Gwinnett 2, Indianapolis 4
Jordan Schafer is still having trouble with AAA pitching and nearly a year's worth of rust. I still believe he is a great talent and I'm not too worried about him long term. Freddie Freeman has had excellent control of the strike zone but he just hasn't been taking tons of walks and has just a .313 OBP on the season. Gwinnett continues their slump, dropping to 6-13 since May 4
Mississippi - Off
Lynchburg 1, Myrtle Beach 0
Randall Delgado was fantastic yet again but his offense offered him no support and he takes the loss in what may have been his best all around game of the season. What I love about Delgado this season is how he has command and control of the strike zone. He hasn't walked more than 2 batters in game this year and he has just 12 in nearly 60 innings so far. There is a lot to like here.
Rome 8, Augusta 4
Rome continues their offensive resurgence by pounding out 17 hits against the Greenjackets. I have procured my tickets for tomorrow nights game in Augusta and will be on hand if any other fans will be present let me know! I can honestly say I had never heard of this Chris Curley character until tonight. The Braves picked him up as a non drafted free agent last season after he was a 3B at Campbellsville University where he was the Mid-South Conference player of the year (NAIA). He played 2B tonight for Rome and is currently 22 years old so he needs to prove himself fast, but I'm not sure what to expect from him.
0 recs | 90 comments
Another interesting line:
C. Resop 5IP 4H 2R 1ER 4BB 8K 2.01 ERA
bbxxj - May 25, 2010
4 BB is not good
No thanks to Resop. Though even he would be preferable to Christian Martinez.
Jacob Peterson - May 26, 2010
Rather see Resop then..
KK go 0-30 on the season.
UMass12 - May 26, 2010
You think he's better than KK?
Are you mental?
Jacob Peterson - May 26, 2010
Um, no are you?
I never said he was better, but I think it wouldn’t hurt to see what he can do.
UMass12 - May 26, 2010
It would hurt, believe me. The chances of Resop pitching better than KK in the major leagues are astronomical. I’ve seen Resop pitch in the big leagues. He doesn’t belong here. KK does.
Jacob Peterson - May 26, 2010
Seriously, did KK just not throw up a quality start without walking anyone? Its not his fault he gets no run support and shoddy pen work behind him.
bbxxj - May 26, 2010
Thank you.
I’m glad someone else is past the point of thinking that a player’s W-L record does not reflect his abilities.
Jacob Peterson - May 26, 2010
I'm sorry but
I don’t ever want to see Resuck in ATL again! A 95+ mph straight FB to a AAAA hitter is one thing but to a ML hitter would end up 450+ in the seats! He was garbage the first time with the Braves and hasn’t much changed trade him now while he has some value.
Jay212033 - May 26, 2010
So you've watched him a lot, then
To know that he “hasn’t much changed” since the last time he was with Atlanta, two years ago.
This is very different from his previous minor league stints-he was never this good before, not for any stretch. I’m dying to see him pitch because there’s something very different going on in his numbers.
It’s not just a lucky ERA, it’s a ridiculous high number of strikeouts, and he was never a guy who would post a double digit K-rate, even as a reliever. There’s definitely something going on with him that’s making him more effective-it’s not all luck. We’re getting to the point in the season where these sorts of rates begin to stable out, and he’s still maintaining the great numbers, putting up 8 Ks in 5 innings tonight
Bronn - May 26, 2010
I've watched him enough
I have seen him twice this season as well and I would say most of it is luck. He walks too many guys to succeed at the ML level and his FB is still straight as an arrow but he’s not as bad as Chavez or Martinez.
Jay212033 - May 26, 2010
It’s funny, cause I’ve seen him twice and he looks completely different as a pitcher to me. I saw a fastball with a ton of movement and secondary pitches that were actually effective.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
I wonder if the different baseball size in Japan had any effect on the way he pitches?
bwellnjonesco - May 26, 2010
Tons of movement?!?!
There are only a couple of pitchers in the ML who have tons of movement on their FB Halladay and Jimenez are prime examples of a guys who have tons movement on their FB.
Jay212033 - May 26, 2010
Alright, a fair amount of movement. No, he wasn’t jumping all over the place like the elite players in the game, but he was moving it a bit and controlling it. I’m glad you went into the games where you watched him expecting him to be the same guy and didn’t actually pay attention to how he pitched.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
I was very skeptical that he still threw anything but a straight as an arrow fastball but I came across this article (link at the bottom) that says he did indeed learn a 2-seamer this spring. That still doesn’t really explain the insane jump in strikeouts though. I really don’t want to see him in Atlanta again but I guess it’s possible he’s changed for the better.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/may/01/mlb-locals-back-japan-bc-grad-resop-counts-blessin/
ajones2522 - May 26, 2010
You can be skeptical all day, but it’s the truth.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
Also
I’ve heard alot about Delgado’s fastball but what else does he use or is it mainly throwing that heater with movement for alot of strikes and strikeouts?
bbxxj - May 25, 2010
follow the links
http://www.talkingchop.com/2010/5/25/1487361/if-you-want-to-get-excited-about
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
Sweet, thanks!
