AFL Opening Day: Mesa Solar Sox at Glendale Desert Dogs 10/13/15

The 2015 Arizona Fall League is officially underway and in addition to the articles I will be writing for mlb.com and mlbpipeline.com, I’m going to be adding some additional tidbits to the blog. These will be trends/players/plays that stood out, but that didn’t make it into any articles for one reason or another. This will also be a spot where I answer questions sent to me that I don’t get to on Twitter.

Notable Performances:

– Chad Pinder, Athletics No. 7 prospect, hit a pair of homers and finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Oakland’s organizational hitting prospect of the year and the Texas League Player of the year hit 15 homers this season and neither of his homers were cheapies. Wednesday was a strong start to the Arizona Fall League for Pinder as he hit the ball hard all afternoon.

– Dodgers No. 24 prospect Kyle Farmer didn’t show a lot of power during the year, so it was a bit surprising to see him pop one over the 380’ sign in left-center. Farmer also had a walk-off single. You can read more about him here.

Best Play:

– Renato Nunez, the sixth ranked prospect in the A’s organization, is still developing as a defender, but showed some flash in the second inning. Nunez, playing third, dove to his left and made a great stop on a hard-hit ground ball, but then rushed and made an errant throw across the diamond.

Nunez redeemed himself a bit in the fifth as he had to back up to field a big hop behind the bag and made the long throw with ease.

Worth Mentioning:

– Phillies 16th ranked prospect Andrew Knapp was named Philadelphia’s organizational hitting prospect of the year and showed why with a booming double off the left-center field wall.

– Brian Holmes, selected in the 13th round of the 2012 Draft by the Astros, isn’t on the club’s top-prospect list, but flashed some potential in his two innings of work. The left-hander struck out 115 batters in 101.1 innings this year so he has strikeout stuff, but struggled a bit with command in his two scoreless innings Tuesday.

– Phillies top prospect J.P. Crawford went 1-for-4 and wasn’t all that impressive at the plate, but made a few athletics plays defensively. Pretty easy to see what all the hype is about.

– Corey Black, the No. 18 prospect in the Cubs organization had 101 strikeouts in 86 innings of AA this season so it’s obvious he has the stuff necessary to put hitters away. Black threw one inning Wednesday and struck out a pair.

What a year for top prospects

Admittedly in the past I haven’t paid much attention to prospects so I’m not going to try to compare those making their Major League debuts in the first half of 2015 to what may have happened in any previous years.

What I am going to do, is simply say, wow.

In regards to prospects and rookies, the first two and a half months of the baseball season have been spectacular.

Joc Pederson (he played 18 games in 2014, but is still considered a rookie) is on a tear in Los Angeles, Kris Bryant and Addison Russell have performed well in Chicago, Joey Gallo nearly hit for the cycle in his debut and that’s just the beginning.

Noah Syndergaard, Carlos Correa and Carlos Rondon have also debuted, while Byron Buxton and Francisco Lindor are set to get on the field Sunday.

While that’s already an impressive list of prospects, it doesn’t even include those that came to MLB internationally such as Jung Ho Kang, whom the Pirates signed from Korea and Yasmany Tomas, who the Arizona D-backs signed as a free agent out of Cuba.

Oh and don’t forget Giants right-hander Chris Heston who threw a no-hitter last week.

The amount of top prospects that have already been called up this season is remarkable and assuming they remain in the Majors and play at – or at least close to – expectations, it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch all these youngsters develop.

It’s never as far as it seems

I realize now you’re never as far from the Major Leagues as you may think.

Attend an Arizona Fall League game and other than the fact that the games are held in the Spring Training homes of the Major League clubs, they don’t feel like Major League games.

There’s hardly anyone in the stands, the games can end in a tie after 10 innings and the vast, vast majority of the players are anonymous to the casual fan.

However, the 2014 Arizona Fall League offered me the opportunity to watch Addison Russell, who made his Major League debut on April 21, as well as Byron Buxton and Francisco Lindor, both of which are expected to debut today.

Russell, Lindor and Buxton were all regarded as top prospects within their organizations so looking back on it, it’s not necessarily a major surprise that they have all been called up this season.

After watching the work that the trio – along with many others — put in work under the Arizona sun, it is nice to see them rewarded, accomplishing their goals and showcasing their talents on the big stage.

The AFL may be different from the MLB, but the first half of the 2015 season has shown us that those players playing in the half full stadiums, are just one phone call away from the show.

2 outs and no one on, a quick look at pitching efficiency in the NL West

The Jackson 5 may have sang “Easy as 123” but for a pitcher on the mound things aren’t quite as simple.

