Heels On The Field: A Baseball Blog

Matt Tracy Starting Strong For Trenton

Matt Tracy on his performance vs. Erie 4/18 from matt kardos on Vimeo.

 

By:Matt Kardos

Trenton Thunder pitcher Matt Tracy threw five innings of one-hit ball last night to help lead the Thunder to a 5-3 victory over the Erie Sea Wolves at Arm & Hammer Park. The win improved the southpaw Tracy to 3-0 which is tops in the Eastern League.

Eye On...The Bowling Green Hot Rods: Starting Pitching Deserves Applause...and Run Support

The Bowling Green Hot Rods simply should not be 2-11.

They shouldn't be in last place of the Eastern Division of the Midwest League.

The reason they shouldn't comes down to starting pitching, which has been the driving force for the Rays Class-A club. Heading into the season, there was little doubt that the rotation was solid on paper. Additionally, there were guys in the lineup that had excellent 2013 seasons and expectations were high there, too.

But, so far, the 2014 season has been a showcase for the starting arms.

Earlier this week, German Marquez made his first official start for Bowling Green, allowing just one run on on 4 hits, lowering his ERA to nothing. Through two games (the first he didn't start, but pitched four innings) he has a 0.96 ERA, the lowest of all BG starters. In two starts Aaron Griffin has allowed just two runs through five innings. Blake Snell has been tagged with two losses, despite a 1.27 WHIP through eight innings. Jacob Faria has the lowest WHIP (0.91) on the team and the 10th lowest in the league. In his last three starts, fourteen innings pitched, RHP Faria allowed seven runs, only three of them earned. In his first and most recent start, two runs came across, but neither was earned. The Hot Rods scored just two runs, for his six-inning effort. He’s also struck out fourteen batters overall (the most of all starters) and has given up just two walks. He has yet to earn a win.

Similarly, Jordan Harrison has had two excellent starts, but also hasn’t won a game, though he was tagged for the loss after his last start in which he pitched five innings (exactly the same as his first two starts), allowing three runs on three hits. He’s not been hit hard and kept the walks to a minimum. But the quality starts he, Faria, and Chris Kirsch have pitched have not been backed by the offense.

For his part, lefty Kirsch turned in a sparkling debut performance for the team. Not surprisingly, based on his innings-eating performances in Short-A ball in 2013, he went five strong innings of one-hit one-run ball, and struck out six batters. He’s second in strikeouts overall (8) to fellow lefty Blake Snell (11). On April 15th Snell pitched four innings, allowed one run on three hits, and got tagged for the loss. Hitters are averaging just .172 off of him. In Kirsch’s debut, batters averaged just .067.

As a team, the Hot Rods have the 6th lowest WHIP (1.28) in the league, though they are 2nd in walks allowed (52). Peoria leads in the category, but, comparatively, they’re 10th in RBI (50). The Hot Rods are last in runs batted in, with 31. Bowling Green also clocks last in batting average (.203) and OBP (.265). Darryl George has had a particularly good run for the team with a seven-game hitting streak. He’s leading the team with a .316 batting average. George was honored by the Rays at the end of last season as 'Hudson Valley Renegades Player of the Year.' Johnny Field has also been a consistent part of the lineup, leading the team in hits with eight. On Thursday, he went 3-5 with a double.

Leading the way in the league in team BA are the West Michigan Whitecaps (.278), and they're third overall in wins.

Bowling Green's most recent win last week was a hit & run parade, with the Hot Rods getting an 11-8 victory over Peoria. There again, Field came through, this time with power, and hit two home runs.

If you’re catching a Bowling Green game, tip your cap to the starting rotation and ignore the win-loss record. Should the offense fire up with the pitching, the Hot Rods have a winning team.

Ready my Durham Bulls (Rays Triple-A affiliate) coverage all season for Minor League Ball in the weekly 'Hitting The Bull' feature.

