In this post, I answered questions presented by Pat Gallen of Phillies Nation. Click the link to see answers from other bloggers. If you have a question, please e-mail me at amanda@swingandalongdrive.com.
The hottest trade rumor is now Jayson Werth and his possible departure. Do you believe the Phillies can win if they were to trade him?
With Dom Brown in the waiting, I think they can win without Werth, but they are a better team with him.
The starting rotation has been the strongest part of the Phillies team this year. Led by Roy Halladay, they have thrown the most innings in the National League. They also have the most complete games in baseball. Can the Phillies starters keep up this pace in the second half?
Yes. There are no signs Halladay is slowing down. Hamels (3.94 ERA first half, 3.27 ERA second half) and Blanton (4.33 ERA first half, 3.99 second half) have been second half pitchers throughout their career. The only thing to worry about would be an injury.
Injuries have certainly taken their toll on the team, most notably the offense. In years past, this lineup was considered a juggernaut. Are those days over or can they regain that status in the 2nd half?
Absolutely. Over the past few years this team has really been a second half team, especially offensively. I'm not too worried about the offense. They'll come around.
The bullpen was good, then bad, but basically it's been all over the place. Will they go with what they have, or is a trade or move of some sort inevitable?
Any trade that can help the pitching staff would be nice. I would say they need at least one more decent reliever.
Dom Brown. Bring him up or keep him down?
In September. Unless Werth is traded and he'll be playing everyday, keep him in the minors where he can get some ABs.
Showing posts with label Brown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brown. Show all posts
Minor League Report: April
Also featured on Phillies Nation.
Despite the team's recent struggles, the Philadelphia Phillies are off to a decent start. Several current Phillies are homegrown, so it is important to keep an eye on some potential future Phillies. Here are the latest updates from the minor leagues:
Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs: AAA (7-10, 3rd in International League North)
The IronPigs find themselves three games under .500 despite having a 3.60 team ERA and .274 team batting average, which are better than the league average.
John Mayberry Jr. and Chris Duffy have been the two best hitters for IronPigs. Both have 13 runs batted in. Mayberry is batting .288 with two home runs, but he still continues to strike out at a high pace. Cody Ransom has provided most of the power for the 'Pigs, crushing a team-leading four home runs.
Nate Bump has been the most consistent starter, posting a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings. He has been pitching to contact; he has allowed a lot of hits, and has a low total of strikeouts.
Scott Matheison has done well in 8.2 innings. Opponents are batting just .179 off the right-hander who is returning from Tommy John surgery. On the other hand, Drew Carpenter (7.15 ERA) has been rocked.
Reading Phillies: AA (8-9, 5th in Eastern League)
The Reading Phillies are a game below .500, despite having several of the Phillies' top prospects. Domonic Brown has yet to disappoint though. Brown is batting .325 with a .936 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Phillipe Aumont had his troubles during spring training, but he threw six no-hit innings on Sunday. Overall, Aumont is 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA.
Yohan Flande is 0-2, but that is mainly due to a lack of run support. Flande's ERA is 0.96 in 18.2 innings. He has allowed a lot of hits, but he has not walked many batters.
Lakewood Blue Claws: A (9-9, 4th place in Northern South Atlantic League)
The Blue Claws were the 2009 South Atlantic League champions, so they will have some expectations for 2010.
Darin Ruf has opened some eyes this April. The first baseman is batting .328 with a .921 OPS. 2008's first round draft pick, Anthony Hewitt, has two home runs and a .282 average.
Nicholas Hernandez is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in four starts. Jarred Cosart is 3-1 with a 3.26 ERA and has 0.88 walks and hits per innings pitched.
Clearwater Threshers: A+ (11-6, 1st place in Florida State League North)
Record-wise, the Threshers have been the best team of all the Phillies affiliates. Cody Overbeck leads the team in home runs (3) and RBI (11). The third baseman also has a .333 average and .965 OPS.
Anthony Gose has struck out a lot, resulting in a .247 average, but he has six stolen bases to lead the team.
Austin Hyatt is 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA and 0.75 WHIP. Also, he has struck out 27 batters in 22.2 innings. Other pitchers to watch are J.C Ramirez and Trevor May, who have both pitched well so far.
