Minor League Report

soxfan121

JAG
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Dec 22, 2002
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For years, I have followed the Sox minor league system almost exclusively through Cuzittt's daily reports and the minor league forum. 
 
Now, I feel more informed than ever. Brandon's done a terrific job with these weekly reviews and its been awesome to know that every week there's a new crop of stuff on the minor leaguers. Well done, SoSH Baseball & Brandon Magee. You guys are awesome. Thanks!!!
 

jscola85

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Jul 14, 2005
1,305
Comparing Ball's ERA/WHIP to Lester's and Owens' is a very blunt tool.  Far more predictive tools would be K rate, BB rate and GB/FB ratio:
 
Ball, 2015: 5.7 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 0.82 GO/AO
Owens in Salem: 10.6 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 1.06 GO/AO
Lester in A+: 9.6 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, GO/AO unavailable but 1.08 for his minor league career
 
I just struggle to see find any recent comps that I can remember who posted such a low K rate coupled with a high FB rate turning into a successful pitcher.  I am intrigued by Ball but still not feeling overly optimistic.
 

Cuzittt

Bouncing with Anger
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Sinister Funkhouse #17
Any tool being used would be blunt. Point is, he's progressing in a fairly normal way... and he should not be written off as many have already done.
 

LuckyBen

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Jun 5, 2012
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absintheofmalaise said:
Here's the latest minor league weekly wrap up from Cuzittt.
 
Great article, I enjoyed the read! I think the problem with fans expectations of Ball are that he is a left handed pitching prospect for the Red Sox, so the only two comparable pitchers possible are Lester and Owens. From that draft, Appel is putting up pretty bad numbers in AA as a 23 yo. Gray's numbers look pretty good in AAA as a 23 yo and Kohl Stewart has very similar numbers in A+ as a 20 yo in 13 less innings. I still have hopes that Ball will play a role for the Red Sox.
 

jscola85

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Jul 14, 2005
1,305
Cuzittt said:
Any tool being used would be blunt. Point is, he's progressing in a fairly normal way... and he should not be written off as many have already done.
 
Writing off anyone that young with his raw tools is definitely ridiculous.
 

RoDaddy

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Jun 19, 2002
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Very impressive that Greenville had 8 all-stars!  They've been a lot of fun to follow so far this year - a bit like the prospect-rich Portland team last year albeit at a lower level
 

Drek717

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Dec 23, 2003
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Really nice to see the leap forward from Cuevas this year, making the AA all-star team.  Huge improvement despite making the A to AA leap.
 

The Tax Man

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Jun 8, 2009
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Mansfield, MA
It's Friday. Which is nice for the obvious reasons but its even better because Cuz is back with his Minor League Report. This week (in addition to the weekly rundown) is a focus on the playoff possibilities for each affiliate: 
 
The Red Sox minor league system has produced playoff teams every season since at least 1994. While Pawtucket, Portland, and Salem (along with the parent club) are all awaiting elimination day, and Greenville desperately attempts to fight their way into the playoffs (6 ½ games back with 25 games to play), the short-season clubs are looking to consolidate their playoff positions.
 
 

absintheofmalaise

too many flowers
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Mar 16, 2005
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The gran facenda
The Greenville Drive stars are featured in cuzittt's weekly crop report
 
 
The Greenville Drive has sported a youthful lineup for the entire season, averaging 20.6-years-old, a year younger than the league as a whole. The Drive have been a must follow for any prospect watcher this season and became even more so this week as Andrew Benintendi, the Red Sox first pick of this season’s draft, got a well earned promotion on Monday. 
Benintendi, who finished his stay in Lowell by batting .370/.426/.630 in the month of August, has already made his mark for the Drive. After going 0-for-4 with a pair of walks in his opening game for Greenville, Benintendi picked up his first hit in the first inning of his second game, a two-run home run. He would record his second home run in the 10th to give the Drive a two-run win. Thus far in his 37-game professional career, Benintendi has batted .288/.411/.568 with 28 walks, nine home runs, four triples and seven stolen bases.
 

Cuzittt

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Nov 20, 2001
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Sinister Funkhouse #17
In the penultimate minor league report of 2015, We take a look at the fantastic journey of the Savannah Sand Gnats in their final season in Paula Deenville.

In their final season in Savannah, Georgia, the Sand Gnats have decided that they should be the story of the South Atlantic League season. A furious comeback with three weeks to go in the first half of the season earned the Gnats a trip to the playoffs. Not satisfied with one title, the Sand Gnats took control of the second half race with an August streak for the ages. Can the Sand Gnats run through the playoffs and bring a fifth South Atlantic League Title to historic Grayson Stadium?
 

Darnell's Son

He's a machine.
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In the final minor league report of 2015, cuz takes a look at some of the top prospects headed to the AFL.
 
 
The answer is Arizona and the Arizona Fall League. For a month and a half, starting on October 13 and ending with a championship game on November 21, the great prospects of baseball will gather in the desert, attempting to work their way into the 2016 plans of their parent club.