Joel DeLaCruzenda est.
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Joel DeLaCruzenda est.
Use code “Journal” for a 5% discount.
Brevity,wit. I hope.
Well said, SP.
Nice post by Chip:
https://twitter.com/kapaya1234/status/769422205037838336
For all the sturm und drang in some quarters, Gwinnett, Mississippi, Rome and the GCL Braves are all in 1st place and closing in on league playoffs. It’s almost as if young players are supposed to get better as they go..
@3 Only one of those Braves MiLB teams is above .500. To the extent we’re considering minor league win loss records as an indicator of system strength (which isn’t really appropriate considering the point of the minor leagues is instruction rather than simply winning) then the Braves wouldn’t grade out to well. The problem appears mainly to be a pervasive lack of quality position players. Miss. (AA) is the only really good team out of the bunch, and they’ve been the home of Ozzie, Dansby and Peterson for most of the season.
Perfect recap.
@3-4
It’s certainly an indication of depth relative to the leagues. Obviously having good minor league teams does not mean these guys will be good major leaguers, but it’s definitely better to be good than bad.
Interestingly, Carolina has lost 20 of 21 or something crazy. They seem to have consolidated all of the talent away from High-A. Brutal for those Carolinians.
@4 – Gwinnett, whose league uses full-season records, is below .500. The lower leagues use split season standings, crowning 1st and 2nd half winners. Mississippi is 33-26 in the second half and 67-61 for the season, Rome is 38-23 for the second half, and 65-65 for the season. The GCL Braves are 27-27 on the season, as there is no first half in complex-ball.
You’re reacting to my post as if I posited good minors records are evidence of a good system. But I’m posting it in response to others who used the lousy first-half records as evidence that the system is over-rated. The performance of many of our best players has largely improved as the year has gone on (Newcomb, Touki, Ruiz, Peterson, etc.) and that’s reflected in the teams records. You’d much rather have good teams than bad teams, and you’d like to see the kids playing to win.
I don’t quibble with the idea that “considering minor league win loss records as an indicator of system strength” is flawed, I’m only raising it since it was previously a topic. But having raised it, I disagree with the assertion that “the Braves wouldn’t grade out well.” You want to see improvement week over week, and month over month. That’s development. You’d rather they be good late than good early. And that’s what we’re seeing.
I think Carolina is the way it is because the Braves don’t plan to keep the high-A team there after this year.
The Gwinnett Braves are not just under .500, they’re 11 games under .500 and still in first place. Earlier this week, they were 15 under and still in first place. I honestly think the southern division of the International League this year might be the worst division in the history of organized professional baseball, though I don’t have near the patience to actually research that.
@2
how right you are…thanks for digging it out.
Re: Max Povse. I have been following him, though he was overshadowed a bit by Mike Soroka and Patrick Weigel. He was a good find in the 3rd round as a projects or but underperforming SP. I think he’s a little better than this group of guys we’ve cycled through this year (Whalen, Gant, Jenkins), but he’s not in that high ceiling group that includes Weigel. I am anxious to see some of these guys next season and I hope we don’t sign a Scott Kasmir to block them.
Peanut speculates Jenkins replaces De La Cruz. At that point, with Blair starting tomorrow, we’re back to having 5 prospects in the rotation. They could give Jed Bradley some starts if there’s an injury, or they could go with someone in AA. He also speculates that the Bills could be back at some point. I do like that, I think, this is the first time we’ve had 5 prospects and one is not Gant, which is probably a good thing from an upside perspective.
Hopefully we are free from at least having to patchwork our rotation together and we’re down to kids trying to make it.
Yes, keep running Jenkins back out there. Next season, too. Run them all out there until someone sticks.
Jenkins is 6’4″, hits 94, is extremely competitive, and seems to be a great teammate. Definitely keep working with him.
I have liked Jenkins much more than expected. He has great energy on the mound and seems to learn from his mistakes. I’m not sure how that will translate to wins and losses, but I’m pulling for him.
I like Jenkins, but if we’re talking about k/bb%, his is the absolute pits. He’s got to find an out-pitch as there aren’t many that have thrived where he’s at right now in MLB (or in the Minors).
@16
Agreed. He hasn’t had a bad season in his pro career until he got to Atlanta. He hasn’t needed an out pitch until now. Hopefully he makes an adjustment. It’s hard not to like him.
EDIT: I take that back. He had a lackluster season in 2013.
Wait, is this true?
#Braves have 0 starts from LHP so far in 2016. On the way: Newcomb, Allard, Fried, Sanchez, Wentz, Muller. Doubt it happens many more times.
Yeah, last LHP start was Manny Banuelos in July 2015. Crazy.
Nick Markakis has +8 defensive runs saved but a negative fielding value. How’s that?
Here in Chattanooga to see Weigel (and Ozzie and Peterson and lien).
@18, if that is by design, color me impressed.
@18 and 19: Call Elias. This surely has to be the farthest into the season that this has happened in the modern era.
Do you have their number? Who am I looking for over there?
@24: Well, here you go: http://www.esb.com/contact/
I’d imagine it’s happened quite a few times. It might be the most right-handers to start without a lefty considering they’re at 14 right now.
Couldn’t find searchable data with handedness as a value. Orioles 2002 came up in an article. Another referenced that only 7 (’22 Yankees, ’32 Cubs, ’84 Tigers, ’92 A’s, ’96 Dodgers, ’09 Cardinals, and the ’12 Reds) have made the post-season without starting a lefty all year, it didn’t say how many failed to get there without starting a lefty.
Matt Kemp, hitter of homers.
Adonis! Man that guy can pick it nowadays.
Adonis has some trade value, and it may not get any higher.
Or we could keep him and have a Ruiz/Garcia platoon next year
Or we could trade Ruiz and Garcia for a real third baseman.
96 MPH in the 8th inning. Yes please.
Meanwhile, Folty is putting together a great start.
Nope. 97 MPH in the 8th. If this guy adds a good third pitch, he’s got Jake Arrietta potential.
Yep! Nice job by Mauricio….
@30 Hard to get a pre-arb guy through waivers I’d think.
Jace…..stop running into outs.
Think Simmons did this on purpose?
http://m.mlb.com/video/v1103974683/laadet-simmons-knocks-down-liner-turns-two-in-6th/?game_pk=448794
Not a standard catch and drop, but it fell perfectly, he had no real reaction to it, he finished the play immediately, and he’s Andrelton Simmons.
Joey Meneses hit his first HR in AA. He had previously been hitting a lot of bleeders.
Nice game, boys… Add Albies into this mix and, really, the lineup is actually pretty interesting.
Now let’s grow some of this young pitching….
@30
he also has some residual value..and it may get higher.
recapped..
Love him or hate him but you can’t deny Kemp’s power.
Seems like Folty’s fastball has some movement to it now rather than really straight when he first joined us. Anyone seeing the same thing?
@40, hopefully this will open the floodgates?
@40, Bloody past time!
Aaron Blair still sucks.