I was really impressed with the how similar his fasball and change-up look coming out of his hand. I thought he threw harder than that but the movement and speed differential from his 4-seam to 2-seam to change is going to take him far even if his 12-6 doesn’t become a full on plus offering.
bbxxj - May 26, 2010
He does throw harder
This was in ST, you rarely see guys that have max velocity in ST. Announcers have said he’s been sitting 92-94 and has topped out at 97 several times during games.
Jay212033 - May 26, 2010
And considering he's listed 165, and Teheran 150...
although I doubt both are accurate (especially 150 for Teheran), but their heat could go up a few more ticks as they mature and fill out their frame.
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
I’m sure they’ve gained a littl weight, but Teheran and Delgado are sticks. Those kids haven’t discovered fast food yet.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
Or creatine/other weight gainers....
sweet potatoes and tuna fish worked pretty good for me.
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
Years of sexual frustration has helped me keep my weight up.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
so THATS my problem? its not genetic? Sorry mom for all those years I blamed your side of the family
bpk228480 - May 26, 2010
Or perhaps it's the other way around.
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
It’s cyclical I’m sure, but the frustration definitely came first.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
Freeman not getting on base
is scaring me :(
JasonHeywardisGod - May 25, 2010
He's 20 and in AAA.
Not everyone can be Jason Heyward. Freddie will be just fine. He might need to spend the start of next year in AAA, but even then he’d be young for the level.
Jacob Peterson - May 26, 2010
true
i just wanted him to be in the show at start of next year =]
JasonHeywardisGod - May 26, 2010
Even if he isn’t walking a ton he only has 22Ks to his 12BB in 156AB.
bbxxj - May 26, 2010
true =]
JasonHeywardisGod - May 26, 2010
Does any team
have 4 pitching prospects nearly as good as the Braves’ Teheran-Vizcaino-Delgado-Minor quartet? Those 4 guys have just been dominating lately.
I have a feeling we’re going to be trading one of them for some hitting help in the next year or so. It’s pretty clear where the organizational surpluses and deficits are.
Jacob Peterson - May 26, 2010
The Rays but.......
I would still take the Braves 4 but it’s closer than you think.
Jay212033 - May 26, 2010
Hm
Well you may be right, depending on what your cutoff is for “prospect”. I am not including guys like Price and Sonnanstine and Wade Davis, who have spent significant time in the big leagues. If you are just saying “young pitchers,” sure the Rays are up there. But if you only count non-MLBers, we’ve got them beat pretty easily, right? I mean, beyond Hellickson, do they have anyone else who ranks with our 4?
Jacob Peterson - May 26, 2010
Well here
Hellickson, Torres, Moore, Barnese and Colome
The Rays have pitching for days and their ML rotation is full of young guys as well so they are set for many years there.
Jay212033 - May 26, 2010
They're going to be making some trades
And reaping the benefits for a long time with their young core of arms.
Bronn - May 26, 2010
should Hanson and JJ be included on our side of the ledger?
fandave - May 26, 2010
Sure but the Rays could throw in
Garza, Price, Davis and Neimann. The Rays rotation is what I’m hoping the Braves rotation will look like in 2012.
Jay212033 - May 26, 2010
I don’t think so. Texas has a lot of good arms but Holland and Feliz are in the majors now. They still have Martin Perez and Tanner Scheppers on the farm.
The Rockies have a big 3 of Freidrich, Matzek, and Chacin. Maybe you could throw in Rex Brothers. But I’ll even take Robinson Lopez over the #4 or even #3 pitching prospect that pretty much any team can throw out there.
ajones2522 - May 26, 2010
I meant "well here are a few"
Jay212033 - May 26, 2010
Thanks for the recap. Delgado sounds really exciting. He is 11-24 in his MiLB career. I know it’s not his fault, but i’m sure he’d like to string some W’s together. He’s had such bad luck/run support.
FitzFan - May 26, 2010
He's the KK of the minors lol
Jay212033 - May 26, 2010
I really love that Delgado is considered our #3 pitching prospect.
This system is just a corucopia of talent (which takes much of the sting out of the Teixeira debacle…that would have gutted many teams for half a decade.)
