I'm sure the league has to be sick of hearing the name Mike Bryant by now. The superstar now in his 6th full season and 7th total season continues to put up eye popping stats year in and year out. Earlier this season he was selected to his 6th straight All-Star game and after a "slow" month of April Byrant has hit at least 6 HR and 20 RBI in every month, hit above .330 with an OBP of over 400 in every month except for May and is currently having his most productive month with a week still left over.
On August 12th, 2019, the first game of a 10 day roadtrip, Bryant didn't take much time hitting a towering fly down the RF line into the 2nd deck of Red Box Field in Madison off of 24 year old reliever turned starter Robinson Gonzales for his 250th career bomb. Bryant became only the 14th batter to reach this milestone behind classic sluggers such as Crowe, Sagar, Yoko, Delaney, Rivas, Fujita, Alston, Torres, Chouda, Newell and most recently Copriviza. Not a bad group of players to be associated with.
At the current pace he is on with ~5 or so weeks to go in the season, Bryant would reach 37+ HR for the 6th straight year, 208+ hits for the 6th straight year as well as 119+ RBI also for the 6th straight year. While he seems to have lost a tiny step on defense and on the basepaths there is really no denying his bat is still going strong. Bryant will turn 32 a few weeks before the 2020 season and all of Jersey Shore is hoping he ages gracefully continuing to be the heart and soul of the powerful offense. With his current pace, Bryant should hit the magical 1500 hit mark at some point next season and if he continues on his career HR pace, the 300 HR mark could be hit near the end of next season.
With the emergence of Dave Dodd as a bonafide superstar, he and Bryant make for the one of the most dangerous duos in the current BSA. They lead all duos with a combined 66 HR, 207 RBI, 193 runs scored and 594 total bases. Throw in catcher Warren Goyer and the trio makes up for 3 of the top 4 HR hitters in the CL this season. Will this be enough to push Jersey into the post season? We can only hope so. With 5 weeks left in the regular season, Greenville is making a charge and sits 5 games behind Jersey. The D-Bags only hold a slight lead on the current Wild Card team, the Pocatello Bocabellas as well. It should be a fun 5 weeks in the CL!
GO D-BAGS
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Friday, April 11, 2014
2019 Trade Deadline; A Missed Opportunity?
Usually the BSA trade deadline is a buzz worthy time with trades coming in from all angles from multiple teams. This year the buzz was low and only 4 teams got in on 2 different trades making it one of the quietest deadlines on record. Who missed out? Did some teams miss opportunities to better themselves for a playoff run? Absolutely. But instead of going that route, let's go look at which teams were holding the pieces and missed out on dealing them. I'm not saying there was a huge market for these players but, here are 8 players IMO that should have been traded:
C Luis Munoz, Madison: Madison, a last place team coming off the #1 overall pick with a younger, talented roster. Now Munoz is a couple years past his all-star days and struggled last year and the current one, but at age 32 he can still hit and is one of the better defensive catchers in the league. With 2 years at relatively small money left on his current deal combined with 23 Juan Sanchez in the pros and 24 year old Derek Roach, who is great defensively, ripping up AAA pitching...there was more than enough there to move forward with. Even getting a mid-level prospect or two for Munoz would have been a win in my book for the Bombers.
C Jaime Torres, Seattle: I know Seattle is built to win now. I have been one of the more vocal voices talking about the age of that roster. Kevin has spent a lot of money building a team to compete for years...but being back 10+ games at the deadline with such a high payroll and not much in the pipeline....I think it would have been a good move. With all the veterans on the team, I think Torres would have been most marketable. With one year, an 8.9M player option left on his contract, at age 34 Torres is still one of the more talented bats at the position in the BSA. I know there isn't much to replace him with, but with a team on pace to lose almost 14M this season, getting anything in return would have been a plus at this point.
IF/SS Bobby McIntosh, New York: With the wealth of young starting pitching that is being stock piled in New York, I'm a little shocked to see the Knights in last place. Though the team does lack depth in the hitting department, and McIntosh was signed just this off season, at age 31 he likely would have made an attractive candidate. He plays everywhere in the infield, though not the greatest and is a 283 career hitter to go along with a 360 OBP. He is only owed 3.6M per season over the next two years, and the 2nd being a team option he is affordable for everyone. With a system that is fairly barren outside of a few gems, a couple of mid-level specs would have been nice to add some depth to a team that is short on it. With veterans Foster, Manuel and probably Scholl gone this off season it would have only made sense to get what they could for Bobby, but at least he has another guaranteed season for the Knights.
LF Errol Hughes, Cleveland: Cleveland is such a strange team. A team chalked full of young talent mixed with gritty veterans yet they are on pace for their 4th straight season of playing ~.475 ball. I like the direction they are going and while only 7 games out of the Wild Card, they still could make a push. Hughes is a former 2 time all-star and is only 31 years old. While his average dipped the last year with the Looters, he still clubbed 29 homers and walked 100 times. He was traded to LA, then on to Hendersonville for the 2018 where he struggled in 150 so at bats and became a free agent. Cleveland stepped in and gave him a one year 960K contract this year and has shown he still has a lot left in the tank. 17 HR to go with a .382 OBP thus far on a very minimal contract makes him an attractive piece. With a young OF core in Cleveland, I think most contenders could have used Hughes, even just as a platoon player and if the Monsters could have scored a 2.5-3* player out of a 960K investment? That's a win in my book
*I really think SS Cassidy would have made a great piece.....if he wasn't struggling so much this season.