The goal is certainly to retire the side in order every time, but it doesn’t always happen that way and often that can be what separates a good pitcher from a great one.

Earlier this week, while watching the Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks from the Chase Field press box, a colleague and I were discussing how many batters reach base with two on and no outs.

In that particular game the starting pitchers retired the first two batters faced in each of the first two innings, but in all four half innings the third batter reached (two of them scored).

Not only does allowing the third batter to reach open up the potential for a run to score, but it extends the inning.

If the pitcher retires the fourth batter of the inning, it may look like a “no harm, no foul situation,” but that’s not exactly the case.

The pitcher now has to throw more pitches, which if this situation happens of couple of times in a game, will certainly add up.

Those extra base runners could be the difference between a starter going five innings vs six or six vs seven, which then puts extra stress on the bullpens.

It’s a compounding problem and the more I thought about it the more curious I was so I looked up some numbers in the National League West.

It should come as no surprise the when there are two outs and none on the Los Angeles Dodgers, in first place in the division, have allowed opponents to hit just .229 (with an on-base percentage of .309).

Also to no surprise, Dodgers starters have pitched the most innings in the division with 337 1/3. Of course, having Clayton Kershaw in the rotation helps that number as well.

As for how the rest of the division pitches with none on and two outs …

Team (in order of standings) Opponent batting avg Opponent on-base % Starters innings pitched
San Francisco Giants 270 334 339 2/3
San Diego Padres 243 313 338
Arizona D-backs 251 315 310
Colorado Rockies 249 335 289

The numbers don’t align perfectly with the standings, but with the exception of the Giants it’s clear that the better teams are the ones that do a better job of getting out of innings as soon as possible.

George Martinez RIP

One of the beautiful things about baseball is that no matter how many years pass, the game remains the same.

Sure, adaptations of the rules and tweaks to strategy have occurred over time, but overall the game that was developed and created a long, long time ago is roughly the same as the game played in front of millions today.

As time progressed and everything around it changed, baseball stayed the same.

A perfect analogy for George Martinez, who passed away on March 31, 2015, from multiple forms of cancer.

While Martinez, my grandpa, ultimately lost his battle with cancer he never lost his spirit or his identity.

Just as the game of baseball has remained constant through centuries, my grandpa remained a constant through his struggle.

As his health dwindled and mortality stared him, and his family, in the face, he remained the fun-loving grandpa I will always remember.

My grandpa always loved spending time with his family, eating a thick cut of meat, sipping on a nice glass of wine or telling a dumb, corny joke.

There are many memories of my grandpa that will forever live in my heart and a lot of them revolve around baseball (and the aforementioned corny jokes).

My grandpa viewed baseball as many things. It served as a hobby, a past time, a bonding experience between generations and in the final years and months it provided an escape – an avenue of relaxation.

My grandpa was a lifelong baseball fan, often telling me stories about growing up and watching the early days of the Pacific Coast League.

Over the past couple months we’d talk about once a week and the conversation would always conclude with a spring training update.

Yes, my grandpa was proud of me and wanted to know what I was working on and how everything was going. But as an avid, lifelong fan, he also wanted to know what was going on with his beloved Oakland A’s and if they were going to contend again in 2015.

My grandpa won’t get the chance the see the A’s play a regular season game in 2015, but he did celebrate his 78th and final birthday with a present from the team and that gesture, to me and my family, may be bigger than any other victory the A’s have this season.

A month ago I wrote a blog titled “More than just a hat” and briefly, I want to share that story once again.

Sensing that it would be her father’s final birthday, my mom sent an email to the Oakland Athletics, telling them about my grandpa’s condition and how he had been a lifelong fan of the organization.

Sending a note to a generic team account can result in any number of things and frankly I expected the email to go unanswered as the team – and all teams – probably receives tons of similar requests.

However, that was not the case.

The A’s took the time to put together a special birthday package that contained a schedule, a hat, baseball cards and several other items.

It wasn’t anything extravagant. But it meant everything.

At the time, my grandpa was still in the hospital and when I spoke to him – and he told me about the package – the excitement and the joy in his voice was evident.

He was surprised to receive a gift from his favorite team and most importantly, he was happy.

He told me he put the hat on as soon as he opened the box. A few days later I spoke to him again and the hat was still on.

Even while lying in a hospital bed baseball once again provided my grandpa with an escape – a sense of joy.

Just as the game of baseball will stay the same, live on and provide me with many memories and smiles, so will the memories of George Martinez.

Rest in peace Grandpa. I love you.

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Ranking the Cactus League ballparks

Fifteen teams and 10 stadiums make up the Cactus League. One of the biggest perks of spring training is the close proximity of so many ballparks and teams.

