August 17: Carrasco Dominant Again, Kipnis Keeps on Rolling

AAA COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (W, 5-1)

• JOSE CONSTANZA (26, OF):  2-2, 2 BB, 2 SB.  Batting .378 in last 10 games with 5 BB and 4 SB.  Now has 32 SB on the season to go along with a .309 BA and a .360 BA (333 ABs).
• EZEQUIEL CARRERA (23, CF):  3-4, 2B, RBI.  Last 4 games: 7-18 (.389), 2 2B, 3 RBI.  On season with Clippers (86 ABs):  .279 BA, 5 2B, 10 RBI, 5 SB.
• JORDAN BROWN (26, OF):  2-4.  First game back with Columbus after getting demoted from Cleveland.  Batted .226 (7-31) in 9 games with the Tribe.
• JARED GOEDERT (25, 3B):  1-4, RBI.  A Jekyll and Hyde season: batted .321 with 9 2B, 15 HR, and 32 RBI in 134 ABs before the AAA all-star break and just .231 with 12 2B, 3 HR, and 13 RBI since.
• CORD PHELPS (23, 2B):  1-4, 2B, RBI.  Batting .300 in his last 10 games with 2 2B, 2 HR, and 10 RBI.
• WES HODGES (25, 1B):  2-4.  Last 10 games: .316 BA, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 9 K.  Season: .274 BA, 25 2B, 10 HR, 49 RBI, .316 OBP.
• CARLOS CARRASCO (23, SP):  7 IP, 0 ER (1 unearned), 5 H, 0 BB, 6 K.  Last 10 starts: 2.89 ERA, 54 K, 17 BB, .234 BAA in 56 IP.  Season (23 starts): 3.71 ERA, 119 K, 44 BB, .252 BAA in 135.2 IP.  A key to his recent success has been a combination of a higher K rate, a lower HR allowed rate  (16 in 23 starts overall, 4 in last 10 starts), and a lower opponent batting average.
• JOSH JUDY (24, RP):  IP, 2K.  In 39.1 IP this season in AAA: 3.20 ERA, 46 K, 12 BB, .277 BAA.
• VINNIE PESTANO (25, RP):  IP, 2 K.  Last 10 appearances (10 IP):  1.80 ERA, 16 K, 3 BB, .189 BAA.  Has struck out 54 in 40.1 IP in AAA in 2010.

AA AKRON AEROS (W, 8-7: Completion of game suspended on 07/25)

• JORDAN HENRY (22, CF):  3-5, 2B.  More below.
• JASON KIPNIS (23, 2B):  3-4, RBI.  More below.
• BEAU MILLS (24, 1B):  4-5, 2B, SB.  More below.
• JERAD HEAD (27, OF):  3-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI.  More below.
• JOHN DRENNEN (23, OF):  2-3, RBI.  More below.
• ROB BRYSON (22, RP):  2.2 IP, 2 H, 3K.  Through 7 AA appearances: 8.2 IP, 2.08 ERA, 11 K, 9 BB, .223 BAA.
• NICK HAGADONE (24, RP):  2.2 IP, BB, K.  Last 10 AA appearances: 25 IP, 2.88 ERA, 23 K, 15 BB, .228 BAA.

AA AKRON AEROS (L, 7-9)

• JORDAN HENRY:  2-4, RBI.  Last 10 games: .375 BA, .479 OBP, 4 RBI.  In 211 AA ABs, batting .303 with a .393 OBP and 9 SB.
• JASON KIPNIS:  1-3, 2B, RBI, BB.  Batting .375 in his last 10 games with 6 extra-base hits, 11 RBI, and a .468 OBP.  Season in AA (231 ABs): .346 BA, 16 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 36 RBI, 6 SB, .426 OBP.  High-A and AA Combined: .325 BA, 28 2B, 7 3B, 15 HR, 67 RBI, 8 SB, .408 OBP.  I can’t say much more about this guy; the numbers speak for themselves.
• LONNIE CHISENHALL (21, 3B):  1-3, 2B, RBI, BB.  8-17 (.471) in last 5 games with 3 extra-base hits, 9 RBI, and 6 BB (.609 OBP).
• BEAU MILLS:  1-4, HR, 3 RBI.  Last 4 games: 5-17 (.294), 3 extra-base hits, 5 RBI.
• JOHN DRENNEN:  1-3, 2B.  Last 9 games: 15-38 (.395), 4 extra-base hits, 6 RBI, 2 BB, SB.  In 380 AA ABs this season: .303 BA, 20 2B, 6 3B, 5 HR, 50 RBI, .353 OBP.
• JERAD HEAD:  2-4.  First game back in AA after getting demoted from AAA, where he posted a .270 BA with 7 2B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, and a .338 OBP in 63 ABs.  Solid in AA this year: .314 BA, 15 2B, 12 HR, 33 RBI, .366 OBP.
• MATT PACKER (22, SP):  5 IP, 9 ER, 9 H (3 HR), BB, K.  A disastrous outing for Packer, who when a combined 14 IP in his first 2 starts in AA with 10 K, 4 BB, 9 H, and 1 ER allowed.

HIGH-A KINSTON INDIANS (Game 1 of doubleheader: W, 3-1)

• DONNIE WEBB (24, OF):  2-4, 2 RBI.  More below.
• CHUN CHEN (21, C):  1-2, BB.  More below.
• JUAN DIAZ (21, SS):  1-2, BB, SB.  More below.
• DOUG PICKENS (25, OF):  1-2, BB.  More below.
• AUSTIN ADAMS (23, SP):  5 IP, ER, 2 H (HR), 4 BB, 4 K.  Stellar since getting the call to high-A: 1.40 ERA, 36 K, 11 BB, .217 BAA in 45 IP.

HIGH-A KINSTON INDIANS (Game 2 of doubleheader: W, 5-3)

• DONNIE WEBB:  1-3, SB.  Last 10 games: .303, 3 2B, 2 RBI.  Season with Kinston (200 ABs): .245 BA, 11 2B, 4 HR, 26 RBI, .330 OBP.
• CHUN CHEN:  1-2, 2B, RBI, BB, SB.  Last 10 games: .344, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 7 BB.  Season with Kinston (114 ABs): .307 BA, 11 2B, 2 HR, 16 RBI, .414 OBP.
• JUAN DIAZ:  1-3, HR, 2 RBI.  Started slow with Kinston, batting .222 in 99 July ABs, but batting .321 so far in August and .378 over his last 10 contests.
• DOUG PICKENS:  1-2, RBI.  Has at least 1 hit in 6 of his last 7 contests, batting .292 in that span (7-24) with 5 RBI.  Season with Kinston (280 ABs): .236 BA, 10 2B, 6 HR, 35 RBI, .301 OBP.
• BO GREENWELL (21, OF):  1-3, BB.  Solid if unspectacular so far for Kinston (165 ABs): .309 BA, 6 2B, 9 RBI, 7 SB, .384 OBP.
• MARTY POPHAM (23, SP):  5 IP, 3 ER, 6 H (HR), 2 BB, 6 K.  Last 3 outings: 15 IP, 8 ER, 19 H (3 HR), 4 BB, 19 K.
• BRIAN GRENING (25, RP):  IP, 2 K.  Season with Kinston (23 appearances): 43 IP, 3.77 ERA, 53 K, 24 BB, .200 BAA.  In AA before demotion to high-A earlier this season: 14.2 IP, 4.91 ERA, 15 K, 11 BB, .236 BAA.
• CORY BURNS (22, CP):  IP, H, 3 K, SV.  High-A save #24 on the season and #36 overall for Burns.  He’s been dominant in high-A this season: 31.2 IP, 46 K, 12 BB, .200 BAA.  In his last 2 outings (2 IP), he’s struck out 6.

