September was a do or die month for the D-Bags. They entered the month down 5 games and needed a great Sept to have a sniff at the playoffs, or so they thought. After their best month of the season going 17-9, they ended up a staggering 8 games out of the division when it was all said and done. Greenville hit their stride at the right time went 20-7 for the month and ran away with the division.
Players of the Month
With the team playing so well it was hard to choose just a couple of players for POTM, but here they are:
Mike "Coffin" Bryant: 9 HR, 27 RBI, .375/.425/.702. 25R. After displaying some power during the summer, we finally saw the top prospect and former first round pick break out. He homered once every 10.5 AB, drove in 27 runs in 25 games and killed opposing pitching. Hate to pre-mature call him a star, but it seems he is destined for big things in this league.
Milliard Cross: 5 HR, 20 RBI, .433/.520/.750. What happened to Cross after July? He more than doubled his HR and RBI and hit 400 over the past 2 months of the season. He went from guy who played when someone needed a rest to starter. By far the best month of his career
Scott Powers: 5 XBH, 19 RBI, 15 BB, .340/.427/.436, 6 SB. After stepping his game in August, it was September that really showed why Jersey dealt the talent they did for Powers. He was an on base machine hitting leadoff, getting on base at a .420 clip. Look for this not to be his last time in the POTM column.
SP Hector Hernandez: 3-2, 2.12 ERA. Hernandez's best month of the season. 4 of 5 Quality starts and one of his losses came in a great performance where he gave up 1 ER. Hernandez is a pending FA, so this might be the last time he graces the POTM.
MR Jose Gomes: 1 Save, 13.2 IP, 21 K, 1.42 ERA, .55 WHIP. Gomes was nearly unbelievable in September, and ask any Jersey fan and you will hear, "About time!" After a season in which Gomes struggled , for him, he put up his finest month by far. One bad inning he gave up 3 of his 7 baserunners all month long. Under the radar, the D-Bags signed Gomes to a 5 year deal.
MR Jamie "Mungo" Saenz: 1 Save, 13.2 IP, 16 K, 1.32 ERA, 1.02 WHIP. Much like Gomes, Saenz was dominate in the late innings. The month completed his best season so far and helped the D-Bags hold the lead in many of their winnings during September.
Roster Changes, Questions and Answers
We didn't see too many changes to the roster this month. Sergio Rodriguez, Joe Hernandez, Edgardo Gonzalez all got a hand full of AB's during September and all showed promise. All 3 have a shot at making the active roster next season.
Being in end of the season we will likely see a lot of change to the roster. Several big names players have yet to sign a contract extension which would make them FA's in just weeks time. These players include SP Jose Brito, SP Hector Hernandez and C Jorge Lozano. Lozano had a career year and as much as everyone in Jersey would love to see him stay, he is 32 and wants a big contract and rumors have it Jersey doesn't have the money. The same goes for Brito who was very solid this year and the loss of both Brito and Hernandez would put a big dent in the Jersey rotation.
Speculating into the future, Lozano's role can be filled by Mario Ramirez who tore up AAA pitching this year and has shown he can hold his own against ML pitching. The SP isn't so easy projected. Greg Shaefer was having a good year before going down with an injury, he would be slotted to join the rotation and you have to think another SP would come via trade or free agency. Unless there are some big moves there seem to be starters slotted at every position, which can never be considered a problem.
The D-Bags fell 1 win short of their 2nd straight 90 season, but yet finished with their 4th straight winning season. Maybe next year will be Jersey's first trip to the playoffs, only time will tell. For now look forward to any moves Jersey makes during the off-season!
GO D-BAGS
Showing posts with label ramirez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ramirez. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Prospect Lookback and Breakdown - Adam Morrow
Continuing our series of prospect breakdown, today we take a look at 25 year old 3B Adam Morrow.
Though this writeup comes a little late considering he is now 25 years old, he has not yet seen a BSA AB, we thought it was still appropriate to get in a breakdown.
College Play
Morrow played his college ball at Oregon State University where he played 4 years. He excelled in college and showed throughout his 4 years his knack to be a great contact hitter with an above average eye. If he would have come out after his Junior year, many scouts say he would have been a for sure 1st round pick. He compiled a triple slash line of .437/.591/.739 while walking 32 times and striking out only 20 times. The batting average he put up that year stands as 2nd all time in the collegiate ranks and the OBP of .591 still sets the mark as the best ever seen by a collegiate player. His Senior year went well, but nothing compared to the record setting junior year, and he finished his college career with 137 hits, 40 2B, 8 HR and 66 RBI. His final slash line of .354/.517/.530. His career BA its in the Top 60, and his OBP currently sits 6th all time at the college level.