Although I have yet to see every team in action this spring (the Reds, Royals and Padres have been evasive) today’s trip to the Peoria Sports Complex means I have been to every Cactus League park over the past couple weeks.

Out of town fans and people planning visits often ask me my favorite stadiums and which ones they should go see and although I would have liked to post this blog sooner I figured it was best to wait until I had been to every park.

So here it goes, from best to worst, my favorite places to catch a Cactus League game:

Salt River Fields (Arizona Diamondbacks/Colorado Rockies)

Scottsdale Stadium (San Francisco Giants)

Sloan Park (Chicago Cubs)

Tempe Diablo Stadium (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)

Surprise Stadium (Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers)

Peoria Sports Complex (San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners)

HoHoKam Stadium (Oakland Athletics)

Goodyear Ballpark (Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians)

Camelback Ranch (Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers)

Maryvale Baseball Park (Milwaukee Brewers)

Which parks are your favorite? Least favorite? Why?

Not your standard prediction post…

Spring Training is the time of year where writers and analysts are flooding you with projections and predictions for the upcoming year.

While looking at predictions is fun – especially if your team is expected to be good – I like to look at it from a different angle.

Rather than simply writing down who will win the MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, etc. I went to Bovada.lv and took a look at some of the prop bets offered for season and also looked at whether or not the bets appear to be solid.

Highest Save Total By A Pitcher Over/Under 48.5

Last season Craig Kimbrel saved 47 games for Atlanta while Fernando Rodney saved 48 games for the Mariners. While no player saved more than 48.5 games last season, four have reached the mark over the past four seasons.

Highest Strikeout Total By A Pitcher O/U 255.5

David Price led the league with 271 strikeouts last season and Corey Kluber struck out 269. Three players have reached 256 or more strikeouts over the past two seasons, but after that you have to go back to 2011.

Highest Home Run Total By A Batter O/U 42.5

No one hit 43 or more home runs last season, but prior to that two players reached the mark in 2013, three did in 2012, one did in 2011, one in 2010 and four in 2009.

Highest RBI Total By A Batter O/U 127.5

Adrian Gonzalez led the league last season with 166 RBI, but in 2013 two players hit more than 128 RBI. Over the past five seasons, four players have hit 128 or more RBI.

Highest Hit Total By A Batter O/U 210.5

Jose Altuve led the league with 225 hits last season, but is the only player with more than 211 hits in any of the past five seasons.

Highest Stolen Base Total By A Player O/U 62.5

Dee Gordon swiped 64 bags last season, but was the first player to steal 60 or more bases since Michael Bourn stole 61 bases in 2011.

Highest Batting Average By A Batter O/U .340

Jose Altuve hit .341 in 2014 (just typing these is a reminder of how good he was last season, wow) and Miguel Cabrera hit .348 in 2013. The American League has had at least one player hit .340 or above in five of the last six seasons.

Highest Win Total By A Pitcher O/U 20.5

Winning 21 games is no easy task. However, over the past five years, seven pitchers have done it.

Will Any Pitcher Pitch A Perfect Game Yes (+200) No (-300)

A perfect game is one of the most enjoyable things to watch in baseball. Unfortunately, baseball fans haven’t been able to witness one since 2012. Will that change this year?

How Many No-Hitters Will There Be In Regular Season? O/U 4.5

While not quite as special as the perfect game, the no-hitter is still a great feat. There were five no-hitters in 2014, three in 2013 and an astonishing seven in 2012 (including perfect games.) This bet may hinge on the number of starts Tim Lincecum has against the Padres.

More than just a hat

* Name has been changed for privacy purposes

Spring training has barely started, but George Martin – a lifelong baseball fan – has already had one of his most memorable days as a baseball fan. And it centered around a baseball hat.

Martin, a Bay Area resident, has been an A’s fan for a number of years, but it’s unclear how many years he will be able to cheer on the green and gold.

Martin turned 78 this past week, but rather than celebrating with cake, ice cream and a big party, he spent his birthday in a hospital bed battling multiple forms of cancer.

Knowing his health was declining and facing the reality that this may be Martin’s last birthday, members of his family reached out to the A’s organization days before Martin’s birthday in an attempt to make the day special.

Sending an email to a generic team feedback account can go any number of ways and sometimes it feels like no one ever reads those or responds, but the A’s responded in a big way.

The team didn’t do anything extravagant, but they did take the time to put together a care package with a birthday card an A’s hat, baseball cards, a schedule and various other items.

Upon opening the package Martin’s face lit up, his spirits were lifted and he immediately put on the A’s hat – which he hasn’t taken off since.