The low-A Lake County Captains had a scheduled day off on Tuesday while the Mahoning Valley Scrappers enjoyed the second day of their two-day all-star break.

With the 2010 draft signing deadline just passed, I will write something up on the Indians’ top picks sometime soon.  The Tribe was able to get most of its top choices signed, including first rounder (#5 overall) Drew Pomeranz (LHP) and second rounder (#55 overall) LeVon Washington (OF).

August 15: Kipnis and Chisenhall Remain Hot, Kluber Rebounds

AAA COLUMBUS (W, 7-3)

• YOHAN PINO (SP-27):  6 IP, 0 R, 9 H, 2 BB, 5 K.  Pre all-star break: 5.61 ERA, 76 K, 35 BB, .278 BAA in 17 starts (94.2 IP); Post all-star break: 4.60 ERA, 18 K, 8 BB, .275 BAA in 5 starts (29.1 IP).
• JOSE CONSTANZA (OF-26):  1-3, BB, SB.  Last 3 games: 7-11, 2 BB, 2 SB.  Batting .368 in his last 10 games and .306 in 330 ABs this season.
• EZEQUIEL CARRERA (CF-23):  1-3, 2 RBI.  4-14 in last 3 games after going 0-15 in his previous 4.  Batting .256 in 82 ABs with Columubus.
• CORD PHELPS (2B-23):  1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB.  9-25 (.360 BA) in last 6 games with 2 extra-bast hits and 8 RBI.
• MATT McBRIDE (OF-25):  2-4, HR.  His first HR in August, 2nd total in AAA (55 ABs) and 19th overall in 2010.  Now batting .382 in AAA.
• WES HODGES (1B/DH-25):  1-4, solo HR.  In last 6 games, batting .375 (9-24) with 3 extra-base hits and 7 K.

AA AKRON (W, 7-0)

• COREY KLUBER (SP-24):  6 IP, 0 R, 6 H, BB, 4 K.  First 2 starts with Akron: 8 IP, 9 ER, 19 H, 6 BB, 9 K.  Looks like the “real” Kluber has arrived, and he’s not that bad (3.45 ERA with 136 K, 40 BB, .259 BAA in 122.2 IP with San Diego’s AA affiliate earlier this season).
  
• JASON KIPNIS (2B-23):  2-2, HR, 2 RBI, BB.  9 game hit streak, batting .378 during that stretch (14-37) with 5 extra-base hits and 10 RBI.  Last 4 contests: 8-15 with 2 HR, 6 RBI, and 3 BB.  This guy is the real deal.  In 224 AA ABs, he’s batting .339 with 28 extra-base hits, 34 RBI, and 6 SBs.
  
• LONNIE CHISENHALL (3B-21):  2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB.  Last 4 games: 7-14 with 8 RBI and 5 BB.  He’s been streaky all season long, but he’s still batting .273 with 33 extra-base hits (15 HR), and 66 RBI in 374 ABs with Akron this season.  34 BB to go along with 56 K isn’t all that bad, either.
  
• JORDAN HENRY (CF-22):  2-5, 2B.  Last 3 games: 7-14 with 3 RBI and 2 BB.  .325 BA and .438 OBP. in last 10 contests.
• JOHN DRENNEN (OF-23):  2-5, RBI.  Last 10 games: .372 BA, 7 RBI.  He’s 10-23 (.435) in last 5.
• TIM FEDROFF (OF-23):  1-3, 3B, BB.  6 for his last 12 and batting .342 in last 10 contests.
• CRISTO ARNAL (2B-24):  1-3, BB.  8-game hit streak, batting .324 in last 10 games.
• OMAR AGUILAR (RP-25):  IP, BB, 2 K.  3.29 ERA, 67 K, 30 BB, and .214 BAA in 54.2 IP in 2010.  1.80 ERA, 16 K, 9 BB, and .171 BAA in last 10 appearances (10 IP).

HIGH A KINSTON (L, 4-6)

• ABNER ABREU (OF-20):  2-4, 3B, 2 RBI.  Last 4 games: 6-14 (.429) with 4 RBI.
• KAREXON SANCHEZ (2B-22):  2-4.  Last 5 games: 7-19 (.368).
• KYLE BELLOWS (3B-21):  2-4.  Batting .333 in last 10 games with 4 2B and 7 RBI.

LOW A LAKE COUNTY (W, 5-2)

• GIOVANNI SOTO (SP-19):  5 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, BB, 4 K.  In 4 starts with Lake County (23 IP): 2.35 ERA, 24 K, 7 BB, .162 BAA.  Overall low A total in 2010 (105.2 IP): 2.56 ERA, 100 K, 32 BB, .231 BAA.
• DELVI CID (OF-21):  4-5, RBI.  Last 7 games:  11-29 (.379), 3 SB.
• ADAM ABRAHAM (3B-23):  2-5, RBI.  Last 5 contests: 8-22 (.364).  He hit .182 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in 143 ABs before the all-star break and is hitting .321 with 8 HR and 36 RBI since (184 ABs).
• GREG FOLGIA (RF-22):  3-3, RBI.  Batting .324 in last 10 games with 6 RBI.
• ROBERTO PEREZ (C-21):  1-4, solo HR.  Last 10 contests: .323 BA, 8 extra-base hits, 7 RBI, 9 BB (.475 OBP).  Batting .232 with 30 extra-base hits and 36 RBI in 323 ABs in 2010.
• JOSE FLORES (RP-21):  IP, 2 K, SV.  In 31.2 IP this season, he has a 1.99 ERA with 41 K, 5 BB, and a .211 BAA (4 SVs).

SHORT-SEASON MAHONING VALLEY (W, 10-8)

• CARLOS MONCRIEF (CF-21):  1-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB.  Last 10 games: .378 BA, 5 extra-base hits, 4 RBI, .500 OBP.
• NICHOLAS BARTOLONE (SS-19):  2-5, SB.  In 8 games with Mahoning Valley (35 ABs), he’s batting .257 after batting .303 in 132 ABs with the AZL Indians (rookie ball).
• JONATHAN BURNETTE (OF-22):  2-4, BB.  Last 10 contests:  .325 BA, 5 extra-base hits, 6 RBI, .386 OBP.  Batting .292 in 209 ABs in 2010, with 24 extra-base hits and 27 RBI.
• KEVIN RUCKER (OF-20):  1-4, solo HR, BB.  5-14 in last 4 games with 2 solo HR.
• BRIAN HEERE (OF-23):  2-5.  Last 10 games: .333 BA and .421 OBP.
• MOISES MONTERO (C-20):  2-5, HR, 3 RBI.  In 80 ABs this season, he’s batting just .163 with 2 extra-base hits.
• SCOTT EHLERT (RP-22):  1.1 IP, H, 3 K, SV.  In 16 appearances (24.1 IP): 4.07 ERA, 35 K, 9 BB, .258 BAA.

