Thursday, September 29, 2011

Rays win wildcard ... and (again) with major help from prospects!

Yesterday was one of the most memorable days, not just in Rays history, but also in baseball history. The Rays and Cards not just outduelled the Red Sox and Braves, they also did it in remarkable fashion. I've never felt so hyped watching baseball since the 2008 season ... it was awesome.

The most remarkable thing about the 3rd Rays playoff appearance in 4 years is the way they do it. They build from within. They have to do it that way in order to compete with the power houses of the AL East (which will not only be two but three in the near future with the very smart Blue Jays front office). And ... it's the right way. The Rays can't and won't compete on the open market. They can't and won't sign big-time free agents. They have to (and do) find some hidden gems every year. And, they have to (and do) develop their own talent.

In my introductory post on this site I mentioned that I mostly love the Rays out of two reasons. First, because I always like the underdog and second, because they do business the right way. And that is showing off right now. The Rays win despite losing tons of major league talent in Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Rafael Soriano, Matt Garza, Grant Balfour, Dan Wheeler, ... . And they do it by (mostly) replacing these players from within.

I know lots of people would have liked to see the likes of Desmond Jennings, David Price (in 2009) or Jeremy Hellickson (in 2010) being promoted earlier, but the Rays have to make sure that their up-coming prospects deliver from day one. They have to be READY when they hit the majors. The Rays normally are not able to lock up their major league talent for much more than the first 6-7 years (except for Shieldsie and Longo! ;-)) and that is why they have to make sure that the players they develop are ready from day one. I think that is a very smart plan which gives the Rays a chance to compete every year. Therefore, lets check out the following graph:

(Click at the image for a larger view)

The Rays have the 3rd best winning record in the AL since 2008 (only 1 win behind the Red Sox) and the most playoff appearances (with the Yankees). And that's especially remarkable as every year rookies played a very essential part in reaching those goals!

As you see above, talent development is key to the Rays success. And because the front office knows and lives that, I love the Rays. I love blogging about their prospects as they are key to the (future) organizational success. That's also the reason why I have been a bit disappointed with this years' draft class as talent acquisition is also key to the organizations success. That's also the reason why I check the minor league box scores of every affiliation every day.

Summarizingly said, I love to watch people at work when they know what they are doing. (Side note: And I also feel that way watching Guy Boucher and Steve Yzerman as well as Mark Dominik and Raheem Morris work ... great time to be a Tampa fan!). I trust the process as it has brought us the likes of Evan Longoria, Desmond Jennings, Jeremy Hellickson, David Price, Matt Moore, Alex Cobb, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, ... via draft and the likes of Ben Zobrist, Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez, Matt Garza, Rafael Soriano, Casey Kotchman, Joel Peralta, Grant Balfour, Carlos Pena, Dan Johnson, ... via trade or free agency.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

2011 Rays Minor League Awards

The Tampa Bay Rays handed out their minor league awards last night prior to the game against the Yankees. Here are the players who took home the honors:

Minor League Player of the Year: Stephen Vogt
Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Matt Moore

Durham Bulls MVP: Russ Canzler
Montgomery Biscuits MVP: Stephen Vogt
Charlotte Stone Crabs MVP: Hak-Ju Lee
Bowling Green Hot Rods MVP: Derek Dietrich
Hudson Valley Renegades MVP: Jeff Malm
Princeton Rays MVP: Drew Vettleson
GCL Rays MVP: Roberto Gomez
DSL Rays MVP: Adderly Rosa
VSL Ray MVP: Oscar Hernandez

Best Defensive Player: Hak-Ju Lee
Best Baserunner: Tyler Bortnick
Best Reliever: Chris Rearick

You can read more about the awards here.

Monday, September 26, 2011

2011 Rays Prospects Reader Choice Players of the Year: Durham Bulls

The poll for the RP Readers Choice MVP's for the Durham Bulls has closed and here are the results.

Durham Bulls Hitter of the Year: Russ Canzler
Durham Bulls Pitcher of the Year: Alex Cobb

Canzler had an outstanding 2011 season, earning the International League MVP title. He lead the Bulls in most offensive statistics as well as topped the league in slugging and doubles. Canzler finished the season hitting .314 with 40 doubles, 4 triples, 18 home runs and 83 RBI's. His production earned him a spot on the IL All-Star Team as well as a September call-up to the Tampa Bay Rays. Canzler joined the Rays as a minor league free agent prior to the 2011 season.

Cobb continued to work his way up the organizational ladder by splitting 2011 with the Bulls and the Rays. He began his season with the Bulls, appearing in 12 games with them. In those 12 starts, he compiled a 5-1 record with a 1.87 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings pitched. He was then promoted to the Rays where he has spent the remaineder of the season. Cobb was drafted by the Rays in the fourth round of the 2006 Draft.

Below are the top five of each category as chosen by the readers of Rays Prospects.

Hitters
1. Russ Canzler (54.76%)
2. Brandon Guyer (26.19%)
3. Desmond Jennings (19.05%)

Pitchers
1. Alex Cobb (63.41%)
2. Alex Torres (24.39%)
3. Cory Wade (4.88%)
4. Dane De La Rosa (2.44%)
4. Rob Delaney (2.44%)
4. Matt Torra (2.44%)

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Future Considerations Podcast (Episode 3: Special Guest Matt Eddy of BaseballAmerica)

This week, Matt Eddy answers some questions about Rays prospects in Princeton; Eddy wrote up the BaseballAmerica Top 20 Appalachian League Prospects. He also talks about what goes into compiling such lists, as well as some of the other work he does at BA. Afterwards, Kevin and Scott continue the discussion and also talk a little about about the big league club as they come down the stretch.

mp3 Download (24.1 MB; 0h26m25s)
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2011 Year in Review: GCL Rays (Pitching)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2011 season by taking a look at the pitching leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the pitching stats of the GCL Rays.

ERA:
1. Shay Crawford (0.00)
1. Stayton Thomas (0.00)
3. Ferlix Fuentes (1.08)
4. Ricky Orta (1.13)
5. Zach Butler (1.69)
6. Theron Geith (2.13)
7. Shawn Smith (2.25)
8. Roberto Gomez (2.48, fifth in GCL)
9. Trevor Shull (2.51)
10. Bruedlin Suero (2.63, sixth in GCL)

Wins:
1. Theron Geith (4)
2. Roberto Gomez (3)
2. Bruedlin Suero (3)
2. Hugo Duate (3)
5. Joe Cruz (2)
5. Zach Butler (2)
7. Shay Crawford (1)
7. Shawn Smith (1)
7. Trevor Shull (1)
7. Blake Snell (1)
7. Isaac Gil (1)
7. Ryan Turner (1)
7. Joan Guererro (1)

Saves:
1. Theron Geith (4)
2. Shawn Smith (1)
2. Stayton Thomas (1)
2. Daniel Bream (1)

Holds:
1. Zach Butler (2)
1. Isaac Gil (2)
3. Ryan Turner (1)
3. Joan Guerrero (1)
3. Stefan Havlicek (1)

Strikeouts:
1. Roberto Gomez (42)
2. Hugo Duarte (39)
3. Eli Echarry (38)
4. Bruedlin Suero (36)
5. Theron Geith (30)
6. Blake Snell (26)
7. Shawn Smith (21)
7. Daniel Bream (21)
7. Shay Crawford (21)
10. Joan Guerrero (20)

WHIP:
1. Stayton Thomas (0.18)
2. Shay Crawford (0.51)
3. Ricky Orta (0.88)
4. Roberto Gomez (0.92, second in GCL)
5. Felix Fuentes (0.96)
6. Trevor Shull (0.98)
7. David Kubiak (1.00)
8. Bruedlin Suero (1.02, fourth in GCL)
8. Jacob Faria (1.02)
10. Shawn Smith (1.03)

Saturday, September 24, 2011

2011 Year in Review: Durham Bulls (Hitting)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2011 season by taking a look at the offensive leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the offensive stats of the Durham Bulls.

Batting Average:
1. Russ Canzler (.314, fourth in INT)
2. Brandon Guyer (.312, fifth in INT)
3. Felipe Lopez (.305)
4. Justin Ruggiano (.304)
5. Jose Lobaton (.293)
6. Stephen Vogt (.290)
7. Chris Carter (.286)
8. Leslie Anderson (.277)
9. Desmond Jennings (.275)
10. Dan Johnson (.273)

Slugging:
1. Russ Canzler (.530, first in INT)
2. Brandon Guyer (.521, fifth in INT)
3. Justin Ruggiano (.518)
4. Stephen Vogt (.516)
5. Matt Carson (.512)
6. Jose Lobaton (.489)
7. Chris Carter (.488)
8. Felipe Lopez (.474)
9. Tim Beckham (.462)
10. Dan Johnson (.459)

On Base Pct:
1. Jose Lobaton (.410)
2. Russ Canzler (.401, second in INT)
3. Brandon Guyer (.384, fourth in INT)
4. Dan Johnson (.382, fifth in INT)
5. Justin Ruggiano (.378)
6. Desmond Jennings (.374)
7. Felipe Lopez (.357)
8. Robinson Chirinos (.343)
9. Matt Carson (.337)
10. Chris Carter (.331)

Hits:
1. Russ Canzler (149, third in INT)
2. Leslie Anderson (128)
3. Brandon Guyer (121)
4. Ray Olmedo (119)
5. Desmond Jennings (93)
6. Dan Johnson (91)
7. Chris Carter (81)
7. JJ Furmaniak (81)
9. Robinson Chirinos (73)
10. Felipe Lopez (58)