SS Brian Cash, Boston: For the record, Dave did inform the league he was on the trade block. Why no one scooped him up? I'm not sure. At age 33, Cash has turned his career around since coming to Boston last season. This year marked his 2nd straight All-Star game and he is only making 4M this season and has a $4M player option next season. LA would have been a perfect fit. I can only imagine the option is picked up and Cash will be shopped next season. Boston is an up and coming team though, maybe Cash was priced out too high and the Rebels are planning on taking a run next season? Who knows.
SS Oliver Hernandez, Los Cabos: For the record I think Don has done a very good job slashing payroll and moving players this season. At age 32, O-Hern has spent his entire BSA career with the same club and is the face of the franchise. While he might not be the player he once was with the stick or in the field, he is still a very popular, above average fielder and can hold his own with the bat. He is making $13M this season and is an upcoming free agent. Without knowing what his contract demands are and his salary this year, he might have been tough to move. He is one of the few players on this list who I think could have brought back a Top 100 prospect. The market has to be right for a player like this though. Either way, I think he becomes a popular target this winter in free agency.
LF Domingo Martinez, San Fransisco: Oh San Fransisco, what happened? Just two years ago you were winning 94 ball games...and now you will be lucky to win 2/3 of that total. The roster looks depleated and the farm doesn't look that much more attractive. I know Martinez is San Fransisco baseball. He has been on the NL All-Star team now 4 years in a row and is the only member on the team to have a WAR above 1.5. While it would be hard to trade someone of his popularity, he is only making $2M this year and is an upcoming free agent. This will mark the 6th year he posted over a 4.3 WAR, and while corner outfielders aren't the most popular targets, he as consistent as they come. I can see a lot of teams giving up a handful of specs for Martinez and the contract of another veteran or two. If Martinez is resigned well then that's that. If he is let go to free agency, I will call this a major mistake for the Bandits.
3B Jud Younger, Orlando: After such a positive 2017, the will be the 2nd year in a row that Orlando is headed for the .500 mark or slightly below it. The ORL has a roster of youth outside of JTF, Richardson and Younger. While I know Orlando gave up a draft pick to sign Younger to a 1 year deal, his 50 XBH and his OBP of 363 shows his value. With being an up and coming free agent, his contract isn't an issue during trade talks. Imagine that bat inserted into Pocatello's offense this year. While a prospect or two might not seem worth it considering his production, at age 32 and just on a 1 year deal it could have given the Calrissian more young talent going forward.
Although I spotted a lot of players I wanted to include, these 8 stood out to me. There were many players who just made too much money to keep them tradeable. Those names include JTF, Jesus Moran, Peter Larson, Jason Jackson, Cade Delaney, Bill Allan and Kyuso Fujita among others. I also didn't include any middle relief or closers. I feel the league is very stocked with quality relief and while some contenders could have used an upgrade there wasn't a single sure fire option at a reasonable price I saw out there.
Enjoy!
GO D-BAGS
C Luis Munoz, Madison: Madison, a last place team coming off the #1 overall pick with a younger, talented roster. Now Munoz is a couple years past his all-star days and struggled last year and the current one, but at age 32 he can still hit and is one of the better defensive catchers in the league. With 2 years at relatively small money left on his current deal combined with 23 Juan Sanchez in the pros and 24 year old Derek Roach, who is great defensively, ripping up AAA pitching...there was more than enough there to move forward with. Even getting a mid-level prospect or two for Munoz would have been a win in my book for the Bombers.
C Jaime Torres, Seattle: I know Seattle is built to win now. I have been one of the more vocal voices talking about the age of that roster. Kevin has spent a lot of money building a team to compete for years...but being back 10+ games at the deadline with such a high payroll and not much in the pipeline....I think it would have been a good move. With all the veterans on the team, I think Torres would have been most marketable. With one year, an 8.9M player option left on his contract, at age 34 Torres is still one of the more talented bats at the position in the BSA. I know there isn't much to replace him with, but with a team on pace to lose almost 14M this season, getting anything in return would have been a plus at this point.
IF/SS Bobby McIntosh, New York: With the wealth of young starting pitching that is being stock piled in New York, I'm a little shocked to see the Knights in last place. Though the team does lack depth in the hitting department, and McIntosh was signed just this off season, at age 31 he likely would have made an attractive candidate. He plays everywhere in the infield, though not the greatest and is a 283 career hitter to go along with a 360 OBP. He is only owed 3.6M per season over the next two years, and the 2nd being a team option he is affordable for everyone. With a system that is fairly barren outside of a few gems, a couple of mid-level specs would have been nice to add some depth to a team that is short on it. With veterans Foster, Manuel and probably Scholl gone this off season it would have only made sense to get what they could for Bobby, but at least he has another guaranteed season for the Knights.