August 8: Nuno Solid Against South Bend, Moncrief Continues to Rake

In a day in which ALL of the Indians’ minor league affiliates (above rookie ball) lost their respective games, there are understandably few individual performances to highlight.  After all, the five teams mustered a whole 18 runs between them, with Mahoning Valley accounting for 8 of those.  But I’ll do my best…

Lake County Captains starting pitcher VIDAL NUNO (23) pitched a good game on Sunday, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits and no walks while striking out 8 in 6 innings of work.  The 2 home runs that he allowed were his downfall, as he pitched an otherwise stellar game.  Longballs are a general problem for him, though, as he also gave up 2 in his last outing and has allowed a total of 10 in 70 innings pitched this season.  As a matter of fact, he’s given up just as many HRs as BBs this season.  If he can cut down on the HRs, he has BB and K numbers (10 and 72) that suggest he could be more effective.  His .289 BAA is also on the high side, as is his 5.01 season ERA.

Mahoning Valley Scrappers outfielder CARLOS MONCRIEF (21) continued to impress, going 3 for 5 on Sunday with a stolen bag and a run scored.  Over his last 6 games, he is batting .500 (12 for 24) with a .538 OBP, 2 SB, a HR, and 2 RBI.  Moncrief is a former pitcher in the midst of his first season after converting to the outfield.  He had a rough start to the season, batting .167 in June and .204 in July before exploding in August (.419).  On the season, the left-handed batter is hitting .234 with 6 2B, 5 HR, 16 RBI, and 6 SB.  He’s showing some talent right now, so I am interested to see how things continue to progress.

AAA Columbus Rundown (L, 3-6):  The Buffalo Bisons completed their 4-game sweep of the Clippers in this one.   Starting pitcher PAOLO ESPINO, whose debut with the Clippers on August 3 went well (7 IP, 2 runs, 6 hits, 0 BB, and 4 K), had a rough outing on Sunday.  In 5.2 innings, he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits and 3 BB while striking out 2.  The home run ball has been a problem for Espino, who gave up 2 on Sunday and 1 in his previous start…  JOSE CONSTANZA batted leadoff and went 2 for 4 with a BB.  He went 6 for 15 in the series with Buffalo, with 2 RBI and 2 BB…  Recent acquisition ARGENIS REYES went 2 for 4 with an RBI, lifting his BA with the Clippers to .545 (6 for 11) after 3 games…  WES HODGES went 1 for 3 with a BB.  He’s 2 for 12 since getting re-acquired by the Indians just a few days ago…  The biggest bat in the Clippers lineup on Sunday was that of 27 year-old outfielder JERAD HEAD, who went 3 for 4 with 2 2B, an RBI, and a run scored.  He went 6 for 16 in the series with Buffalo with 3 2B and 2 RBI.  He’s batting .283 with 6 2B, a HR, and 10 RBI in 53 at-bats with the Clippers after hitting .299 with 15 2B, 10 HR, and 28 RBI in 177 AA at-bats earlier this season.

AA Akron Rundown (L, 3-11):  Starter ALEX WHITE had his second consecutive poor outing, giving up 7 runs (all earned) on 8 hits (2 HRs) and 2 BB while striking out 4.  White just hasn’t been himself as of late.  The 6 total BB issued in his last 3 outings contrasts starkly with the total of 3 that he issued in his previous 7 outings.  The 2 HRs that he gave up on Sunday were the first since June 25…  Second baseman JASON KIPNIS‘s bat remained hot as he went 1 for 3 with a 2B and a BB on Sunday.  He’s now hitting .345 so far in August with a .424 OBP…  TIM FEDROFF went 2 for 4 with a 2B.  He’s batting .333 over his last 10 contests (12 for 36)…  Part-time catcher MIGUEL PEREZ got the start on Sunday and went 2 for 4 with a 2B and an RBI.  In limited action this season (101 at-bats), he’s hitting .277 with 8 2B and 9 RBI for the Aeros.

High A Kinston Rundown (L, 3-8):  After a strong start on August 3 that merited a discussion here (6 IP, 2 H, 0 runs, 1 BB, 8 K), JOSEPH MAHALIC pulled the other half a Jekyll-Hyde act on Sunday.  In only 3.2 innings of work, he gave up 4 runs on 3 hits (1 HR) and 8 BB while striking out 1.  Much of this season has been a roller coaster ride for Mahalic and his control issues appear to be the culprit; he’s walked 48 in 87.1 innings of work while striking out 58 and allowing a .281 BAA…  Center fielder BO GREENWELL went 1 for 4 with a SB.  He’s recorded at least 1 hit in each of his last 6 games and in 9 of his last 10…  Catcher CHUN CHEN batted cleanup and went 1 for 4 with a 2B.  He’s batting .343 in his last 10 games with 6 2B and a .415 OBP.

Class A Lake County Rundown (L, 2-5):  Another offensive disappointment for Lake County, as the team mustered only 2 runs on 4 hits in this one.  Second baseman ARGENIS MARTINEZ had the only notable performance at the plate, going 1 for 2 with 2 BB and a SB.  In his last 10 games he’s batting .333 with 7 SBs.

Short Season Mahoning Valley Rundown (L, 7-8):  Shortstop NICHOLAS BARTOLONE had a stellar debut with the Scrappers, going 2 for 5 at the plate with a pair of RBI.  Before getting promoted to Mahoning Valley, the 19 year-old recorded a .303 BA with 3 2B, 9 RBI, and 15 SB in 132 at-bats with the AZL (rookie league) Indians…  GIOVANNY URSHELA went 1 for 4 with a 2B, an RBI, and a run scored.  He’s batting .405 over his last 10 games with 9 RBI…  Outfielder JONATHAN BURNETTE went 2 for 5 with a 2B.  He’s batting .289 over his last 10 games with 4 2b, 3 HR, and 5 RBI…  JESUS AGUILAR had another fine game in his thus far short stint as a Scrapper, going 2 for 2 with a 2B, 2 BB, and an RBI on Sunday.  In 8 games with Mahoning Valley, he is batting .379 (11 for 29) with 4 2Bs and 4 RBI (5 BB, 5 K)…  Switch-hitting DIEGO SEASTRUNK went 1 for 4 with a 3-run home run.  In his first season of professional ball, the 22 year-old Rice University graduate is batting .176 with 5 2B, 3 HR, and 11 RBI in 91 at-bats for the Scrappers.  He has a respectable K to BB figure  of 18:15.