Doubles:
1. Russ Canzler (40, first in INT)
2. Brandon Guyer (29)
3. Leslie Anderson (24)
4. Dan Johnson (23)
4. JJ Furmaniak (23)
6. Ray Olmedo (22)
7. Desmond Jennings (19)
8. Chris Carter (15)
9. Stephen Vogt (14)
10. Robinson Chirinos (13)
10. Justin Ruggiano (13)

Triples:
1. Brandon Guyer (5, tied tenth in INT)
2. Russ Canzler (4)
3. Ray Olmedo (3)
3. Desmond Jennings (3)
5. John Matulia (2)
5. Tim Beckham (2)
7. Stephen Vogt (1)
7. Robinson Chirinos (1)
7. Justin Ruggiano (1)
7. Jose Lobaton (1)
7. Daniel Mayora (1)
7. Reid Brignac (1)
7. Nevin Ashley (1)

Home Runs:
1. Russ Canzler (18)
2. Brandon Guyer (14)
2. Chris Carter (14)
4. Leslie Anderson (13)
4. Dan Johnson (13)
6. Desmond Jennings (12)
7. Jose Lobaton (8)
8. Justin Ruggiano (7)
8. Felipe Lopez (7)
10. Robinson Chirinos (6)

RBI’s:
1. Russ Canzler (83, fifth in INT)
2. Leslie Anderson (65)
3. Chris Carter (63)
4. Brandon Guyer (61)
5. Dan Johnson (52)
6. Desmond Jennings (39)
7. Felipe Lopez (37)
8. Justin Ruggiano (34)
9. JJ Furmaniak (32)
10. Jose Lobaton (31)

Stolen Bases:
1. Desmond Jennings (17)
2. Brandon Guyer (16)
3. Justin Ruggiano (12)
4. JJ Furmaniak (9)
5. Russ Canzler (5)
5. Ray Olmedo (5)
7. Daniel Mayora (3)
8. Leslie Anderson (2)
8. Tim Beckham (2)
10. Chris Carter (1)
10. Felipe Lopez (1)
10. Robinson Chirinos (1)
10. Omar Luna (1)

Hot Rods Announcer Promoted to Double-A

Bowling Green Hot Rods announcer and media point man Tom Gauthier is moving up to be the voice of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Double-A Eastern League. Tom started there as the official scorer and part-time broadcaster before joining the Hot Rods for their inaugural season. The Fisher Cats and Hot Rods are owned by the same ownership group.

Good luck, Tom!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Vote for the 2011 Rays Prospects Reader Choice Players of the Year: Durham Bulls

The Rays Prospects Reader Choice MVP poll enters the home stretch as we release the final affiliate poll. Beginning today, you can vote for the most valuable hitter and pitcher for the Durham Bulls this season. The winner of this round will join the winners from the other affiliates in a final vote for most valuable players in the Rays minor league system.

The poll will run for three days and you can only vote once. The roster is comprised of players who played the majority of their 2011 games with the Bulls.

Voting begins now for the RP Reader's Choice Player of the Year for the Durham Bulls and will run until 6pm EDT on Sunday.

Click here to take the survey now.

2011 Year in Review: Montgomery Biscuits (Hitting)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2011 season by taking a look at the offensive leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the offensive stats of the Montgomery Biscuits.

Batting Average:
1. Daniel Mayora (.305)
2. Stephen Vogt (.301, ninth in SOU)
3. Cole Figeroa (.283)
4. Nevin Ashley (.280)
5. Shawn O'Malley (.276)
6. Tim Beckham (.275)
7. Henry Wrigley (.274)
8. Brett Nommensen (.267)
9. Jake Jefferies (.263)
9. Kyeong Kang (.263)

Slugging:
1. Stephen Vogt (.487, ninth in SOU)
2. Daniel Mayora (.482)
3. Henry Wrigley (.464)
4. Kyeong Kang (.437)
5. John Shelby (.436)
6. Isaias Velasquez (.417)
7. Nevin Ashley (.412)
8. John Matulia (.400)
9. Cole Figeroa (.398)
10. Tim Beckham (.395)

On Base Pct:
1. Daniel Mayora (.388)
2. Nevin Ashley (.387)
3. Kyeong Kang (.384, eighth in SOU)
4. Cole Figeroa (.375, tenth in SOU)
5. Shawn O'Malley (.369)
6. Stephen Vogt (.344)
7. Tim Beckham (.339)
8. Craig Albernaz (.336)
9. Isaias Velasquez (.332)
10. Reid Fronk (.317)

Hits:
1. Henry Wrigley (128)
2. Cole Figeroa (116)
2. Stephen Vogt (116)
4. Tim Beckham (115)
5. John Shelby (103)
6. Shawn O'Malley (85)
7. Daniel Mayora (83)
7. Kyeong Kang (83)
9. Nevin Ashley (78)
10. Isaias Velasquez (52)

Doubles:
1. Henry Wrigley (34, sixth in SOU)
2. Tim Beckham (25)
3. Stephen Vogt (21)
4. Cole Figeroa (20)
4. John Shelby (20)
6. Daniel Mayora (19)
7. Nevin Ashley (15)
8. Kyeong Kang (14)
9. Isaias Velasquez (11)
9. Matt Sweeney (11)

Triples:
1. Isaias Velasquez (8, tied fourth in SOU)
2. Stephen Vogt (6, tied seventh in SOU)
2. Cole Figeroa (6, tied seventh in SOU)
4. John Shelby (5)
4. Shawn O'Malley (5)
6. Daniel Mayora (4)
6. Kyeong Kang (4)
6. Hak-Ju Lee (4)
9. Henry Wrigley (3)
9. Tim Beckham (3)
9. Nevin Ashley (3)
9. John Matulia (3)

Home Runs:
1. Henry Wrigley (17, ninth in SOU)
2. John Shelby (16, tied tenth in SOU)
3. Stephen Vogt (13)
4. Kyeong Kang (11)
5. Daniel Mayora (7)
5. Tim Beckham (7)
5. John Matulia (7)
5. Matt Sweeney (7)
9. Nevin Ashley (6)
10. Cole Figeroa (5)

RBI’s:
1. Stephen Vogt (85, tied fifth in SOU)
2. Henry Wrigley (84, seventh in SOU)
3. Tim Beckham (57)
4. John Shelby (52)
5. Cole Figeroa (51)
6. Daniel Mayora (42)
6. John Matulia (42)
8. Kyeong Kang (39)
9. Nevin Ashley (33)
10. Matt Sweeney (29)

Stolen Bases:
1. Shawn O'Malley (24, fifth in SOU)
2. Tim Becham (15)
3. Cole Figeroa (9)
4. John Shelby (7)
5. Kyeong Kang (6)
6. Daniel Mayora (5)
6. Isaias Velasquez (5)
6. Hak-Ju Lee (5)
9. Stephen Vogt (4)
10. Henry Wrigley (3)
10. John Matulia (3)

Thursday, September 22, 2011

2011 Rays Prospects Reader Choice Players of the Year: Montgomery Biscuits

The poll for the RP Readers Choice MVP's for the Montgomery Biscuits has closed and here are the results.

Montgomery Biscuits Hitter of the Year: Stephen Vogt
Montgomery Biscuits Pitcher of the Year: Matt Moore

Vogt proved that 2010 was no fluke as his offensive production carried over into 2011. Vogt lead the Biscuits in average, slugging and RBI's while ranking in the top five of most of the other offensive stats. He finished the season with a .298 average, 35 doubles, 7 triples, 17 homer runs and 105 RBI's in 128 games split between the Biscuits and the Bulls. Vogt was a mid and post season all-star for the Biscuits and received a promotion to Triple-A Durham late in the season. Vogt was drafted by the Rays in Round 12 of the 2007 Draft.

Moore has been lights out for the Rays organization once again in 2011. Moore led the organization in strikeouts for the third consecutive season and missed taking the Southern League strikeout title due to a July promotion to Triple-A. Moore finished the minor league season with a 12-3 overall record with a 1.92 ERA and 210 strikeouts in 27 starts combined between the Biscuits and the Bulls. He was a post season all-star as well as the being named the Southern League's Most Outstanding Pitcher. At the conclusion of the minor league season, Moore was promoted to the Rays where he will make his first start tonight against the New York Yankees.

53 readers participated in the Biscuits poll. Below are the top five of each category as chosen by the readers of Rays Prospects.

Hitters
1. Stephen Vogt (63.46%)
2. Henry Wrigley (23.08%)
3. Tim Beckham (5.77%)
4. Kyeong Kang (3.85%)
4. Daniel Mayora (3.85%)

Pitchers
1. Matt Moore (86.54%)
2. Shane Dyer (3.85%)
2. Marquis Fleming (3.85%
4. Matt Bush (1.92%)
4. Paul Phillips (1.92%)
4. Zach Quate (1.92%)

Check back tomorrow for the Durham Bulls poll.

