All the minor leagues winners again.

BA highlights:

CLE AA Rodriguez, Nellie 1B 4 1 2 0 .246 2B (5), BB (8)
CLE AA Diaz, Yandy DH 3 0 1 0 .283 2 BB (18) [league leader in walks and On Base Pct]
CLE AA Frazier, Clint RF 5 1 1 2 .278 HR (3)
CLE HiA Paulino, Dorssys LF 5 1 1 0 .226
CLE HiA Chang, Yu-Cheng SS 5 0 1 1 .261
CLE HiA Papi, Mike RF 4 0 2 1 .293 2B (7), BB (18) [league leader in walks, 3rd in Onbase Pct, 2nd in OPS]
CLE HiA Mathias, Mark 2B 4 1 1 0 .239 BB (6)
CLE HiA Bradley, Bobby 1B 4 4 3 2 .254 HR (4), BB (8)
CLE LoA Krieger, Tyler 2B 3 1 1 0 .354 3B (1), BB (10) belongs in Lynchburg
CLE MAJ Naquin, Tyler CF 3 1 2 0 .333 2B (2)
CLE AA Kaminsky, Rob 5 3 1 1 3 5 5.40 [coming in he'd walked 9 and fanned 3]

Some other notable lines:

for a team in need of reliable relievers:

AAA Tommy Hunter 1-1-0-0-0-0 1.00
AA Ben Heller ditto 1.13

AAA Joey Butler 2 hits.
HiA Santander homer and single, 290; Murphy double, 2 singles 333; Salters 1st homer, 2 walks, 450
Merryweather 6-6-4-2-1-3 0.76 [4-0]
LoA Lukes triple and walk, 280; F Mejia Sac Fly 379
Esparza 5-5-1-1-1-7; Lovegrove 1-1-0-0-0-1 2.25

Bradley is really hot.

3-4 yesterday w/ a homer.

3-5 today, with 2 doubles and a homer.

And check out this homer he hit ... out of the ballpark .... going the opposite way!!

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp? ... =631233583

Yandy is 2-2 with a homer so far tonight

Bradley's strikeouts are his big problem, the 2 outs he made yesterday were Ks and the season total is 29 in 96 AB. I see that his OPS vs Lefties is 634, vs RHP 873. So he has work to do but as a 19 year old in High A ball he's doing great.

His team continues to roll, Hillcats are now 16-4 after 12-6 win yesterday.
Other hitting stars were Greg Allen with 2 singles and a double [CS#2]
ss/3b Ivan Castillo, 20 year old, 1st homer, single and 4 RBI.
[BTW Bradley's 22 RBI are 4 ahead of anyone else in the Carolina League]
C Sicnarf Loopstock triple and single
Sean Brady got the win but didn't pitch well: 6-9-5-5-2-3 2 homers. He's a little RH who doesn't throw hard and surrenders plenty of longballs. Not much to expect from him.

BA highlights from Wednesday:

CLE AA Diaz, Yandy 3B 4 1 2 1 .297 HR (2)
CLE AA Frazier, Clint RF 4 0 1 0 .276
CLE HiA Allen, Greg CF 6 1 3 2 .278 2B (4), CS (2)
CLE HiA Chang, Yu-Cheng SS 5 1 1 2 .257 2B (6)
CLE HiA Bradley, Bobby 1B 5 2 3 3 .278 2 2B (5), HR (5)
CLE LoA Castro, Willi SS 5 1 2 0 .267 2 SB (4) [Just turned 19; has 3 triples, only walked once this month]
CLE LoA Tom, Ka'ai LF 3 1 1 1 .167 3B (1), BB (1)
CLE LoA Krieger, Tyler 2B 3 0 1 0 .353 BB (11)
CLE MAJ Naquin, Tyler CF 3 2 1 0 .333 BB (1)
CLE AAA Armstrong, Shawn 0.1 0 0 0 2 0 3.68 [9 walks and 12 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings; not ready for Cleveland]

Thursday highlights:

CLE HiA Allen, Greg CF 4 0 1 0 .276 3B (1)
CLE HiA Papi, Mike RF 4 0 1 0 .290
CLE HiA Bradley, Bobby 1B 4 0 1 0 .276 2B (6)
CLE LoA Castro, Willi SS 5 2 4 4 .300 2B (2), HR (1)
CLE LoA Krieger, Tyler 2B 3 2 1 1 .352 2 BB (13)
CLE AAA Merritt, Ryan 6.1 8 3 3 0 7 3.52
CLE HiA Sheffield, Justus 6 5 4 4 3 4 3.33 L (2-1) [3 run homer the big blow]

Bradley a candidate for Hot Prospect list, for the week: 385/407/731 3 doubles, 2 homers, 6 RBI

Rare loss for Lynchburg, but Lake County and Columbus on top.