Sam Jethroe - May 26, 2010
I think I could make an argument for Delgado being our best pitching prospect…
timmy3 - May 26, 2010
Go for it.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
It's not likely to trump Teheran...
but Delgado has a pretty impressive resume and arsenal. Other than the first half last year in Rome, he’s been pretty damn dominant. He’s a bit more advanced in that he’s likely about to leave Myrtle when JT just arrives, but he’s also about a year older. 1a and 1b iyam, and it’s a pretty good problem to have when arguing which is the better prospect.
As someone who’s seen both, could you compare the two? The report posted in a fanshot yesterday on Delgado was impressive and showed a strong changeup. There doesn’t seem to be too many weaknesses, if any, in either young gun. Both are going deep into games, with great control, and of course dominant stuff.
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
I think Randall’s mechanics are better, because Julio gets a little crunched up and I worry about being able to repeat that sometimes, but other than that Julio’s stuff is a bit better and his knowledge of pitching and mental makeup are better. This isn’t to say that Randall doesn’t excel in these areas, just that Julio has one of the better pitching minds I’ve seen out of a young guy.
I agree, it’s a great problem to have. But as far as him moving up, we all need to relax a little. The Braves aren’t typically known for moving guys up at the lower levels. Very few of their pitchers don’t spend full seasons with the A ball teams. So yes, Randall may very well get bumped to MIss, Vizcaino may very well get bumped to MB, but don’t be bummed out if it doesn’t happen.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
I hear you on moving up...
but with the way RD is dominating the Carolinas, and how Sullivan and Thompson are doing in Mississippi, I wouldn’t be shocked if one of the two (if not both once Kyle Cofield is healthy) move to the bullpen opening a slot for Delgado. Or, and this was where my mind was going when I said that above, perhaps when Chris Resop comes up (assuming we call him up or another team goes for him by that mid June deadline), Minor or Diamond slide up to his rotation slot in Gwinnett and Delgado replaces them in Pearl.
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
It’s possible, but you have to keep in mind that they don’t move prospects up to fill holes, they move them up because they’ve decided it’s time. If a big prospect is ready, they create a hole for him. If you’ve got rotational issues you’ll only solve them with a prospect because you’re positive he’s done at the lower level.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
True, but if he keeps this up over 2-3 starts...
which would be about Resop’s deadline, 12-13 starts isn’t a lot, but damn if there seems to be any questions of what Delgado has left to prove against A ball hitters. The argument could easily be made he’s “done” at this level and ready for AA.
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
There’s also something to be said for going through the league a few times. It’s one thing to dominate a bunch of teams once, but it’s another to face the same guys again and get them again.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
Good point, I didn’t think about it like that.
bwellnjonesco - May 26, 2010
touche...
but is it wrong to assume several of the guys he’s facing now are ones he faced last year with Rome?
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
Well, if you look at his game log from last year, http://www.fangraphs.com/statsd.aspx?playerid=paO07515&position=P&season=2009, he made 2 starts against Greenville (whose players move up to Salem) and 1 against Hagerstown (whose players move up to Potomac). So that’s just 2 of the teams in the Carolina League that you could reasonably expect him to have face batters from last season.
He started against the P-Nats April 29th and May 4th, and the batters who played for Hagerstown last year were Steve Lombardozzi (1-5, 2B), Tyler Moore (0-4)(0-4), Robert Jacobson (1-3), Jose Lozada (2-4), and Chris Curran (1-3)(0-3).
He faced Salem May 14th and the batters who played for Greenville last year were Pete Hissey (1-4), Oscar Tejeda (2-5, 2 DB), Will Middlebrooks (1-4, 2B), Ryan Lavarnway (3-5), Ryan Dent (1-5), and Mitch Dening (0-4).
I’m sure if I searched more I could find the box scores from last year and find out which of these guys actually faced Delgado, and I’m sure there are a couple random guys around the league who’ve switched teams and might have faced him, but out of the 7 other teams in the Carolina League, there are only 11 guys who are likely to have faced Delgado last season. They combined to go 13 for 53 against him, hitting .246, which is much better than the .207 average against that Delgado is holding the league to right now.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
well OK then...
why on earth did I even try to debate you on that? I feel like this kid.
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
Julio Teheran is the best pitching prospect the Braves have and he’ll be arguably top-5 in the league if he keeps this up.
Scott Coleman - May 26, 2010 via mobile
Not sure if I'm making tonight in Augusta or not...
I know I’ll be there tomorrow. Masters is on the hill tonight, and I know Wheeler is currently on the DL for Augusta so he’s probably missing this series.