2011 Year in Review: Charlotte Stone Crabs (Hitting)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2011 season by taking a look at the offensive leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the offensive stats of the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

Batting Average:
1. Hak-Ju Lee (.318, third in FSL)
2. Greg Sexton (.313)
3. Tyler Bortnick (.306, eighth in FSL)
4. Brett Nommensen (.292)
5. Chris Murrill (.279)
6. Omar Luna (.272)
7. Ty Morrison (.264)
8. Anthony Scelfo (.253)
9. Mike Sheridan (.243)
10. Matt Hall (.237)

Slugging:
1. Hak-Ju Lee (.443)
2. Greg Sexton (.438)
3. Tyler Bortnick (.432)
4. Brett Nommensen (.413)
5. Mark Thomas (.393)
6. Mike Sheridan (.350)
7. Omar Luna (.343)
8. Matt Hall (.337)
9. Anthony Scelfo (.333)
9. Jake Jefferies (.333)

On Base Pct:
1. Tyler Bortnick (.428, first in FSL)
2. Brett Nommensen (.404, fifth in FSL)
3. Hak-Ju Lee (.389, ninth in FSL)
4. Greg Sexton (.382)
5. Chris Murrill (.326)
6. Anthony Scelfo (.320)
7. Omar Luna (.317)
8. Matt Hall (.313)
9. Reid Fronk (.310)
10. Ty Morrison (.306)

Hits:
1. Tyler Bortnick (145, fourth in FSL)
2. Hak-Ju Lee (127)
3. Mike Sheridan (121)
4. Anthony Scelfo (101)
5. Mark Thomas (100)
6. Brett Nommensen (89)
7. Greg Sexton (88)
8. Matt Hall (74)
9. Ty Morrison (70)
10 Dustin Biell (54)

Doubles:
1. Mike Sheridan (38, second in FSL)
2. Tyler Bortnick (34, tied fifth in FSL)
3. Mark Thomas (25)
4. Greg Sexton (22)
5. Anthony Scelfo (17)
5. Brett Nommensen (17)
5. Matt Hall (17)
8. Hak-Ju Lee (16)
9. Mayo Acosta (13)
10. Jake Jefferies (12)

Triples:
1. Hak-Ju Lee (11, tied second in FSL)
2. Tyler Bortnick (7, tied sixth in FSL)
3. Brett Nommensen (4)
4. Mike Sheridan (3)
4. Anthony Scelfo (3)
4. Dustin Biell (3)
7. Greg Sexton (2)
7. Ty Morrison (2)
9. Mark Thomas (1)
9. Matt Hall (1)
9. Jake Jefferies (1)
9. Omar Luna (1)
9. Lucas Montero (1)

Home Runs:
1. Mark Thomas (13)
2. Hak-Ju Lee (4)
2. Tyler Bortnick (4)
2. Brett Nommensen (4)
2. Matt Hall (4)
6. Mike Sheridan (3)
6. Anthony Scelfo (3)
6. Greg Sexton (3)
6. Mayo Acosta (3)
10. Greg Sexton (2)

RBI’s:
1. Mike Sheridan (72, tenth in FSL)
2. Tyler Bortnick (70)
3. Mark Thomas (64)
4. Greg Sexton (59)
5. Brett Nommensen (45)
6. Anthony Scelfo (44)
7. Matt Hall (35)
8. Jake Jefferies (29)
9. Mayo Acosta (24)
10. Hak-Ju Lee (23)

Stolen Bases:
1. Tyler Bortnick (43, first in FSL)
2. Hak-Ju Lee (28, eighth in FSL)
3. Brett Nommensen (20)
4. Ty Morrison (20)
5. Anthony Scelfo (15)
6. Matt Hall (11)
7. Chris Murrill (10)
8. Dustin Biell (7)
9. Mark Thomas (6)
9. Omar Luna (6)

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

2011 Year in Review: Bowling Green Hot Rods (Hitting)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2011 season by taking a look at the offensive leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the offensive stats of the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

Batting Average:
1. Keith Castillo (.330)
2. Robby Price (.283)
3. Derek Dietrich (.277)
3. Steven Tinoco (.277)
5. Phil Wunderlich (.263)
6. Robi Estrada (.255)
7. Hector Guevara (.248)
8. Julio Cedeno (.246)
9. Cody Rogers (.244)
10. Kevin Kiermaier (.241)

Slugging:
1. Keith Castillo (.567)
2. Derek Dietrich (.502, fifth in MID)
3. Taylor Motter (.455)
4. Phil Wunderlich (.432)
5. Robby Price (.407)
6. Cody Rogers (.404)
7. Mayo Acosta (.403)
8. Julio Cedeno (.394)
9. Lucas Bailey (.385)
10. Hector Guevara (.372)

On Base Pct:
1. Robby Price (.426, first in MID)
2. Keith Castillo (.409)
3. Steven Tinoco (.361)
4. Derek Dietrich (.346)
5. Mayo Acosta (.341)
5. Robi Estrada (.341)
7. Phil Wunderlich (.326)
8. Cody Rogers (.321)
8. Kyle Holloway (.321)
10. Kevin Kiermaier (.316)

Hits:
1. Derek Dietrich (133, seventh in MID)
2. Phil Wunderlich (132, eighth in MID)
3. Robby Price (121)
4. Cody Rogers (116)
5. Steven Tinoco (103)
6. Kevin Kiermaier (97)
7. Nick Schwaner (96)
8. Julio Cedeno (65)
9. Hector Guevara (58)
10. Robi Estrada (56)

Doubles:
1. Derek Dietrich (34, tied fourth in MID)
1. Phil Wunderlich (34, tied fourth in MID)
3. Robby Price (25)
4. Nick Schwaner (20)
5. Cody Rogers (18)
6. Luke Bailey (17)
7. Hector Guevara (16)
8. Steven Tinoco (15)
9. Julio Cedeon (13)
10. Kevin Kiermaier (11)

Triples:
1. Cody Rogers (11, tied first in MID)
2. Kevin Kiermaier (8, tied fifth in MID)
3. Robby Price (5)
3. Nick Schwaner (5)
5. Derek Dietrich (4)
6. Robi Estrada (3)
7. Hector Guevara (2)
7. Todd Glaesmann (2)
9. Luke Bailey (1)
9. Julio Cedeno (1)
9. Mayo Acosta (1)

Home Runs:
1. Derek Dietrich (22, third in MID)
2. Phil Wunderlich (17)
3. Cody Rogers (12)
4. Nick Schwaner (8)
4. Julio Cedeno (8)
6. Luke Bailey (7)
7. Robby Price (6)
8. Keith Castillo (5)
9. Kevin Kiermaier (4)
9. Todd Glaesmann (4)

RBI’s:
1. Phil Wunderlich (86, tied third in MID)
2. Derek Dietrich (81, sixth in MID)
3. Cody Rogers (51)
4. Steven Tinoco (49)
5. Nick Schwaner (44)
5. Robby Price (44)
7. Kevin Kiermaier (39)
8. Luke Bailey (35)
9. Julio Cedeno (31)
10. Hector Guevara (29)

Stolen Bases:
1. Cody Rogers (28)
2. Kevin Kiermaier (27)
3. Robby Price (16)
4. Robi Estrada (14)
5. Nick Schwaner (8)
6. Todd Glaesmann (6)
7. Derek Dietrich (5)
7. Luke Bailey (5)
9. Julio Cedeno (4)
10. Steven Tinoco (3)

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Rays Affiliates League Rankings - Full Season

All stats highest to lowest, so keep that in mind when looking at strikeouts and walks (a pitching staff being ranked 1st in walks would mean they issued the most in the league).

Durham Bulls
(14-team International League)
Batting Average: 1st (.271)
On-Base Percentage: 2nd (.337)
Slugging Percentage: T-1st (.424)
Home Runs: T-3rd (136)
Walks: 9th (444)
Strikeouts: 9th most (1020)
Stolen Bases: 11th (75)

ERA: 5th (3.87)
WHIP: 4th (1.34)
Strikeouts: 3rd (1135)
Walks: 8th (461)

Montgomery Biscuits (10-team Southern League)
Batting Average: T-8th (.258)
On-Base Percentage: T-7th (.334)
Slugging Percentage: 6th (.402)
Home Runs: 4th (111)
Walks: 4th (479)
Strikeouts: 9th (937)
Stolen Bases: 8th (92)

ERA: 9th (4.39)
WHIP: 9th (1.45)
Strikeouts: 5th (1001)
Walks: 2nd (516)

Charlotte Stone Crabs (12-team Florida State League)
Batting Average: 8th (.259)
On-Base Percentage: 4th (.331)
Slugging Percentage: 10th (.361)
Home Runs: 12th (45)
Walks: 5th (432)
Strikeouts: 10th (949)
Stolen Bases: 1st (177)

ERA: 7th (3.83)
WHIP: T-5th (1.36)
Strikeouts: 8th (958)
Walks: 1st (514)

Bowling Green Hot Rods (16-team Midwest League)
Batting Average: T-6th (.252)
On-Base Percentage: T-6th (.327)
Slugging Percentage: 2nd (.391)
Home Runs: 1st (106)
Walks: 13th (421)
Strikeouts: 12th (1041)
Stolen Bases: T-8th (120)

ERA: T-10th (3.81)
WHIP: T-11th (1.34)
Strikeouts: 3rd (1119)
Walks: 11th (431)

Vote for the 2011 Rays Prospects Reader Choice Players of the Year: Montgomery Biscuits

The Rays Prospects Reader Choice MVP poll shifts gears to the Montgomery Biscuits. Its time for the readers of Rays Prospects to select the hitter and pitcher of the year for the Biscuits. The winner of this round will join the winners from the other affiliates in a final vote for most valuable players in the Rays minor league system.

The poll will run for three days and you can only vote once. The roster is comprised of players who played the majority of their 2011 games with the Biscuits.

Voting begins now for the RP Reader's Choice Player of the Year for the Montgomery Biscuits and will run until 6pm EDT on Thursday.

Click here to take the survey now.

2011 Year in Review: Hudson Valley Renegades (Hitting)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2011 season by taking a look at the offensive leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the offensive stats of the Hudson Valley Renegades.