Captains now 14-7 after 10-1 win.

besides Castro, big day for CF Nathan Lukes, single, double, 2 walks [avg 314, on base 435]. 5 shutout innings by Thomas Pannone.

Clippers 13-7 with 5-4 win.
Akron 12-8 mark is the system's worst. Had the day off.

Credit minor league successes to depth, not individual excellence. In the third week of "Hot Prospect" lists, we net our first selectee:


12. Bobby Bradley, 1b, Indians

Team: high Class A Lynchburg (Carolina)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .385/.407/.731 (10-for-26), 6 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBIs, 1 BB, 8 SO

The Scoop: As a 19-year-old in the Carolina Leauge, Bradley is wise beyond his years in the batter’s box. The lefthanded-hitting slugger has balance and strike-zone knowledge, but his calling card is plus power to all fields. He led the Rookie-level Arizona and low Class A Midwest leagues in both homers and RBIs in each of the past two seasons, and now he’s vying to make it three in a row at Lynchburg. Bradley leads the Carolina League with 22 RBIs and ranks second to college-trained first baseman Ryan O’Hearn with five homers. (ME)

Statistically there's not that much special about teams, but they sure are winners. Here's some numbers:

Columbus 4th in AVG, 4th in OPS, 7th in walks; 9th in ERA, 9th in WHIP, 11th in Ks by pitchers.
That yields the best winning record in the IL.

Akron 6th in AVG, 3rd in OPS, 2nd in walks; 10th in ERA, 7th in WHIP, 8th in Ks
3rd best winning record in the EL

Lynchburg 2nd in AVG, 1st in OPS, 1st in walks. 2nd in ERA, 3rd in WHIP, 2nd in Ks
Best winning record in the CL and I believe in all of minor league baseball

Lake County 14th in AVG!, 4th in OPS, 4th in walks; 11th in ERA! 10th in WHIP, 1st in Ks
Another league-leading record.

We do seem to draw plenty of walks, and in the lower levels throw it past the other guys. But the great records do not reflect great offensive or pitching. I assume we'll fall back toward the mean. then again Lake County is still waiting for promotions of Hillman and McKenzie, until then they really don't have a lot of significant prospects on board.

Friday highlights:

CLE AA Rodriguez, Nellie 1B 4 1 1 1 .234 HR (6)
CLE AA Diaz, Yandy 3B 3 0 1 3 .299 [0 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers][18 walks, 12K, 5/7 steals: leadoff hitter?]
CLE AA Frazier, Clint LF 3 1 1 1 .278 2B (9), BB (6)
CLE HiA Chang, Yu-Cheng SS 4 1 1 2 .256
CLE LoA Castro, Willi SS 4 0 1 0 .298
CLE LoA Tom, Ka'ai LF 3 1 1 0 .222 BB (2)
CLE LoA Krieger, Tyler 2B 4 0 2 2 .360 SB (5) [really should be in Lynchburg]
meanwhile Zimmer continues to be challenged in AA even without a broken bone bothering him. He's hitting 222. Some ancillary stats are OK: 6 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers. 6/9 steals. 11 walks. 26K.

CLE AA Morimando, Shawn 4 5 2 2 2 3 2.00 early exit
CLE HiA Brown, Mitch 5 6 3 3 2 4 5.40 he's been plenty worse

Bradley with a big margin as leading strikeout victim in the Carolina League: his 35 are 8 ahead of the pack.

After his homer burst to start the season, Papi has settled back into his singles and walk routine. Last 9 games:

31-3-7-1 2 doubles, 9K match his 9BB 226/400/290

Meanwhile keep an eye on 20-year-old Lynchburg SS Yu-Cheng Chang. He has 10 xb hits in 85 TAB, 3 are homers. 19 RBI. Doesn't walk much, only 7 vs 19K. Could become another 3B candidate: no one is going to dislodge Lindor for a decade or two.

Today's pitchers:

Mike Clevinger 2-0 3.20 1.22 WHIP 10K/9IP 1 HR
Mike Peoples 1-0 4.07 1.15 WHIP 6.5K/9IP 0 HR
Luis Lugo 1-1 4.87 1.43 WHIP 8K/9IP 5 HR
Sam Hentges 1-1 5.63 1.63 WHIP 12.4K/9IP 1 HR