Related articles

Rays 1st Rounder Jake Hager Continued Progress In 2013

Eye On... MLB Top 100 Prospects, Personal Perspective On Four Players

Hot Rods Ownership Announces Enhancements to Ballpark

Downtown Bowling Green Celebrates Five Years With Hot Rods Baseball

Henry Owens Using Command to Pave His Way to Boston

By: Matt Kardos

(TRENTON, N.J) Flame throwing southpaw Henry Owens improved to 2-0 for Portland on Wednesday evening after shutting out the Thunder for 6.2 innings at Arm & Hammer Park. The 6'7" Owens has tremendous size for a starting pitcher and appears to be on the fast track to the big leagues with his hot 2014 start in the Eastern League. After his dominating effort against Trenton, the 30th rated prospect in baseball by MLB.com leads the league in wins with two, and has fanned 18 batters in 12.2 innings without surrendering a single run over that span; both are also league bests.

"He has competed really well out there in his two outings," said Sea Dogs Manager Billy McMillon. "He's gotten ahead of hitters, mixed up some pitches and kept guys off balance. That is what we hope to get, not only from him, but all of our starters. But, his first two have been very impressive."

Owens said, "During my final two starts in spring training I felt like I was really getting close to finding my rhythm and I think that I've been building off that since we've gotten started."

The young 21-year old hurler was selected in the first round (36 overall) of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft by Boston out of Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California. Owens has continually gotten better in his short time in professional baseball and appears to be nearing the doorstep of the major leagues.

Owens dominated the Carolina League as a member of Salem to begin his 2013 campaign. Over 20 starts there, Owens went 8-5 with a 2.92 ERA while fanning 133 batters in 104.2 innings. Boston bumped Owens up to Double-A to finish the season with Portland and he continued to demonstrate ace-potential by striking out 46 in just 30 innings while posting a 1.92 ERA.

McMillon is in his first season managing the Sea Dogs after holding the same post for Salem the previous two seasons. That experience has allowed McMillon to witness the continued growth and development of Owens first-hand from a young thrower to a mature pitcher with command of his stuff.

"You can see the evolution of him as a player," said McMillon. "He is just a couple of years out of high school so the grind of the professional baseball season, the five day workload that a starter has; he is learning all of that. He is maturing and we would like to see that continue. He goes about his business the right way; he just needs more professionalization, if you will."

The most impressive stat to come out of Owens latest outing this past Wednesday in Trenton was not the shutout or strikeout totals, but instead the zero in the walk column. Owens made a start on the road in Arm & Hammer Park at the end of his 2013 campaign and walked seven batters in just three innings of work. It was an evening Owens threw just 35 of his 77 pitches for strikes.

"I think the last time that I threw here, I threw 12 straight balls at one point," Owens explained. "So, this was better."

The strikeout pitch will always be there for Owens, his mid-90's heater and above average curve ball and change-up make his arsenal one of the most promising in all of baseball. For many young pitchers, particularly lefties, control is typically the last and most difficult aspect of pitching to grasp before turning the corner in their development. Owens understands that he has a special fastball and worked hard in the off-season to harness his command.

"I feel like in terms of development, I've really taken a step forward with my fastball command," admitted Owens. "In spring training, I was really just focused on figuring out my mechanics and I think that I have figured them out."

Owens added, "Number one for me is my fastball command. Once I can command the fastball, everything plays off of that and I can throw a change-up or curve ball and that makes my fastball look that much harder."

The season is obviously just one week old, but the signs of maturation and domination from Owens after two starts have already stirred up talk about his arrival in Beantown. Despite having the "phenom" label attached to him and the attention of pundits everywhere set on his every pitch, McMillon still believes that Owens has room to grow before becoming a star in the big leagues.

"Guys are in Double-A for a reason," said McMillon. "There is still a lot of development that needs to go there, some maturing and learning more baseball. Suffice to say, I think that he has a lot of upside. I think you can close your eyes and see him pitching at upper-levels, but he will get there when he gets there, nobody is going to rush him. If he keeps having outings like he has had, he will probably open up some more dialogue about what is going to happen in a month from now."