Batting Average:
1. Jonathan Koscso (.333)
2. Gerardo Olivares (.298)
3. Matt Rice (.286)
4. Craige Lyerly (.285)
5. Alejandro Segovia (.276)
6. Jeff Malm (.257)
7. Raymond Church (.247)
8. Juniel Querecuto (.241)
9. Cesar Guillen (.239)
10. Kes Carter (.231)

Slugging:
1. Gerardo Olivares (.488)
2. Jeff Malm (.462, eighth in NYP)
3. Alejandro Segovia (.414)
4. Jonathan Koscso (.378)
5. Matt Rice (.370)
6. Craige Lyerly (.360)
7. Raymond Church (.335)
8. Kyle Holloway (.328)
9. Chris Winder (.325)
10. Cesar Guillen (.317)

On Base Pct:
1. Jonathan Koscso (.434)
2. Jeff Malm (.382)
3. Matt Rice (.376)
4. Alejandro Segovia (.364)
5. Gerardo Olivares (.355)
6. Craige Lyerly (.349)
7. Kes Carter (.333)
8. Raymond Church (.315)
9. Cesar Guillen (.313)
10. Chris Winder (.301)

Hits:
1. Juniel Querecuto (66)
2. Jeff Malm (64)
3. Chris Winder (61)
4. Matt Rice (55)
5. Craige Lyerly (49)
6. Raymond Church (45)
7. Cesar Guillen (43)
8. Brian Byles (42)
9. Leonardo Reginatto (41)
10. Tanner Biagini (26)

Doubles:
1. Jeff Malm (15)
2. Raymond Church (14)
3. Brian Bryles (13)
4. Juniel Querecuto (11)
5. Chris Winder (8)
5. Cesar Guillen (8)
5. Tanner Biagini (8)
8. Matt Rice (7)
8. Kyle Holloway (7)
10. Gerardo Olivares (6)

Triples:
1. Chris Winder (5)
2. Brian Bryles (3)
2. Juniel Querecuto (3)
4. Gerardo Olivares (2)
5. Raymond Church (1)
5. Craige Lyerly (1)
5. Diogenes Luis (1)

Home Runs:
1. Jeff Malm (12, first in NYP)
2. Kyle Holloway (4)
3. Chris Winder (3)
3. Craige Lyerly (3)
3. Matt Rice (3)
6. Gerardo Olivares (2)
6. Cesar Guillen (2)
6. Leonardo Reginatto (2)
6. Alejandro Segovia (2)

RBI’s:
1. Jeff Malm (47, second in NYP)
2. Juniel Querecuto (24)
3. Kyle Holloway (22)
4. Chris Winder (21)
4. Matt Rice (21)
6. Brian Bryles (20)
7. Craige Lyerly (19)
8. Gerardo Olivares (18)
9. Leonardo Reginatto (17)
10. Raymond Church (16)

Stolen Bases:
1. Craige Lyerly (17)
2. Chris Winder (16)
3. Brian Bryles (15)
4. Leonardo Reginatto (11)
5. Juniel Querecuto (8)
6. Matt Rice (5)
7. Raymond Church (4)
7. Cesar Guillen (4)
9. Jeff Malm (3)
9. Diogenes Luis (3)

Monday, September 19, 2011

2011 Rays Prospects Reader Choice Players of the Year: Charlotte Stone Crabs

The poll for the RP Readers Choice MVP's for the Charlotte Stone Crabs has closed and here are your results..

Charlotte Stone Crabs Hitter of the Year: Tyler Bortnick
Charlotte Stone Crabs Pitcher of the Year: Alex Colome

Bortnick was a solid performer for the Stone Crabs this season. He broke the franchise record for stolen bases while leading the league in OBP. Bortnick was near the top of all of the Stone Crabs offensive categories, finishing the season hitting .306 with 34 doubles, 7 triples, 4 home runs, 70 RBI's and 43 stolen bases in 132 games for the Stone Crabs. His work was rewarded by being named an FSL mid and post season all-star as well as earning a trip to the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Bortnick was drafted by the Rays in the 16th round out of Coastal Carolina in the 2009 Draft.

Colome was 9-5 with a 3.66 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 19 games with the Stone Crabs this season. He was awarded the FSL pitcher of the week for the week ending May 1. Colome was a member of the FSL mid-season all-star team and was later given a promotion to Double-A Montgomery. Colome was signed by the Rays as a free agent in 2007.

Only 48 readers participated in the Stone Crabs poll. Below are the top five of each category as chosen by the readers of Rays Prospects.

Hitters
1. Tyler Bortnick (41.67%)
2. Hak-Ju Lee (35.42%)
3. Mark Thomas (8.33%)
4. Greg Sexton (4.17%)
4. Mike Sheridan (4.17%)

Pitchers
1. Alex Colome (35.42%)
2. Kyle Lobstein (25%)
3. Adam Liberatore (10.42%)
3. Jake Thompson (10.42%)
5. Josh Satow (8.33%)

Check back tomorrow for the start of the Montgomery Biscuits poll.

2011 Predictions Review: Wildcard Prediction

It's that time again (after a brief break for jury duty last week); that time to look back and laugh at how bad all of our pre-season predictions were. Today we'll look back at the predictions of... anything. Panelists were invited to make a prediction about anything to do with the upcoming season. How'd we do (original post with full explanations here)?

R.J. Anderson: Alex Cobb moves up boards as he shows an improved changeup.
Verdict: I'd say this one panned out. Cobb posted a 1.87 ERA in 67.1 innings in Durham and held his own in the majors over nine starts (3.42 ERA, 37-21 K-BB in 52.2 innings) before an injury ended his season. He just barely used up his eligibility so he won't be on prospect lists this off-season.

Jason Collette: Brian Barnes struck out 213 batters in 1990 to set the current record for the Southern League; Matt Moore breaks that in 2011.
Verdict: Moore's whiffed over 200 again (210 this year), but his rate ticked up with Durham and he wasn't on pace to break the SL record with Montgomery.

FreeZorilla: Aneury Rodriguez is returned from the Astros who snaked him in the Rule 5 draft.
Verdict: Rodriguez stayed with the Astros all year, where he struggled to an ERA north of 5.00 in a swingman role. His strikeout-to-walk rate of 62-29 in 80 innings wasn't terrible, but his flyball tendencies hurt him as he allowed 13 home runs.

Cork Gaines: To me, the key to the Rays farm system in 2011 is the continued development of Alex Torres, Alex Cobb and newly acquired Chris Archer. Hopefully they won't be needed, but we need see one or two of them step up and become "next."
Verdict: Torres and Archer struggled with command but Cobb did excel in triple-A and was needed due to injuries and Andy Sonnanstine.

Kevin Gengler: Scott Shuman will start out in the Charlotte (or Montgomery) bullpen, but he'll finish the year with Durham and be in serious contention for a bullpen spot with Tampa Bay in 2012.
Verdict: Whoops. Shuman struck out 86 in 51.2 innings, but also issued 59 free passes.

Erik Hahmann: Alex Torres gets more than a September call up and has success in the Rays bullpen in 2011.
Verdict: Torres made a spot-relief appearance in July when the Rays were calling a new pitcher up from Durham every day, but stayed in the minors otherwise until September.

Jason Hanselman: As the Rays did with Wade Davis and Jake McGee I could see the team keeping Chris Archer and Matt Moore attached at the hip in their ascent to the Show and the superstardom that is sure to follow. They'll both start out in Montgomery before moving on to Durham and absolutely demolishing the league at both stops.
Verdict: Check for Moore, not for Archer. The two did each start at Montgomery and finish in Durham, but clearly Moore had the much more successful season.

Jake Larsen: Rays will go college-heavy with first 5 picks of their 11 draft picks, but end up with a very balanced draft.
Verdict: Of the first 12 picks, four were college (Mahtook, Carter, Garvin, Linsky) and one junior college (Ames).

Mike Lortz: This is going to my BusLeaguesBaseball.com leanings, where we celebrate the minor league experience: On Monday, July 4th a young father with take his son or daughter to their first ever baseball game at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery. They’ll see Matt Moore strike out 10 Tennessee Smokies; Tim Beckham go 1 for 3, with a double, a walk, and a run scored; and the Biscuits win 5-2. The kid will be given a foul ball caught by a nearby fan, stay for the fireworks, and become a fan for life.
Verdict: The Biscuits won 10-1 on July 4 thanks to a strong start from Jim Paduch, who fanned 9. Tim Beckham was 0-3 though he did walk and score. No word on foul balls.

Doug Milhoan: Two more lower-level breakouts, keep an eye on our last two 3rd round picks, Ryan Brett and Todd Glaesmann.
Verdict: Ryan Brett hit .300 for the second straight year with a .300/.370/.471 line along with 21 steals. Todd Glaesmann battled injuries and struggled to a .227/.295/.328 year.

Tommy Rancel: Not sure he can be considered a prospect, but I think Matt Bush - if healthy - is a guy who can make an impact in 2011.
Verdict: The Rays took it slow with Bush, who struck out 77 and walked 24 in 50.1 innings. The Rays are likely to take the reins off in 2012 (for example, he didn't work on back-to-back days in 2011 and often got two days off between appearances.

Steve Slowinski: Desmond Jennings doesn't see any time in the majors this season until September call-ups.
Verdict: Thankfully, Jennings was called up in late July. I think there might've been riots if Jennings stayed down until September.

Future Considerations Podcast (Episode 2: Special Guest Dave Gershman)

You can now find the show on iTunes! Search "Future Considerations" and look under Podcasts, or simply click here.

This week, the guy are joined by Dave Gershman of Penn League Report, who talks about some of the Rays' prospects who stood out in the NYP League and how much weight should be given to statistics in the low minors. Also, Kevin and Scott discuss the team's organizational philosophy and whether they did enough this year.

You can find Dave on Twitter @Dave_Gershman or at Penn League Report, where he's posted scouting reports of Jeff Malm, Parker Markel, and Justin Woodall.

mp3 Download (55.1 MB; 1h00m14s)
iTunes Feed - If you subscribe through iTunes, please rate and review!

2011 Year in Review: Princeton Rays (Hitting)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2011 season by taking a look at the offensive leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the offensive stats of the Princeton Rays.