LF Errol Hughes, Cleveland: Cleveland is such a strange team. A team chalked full of young talent mixed with gritty veterans yet they are on pace for their 4th straight season of playing ~.475 ball. I like the direction they are going and while only 7 games out of the Wild Card, they still could make a push. Hughes is a former 2 time all-star and is only 31 years old. While his average dipped the last year with the Looters, he still clubbed 29 homers and walked 100 times. He was traded to LA, then on to Hendersonville for the 2018 where he struggled in 150 so at bats and became a free agent. Cleveland stepped in and gave him a one year 960K contract this year and has shown he still has a lot left in the tank. 17 HR to go with a .382 OBP thus far on a very minimal contract makes him an attractive piece. With a young OF core in Cleveland, I think most contenders could have used Hughes, even just as a platoon player and if the Monsters could have scored a 2.5-3* player out of a 960K investment? That's a win in my book
*I really think SS Cassidy would have made a great piece.....if he wasn't struggling so much this season.
SS Brian Cash, Boston: For the record, Dave did inform the league he was on the trade block. Why no one scooped him up? I'm not sure. At age 33, Cash has turned his career around since coming to Boston last season. This year marked his 2nd straight All-Star game and he is only making 4M this season and has a $4M player option next season. LA would have been a perfect fit. I can only imagine the option is picked up and Cash will be shopped next season. Boston is an up and coming team though, maybe Cash was priced out too high and the Rebels are planning on taking a run next season? Who knows.
SS Oliver Hernandez, Los Cabos: For the record I think Don has done a very good job slashing payroll and moving players this season. At age 32, O-Hern has spent his entire BSA career with the same club and is the face of the franchise. While he might not be the player he once was with the stick or in the field, he is still a very popular, above average fielder and can hold his own with the bat. He is making $13M this season and is an upcoming free agent. Without knowing what his contract demands are and his salary this year, he might have been tough to move. He is one of the few players on this list who I think could have brought back a Top 100 prospect. The market has to be right for a player like this though. Either way, I think he becomes a popular target this winter in free agency.
LF Domingo Martinez, San Fransisco: Oh San Fransisco, what happened? Just two years ago you were winning 94 ball games...and now you will be lucky to win 2/3 of that total. The roster looks depleated and the farm doesn't look that much more attractive. I know Martinez is San Fransisco baseball. He has been on the NL All-Star team now 4 years in a row and is the only member on the team to have a WAR above 1.5. While it would be hard to trade someone of his popularity, he is only making $2M this year and is an upcoming free agent. This will mark the 6th year he posted over a 4.3 WAR, and while corner outfielders aren't the most popular targets, he as consistent as they come. I can see a lot of teams giving up a handful of specs for Martinez and the contract of another veteran or two. If Martinez is resigned well then that's that. If he is let go to free agency, I will call this a major mistake for the Bandits.
3B Jud Younger, Orlando: After such a positive 2017, the will be the 2nd year in a row that Orlando is headed for the .500 mark or slightly below it. The ORL has a roster of youth outside of JTF, Richardson and Younger. While I know Orlando gave up a draft pick to sign Younger to a 1 year deal, his 50 XBH and his OBP of 363 shows his value. With being an up and coming free agent, his contract isn't an issue during trade talks. Imagine that bat inserted into Pocatello's offense this year. While a prospect or two might not seem worth it considering his production, at age 32 and just on a 1 year deal it could have given the Calrissian more young talent going forward.
Although I spotted a lot of players I wanted to include, these 8 stood out to me. There were many players who just made too much money to keep them tradeable. Those names include JTF, Jesus Moran, Peter Larson, Jason Jackson, Cade Delaney, Bill Allan and Kyuso Fujita among others. I also didn't include any middle relief or closers. I feel the league is very stocked with quality relief and while some contenders could have used an upgrade there wasn't a single sure fire option at a reasonable price I saw out there.
Enjoy!
GO D-BAGS
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
BSA 2019; What the Hell is Going on??
Year 10 of the current BSA has been an interesting one and that's saying things lightly. August has just started and here is a list of things that will either amuse you or make you say huh??
- There has been 1 triple play this season.....and it was turned by the Niagara Falls Frenzy
- Jeff Cole after being traded away from Hendersonville to a team with a bigger park AND who plays in the same division as Seattle and their huge park.....is on pace for his best career season
- How about New York's Jorge Diaz? In his 11th big league year at age 30 he is having a career year. Always an average or slightly above average player, Diaz's name is appearing on early MVP ballots and leads the NL in several major offensive categories.
- How rare are inside the park HR's? How rare are inside the park grand slams? On July 21st we had just that. Lawrence Schroeder of Jersey Shore came to bat in the 6th inning with the bases loaded and hit a deep fly to left center and ended up clearing the bases....and scoring himself. The game was also played in the small field in Jersey.....against Indianapolis who is one of the better defensive teams in the league
- The best offensive performance of the year came just this week. August 1st the Niagara Falls Frenzy played at New York against the Knights. The game ended 8-7 in favor of the Frenzy in an 18 inning marathon. The player was former phenom Russell Phillips. In 9 official plate appearances, Phillips reached base....9 times. He doubled in 2nd, homered in the 4th, walked in the 6th, homered in the 8th, singled in the 10th, walked in the 13th, 15th, 17th and 18th. He finished the day with a line of: 4-4, 2 runs scored, 4 RBI and 5 walks. 9 for 9. The next closest perfect day this season was Mike Bryant of Jersey Shore who went 3-3 and walked 3 times for a 6 for 6 day.
- If the season ended today Maui would reach the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and Pocatello for the first time since 2012.
