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Padres Prospect Rap Sheet: May 4, 2012

Posted by Jeff in Fort Wayne Tin Caps | Player Update | Prospect Rap Sheet | San Antonio Missions - (0 Comments)

Star Performer:

Jedd Gyorko, INF (Double-A San Antonio) – After an abysmal start to the season Gyorko has been on fire since April 26th hitting .351 with two home runs and two doubles.  He’s also logged 11 games through Thursday at second base for San Antonio and initial reports have been encouraging.  Gyorko has assisted in turning four double plays while committing just one error.  While errors don’t tell the whole story, evaluators have been encouraged by Gyorko’s ability to make most standard plays at second, yet doubt still lingers he can make the tougher plays necessary to stick at the position in the big leagues.  Even if Gyorko is able to stick at second for the next few years it seems clear he’ll be moved off second as his body continues to mature. Continue reading “Padres Prospect Rap Sheet: May 4, 2012” »

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Padres Prospect Rap Sheet: April 27, 2012

Posted by Jeff in Fort Wayne Tin Caps | Lake Elsinore Storm | Player Update | Prospect Rap Sheet | San Antonio Missions - (3 Comments)

Stats for High-A hitters are as of play Wednesday.

Star Performer:

Adys Portillo, RHP (Low-A Fort Wayne) – Walks are still a constant struggle for Portillo with 12 already in just 20.1 innings pitched, but his other peripherals have been much better.  So far he’s only allowed nine hits and a single homerun.  TinCap coaches have been encouraging Portillo to just let his fastball rip right down the middle of the zone so his approach will need some refinement before he’s able to really take off.

Rock Steady:

Frank Garces, LHP (Low-A Fort Wayne) – Garces has been on a tear since opening the season for the TinCaps.  In his Saturday start Garces went eight strong innings while allowing just six base runners and threw five solid innings on Thursday.  The 5’11” lefty has a devastating curveball when he’s on, but with his inconsistent control things can get ugly fast. Continue reading “Padres Prospect Rap Sheet: April 27, 2012” »

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Padres Prospect Rap Sheet: September 2, 2011

Posted by Jeff in AZL Padres | Eugene Emeralds | Fort Wayne Tin Caps | Lake Elsinore Storm | Player Update | Prospect Rap Sheet | San Antonio Missions | Tucson Padres - (0 Comments)

Star Performer:

Yoan Alcantara, OF (AZL Padres) – Alcantara went on a complete tear to end the season.  Although he missed a few games after being hit by a pitch, Alcantara lit up AZL pitching in August to the tune of a .377/.415/.766 slash line that included two doubles, five triples and six home runs.  He came to the Padres in 2009 as an international free agent, signing for a $135,000 bonus.  Alcantara is a good athlete who runs well and projects to play above average defense.  As evident by his four walks and 25 strikeouts in 50 games his approach lacks must polish, but the Padres are very high on Alcantara’s offensive ceiling if he is able to learn how to work counts and compete against more advanced pitching.

Rock Steady:

Cory Spangenberg, 2B (Low-A Fort Wayne) – After being last week’s Star Performer, Spangenberg did little this week to diminish his growing prospect status and finished August very strong.  If you are looking for a yellow light to shine on some aspect of his game the 14 strikeouts in 10 games are a sure sign of growing pains.  One aspect that may have been underrated in pre-draft scouting reports about Spangenberg is his base stealing ability.  Through 68 professional games he has stolen 24 bases, including seven in a row.

Casey McElroy, Middle INF (Short Season Eugene Emeralds) – McElroy was a late addition to the Emeralds roster after gaining a mid-August promotion.  In his 17 games with the EMs, McElroy is hitting .313 with six doubles and two home runs.  He is a polished college hitter who fell to the Padres in the 11th round of this year’s draft with many teams nervous about his 5’8” frame.