Batting Average:
1. Joel Caminero (.330, seventh in APP)
2. Taylor Motter (.323, ninth in APP)
3. Ryan Brett (.300)
4. Felix Gonzalez (.289)
5. Cameron Seitzer (.285)
6. Drew Vettleson (.282)
7. Junior Rodriguez (.280)
8. Jake Hager (.269)
8. Jonathan Koscso (.269)
10. Ryan Terry (.226)

Slugging:
1. Junior Rodriguez (.530)
2. Cameron Seitzer (.498)
3. Joel Caminero (.489)
4. Taylor Motter (.481)
5. Ryan Brett (.471)
6. Drew Vettleson (.462)
7. Jake Hager (.399)
8. Jonathan Koscso (.385)
9. Deshun Dixon (.367)
10. Justin O'Conner (.354)

On Base Pct:
1. Jonathan Koscso (.441)
2. Taylor Motter (.436, first in APP)
3. Cameron Seitzer (.407, sixth in APP)
4. Junior Rodriguez (.373)
5. Ryan Brett (.370)
6. Drew Vettleson (.357)
7. Joel Caminero (.347)
8. Felix Gonzalez (.319)
9. Jake Hager (.305)
10. Ryan Terry (.294)

Hits:
1. Ryan Brett (72, eighth in APP)
2. Drew Vettleson (66)
3. Cameron Seitzer (63)
4. Joel Caminero (62)
5. Jake Hager (52)
6. Taylor Motter (51)
7. Josh Sale (45)
8. Deshun Dixon (42)
9. Jake DePew (34)
10. Junior Rodriguez (28)
10. Justin O'Conner (28)

Doubles:
1. Ryan Brett (22, third in APP)
2. Cameron Seitzer (14)
3. Drew Vettleson (13)
3. Taylor Motter (13)
5. Jake Hager (11)
5. Josh Sale (11)
7. Joel Caminero (9)
8. Deshun Dixon (8)
8. Justn O'Conner (8)
10. Junior Rodriguez (7)

Triples:
1. Joel Caminero (6, tied third in APP)
2. Ryan Brett (5, tied fifth in APP)
3. Drew Vettleson (4, tied ninth in APP)
3. Deshun Dixon (4, tied ninth in APP)
5. Josh Sale (3)
6. Jake Hager (1)
6. Ryan Terry (1)
6. Felix Gonzalez (1)

Home Runs:
1. Cameron Seitzer (11, tied fifth in APP)
2. Justin O'Conner (9)
3. Drew Vettleson (7)
4. Junior Rodriguez (6)
5. Deshun Dixon (5)
6. Josh Sale (4)
6. Jake Hager (4)
6. Taylor Motter (4)
9. Joel Caminero (3)
9. Ryan Brett (3)

RBI’s:
1. Cameron Seitzer (42)
2. Drew Vettleson (40)
3. Justin O'Conner (29)
4. Ryan Brett (24)
5. Taylor Motter (23)
6. Joel Caminero (22)
6. Jake DePew (22)
8. Deshun Dixon (20)
9. Jake Hager (17)
10. Josh Sale (15)

Stolen Bases:
1. Taylor Motter (22, second in APP)
2. Ryan Brett (21, third in APP)
3. Drew Vettleson (20, tied fourth in APP)
4. Cameron Seitzer (6)
4. Joel Caminero (6)
4. Jake DePew (6)
7. Deshun Dixon (5)
7. Jake Hager (5)
9. Justin O'Conner (4)
9. Josh Sale (4)
9. Ryan Terry (4)

Sunday, September 18, 2011

2011 Year in Review: GCL Rays (Hitting)

This week we will continue our look back at the 2011 season by taking a look at the offensive leaders of each affiliate. Today we will focus on the offensive stats of the GCL Rays.

Batting Average:
1. Ian Tomkins (.444)
2. John Alexander (.314)
3. Jonathan Quinonez (.293)
4. Brandon Choate (.275)
5. Brandon Martin (.255)
6. Johnny Eierman (.254)
7. Darryl George (.243)
8. Michael Bourdon (.236)
9. Ismel Antunez (.235)
10. Riccio Torrez (.231)

Slugging:
1. John Alexander (.549)
2. Ian Tomkins (.444)
3. Brandon Choate (.431)
4. Johnny Eierman (.424)
5. Jonathan Quinonez (.366)
6. Riccio Torrez (.365)
7. Ariel Soriano (.346)
8. Brandon Martin (.340)
9. Edward Dorville (.324)
10. Ismel Antunez (.311)

On Base Pct:
1. Ian Tomkins (.444)
2. Brandon Choate (.393)
3. Brandon Martin (.386)
4. Jonathan Quinonez (.364)
5. Darryl George (.360)
6. Michael Boudon (.344)
7. Matt Johnson (.331)
8. Johnny Eierman (.328)
9. John Alexander (.321)
10. Ismel Antunez (.311)

Hits:
1. Ariel Soriano (42)
2. Jonathan Quinonez (36)
3. Ismel Antunez (31)
3. Omar Narvaez (31)
5. Edward Dorville (27)
6. James Harris (26)
7. Julian Morillo (24)
8. Matt Johnson (23)
9. Cesar Perez (22)
10. Hector Rodriguez (20)

Doubles:
1. Ariel Soriano (11)
2. Ismel Antunez (10)
3. James Harris (6)
4. Brandon Choate (5)
5. Omar Narvaez (4)
5. Julian Morillo (4)
5. John Alexander (4)
8. Edward Dorville (3)
8. Hector Rodriguez (3)
8. Darryl George (3)
8. Johnny Eierman (3)
8. Granden Goetzman (3)

Triples:
1. Julian Morillo (3)
1. Edward Dorville (3)
3. Ariel Soriano (2)
3. Johnny Eierman (2)
3. Jonathan Quinonez (2)
6. John Alexander (1)

Home Runs:
1. Edward Dorville (3)
1. Ariel Soriano (3)
3. John Alexander (2)
3. Matt Johnson (2)
3. Riccio Torrez (2)
6. Johnny Eierman (1)
6. Jonathan Quinonez (1)
6. Brandon Choate (1)
6. Hector Rodriguez (1)
6. Brandon Martin (1)

RBI’s:
1. Ariel Soriano (22)
2. Jonathan Quinonez (18)
3. Omar Narvaez (15)
4. Edward Dorville (14)
5. Hector Rodriguez (13)
6. Julian Morillo (12)
6. Cesar Perez (12)
8. John Alexander (11)
9. Matt Johnson (10)
9. Ismel Antunez (10)

Stolen Bases:
1. Edward Dorville (16)
2. Matt Johnson (13)
2. James Harris (13)
4. Jonathan Quinonez (11)
5. Ariel Soriano (10)
6. Ismel Antunez (7)
7. Granden Goetzman (6)
7. Todd Glaesmann (6)
9. Brandon Martin (5)
10. Darryl George (4)

Great Video: Hudson Valley Renegades Host Families



Thanks to William Montgomery of the Times Herald-Record for the tip!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Vote for the 2011 Rays Prospects Reader Choice Players of the Year: Charlotte Stone Crabs

Time for Round Five of the Rays Prospects Reader Choice MVP voting. Its time for the readers to select the hitter and pitcher of the year for the Charlotte Stone Crabs. The winner of this round will join the winners from the other affiliates in a final vote for most valuable players in the Rays minor league system.

The poll will run for three days and you can only vote once. The roster is comprised of players who played the majority of their 2011 games with the Stone Crabs.

Voting begins now for the RP Reader's Choice Player of the Year for the Charlotte Stone Crabs and will run until 6pm EDT on Monday.

Click here to take the survey now.

2011 Year in Review: Durham Bulls (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2011 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the Durham Bulls.

The Durham Bulls clinched their fifth straight division title this season by finishing the season with a 80-62 record. The Bulls quest for the the Governor's Cup was cut short as they were swept in the opening round of the playoffs by Columbus. The 2011 Bulls fielded three all-stars; Russ Canzler, Brandon Guyer and Desmond Jennings. Canzler was also named the MVP for the International League marking the fifth time a Bull has been named the IL MVP.

Final Standings:
International League South Division
1. Durham Bulls (80-62)
2. Gwinnett Braves (78-65)
3. Charlotte Knights (69-74)
4. Norfolk Tides (56-87)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .271 (1 of 14)
Slugging: .424 (tied 1 of 14)
On Base Pct: .337 (2 of 14)
Hits: 1318 (1 of 14)
Doubles: 287 (2 of 14)
Triples: 26 (tied 5 of 14)
Home Runs: 136 (tied 3 of 14)
Runs Scored: 669 (2 of 14)
Stolen Bases: 75 (11 of 14)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 3.87 (5 of 14)
Runs Allowed: 620 (6 of 14)
Strikeouts: 1135 (3 of 14)
Walks: 467 (7 of 14)

Attendance:
8th best in International League
462,682 total in 71 games for 6,516 average per game (65% capacity)
Durham Bulls Athletic Park Total Seating: 10,000

2011 Durham Bulls Roster:

Pitchers
Chris Archer
Brian Baker
Joe Bateman
Chris Bootcheck
Jay Buente
Alex Cobb
Lance Cormier
Dane De La Rosa
Richard De Los Santos
Rob Delaney
Mike Ekstrom
Marquis Fleming
Brandon Gomes
Edgar Gonazalez
Jeremy Hall
Dirk Hayhurst
JP Howell
Jake McGee
Matt Moore
Jeff Niemann
Jim Paduch
Paul Phillips
Cesar Ramos
Ryan Reid
Adam Russell
Andy Sonnanstine
RJ Swindle
Matt Torra
Alexander Torres
Cory Wade

Catchers
Craig Albernaz
Nevin Ashley
Robinson Chirinos
John Jaso
Jose Lobaton
Stephen Vogt

Infielders
Leslie Anderson
Tim Beckham
Reid Brignac
JJ Furmaniak
Dan Johnson
Elliot Johnson
Casey Kotchman
Felipe Lopez
Omar Luna
Daniel Mayora
Ray Olmedo

Outfielders
Russ Canzler
Matt Carson
Chris Carter
Brandon Guyer
Desmond Jennings
John Matulia
Justin Ruggiano
John Shelby

Coaching Staff
Manager: Charlie Montoyo
Hitting Coach: Dave Myers
Pitching Coach: Neil Allen

General Manager: Mike Birling

Friday, September 16, 2011

2011 Rays Prospects Reader Choice Players of the Year: Bowling Green Hot Rods

The poll for the RP Readers Choice MVP's for the Bowling Green Hot Rods has closed and here are your results..

