Monday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Probables |
| Rochester | Won, 8-4 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Harrisburg | Won, 11-2 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Wilmington | Won, 14-8 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Fredericksburg | Lost, 8-3 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| FCL Nationals | OFF DAY | vs. FCL Cardinals, 12:00 p.m. |
Rochester 8 Worcester 4
• Nolin (W, 1-1) 5IP, 4H, R, ER, BB, 6K, HR
• Braymer 2IP, 1H, R, ER, BB, 2K, HR
• Bautista 3-5, R, HR, RBI
• Noll 3-5, R, 3B, RBI
• Kieboom 2-4, R, 2B, 2RBI
The Red Wings scored early and often, building a 6-0 lead after three en route to an 8-4 win to take their fifth straight game. Sean Nolin tossed five innings on of one-run ball on a homer and four hits total. He struck out six and walked one while earning his first win in five starts. Rafael Bautista and Jake Noll both went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, with Bautista and Blake Swihart both hitting their third HR. Roster moves: RHP Andres Machado recalled to Washington.
Harrisburg 11 Altoona 2
• A. Lee (W, 2-2) 5IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 4K,
• Teel 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K, HBP
• Harrison 3-4, 3R, HR
• Dunlap 3-5, 2-2B, R, 4RBI
• Corredor 2-4, 2R, 3B, HR, BB, RBI
Harrisburg busted out for four runs in both the 4th and 6th innings as they took the finale against Altoona, 11-2. Andrew Lee evened up his won-loss record with five innings of two-run ball on five hits, no walks, and four whiffs. Carson Teel and Bryan Dobzanski both tossed two scoreless innings of relief. The Senators broke out on offense, pounding out a baker’s dozen of hits including four doubles, a triple by Corredor that rattled around in the RF bullpen, and homers by Corredor and KJ Harrison.
Wilmington 14 Hudson Valley 8
• Troop 4IP, 7H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 6K, WP, 2HBP, PO @ 1B
• Vann (W, 3-1) 1IP, 5H, 4R, 3ER, 0BB, 1K, HR
• Schaller (SV, 4) 2IP, 3H, 0R, BB, 4K
• Alu 4-5, 3R, BB, 2B, 3RBI, SB
• Pratt 3-5, 2R, BB, 2HR, 6RBI
• Mendoza 2-6, 2R, HR, 2RBI, E(2)
The two teams combined for 34 hits, but the Blue Rocks sent in 10 to the Renegades eight to stop a five-game losing streak. Alex Troop went the first four innings but was ineffective, allowing three runs on seven hits, two walks, and two Victor Robles. He struck out six. The win was awarded to Chris “Chevy Vann” despite coughing up four runs on five hits (one HR) in his single inning of work. Reid Schaller closed it out with two scoreless for his fourth save. Jake Alu reached base five times with three singles, a double, and a walk and scored three times while Andrew Pratt reached base four times with two homers, a single, a walk, and drove in six.
Delmarva 8 Fredericksburg 3
• Theophile 4IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• B. Peña (L, 1-2) 1⅓ IP, 2H, 5R, 5ER, BB, 2K, HR, 2HBP
• Alastre ⅔ IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, K, 3-3 IR-S
• Ydens 2-4, 2R, HR(5), RBI, OF assist @ 3B
• Vega 2-4, RBI
Fredericksburg briefly led this one 2-1 but a six-run 6th did them in as Delmarva took this one, 8-3. Rodney Theophile got the start and was dominant for four innings, giving up just a one-out double in the 2nd and retiring the last eight batters he faced. He was lifted after 40 pitches, a figure he hasn’t surpassed in three appearances since a 15-day break between appearances on June 1 and June 16. The loss went to Bryan Peña with five runs charged over an inning and a 1/3rd, with an “assist” to Tomás Alastre (three runs inherited, three runs scored). Jeremy Ydens and Onix Vega both went 2-for-4 to lead the F-Nats’ seven-hit, three-walk offense.
FCL Nationals
Nope. That’s not a typo, even if “f” is next to “g” on the keyboard. As with just about everything else with the MLB-MiLB takeover, the information is sparse, uneven, and contradictory, e.g. the URL says https://www.milb.com/gulf-coast/ but the title tag and just about everything else says Florida Coast League.
Things could be interesting for a while. Last week the releases began but the DSL – at least that’s what we think it will still be named – doesn’t begin for another two weeks. Will the FCL team be basically everyone who’s been in XST? Hard to say: As of this writing, just 18 players appear on the roster and that might change within just a few hours. I have no explanation for this, other than incompetence and short-sightedness, both of which have been in abundance in the new MLB-operated structure.
Need further proof? Check out Baseball America’s story about how the Partner Leagues are scrambling for bodies. Remember, MLB strong-armed these leagues into relationships last fall, but it appears MLB’s “vision” is not unlike the T-Rex in “Meet the Robinsons.”
