FanPost

Reports from Fall Ball



Happy game one of the World Series day! With some despicable news coming out of Houston today regarding the Houston assistant GM, and renowned disappointment setting in that the Cardinals are not one of the two teams playing today, perhaps news out of the Arizona Fall League will provide a silver lining to the day!

The Cardinals sent eight players to the desert this year to play for the Glendale Desert Dogs. The Desert Dogs have a solid team name, maybe not quite on the level of the Surprise Saguaros or the Scottsdale Scorpions, squads that show a master of alliteration. However the Desert Dogs far outstrip the Mesa Solar Sox. What is a solar sock? A pair of Jorge Soler’s game-worn stirrups? A solar powered sock? We are left to guess. Digression aside, the Cardinals cloaked as Desert Dogs were (rankings based on RB’s 2019 top prospect list):

  1. Seth Elledge (RHP, unranked)

  2. Roel Ramirez (RHP, unranked)

  3. Griffin Roberts (RHP, 9th ranked prospect)

  4. Kody Whitley (RHP, unranked)

  5. Ivan Herrera (C, unranked, recently featured in a RB article)

  6. Elehuris Montero (3B, 3rd ranked prospect)

  7. Conner Capel, (OF, 20th ranked prospect)

  8. Kramer Robinson, (SS, unranked)


With three games left in the season, how did the young redbirds perform?


Seth Elledge: 8 IP, 0 GS, 3 ER, 12.4 SO/9, 11:2 K/BB

Elledge put up some fantastic strikeout numbers, both for Glendale and in a 2019 season that saw him pitch in Double and Triple A, striking out 30% of the Double A hitters he faced, and 22% of the Triple A hitters. Elledge’s strikeout stuff and ok command would seem to have placed him in the bullpen discussion for 2020 if nothing else


Roel Ramirez: 2 GS, 10.2 IP, 2 ER, 11.3 SO/9, 1.7 BB9

Ramirez was the most throw-in type piece in the three player return for Tommy Pham (*silently weeps*). But he put up solid strikeout/walk numbers in his Double A innings this year, posting a 10.0 SO/9 and a 3.6 BB9, as well as a respectable 3.85 FIP. If he continues to build on those numbers, he may yet earn a major league spot as bullpen filler.


Griffin Roberts: 4 GS, 14.2 IP, 5 ER, 11.0 SO/9, 1.2 BB/9

At just 23, Roberts posted some great starts for Glendale, and his walk numbers would seem to indicate improved command this year (a positive side effect of marijuana, perhaps?). His K/BB numbers were all the more exciting considering his extremely disappointing year at pitcher-friendly Palm Beach (4.9 SO/9 vs 4.8 BB/9)


Kody Whitley: 0 GS, 10 IP, 1 ER, 10.8 SO/9, 0.8 BB/9

A 27th rounder in 2017, Whitley (no relation to Forrest) had a breakout 2019, pitching at three levels and topping out at the Cardinals Triple A affiliate. His numbers got better at each level as well, a rare and encouraging sight. Like every other Fall League Cardinal arm, Whitley struck out a bunch of hitters and did not walk many, which led to some great numbers in relief.


Great pitching supported by respectable K/BB numbers was the theme for the Cardinal arms in Arizona, the hitting was not as exciting.


Ivan Herrera: 26 AB, 7 H, 2 2B, 0 HR, .770 OPS, 5 BB, 4 SO

At only 19 years old, this Fall League stat line has to be considered very impressive. Herrera’s great year, as highlighted by A.E. Schaefer, continued in Arizona. He walked more than he struck out against some legitimately good arms, and if the power develops Herrera could be a player.


Elehuris Montero: 42 AB, 9 H, 4 XBH, 0 HR, .686 OPS, 15 SO, 8 BB

The 8 walks Montero took in Arizona are more than half the walks he had during his entire 2019 season. So that's ...good? I guess? The power outage Montero experienced this year does not mesh well with his high strikeout rate, and that will have to improve if Montero ever hopes to be ranked as high as number 3 on Schaefer’s prospect lists again.


Conner Capel: 64 ABs, 2XBH, 0 HR, 17 SO, 6 BB, .571 OPS

A disappointing statline, but Capel exploded for Triple A this year in 30 at-bats mid-season. However his overall statline in Springfield was middling, with only a .635 OPS.


Kramer Robinson: 17 ABs, 4 H, 1 XBH, 0 HR, 4 BB, 2 SO, .734 OPS

The ultimate coaches son, Robinson put up fine-but-not-exciting numbers at DOuble and Triple A this year. He’s already 25, and with almost no power his path to the big leagues would seem to be a light-hitting utility infielder. He even sort of looks like Pete Kozma, so watch out Washington.