Bowling Green Hot Rods Hitter of the Year: Derek Dietrich
Bowling Green Hot Rods Pitcher of the Year: George Jensen

Dietrich was the big bat of the Hot Rods lineup, leading the club in slugging (.502) and home runs (22) while placing near the top of all offensive categories. His efforts at the plate led him to being named Player of the Week for the Midwest League twice this season and earned a spot on the midseason all-star team. Dietrich finished the season with a .277 average, 34 double, 4 triples, 22 homers and 81 RBI's in 127 games this season. Dietrich was drafted by the Rays in the 2nd round of the 2010 Draft out of Georgia Tech.

Jensen led the Hot Rod pitching staff in wins with 13 on the season. He finished the year with a 13-4 record, 4.28 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 26 games on the mound. Jensen was drafted by the Rays in the 46th round of the 2010 Draft.

216 readers participated in the Hot Rods poll. Below are the top five of each category as chosen by the readers of Rays Prospects.

Hitters
1. Derek Dietrich (64.71%)
2. Phil Wunderlich (13.73%)
3. Robby Price (8.82%)
4. Kevin Kiermaier (4.41%)
5. Cody Rogers (1.96%)
5. Steve Tinoco (1.96%)

Pitchers
1. George Jensen (46.26%)
2. CJ Riefenhauser (31.31%)
3. Jimmy Patterson (8.41%)
4. Chris Rearick (5.61%)
5. Victor Mateo (1.87%)

Tomorrow's poll will highlight the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

2011 Year in Review: Mongtomery Biscuits (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2011 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the Montgomery Biscuits.

The Biscuits finished the season with an overall record of 65-74 which placed them in fourth place in the division at the end of the season. The Biscuits fielded four all-stars this season; Matt Moore, Marquis Fleming, Stephen Vogt and Daniel Mayora.

Final Standings:
Southern League South Division (Overall)
1. Mobile Bay Bears (84-54)
2. Birmingham Barons (71-69)
3. Jacksonville Suns (70-70)
4. Montgomery Biscuits (65-74)
5. Mississippi Braves (61-79)

Southern League South Division (First Half)
1. Birmingham Barons (40-30)
2. Mobile Bay Bears (38-32)
3. Jacksonville Suns (37-33)
4. Montgomery Biscuits (34-36)
5. Mississippi Braves (25-45)

Southern League South Division (Second Half)
1. Mobile Bay Bears (46-22)
2. Mississippi Braves (36-34)
3. Jacksonville Suns (33-37)
4. Montgomery Biscuits (31-38)
5. Birmingham Barons (31-39)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .258 (9 of 10)
Slugging: .402 (6 of 10)
On Base Pct: .334 (tied 7 of 10)
Hits: 1193 (8 of 10)
Doubles: 231 (9 of 10)
Triples: 53 (tied 1 of 10)
Home Runs: 111 (4 of 10)
Runs Scored: 682 (4 of 10)
Stolen Bases: 86 (8 of 10)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 4.39 (9 of 10)
Runs Allowed: 678 (8 of 10)
Strikeouts: 1001 (5 of 10)
Walks: 516 (9 of 10)

Attendance:
4th best in Southern League
256,403 total in 68 games for 3,770 average per game (84% capacity)
Riverwalk Stadium Total Seating: 4,500

2011 Montgomery Biscuits Roster:

Pitchers
Chris Archer
Nick Barnese
Matt Bush
Alex Colome
Joe Cruz
Frank De Los Santos
Shane Dyer
Sergio Espinosa
Marquis Fleming
Jeremy Hall
Kyle Lobstein
Matt Moore
David Newmann
Jim Paduch
Paul Phillips
Zach Quate
Ryan Reid
Neil Schenk
Chad Thall

Catchers
Craig Albernaz
Nevin Ashley
Jake Jefferies
Stephen Vogt
David Wendt

Infielders
Tim Beckham
Cody Cipriano
Cole Figueroa
Hak-Ju Lee
Evan Longoria
Daniel Mayora
Shawn O'Malley
Greg Sexton
Matt Sweeney
Henry Wrigley

Outfielders
Reid Fronk
Kyeong Kang
John Matulia
Brett Nommensen
John Shelby
Isaias Velasquez


Coaching Staff
Manager: Billy Gardner
Hitting Coach: Ozzie Timmons
Pitching Coach: Bill Moloney

General Manager: Marla Terranova Vickers

Thursday, September 15, 2011

2011 Year in Review: Charlotte Stone Crabs (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2011 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

After two consectutive years of making the playoffs, the Stone Crabs missed the postseason for the first time in their brief franchise history. They finished the season was a 64-75 record overall which put them in fourth place in the division at the end of the season. The Stone Crabs sent six players to the All-Star game in Clearwater this season. Tyler Bortnick, Alex Colome, Hak-Ju Lee, Brett Nommensen, Josh Satow and Greg Sexton were all named to the FSL All-Star team. The 2011 season also saw several franchise records broken including home runs (Mark Thomas), RBI's (Mike Sheridan) and stolen bases (Tyler Bortnick) to name a few.

Final Standings:
Florida State League South Division (Overall)
1. Bradenton Marauders (74-63)
2. St. Lucie Mets (72-68)
3. Palm Beach Cardinals (68-70)
4. Charlotte Stone Crabs (64-75)
5. Fort Myers Miracle (63-76)
6. Jupiter Hammerheads (60-80)

Florida State League South Division (First Half)
1. St. Lucie Mets (38-32)
2. Fort Myers Miracle (34-36)
3. Jupiter Hammerheads (32-38)
4. Charlotte Stone Crabs (30-39)
5. Bradenton Marauders (30-40)
6. Palm Beach Cardinals (29-40)

Florida State League South Division (Second Half)
1. Bradenton Marauders (44-23)
2. Palm Beach Cardinals (39-30)
3. Charlotte Stone Crabs (34-36)
4. Fort Myers Miracle (29-40)
5. St. Lucie Mets (34-36)
6. Jupiter Hammerheads (28-42)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .259 (8 of 12)
Slugging: .361 (10 of 12)
On Base Pct: .331 (4 of 12)
Hits: 1204 (8 of 12)
Doubles: 257 (3 of 12)
Triples: 40 (tied 3 of 12)
Home Runs: 45 (12 of 12)
Runs Scored: 611 (7 of 12)
Stolen Bases: 177 (1 of 12)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 3.83 (7 of 12)
Runs Allowed: 593 (4 of 12)
Strikeouts: 958 (8 of 12)
Walks: 514 (12 of 12)

Attendance:
2nd in Florida State League
166,375 total in 67 games for 2,483 average per game (49% capacity)
Charlotte Sports Park Total Seating: 5,028

2011 Charlotte Stone Crabs Roster:

Pitchers
Chris Andujar
Alex Colome
Joe Cruz
Juan Cruz
Frank De Los Santos
Sergio Espinosa
Felix Fuentes
Hunter Hill
JP Howell
Mickey Jannis
Mike Jarman
Merrill Kelly
Alex Koronis
Drew Leary
Adam Liberatore
Kyle Lobstein
Deivis Mavarez
Shane Minks
Jeff Niemann
CJ Riefenhauser
Josh Satow
Scott Shuman
Matt Stabelfeld
Albert Suarez
Jake Thompson
Kirby Yates

Catchers
Mayo Acosta
Jake Jefferies
Jose Lobaton
Mark Thomas
Alejandro Torres
David Wendt

Infielders
Tyler Bortnick
Matt Hall
Hak-Ju Lee
Omar Luna
Greg Sexton
Mike Sheridan
Riccio Torrez


Outfielders
Dustin Biell
Gabe Cohen
Reid Fronk
Lucas Montero
Ty Morrison
Chris Murrill
Brett Nommensen
Anthony Scelfo

Coaching Staff
Manager: Jim Morrison
Hitting Coach: Joe Szekely
Pitching Coach: Steve Watson

General Manager: Joe Hart

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Vote for the 2011 Rays Prospects Reader Choice Players of the Year: Bowling Green Hot Rods

The reader's choice poll now exits the short season leagues and dives into the full season affiliates. First up for the full season affiliates is the Bowling Green Hot Rods. Its up to you the reader to tell us who you think is the most valuable hitter and pitcher for the Hot Rods this season. The winner of this round will join the winners from the other affiliates in a final vote for most valuable players in the Rays minor league system.

The poll will run for three days and you can only vote once. The roster is comprised of players who played the majority of their 2011 games with the Hot Rods.

Voting begins now for the RP Reader's Choice Player of the Year for the Bowling Green Hot Rods and will run until 6pm EDT on Friday.

Click here to take the survey now.

2011 Year in Review: Bowling Green Hot Rods (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2011 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

The Bowling Green Hot Rods made their first playoff apperance in franchise history by clinching the division in the first half. Their playoff run was cut short as they were swept in the first round but not before compiling the best record in franchise history. They also sent a team record four players to the all-star game with Derek Dietrich, CJ Riefenhauser, Eliazer Suero and Phil Winderlich getting named to the all-star squad.

