Daily Farm Report: Carlson doubles in Triple-A debut

Memphis Redbirds 5, Iowa Cubs 0

Daniel Ponce de Leon (SP) - 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Dylan Carlson (LF) - 1-4, 2B, K

Rangel Ravelo (1B) - 2-4, HR, 2 RBI

Harrison Bader (CF) - 1-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K

Yesterday was rather light on action, with Palm Beach’s tilt against Tampa cancelled and two complex teams not in play, but Memphis makes up for it with multiple notable tidbits.

First there’s Dylan Carlson, who made his Triple-A debut last night at the ripe old age of 20. Carlson got ahead 2-0 early in his first at-bat, but ultimately went down on strikes because of a very questionable check swing call. His next shot for a first Redbirds hit came in the bottom of the third with runners on first and second and two outs. Carlson got ahead quickly again, this time 3-0, before flying out to straight-away center. He finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth, tomahawking an up-and-away fastball off the right field fence:

All in all, the debut was textbook Carlson, showcasing gritty, intelligent at-bats and his precocious natural hitting ability.

Then there’s Daniel Ponce de Leon, who’s been electric since shuttling back down to Memphis. In three starts now, Ponce has amassed 28 strikeouts against just five walks in 18 innings of work. Did I mention he hasn’t allowed an earned run? Altogether, the stretch amounts to a tasty 1.54 FIP.

Harrison Bader has been better upon demotion as well, albeit not hot to the degree of Ponce de Leon. In a tiny 12 game sample, Bader sports a .271/.375/.479 batting line undergirded by a sustainable .303 BABIP and a cutback in strikeouts. He’s also swiped three bags and put three balls over the fence in that time, adding to the outfield logjam.

The win improves Memphis’s record to 56-66.

Tulsa Drillers 7, Springfield Cardinals 1

Evan Kruczynski (SP) - 4 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6, 2 HR

Jacob Patterson (RP) - 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 HR

In an altogether disappointing effort from Double-A, lefty Jacob Patterson was the only real bright spot. Since being selected in the 13th round out of Texas Tech, Patterson has clocked in as high as #30 on A.E. Schafers 2018 list while reaching Double-A in his second full pro season. He’s spent the entire year at Springfield, and while his ERA has been inflated by a newly found home run problem, he’s been typically stellar int he K% and BB% departments. His control has tightened to the tune of a 5.8% walk rate, a good distance from his previous low of 7.6% and a marked improvement over last years 8.7% mark. The K’s have ticked up as well, pushing up against the 30.0% barrier. He isn’t Rule V eligible until after the 2020 season, so there’s ample time for him to solve the homer conundrum and push his way into the bullpen conversation.

Springfield is now 54-69.

Peoria Chiefs 3 @ Kane County Cougars 2

Colin Schmid (SP) - 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Freddy Pacheco (RP) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Delvin Perez (SS) - 3-4, 2B, K

Brendan Donovan (2B) - 2-4, RBI

This article by Trevor Hooth over at Pitcher List opens with one of the more sobering truths of prospect following. Prep hitters, especially highly drafted ones, tend to come with a good degree of hype. The hype in itself isn’t bad, but it tends to distort our collective perspective and expectations. Player development is a long process in most cases, and for every Dylan Carlson there are multiple Delvin Perez’s. He too is only 20 years old, and so certainly cannot be labeled a bust yet, even though it may feel that way sometimes. So let’s give credit where credit is due: Delvin Perez is enjoying a strong six-week stretch at the plate. Since July 6, Perez has batted a healthy .315/.365/.433 with a 132 wRC+. In that time he’s been more aggressive than his early-season self, resulting in 10 doubles, a triple and his only home run of the year. A .118 ISO isn’t mind bending, but is certainly enough considering Perez’s defensive chops.

The Chiefs are now 46-75.

State College Spikes 5, Mahoning Valley 2

Adrian Mardueno (SP) - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Hector Villalobos (RP) - 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Terry Fuller (RF) - 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 K

David Vinsky (CF) - 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB

Remember yesterday, when I said that Terry Fuller wasn’t doing the whole three-true-outcomes schtick? Well he did that three-true-outcomes thing last night, and I’m grateful he did, because it took me to the State College Spikes twitter for the first time. I don’t know who handles the Spikes social media, but they’re killing it:

It get’s even better:

The home run was Fuller’s third at State College and fourth of 2019, pushing his New York-Penn League wRC+ up to 140.

The Spikes are now above the .500 mark at 30-29.

Burlington Royals 14, Johnson City Cardinals 4

Jose Moreno (SP) - 2.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR

Liam Sabino (2B-3B) - 1-5, 2B, RBI, 2 K

Trejyn Fletcher (CF) - 1-2, 2 BB, K

There isn’t a whole lot to recap from this one, with Johnson City just generally getting shellacked inning to inning last night. Trejyn Fletcher had his second good game in a row, following up his homer and stolen base from Wednesday with a strong on-base effort. He’s still been overmatched in aggregate by the Appy League, but early returns aren’t as important for such a young draftee from a cold weather state.

Johnson City is now 28-26.

DSL Cardinals Red 6, DSL Phillies White 4

Diorys Guerrero (SP) - 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K

Roblin Heredia (DH) - 2-3, 3B, 2 RBI, BB, K

Luis Andujar (1B) - 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, K

Diego Velasquez (C) - 1-4, 2B, RBI

~

Friday’s Probables

MEM: Jake Woodford

SPR: Angel Rondon

PMB: TBD

PEO: TBD

SC: Michael YaSenka

JC: Hector Soto