- The Seattle Pikes are hitting .232 as a team thus far this season. If they drop any further they risk entering the Top 3 of the most inept hitting teams in CL history. The Reno Cards of 2016 are 3rd on the list with a team average of .231.
- 10 of the 34 1st round picks this year still remained unsigned, a month after they were drafted.
- Albert Lebel of Toronto is on pace to strikeout 279 batters this season. That would break the all-time record set by Jose Lara in 2011 playing for the Edison Coloniels (now Boston Rebels).
- Speaking of pitching records, Cipriano Montanez sits with an 18-3 record. At his current pace he would finish with a record of 27-4, breaking Scott Hill's win record by 1.
- Can Lorenzo Villa be the 3rd player in BSA history to win the Triple Crown? He is currently 1st in HR (4 HR lead), 1st in RBI (9 RBI lead) and tied for 2nd in batting average (trails by 11 points).
- The youngest player currently in the BSA is 21 years old and 77 days. That would be SP Mark "Skates" Collins of Orlando. He jumped from A ball to the big leagues.
- The oldest? The only above 40 year old player on an active roster, John Garrett. 41 years old and 55 days.
- Would you believe me if I told you the worst hitter this season in the BSA is a 3-time All Star? With an abysmal -18.0 VORP. SS Stephen Smith of San Fransisco takes the cake. His slash line on the year? .188/.244/.232. Ouch.
- Will we ever have a 50 HR man again? Lorenzo Villa leads the BSA with 30 and is on pace to hit 45 HR this season.
- After Mikey rattled off over 110 podcasts in just over 2 years, we have had 3 in the last 6 months and going on month number 4 without a single one
Thursday, April 3, 2014
D-Bags Send 5 to All-Star Game
During a bounce back season from what we want to forget about 2018, Jersey Shore sent 5 players to the All-Star game this year which was played in Boston. 1 All-Star game staple, 1 2nd year selection and 3 new-comers made up this year's class. Though no one was voted in as a starter, it was the tied for the 2nd most players Jersey has ever sent to the mid-summer classic only trailing 2017 where the D-Bags sent 6 players.
2B Mike Bryant: .318/.400/.533, 17 2B, 17HR, 66 RBI. Bryant's 6th full year in the league and his 6th All-Star game appearance. One of 7 players ever to make 6 or more All-Star games. With Jeff Cole coming over to the CL, the reigning MVP Jorge Martinez playing for Seattle and 2 time batting champ Joe Sanders.....2B is a crowded position this year in the CL. Byrant hasn't dissapointed though, having a very Bryant-like season, despite the HR being slightly down. He is currently 2nd in the CL and hits, total bases and RBI.
SP Jose Ramos: 12-4, 3.42 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 2.95 fIP. After missing most of the 2018 season with injury, Ramos has found his 2016-2017 form and has come out of the gate strong here in 2019. Ramos leads the league in BB/9 and is 2nd in FIP, wins and WAR. If Jersey is going to stay atop or near the top of the CL East for the rest of the season they will be relying on their ace to keep it up.
SP Sergio Martinez: 11-1, 2.74 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 4.06 FIP. After being called up at 22 years old for a spot start last season, he won the job and pitched well down the stretch in 11 starts. This year starting the year off in the rotation, Martinez has been very good. Sure he has been a little lucky and bailed out by his defense, but is getting a quality start at over a 70% clip, has hurled one shutout and has won 11 of his 17 starts. At only 23 years of age this could be the first of many All-Star nods for Martinez.
MR/CL Jose Ruiz: 4-1, 23 saves. 2.41 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 2.99 FIP. Being named the closer this off season, Ruiz knew he would have to be good to keep that job with a very talented bullpen. He has been that more so far. Leading the CL in saves with 23, he has converted 23 of 27 saves and is striking out over a batter per inning. In the total of 10 years in the league, this is the 7th time Jersey has had a bullpen arm represented in the ASG.
RF Dave Dodd: .294/.366/.571. 23 2B, 21 HR, 66 RBI. After predicting big things out of Dodd for the 3rd year in a row now, at age 25 it looks like he is finally maturing into a dangerous hitter. He currently leads the CL in total bases, is 2nd in slugging and tied for 3rd in HR and RBI. Maybe most importantly his strikeouts are down again for the 2nd straight year and his numbers across the board are up, including AVG, OBP, SLG and OPS. A good finish and he could finish above Bryant in VORP, which no player has done since 2013, Bryant's rookie season in which he only played in 91 games.
5 All-Stars and a handful of very good candidates to go with a 2 game lead in the East at the break. A very good start for the D-Bags. There are a lot of games to go yet this season, anything can still happen
GO D-BAGS
2B Mike Bryant: .318/.400/.533, 17 2B, 17HR, 66 RBI. Bryant's 6th full year in the league and his 6th All-Star game appearance. One of 7 players ever to make 6 or more All-Star games. With Jeff Cole coming over to the CL, the reigning MVP Jorge Martinez playing for Seattle and 2 time batting champ Joe Sanders.....2B is a crowded position this year in the CL. Byrant hasn't dissapointed though, having a very Bryant-like season, despite the HR being slightly down. He is currently 2nd in the CL and hits, total bases and RBI.
