Checking out some Minor League Stats...

As I was just being curious about the farm with the recent call-ups of Jon Jay and Tyler Greene, I decided to review some stats from the Baby Birds.  I know, I know, these are all small sample sizes, but they can give a glimpse of the future, although it may be a fuzzy one.

Jon Jay - .347 AVG .420 OBP 7 SB 0 CS - The biggest thing that stood out to me when reviewing his stats was his splits vs LH and RH pitching.  The splits clearly indicate a platoon player (.449 vs RH, .130 vs LH). 

Tyler Greene - .275 AVG .351 OBP .785 OPS - Based on his performance at AAA last season, along with the numbers from this year so far, I believe that these are the numbers we should expect going forward at AAA, and some slightly lower numbers with the big club.  The big issue here is still the number of K's (18) to walks (7).

Daniel Descalso - .305 AVG .348 OBP 1 HR 21 RBI in 20 games - Descalso continues to put up numbers which shows some promise for a very productive 2B/3B in the near future for the Cardinals.  If David Freese doesn't pan out in St. Louis or Skip continues to increase his price tag, we may have another cheap option on the way (which we need with the current payroll and expected increase when Pujols re-signs).

Lance Lynn - 0-1, 5.23 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 15K:15BB - Biggest concern here is the number of walks being issued through only 20 2/3 IP.  Lynn is holding opponents to a .176 BAA, but the walks are hurting.  Last season (across 3 levels) Lynn averaged 2.6 BB/9 IP.  As long as he returns to throwing strikes, he should be the next SP prospect to break the Cardinals rotation, unless the next guy does it.

Adam Ottavino - 1-2, 7.5 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 15K:4BB - The best thing here is the improved control 5.13 BB/9 IP last season to the 3BB/9 IP this season so far.  The concern lies in the number of IP being at 12.0 through 3 starts.  To be a starter, he needs to be able to go more than just 4 innings per outing.  I would honestly like to see the Cardinals move Ottavino to the bullpen and keep him there.  With Mo's philosophy on not spending money on bullpen arms, it wouldn't hurt to begin reloading with some arms there.  With Lohse, Carpenter, Wainwright, and Garcia all with the big club for the next few years, there isn't a great need to develop the rotation from AAA, especially if Rich Hill can be serviceable as a spot starter.  The bullpen needs to be developed if Duncan ever wants to move K-Mac into the rotation, which seemed to be the plan going into this year until Jaime Garcia showed up to dominate.

Fernando Salas - 1-0, 6.14 ERA, 8K:2BB, 7 IP - The strikeout to walk ratio looks good.  The number that is a concern, especially with Dave Duncan as the ML Pitching coach is the GO:AO Ratio, which is 1:1 for the year.  Fernando has given up 5 ER through the 7 innings, and part of that is attributed to the 2 HR allowed.

Springfield Cardinals

Aaron Luna - .295 AVG, .475 OBP, .952 OPS - Do we have the platoon partner for Jon Jay?  Luna is hitting .348 vs LHP and has a .559 OBP as well.  He has struck out just as many times as he has walked (10) and does have 2 SB without being caught.  Once again, small sample sizes are shown, but with the majority of his walks coming off of lefties and hitting for a higher average against them, he must pick the ball up well off of them.

Steven Hill - .273 AVG, .359 OBP, .844 OPS - Sure Steven Hill hasn't shown that early season pop that he demonstrated last year, but he is still proving to be a solid hitter, for a catcher.  He has struck out and walked the same amount  of times (10) and has 8 doubles out of his 18 hits. 

Daryl Jones - .196 AVG, .308 OBP, .593 OPS - Where has the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year in 2008 gone?  After and injury plagued 2010, Jones was expected to bounce back.  So far that has not happened.  DJ Tools may be showing that 2008 was a fluke and he hasn't put all of his tools together to be the Carl Crawford type player we once hoped for, but he is still just 22 (23 in June) and there is still time to make those adjustments.

Pete Kozma - .189 AVG, .259 OBP, .639 OPS - Pete's stick has yet to arrive to AA baseball.  After a strong start in Palm Beach last year, Kozma was promoted and has yet to find the stroke.  Drafted as a player who didn't do anything outstanding, but did everything well.  He has yet to show he can hit well, which makes me doubt he will ever reach the potential he was drafted for, but again, he is still only 22 and can make some adjustments.

Scott Gorgen - 4-0, 1.59 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 23K:8BB, 22 2/3 IP - The numbers look really solid, but when you dig down, you notice that he has allowed 3 HR, and his GO:AO ratio is at 1.  The strikeouts/9 looks really good too, as it did in 2009.  If 2009's GO:AO ratio of 1.33 is a true number (I'm sure it's closer to being true than the 1), then maybe it isn't as big of a concern, but he's still no Pinata.

Nicholas Addition - 1-1, 2.91 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 17K:13BB - The biggest thing here is he is a lefty.  His game by game stats show that he hasn't been excellent in a couple and horrible in another.  Addition has just been consistent in all four of his starts.  He's pitched anywhere from 4 2/3 IP in 1 start to 6 IP in two others.  He hasn't given up a lot of runs, so the club is left in a position to win each time.