Jeudy Valdez, SS (High-A Lake Elsinore) – .327/.383/.522 in 29 August games leaves him with little left to prove this season in the California League.  With Beemer Weems possibly fixed at shortstop again next year in San Antonio Valdez may be moved to another position as his glove still leaves much to be desired.

Tommy Medica, 1B (High-A Lake Elsinore) – Giving some credit where it is due, Medica is having a great season offensively: .292/.408/.486.  While he may not have the tools to project as an everyday player on a contending team, Medica is showing that there is life in his bat.

Keyvius Sampson, RHP (Low-A Fort Wayne) – Before giving up six runs in Wednesday’s start, Sampson was primed to finish up an astonishing two month run that would have seen him pitch about 50 innings while allowing just six earned runs, about 30 hits and striking out over 60 batters.  Unfortunately the South Bend team that he had dominated just six days earlier would not be overmatched again, knocking Sampson out of the game after just 2.1 innings. Continue reading “Padres Prospect Rap Sheet: September 2, 2011” »

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Padres Prospect Rap Sheet: August 24, 2011

Posted by Jeff in AZL Padres | Eugene Emeralds | Fort Wayne Tin Caps | Lake Elsinore Storm | Player Update | Prospect Rap Sheet | San Antonio Missions | Tucson Padres - (2 Comments)

Star Performer:

Cory Spangenberg, 2B (Low-A Fort Wayne) – Although he looked like a man among boys in the Northwest League in his first taste of pro ball, Spangenberg struggled to make adjustments during his first 20 games in Fort Wayne.  Since August 6, Spangenberg has posted a .414/.443/.603 slash line in 58 at bats with two home runs, three doubles and a triple.  With this late-season push, he may be in line for an aggressive placement in Lake Elsinore to begin next year if the Padres are satisfied with his progress next spring.  Spangenberg has benefited more than any other 2011 draftee in the experience and value he has gained by signing early.  While many August 15 signees may see 10-15 late season at bats, Spangenberg has already appeared in 59 games and has thrust himself into the conversation among the Top 100 prospects in baseball.

Rock Steady:

Jonathan Galvez, 2B (High-A Lake Elsinore) – With so much of the Padres’ offensive organizational talent residing either with corner infielders or raw, young athletes, there is a legitimate case to be made that Galvez could be the best up-the-middle bat in the system.  With 34 doubles, 13 home runs and 35 stolen bases this season as a 20-year-old Galvez provides a skill set that is difficult to come by at second base.

Jeudy Valdez, SS (High-A Lake Elsinore) – Valdez seems to be making it his personal mission to make me look dumb for leaving him off the August edition of the Organization Top 25.  This month he is carrying a .357/.417/.595 slash line in 22 games.

Rymer Liriano, RF (Low-A Fort Wayne) – What more is there to say about Liriano? A nine-game hitting streak and seven stolen bases during that time has brought his impressive season line to .328/.390/.508 with 11 home runs and 59 stolen bases as a 20-year-old in the pitching-dominated Midwest League.

Kevin Quackenbush, RHP (Low-A Fort Wayne) – Emilio continues his onslaught against professional hitters.  Not only has he not allowed a run since being promoted to Fort Wayne, but Quackenbush has a 0.26 ERA in 34 innings as a pro and has struck out 56 batters over that period. Continue reading “Padres Prospect Rap Sheet: August 24, 2011” »

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Padres Prospect Rap Sheet: August 17, 2011

Posted by Jeff in AZL Padres | Eugene Emeralds | Fort Wayne Tin Caps | Lake Elsinore Storm | Player Update | Prospect Rap Sheet | San Antonio Missions | Tucson Padres - (0 Comments)

Star Performer:

Keyvius Sampson, RHP (Low-A Fort Wayne) – Sampson is leaving little doubt that he is ready for more difficult competition.  The 2009 4th-round pick has been a force in his last seven outings: 36.1 IP 0.76 ERA 17 H 3 ER 44 K.  The only thing holding him back from a promotion may be the fact that Sampson has already surpassed his career high in innings by 56.2.