Eastern League Notebook: Star Prospect's Debut, No-No's and Arrivals!

By: Matt Kardos

The Eastern League season is just two days old, but we have already seen enough action to fill our baseball appetites for weeks. The two clubs who squared off for the championship crown last September are still searching for their first wins of the season; both the Trenton Thunder and Harrisburg Senators sit at 0-2 entering action tonight.

Thursday night brought to us an impressive slew of Double-A debut's that was highlighted by Toronto Blue Jays top-prospect Aaron Sanchez and Red Sox prospect Mookie Betts. Both players were highlighted in my Eastern League preview and they certainly lived up to the hype in their first taste of the minor league's upper levels.

Betts, who was the Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year in 2013, is off to the hottest start in the league after two games. The speedy Portland Sea Dog second baseman is hitting .778 after going 4-4 on Thursday and 3-5 on Friday against Reading. Surprisingly, the only thing that Betts has not done yet is swipe a base, after stealing 38 of them last season. His exciting presence has fueled the Sea Dogs 2-0 start out of the gate.

Sanchez, who impressed in the Florida State League in 2013, toed the rubber on Thursday night in Trenton to make his Double-A debut in front of a crowd that included his parents. The 21-year old flamethrower did not disappoint,tossing five shutout frames and allowed just one hit while striking out five. After pitching in big-league camp all spring, Sanchez pushed his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 20.1 with his stellar debut effort.

It did not take very long for the league to see it's first no-hitter of the season, all be it, rain shortened. As if the debut of Betts wasn't exciting enough for Portland, their ace and Red Sox top pitching prospect, Henry Owens, tossed a six-inning no-hitter on opening night against Reading. Before severe rainfall struck, Owens was tossing some lightening at the Fightin Phils, fanning nine batters in the effort.

Having scored only three runs over their first two games, the Thunder offense has struggled immensely to generate any sort of consistent run production. Top-prospect Tyler Austin, who has been rehabbing a nagging wrist injury in Tampa, is slated to join the club on Monday according to Manager Tony Franklin in hopes that he can help deepen the order.

"Tyler is coming," said Franklin. "I heard that rumor and made a call and it is true, he's coming."

"Tyler was playing a little bit of third base in the spring," said Franklin. "There is a possibility that he might be throughout the outfield, possibly third, possibly first, we'll have to wait and see."

Franklin indicated that he may give Austin a day or two of rest before playing him because of the rigors that come with driving such a far distance. We will certainly recap Austin's season debut in the next edition of the EL notebook.

2014 Eastern League Preview

By: Matt Kardos

The Eastern League has historically been home to some of the most elite and hyped prospects in all of baseball; 2014 is no exception. After the Trenton Thunder narrowly qualified for the postseason in 2013, they went on a magical playoff run and swept their way to the championship. As the calender has turned and the slate is wiped clean, championship aspirations are renewed for all 12 teams in the league. It is pretty difficult for many reasons to actually predict how a minor league teams seasons will play out. There are sure to be many injuries, promotions, demotions, and the element of chemistry is also vital in a teams ultimate success. Here is a quick glance at an outlook for each team around the league entering 2014.

Akron Rubberducks 2013 record (68-73) Manager David Wallace is back to lead the re-branded Rubberducks, formerly known as the Aeros. Akron is just one year removed from hoisting the EL championship in 2012. After seeing a majority of their core graduate to Triple-A Columbus last season, Akron kind of found themselves with a roster that was lacking in many areas all season long. With a new name and new brand in 2014, Wallace once again has a talented young roster that has the ability to get his club back into championship contention. The "Quack Attack" will be headlined by superstar shortstop prospect, Francisco Lindor. The young 20-year old phenom led the Indians system with a combined .304 batting average last season and has been rated as the 10th overall prospect in baseball by MLB.com. Lindor will be joined in Akron by speedster Tyler Naquin in center field, who was the teams first round draft selection (15th overall) just two years ago. Naquin is regarded as the top defensive outfielder in the Indians system and is viewed as a vital piece in Akron in 2014. The pitching staff for the Rubberducks will be headlined by the Indians 2013 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Cody Anderson, who went 9-4 with a 2.65 ERA last season.

