Lexington Legends Update: A Look At The 2012 Legends This Year, Part Three

MAY 18^th, 2013-A step up from Class A ball lies, of course, Class AA.

Double-A is the dividing line for many minor-leaguers, the level at which an organization gets a true feel for the future of any given prospect. Double-A seasons are the same length as that at the Major League level, the pitching gets exponentially tougher, the fielders are dramatically quicker and the hitters sling some heavy lumber. The jump between Class A and AA is much greater than that between AA and AAA, no matter which league you're in.

This is where many players truly stumble, experiencing their first real difficulties in pro ball. Minor-league ball is natural selection at its finest: only the strong survive.

For the Astros, AA ball resides in the Sparkling City by the Sea: Corpus Christi, Texas. The AA representative for Houston in the Texas League, a league which is slightly skewed towards hitting (compared to the Eastern and Southern Leagues), the Corpus Christi Hooks have only a few of 2012's Legends on their current roster. Since Lexington is a step below High-A, many of last year's Legends team are in Lancaster right now.

On the hitting side of things:

Zach Johnson, 1B-DH

Stats (updated):

Lancaster-20 games, 95 PA, 12 R, 25 H, 10 2B, 2 HR, 20 RBI, .298 BA, .362 OBP, .897 OPS

Corpus Christi-13 games, 42 PA, 5 R, 6 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .162 BA, .487 OPS

Johnson, last year's RBI machine, was picking up right where he left off in 2012 with Lexington when he hit the California League. He had 20 ribbies in 20 games when he got the call to AA. Oh, and he had smacked 10 doubles in the process, as well. Now, I know the Cali is a hitter's league, and the JetHawks play in something of a launching pad, but still...ten doubles in 20 games. Because he hates pitchers, that's why.

Anyway, he's yet to have much opportunity to punish the Texas League. But it won't be long. Johnson has historically taken his fair share of walks, and he'll have to continue to do so since his BA usually hovers around .250-.260, but as long as he's a run producer like he's been the walks won't be quite as important.

Somewhat overlooked at this point, his defense is actually pretty strong now. He keeps a low center of gravity in the field, and is quick to either side for low grounders. He may even end up as one of the best defenders at his position in the league; if not this one, then in the future.

Drew Muren, OF

Stats:

Lancaster-12 games, 49 PA, 12 R, 16 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .372 BA, 1.054 OPS

Corpus Christi-17 games, 61 PA, 4 R, 10 H, 3 2B, 3 RBI, .182 BA, .474 OPS

Muren is hitting the same early speed bump that most players run into when they reach AA. He is batting .238 for this month, however, so he's making progress in that respect. Drew has a good arm and covers ample space in the outfield; I'm hoping to see him get plenty of playing time in CC, to see what he can do with it. While he carried a .321 BA in Lancaster during his 2012 call-up, then followed that up with a .291 average in 33 games in Double-A, he will likely have a tough go of it to maintain an average near those marks. He's got a very good swing with a slight uppercut to it, but being 6'6” at the plate means you've got a lot of strike zone to cover, and Muren could still stand to put on a bit more weight. I'd really like to see what he could do with another 20 pounds on him; it could mean a lot for his power development. If it's going to happen, now's the time.

On the mound, CC has a considerable amount of talent by way of Lexington:

Mike Foltynewicz, RHP

Stats:

Lancaster-7 games, 5 starts, 1 game finished, 26 IP, 31 HA, 16 R, 11 ER, 4 HRA, 14 BB, 29 K, 3.81 ERA

Corpus Christi-3 games, 2 starts, 1 game finished, 1 SV, 13 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HRA, 4 BB, 14 K, 1.38 ERA

Folty has been used primarily as a starter this year, though he has seen action as a closer as well. Considering that in 10 total games in 2013 he's been a starter in 7 of them, you'd think that Houston is still grooming him as a starter. But then there's two appearances in which he closed out games. With the talent he has, the Astros certainly have options. As a starter with Lexington in 2012, Foltynewicz finished 14-4 with a 3.14 ERA and in the process solidified his prospect status. In thirteen innings at AA he hasn't looked all that impressed by the Texas League batters. Of course, that's 13 innings, a small sample size. But I watched him pitch last year here in Lexington, and I'm certain a lot of you would agree: this is one legit mound marksman. Barring catastrophe, you're looking at a guy who'll be taking the ball every 5^th day in Houston, come 2015. Perhaps the greatest area for improvement would be that he'll have to be careful with the walks; in Single-A, they're not such a big thing. But in AA, they can sink you.

It always seemed to me that he normally didn't walk batters because of control issues. It seemed more like he might have been too fine around the zone and the batters just didn't bite. It wasn't often that he would come out with less-than-excellent stuff.