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
Yeah I was pretty upset that I am missing Vizcaino, Lopez, Wheeler and even Teheran since he just got promoted.
yondaime4 - May 26, 2010
If you can stick around tomorrow...
I’m thinking Lopez will be going and it’s also $1 beer night.
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
Schafer - meh
I realize that I have what is very much a minority opinion on this subject, but Schafer is going to be a complete bust. It’s not just rust – he sucks. He is the most overhyped guy the Braves have had in a very long time. It would be great to be wrong about this, it really would, but I’m just curious how many bad years he has to put together before the faithful will finally realize that it’s a waste of time.
Zontar - May 26, 2010
He has only one bad season since he made the jump to full season baseball, and it was a season in which he played in 59 games due to an injured wrist. What do you consider bad? an OPS below 1.000?
yondaime4 - May 26, 2010
Wonder if you were saying the same thing about Heyward
When he was in his slump earlier?!?! I mean the kid had a wrist injury and in baseball your wrist is very important for throwing and swinging. Schafer may just turn out to be a 4th/5th OF type but basing it off of 160+ ML ABs and a hand full of rehab games is beyond ridiculous!
Jay212033 - May 26, 2010
rec'd
bpk228480 - May 26, 2010
Geez, give him at least the rest of the year before you call him a “bust”. I’m personally not that high on him either but he deserves more PT before we can write him off as such.
chopc - May 26, 2010
That the great thing about opinions, you’re entitled to them. Even if they’re wrong.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
You act like he had a string of bad years, witch isn’t the case. You say he sucks? What do you base it on? You don’t think he has talent? By all accounts he is at the very least a very, very good defensive CF. That alone is can make him stick in the majors. The kid hasn’t played in a year, & is coming off a bad wrist injury. Not surprising a lot of people want to give him more then 100 ab’s before throwing him aside.
FitzFan - May 26, 2010
lol
You’re an idiot
acie4mvp - May 26, 2010
Teheran will be pitching in about 5 mins
As MB is playing a morning game today!
Jay212033 - May 26, 2010
Updates please!
Smoltz's Beard - May 26, 2010
3 H 0 R 1BB 2 K thur 5 innings of play. Seems to be the top of the sixth w/ Teheran still pitching.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l122&t=g_box&gid=2010_05_26_lynafa_myrafa_1
fandave - May 26, 2010
I was just about to post that, i'm listening to the game now
Mighty Healthy - May 26, 2010
Thank you sir.
Smoltz's Beard - May 26, 2010
Just picked up his 2nd BB
Mighty Healthy - May 26, 2010
Teheren thru 6
6 innings, 4 hits, 2 walks, 0 runs.. MB is winning 2-0 in the 6th
Mighty Healthy - May 26, 2010
That’s his final line, Paul Clemons came in to start the 7th inning.
Mighty Healthy - May 26, 2010
And thank you as well.
Smoltz's Beard - May 26, 2010
Birth year of the lineup against the 19 year old Teheran (1991, which makes me feel very old)...
88
87
89
88
87
86
87
89
89
So more than 21 months younger than every better he faced.
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
That is excellent news.
Smoltz's Beard - May 26, 2010
This is what I’ve been talking about. We can’t be shocked when young guys play poorly against much older competition. 2 years is a huge amount of time at this age.
Conversely though, we can be very shocked and pleased when young guys play amazingly against much older competition.
cbwilk - May 26, 2010
And if that's the same lineup as yesterday...
they’d have anywhere from 10 months to 3 and a half years on Delgado.
Mr. Sanchez - May 26, 2010
Teheran
Didn’t have his best stuff today but still shutdown the Hillcats. He got a ton of pop up today that’s why his GO/FO numbers may be skewed a bit. Several foul outs to the catcher.
Jay212033 - May 26, 2010
Poor older players, they have no idea what to do with Teheran’s stuff..
bwellnjonesco - May 26, 2010
He almost lost his win
Paul Clemmons gave up a rocket high off the RF wall, and Matt Kennelly let a ball pass him. So its 2-1 now. Clemmons got pulled for Benino Pruneda. In the 8th.
Mighty Healthy - May 26, 2010
Too bad there is no gamecast for it…hehe
jdmarine - May 26, 2010
it's CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY
NOT Cambelsville.
apoxonbothyourhouses - May 26, 2010
nevermind
i’m wrong. you’re right. i/m an idiot.
apoxonbothyourhouses - May 26, 2010
I know what Campbell university is thanks
yondaime4 - May 26, 2010 via mobile
Ugh, why couldn’t they be in Augusta on the weekend?!
Lizziebeth - May 27, 2010
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Talking Chop to post a comment.