2016 continues to the year of the 3-headed monster in the CL East. Jersey almost matched their record in April with an 18-10 record and currently sit 4.5 games behind Greenville for the division lead and 4 games behind Chicago for 2nd place and the WC lead.
Players of the Month
2B Mike Bryant: .404/.465/.711 7 HR 36 RBI 46 hits 12 2B. Why not start out with the league's POTM? For the 3rd time in his career Byrant was named the BSA player of the month for his outstanding play during May. He over .400 for the 2nd straight month and his 46 hits are an unconfirmed team record for a single month. 12 multi-hit games, including 4 games with 4+ hits to go along with 10 multi-RBI games. He leads the BSA in almost every offensive category. Bryant also won back to back player of the week awards to begin the month.
1B Matt Doyle: .353/.448/.716 11 HR 35 RBI. After a terrible April, Doyle broke out in a big way. He climbed to near the top of the charts in both HR and RBI and averaged over an RBI per game. The beginning of the month say Doyle have a 3 game stretch where he had 7 hits, 3 HR and 12 RBI. He and Bryant continue to carry this offense.
3B Alberto Perez: .339/.389/.46 2 HR 13 RBI 24 R 8 2B. Perez just continues to flat out hit. He hit 2nd for the most of the month and flourished with the stick. His 39 hits were only behind the 46 of Bryant and he currently sits in the Top 5 for batting average in the CL with .355 average. The 28 year old has already surpassed his career highs in every category and looks like here is in Jersey to stay.
MR Jose Gomes: 0.00 ERA, 23.0 IP, 0.61 WHIP, 28 K, 7 hits allowed. Hello Dog Pound! Gomes returned to the Gome of old for May and he was nearly unhittable. 7 hits allowed in 23 innings while chalking up 28 K, he was the among the best MR in baseball during the month. He and Saenz have been a deadly 1-2 punch in the back end of the bullpen.
SP Art Ellis: 3-1, 3.31 ERA, 39 K 35.1 IP. Ellis was the most consistent starter for the month and finally lost at the tail end for his first lost in his last 10 outings. He continues to show why he was worth the big contract Jersey handed to him before the year started.
Roster Moves, Questions and Answers
The D-Bags gave us a little treat this month when the called up the #1 hitting prospect in BSA OF Dave Dodd. Dodd has ridiculous raw power and showed it off hitting 3 HR in the 9 games he played in May. Welcome to the show kid. The reason Dodd got the call up was that Leon Foster was sent to the DL with shoulder tendinitis which is really too bad because he was starting to look like the Foster that made the All Star team in his first year in Jersey. Foster plans on being back towards the end of May, possibly early June.
Also in May we watched the continued struggles of Dave Rice, the Bags Rule V MR pick from Chicago. His struggles continued into May and he was eventually offered back to Chicago. Takafumi Ogusuku took his spot in the pen and was just OK having a 5.14 ERA in 7 IP, striking out 7 and walking 6.
The speculation is still out to when we will super pitching prospect SP Jose Ramos. He is starting to look more poised and polished and still just 21 years old. He had the best starter of his career when he struck out 15 batters in a win against Topeka on 5/18 in just 7 innings. GM Josh Swain said there is no time table for his call up, but we will keep a close eye out.
Minor Leaguers of the Month
In the 2nd installment we will introduce 2 more minor leaguers who had great months. Last months MLOTM were Dave Dodd and MR Angel Lara.
Pitcher: Yin-zhen Zong (AAA) 13.0 IP, 2.08 ERA, 19 K. The 25 year old Zong who was a 7th round pick in 2013 has had a couple tough years in AAA. The past two seasons he has started, relieved and closed and both years had an ERA north of 6. And before the month of May his ERA of 5.40 was nothing of interest. Something seemed to have clicked during the last month. He mowed down hitters lowing his season ERA to 3.65 while he is striking out over 12 batters per 9 innings. If this continues he could find himself in the Jersey pen before too long.
Hitter: Lawrence Schroeder (AAA) .344/.383/.611. 7 HR 23 RBI 29 R 45 Hits. Schroeder, the 24 year old SS, just continues to get better. The former 1st round pick played the majority of 2015 in AAA putting up respectable numbers, but nothing like this year. His power has been a surprise to go with some great gap power and high contact which makes his quite the IF threat. He also has a plus glove at SS. With Adam Morrow's struggles on the big club, could we being seeing Schroeder man the field for the Bags anytime soon? He is on pace for 39 HR, 126 RBI and a .355 average in AAA. What more could you ask for?
After taking a tough loss in Game 7 of the World Series against the mighty Hendersonville Hitmen, there was a lot of uncertainty when it came to Jersey players. A lot of star players with contracts set to be up, a player's option and a few holes opening up. Here's what has happened since that fateful day in Hendersonville.
The day after the season Leon Foster decided to accept his 13.87 Million dollar option he was given in 2013 as part of his 4 year extension. After starting out decent last season Foster strained his hip and missed 3 months. Jersey brass thought it was inevitable he would take the option but I think deep down everyone hoped he would turn it down. Foster should start in CF, at least against lefties, this up coming season. Foster sits 8th on the All-time HR list with 205.