SP Jose Ramos: 12-4, 3.42 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 2.95 fIP. After missing most of the 2018 season with injury, Ramos has found his 2016-2017 form and has come out of the gate strong here in 2019. Ramos leads the league in BB/9 and is 2nd in FIP, wins and WAR. If Jersey is going to stay atop or near the top of the CL East for the rest of the season they will be relying on their ace to keep it up.
SP Sergio Martinez: 11-1, 2.74 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 4.06 FIP. After being called up at 22 years old for a spot start last season, he won the job and pitched well down the stretch in 11 starts. This year starting the year off in the rotation, Martinez has been very good. Sure he has been a little lucky and bailed out by his defense, but is getting a quality start at over a 70% clip, has hurled one shutout and has won 11 of his 17 starts. At only 23 years of age this could be the first of many All-Star nods for Martinez.
MR/CL Jose Ruiz: 4-1, 23 saves. 2.41 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 2.99 FIP. Being named the closer this off season, Ruiz knew he would have to be good to keep that job with a very talented bullpen. He has been that more so far. Leading the CL in saves with 23, he has converted 23 of 27 saves and is striking out over a batter per inning. In the total of 10 years in the league, this is the 7th time Jersey has had a bullpen arm represented in the ASG.
RF Dave Dodd: .294/.366/.571. 23 2B, 21 HR, 66 RBI. After predicting big things out of Dodd for the 3rd year in a row now, at age 25 it looks like he is finally maturing into a dangerous hitter. He currently leads the CL in total bases, is 2nd in slugging and tied for 3rd in HR and RBI. Maybe most importantly his strikeouts are down again for the 2nd straight year and his numbers across the board are up, including AVG, OBP, SLG and OPS. A good finish and he could finish above Bryant in VORP, which no player has done since 2013, Bryant's rookie season in which he only played in 91 games.
5 All-Stars and a handful of very good candidates to go with a 2 game lead in the East at the break. A very good start for the D-Bags. There are a lot of games to go yet this season, anything can still happen
GO D-BAGS
Friday, March 28, 2014
Meet Your Jersey Shore Bullpen
After a long run of familiar names and faces the longtime strong point of Jersey Shore pitching has finally turned itself over to a new younger and from what we have seen so far......familiar results. Gone are the leaders in most Jersey pitching categories. Jaime Saenz, Jose Gomes, Lucio Tapia and Daniel Morris have all left over the last 4 off seasons testing free agency and chasing big bucks.
Two weeks before the All-Star break the D-bags bullpen stands with a respectable 3.38 ERA, which is good for 5th in a strong CL. While this could be more impressive, remember that this include Hyo-chin Kim missing the entire season with Tommy John Surgery. Kim finished 3rd in bullpen VORP behind Saenz and new closer Jose Ruiz. So where did this group come from and how did they get here? Let's meet them.
Phillip Moran, 31 years old. Acquired in trade with LA Bruins, 12/8/2018. The elder statesmen of the group and the newest member as well. Moran was lost in the shuffle of a strong rotation and strong pen in LA. He almost has as many games and innings as he had in the past 2 seasons as a Bruin. A hard throwing lefty who is usually one of the first men out of the pen.
Yin-zhen Zong, 28 years old. Drafted by Jersey Shore in the 7th round of the 2013 draft. Zong is one of a handful of players drafted past the 5th round of the 2013 draft to see the Major Leagues. He spent 5 years in the minor leagues before becoming a contributing member of the pen last season. He started the years as the set-up man, but with a knack of giving up the long ball, 9 HR in 37.2 IP, he has been regulated to middle relief duty. Like Moran, a very hard thrower, averages nearly 13 K/9.
Junior Mateo, 24 years old. Discovered by Jersey scouts during the 2015 season. Mateo worked his way through the Jersey farm system finding a spot in the bullpen just this season. In fact on the season he has only pitched 11 innings so far. His high movement and high groundball percentage makes me an excellent candidate for a D-Bag pitcher though his control is on the low side. He can hit 101 MPH on a good day.
Pedro Vega, 24 years old. Discovered by Jersey scouts during the 2013 season. Vega was in his 7th season in the minor leagues before being promoted earlier this year due to injuries. He projects as a middle of the road left handed bullpen arm who should succeed if he keeps the ball out of the upper half of the strike zone. Has appeared sparingly this season only seeing 9 innings of action.
Gerald Johnson, 23 years old. Drafted in the 2015 Supplemental Round 1, pick acquired for loss of CL Gordon Brown. Johnson went from A ball to AAA last season and this year is sharing the primary set-up man duties with Angel Lara. Possibly the most talented member of the pen, Johnson throws two nasty pitches in his fastball and change-up while striking batters out at a high rate. The one part of his game which isn't refined is his control. He has walked 21 batters this season.
Angel Lara, 23 years old. Signed as a Minor League free agent in 2013. Lara broke out last season, posting a 2.93 ERA in 55 IP and though his ERA has been higher this year, he has been a much more efficient pitcher. He can hit 99 MPH with his fastball and has a devastating 2nd pitch in his curve-ball and in 85+ IP in his Major League career has only allowed 2 HR.
