8/16 - 8/22 Minor League Game Thread

[lou]

It's way early, but Pompey is putting up a super-impressive OBP. It's so hard to find an athletic top of the order type guy with great patience at the plate. Really hope he turns out to be that type of player.

Yea. The BABIP is ridiculous, but he and Torres are on serious benders right now. The lower minor hitters are super fun right now with those two, Scott, Johnson, Banfield, and Devers.

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I'll be crucified for saying so but I'm liking Rafael Ortega for the reasons you state. He is patient, has an amazing feel for the strike zone, and uses the whole field. He can also play CF. I like everything about him.

Actually, and Fish16 can back me up here, I was Ortega's # 1 preseason fan and thought he should be the 4th OF day 1 (ignoring his visa issues). No one is coming after you about him, even without a hindsight bias. For who he is - a free backup outfielder - it was a good acquisition.

Let's just temper expectations as the probability he is a starting OF is extremely low. I know you didn't say that, just saying.

[tjfla]

I have no issues with Oretga as the 4th OF

Torres is the hitter who will blow up next year(long as healthy) GBoro is going to be fun as hell to watch next year

I know everyone hates when I mention 1B but I wish they would give Pompey some 1B reps. It is a big question mark for 2020 and Pompey would be a perfect fit.Just remember Pompey fell from #9 in Draft to 3rd Rd because teams thought he would have problems with wood bats

A guy to watch is Zach Wolf. Was a All American Closer as a Freshman and fell to like 19th Rd because he is only 5'8 170lbs but has looked great and is in GBoro as a 20 yr old. We have taken Puckett and Wolf in the last 2 drafts-both were All Americans as Freshman who had issues and fell. Both look like steals

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Gonna be interested to see where guys start next year.

[Nick]

I love Ortega as our 4th OF going forward. That's probably not good enough for Lee, but that's how I see him. Look if he keeps putting up a .373 OBP he's going to stay in the lineup, but I don't think that's realistic.

I know everyone hates when I mention 1B but I wish they would give Pompey some 1B reps. It is a big question mark for 2020 and Pompey would be a perfect fit.Just remember Pompey fell from #9 in Draft to 3rd Rd because teams thought he would have problems with wood bats

I feel like the biggest deficiency in our system is power and you want to move a guy whose game is predicated on speed and getting on-base to first. Doesn't make sense to me. The two true power bats that should play into our future plans Brinson and Harrison both have huge question marks. You can get by with decent power options for the next couple years in Dietrich, maybe O'Brien or even a FA power bat until you develop that big bopper at 1st base. Also, it seems like you act like we have so much depth at OF, when in actuality we have a lot of names, a lot of could bes, and no sure things in the OF at this point.

[fish16]

Yea. The BABIP is ridiculous, but he and Torres are on serious benders right now. The lower minor hitters are super fun right now with those two, Scott, Johnson, Banfield, and Devers.

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Actually, and Fish16 can back me up here, I was Ortega's # 1 preseason fan and thought he should be the 4th OF day 1 (ignoring his visa issues). No one is coming after you about him, even without a hindsight bias. For who he is - a free backup outfielder - it was a good acquisition.

Let's just temper expectations as the probability he is a starting OF is extremely low. I know you didn't say that, just saying.

Yes you absolutely were right on about Ortega. I really like him, specifically his K/BB ratio and speed. He probably should never be a starter but he is light years better than Sierra, who they need to send to AA and stop rushing the kid and messing up the development for very sporadic ML playing time like has happened to him the last 2 years.

I didnt see it with Ortega coming into the year like you admittedly, but now looking in hindsight at his numbers the last few years they do kind of suggest that he is the player we are seeing

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I love Ortega as our 4th OF going forward. That's probably not good enough for Lee, but that's how I see him. Look if he keeps putting up a .373 OBP he's going to stay in the lineup, but I don't think that's realistic.