Altoona Curve- 2013 record(63-79) The Curve struggled immensely in 2013, posting the worst record in the Western Division and were second only to Reading overall in the EL, who won just 62 games last season. The boys in Altoona have been spoiled with pitching prospects over the last few seasons, having had studs Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon in their rotations for the last two years. 2014 will follow suite; their roster will be headlined by righty, Nick Kingham, who is rated as the 64th overall prospect in baseball by Baseball America. Kingham saw action last season in Altoona and went 3-3 with a 2.70 ERA in 12 starts for Manager Carlos Garcia's club. The offense will be fueled by Alen Hanson at shortstop. Hanson is a 21-year old speedster who swiped 30 bags last season and legged out 13 triples while hitting .274 with eight homers and 58 RBI. Hanson has the ability to be an offensive catalyst and brings an electric presence to a lineup that can carry it for weeks at a time.

Binghamton Mets 2013 record (86-55) The B-Mets were the class of the EL last season, posting the best record in the league by nearly 10 games over Harrisburg. Binghamton looked to have a clear path to wearing the EL crown before they were upset and swept by the Trenton Thunder in the ELDS in 2013. With prospects like Syndergaard, Montero, Dykstra and Walters promoted to Triple-A, 2014 may be a tough year for Manager Pedro Lopez to duplicate his success of a season ago. Catcher Kevin Plawecki will make his Double-A debut and will asked to be carry the offensive load for the Mets. The Purdue product hit .305 with eight homers and 80 RBI in 2013 and is ranked by MLB.com as a top-10 catching prospect in baseball.Southpaw Dan Gorski returns to Binghamton to anchor their pitching staff after a stellar 2013 that saw him go 6-1 with a 1.83 ERA.

Bowie Baysox- 2013 record (71-71) Bowie saw a year of ups and downs in 2013 and based strictly on talent, appear to be in for a similar year in 2014. The Baysox roster features nine players who are new to the organization and very little Double-A experience. Having had stars like Manny Machado, Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gaussman over the last two seasons, the Baysox will host the Orioles third rated prospect by MLB.com, pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez. The 20-year old Venezulean product made 11 starts for Bowie last year and went 4-3 with a 4.22 ERA. He will look to take a big step in his development with his first full-season in advanced ball. Offensively, Bowie will be poised by catcher Michael Ohlman, who will also be making his Double-A debut. Ohlman has great bat control, he hit .300 with a .400 OBP in 2012 and followed that up by hitting .313 with a .410 on-base figure in 2013. Ohlman hit 13 homers in the Carolina League last season after hitting nine in his first four seasons combined, which lead many to believe that he is turning the corner in his development.

Erie Seawolves- 2013 record (76-66) Erie returned to the postseason for the first time since 2007 last season before falling to Harrisburg in the first round of the divisional playoffs. Erie has a well rounded roster for their 20th season in 2014 that has good depth in all phases. Warrick Saupold will be at the top of the rotation after having an All-Star season for the club. The Erie bullpen features a plethora of interesting arms including closer Jose Valdez, who recorded 33 saves in 2013. Devon Travis is the big name offensively after hitting .351 with 16 homers and 76 RBI last year. Travis is one player that I would keep a close eye on in 2014.

Harrisburg Senators- 2013 record (77-65) Harrisburg had a fantastic 2013 campaign that saw them make a league championship appearance before falling to Trenton. The Senators new Skipper Brian Daubach will roll out another contending team in 2014 that has the potential to be one of the very best in the league. The roster features the Nationals top pitching prospect AJ Cole who anchors a well-rounded staff of Blake Schwartz, Felipe Rivero, Rob Gilliam and Matt Purke. Offensively, the Senators will be stocked with some of the best bats in the Washington system with guys like Michael Taylor and Matt Skole carrying the load.