July 26: Chisenhall Goes Deep, Young Relievers Impress

Aeros third baseman LONNIE CHISENHALL (age 21) continued his recent trend of solid performances on Monday, going 1 for 5 with a home run and 2 RBI against Bowie.  Over his past 10 games, he’s batting .293 with 2 2B, 2 HR, and 8 RBI with 4 walks to 8 strikeouts.  He’s been held hitless in only 2 of those games, indicating that he’s perhaps becoming more consistent.  I’d like to see him hit for a little more power (he hit 22 home runs between AA and AAA last season), but he also needs to continue improving his batting average and take a few more walks.  Although he hits both lefties and righties for power, his BA against lefties is only .221 as opposed to .296 against righties (he bats lefty).  He’ll need to remedy that if he hopes to make it to the show as more than a platoon player.  In the meantime, let’s see if he can make his recent solid performances into something more impressive.

Clippers relief pitcher VINNIE PESTANO (age 25) had another impressive outing on Monday, pitching 1 scoreless inning, striking out the side.  He’s given up no runs in his past 10 appearances (11.1 IP), allowing only 5 hits and 3 walks during that span while striking out 14.  On the season with Columbus, he’s appeared in 29 games, posting a 1.67 ERA with 27 hits (.220 BAA), 10 walks, and 42 strikeouts in 32.1 innings of work.  Before getting the call to AAA, he maintained a 2.70 ERA while allowing 12 hits (.235 BAA) and 2 walks with 18 strikeouts while with the Aeros.  He’s allowed only one longball all season long, and that came while he was still in AA.  One constant need of the big league squad during the past few years has been relief pitching, so one has reason to be excited about this righty, especially since he can rack up the strikeouts (60 in 45.2 IP between AA and AAA this season).  He should be on the Indians’ radar for a call-up should they need any bullpen help during the remainder of the season.

The Indians have another promising young relief pitcher in PRESTON GUILMET (age 23) of the Lake County Captains.  On Monday, he pitched 3.2 strong innings against Peoria, striking out 4 while allowing only 1 hit.  On the season, he’s recorded a 2.63 ERA while allowing 20 hits (.204 BAA) and only 3 walks while striking out 42 batters in 27.1 innings (19 appearances).  Guilmet is in only his second season of professional baseball; The Indians selected him in the 9th round of the 2009 draft (275th overall pick) out of the University of Arizona.  He worked as a starter with Mahoning Valley in 2009, but has found greater success as a reliever this year (4.09 ERA with 16 BBs, 62 Ks, and a BAA of .255 in 70.1 IP last year).  He’s had a few rough outings as of late, but I am excited to see what this strikeout machine does during the coming weeks.

LUIS VALBUENA (age 24) exploded again on Monday, following his 5-6, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI performance on Saturday with a 2 for 3, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, and 4 run outing against Pawtucket last night (He did have an 0-4 day on Sunday sandwiched in there).  At this point, Valbuena has little left to prove at the AAA level.  He’s spent parts of the past 3 seasons with the big league club, so outbursts such as last night’s tend to solidify my previous assertion that Valbuena might very well be one of those AAAA guys that is too good for AAA but can’t carry that success over to the show.  If he keeps playing this way, we won’t have to wait too long for the Indians to call him up again and test whether or not I am correct.

The Rundown:  Aeros first baseman BEAU MILLS had another good day at the dish on Monday, going 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.  He’s now batting .293 over his last 10 games with 5 2Bs, 1 3B, 2 HR, and 11 RBI…  Akron outfielder JOHN DRENNEN continued his recent hot streak, going 2 for 4 against Bowie.  He’s batting .393 over his last 7 games (11 for 28)…  JORDAN HENRY picked up where he left off after Sunday’s game got rained out.  The Aeros outfielder went 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored…  JASON KIPNIS went 1 for 4 at the plate with a double, RBI, and a walk.  He’s batting .452 with an OBP of .531 over his last 10 games…  The Clippers’ JORDAN BROWN is on fire after going 3 for 3 with a HR, 4 RBI, and 2 BB against Pawtucket on Monday.  In the 4-game series, he posted a .625 BA (10 for 16) with 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, and 3 BB.  He’s a bit on the older side for a minor leaguer (26), but that’s just plain impressive…  Teammate WES HODGES went 2 for 5 with an RBI.  He also had a good series against Pawtucket, going 5 for 13 (.385) with a 2B, an RBI, and 2 BB…  CORD PHELPS saw his hitting streak came to an end at 13 games yesterday after he went 0 for 4 at the plate.  His season average with Columbus (in 130 at-bats, mind you) is down to .362…  Kinston Indians left fielder BO GREENWELL was one of the few to do anything against Winston Salem at the plate on Monday, going 2 for 4 with 2 singles on the day…  Fellow outfielder ABNER ABREU also posted a 2 for 4 day, but also struck out twice…  Lake County Captains center fielder DELVI CID remained true to form, going 1 for 5 (2 Ks) and stealing a bag – his 47th of the year…  Akron Aeros starting pitcher PAOLO ESPINO had a recent streak of solid outings end as he got shelled by Bowie.  He went 4.1 innings, allowing 5 earned runs on 11 hits and 1 walk while striking out 7.  I like the number of punchouts, but they mean little if the opposing team is still banging out 11 hits.  Espino has been impressive for most of the season, so he should be able to shrug off this subpar outing.  After all, they do happen every now and then.

July 25: Promising Performances in the Lower Reaches of the Indians Farm System

ADAM ABRAHAM (age 23) makes his 5th straight appearance in this blog.  On Sunday, the Lake County Captains first baseman continued his recent tear, going 2 for 4 with a solo HR while making a spot start at third base.  He’s now homered in back-to-back contests and 4 times in his last 7 games.  In his last 10 games with the Captains, he’s batting .385 with 4 2Bs, 4 HRs, and 10 RBI.   My only criticism is that he has only 1 walk during that time to go along with 7 strikeouts.  After a dismal start to the season, batting .146 in April and .167 in May, he hit .286 in June and .284 so far in July to bring his season average up to .232.  He’s far from a surefire prospect, but his recent play suggests that he has the potential for further development, especially if he starts being more patient at the plate.

Third baseman JEREMIE TICE (age 23) of the Kinston Indians is adapting to high A ball.  He started the season with Lake County, where he batted .282 with 19 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, and 51 RBI (19 walks to 59 strikeouts) in 66 games (245 at-bats).  On Sunday, he went 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI for Kinston, making his overall stat line in high A .294 with 6 2Bs, a HR, and 8 RBI in 13 games (51 ABs).  Over his last 10 games, he is batting .333.  His main problem continues to be the strikeouts, as he has whiffed 13 times during his time with the Indians, as opposed to drawing only 1 walk.  He will need to improve his eye at the plate if he hopes to take the next step.  The Indians drafted Tice in the 6th round of the 2008 draft (201st overall), out of the College of Charleston.

Lake County Captains starting pitcher VIDAL NUNO (age 23) put together an impressive start against Peoria on Sunday.  He pitched 6 innings, allowing 1 earned run on 5 hits and no walks while striking out 8.  The young lefty is in only his second season of professional ball after getting drafted by the Indians out of Baker University (Kansas) in the 48th round (1,445 overall) of the 2009 draft.  On the season, he has posted a 4.88 ERA in 12 appearances (10 starts), striking out 58 and walking only 8 in 55.1 innings of work.  That excellent K:BB ratio bodes well for his future, but he must cut down on the number of hits that he allows (.284 opponent batting average).  He has improved steadily over the course of this season, posting a 8.10 ERA in May, a 6.00 ERA in June, and a 3.25 ERA in July.  He clearly has some good stuff and I look forward to seeing how he does for the balance of the season.

