we will all enjoy watching that big boy Naylor right in the Gulf Coast League.

[HUGG]

Are you drunk?