Encore! 2013 Legends Likely to Return to Lexington

FEB 11^th, 2014-While there can be a number of reasons for a player to repeat a level in the minors, often those reasons have to do with age and inexperience. Those two go hand-in-hand, when you're working up from the lower rungs. Last year, Lexington's average age for position players was 20.8, which is awfully young even for the South Atlantic League. Indeed, only the Hickory Crawdads and Lakewood BlueClaws could boast a younger group, even though the average difference was no more than half a year.

In Class A, which is the first full-season level in the minors, you usually see players who haven't been in the game longer than a couple of years. Two exceptions to that are non-drafted free agent signings who entered pro ball at 16 or 17, or players who may have stepped back as part of a rehab assignment. SS Raul (Adalberto) Mondesi was only 17 when he spent last year in Lexington and performed well beyond his years. With a .261 BA, 13 doubles, 7 triples and 7 homers to go with 47 RBI and 24 steals, Mondesi was actually one of the core run producers in the lineup. He had the sort of struggles at the plate you'd expect from a teenager in Class A (118 strikeouts), but he rarely looked out-of-place in the field. Yes, he did make 30 errors at short in 108 games, but many of those were on balls that most infielders would never have reached in the first place. One could argue that Mondesi could jump two levels on his glove alone. It hardly matters; he could make a career in the Majors without even swinging a bat, as far as I'm concerned. He's got as much range and plays as fluid and natural at short as I've ever seen. So to recap: great glove, great range, great arm, speedster, switch-hitter. There's a lot to like, and we'll be liking it from the stands when he comes back for a return engagement.

Catcher Chad Johnson made it to Lexington for only 4 games last year, playing 38 in rookie-level Burlington. The view on him so far is “strong arm, good glove, possible average or above-average pop at catcher”, and I can't argue with that (mainly because, hey, 4 games at Lexington). He did throw out 30% of would-be base-thieves in the Appy League, which isn't bad, but hasn't yet demonstrated any semblance of power at the plate. If he can start to turn some of those groundballs into line-shots, you'll probably see good doubles power from him. He's going to need more time here at The Bank in order to make that happen, so expect him to return.

IF Humberto Arteaga spent a difficult 61 games in Lexington (.188 BA, 13 RBI, 0 SB in 61 games) before going back down to rookie-level Idaho Falls and turning into an RBI machine. He was only nineteen, himself, so a bit young for Class A. Once he hit the Pioneer League (literally), he lit up for 15 doubles, an unreal 58 RBI and 56 runs scored to go with his .280 BA in his 69 games there. Arteaga is 6'1”. 160, so there's a lot of projectability there, and he could add some pop as he fills out. As it stands now, he's got the versatility to play second and short, though second base is probably the best fit. He also has a great deal of range for either position, and a middle infield with Mondesi and Arteaga makes it a tough go for anyone putting the ball on the ground. He should return for 2014.

Ah, Bubba Starling...the name seems to encourage lively debate amongst prospect enthusiasts. The physical tools are most certainly there; there's no arguing against that. Whether he can develop them to their fullest is up for discussion. Starling's got a great arm, covers all sorts of ground in center with little effort, and runs the bases far better than you'd expect for someone who's 6'4”. Not a lot of tall basestealers around. He struggled for much of the season offensively, though a good portion of that can be written off to vision problems which (I believe) were corrected. He did bat .322 in August, a dramatic improvement over the high of .250 he had in June. Couple this with an overall .298 with 2 outs and runners in scoring position and you can see a small part of why he was a 1st-round pick. There were moments when he let his youth and inexperience shine through in less-than-positive ways (ahem), but that could be a result of having so much pressure on him as a 5th-overall pick mixed with having to develop while playing against more-experienced players. Being a two-sport star does have its disadvantages, after all. Starling has the tools and size to become a middle-of-the-order run producer who could swipe 20-25 bags a year. The way I see it, most of that hinges on his mental approach and maturity; he can be what he wills himself to be. Coaching aside, the bulk of his future production lies with this factor. If Kansas City wants to handle his development the right way, he should come back to Class A for at least the first part of the season.