Despite the team's recent struggles, the Philadelphia Phillies are off to a decent start. Several current Phillies are homegrown, so it is important to keep an eye on some potential future Phillies. Here are the latest updates from the minor leagues:
Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs: AAA (7-10, 3rd in International League North)
The IronPigs find themselves three games under .500 despite having a 3.60 team ERA and .274 team batting average, which are better than the league average.
John Mayberry Jr. and Chris Duffy have been the two best hitters for IronPigs. Both have 13 runs batted in. Mayberry is batting .288 with two home runs, but he still continues to strike out at a high pace. Cody Ransom has provided most of the power for the 'Pigs, crushing a team-leading four home runs.
Nate Bump has been the most consistent starter, posting a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings. He has been pitching to contact; he has allowed a lot of hits, and has a low total of strikeouts.
Scott Matheison has done well in 8.2 innings. Opponents are batting just .179 off the right-hander who is returning from Tommy John surgery. On the other hand, Drew Carpenter (7.15 ERA) has been rocked.
Reading Phillies: AA (8-9, 5th in Eastern League)
The Reading Phillies are a game below .500, despite having several of the Phillies' top prospects. Domonic Brown has yet to disappoint though. Brown is batting .325 with a .936 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Phillipe Aumont had his troubles during spring training, but he threw six no-hit innings on Sunday. Overall, Aumont is 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA.
Yohan Flande is 0-2, but that is mainly due to a lack of run support. Flande's ERA is 0.96 in 18.2 innings. He has allowed a lot of hits, but he has not walked many batters.
Lakewood Blue Claws: A (9-9, 4th place in Northern South Atlantic League)
The Blue Claws were the 2009 South Atlantic League champions, so they will have some expectations for 2010.
Darin Ruf has opened some eyes this April. The first baseman is batting .328 with a .921 OPS. 2008's first round draft pick, Anthony Hewitt, has two home runs and a .282 average.
Nicholas Hernandez is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in four starts. Jarred Cosart is 3-1 with a 3.26 ERA and has 0.88 walks and hits per innings pitched.
Clearwater Threshers: A+ (11-6, 1st place in Florida State League North)
Record-wise, the Threshers have been the best team of all the Phillies affiliates. Cody Overbeck leads the team in home runs (3) and RBI (11). The third baseman also has a .333 average and .965 OPS.
Anthony Gose has struck out a lot, resulting in a .247 average, but he has six stolen bases to lead the team.
Austin Hyatt is 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA and 0.75 WHIP. Also, he has struck out 27 batters in 22.2 innings. Other pitchers to watch are J.C Ramirez and Trevor May, who have both pitched well so far.
Sunday's Recap and Injury Updates
As seen on Phillies Nation.
The Phillies lost in extra innings to the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-3, however there were some positive notes from Sunday.
First, Brad Lidge said that he will be able to throw to live hitters during batting practice on Wednesday. He could appear in a minor league game on March 15.
Shane Victorino, who is nursing a sore shoulder, will not make the trip to tomorrow’s game at Tampa. However, Charlie Manuel said that there is a chance that Victorino could play on Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves.
Now back to the game. Domonic Brown continues to make spring highlights. He went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in. He grounded into a key double play, but since he has seven hits in the last three games, we’ll let it slide — for now. The other run came off the bat of Jimmy Rollins: a solo home run.
J.A Happ pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks. Phillippe Aumont managed to make it through 2.2 innings without surrendering a run, bouncing back from his poor outing against Florida State University. On the other hand, Joe Savery and Yohan Flande each struggled.
The Phillies lost in extra innings to the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-3, however there were some positive notes from Sunday.
First, Brad Lidge said that he will be able to throw to live hitters during batting practice on Wednesday. He could appear in a minor league game on March 15.
Shane Victorino, who is nursing a sore shoulder, will not make the trip to tomorrow’s game at Tampa. However, Charlie Manuel said that there is a chance that Victorino could play on Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves.
Now back to the game. Domonic Brown continues to make spring highlights. He went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in. He grounded into a key double play, but since he has seven hits in the last three games, we’ll let it slide — for now. The other run came off the bat of Jimmy Rollins: a solo home run.
J.A Happ pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks. Phillippe Aumont managed to make it through 2.2 innings without surrendering a run, bouncing back from his poor outing against Florida State University. On the other hand, Joe Savery and Yohan Flande each struggled.