Gary Daley - 2-1, 2.91 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 16K:7BB - Very similar numbers to Nicholas Addition.  The biggest difference being the number of walks given up.  Behind the numbers, the biggest thing that will get Gary Daley recognized by the big club is the robust 3.36 GO:AO ratio.  DD has got to love that.

Eduardo Sanchez - 1-0, .75 ERA, .75 WHIP, 11K:2BB - The heir apparent to get the opportunity to fill Ryan Franklin's shoes as the closer in St. Louis.  Eduardo's 2.43 GO:AO along with the K:9 sitting a notch under 9 is making for a bright future for this 5'11" 155 lb reliever (Really?  155?).  I can see the organization moving Sanchez to AAA when Salas or another bullpen arm in AAA gets moved up to the big club (but with the way the pen has been of late, who gets replaced from the big club?)

Palm Beach Cardinals

Matt Carpenter - .308 AVG, .464 OBP, .926 OPS - Carpenter is a 24 year old 3B who is putting up solid numbers in Class A.  1 HR and 12 RBI to go along with 17 BB to only 9 K in 65 AB.  Carpenter was a 13th Round Selection in the 2009 draft, so he hasn't had a lot of pro ball exposure (316 career AB's), but has been hitting at each level now that he has been hitting well in Palm Beach this year.

Richard Racobaldo - .286 AVG, .408 OBP, .773 OPS - Another older player in Palm Beach, Racobaldo was drafted in the 37th round of the 2009 draft.  The 13 walks look good, but the 20 K in 63 AB seems to indicate a hole in his swing not allowing him to hit everything, or some really questionable umpiring, you can make the call.

Casey Mulligan - 0.00 ERA, .80 WHIP, 19K:2BB, 10 IP - I'm not sure how he is doing it, but he is striking out a TON of people.  His GO:AO ratio is only .33, but having only 10 IP and only 11 outs recorded by something other than a K, that is an extremely small sample size.  I just can't get over that K/9 ratio, unless it is the umpires that haunt Richard Racobaldo are helping Mulligan?  I may be on to something, better move on to another level.

Quad Cities River Bandits

Matthew Adams - .324 AVG, .385 OBP, .990 OPS - Selected in the 23rd round of the 2009 draft, Adams has shown he can hit for power, but has yet to show he great plate discipline (15K:6BB).  At 21 years of age coming from Slippery Rock U he still has plenty of time to develop better plate discipline, but the guy can rake.

Jason Stidham - .322 AVG, .386 OBP, .809 OPS - Selected in the 8th round last year, Stidham is a 2B out of Florida State.  The biggest eye popping number is the 4 SB with 5 CS?  Is he on the wrong end of a lot of poorly executed hit and run plays, or does he just think he is a lot faster than he actually is?  Nothing else seems to be noteworthy other than the high K (17) and low BB (8).

Ryan Jackson - .300 AVG, .419 OBP, .786 OPS - Selected in the 5th round of last year's draft out of Miami University, Jackson was said to be Major League ready defensively at SS, but had major questions about his ability to hit.  So far, it looks like he can hit and take a walk.  He has struck out 17 times, but he has also walked 13 times.  We will see if he can become a respectable hitter as he progresses through the system.

Robert Stock - .225 AVG, .380 OBP, .655 OPS - Stock was selected in the 2nd round of last year's draft.  He is very young to be drafted out of a Div. 1 college (USC) so there is a lot of hope from this guy.  He is one of those prospects that was drafted as a catcher, but if things don't work out there, he can always move to the mound.  Showed some real power potential last season but hasn't shown much yet this year.  Through 40 AB Stock has taken 10 walks but has also K'd 12 times, which is a ltitle concerning.

Shelby Miller -0-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.64 WHIP - Shelby was the 1st round pick of the Cardinals last season.  Miller has shown outstanding stuff with his ability to strikeout 26 in 14 IP while only walking 6.  He is also displaying a 4.0 GO:AO ratio.  Shelby should be the future #1 in St. Louis as long as everything goes as planned (good luck unseating Mr. Wainwright).

Joe Kelly - 2-1, 2.76 ERA, 1.10 WHIP - The Cardinals 3rd Round selection is posting a K:BB ratio of 3:1 this season.  He has 12 K in 16 1/3 IP this year.  Opponents are hitting .233 against him.  Another college player drafted by the Cardinals that continues to build on his early success in pro baseball.

Scott Schneider - 2-0, 0.50 ERA, 0.56 WHIP - 21 year old pitcher out of St. Mary's College taken in the 20th round of last year's draft.  Schneider has shown early success in pro ball going back to last season.  Schneider is sporting a 2.7 GO:AO  ratio and has shown great control issuing only 3 BB in 18 IP.  To go along with that, he has posted 17 K in those 18 IP.

Deryk Hooker - 1-0, 0.64 ERA, 1.00 WHIP - Hooker is just now turning 21 this year, but has been in the organization since the 2007 draft.  Hooker has started 2 games this year and worked as a reliever for 2 more.  In 14 IP, he has struck out 18 batters and allowed 5 BB.  Opponents are hitting just .176 off of him.  His GO:AO ratio is 1.44 this year which is an improvement over last season's 1.03.