Cam Gallagher, who had 66 games in Lexington between injury issues, is another well-regarded talent in the Royals system. Gallagher calls a good game, commits few miscues and has a better arm than his 29% caught-stealing rate would suggest. I expect that he could develop enough power to move to 1^st, if needed, especially if he splits his time between there and behind the plate. He's 6'3”, so a move might be best for him (and his legs) in the long run. It's awfully soon to tell just how well he'll turn out, but he's a legit prospect and has yet to show us what he can do. Returning to Lexington would be the best thing for Cam; he needs to establish that he can make it through a full year of ball.

OF-1B Fred Ford has pop (definitely) and filled in at first base as well as RF, though he did make 8 errors at first (47 games) and 6 in right (74 games). Keep in mind He'd be at least average defensively at either position, but I like his arm in RF. The downside of being 6'5” is that your strike zone is the size of a Buick, and Ford's 166 Ks in 126 games is testament to that. He'll have to shorten his swing if he's going to cut those Ks down to a manageable number, and he did show that he's working on that in the games I saw him in. Still, if he can make more frequent contact he could produce 20 homers by accident. That .193 average is troubling, but he did draw 52 walks as well. Even with the talent he has and his relative youth (22 on April 10^th), he's at a crossroads. He has to come back.

-3B Hunter Dozier was last year's 1^st round pick for the Royals. 24 doubles in 54 games for Idaho Falls, along with a .303 BA, .403 OBP, 7 HR and 43 RBI. He played 15 games with the Legends, notching 6 more doubles and 9 RBI with his .327 BA (55 AB). At 6'4”, 220, he'll either end up starring at third or at first. But he'll star somewhere.

Pitchers up, next. Also, more of the players who could be paying us a visit for the 1^st time in 2014. 

Lexington Legends Update: The Hitters-July 20th, 2013

In the minor leagues, numbers really don't mean a whole lot.

Don't get me wrong; I should say that they don't mean as much as they would in the majors. Down here, it's all about developing talent, not reaping the rewards of the end product. 

With that in mind, there is much to like about this Legends team. 

While it is true that our offense has had its issues, the second half has been a stunning success overall. Not only are the Legends in first place in their division (17-9, 2.0 games ahead of 2nd place Greenville), they currently have the best second half record in all of the South Atlantic League. They've been able to accomplish this largely on the strength of an outstanding pitching staff and well-timed hits. No single hitter on this team has stood out this year, but there are a number of highlights of note. A quick look at some of the hitters:

Michael Antonio, 3B

2013:

86 games, 337 PA, 17 R, 14 2B, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 28 BB, 53 K, .195 BA, .268 OBP

Antonio has, like many of the hitters on this team, had a tough go of it at the plate this year. One of my favorite players to watch, I still see at least one issue with his approach. He has good natural power, but it comes from a sometimes-violent swing which could likely be shortened up a bit without his giving up much power. Until he's able to do that, he's going to strike out quite a lot. However, even with this approach, he's at his best in clutch situations (.246 BA with 2 outs and runners in scoring position). I would still like to see him shorten up a little. Being an aggressive swinger is not, in and of itself, a bad thing. But in his case, it's hurting more than it's helping.

Mark Donato, 1B-DH

2013:

38 games, 156 PA, 13 R, 8 2B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 9 BB, 26 K, .292 BA, .333 OBP, .764 OPS

I did an interview with Donato near the end of last season in anticipation that he would be with us this year. I expected big things of him, and he has not disappointed. In 38 games with Lexington, he has either driven in or scored (or both) 34 runs, and he's on pace for 30+ doubles and double-digits in homers. He's hit significantly better at home (.339 BA, .938 OPS at home vs. .259 and .641 on the road), and has flagged off a bit in July (.233 BA in 12 games), but I expect this will balance itself out. He handles first base well, as he is quick on his feet, shows ample range to both sides, and is confident in every defensive scenario in which I've seen him, thus far. A full year here in Lexington could bring 20+ homers and at least 90 RBI, numbers which he could potentially meet this year even though he's only been here since the end of May.