Draft and Early Years
Morrow was drafted int the 2nd round of the 2010 draft, 42nd overall by the Jersey Shore D-Bags. Josh Swain, GM of Jersey Shore, had Morrow listed in his Top 10 and was shocked when he fell to the Bags in the 2nd round. The 22 year old signed quickly and was sent to Single A affiliate Manhattan. As many first year players do, he struggled. He played in 21 games that year getting 67 AB's. He only managed to get 8 hits, one being a HR, and struck out 23 times without taking a walk. Morrow got down on himself for not being prepared and went home to Minnesota for the winter where he worked long hours on his swing and worked on the transition from the metal college bats to the wooden ones used at the professional level. In 2011 he was sent back to Manhattan where he got a full year's play in. While he didn't light the world on fire, he was improved. He hit .242/.302/.312 while still K'ing 119 times in 458 AB's. In the winter of 2011 Morrow put on 15 pounds of muscle and came to play in 2012. The 23 year old came in as a leader, cut his K's dramatically and played the first 5 weeks in Manhattan getting on base at an alarming rate. In 27 games he was hitting .366 and getting on base at a .440 clip, cutting down his K-rate even more, and after a 3-4 game a trip to the manager's office produced a promotion to AA Gainesville.
Promotions and Success
After being sent to Gainesville in 2012, he started at Third Base immediately. His gap power took a turn for the best and ended the year with 20 2B, 2 3B, and 3HR. In 125 games he hit .292/.351/.356. Though he did strikeout 122 times in 517 AB, he walked 48 times, just slightly less than he did in 1.5 season in Manhattan. While his OPS+ of 99 didn't lead the team or jump out on the page to start the 2013 season Morrow was promoted to play for the AAA affiliate in Tuscaloosa, AL. Before the season started the BSA named him the 90th best prospect in baseball, the first time he had the honor of being included on this list. He joined the Troutslayers, which had won the ITL Championship the year before. He joined a powerful offense that included Derrick Wright, Mario Ramirez, Alberto Perez among others. Through 121 games thus far this season Morrow has shown why he was listed on the Top 100 prospects list. He has hit .327/.405/.429 while hitting a career high 7 HR. His K/BB ratio is also the best it's been in his career, K'ing 83 times to taking 58 BB.
The Future
Being 25 and excelling in AAA, Morrow's future looks very bright. Although the D-Bags currently have a jammed packed roster at 1B, 3B and SS, if Morrow keeps it up the D-Bags will have to find AB's for him. Jersey has never been known to rush along players and Morrow will likely spend the rest of the year in AAA, possibly getting a September call-up. Morrow is currently not on the 40-ran roster and must be placed there before the Rule V draft or the D-Bags will risk losing him. GM Josh Swain thinks that Morrow could be a cog at the top of the Jersey lineup for years to come. Is he right? Or will Morrow just become a utility player? Only time will tell.
Next lookback: 2012 1st round pick Ernesto Barzaga
College Play
Morrow played his college ball at Oregon State University where he played 4 years. He excelled in college and showed throughout his 4 years his knack to be a great contact hitter with an above average eye. If he would have come out after his Junior year, many scouts say he would have been a for sure 1st round pick. He compiled a triple slash line of .437/.591/.739 while walking 32 times and striking out only 20 times. The batting average he put up that year stands as 2nd all time in the collegiate ranks and the OBP of .591 still sets the mark as the best ever seen by a collegiate player. His Senior year went well, but nothing compared to the record setting junior year, and he finished his college career with 137 hits, 40 2B, 8 HR and 66 RBI. His final slash line of .354/.517/.530. His career BA its in the Top 60, and his OBP currently sits 6th all time at the college level.