I feel like the biggest deficiency in our system is power and you want to move a guy whose game is predicated on speed and getting on-base to first. Doesn't make sense to me. The two true power bats that should play into our future plans Brinson and Harrison both have huge question marks. You can get by with decent power options for the next couple years in Dietrich, maybe O'Brien or even a FA power bat until you develop that big bopper at 1st base. Also, it seems like you act like we have so much depth at OF, when in actuality we have a lot of names, a lot of could bes, and no sure things in the OF at this point.

I see what youre saying, but i feel like too much stock is put into how a players bat profiles at a particular position. While yes it is nice to have power at traditional power spots in the field, I think that can be overcome as long as the team as a whole has enough power.

You are 100% right though in that this system really lacks power. I saw that Monte was our organizational leader in HR's and while he has hit a bunch, 18 should not be the organizational lead. Finding a few power bats and establishing whether we have any top of the rotation arms among our current arms should be the priority with the system over the next year. I think they have done a phenomenal job adding depth in terms of both hitting and pitching, now we need to see if we have any star power among the prospects and if not, start finding that star power or make smart free agent signings when we get closer to contention.

[Nick]

Hey if our OF was still Stanton-Yelich-Ozuna instead of the AAA OF we're throwing out there these days I'd be more than happy to talk Pompey at 1st Base, but to even discuss Pompey at 1st when the entire OF is pretty much open for the taking just seems silly to me.

[fish16]

Hey if our OF was still Stanton-Yelich-Ozuna instead of the AAA OF we're throwing out there these days I'd be more than happy to talk Pompey at 1st Base, but to even discuss Pompey at 1st when the entire OF is pretty much open for the taking just seems silly to me.

Agreed, but I do think 1b is the biggest hole in our system in terms of prospects so given that we have a bunch of relatively high valued prospects that are OF's, it might get to the point in a year or 2 where we do have to consider moving someone to 1b. Its a conversation that is a ways away, however

[lou]

Just remember Pompey fell from #9 in Draft to 3rd Rd because teams thought he would have problems with wood bats

What happened here?

[Lee Stone]

I love Ortega as our 4th OF going forward. That's probably not good enough for Lee, but that's how I see him. Look if he keeps putting up a .373 OBP he's going to stay in the lineup, but I don't think that's realistic.



I feel like the biggest deficiency in our system is power and you want to move a guy whose game is predicated on speed and getting on-base to first. Doesn't make sense to me. The two true power bats that should play into our future plans Brinson and Harrison both have huge question marks. You can get by with decent power options for the next couple years in Dietrich, maybe O'Brien or even a FA power bat until you develop that big bopper at 1st base. Also, it seems like you act like we have so much depth at OF, when in actuality we have a lot of names, a lot of could bes, and no sure things in the OF at this point.

As a gift to fans, Peter O'Brien should get a ticket to Miami. 21 HR at JAX and NO this year, 7 more before he was acquired. 28 HR in 306 official ab. 7 HR in last nine games for NO. He recorded the fastest ever speed-off-the-bat number this season. Miami is the perfect opp for him.

[fish16]

What happened here?

there was concern about him transitioning to wood bats I believe after he played in one of those summer leagues like the cape cod league or something like that.

[tjfla]

What happened here?

Pompey was ranked #9 Overall in the 2018 draft in June 2018. He went to the Cape Cod League hit like .225 so scouts/teams thought he would have problems hitting with wood bats. This is why he fell in the draft

[lou]

Pompey was ranked #9 Overall in the 2018 draft in June 2018. He went to the Cape Cod League hit like .225 so scouts/teams thought he would have problems hitting with wood bats. This is why he fell in the draft

That is insane and the kind of luck the Marlins need if it works out.