Carlos Quevedo, RHP

Stats:

Corpus Christi- 1-3, 4.50 ERA, 10 games, 3 starts, 1 game finished, 28 IP, 32 HA, 17 R, 14 ER, 8 HRA, 9 BB, 21 K

Quevedo has, for the most part, thrived in a relief role for the Hooks. Having allowed 8 homers in 28 innings is a concern, though this is his first exposure to AA hitters. At 23, he's exactly where he should be age-wise, and it appears he may move faster if they keep him throwing out of the 'pen. Quevedo is solidly built and has very simple, easily repeatable mechanics, which also helps to keep his results fairly consistent. His fastball sits in the low-90's and he throws a solid curve (though it can get a little loopy, at times) and change, usually staying low in the zone.

Nick Tropeano, RHP

Stats:

Corpus Christi- 0-2, 2.25 ERA, 10 games, 5 starts, 4 games finished, 4 SV, 40 IP, 37 HA, 13 R, 10 ER, 4 HRA, 11 BB, 38 K

Tropeano works magic with his low-90's fastball, quality curve and outstanding changeup. It's his feel and instinct for pitching that has made him more than another face in the crowd. Tropeano always has an idea out on the mound; he never seems shaken, and I don't think I ever saw him overthrow (at least, not repeatedly). He's been able to get out of a lot of spots with just his change; it's that good. He always seems to keep it low, knows how to set the hitters up, and has a way of controlling the game that implies instinct beyond his years. I'd say he's a shoe-in to make The Show.

That's all, for now. Next up I'll be posting the first of my scouting reports for the current Legends on Kings of Kauffman. Stay tuned.

This Is The Business We Have Chosen

JULY 9th, 2012-We're halfway through the season, and things have been about what I expected they would be.

3B Matt Duffy, putting a hurt on the ball.

The team as a whole has been reasonably successful, playing some pretty exciting games and more than holding their own in what has turned out to be a somewhat competitive division. Players have come and gone, been promoted, demoted, released (we still miss you, Tyler), injured, all of what you'd expect to see in a typical baseball season. Several of the players I've known and hosted while here have gone up the chain (Jason Chowning and Alex Todd, for starters), new players have come to take their place on the roster (happy to see one of my personal favorite players Mitchell Lambson joining us), and business has been pretty much "as usual", as they say.

The Moon Man, firing away after a great hustle play

Business. I've never gotten used to hearing that word associated with baseball. Somehow, it doesn't sit well with me.

I've never been naive enough to think that, at this level, it's not first and foremost a business. But when you get to know these kids, when you learn about their lives off the field, what they're like when they're not "being ball players", you can't get totally accustomed to the fact that, in the end, their status as a professional baseball player is strictly subject to the whim and will of the parent organization. The "big club". Somehow, "big club" is a very appropriate nickname for a Major League team...after you've been released, you probably feel like you've just been smacked over the head with one.

CF Drew Muren just knocked the crap out of this ball. Trust me. 

Anyway, I continue to take hundreds upon hundreds of photos at every game I attend. It sometimes gets to feeling too much like actual work (which it shouldn't because I love doing it), and when it does I back off a bit. But I spend countless hours working on those photos, and sometimes a player will thank me for taking them. In the end, besides the fact that I feel like the time spent by these young men in professional baseball is worthy of remembrance, I do it for them. At the last potluck I was able to print some 200 of these photos out to distribute to the boys. Many of them were very grateful to have shots of themselves playing this game, and I imagine they seldom get to see prints of their own unless someone is asking them to sign one, but I love being able to do this for them. I genuinely feel that it's a small gesture, considering all they give back to the fans. And yeah, I like the feedback I get when they see the pics, too.

RHP Murilo Gouvea waits for the call. 

I say all this because I feel that minor league baseball players have so much asked of them by their team and their fans: they're paid peanuts for what they do, they endure eternally-long road trips and have to share space with 2 or 3 other players just to be able to afford a place of their own, and honestly they are given little in return when you think about it. Consider: after all they do to make their way in pro ball, only one in 11 will ever step foot on a major league field for even one at-bat, one inning, one play. That's a lot of work for such long odds. But they do it, and every year another 1500 or so new faces fight for their place in the game, veterans keep working toward their dream, and some are just praying for one more game, one more inning, one more moment in the sun.

Now I'm not mentioning the photography bit because I think what I do deserves any sort of praise. I love doing it and I'll keep on doing it as long as God allows. But in a small way, it affords me a tiny window into the life of a player, a look into who he is instead of what he does, and it brings me that much closer to the game I love and the players I respect.

Flame-throwing prospect RHP Dayan Diaz. If you don't know
about him yet, you will.

Simply put, while one player may be here for the long haul, another may disappear without warning. We all remember the ones who make the All-Star Games, who lead the league in homers or who win batting titles, but let's not forget the ones who are here and gone before we knew them.

Let's not forget that the business can be harsh and unforgiving. Keep that in mind the next time one of your favorites leaves the diamond, perhaps for good. Remember what it meant to him, and what he meant to you. And it won't seem like such a business, anymore.


Find more Legends photos in my 2012 Lexington Legends Flickr set. I'll be adding to it all year.