Phils Propsects on "Top Prospects" Lists
With spring training around the corner, it's time for prospect rankings to be released. A few trades have been made, but that didn't stop the Phillies from having multiple top prospects on MLB.com's and AOL Fan House's lists.ESPN's Keith Law ranked the Phillies farm system 24th in baseball. That's a huge jump from last year, when the Phillies system was in the top 10. As we all know by now, many prospects were traded. However, the following list proves that the Phillies still have top talent in their farm system.
Domonic Brown (OF): Ranked 14th on MLB.com, 19th on Fan House
Brown is currently the best prospect in the Phillies organization. With Jayson Werth's future in jeopardy, Brown could be an every day major-leaguer as early as 2011. He hit .313 last year and has five-tool potential.
Phillipe Aumont (P): Ranked 47th on MLB.com, 29th on Fan House
Aumont has had some injuries issues, but with his hard fastball and great slider, he can be nasty on the mound. The Mariners converted him to a reliever due to injuries, but the Phillies will try to convert him back to a starter.
Anthony Gose (OF): Ranked 46th on Fan House
Many scouting reports are saying that he is still "raw," but he has blazing speed. He can be scary on the base-paths.
Tyson Gillies (OF): Ranked 50th on Fan House
Although known for his speed and defense, Gillies hit .341 last year. His offense continues to progress, and like Gose, can be scary on the base-paths, as he stole 44 bases last year.
Former Phillies prospects: Kyle Drabek ranked 17th on MLB.com and 15th on Fan House. Michael Taylor ranked 35th on MLB.com and 38th on Fan House.
MLB's and AOL's lists are fairly different, but they have something in common: they both notice the potential in these young Phillies prospects. The Phillies also have several players, like Sebastian Valle and Trevor May, who did not make the list, but still have loads of potential.
As seen on Phillies Nation.
AFL Update
Eight players in the Phillies organization are playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. Prospects from Philadelphia, Arizona, Colorado, San Francisco and Pittsburgh make up the 10-15 Scorpions. Here are the latest updates on the prospects from the Phillies system:Domonic Brown (OF): 98 AB/ .276 AVG/ .336 OBP/ .469 SLG/ 2 HR/ 18 RBI
Brown was selected to play in the AFL Rising Star's game. He went 1-for-4 with a walk. During the AFL, Brown has committed five errors in the outfield. He is 0-for-2 in steal attempts. However, 13 of his 27 hits went for extra bases. He is tied with teammate Jose Tabata for most total bases on the Scorpions.
Tuffy Gosewisch (C): 36 AB/ .278 AVG/ .297 OBP/ .278 SLG
The 26-year old batted just .200 with the IronPigs this year. He has had limited at-bats during the AFL.
Troy Hanzawa (SS): 0-for-12, 5 SO, 1 BB, 2 SB
The Hawaiian Hanzawa has received minimal at-bats so far. He spent the 2009 season in Lakewood and batted .267.
Steve Susdorf (OF): 48 AB/ .208 AVG/ .321 OBP/ .375 SLG/ 2 HR/ 1 SB
Susdorf has struggled since his promotion to Double-A Reading this year.
Michael Cisco (P): 0-2, 14.2 IP/ 4.30 ERA/ 1.30 WHIP/ 12 SO
At 22, Cisco spent the 2009 season in Clearwater and Reading. He had a 3.75 ERA split between the two teams. He's also the grandson of former Phillies pitching coach, Galen Cisco.
Edgar Garcia (P): 2-2, 16 IP/ 5.63 ERA/ 1.63 WHIP/ 8 SO
Garcia's problem is contact. In 16 innings, he's given up 22 hits. On the plus side, he hasn't walked many batters (4).
Michael Schwimer (P): 0-0, 11.2 IP/ 3.86 ERA/ 1.54 WHIP/ 8 SO
Schwimer has allowed a lot of base runners during the AFL. In 60 innings, he had a 2.85 ERA in Clearwater before being promoted to Reading this year.
Scott Mathieson (P): 0-0, 10.2 IP/ 3.38 ERA/ 1.41 ERA/ 11 SO
Scott Mathieson made his Major League debut in 2006, but suffered from an injury which led to Tommy John surgery. Mathieson continues to battle back from the surgery in his efforts to return to the major leagues. During the AFL, Mathieson has put up impressive strike out totals, striking out about a batter per inning.