The first two weeks of November had to feel like Christmas for many Jersey Shore fans. On November 4th Jersey announced they bought out 2, possibly 3 years of arbitration and signed superstar 1B Matt Doyle to a 6 year deal worth 39.35 million dollars. The deal will keep Doyle in Jersey through the age of 32. Doyle led the CL in HR last year with 44 and only 2 seasons into his Jersey career he sits only behind Mikey Bryant on the Jersey Shore all time HR list with 77.
Three days later on November 7th, Jersey announced they avoided losing their FA deadline pickup Jerry Burgess by agreeing to a 5 year contract worth 45.29 million dollars. Burgess won 7 starts after coming over from El Paso and was vital in their playoff run winning 3 of his 6 starts and keeping Jersey within striking distance in Game 7.
Five days after the Burgess signing, Jersey announced they had come to an agreement with FA to be and arguable ace of the staff 30 year old Art Ellis to a 6 year contract which will keep him in Jersey for the remainder of his career. Ellis posted one of the best seasons put up by a Jersey hurler, posting a 2.94 ERA and striking out 210.
On November 21st, the league announced that MR Brian White recieved a new contract worth 600K through arbitration, which was no surprise, and Catcher Luis Antonio Duran won his arbitration hearing and will receive $8.75 million this upcoming season. With Duran's number being that high, there is probably a slim chance he will be back for 2017. Regardless he will be starting the season as the team's starting catcher.
Free agency started November 24th and Jersey said good-bye to two players. The first being one of the longest tenured player closer Daniel Morris. With the money going to the starters, there was just not enough to go around. Morris leaves Jersey leading the team in all-time ERA (2.59), Saves (170), appearances (387), BB/9 (2.0), K/BB (4.18), WHIP (1.17), OOPS (.626) and VORP (139.4).
Also departing through free agency is the speedy OF Scott Powers, who spent 3 years in Jersey after a trade from Niagara Falls. Powers a multi-use speedy OF, never lived up to the potential Jersey thought they would get when they made the trade in 2013. His spot on the roster will go to one of the money OF Jersey has stashed away in AAA.
The Rule V draft took place on December 1st and with the 22nd pick Jersey selected MR David Rice with the 22nd pick. Rice of the former Pittsburgh (now Chicago) franchise. Rice will become the 2nd lefty in the pen after new closer Jaime Saenz. Last season Rice pitched in AA and a 3.61 ERA and 140 K's in 124.2 IP.
Jersey also lost a player in the Rule V draft as well. St. Charles selected speedy utility infielder Dave Henson whom Jersey signed to a MLC in 2014 after being released from Vista. Henson hit .270 with 14 SB in 63 AB with Tuscaloosa last season.
Towards the end of Spring Training Jersey made a couple of waiver moves. The first being claiming MR Chris Woodruff from the Jacksonville Jackhammers. Woodruff struggled in Jacksonville last year posting a 6.44 ERA in 50.1 IP, but the Jersey brass must have seen some potential.
On the same day Jersey claimed Woodruff, Boston claimed 1B Edgardo Gonzales. Gomzales who has been with Jersey since the inaugural draft always has played well in AAA but has had trouble cracking the 25-man roster. Gonzales got only 29 AB in the last 3 seasons.
On April 2nd, the day before the season was set to begin Jersey announced another contract extension. One of the best hitters in last year's playoffs 3B Alberto Perez agreed to a 4 year deal buying out his arbitration years worth nearly $8M dollars. Perez is slated to start at 3B this season with Adam Morrow sliding over to SS.
Losses: CL Daniel Morris, CF Scott Powers, SS Dave Henson, 1B Edgardo Gonzales
Additions: MR Dave Rice, MR Chris Woodruff
Extensions: SP Jerry Burgess, SP Art Ellis, 1B Matt Doyle, 3B Alberto Perez
2016 is here! Look for the roster breakdown, coming soon!
GO D-BAGS
Pitcher: Yin-zhen Zong (AAA) 13.0 IP, 2.08 ERA, 19 K. The 25 year old Zong who was a 7th round pick in 2013 has had a couple tough years in AAA. The past two seasons he has started, relieved and closed and both years had an ERA north of 6. And before the month of May his ERA of 5.40 was nothing of interest. Something seemed to have clicked during the last month. He mowed down hitters lowing his season ERA to 3.65 while he is striking out over 12 batters per 9 innings. If this continues he could find himself in the Jersey pen before too long.
Hitter: Lawrence Schroeder (AAA) .344/.383/.611. 7 HR 23 RBI 29 R 45 Hits. Schroeder, the 24 year old SS, just continues to get better. The former 1st round pick played the majority of 2015 in AAA putting up respectable numbers, but nothing like this year. His power has been a surprise to go with some great gap power and high contact which makes his quite the IF threat. He also has a plus glove at SS. With Adam Morrow's struggles on the big club, could we being seeing Schroeder man the field for the Bags anytime soon? He is on pace for 39 HR, 126 RBI and a .355 average in AAA. What more could you ask for?