[geemoney]

8/22

AAA New Orleans: W, 4-2

Bostick: 2-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB, CS
O'Brien: 1-4, R, 2B, RBI
Telis: 2-4, RBI, K
C.Diaz: 1-2, RBI, BB
Brigham: W, 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 HRA
J.Diaz: SV, 1 IP

AA Jacksonville: Game Suspended

A+ Jupiter: W, 11-2

Brigman: 2-4, R, 2B, BB, SB
Pompey: 2-5, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI
Baranek: 0-0, R, RBI, BB
Nelson: 1-5, RBI, 2 K
Mahan: 2-5, 2 R, HR (3), 2 RBI
S.Garrett: 2-5, R, 3B, RBI, K
M.Hernandez: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, K
Bird: 1-4, 2 R, BB, K
Roeder: W, 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
De La Rosa: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K

A Greensboro: Idle

A- Batavia: W, 9-3

Bradshaw: 2-5, R, RBI, K
Cespedes: 4-5, 2 R, 3B, 2 RBI
Guaimaro: 1-4, R, RBI, 2 K
Reynolds: 1-5, R, HR (13), 4 RBI, 2 K
Hollins: 1-5, R, 2B, K
Schubert: 1-4, 2B, RBI
Howe: W, 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Villalobos: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

GCL Marlins: W, 7-2

Lebron: 1-3, R, BB, 2 K, SB
C.Rodriguez: 1-4, R, RBI
Caballero: 3-4, R, K
Espinal: 0-3, RBI, 2 K
M.Pena: 1-3, R, 3B, BB
C.Grant: 2-3, RBI, BB, CS
Holloway: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
A.Miller: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Roberson: W, 5 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 K

DSL Marlins: W, 5-4

Montero: 0-4, R, 2 RBI, K
Machado: 2-3, BB, CS
Sosa: 2-4, R, 2 2B
Giron: 1-4, R, 2B, K
Mercado: 2-4, 2 R, K, SB
De Paula: 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Galindez: W, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K

[Nick]

I'm a broken record, but would like to see Pompey and Brigman in Jacksonville.

Also, would be nice to see Alcantara and Brigham in the rotation for the entirety of September to see what they've got, but not sure they'll make room for them. Could do a 6-man rotation, Chen should be moved to the bullpen, but I doubt that happens.

[fauowls44]

FanGraphs write-up on Robert Dugger:

Robert Dugger, RHP, Miami Marlins
Level: Double-A Age: 23 Org Rank: 25 FV: 40
Line:7 IP, 3 H. 2 BB, 0 R, 10 K

Notes
Robert Dugger is a plus on-mound athlete who is able to maintain a huge cross-bodied stride off the rubber and still exhibit command both of his fastball and breaking ball. He sits in the low 90s and has a plus breaking ball when he gets on top of it and creates vertical action. His changeup flashes above-average, but Dugger’s arm-side fastball command hasn’t been fully realized, so he struggles to set it up and often goes to the breaking ball against lefties instead. There are scouts who fear his fastball is easy to square and lift and that it requires a velo bump out of the bullpen to play, but for now Dugger is tracking like a back-end starter who should debut next year.

[lou]

I'm a broken record, but would like to see Pompey and Brigman in Jacksonville.

Also, would be nice to see Alcantara and Brigham in the rotation for the entirety of September to see what they've got, but not sure they'll make room for them. Could do a 6-man rotation, Chen should be moved to the bullpen, but I doubt that happens.

I think it's too soon on Pompey. The BABIP is insane. Jupiter is a pretty aggressive move for him as is and let him keep doing what he's doing. End the year on a high note as there is no rush with him. If he's in Jacksonville by next year's draft that's still crazy.

Absolutely need to call up Alcantara and Brigham though in whatever capacity. I think it's 50/50 Alcantara is a SP, and Brigham is 90/10 a reliever, but whatever giving them starts this year. See what you got.

The ultimate question with them is, do they have enough SP to trade/non-tender Straily and move Chen to the bullpen. Straily seems like the only question mark to me of do you keep him or ditch him (Barraclough is a given to ditch as they have plenty of RHP relievers). I feel like they have to start Richards, Pablo, Caleb, and Urena based on their performances this year, so it's amazingly getting pretty full if Alcantara and someone else also deserve time, plus Neidert coming down the pipes mid-season.

Interesting depth here. No stars, but a lot of theoretical solid pieces.