Pedro Pitches; Brown Promoted
Pedro Martinez made his second rehab appearance; only this time with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Martinez struggled in the IronPigs 9-6 loss to the Columbus Clippers.“I got better, and it showed that I got better as it got going,” said Martinez.
“Without a doubt, I’m going to have to pitch a little more to get to the
consistent level I’m used to being.”
In five innings, Martinez allowed five runs, four earned, on three hits and three walks. He struck out four and allowed a home run to Michael Brantley.
Former Phillies farmhand, Carlos Carrasco earned the victory against his former club. He allowed four earned runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings. He walked one and struck out six. Michael Taylor homered off him.
QUOTE SOURCE: IronPigs Official Website
In other Phillies organizational moves, Dominic Brown has been promoted to Double-A Reading.
With the Gulf Coast League and Clearwater Threshers, Brown batted .310 with a .394 OBP, and .532 SLG. He hit 11 home runs and had 44 runs batted in. He stole 15 bases and his on-base plus slugging percentage was .926. Many scouts believe that Brown is a better prospect than Michael Taylor.
BA's Top 25 Prospects
Baseball America released their mid-season top 25 prospects today. The list features three Phillies:17. Dominic Brown, OF
(Season with A+: .299 AVG/.379 OBP/.540 SLG/.919 OPS/9 HR/38 RBI/14 SB)
23. Michael Taylor, OF
(Season with AA: .340 AVG/.405 OBP/.583 SLG/ .989 OPS/ 15 HR/ 64 RBI/ 17 SB)
24. Kyle Drabek, RHP
(Season with A+ and AA: 9-1/108.1 IP/2.58 ERA/110 SO/ 136 BB)
In addition, Jason Knapp was listed in the top 50.
(Season with A: 2-6/84.2 IP/ 3.40 ERA/ 1.13 WHIP/ 111 SO/ 36 BB)
Jason Heyward, an outfielder in the Braves system was ranked number one. With A+ and AA, he is batting .300 with 10 HR. His OPS is .911.
Tim Beckham, the Rays first round pick in the 2008 draft, was ranked 20th.
Pharm Phriday: 5/29
Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA): 19-27, 5th in INT NorthMiguel Cairo, who was just designated for assignment has joined the IronPigs and is batting .357 with 1 HR and 5 RBI.
Jason Donald has been struggling, batting just .234,but has missed the last couple games due to a hamstring injury.
Antonio Bastardo pitched 7 scoreless innings in his last outing. In 13 innings, he is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. IRONPIGPEN predicts that he will be the next prospect to be called up. With Brett Myers injured, that prediction doesn't seem far off.
Reading Phillies (AA): 25-20, 3rd in EAS South
Michael Taylor continues to dominate. His .322 AVG, 8 HR, 33 RBI, and .960 OPS leads the team by far.
Neil Sellers is also having a decent year at third base. He is batting .313 with 5 HR, 19 RBI and a .863 OPS.
Vance Worely has been stellar in the 57.1 innings he has pitched. His ERA is just 2.83. Even more impression his WHIP: 0.91.
Clearwater Threshers (A+): 22-20, 2nd in FSL North
Dominic Brown: .338 AVG/ 6 HR/ 33 RBI/ .989 OPS
Yohan Flande: 5-1/ 3.38 ERA/ 40 SO/ 1.33 WHIP
Kyle Drabek: 3-1/ 2.91 ERA/ 52.2 IP/ 11.5 K per 9 / 1.18 WHIP
Lakewood Blue Claws (A): 27-19, 1st in SAL North
Travis D'Arnaud is batting just .185, but leads the team in RBI with 25. Phoul Ballz has an interview on the catching prospect.
Tyler Cloyd: 5-2/ 3.08 ERA/ 1.07 WHIP/ 8.86 SO/BB
Call of the Day: In July of 1993 Mickey Morandini hit a grand slam off San Francisco's Dave Righetti in the eighth inning of an 8-3 win.
"Righetti stretches... 1-2 pitch... swing and a well-hit ball to deep
right... this ball is a grand slam, a grand slam home run Mickey Morandini and
the Phillies have broken this game wide open!"