A trio of Mahoning Valley Scrappers pitchers put together a solid day on the mound against State College on Sunday.  Starter ALEX KAMINSKY (age 22) went 6 strong innings, allowing 1 earned run on 4 hits, a walk, and 2 strikeouts.  His season ERA with the short-season Scrappers dropped to 1.96 in 8 starts (41.1 IP).  Left-handed relief pitcher JAMES REICHENBACH followed with 2 innings of shutout ball, allowing no hits and no walks while striking out 3.  His season ERA now sits at 3.66; he’s struck out 16 and walked 6 in 19.2 innings of work.  JAMES EHLERT finished the game for the Scrappers, striking out 1, walking none, and allowing no hits in 1 inning.  Ehlert’s been stellar this season, posting a 2.41 ERA with 26 strikeouts and 4 walks in 10 appearances (18.2 IP).  Despite this fine combined performance, Mahoning Valley still lost 1-0.

Several hitters in the Akron Aeros lineup got off to great starts in yesterday’s game before it got postponed in the 4th inning because of inclement weather.  JASON KIPNIS was 2 for 2 with an RBI while BEAU MILLS was also a perfect 2 for 2 with a rare stolen base.  JOHN DRENNEN had 1 hit in 2 at-bats, driving in a run and scoring one himself.  Centerfielder JORDAN HENRY was off to a scorching start at the dish, going 3 for 3 with a double and a run scored.  The Aeros are scheduled to finish the game on August 17th.

The Rundown:  Clippers outfielder  NICK WEGLARZ went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI against Pawtucket on Sunday, lifting his average over the past 10 games to .389…  CORD PHELPS just keeps on hitting.  The AAA second baseman went 1 for 3 with a walk on Sunday, extending his hitting streak to 13 games.  He’s batting .444 in his past 10 games with only 3 strikeouts to 7 walks…  JOSH RODRIGUEZ went 1 for 3 with a walk, driving in a run and scoring another after homering in his previous 2 games…  Columbus’s JORDAN BROWN (age 26) went 2 for 5 with a double, 3 RBI, and a stolen base.  He’s hitting .295 with 5 doubles, 2 HR, and 12 RBI in his last 10 games…  Teammate JOSE CONSTANZA (age 26) continues to put together a solid year for the Clippers, as he went 3 for 5 with a run scored on Sunday.  He’s batting .318 in his last 10 games and .307 on the season.  I like that average, but he’s got to start taking a few more walks (18 in 254 at-bats this season)…  Kinston catcher CHUN CHEN went yard yesterday.  He finished the day 1 for 4 with a walk.  After getting a slow start to high A ball, he’s hitting .281 in his last 10 games with Kinston.  Although he’s struck out 8 times during that stretch, he’s also walked 9 times…  KAREXON SANCHEZ had an impressive day, going 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored.  Both hits were triples.  He’s struck out 8 times in his last 10 games while drawing 10 walks and batting .278…  Kinston outfielder BO GREENWELL also did well at the plate on Sunday, hitting 2 singles in 4 at-bats.

July 24: White Stellar Again, Brach and House Also Impress

ALEX WHITE (age 21) pitched another gem for the Aeros on Saturday, allowing earned 1 run on 8 hits and no walks in 7 innings of work.  He struck out 7.  The righty’s AA ERA now sits at 1.48 through 73 innings (12 starts).  Although his K rate dropped after his promotion from high A Kinston to Akron (41 Ks in 44 IP for Kinston, 49 Ks in 73 IP for Akron), he’s struck out 21 batters over his last 3 starts (20 innings).  He hasn’t given up any home runs since June 25 and has allowed only more than 1 earned run in 1 of his last 10 starts (3 earned runs on June 19 against Portland).  Perhaps the most impressive stat is that he’s walked only 3 batters in his past 7 starts (42.1 innings).  With his strikeout rate on the rise, his free passes on the decline, and opposing batters finding it difficult to hit him (.207 average in his last 10 starts), White is showing why the Indians selected him in the first round of the 2009 draft (15th overall).  He has a legit shot of cracking the Indians starting rotation next season and settling in as a solid #2 starter within the next couple of years.

Lake County Captains starting pitcher BRETT BRACH (age 22) was also very impressive yesterday.  He tossed a complete game shutout against Peoria, allowing 7 hits, walking 1, and striking out 5.  In 14 starts for the Captains (72.2 innings), he’s maintained a 3.22 ERA with 55 strikeouts and 20 walks while posting a .287 opposing batting average.  Brach was selected by the Indians in the 10th round of the 2009 draft out of Monmouth University.  In his first season of professional ball, he made 15 starts for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, recording a 2.19 ERA with 20 walks and 61 strikeouts in 78 innings of work while holding opposing batters to a .215 batting average.  He began this season with a pair of relief appearances for Kinston (1 earned run, 2 Ks, 1 BB in 2.2 IP), but was sent to Lake County to start.  He’s shown some improvement over the course of the season, raising his K rate (42 Ks in his last 10 starts, 54.2 IP) and cutting down his opponents’ batting average (.259 over his last 10 starts).  Although he’s far from the most flashy or promising pitching prospects in the Tribe’s minor league system, his performance this season merits some attention.

T.J. HOUSE (age 20) of the Kinston Indians also pitched very well on Saturday.  He threw 6 innings against Wilmington, allowing 1 earned run on 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 5.  On the season, he’s posted a 4.18 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 97 innings.  Although his BAA (batting average against) is a serviceable .268, the high number of walks that he has issued is a bit alarming (46).  He started off the season strong, but has slipped as of late, recording a 4.38 ERA in his last 10 games while witnessing a drop in his K rate (only 34 in 49.1 IP) and a jump in his BAA (.284).  Fortunately, the lefty is only 20 and already in high A ball, so he has time to get back on track.  Saturday’s performance suggests that his turnaround might have already begun.

LUIS VALBUENA (age 24) of the Columbus Clippers had the best day at the dish of any Indians MiLB player yesterday.  Against Pawtucket, he went 3 for 5 with 2 doubles, a HR, 3 RBI, and 3 runs scored.  Although Valbuena has been impressive in AAA this year (.326 average, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HRs, 15 RBI, 14 BB, and 18 K in 86 at-bats), he struggled mightily in the big leagues earlier this season, recording a dismal .166 BA with 6 doubles, 2 HR and 14 RBI along with a 37:20 K to BB ratio in 49 games (151 at-bats).  Although his 5’10”, 195 frame suggests that he has little power, he has hit at least 10 home runs in 4 of his 6 seasons of professional ball (he hit 10 in 2009 for the Tribe, along with a .250 BA and 31 RBI).  His solid performance in AAA over the past 3 seasons indicates that he has the ability to hit for average, but it’s beginning to appear that he might be one of those AAAA-type guys, very good in AAA, but just doesn’t have what it takes for the MLB.  He’ll likely get another shot in the bigs before too long, but he’s running out of time with the Tribe, especially since he has to compete with the likes of Kipnis, Rodriguez, and Phelps.

