Gwinnett 2, Pawtucket 3
After a slow April Mitch Jones has turned on his 'awesome' switch and has put up an 1.100 OPS this month and has almost as many XBH in 29 AB as he did in 80 AB last month. Nice. Maybe we should put him in LF (if Hinske dies or something). Ryne Reynoso had probably his best start of the season and it wasn't enough and he fell to 0-5 on the season. I am also happy to see that Stephen Marek bounced back from his rough first outing though I'd like to see some Ks from him.
Mississippi 11, Charlotte 5
The Braves were getting 4 hit going into the 8th inning and then something clicked and they scored all 11 runs in the 8th and 9th inning. Scott Diamond actually had another solid game and apparently found his strike out pitch under his pillow some time last week as he has a 19/1 K/BB rate in the last 14 innings. Willie Cabrera left the game in the 3rd inning after getting hit by a pitch and was replaced by Concepcion Rodriguez. I'll pass along any details once I get them.
Kinston 10, Myrtle Beach 0
This game was so bad across the board that no one deserves to be mentioned in the recap. The offense was 3 hit and only Van Pope didn't give up a run (in just 2/3 of an inning).
Rome 2, Savannah 6
Arodys Vizcaino did not show up with his A game tonight (though the defense didn't help either making 3 errors behind him) and the offense didn't help him at all. Cory Harrilchak also was demoted back to Rome after spending a few games filling in at Myrtle Beach.
0 recs | 35 comments
Mitch Jones...
reppin the AAAA All-Star Team since 2005.
It would be quite a story for him to finally figure it out this year in Atlanta/Gwinnett. Gotta love the journeymen who stick with it for so long.
Scott Coleman - May 14, 2010
Cody Johnson...
Would it still be a success if he ends up hitting .275 with loads of K’s? Both of which he can easily achieve, since it seems as if he’s found his comfort zone in AA.
Mighty Healthy - May 14, 2010
I’d be pretty shocked if he hit .275, but frankly with his power he can be effective hitting way below that number. Still, he’s starting to get going, I want to see him take a few more walks. he seems to be on pace for another 30 HR/180 K performance, and it will be interesting to see how the prospect community views him now that it seems CoJo may be settling into the high minors. He certainly becomes a lot tougher to ignore if he can put up big power numbers in the SL.
timmy3 - May 14, 2010
This. It’s been easy for everyone to write him off in A ball, but all kinds of prospect gurus say AA is the hardest jump in baseball (I’m not sure I’m 100% in agreement, but whatever), so if he puts up a typical Cody Johnson season at AA, it’s going to be hard not to give him credit.
cbwilk - May 14, 2010
Do you think CoJo’s big test will be AA to AAA? For me, facing guys who know how to pitch (albeit with less talent) will tell us whether he can hit big league pitching. It seems like the best prospects are in AA and lower – guys with better fastballs who will probably use that pitch more. At AAA, he’ll see more junk and fewer fastballs.
buzzdeadwax - May 14, 2010
I am a little worried that CJ’s bb rate has diminished so much after he showed steady improvement in his first couple of seasons. He has proved so far that he can overcome his K rate but I’m not sure he can break two paradigms at once and continue to be a good hitter moving forward.
yondaime4 - May 14, 2010
Yeah, the walk rate worries me too, but, as we all know, if you’re hitting a ton of homers, folks tend to walk you. I’m guessing by season’s end it will even itself out a bit more.
cbwilk - May 14, 2010
Agreed
His best hope to be a MLB contributor is to be king of TTO. And if he works really hard on his defense, he could be a starter – again, if he reaches his ceiling.
buzzdeadwax - May 14, 2010
I think the biggest test for any player in the Minors is AAA. The thing about more prospects being in AA and lower is probably true, but only because as guys move up, for one reason or another, they prove why they’re not prospects (or why they are); there’s a natural attrition. The guys who do make it above AA are really, really good. And people make that argument about AAA/AAAA guys having less talent, but the reality is that if you look at any given AAA roster, about 3/4 of the guys have played in the Majors. They’re really good, both the hitters and the pitchers, way better than anyone at the lower levels, regardless of how talented they may develop to be. Every day in AAA you’re facing old, experienced guys who know how to carve you up, and it’s the hardest test before the Majors.
cbwilk - May 14, 2010
this
Rhyno18 - May 14, 2010
also
the stuff he will see in AAA will be more polished ESPECIALLY breaking balls.
drumzalicious - May 14, 2010
I'm nowhere near the eye that others here are...
but I’d say the test comes when he gets in the bigs. There’s been countless mashers who excelled in AAA and couldn’t cut in in the bigs, see Chris Davis. I don’t think we’ll know until he actually gets up here whether CoJo is gonna follow the path of Chris Davis or Mark Reynolds/Ryan Howard.