Draft and Early Years
Morrow was drafted int the 2nd round of the 2010 draft, 42nd overall by the Jersey Shore D-Bags. Josh Swain, GM of Jersey Shore, had Morrow listed in his Top 10 and was shocked when he fell to the Bags in the 2nd round. The 22 year old signed quickly and was sent to Single A affiliate Manhattan. As many first year players do, he struggled. He played in 21 games that year getting 67 AB's. He only managed to get 8 hits, one being a HR, and struck out 23 times without taking a walk. Morrow got down on himself for not being prepared and went home to Minnesota for the winter where he worked long hours on his swing and worked on the transition from the metal college bats to the wooden ones used at the professional level. In 2011 he was sent back to Manhattan where he got a full year's play in. While he didn't light the world on fire, he was improved. He hit .242/.302/.312 while still K'ing 119 times in 458 AB's. In the winter of 2011 Morrow put on 15 pounds of muscle and came to play in 2012. The 23 year old came in as a leader, cut his K's dramatically and played the first 5 weeks in Manhattan getting on base at an alarming rate. In 27 games he was hitting .366 and getting on base at a .440 clip, cutting down his K-rate even more, and after a 3-4 game a trip to the manager's office produced a promotion to AA Gainesville.
Promotions and Success
After being sent to Gainesville in 2012, he started at Third Base immediately. His gap power took a turn for the best and ended the year with 20 2B, 2 3B, and 3HR. In 125 games he hit .292/.351/.356. Though he did strikeout 122 times in 517 AB, he walked 48 times, just slightly less than he did in 1.5 season in Manhattan. While his OPS+ of 99 didn't lead the team or jump out on the page to start the 2013 season Morrow was promoted to play for the AAA affiliate in Tuscaloosa, AL. Before the season started the BSA named him the 90th best prospect in baseball, the first time he had the honor of being included on this list. He joined the Troutslayers, which had won the ITL Championship the year before. He joined a powerful offense that included Derrick Wright, Mario Ramirez, Alberto Perez among others. Through 121 games thus far this season Morrow has shown why he was listed on the Top 100 prospects list. He has hit .327/.405/.429 while hitting a career high 7 HR. His K/BB ratio is also the best it's been in his career, K'ing 83 times to taking 58 BB.
The Future
Being 25 and excelling in AAA, Morrow's future looks very bright. Although the D-Bags currently have a jammed packed roster at 1B, 3B and SS, if Morrow keeps it up the D-Bags will have to find AB's for him. Jersey has never been known to rush along players and Morrow will likely spend the rest of the year in AAA, possibly getting a September call-up. Morrow is currently not on the 40-ran roster and must be placed there before the Rule V draft or the D-Bags will risk losing him. GM Josh Swain thinks that Morrow could be a cog at the top of the Jersey lineup for years to come. Is he right? Or will Morrow just become a utility player? Only time will tell.
Next lookback: 2012 1st round pick Ernesto Barzaga
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Sneaking Up
Our last update saw your beloved D-Bags sitting at .500 since the first time since the opening weeks of the season. Over the past 9 games, they have treated us to some of the best baseball they have played all year, going 7-2 and climbing to 5 games over .500 for the best mark of the 2012 season. With the recent surge they have snuck up to 5.5 games behind Wild Card leader and division foe Greenville, and 4.5 games back of Oklahoma.
Over those last 9 games, the offense is averaging 5.8 runs per game, which is almost a run above their season average, but it hasn't been the offense that has been winning them games, for the first time in awhile we can, it has been the pitching. In 8 of the last 9 games played the starter has made it at least through 7 innings, and only once gave up more than 4 runs. That includes 2 excellent starts and wins from Jose Brito, while Jose Reyes has ran his undefeated streak to 9 starts. The bullpen has been good, though they were responsible for one of the two losses. They have given up 5 ER over the 9 game span.
On the offensive side of things, it has been a complete team effort. Not just one person has stepped up to carry the team. In 9 games, 10 different players have multi-hit games. This includes Antonio Ruiz having a two triple game, Ik-jun Ye's muti HR game, Mario Ramirez's re-found swing and Milliard Cross's excellent play since being recalled from AAA to replace the recently traded Juan Garcia.
As good as the D-Bags have been playing, they are running out of time to make a run. Only 39 games remain, and while it might seem like a good number of games, being 5.5 games out is a tough number to make up. Their 11-5 record for the month has gained them exactly 1.5 games in the WC standings. The up coming 2 weeks will not be easy and will tell the fate of this team. Tomorrow they start a 4 game series AT division leading Pittsburgh, who has won 6 games in a row. Pittsburgh holds the series edge at 6-5 right now. Immediately after that they travel to Oklahoma, who sits in front of Jersey in the WC by 4.5 games, for a 3 game set. The D-Bags hold the series edge 4-2. An off day, then Pittsburgh comes to Jersey for a quick 2 game set before the Bags head to Madison for a 3 game set to the end the month. Madison and Jersey are currently tied with a 64-59 record. 12 games against teams over .500. It will be a very telling next 2 weeks!
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