The Rundown:  Quite a few Indians minor leaguers had good showings at the plate on Saturday, so I’ll just get to it.  A regular star on the field and in this blog, Aeros second baseman JASON KIPNIS, had another good game, going 2 for 6 and scoring 2 runs against Reading.  He’s now batting .329 on the season in AA…  Teammate BEAU MILLS went 1 for 4 at the dish, smacking a HR, driving in 3, and drawing a walk.  Mills is now hitting .278 over his past 10 games, pulling his season average up to .234, with 8 HRs and 53 RBI.  He’s just getting started…  Akron outfielder MATT McBRIDE continued to rake, going 2 for 4 yesterday with 2 doubles and 2 RBI.  He’s now batting .371 over his last 10 games and .285 on the season…  LONNIE CHISENHALL also had a good game, smacking 2 doubles and driving in 1 run in 5 at-bats.  Over his past 10 games, he is hitting .306…  Outfielder JOHN DRENNEN (age 23) went deep for the Aeros, collecting 2 hits in 5 trips to the plate while driving in 3 runs.  He’s posted a healthy .311 average in AA this season, with 4 HRs and 41 RBI…  CORD PHELPS now owns a 12-game hitting streak, as he went 2 for 3 on Saturday with 3 runs scored for the Clippers…  JOSH RODRIGUEZ had only 1 hit in 4 at-bats against AAA Pawtucket, but it was a big one, a 3-run jack.  He also drew a walk…  First baseman WES HODGES continued his recent turnaround, logging 2 hits in 4 at-bats on Saturday, driving in 1 run and drawing a walk…  EZEQUIEL CARRERA (age 23), a center fielder acquired from the Mariners in the recent Russell Branyan trade, went 3 for 4, walking once, doubling, and driving in 3 runs.  The 5’10”, 175 lb. lefty has no power (0 HRs in 260 minor league at-bats this season) and does not run much (12 stolen bases), but his ability to get base hits (.281 BA on the season) and take a walk (25 walks to 39 strikeouts) makes him worth tracking…  Starting pitcher DAVID HUFF had a serviceable outing for the Clippers on Saturday, allowing 3 earned runs on 11 hits and 1 walk in 7 innings of work while striking out 5.  The young lefty has done little to impress during his brief time in the majors over the past couple of seasons, but, like Valbuena, he will get another shot with the Tribe before too long…  After a rough debut with AA Akron on July 20 against Altoona (issuing 4 straight free passes, walking in a run before getting pulled from the game without recording a single out), ROB BRYSON rebounded nicely against Reading on Saturday, allowing 1 hit and striking out 3 in an inning of work.  This guy has tremendous potential as a relief pitcher with his ability to strike out hitters, so I’ll be following his performances…  Last but not least is my daily ADAM ABRAHAM report.  Yesterday, the Captains first baseman went 1 for 3 against Peoria, slugging a HR and driving in a pair of runs.  He’s now batting .351 over his past 10 games with 3 HRs and 9 RBI.

July 23: Young Guns Power Clippers, Captains to Victory

Lake County Captains starting pitcher MATT PACKER (age 22) pitched another gem on Friday.  He went 6.2 innings, allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits, 1 walk, and 7 strikeouts.  Over his last 10 starts (61.2 IP), he’s posted a 1.17 ERA while striking out 61, walking 10, and holding opponents to a .228 batting average.  In only one of those outings did he allow more than 1 earned run, and that was only a 2-spot.  The lefty was the Indians’ 32nd round pick in the 2009 draft, out of the University of Virginia.  After proving his mettle in A ball all season long, he’s ready for the next level.

JEANMAR GOMEZ (age 22) is showing why the Indians gave him a spot start a week ago.  He responded to being sent back to AAA Columbus after his first big league start (7 shutout innings) with another stellar performance on Friday, allowing 1 earned run on 6 hits and no walks while striking out 7 in 8 innings of work against the Pawtucket Red Sox.  After these two performances, he is likely the first in line should the Indians make the call to AAA for a starter anytime soon.  Over his last 10 starts, there has been a direct correlation between his strikeout totals and overall performance.  In the 4 outings where he posted more than 4 strikeouts, he allowed 4 earned runs in 26 innings of work for a 1.38 ERA.  In the 6 starts where he recorded 4 strikeouts or less, he gave up 28 earned runs in 33.2 innings for an ERA of 7.59.  Not every pitcher is a strikeout pitcher, nor can they all be, but Gomez thrives in general when he can make batters whiff.

Outfielder KEVIN RUCKER (age 20) of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers is quietly putting together a solid season.  The Indians’ 47th round pick in 2007 (1,381st overall), Rucker spent the 2007-2009 seasons in rookie-level ball before moving up to the Class A Short-Season Scrappers this year.  Last night, he went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk, raising his season totals to .308 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 7 RBI in 21 games (65 at-bats).  Over his past 10 games, he’s shown some growth at the plate, batting .387 and getting on base at a .429 clip.  However, he will have to continue cutting down on the strikeouts and try to take more walks; he’s posted a 19:4 strikeout to walk ratio on the season.

Akron Aeros outfielder TIM FEDROFF (age 23) continues to streak, going 2 for 5 at the plate on Friday with a solo home run.  During his past 10 games, he’s hitting .350 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, and 6 RBI with 6 strikeouts to 2 walks.  Selected by the Tribe in the 7th round of the 2008 draft out of the University of North Carolina, he possesses little power (MiLB career high of 4 HRs in 378 at-bats last season) and modest speed (only 6 this season after 13 last year).  After batting .319 for the Scrappers in 2008, he hit only .278 for Kinston last year and .271 for Akron this season.  Although he’s struck out at a lower rate this year than last, he’s also drawn fewer walks.  If he hopes to make it to the major league level, he’ll need to become an on-base machine.

The Rundown:  CORD PHELPS extended his current hitting streak to 11 games on Friday with a single in 3 at-bats.  He also walked.  The Clippers second baseman is now hitting .432 in his past 10 games (.512 OBP) and .373 (.439 OBP) in 118 AAA at-bats.  At this point, he’s probably more likely to get a late-season call-up to the Indians than…  JOSH RODRIGUEZ (age 25), who went 1 for 4 with a solo jack in Friday’s game.  After a hot start in AAA, he’s cooled off considerably, batting only .227 with 2 doubles, 1 HR, and 7 RBI with 2 walks to 8 Ks in his past 10 games.  He’s batting .314 on the season for Columbus (172 at-bats) with 11 doubles, 7 HRs, and 29 RBI (23 walks to 36 strikeouts)…  BEAU MILLS went 0 for 4 on Thursday, but rebounded with a 2 for 4 performance on Friday, slugging a double, driving in 1 run, and stealing a base.  His season batting average is now up to .233…  Akron teammate MATT McBRIDE continued his power surge, smacking a 3-run home run on Friday.  He now has 16 on the season, 4 of those coming in his past 10 games – he’s hitting .324 during that stretch, with 2 doubles and 11 RBI…  Another appearance here for ADAM ABRAHAM, the Lake County Captains first baseman.  He went 2 for 3 on Friday against Burlington, raising his season average to .226.  He’s improved that season figure drastically over the past 10 games, batting .368 during that span with 4 doubles, 2 HR, and 8 RBI (not to mention a decent 4:7 K to BB ratio).  He’s one of my favorite guys in the lower echelons of the Indians farm system.