Jose Ruiz, 26 years old. Discovered by Jersey scouts during the 2010 season. Though it's not 100 percent certain, we think Ruiz was the first player discovered by Jersey Shore in the history of the franchise as a 16 year old. Being in the organization since 2010 puts him on a shortlist of players to be with the franchise since then. He first appeared in the pen during the 2014 season and at age 26, this is his 5th big league season and 1st as a closer. He may not stick in that position but has been great so far. He leads the CL in saves with 22 and has a WHIP under 1.00.
Hopefully a couple of these young guns can plant their places and once be known as a Jaime Saenz or a Jose Gomes. Until then it will be fun to watch them improve and backup a rotation that has rebounded nicely from the disaster that was 2018.
GO D-BAGS
Two weeks before the All-Star break the D-bags bullpen stands with a respectable 3.38 ERA, which is good for 5th in a strong CL. While this could be more impressive, remember that this include Hyo-chin Kim missing the entire season with Tommy John Surgery. Kim finished 3rd in bullpen VORP behind Saenz and new closer Jose Ruiz. So where did this group come from and how did they get here? Let's meet them.
Phillip Moran, 31 years old. Acquired in trade with LA Bruins, 12/8/2018. The elder statesmen of the group and the newest member as well. Moran was lost in the shuffle of a strong rotation and strong pen in LA. He almost has as many games and innings as he had in the past 2 seasons as a Bruin. A hard throwing lefty who is usually one of the first men out of the pen.
Yin-zhen Zong, 28 years old. Drafted by Jersey Shore in the 7th round of the 2013 draft. Zong is one of a handful of players drafted past the 5th round of the 2013 draft to see the Major Leagues. He spent 5 years in the minor leagues before becoming a contributing member of the pen last season. He started the years as the set-up man, but with a knack of giving up the long ball, 9 HR in 37.2 IP, he has been regulated to middle relief duty. Like Moran, a very hard thrower, averages nearly 13 K/9.
Junior Mateo, 24 years old. Discovered by Jersey scouts during the 2015 season. Mateo worked his way through the Jersey farm system finding a spot in the bullpen just this season. In fact on the season he has only pitched 11 innings so far. His high movement and high groundball percentage makes me an excellent candidate for a D-Bag pitcher though his control is on the low side. He can hit 101 MPH on a good day.
Pedro Vega, 24 years old. Discovered by Jersey scouts during the 2013 season. Vega was in his 7th season in the minor leagues before being promoted earlier this year due to injuries. He projects as a middle of the road left handed bullpen arm who should succeed if he keeps the ball out of the upper half of the strike zone. Has appeared sparingly this season only seeing 9 innings of action.
Gerald Johnson, 23 years old. Drafted in the 2015 Supplemental Round 1, pick acquired for loss of CL Gordon Brown. Johnson went from A ball to AAA last season and this year is sharing the primary set-up man duties with Angel Lara. Possibly the most talented member of the pen, Johnson throws two nasty pitches in his fastball and change-up while striking batters out at a high rate. The one part of his game which isn't refined is his control. He has walked 21 batters this season.
Angel Lara, 23 years old. Signed as a Minor League free agent in 2013. Lara broke out last season, posting a 2.93 ERA in 55 IP and though his ERA has been higher this year, he has been a much more efficient pitcher. He can hit 99 MPH with his fastball and has a devastating 2nd pitch in his curve-ball and in 85+ IP in his Major League career has only allowed 2 HR.
Jose Ruiz, 26 years old. Discovered by Jersey scouts during the 2010 season. Though it's not 100 percent certain, we think Ruiz was the first player discovered by Jersey Shore in the history of the franchise as a 16 year old. Being in the organization since 2010 puts him on a shortlist of players to be with the franchise since then. He first appeared in the pen during the 2014 season and at age 26, this is his 5th big league season and 1st as a closer. He may not stick in that position but has been great so far. He leads the CL in saves with 22 and has a WHIP under 1.00.
Hopefully a couple of these young guns can plant their places and once be known as a Jaime Saenz or a Jose Gomes. Until then it will be fun to watch them improve and backup a rotation that has rebounded nicely from the disaster that was 2018.
GO D-BAGS
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Sergio Martinez; Jersey's Next Ace?
Signed as a 16 year old in March of 2013 as a international free agent out of Puerto Rico, Sergio Martinez looked like a kid who possibly had a chance at securing a bullpen job if everything went right and he could stay in the minor leagues. Equipped with 2 above average pitches but little control he was mature beyond his age and was almost immediately put into AA only after 11 innings in A ball. He took his lumps in AA ball and became a staple in the Gainesville rotation......for 5 different seasons.
In 2013 he walked more batters than he struck out at a 0.62 K/BB rate, had an ERA north of 5.40 and was the youngest player on the roster. Fast forward to 2017, he struck nearly twice the batters he walked, compiled an ERA of 3.81 and a FIP even lower when he finally got the call to AAA for good. In 26 AAA starts over the next 14 months he would post a FIP of 3.10 on way to 150 strikeouts with 68 walks. A better rate than he posted in an of his full AA years.
It wasn't suppose to happen in 2018. Jersey Shore had a deep staff and Martinez was only 22. Pre-season rankings had him ranked 8th on the depth chart. Injuries to Ramos and Burgess combined with ineffective pitching by Goodship caused a temporary turned permanent call up for Martinez in July. In 11 starts last season, Sergio went 5-3, had an ERA of 3.65, WHIP of 1.35 and was one of the few brights spots on a disastrous season for Jersey Shore.