Fred Ford, RF

2013:

87 games, 342 PA, 36 R, 13 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 32 RBI, 42 BB, 119 K, .207 BA, .681 OPS

Ford started out the year at first base, a position with which he was not nearly as accustomed as right field. He acquitted himself well filling in for an injured Mark Threlkeld, but I feel that his switch to first (along with this being his first year in Class A ball) likely affected his batting a bit. At 6'5”, Ford is always going to have to work hard to control the strike zone. He showed a notable improvement in this regard when in June he cut his strikeouts down to 26 in 22 games, as opposed to the previous month when he was rung up 40 times in 28 games. His BB/K ratio was significantly better in June than in any other month so far, and he posted a monstrous .912 OPS in that month. Ford will post strong power numbers in the future as long as he can make more frequent contact than he is now. Again, I think this will come along with time.

Cam Gallagher, C

2013:

40 games, 156 PA, 10 R, 11 2B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 12 BB, 12 K, .230 BA, .647 OPS

Gallagher has played in only 40 games thus far, having missed a chunk of time when Asheville righty Shane Broyles plunked him in the arm on April 24^th (Cory Hall returned the favor, with 1B Derek Jones being the victim), so he's had to deal with recovering from the resultant fractured forearm. Gallagher has been a prospect of note since he was drafted in the 2^nd round in 2011, and he will certainly show above-average power when he hits his peak. Catchers traditionally take longer to develop, but he will definitely be worth the wait. I expect his CS rates to improve in the near future (he's thrown out 29% of basestealers, thus far), while he already handles the staff very well.

Terrance Gore, LF

2013:

86 games, 359 PA, 53 R, 5 2B, 2 3B, 20 RBI, (spoiler alert, T!) 50 SB, 41 BB, 73 K, .226 BA, .342 OBP

Gore is one of the fastest players I've ever seen, at any level. I've timed him at 3.9 or less to first so many times that I've stopped keeping track, and he continues to cover enough territory in the OF that the Legends could almost get away with two outfielders. He plays the field next to CF Bubba Starling, who is a speedster in his own right, and there are plenty of times when they arrive at a fly ball at the same time. It's starting to look like my preseason prediction about Gore will be, at least, pretty darn close (I said I'd expect 100 swipes out of him if he spent the whole year in Lexington). There's more to him than just speed, though; while he is a smallish player, he is powerfully built. When his bat catches up, he should be the kind of hitter who produces double-digits in doubles and triples, with 50+ steals in the majors. It all depends on that bat, however.

Raul Mondesi, SS

2013:

83 games, 357 PA, 38 R, 11 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 38 RBI, 16 SB, .261 BA, .680 OPS

Mondesi is batting .261, is helping a great deal to carry the offense, has a cannon for an arm and has invaded the right side of the infield as a shortstop. And he turns 18 on the 27^th of this month. There's nothing I need to add to that. He's pretty good.

Bubba Starling, CF

2013:

85 games, 343 PA, 41 R, 14 2B, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 12 SB, 36 BB, 89 K, .217 BA, .656 OPS

By now, most Legends fans know that Bubba started the year having great difficulty picking up the ball while at the plate. There's a 100-point difference in his BA between day and night games (.289 in day games, .189 at night), and that was a big red flag from the get-go. He has since had LASIK surgery to correct that. There has been concern in the past from fans who felt that he was too raw to ever reach his full potential in baseball, and that he should have gone the football route. Those fans were premature in their assessment. Starling will, at the very least, develop into a plus defender with above-average power and speed, and even if that's all he gives the Royals then they should be more than happy with it. Fans should also keep in mind that he doesn't turn 21 until August 3^rd, so I think taking a 'wait and see' approach is the best way to go, here. He has already made strides in the past month, though he does continue to strike out a lot more than you'd like to see. He may always record a lot of Ks, but he'll offset that with extra-base hits in bunches. Worth it, I'd say.