July 22: Kipnis, Weglarz Crack BA Hot Sheet

Two Indians minor leaguers, JASON KIPNIS and NICK WEGLARZ, received attention in this week’s edition of Baseball America‘s “Prospect Hot Sheet.”  AA second baseman Kipnis capped an excellent 7-game stretch on Wednesday with a 1 for 3, 2 BB performance against Altoona.  During that period, he batted .565 (13 for 23) with 3 doubles, 2 HR, and 5 RBI (also, a 4:5 K:BB ratio), earning the #3 spot on BA‘s hot list.  AAA outfielder Weglarz claimed the #13 spot after hitting another home run on Thursday, making that three games in a row with a jack.  In the past week, he hit .458 (11 for 24) with 3 doubles, 3 HR, and 4 RBI with a (3:5 K:BB ratio).  It’s one thing when a blogger following only one organization’s MiLB system takes note of individual performances over a given stretch of time, but it’s another thing altogether when those guys receive recognition from something as comprehensive and renowned as BA.  Both of these guys are demonstrating tremendous MLB potential right now…

Relief pitcher TYLER STURDEVANT (age 24) of the high A Kinston Indians continues to have a tremendous season.  On Thursday, he tossed two scoreless innings against Wilmington, giving up 2 hits and striking out 3.  It was only his third appearance for the Indians – he’s pitched 4 scoreless innings for that squad, logging 4 hits allowed, 1 walk, and 4 Ks.  He spent most of the season in Lake County, where he pitched 35.2 innings (16 appearances), holding opponents to a dismal .140 average while maintaining a 0.76 ERA, striking out 56, and walking only 8.  Although bit on the older side for high A ball, Sturdevant is only in his second professional season after getting drafted by the Indians in 2009 (27th round, out of New Mexico State).  With Mahoning Valley in 2009, he struck out 42 batters in 36 innings while posting a 2.75 ERA in 36 innings of work (19 appearances).  Sturdevant clearly has some lethal stuff on the mound, so it will be exciting to see how he progresses through high A ball.

A couple of pitchers on the Lake County Captains squad put together an impressive outing on Thursday.  Starter CLAYTON COOK (age 20) went six strong innings, allowing 1 earned run on 4 hits and a walk while striking out 4.  He’s had a nice season for the Captains, posting a 3.68 ERA with 66 strikeouts, 29 walks, and an opponent batting average of .249 in 18 starts (93 IP).  Over his last 10 starts, he’s shown improvement, posting a 2.91 ERA, .230 opponent batting average, and 41 strikeouts to 13 walks during that span (52.2 innings).  ANTWOINE HUBBARD (age 21) followed up Cook’s stellar start with 3 innings of shutout ball in which he struck out 4 while giving up 1 hit and 1 walk.  On the season, he’s tossed 43.1 innings over 21 outings, logging a 3.12 ERA and .230 opponent batting average while striking out 43 and walking 16.  This big right-hander can strike batters out, posting an average of 1 K per inning pitched during his two years of professional ball.  I’m not as high on him as I am Sturdevant, but the University of Oklahoma product has some potential.

DELVI CID (age 21) of the Lake County Captains has some speed.  The centerfielder swiped 3 bags on Thursday, also going 3 for 5 at the plate with 2 runs scored.  On the season, Cid has stolen 46 bases while being caught 9 times.  The downside here is that he’s batting only .249 with a .304 on-base percentage.  He also has no power, as he has only 9 doubles, 1 triple, and 1 HR on the year.  At 6’2″, 170 lbs., he has some room to grow and develop some power, but that won’t matter if he can’t cut down on the strikeouts (82 in 338 at-bats) and get on base more often (84 hits, 23 walks).  Although he’s still young, his batting average and on-base percentage have both steadily declined over the past 3 seasons, even as he’s increased his stolen base totals each of those years.  His speed is electrifying, but I will temper my enthusiasm about this guy until he shows that he can get on base more often.

The Rundown:  A handful of guys had a good day at the plate on Thursday for Kinston.  KAREXON SANCHEZ (age 22) had his third solid game in a row, going 1 for 2 with 3 walks, 2 RBI, and a run scored.  He’s hitting .286 over his last 10 games with an OBP of .457.  My favorite Indians catcher who is not Carlos Santana, CHUN CHEN (age21), went 1 for 4 with a pair of RBI.  Centerfielder ABNER ABREU (age 20) also went 1 for 4, but tripled and drove in 4 runs.  Rightfielder LUCAS MONTERO (age 25) went 1 for 3 with 2 RBI, 2 walks, and 2 runs scored…  Lake County first baseman ADAM ABRAHAM (age 23) continues to draw my attention with his performances.  On Thursday, he went 2 for 4 at the dish, slugging a double and driving in a pair of runs.

July 21: Weglarz Goes Yard Again, Young Guns Adams and Espino Impress

NICK WEGLARZ continues to swing a big bat.  After having a day off on Tuesday, he went 2 for 5 against Durham on Wednesday, slugging a solo home run and drawing a walk.  He’s now batting .400 over his last 10 games, including 3 HRs, 4 doubles, and 5 RBI to go along with a 4:6 K:BB ratio.  Weglarz has made a steady adjustment to AAA ball after his promotion from AA in May, increasing his OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) each month, from .693 in May to .733 in June, finally to 1.163 in July.  He will likely be unable to maintain such a torrid pace, but he’s showcased some big-league talent over the last few weeks that will not go unnoticed in the Indians organization.

Fellow Clipper WES HODGES (age 25) was 0 for 13 in the series with the Durham Bulls heading into the 12th inning of Wednesday’s contest.  That was until he unloaded a 2-run double that gave Columbus the 8-6 victory.  Hodges once appeared to be one of the more promising prospects in the Indians organization after a a 2007 season in which he posted a line of .288 with 22 doubles, 15 home runs, and 71 RBI for high A Kinston and a 2008 campaign that saw him play even better for AA Akron: .290 with 29 doubles, 18 HRs, and 97 RBI.  While defensive struggles forced a move from third base to first, his numbers at the plate have been less than impressive.  This season, he’s batting .265 with 22 doubles, 8 home runs, and 44 RBI in 90 games (347 at-bats) for Columbus.  With Matt LaPorta settling in nicely at first for the Indians and other guys out performing him in the minors, Hodges will need to step it up if he hopes to crack the Tribe lineup next season.

KAREXON SANCHEZ (age 22) of the Kinston Indians followed up a strong 2 for 4, HR, 2 RBI performance on Tuesday with 3 hits in 5-at bats on Wednesday, including a double, a home run, and 2 RBI.  The switch-hitting infielder is now batting .262 over 201 high A at-bats with 14 doubles, 9 HR, and 39 RBI.  While he has struck out 76 times this season, he’s also shown some patience at the plate, drawing 53 walks to make his on-base percentage a robust .391.  Although he’s yet to hit for average in his five-year minor league career, he hit 12 jacks for Lake County in 2008 and another 11 for that team in 2009 – decent power for a middle infielder.  At 22, he still has a couple of years to pull it all together, though.  But as things stand now, middle infield is one of the organization’s strengths, so he’s in for a quite a challenge as he pushes through the minor leagues.