Baseball – and sports – is often boiled down to wins and losses, but sometimes the best stories come from off the field.

Martin is just an average fan and the email sent from his family member was likely just one of hundreds or thousands that the A’s receive. The team didn’t have to respond, but they did.

And odds are, if the A’s responded to Martin’s story, they’ve likely responded to plenty of others.

Kudos to the Oakland organization.

It’s not all about the games….

Cactus League games don’t begin for another two weeks, but games aren’t the only reason a diehard baseball fan should spend some time at the ball fields.

Games are certainly the highlight of Spring Training as they provide fans with the opportunity to watch their favorite teams and players prepare for the upcoming season.

However, the workouts can be equally entertaining and will save you a lot of money (workouts are free and there are no $8 beers burning a hole in your pocket).

Fans often try to relate to athletes. At one point or another most fans have a flashbacks while watching a game.

Everyone remembers their Little League days and the time they used to play. Typically these moments happen when a player makes a mistake and the fan exclaims “I could have made that play” to anyone that will listen.

While odds are you or I couldn’t have made that play, Spring training workouts further intensify that sense of nostalgia.

There’s something special about watching Major League players – athletes that are making millions of dollars and used to playing in front of thousands of fans – just field ground ball after ground ball like we all did as kids.

In addition to getting a rare glimpse behind the curtain, workouts can be extremely valuable to those seeking autographs or trying to interact with coaches and players.

During Saturday morning’s Diamondbacks workout, Addison Reed signed some autographs and gave a young fan a pair of shoes. Tony LaRussa and Joe Carter also took the time to sign autographs and interact with fans.

Yes, players sign and talk to fans at Cactus League games too, but Carter’s session with the fans illustrated how unique the workout experience can be.

After signing and taking pictures with a horde of 50 or so fans, Carter easily could have gone on with his day and everyone would have been happy.

Instead, the Special Assistant to the General Manager hung out a little while longer and – using the bat to mimic a golf club – talked to some fans about playing golf and life as a former player.

Obviously autographs are up to the athletes and everyone is in a different mood or on a different schedule every day, but typically workouts have very little fanfare and the athletes are accommodating at either the beginning or conclusion of their workout.

When accepting awards, celebrating a championship or reflecting on a big win athletes often talk about the work that was put in behind the scenes – the work fans didn’t get to see.

Well, Spring training workouts give fans that opportunity in a way few professional sports do.

Sure, there is still plenty that isn’t visible to the public, but Spring Training workouts pull back the curtain a bit and are certainly worth a couple hours on a Saturday morning.

10 Things I’m Watching I’m In 2015: The San Diego Padres

Spring Training is finally here and with that, here’s the tenth and final installment of my ’10 Things I’m Watching In 2015′ series. Today’s topic: the San Diego Padres.

A.J. Preller made sure all baseball discussions revolved around the Padres in December as the new GM made a plethora of trades and stole the show at the Winter Meetings.

The Dodgers and Giants (although that whole win the World Series, then struggle the next year thing still applies) seem to be the teams to beat in the NL West, but the Padres certainly aren’t messing around.

During the heat of the Hot Stove season, Preller acquired Brandon Maurer from Seattle, Will Middlebrooks from Boston, Justin Upton from Atlanta, Wil Myers from Tampa Bay, Derek Norris from Oakland and Matt Kemp from Los Angeles.

But apparently that wasn’t enough as Preller went out and finished the off season with the acquisition of James Shields.

Shields, who went 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA last season, was one of the premier free agent pitchers on the market and will be very valuable in the Padres rotation and pitching in Petco Park will likely improve Shields’ numbers. The right-hander has thrown 200 or more innings in eight straight seasons, so he is certainly someone reliable that the Padres can count on to take the ball every fifth day.

The Padres have had a losing record in six of the past seven seasons, but if this new group of players is able to develop chemistry early, that could easily change in 2015.

San Diego has a lot of new pieces and will be a team to watch out West. While it will be fun to watch all the newcomers, it will also be intriguing to see what the team does with some of the old players.

The new outfielders are exciting, but what will San Diego do with Cameron Maybin, Will Venable and Carlos Quentin? The Padres traded Seth Smith early in the off season, but even so they have tremendous depth in the outfield. It’s hard to imagine scenarios where all six of the players receive enough playing time to stay content, so the team may need to make another move before it’s all said and done.

Previous Entries:

Yasmany Tomas 

Lester, Shields and Scherzer 

The Chicago White Sox 

The AL West 

The Boston Red Sox 

First Year Managers 

MILB Pitch Clocks 

Madison Bumgarner and the Giants 

The Chicago Cubs