Lexington Legends Update-The Good And Bad-May 11th, 2013

MAY 11^th, 2013-Just over 30 games into the 2013 campaign, the Legends appear to have shown their greatest strengths where this year's roster is concerned. We've seen enough to know where we stand out: pitching and speed. Here are some of those strengths (and weaknesses), and whence they lie.

Now don't get me wrong. There's plenty of power potential in the lineup, with C Cam Gallagher, CF Bubba Starling, 1B-RF Fred Ford and (surprisingly) SS Raul Mondesi flashing extra-base pop. Starling, specifically, is beginning to come around, and will likely prove many early detractors wrong about his ability to handle SAL pitchers. Mondesi has been speculated about, here and there, as far as a young prospect who will develop some power as he grows into his 6'1” frame. At a lithe 165 pounds, there's still plenty of room for growth, even for a player with his range and at his position.

Problem is, there have been early injuries to key run producers: Gallagher was hit by a pitch in Asheville, and is now on the DL with a broken hand. Mark Threlkeld was hit in the very first game in his very first at-bat and remains on the DL with a fractured arm. Starling left the team for a few days earlier in the year for an undisclosed reason (nothing serious, as I understand it) which may have affected his hitting.

Also at the heart of the Legends' issues: it doesn't seem that anyone on this team will be winning a batting title, anytime soon. Gallagher leads the team with a .268 average, and he's on the DL. What this team can do, however, is flash the leather. Mondesi, Humberto Arteaga and Yowill Espinal are all quite adept glove men up the middle. Espinal and Arteaga can cover the hot corner if needed, and so can Nick Cuckovich (corner infielder-outfielder), but so far Mike Antonio has had the bulk of the time. Antonio's eight miscues at third, along with Mondesi's eight, are somewhat misleading. Mondesi covers enough ground to snag grounders on the right side of 2B, and has done so several times already. 

This ability is, at once, his greatest strength as well as his greatest weakness. Sometimes, you have to know when to let a play go, or at least to allow another fielder a chance to get to it. Antonio is a much better fielder than the numbers would suggest, as well. He's got enough arm to make the throw to first from foul territory; he's done so on at least two occasions, one of which beat the runner. We're not talking 'cannon', necessarily, but he's got plenty of arm for third nevertheless.

At first base, Ford has acquitted himself very well; to talk to him, you'd think he doesn't necessarily feel he's done a good job at first. Ford is not the kind of guy who will rest on his laurels. Moreover, he has enough power potential to be a full-timer either at first or in right (his originally intended position), and would likely field either position just as well.

In left, Terrance Gore runs like a deer. His glove, along with Starling's, are to the outfield what Mondesi's is to the infield, only somewhat more steady. Gore has 18 steals in his 32 games, and seems to have an ideal combination of raw speed, first-step quickness and aggression. As I've stated several times before, I would be surprised if he didn't end the year with 70+ steals, even with a mid-season promotion.

In center, Starling has a rifle of an arm and tons of range. There are times in which he seems to let his frustration (either with previous at-bats or a fielding miscue) boil to the surface. This has not been a frequent occurrence, but it is something he will have to address as he progresses. Still, at least you know he cares about his performance. It's just that he has to be careful not to let it get to him if he's not doing well.

Over in right field, Ethan Chapman (easily one of my all-time favorite minor-leaguers, already) is underrated still, both as a hitter and in the field. He recently showcased his ability to gun down a runner at the plate from deep in right; indeed, nearly at the wall. Chapman let loose a throw that cracked the leather of the catcher's glove on a dead line, making said throw essentially flat-footed. Chapman has also swiped 14 bags this year, second only to Gore. I may be looking in the wrong places for news, but it seems to me that Chapman is still being somewhat overlooked as far as this year's assessments of minor-league prospects are concerned.