Martinez began the season as the 6th man in a 6 man rotation but 3 weeks into the season, seasoned veteran Jose Lara went down with a 3+ month injury which assured Martinez a spot for the remained of the season. So far in 2019 Martinez has been stellar and leading the staff in most categories. He is 6-1, an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.37. His promising start has made us look into what the future of Jersey pitching will look like. With Jose Ramos being young and great, he should anchor the staff for years to come. But with Art Ellis showing his age, Jerry Burgess in the last guaranteed year of his contract, Jose Lara's terrible season last year and Greg Schaefer not looking like the pitcher who won 18 games just 2 years go.....Martinez seems heir apparent to the #2 on this staff far earlier than anyone could have expected. With Ramon Ruiz shooting up the prospect rankings inside the Top 100, Jersey looks to have a solid young trio to build around in the next wave of the league.
It's uncertain to how far along Sergio Martinez is to reaching his full potential, but what he has shown us in his short big league career is he very well could be the next star in Jersey.
In 2013 he walked more batters than he struck out at a 0.62 K/BB rate, had an ERA north of 5.40 and was the youngest player on the roster. Fast forward to 2017, he struck nearly twice the batters he walked, compiled an ERA of 3.81 and a FIP even lower when he finally got the call to AAA for good. In 26 AAA starts over the next 14 months he would post a FIP of 3.10 on way to 150 strikeouts with 68 walks. A better rate than he posted in an of his full AA years.
It wasn't suppose to happen in 2018. Jersey Shore had a deep staff and Martinez was only 22. Pre-season rankings had him ranked 8th on the depth chart. Injuries to Ramos and Burgess combined with ineffective pitching by Goodship caused a temporary turned permanent call up for Martinez in July. In 11 starts last season, Sergio went 5-3, had an ERA of 3.65, WHIP of 1.35 and was one of the few brights spots on a disastrous season for Jersey Shore.
Martinez began the season as the 6th man in a 6 man rotation but 3 weeks into the season, seasoned veteran Jose Lara went down with a 3+ month injury which assured Martinez a spot for the remained of the season. So far in 2019 Martinez has been stellar and leading the staff in most categories. He is 6-1, an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.37. His promising start has made us look into what the future of Jersey pitching will look like. With Jose Ramos being young and great, he should anchor the staff for years to come. But with Art Ellis showing his age, Jerry Burgess in the last guaranteed year of his contract, Jose Lara's terrible season last year and Greg Schaefer not looking like the pitcher who won 18 games just 2 years go.....Martinez seems heir apparent to the #2 on this staff far earlier than anyone could have expected. With Ramon Ruiz shooting up the prospect rankings inside the Top 100, Jersey looks to have a solid young trio to build around in the next wave of the league.
It's uncertain to how far along Sergio Martinez is to reaching his full potential, but what he has shown us in his short big league career is he very well could be the next star in Jersey.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Early Injuries Hit Jersey
Everyone knows the injuries are part of baseball and the BSA is no exception. Injuries have hit several teams this year and many note worthy players have hit the DL in recent weeks. Some of those players outside of Jersey include: Jose Salazar, Zach Hutchinson, Osvaldo Cruz, Kendrick Garland, Jason Jackson, Brett Dwyer, Earl Harper, Enzo Diaz and many others. Injuries to star and core players can impact one team more than others and vice versa. Do you have the depth to replace the player with an above average player? League average player? Defensive stud? Below Average starter? Is the injury bad enough to make a trade? Many questions go into how to replace these players.
As for Jersey since the beginning of Spring Training 6 of the D-Bags projected Opening Day 25 man roster have been injured severely enough to warrant a DL trip. Below they are listed with their injury, approximate time missed, their replacement and how heavy it impacts the team.
MR Hyo-chin Kim: Torn UCL, 14 months+ recovery time. With a young bullpen Kim was one of the more experienced relievers on the staff. In 3 years his ERA+ was 117 and he was pegged as the set-up man. If the trade with LA hadn't of happened to bring in MR Moran, this would have been a much harder hit. At the time I would have rated this as 7/10 impact level. Through the first month and a half of the season the bullpen ERA sits at 3.50, which is good for 4th in the CL. His replacement Gerald Johnson has been more than adequate in his rookie season.
LF Fransisco Torres: Sprained Knee, 5-6 weeks+ recovery time. Torres a starter in the past have seen his numbers go down each year he had been in the pros. With a full OF, he was slated to be the 4th or 5th OF, bench bat and pinch runner. I rated this a 2/10 on impact level because of how deep the Jersey OF is. His replacement on the roster is 27 year old Juan Cabanas who has done everything Torres could have done thus far.
MR Phillip Moran, 2 weeks, back tightness. Moran became the primary bullpen lefty when Kim went down. Luckily this injury happened before the the end of spring training, so almost a week of his DL time was before the season started. MR Pedro Vega replaced him and pitched 5.2 scoreless innings before Moran came off the DL. I listed this as a 2/10 impact because the length of the injury was so short. A long injury for Moran would have pushed this much higher.
