clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Report: David Washington knocks his 9th and 10th home runs, Jhonny Peralta continues his rehab assignment, and Ian McKinney makes a great start

The farm was 3 and 1 yesterday, with big offensive nights for Memphis and Palm Beach.

By Cardinals645
David Washington has been on a tear for nearly a year now.
David Washington has been on a tear for nearly a year now.
Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

Triple A: Memphis 9 -- Salt Lake 7

  • Charlie Tilson, LF, 2-for-5, 2B, R
  • Patrick Wisdom, SS, 1-for-5, 2B, K, R
  • Tommy Pham, CF, 0-for-3, 2 BBs, K, R
  • Anthony Garcia, DH, 2-for-4, 2B, HR, R, 4 RBI
  • David Washington, 1B, 2-for-3, 2 HRs, BB, 2 Runs, 4 RBI
Patrick Wisdom has never really hit that well, outside of his rookie year at short-season ball and the first few months of last season. What I find interesting about this outing is his appearance at SS. His defense at third has gotten very positive reviews in the past, but this is his first professional appearance at short.

In the past I haven't been a big fan of Anthony Garcia's, but his excellent season across AA/AAA last year left me looking mistaken. He's had a rough start this year, as he's hitting just under .200. Fortunately it looks like it could just be a bad run of BABIP luck, as his BB:K ratio looks normal so far. He won't be 25 until 2017, so he's still worth keeping an eye on.

David Washington isn't on our top prospect list, but he's been hot since getting called back up to AA last year. His two home runs last night puts him at ten for the young season, and four in his last 20 at bats. The big league club is a bit crowded with two left-handed first basemen already, but Washington's hot start should give us something to watch.

Double A: Midland 5 -- Springfield 2

  • Harrison Bader, CF, 2-for-5, K
  • Paul DeJong, 3B, 2-for-5, K
  • C.J. McElroy, LF, 3-for-4, 2B, K, SB (6), RBI
  • John Brebbia, 1 2/3 IP, 3 Ks
I don't normally highlight relief appearances by 25 year olds in their first AA season, even if the reliever got five consecutive outs as Brebbia did yesterday, but Brebbia is on a roll right now. In his 23 2/3 IP this year, he has 25 Ks against just 3 BBs. Brebbia hadn't pitched in the minors since being released at the end of the 2013 season. He was picked up by the Diamondbacks on a minor league contract last September before the Memphis squad claimed him off waivers.

Two years is a long time to have not played, though it's possible he played elsewhere in an independent or foreign league. He was just a 30th round pick in 2011 by the Yankees, so his pedigree isn't particularly interesting, but his K:BB ratio makes him worth keeping a casual eye on.

A Advanced: Palm Beach 10 -- Fort Myers 4

  • Darren Seferina, 2B, 4-for-6, 2B, SB, R, 2 RBI
  • Oscar Mercado, PR-DH, 0-for-1, K, R
  • Ian McKinney, 5 IP, 6 Ks, BB, 7 Hits, ER
McKinney and Seferina are both former 5th round picks (2013 and 2014 respectively) that have been struggling, but they both made contributions to the PB Cardinals' win last night. McKinney has been struggling with his walk rate so far this year. His career rate was just 6% before this season but it was 15.8% going into last night's game. This marks his second consecutive start with just one walk.

Seferina on the other hand has seen his K% rise pretty significantly this season, though it's still quite early. He's still hitting about league average for the Florida State League, which usually has a pretty deflated offensive environment, but a K% north of 25% is going to set a hitter back at any level. That's particularly true for a player like Seferina who has displayed limited home run power so far.

Class A: Peoria 4 -- Kane County 3

  • Magneuris Sierra, CF, 0-for-4, K
  • Jhonny Peralta, 3B, 0-for-3
  • Edmundo Sosa, SS, 2-for-4, 2B, Throwing Error
Peralta is, of course, on his rehab assignment. In his first five games he hasn't had a single walk, and has struck out just once. That means he's been putting the ball in play pretty often, but so far he's only managed three hits in 13 ABs. The important thing though is how he feels physically as he gets into more games and gets his timing back.

According to MLB.com's Jennifer Langosch, Peralta will be joining the Springfield Cardinals to continue his rehab on Friday:

You can read more from her on Peralta and C Brayan Pena's rehab here.

Tomorrow's Probables:

Memphis: Deck McGuire

Springfield: TBD

Palm Beach: Austin Gomber

Peoria: TBD

More From Viva El Birdos