Lexington's pitching has been exceedingly strong, so far. Five of our six starters have ERAs at 3.52 or lower, with RHP Aroni Nina the exception. Nina, in terms of progress, is somewhat worrisome in that he's spent the last five years in rookie ball. He is now 23 and has had some rocky showings as a starter. However, while he's allowed a .286 BA when the bases are empty, that number drops to

.250 with runners on, leading one to believe he may be better served as a reliever.

At any rate, RHPs Brian Brickhouse, Christian Binford and Miguel Almonte, along with lefties Daniel Stumpf and Colin Rodgers, have made short work of opposing batsmen this season. Brickhouse (1-3, 2.41 ERA in 33 2/3 IP) struck out 9 in 6 2/3 innings, allowing only 2 hits and shutting out the Lakewood Blue Claws in the process on his way to a Legends win. While he's had a strong year, statistically, there are signs that he's actually picking up steam. Binford (2-2, 3.21 in 33 2/3 innings) has allowed 2 runs or less in 5 of his 6 starts, giving fits to left-handed batters (.212 BAA, 1 extra-base hit in 55 PA) and being generally steady and sure. Almonte (1-4, 3.48 in 31 innings) has made five of his six starts on the road, holding batters to a .243 average in 112 plate appearances. He cut down 16 batters in his last two combined starts (12 2/3 innings), and while he has had a few rough starts there is potential here. It's possible that he could end up a solid #3 starter at the higher levels, but he has work to do before that happens.

Stumpf (3-0, 1.03 ERA in 26 1/3 IP) has only allowed opponents to score in two of his five starts. He's actually been nearly unhittable with runners on base (.105 BA in 43 PA), striking out 14 of the batters he's faced in those situations. While I expected Brickhouse (or Scott Alexander) to become the ace of this rotation, Stumpf has an iron grip on that title.

Rodgers (2-1, 2.84 ERA in 25 1/3 innings) has had some early inconsistency, but he's also shown flashes of brilliance: in his home start vs. the Greenville Drive on April 19^th he went 7 shutout innings, striking out six and walking only one for his first win of the year. He, also, has been tougher in away games than at The Bank (.271 BAA at home; .139 in away games). A .349 BABIP in his home appearances is a sign of defensive lapses behind him, and is likely to drop sharply in the coming weeks.

Out of the 'pen, RHPs Alec Mills, Mark Peterson, Cory Hall, Ali Williams and Daniel Hernandez, along with LHPs Clayton Schulz and Scott Alexander, comprise one of the best relief corps in The Sally. Hernandez, Alexander, Hall and Mills all have ERAs under 2.00, and five different relievers have recorded at least one save. Mills leads the team with five, while Peterson has four, Schulz and Hernandez have two each and Alexander has one. It seems that any one of them could be facing down your team in the ninth.

Williams has had two outings that could be considered 'very bad', but for the most part he appears to be (at times) a dominant power pitcher who mows down batters at will. One wonders what will be the result when he becomes a bit more consistent; as it stands now, he could be a 7^th or 8^th inning pitcher/set-up type in the making. He has bee roughed up by RHH and with runners on the bags, but this could be remedied with time and experience.

In Hernandez's 7 appearances for Lexington this year, he's given up runs in only one of them. At first glance, I wanted to say that he's been the most consistent of all the Legends relievers; that would not be the case. Schulz and Alexander have had similarly overpowering years, so far. The most recent addition to the team, RHP Chas Byrne, is the grandson of former Yankees/Browns/White Sox/Senators LHP Tommy Byrne, and joins the Legends after missing all of the 2012 season.

So, to summarize:

Strengths

-Strong pitching (starters and relievers)

-Speed on the bases and in the OF

-Tight D in the middle infield

Weaknesses

-Power has been lacking

-No batter hitting even .270

-Lack of a dominant cleanup hitter to hit behind table-setters at top of lineup

With the way the Savannah Sand Gnats have rolled to first place, the Legends have a lot of work to do if they want to catch them. There's not much of a chance that we can match them, hitting-wise, but our pitching and defense (along with some smart, fundamental hitting) could inch us ever closer to the division lead. At this stage in the game, it's all about 'baby steps'. There's a lot of baseball yet to play.