New Britan Rock Cats- 2013 record (66-76) Aside from hosting the 2013 EL All-Star Game, it was a forgettable year for the Rock Cats after a nine game losing streak in late July dashed their postseason aspirations. Equipped with arguably the most powerful order in the EL, New Britan has the potential to be a very scary team in 2014. First baseman Kennys vargas, who blasted 19 homers and drove in 93 runs in the Florida State League last season, will make his Double-A debut. Brandon Waring hit 25 homers in 2013 between the Double and Triple-A level and Reynaldo Rodriguez, who led the Rock Cats with 21 long balls last season, will return to round out the potent lineup. New Britan could potentially add the top prospect in baseball, Byron Buxton at some point early on this season which could make things all the more interesting as the pennant races heat up this summer.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats- 2013 record (68-72) New Hampshire will showcase the top overall prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system when they debut pitcher Aaron Sanchez. The electrifying 21-year old will anchor a veteran pitching staff that features former first-round pick, Deck McGuire. All-Star shortstop Kevin Nolan will return to pace the offense along with slugging outfielder Brad Glenn.

Portland Sea Dogs 2013 record (68-73) In recent years, Portland has enjoyed the benefits of the Boston Red Sox elite farm system and 2014 will be no different. Three of Boston's top-10 prospects are on the Sea Dogs Opening Day roster. Henry Owens will serve as the rotation ace after being named the Red Sox 2013 Minor League Pitcher of the Year. After dominating at Salem, Owens made six starts for Portland last season and went 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA and held all hitters to a .177 average. Second baseman Mookie Betts, who was the Red Sox 2013 Minor League Offensive Player of the Year will lead the lineup for Manager Billy McMillon after hitting .314 with 15 homers, 65 RBI and 36 doubles in A-ball last season.

Reading Fightin Phils- 2013 record (62-80). Reading sported the very worst record in THE Eastern League in 2013 after making a postseason run in 2012. It was a transitioning year for the team after they saw guys like Darin Ruf and Cody Asche make their big league debuts. Top pitching prospect Jesse Biddle will return to Reading this season after struggling in his first go through the league. The southpaw went 5-14 with a 3.64 ERA while making a league-leading 27 starts in 2013. Biddle will be joined in the rotation by Severino Gonzalez, who busted onto the scene in A-ball last season when he went 7-5 with a 2.00 ERA. Highly touted catching prospect, Tommy Joseph, will be back behind the plate in 2014 after battling concussion issues for much of 2013.

Richmond Flying Squirrels- 2013 record (70-72) Richmond will have a talent packed roster in 2014 for first year manager Russ Morman that features the San Francisco Giants top-prospect as rated by Baseball America in pitcher Kyle Crick.Rated as the number 32 prospect in baseball overall by MLB.com, Crick has the potential to be the very best pitcher in the EL in 2014 after going 3-1 with a 1.56 ERA while fanning 95 batters in 68 innings last year. The starting rotation is the unquestioned strong point of this team. Four of the organizations top ten prospects will compile the staff that is comprised of Adalberto Mejia (#4), Ty Blach (#8) and Clayton Blackburn (#10).

Trenton Thunder- 2013 record (74-67). manager Tony Franklin returns for his eighth season at the helm and is coming off of his managing job to date. Franklin captured his third EL title last season with a roster that featured over 70 different players during the course of the season. The Thunder never really have a roster that draws attention on paper but because of the demands placed on them by Franklin, always seem to be in the thick of a pennant race by seasons end. Trenton will have a roster that features the top two prospects in the Yankees system in catcher Gary Sanchez and center fielder Mason Williams. Both players played in a combined 40 games for Trenton last season but struggled mightily with the bats. They will need to produce in 2014 for the Thunder to make another run at a title. Tyler Austin is expected to return to Trenton in a few weeks as he rehabs from a nagging wrist injury that has cost him considerable time this spring. Bryan Mitchell will anchor a veteran pitching staff that features Jeremy Bleich, Zach Nuding, Joel De La Rosa and Matt Tracy.