SP Jose Lara, 3 months, elbow inflammation. This only makes sense. After a career worst year, Lara came out of the gate hot and was the D-Bags best starter through 5 starts. He was pulled after 1 hitter in his 6th starter. Though the Jersey rotation is deep I still rate this a 7/10. Lara seemed to have put 2018 behind him and with the rest of the staff struggling, he hadn't allowed more than 3 runs in any start. With rehab we should see Lara sometime in mid-late July. Since the staff was going with a 6 man rotation, this injury pushed it back to the normal 5-man rotation.
CF Fransisco Ibarra, 3-4 weeks, sprained knee. For the 2nd year in a row Ibarra will miss at least a month of the season. He had drastically improved across the board this year and was hitting clean-up. I put this at an 8/10 impact level. He is one of the only consistent right handed hitters on the team and was on pace for 40+ HR at time of the injury. He was replaced in the field by sliding Vancini from LF to CF and 4th OF Cabanas to LF starter. He was replaced on the roster by OF Armando Gonzales.
MR Angel Lara, 2 weeks, back tightness. The 3rd MR of the short season to see DL time. Luckily middle reliever is the deepest position in the organization. Thus far Lara has been good serving as the set-up man posting a 3.15 ERA and striking out just over a batter per inning. Pedro Vega was recalled to replace him an Gerald Johnson will move into the primary set-up role for the next 2 sims. Though Lara is an important piece to the pen, missing 2 weeks only rates as a 2/10.
Although Jersey has been hit with 3 major injuries so far in the young 2019 season, none of them had TOO much of an impact so far. The majority of the injuries have come at positions of great depth, something Jersey prides themselves on, and were replaced with above league average players. We hope that early injury concerns do not become a theme of this season, but if they do, the D-Bags plan on replacing and chugging along.
Through May 19th, Jersey sits with a 24-21 record, 3rd place in the CL East, 5.5 games behind division leader Greenville and 1.5 games behind Wild Card leading St. Louis.
GO D-BAGS
As for Jersey since the beginning of Spring Training 6 of the D-Bags projected Opening Day 25 man roster have been injured severely enough to warrant a DL trip. Below they are listed with their injury, approximate time missed, their replacement and how heavy it impacts the team.
MR Hyo-chin Kim: Torn UCL, 14 months+ recovery time. With a young bullpen Kim was one of the more experienced relievers on the staff. In 3 years his ERA+ was 117 and he was pegged as the set-up man. If the trade with LA hadn't of happened to bring in MR Moran, this would have been a much harder hit. At the time I would have rated this as 7/10 impact level. Through the first month and a half of the season the bullpen ERA sits at 3.50, which is good for 4th in the CL. His replacement Gerald Johnson has been more than adequate in his rookie season.
LF Fransisco Torres: Sprained Knee, 5-6 weeks+ recovery time. Torres a starter in the past have seen his numbers go down each year he had been in the pros. With a full OF, he was slated to be the 4th or 5th OF, bench bat and pinch runner. I rated this a 2/10 on impact level because of how deep the Jersey OF is. His replacement on the roster is 27 year old Juan Cabanas who has done everything Torres could have done thus far.
MR Phillip Moran, 2 weeks, back tightness. Moran became the primary bullpen lefty when Kim went down. Luckily this injury happened before the the end of spring training, so almost a week of his DL time was before the season started. MR Pedro Vega replaced him and pitched 5.2 scoreless innings before Moran came off the DL. I listed this as a 2/10 impact because the length of the injury was so short. A long injury for Moran would have pushed this much higher.
SP Jose Lara, 3 months, elbow inflammation. This only makes sense. After a career worst year, Lara came out of the gate hot and was the D-Bags best starter through 5 starts. He was pulled after 1 hitter in his 6th starter. Though the Jersey rotation is deep I still rate this a 7/10. Lara seemed to have put 2018 behind him and with the rest of the staff struggling, he hadn't allowed more than 3 runs in any start. With rehab we should see Lara sometime in mid-late July. Since the staff was going with a 6 man rotation, this injury pushed it back to the normal 5-man rotation.
CF Fransisco Ibarra, 3-4 weeks, sprained knee. For the 2nd year in a row Ibarra will miss at least a month of the season. He had drastically improved across the board this year and was hitting clean-up. I put this at an 8/10 impact level. He is one of the only consistent right handed hitters on the team and was on pace for 40+ HR at time of the injury. He was replaced in the field by sliding Vancini from LF to CF and 4th OF Cabanas to LF starter. He was replaced on the roster by OF Armando Gonzales.
MR Angel Lara, 2 weeks, back tightness. The 3rd MR of the short season to see DL time. Luckily middle reliever is the deepest position in the organization. Thus far Lara has been good serving as the set-up man posting a 3.15 ERA and striking out just over a batter per inning. Pedro Vega was recalled to replace him an Gerald Johnson will move into the primary set-up role for the next 2 sims. Though Lara is an important piece to the pen, missing 2 weeks only rates as a 2/10.
Although Jersey has been hit with 3 major injuries so far in the young 2019 season, none of them had TOO much of an impact so far. The majority of the injuries have come at positions of great depth, something Jersey prides themselves on, and were replaced with above league average players. We hope that early injury concerns do not become a theme of this season, but if they do, the D-Bags plan on replacing and chugging along.
Through May 19th, Jersey sits with a 24-21 record, 3rd place in the CL East, 5.5 games behind division leader Greenville and 1.5 games behind Wild Card leading St. Louis.
GO D-BAGS
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