Final Standings:
Midwest League Eastern Division (Overall)
1. Dayton Dragons (83-57)
2. Lansing Lugnuts (77-60)
3. Bowling Green Hot Rods (77-63)
4. Great Lakes Loons (72-67)
5. West Michigan White Caps (70-69)
6. Fort Wayne Tin Caps (69-70)
7. South Bend Silver Hawks (67-72)
8. Lake County Captains (53-86)

Midwest League Eastern Division (First Half)
1. Bowling Green Hot Rods (41-29)
2. Lansing Lugnuts (38-29)
3. Great Lakes Loons (39-30)
4. Dayton Dragons (35-35)
5. South Bend Silver Hawks (34-35)
6. West Michigan White Caps (32-37)
7. Fort Wayne Tin Caps (30-39)
8. Lake County Captains (28-41)

Midwest League Eastern Division (Second Half)
1. Dayton Dragons (48-22)
2. Fort Wayne Tin Caps (39-31)
2. Lansing Lugnuts (39-31)
4. West Michigan White Caps (38-32)
5. Bowling Green Hot Rods (36-34)
6. Great Lakes Loons (33-37)
7. South Bend Silver Hawks (33-37)
8. Lake County Captains (25-45)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .252 (tied 6 of 16)
Slugging: .391 (2 of 16)
On Base Pct: .327 (tied 6 of 16)
Hits: 1170 (6 of 16)
Doubles: 240 (6 of 16)
Triples: 43 (tied 3 of 16)
Home Runs: 106 (1 of 16)
Runs Scored: 645 (5 of 16)
Stolen Bases: 120 (tied 8 of 16)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 3.81 (tied 10 of 16)
Runs Allowed: 599 (7 of 16)
Strikeouts: 1119 (3 of 16)
Walks: 431 (6 of 16)

Attendance:
9th best in Midwest League
237,070 total in 67 games for 3,538 average per game (79% capacity)
Bowling Green Ballpark Total Seating: 4,500

2011 Bowling Green Hot Rods Roster:
Pitchers
Omar Bencomo
Nate Garcia
Stephen Hiscock
Austin Hubbard
George Jensen
Braulio Lara
Lenny Linsky
Victor Mateo
Jason McEachern
Jimmy Patterson
Chris Rearick
CJ Riefenhauser
Wilking Rodriguez
Enny Romero
Matt Stabelfeld
Eliazer Suero

Catchers
Mayo Acosta
Lucas Bailey
Keith Castillo
Kyle Holloway
Alejandro Torres

Infielders
Julio Cedeno
Derek Dietrich
Robi Estrada
Hector Guevara
Taylor Motter
Robby Price
Phil Wunderlich

Outfielders
Todd Glaesmann
Kevin Kiermaier
Cody Rogers
Nick Schwaner
Steven Tinoco

Coaching Staff
Manager: Brady Williams
Hitting Coach: Manny Castillo
Pitching Coach: RC Lichtenstein

General Manager: Ryan Gates

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

2011 Rays Prospects Reader Choice Players of the Year: Hudson Valley Renegades

The Renegades poll has ended and here are the results.

Hudson Valley Renegades Hitter of the Year: Jeff Malm
Hudson Valley Renegades Pitcher of the Year: Andrew Bellatti

Malm led the New York-Penn League in homers, finished second in the league in RBI's and was near the top off all Renegades offensive stats for the 2011 season. The NYPL All-Star finished the season with a .257 average, 15 doubles, 12 homers and 47 RBI's in 73 games. He was also named the Player of the Week for the NYPL for the week of July 11. Malm was drafted by the Rays in the fifth round of the 2009 Draft.

Bellatti was the Renegades pitching leader for the 2011 season. He led the team in ERA, WHIP and strikeouts. He finished the season with a 3-5 record and 2.63 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 72 innings pitched. Bellatti was drafted by the Rays in the 12th round of the 2009 Draft.

155 readers participated in the Hudson Valley poll. Below are the top five of each category as chosen by the readers of Rays Prospects.

Hitters
1. Jeff Malm (72.19%)
2. Matt Rice (8.61%)
3. Alejandro Segovia (7.95%)
4. Craige Lyerly (3.97%)
4. Jonathan Koscso (3.97%)

Pitchers
1. Andrew Bellatti (57.62%)
2. Ryan Carpenter (13.91%)
3. Parker Markel (9.93%)
4. Lenny Linsky (7.95%)
5. Jason McEachern (4.64%)

The next poll will open tomorrow and will focus on the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

2011 Predictions Review: Lower-Level Breakout

It's that time again; that time to look back and laugh at how bad all of our pre-season predictions were. Today we'll tackle the issue of upper-level breakouts (eligible was any prospect without full-season experience). There are probably four or five correct answers here. Drew Vettleson and Ryan Brett had the best seasons of the 2010 high school draftees, each topping an .800 OPS at Princeton while higher picks Josh Sale and Justin O'Conner struggled. Derek Dietrich, another 2010 guy, clobbered the Midwest League and deserved a promotion. Jeff Malm had a gangbusters month of July but finished ice cold. He finished with a .382 OBP. And Enny Romero struck out 140 in 144 innings, though his 5.4 BB/9 may prevent his season from being considered a breakout. At any rate, here's what the Rays' blogosphere thought before the season (original post with full explanations here):

R.J. Anderson picked Luke Bailey, although he wasn't expecting Bailey to jump from the GCL to Bowling Green. Still, with a .223/.294/.385 line, it's tough to see his season as anything bit a disappointment, especially with a promising April. The 18-89 BB-K in 74 games is of particular concern.

Jason Collette thought Enny Romero was too obvious (so partial credit there) so he went with teammate Braulio Lara. He showed a firm fastball, but his 4.94 ERA and K-BB rate just about 2.00 didn't impress, particularly for a 22-year-old in the Midwest League.

FreeZorilla also mentioned Enny Romero as an already-broken-out player and chose Andrew Bellatti. He didn't quite break out, but a solid season at Hudson Valley (2.62 ERA, 63-23 K-BB in 72 innings) has kept him relevant and perhaps primed for a big 2012.

Cork Gaines tabbed Jake Thompson, noting his terrific strikeout-to-walk rate in his 2010 debut. Thompson battled through injuried to post a sub-3.00 ERA, but his strikeout rate was just 4.4 per 9 innings. It will be interesting next year to see if his peripherals improve to match his ERA, or his ERA drops to match the peripherals; or if he can maintain success with a sub-average K-BB rate.

Kevin Gengler (that would be me) picked Hector Guevara, who had his second straight poor season in the United States after a strong showing in the VSL (let that be a warning to those chugging the Oscar Hernandez Kool-Aid). Injuries didn't help, but he hasn't come close to showing the power he did in 2009.

Erik Hahmann went with Josh Sale, who didn't meet expectations in his debut with a .210/.289/.346 line. His walk and strikeout rates weren't terrible, but he struggled all season with making hard contact.

Jason Hanselman picked Justin O'Conner, who made hard contact... when he made contact. O'Conner struck out an astonishing 78 times in 48 games, leading to a .157/.234/.354 season. Of his 28 hits, eight were doubles and nine were home runs.

Jake Larsen correctly identified Ryan Brett as a "sparkplug-to-be," and he delivered with a .300/.371/.471 line along with 21 steals against 3 times caught. Brett walked more times than he struck out in 61 games (26-24).

Mike Lortz also went with Josh Sale, getting things backwards. He thought Sale would struggle with plate discipline but otherwise live up the hype, but Sale drew a decent number of walks.

Doug Milhoan joined with Cork in taking Jake Thompson. Given his weird stats, it'll be interesting to hear reports on his stuff when off-season lists come out.

Tommy Rancel hit with Derek Dietrich, noting his above-average power for an infielder. Dietrich proved him right by leading the system in home runs. 2012 will be a big year for Dietrich as he faces more advanced pitching and presumably moves off of SS.

Steve Slowinski went furthest off the board with Phil Wunderlich. He showed some decent power with 17 HRs, but didn't quite mash the way 1B prospects need to.

2011 Year in Review: Hudson Valley Renegades (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2011 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the Hudson Valley Renegades.

The Hudson Valley Renegades finished the season just two games under .500 with a 37-39 record. They finished the year in third place in the division, 9 1/2 game back. Five Renegades made an appearance in the New York-Penn League All-Star Game; Jeff Malm, Matt Rice, Parker Markel, Robert Dickmann and Charlie Cononie were named to the squad.

Final Standings:
New York-Penn League McNamara Division
1. Staten Island Yankees (45-28)
2. Brooklyn Cyclones (45-29)
3. Hudson Valley Renegades (37-39)
4. Aberdeen Iron Birds (24-51)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .240 (12 of 14)
Slugging: .338 (10 of 14)
On Base Pct: .315 (13 of 14)
Hits: 583 (12 of 14)
Doubles: 108 (11 of 14)
Triples: 16 (tied 11 of 14)
Home Runs: 33 (11 of 14)
Runs Scored: 299 (12 of 14)
Stolen Bases: 89 (6 of 14)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 3.25 (4 of 14)
Runs Allowed: 312 (6 of 14)
Strikeouts: 527 (10 of 14)
Walks: 249 (6 of 14)

Attendance:
5th best in New York-Penn League
149,243 total in 33 games for 4,522 average per game (101% capacity)
Dutchess Stadium Total Seating: 4,494

2011 Hudson Valley Renegades Roster:

Pitchers
Andy Bass
Andrew Bellatti
Brooks Belter
Ryan Carpenter
Roque Colon
Charlie Cononie
Robert Dickmann
Jake Floethe
Theron Geith
Roberto Gomez
Mickey Jannis
Dave Laufer
Drew Leary
Lenny Linsky
Parker Markel
Jason McEachern
Jacob Partridge
Wilking Rodriguez
Trevor Shull
Stayton Thomas
Justin Woodall

Catchers
Kyle Holloway
Gerardo Olivares
Matt Rice
Alejandro Segovia

Infielders
Tanner Biagini
Raymond Church
Jonathan Koscso
Diogenes Luis
Jeff Malm
Juniel Querecuto
Leonardo Reginatto

Outfielders
Brian Bryles
Kes Carter
Cesar Guillen
Craige Lyerly
Chris Winder

Coaching Staff
Manager: Jared Sandberg
Hitting Coach: Reinaldo Ruiz
Pitching Coach: Jack Giese

General Manager: Eben Yager

Monday, September 12, 2011

2011 Rays Instructional League Roster

Stacy Long has posted the roster for the Rays instructional league which begins tomorrow. Here are the Rays minors who will be in Port Charlotte for the camp.