Another Kinston Indian facing a tough battle for a future with the Indians is catcher CHUN CHEN (age 21).  To his credit, Chen impressed in 58 games with Lake County to start the season, batting .312 with 21 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs, and 39 RBI in 218 at-bats.  He’s struggled a bit since getting the call up to Kinston, hitting .263 with 3 doubles, a HR, and 6 RBI in 11 games (38 at-bats).  He had one of his better high A games on Wednesday, going 2 for 4 against Winston Salem, smacking a double and driving in a run.  With Carlos Santana entrenching himself in the big league squad, it will be interesting to track Chen’s development over the next couple of years.  He’s not exactly racing through the minors (this is his third season), so he’s probably at least a couple of seasons away from pushing for the call to the Show.

A couple of pitchers put together strong starts for Indians minor league squads yesterday.  AUSTIN ADAMS (age 23), the Tribe’s 5th-round pick in 2009, tossed 5 scoreless innings for Kinston, allowing only 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 2.  In 5 appearances for the Indians (4 starts), he’s posted a 1.25 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 7 walks in 21.2 innings of work – opponents are batting only .203 against him.  I like his ability to strike batters out; before getting promoted to Kinston, he struck out 61 batters in 53.1 innings for Lake County.  His only problem there was the longball (he gave up 7).  He’s allowed only 1 so far in high A, which might help to explain his lower ERA in Kinston (1.25 versus 3.54).  Since I started this blog, starting pitcher PAOLO ESPINO (age 23) of the Akron Aeros has made two starts – and both have been noteworthy (see my July 16 Rundown).  On Wednesday, he pitched six solid innings against the Altoona Curve, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6.  For the second straight outing, he gave up no home runs, a welcome improvement considering that he gave up 6 in his previous 6 outings.  Although overshadowed by teammate Alex White, Espino is one to keep an eye on.

The Rundown:  A lot to get through today, so without further ado…  Another good day at the plate for Aeros first baseman BEAU MILLS on Wednesday.  He went 2 for 4 for the second straight game, legging out a rare triple.  There’s yet hope for him…  Clippers third baseman JARED GOEDERT put forth another nice effort, going 2 for 5 at the plate with a double, 2 RBI, and a walk.  He’s very good…  AAA second baseman CORD PHELPS logged only 1 hit in 6 at-bats in yesterday’s 12-inning game with Durham, but it was good enough to extend his current hitting streak to 10 games… ADAM ABRAHAM of the Lake County Captains continues to turn his season around.  The first baseman went 2 for 4 at the dish, doubling and driving in 2 against the Burlington Bees.  He’s now batting .385 (10 for 26) in his last 6 games with 4 doubles, 2 HR, and 7 RBI….  I’m liking the Mahoning Valley Scrappers’ JONATHAN BURNETTE more and more each day.  On Wednesday, the 22 year-old outfielder went 2 for 4 on Wednesday with a double and an RBI.  He’s now hitting .361 in his last 10 games and .409 (10 for 22) over his last 6.

July 20: Top Aeros Prospects Slugging

If it seems like I seem to write about JASON KIPNIS every day, it’s because I am.  The 23 year-old second baseman remains on a tear, as he went 2 for 5 on Tuesday, ripping 2 home runs and driving in 4 runs for the Akron Aeros.  Although Kipnis’s recent hot streak has been impressive (15 for 25  in his past 6 games for a .600 average), he hadn’t hit any home runs since June and had only 3 RBI in all of July before last night.  It’s just unfortunate for Kipnis that both Cord Phelps and Josh Rodriguez are having solid seasons in AAA.  However, if he keeps playing the way he has this season, the Indians will eagerly make a place for him.  After all, out of those three guys, I think that Kipnis has the greatest pure talent of the three and, therefore, the highest ceiling in terms of potential.  In short, he’s the Indians second baseman of the future.

Kipnis’s teammates LONNIE CHISENHALL and BEAU MILLS also hit bombs for the Aeros yesterday.  Chisenhall went 2 for 4 with a solo shot, raising his AA average to .276.  Although he’s hitting only .263 over his last 10 games, he’s logged more walks than strikeouts during that period (6:5), suggesting that his plate discipline is improving.  In theory, that should lead to a spike in his batting average before long.  As I pointed out a couple of days ago, Mills is turning his season around.  He also went 2 for 4 last night, with a double,  a home run, and 3 RBI.  He’s now batting .270 over his past 10 games with 2 home runs, 4 doubles,  and 10 RBI.  However, he has only 2 walks in the span to go along with 9 strikeouts – greater success will come if he can even out that ratio.  At only 23 and possessing such tremendous raw power, he still has an opportunity to become a cornerstone of the Indians offense within the next few years.

Starting pitcher JOSEPH GARDNER (age 22) of the Kinston Indians continues to put together an impressive first professional baseball season.  On Tuesday, he pitched 6 innings, allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2.  In 14 starts in high A ball, Gardner, the Indians 3rd round draft pick in 2009 out of the University of California- Santa Barbara, has posted a 2.62 ERA with 31 walks and 75 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched.  Opposing batters are hitting a mere .185 against him.  He started the 2010 campaign with Lake County, putting together a stat line of a 3.24 ERA, 11 walks, 38 strikeouts, and an opponent batting average of .185 in 25 innings pitched (6 starts).  The big right-hander (6’4, 220 lbs.) appears to have a bright future with the Tribe, although he’s likely about two years away from the big leagues provided he continues his current level of performance.

The Rundown:  JONATHAN BURNETTE, the 22 year-old Mahoning Valley outfielder mentioned in the July 18 Rundown, continues to impress.  On Tuesday, he went 2 for 3 with a triple and an RBI, raising his season average to .316.  He’s one to watch in the lower levels of the Indians organization…  The Columbus Clippers had a quiet game yesterday, losing 7-0 to Durham.  However, JARED GOEDERT went 1 for 3 with a double while CORD PHELPS extended his current hitting streak to 9 games with a single in 3 at-bats…  The Mahoning Valley Scrappers’ pitching staff put together a stellar performance on Tuesday, allowing only 4 hits while shutting out the State College Spikes.  Starter ALEX KAMINSKY (age 22) struck out four, walked two, and gave up 3 hits in 5 innings of work.  In seven starts for the Scrappers (35.1 innings pitched), Kaminsky has posted a 2.04 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 13 walks while allowing an opponent batting average of .223.  Lefty JAMES REICHENBACH (age 22) followed with 2 innings of 1-hit, 1-strikeout ball.  JAMES EHLERT (age 22) closed out the game, whiffing 5 of 6 batters while not allowing a baserunner.  The Texas A&M alum has struck out 25 in 17.2 innings of relief work for the Scrappers, walking 4 and posting an ERA of 2.55.