Rock Steady:

Robbie Erlin, LHP (Double-A San Antonio) – Erlin caused a major freak out this week in the Padres-fan social media community when he was pulled after just two innings in his Monday start.  It was all part of a plan the San Diego front office has put in place to limit Erlin, Wieland, and Kelly’s innings pitched this season.  Erlin has thrown 135.1 innings this year, 114.2 was his previous career high in 2010.

Rico Noel, CF (Low-A Fort Wayne) – Noel is absolutely on fire.  With six multi-hit games in his last 10 and six stolen bases during that same period, he is beginning to turn more than a few heads in the Midwest League.

Miles Mikolas, RHP (Double-A San Antonio) – Armed with a low-90s fastball and a curveball that sits 78-80, the 6’5” 2009 7th-round pick by the Padres offers a great blend of size and arm strength.  He’s only given up five home runs in 196.1 innings pitched in his pro career, a mark complimented by his 4.76 strikeout per walk rate in his three seasons.  Mikolas hasn’t allowed a run in his last 12 appearances – 13IP – and may get promoted to Triple-A if the Tucson Padres’ bullpen is raided by roster expansion.

Juan Oramas, LHP (Double-A San Antonio) – Two-straight quality starts and the stuff is still plenty filthy.  He seems to be too hittable given the quality of his pitches, but at 21 in Double-A he is young enough to believe the Padres have something special here.

Joe Wieland, RHP (Double-A San Antonio) – It was a very un-Wieland-like outing for the righty this week.  He struck out just two batters and allowed six hits in five innings.  Wieland even hit a batter for good measure.  It was a positive note to see that he was able to pitch well without his best stuff.

Yoan Alcantara, OF (AZL Padres) – This is Alcantara’s second appearance in this category, this time because of a nine-game hitting streak that was snapped on Monday that saw him post a .432/.447/.865 slash line with three home runs, three triples and 15 RBI. Continue reading “Padres Prospect Rap Sheet: August 17, 2011” »

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Padres Prospect Rap Sheet: August 9, 2011

Posted by Jeff in AZL Padres | Eugene Emeralds | Fort Wayne Tin Caps | Lake Elsinore Storm | Player Update | Prospect Rap Sheet | San Antonio Missions | Tucson Padres - (2 Comments)

Star Performer:

Robbie Erlin, LHP (Double-A San Antonio) – Since joining the Padres Organization all Erlin has done is dominate: 12 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 15 K.  Diving deeper into Erlin’s performance you see that he has retired all 12 left-handed batters and maintained his plus-plus command he showed while with the Rangers.  Could he be inspired by his #1 ranking in the Padres Prospects Top-25?  Probably not.  Erlin’s previous career high in innings was 114.2 in 2010, so don’t be surprised to see shorter outings down the stretch for the 20-year-old.

Rock Steady:

Rymer Liriano, RF (Low-A Fort Wayne) – He was the Padres Prospects Player of the Month in July, and a .318/.370/.455 line in 7 August games isn’t going to disappoint anyone.  Liriano is beginning to be pitched around by teams, so don’t be surprised to see his numbers take a dip.  Also, a .395 BABIP is never a sign of completely sustainable play.

Rico Noel, CF (Low-A Fort Wayne) –With an absurd 94.4% steal success rate, he possess game-changing speed and he obviously knows how to use it.  As a point of reference, 36.2% of the time Noel reaches base he steals a bag.

Kevin Quackenbush, RHP (Low-A Fort Wayne) – 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 10 K since being promoted to the Tin Caps to give him a season line that includes a 0.35 ERA in 27.1 IP since being selected in June’s draft.

Keyvius Sampson, LHP RHP (Low-A Fort Wayne) – Continue reading “Padres Prospect Rap Sheet: August 9, 2011” »

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