Pitchers
Jeff Ames
Ryan Carpenter
Jacob Faria
Grayson Garvin
Issac Gil
Roberto Gomez
Taylor Guerrieri
Kevin James
Ian Kendall
Braulio Lara
Lenny Linsky
Parker Markel
Victor Mateo
Eduar Quinonez
CJ Riefenhauser
Felipe Rivero
Wilking Rodriguez
Enny Romero
Blake Snell
Matt Spann
Eliazer Suero
Albert Suarez
Matt Swilley
Jake Thompson

Catchers
Jesus Araiza
Luke Bailey
Jake DePew
Justin O'Conner
Oscar Hernandez
Matt Rice

Infielders
John Alexander
Ryan Brett
Derek Dietrich
Johnny Eierman
Tyler Goeddel
Jake Hager
Hak-Ju Lee
Jeff Malm
Brandon Martin
Cesar Perez
Juniel Querecuto
Cameron Seitzer
Riccio Torrez

Outfielders
Deshun Dixon
Todd Glaesmann
James Harris
Kevin Kiermaier
Mikey Mahtook
Josh Sale
Drew Vettleson

Rehab
Kes Carter
Granden Goetzman
Hector Guevara
Matt Ramsey

2011 Predictions Review: Upper-Level Breakout

It's that time again; that time to look back and laugh at how bad all of our pre-season predictions were. Today we'll tackle the issue of upper-level breakouts, although to be fair to all the panelists... was there really an upper-level breakout guy (eligible was any prospect will full-season experience)? Matt Moore exploded from great to elite, but he doesn't really fit in with the spirit of the question. Probably the most correct answer is Hak-Ju Lee, though he faded badly down the stretch, or Tim Beckham, who didn't so much break out as maintain his production at higher levels. Or perhaps Alex Cobb, who held his own in the majors? At any rate, here's what the Rays' blogosphere thought before the season (original post with full explanations here):

R.J. Anderson (now of BaseballProspectus) chose Tim Beckham, which was as close to correct as anyone. He "gamble[d] that his supposed hard work and flashing of tools will be greeted with much-needed success backed by improved plate discipline" which didn't completely happen -- his walk rate fell from 2010 -- but his tools did earn better reviews in 2011.

Jason Collette (also now of BP, DRaysBay, and everywhere else) chose Joe Cruz. And this is where the flushing toilet sound effect goes. Cruz got battered for 11 starts in Montgomery before going on the DL with a shoulder injury. He returned late in the season but didn't find much more success in Charlotte. Overall, he allowed 52 earned runs in 61 non-GCL innings.

FreeZorilla (of DRaysBay) went with Ty Morrison, saying "[h]e could really catch national attention this year." Ehhh not so much. Morrison started the year hurt and tried to make up for lost time by swinging at everything, walking 11 times and striking out 67 in 67 games for Charlotte. He hit .264 with very little power, and his stolen base efficiency also took a hit.

Cork Gaines (of RaysIndex) pegged Tim Beckham as the guy, thinking "we will see enough offensively and defensively to once again believe he can be the Rays shortstop of the future." Which seems half-true, the future is looking brighter, though he may get pushed by Hak-Ju Lee.

Kevin Gengler (that would be me) also picked Ty Morrison. See FreeZo's for the stats, but here's the money quote from me: "Morrison will take over as the top center field prospect in the system, and I think one of the top three hitters overall." Frankly I'm just glad I didn't pick Scott Shuman.

Erik Hahmann (of DRaysBay) went with Chris Archer, whose control and command failed to take a step forward (5.3 BB/9 in 2011 vs. a 5.2 career number). Combine that with some BABIP regression and voila, an ERA nearly two runs higher. His plus stuff is still there, but he's shown little ability to consistently harness it.

Jason Hanselman picked Matt Sweeney, saying it was a make-or-break season for him. Well... it broke. Sweeney hit .154/.262/.282 in Charlotte and seems pretty cooked as a prospect.

Jake Larsen went with Robinson Chirinos, but his numbers took a big step back from his last two years with the Cubs. Jose Lobaton had the better statistical season at Durham, and while Chirinos should have a big-league future, Lobaton is in the majors right now and Chirinos isn't.

Mike Lortz (of Bus Leagues Baseball) both hit and missed on Tim Beckham. Hit: "I also think this is year he breaks double digits in homeruns (12-15?)" (A late-season surge got him to 12) Miss: "I think he will be an all-star at Montgomery, and among the leaders in walks and OBP. He’ll also probably hit around .300." (Walk rate took a step back; hit .271).

Doug Milhoan (of RaysProspects, of course) tabbed Albert Suarez, though a spring knee injury extended well into the season and limited him to 29.1 innings. His stuff was good enough to be added to the 40-man roster, but Suarez hasn't been able to stay on the mound with 133.1 career innings over four seasons.

Tommy Rancel (of FanGraphs and ESPN 1040) went with Alex Torres, who had a good news/bad news season leading the International League in both strikeouts and walks. His groundball tendencies help cancel out some walks, but "effectively wild" seems to be his control upside at this point.

Steve Slowinski (of DRaysBay) hopped on the Chris Archer bandwagon. While neither he nor Torres improved their control, Torres was able to maintain his high strikeout rate while Archer's tumbled from 9.4 to 7.9 from 2010 to 2011.

Future Considerations: The RaysProspects Podcast (Episode 1)

We're back! Kevin finally got a new microphone, just in time for the season to be over. In the first episode of the re-launched podcast, Kevin and Scott talk about calling up Matt Moore (and other prospects), the stretch run for the Rays, September call-ups around the majors, and Buck Showalter as general manager, then run down the six prospects the Rays are sending (and two they aren't), and wrap up with some brief playoff talk.

You can e-mail the show at podcast@raysprospects.com.



Minor Moves: Moore

It has been reported through various outlets that Matt Moore has received the call to the Tampa Bay Rays. He is expected to join the Rays prior to Monday's game.

Moore has been the minor league strikeout king. He struck out an organizational high 210 this season and led the minors in strikeouts in 2010 with 208 and 2009 with 176. This season Moore was a combined 12-3 with a 1.92 ERA and 2010 strikeouts in 27 games split between Montgomery and Durham.

2011 Year in Review: Princeton Rays (Overall)

Over the next few weeks I will recap the 2011 season of each affiliate. This week will focus on the overall season, next week will cover the hitting leaders and the final week will be pitching leaders. Like the week in reviews earlier in the season, each day will bring attention to a different affiliate as we work our way through the franchise. Today we take a look at the overall team stats of the Princeton Rays.

The Princeton Rays finished the 2011 season with a 30-38 record, placing them in fourth place in the division at the seasons end. The P-Rays surrendered the Mercer Cup this season after losing to their new opponent, the Bluefield Blue Jays. Taylor Motter represented the P-Rays by being named to the 2011 Appalachian League All-Star team.

Final Standings:
Appalachian League East Division
1. Bluefield Blue Jays (40-28)
2. Danville Braves (39-29)
3. Pulaski Mariners (32-36)
4. Princeton Rays (30-38)
5. Burlington Royals (24-44)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .260 (6 of 10)
Slugging: .414 (3 of 10)
On Base Pct: .334 (6 of 10)
Hits: 602 (6 of 10)
Doubles: 129 (6 of 10)
Triples: 25 (3 of 10)
Home Runs: 59 (3 of 10)
Runs Scored: 325 (8 of 10)
Stolen Bases: 107 (2 of 10)

Team Pitching Stats (league rank):
ERA: 4.36 (6 of 10)
Runs Allowed: 357 (7 of 10)
Strikeouts: 523 (10 of 10)
Walks: 245 (10 of 10)

Attendance:
7th best in Appalachian League
27,685 total in 34 games for 814 average per game (42% capacity)
Hunnicutt Field Total Seating: 1,950

2011 Princeton Rays Roster:

Pitchers
Jeff Ames
Shay Crawford
Brandon Henderson
Lucas Irvine
Kevin James
Marcus Jensen
Ian Kendall
David Kubiak
Reinaldo Lopez
Jose Molina
Eduar Quinonez
Felipe Rivero
Pedro Silvestre
Garret Smith
Matt Spann
Matt Swilley

Catchers
Jake DePew
Justin O'Conner

Infielders
Ryan Brett
Felix Gonzalez
Jake Hager
Jonathan Koscso
Taylor Motter
Junior Rodriguez
Cameron Seitzer
Ryan Terry

Outfielders
Joel Caminero
Deshun Dixon
Josh Sale
Drew Vettleson

Coaching Staff
Manager: Mike Johns
Hitting Coach: Wuarnner Rincones
Pitching Coach: Marty DeMerritt
Coach: Josh Arhart

General Manager: Jim Holland