In terms of the site, the plan in the short term is to cover the FCL as if it were the NYPL, except with no probables given (a) in the GCL FCL the starter isn’t necessarily a starter (b) there’s no PR or media relations personnel or information available. I don’t think I’ll be able to do the same for the DSL, as five recaps (which we all know can often be more with rainouts) is about my limit with the time I have available.
Sadly, what hasn’t changed is that the FCL Nats will play the same. Damn. Four. Teams. Over. And. Over. And. Over. Again. The façade that the FCL is one league instead of three leagues posing as divisions will continue.
Luke, your work here is much appreciated and no one will complain if you focus on the 4 highest levels.
As usual, MLB has no ethics on these partner leagues.
Big day for Nats bats! 36 runs is impressive. Exceptionally so when you consider the system-wide offensive impotence.
I mentioned this recently, but it got me thinking just how slowly so many hitters started in our system, and makes we wonder what was so different about the Nationals’ hitters preparation compared to other teams.
Almost universally, hitter started out miserably, and after an awful May have turned the corner with a much better June. I made the point about Garcia and Kieboom, who both have increases over over .200 OPS points from one month to the next, but it applies to almost every other hitter from our top 30 prospects (May vs June):
Antuna: .388 vs .676
De la Rosa: .468 vs .499
Mendoza: .604 vs .684
Pineda: .580 vs .567 (the ONLY player with a decrease! and an exceptionally minor one at that)
Cluff: unfortunately only has a miserable May to go on, hitting .450 OPS before getting injured
Barrera: .552 vs .738
Reetz: .700 vs .777
V. Pena: .504 vs .617
Look, I get that losing an entire year of competitive baseball will make players rusty. The problem is that this appears to be a problem unique to the Nationals. As far as I can tell, minor league offense didn’t crater in May, just with the Nats’ 4 affiliates. Plus, I’m pretty sure the FredNats pitching staff single-handedly elevated MILB offense levels to record highs during that 17 game losing streak to start the season.
The consistency with which talented Nationals hitters (i.e. every single one of them except Israel Pineda, who is just still off to a slow start) got off to a slow start suggests the Nationals systematically poorly prepared their hitters through 2020 and Spring Training 2021. If I were Rizzo, I’d have a look into what sort of training methods they’re using and change them, because whatever they are doing isn’t working!
To further add other Watchlist names:
Connell: .639 vs .830
Alu: .742 vs .975
Canning: 1.001 vs .599 (another rare exception)
Rhinesmith: .856 vs .558 (and another)
Arruda: .597 vs .801
Ydens: .407 vs .819
Harrison: .534 vs .978
G. Diaz: .632 vs .805
Corredor: .532 vs .952
Jose Sanchez: .643 vs .758
Frankly, I’m amazed just how consistent every hitter is! That’s 17 out of our 20 best hitter that all have shown extremely slow starts, followed by quite substantial improvement.
It’s great that our hitters have collectively reawoken from their Rip Van Winkel-esque slumber, but it’s highly worrying that they all showed up so ill-prepared.
Luke your commenting about the FSL ( Gulf , baby ) sounds like a son whose mother served broccoli numerous nights out of the week with the protein choice .
Nats sure were psychic with signing just signing enough Minor league free agent infielders to fill the upper two levels
Bizarre Marincanz gets promoted while Big Tuna continues to find himself @ Blue Claws with Alu ( not spelled Alou for us old Quebec MLB followers in the day ) lol!
Senators coming together even with Teel and Tapani ( not a law firm but an opening act for Hall and Oates ) lending swing / spot start ability …
But I *liked* broccoli (and still do)
Jake “Who?” Alu is scorching hot. Is he for real? Probably not, but let’s send him to Double-A just to be sure.
Speaking of Double-A, don’t look now, but K.J. Harrison is heating up and putting together a respectable campaign. Still, he’d be a much more interesting prospect if he could catch, and the Nats apparently don’t think he can.
Some questions about the partner leagues and the draft league as the 2021 draft approaches:
– After the July 11-13 draft (limited to 20 rounds; fwiw, there are several contributing players in the Nats system who were drafted after the 20th round: Jake Alu, Sterling Sharp, Gabe Klobosits) are undrafted free agents eligible to sign with an MLB team?
– Is there a limit on the amount of undrafted free agents an MLB team can sign after the draft?
– What is the cap amount that an MLB team can offer an undrafted FA?
– Can left over slot money be used to sign undrafted free agents?
– Can HS players be signed as an undrafted free agent or only JUCOs and 4 year college players in their third year after HS?
– Does the MLB draft league end once the MLB takes place or do players continue to play until they sign (or can they continue to play in the draft league after they sign)?
– After the draft (and free agent signings), MLB can assign players to either a partner league, an affiliated team or their Spring training site?