Mr. Sanchez - May 14, 2010
Vizcaino vs. Teheran
Mike (from Scouting the Sally League) tweeted through Rome’s entire game today (and yesterday’s game with Teheran and Lopez) and said that if Teheran is an A prospect, then Vizcaino is a B-…
Mighty Healthy - May 14, 2010
But
Many people ranked Vizcaino above Teheran before the season.
Jay212033 - May 14, 2010
I think they were wrong. Not that they aren’t close, but, at least to me, there wasn’t a valid argument for Vizcaino to be ahead of Teheran.
cbwilk - May 14, 2010
I’d say that has more to do with how well Teheran has pitched this year and less about how Vizcaino has performed. Besides this start he has performed about what people should have expected. I
chopc - May 14, 2010
ummmmm
that may be overstatement and hyperbole.
it’s still only mid-May. give Vizcaino a year in the new organization and in a new level before we demote his grade.
plus, he still has pitched lights-out at times. inconsistency was also Teheran’s forte last year, as well.
apoxonbothyourhouses - May 14, 2010
people forget the major difference between these two guys coming into the season was that Teheran actually pitched in the Sally league last year but Vizcaino spent the whole year in short season. Teheran probably didn’t need to adjust much to the hitters in the SAL.
yondaime4 - May 14, 2010
Still...
I think both Teheran and Delgado should be ranked above Vizcaino at the moment.
Mr. Sanchez - May 14, 2010
Braves24 - May 14, 2010
I didn’t elaborate enough I don’t think. I completely agree that they should both be ahead of Vizcaino, The point I meant to make is that people picking Vizcaino ahead of Teheran were probably just basing it off the fact that Teheran struggled at A ball and vizacaino was better in SS last year, but to me Teheran demonstrated better control and command last season (and definitely this season) and he seems to bring his full repertoire more consistently than Vizcaino. Delgado may be the best of the three right now. He and Teheran are close for me.
yondaime4 - May 14, 2010
Also
Can we just draft nothing but bats in the upcoming draft?!?! The pitchers down on the farm have got to be frustrated with the lack of run support they’re receiving!
Jay212033 - May 14, 2010
It’d be nice, but we know it’s not gonna happen. I’m betting our first pick is pitcher Cam Bedrosian.
cbwilk - May 14, 2010
"What a weenie"
My hand really hurts after trying to snag a Willie Cabrera one hopper over the dugout last night, what a weenie, I’m sticking with the “too much spin” story. Diamond looked good, same with Schafer, hit the ball hard, unfortunately one of those was a bunt. Very fast, kid hasn’t lost a step, he can fly. Looked like Cabrera got hit on the elbow, he nearly didn’t even go to 1st base, he was hurting. Hope it isn’t serious.
bighop - May 14, 2010
how is freeman doing?
will he be ready by next year? if Chipper doesn’t get going than we can resign Glaus to play third and put Freeman in at 1st. How about this line up next year:
Schafer
Prado
Heyward
Glaus
McCann
Freeman
Escobar
Hinske/Diaz
jaypatel - May 14, 2010
Escobar before Freeman
Let the kid start in the 7 hole, just like J-Hey did. Looks promising, but I still want to see this year played out…lots of baseball to go yet!!
Southern IN Chopper - May 14, 2010
Maybe Mike Minor is rubbing off on him?
buzzdeadwax - May 14, 2010
could be. Diamond has actually always had a solid K rate for a guy with the reputation as a soft tosser, but I don’t ever remember him having back to back games with more than a K per inning.
yondaime4 - May 14, 2010
Lol, that one’s just sitting on a tee for someone to knock out of the park.
timmy3 - May 14, 2010
What?
Oh – you thought that I meant that Diamond was learning how to strike batters out from Minor? No, no, no – that’s silly. I meant it the other way.
buzzdeadwax - May 14, 2010
No he means this.
“Maybe Mike Minor is rubbing off on him?” That’s what she said!
kreese555 - May 14, 2010
So long as he avoids the eyes
Mr. Sanchez - May 14, 2010
Smoltz's Beard - May 14, 2010
I think I love you,...
but what am I so afraid of?
Mr. Sanchez - May 14, 2010
good to see CoJo getting in a groove. He could be the Braves’ very own Mark Reynolds
drumzalicious - May 14, 2010
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