While it was a tough week for the pitchers, our boys with the bats managed to make up for it in this week’s MLPW.
Minor League Players of the Week:
Pitcher:
David Phelps, 23, RHP, AA
6 IP, 8 K, 3 BB, 5 H, 1 ER
Phelps is a guy who you probably haven’t heard a lot about. He made our honorable mentions in the last edition, and even though his start this past week was actually “worse” (depending on your interpretation), an unspectacular week for farm system pitchers led to Phelps winning. That isn’t meant to take anything away from Phelps who has had a sparkling career so far.
Last year at Charleston, Phelps pitched 112.2 innings of 2.80 ERA ball, good enough to earn him a promotion to Tampa where he was equally if not more dominant in 38.1 innings (1.17 ERA, 5.33 K/BB). Phelps’ 151 frames were the 38th most in all of the minors, and nobody with more innings had a better K/BB ratio (Phelps: 3.94, The Rest: 2.50). That list includes Roy Halladay centerpiece Kyle Drabek and Cliff Lee trade-piece Carlos Carrasco.
That being said, Phelps projects more like a back of the rotation arm as his stuff isn’t overpowering, with his fastball sitting in the 88-92 MPH range. Phelps’ primary secondary offering, his slider, is an above-average pitch largely because of his ability to command it within the zone. His change is average, but again, with good command. Phelps also throws a curveball, but it’s more of a work in progress at this point. Phelps isn’t going to be talked about as a top Yankee prospect, but he could play a role as a trade chip this summer.
Position Player:
Zachary “Slade” Heathcott, 19, RHB CF, A
.375/.412/.500 in 19 PAs
That just feels good to write.
Slade Heathcott, the Yankees 1st round pick (29th overall) in 2009 and our #5 prospect, makes the first of hopefully many more appearances as Positional Player of the Week. Only 44 plate appearances into his career, Slade’s speed has been on display with two stolen bases, a triple and 7 hits on 14 ground balls (.500 BABiP on GBs). Hopefully as those numbers normalize we see him drive the ball some more (9.4 LD% currently) and start picking up some more extra base hits.
Slade might not be long for the Sally league, with a possible shift to the Staten Island Yankees in the NY-Penn League being a possibility according to NoMaas’ interviewee Mark Newman. In any case, Slade has shown that he’s not overmatched in A-ball (9.1 BB%, 15.9 K%), which might be a motivating factor to keep him there.
Things aren’t always going to be as rosy as they seem right now for Slade (.851 OPS) and we, as fans, need to realize that. As a 19-year old playing in a league where the pitchers are 3 years older than him on average, he’s going to go through rough patches. Eventually coaching staffs are going to find ways to get him out and it’s going to be up to him to make changes and adapt. This is all part of the learning process that young prospects go through. We just need to keep a level head about things.
Honorable Mentions:
Dellin Betances, 22, RHP, A+
6 IP, 6 K, 0 BB, 3 H, 1 ER
Great to see Betances back and dealing after ligament reinforcement surgery.
Melky Mesa, 23, RHB CF, A+
.357/.471/.857 in 21 PAs
5-tool potential, but has struggled to put it all together (.721 OPS in A/A+).
Jesus Montero, 20, RHB C, AAA
.348/.348/.522 in 23 PAs
Maybe the start of something big? I’m crossing my fingers.
Hector Noesi, 23, RHP, AA
9 IP, 6 K, 1 BB, 9H, 1 ER
He can’t win it every week.
19 Comments
Business Suit June 14, 2010 23:10
Good to see Betances is at least showing signs. We’ve been hearing about him for a while, maybe he can sneak back onto people’s radar with production like is expected.
Kyle Farnsworth June 15, 2010 03:00
No love for Brackman? His last 5 starts he has done very well in. Dude has seem to got his mojo working.
Rick Sutcliffe June 15, 2010 08:09
Brackman’s been in the last couple, I think.
B Rabbit June 15, 2010 08:57
i look forward to this every week.
Gary Wallace June 15, 2010 10:28
@Kyle Farnsworth:
The time period for this MLPW was June 7th to June 13th (read: stats are compiled Monday to Sunday for every entry). The only start Brackman had in that period was a 6 inning, 3 run effort, which while good, wasn’t good enough to make this weeks article. Betances had a better start at the same level.
And I believe I’ve shown Brackman love when appropriate. Last week he was in the honorable mentions and two weeks ago he won Pitcher of the Week. I’m certainly not going out of my way to ignore him.
DavidRiccio June 15, 2010 10:28
Does anyone know if Mitchum deodorant really works? I smell like burnt falafel.
Syracuse University June 15, 2010 13:24
Never tried it, Dave.
Cult of Basebaal June 15, 2010 17:48
I have a sneaky feeling that Brackman will be getting some love in *next* week’s roundup …
Gary Wallace June 15, 2010 20:27
That probably depends on his next start. If he blows up it would ruin his line.
Munson June 16, 2010 14:59
Brackman is fantastic dominating against guys 5 yrs younger in A ball.
Why not go down to rookie ball in a few weeks and really dominate?
Gary Wallace June 16, 2010 15:35
Fantastic addition, Munson.
Except you’re wrong. The average hitter’s age in the Florida State League is 22.8. Andrew Brackman is 24.5 years old. So that whole “five years older than everybody,” thing isn’t only stupid, it’s also incorrect. Would you rather Brackman NOT pitch well? Would that give you actual reasons to diminish the work he’s done instead of fabricated discrepancies between his birth date and other peoples?
destiny99 June 21, 2010 00:09
You’re grossly underscouting Phelps’ fastball. His ceiling is still a mid-back rotation starter but his FB sits 91-94 and touches 95. I don’t know where you got this 88-92 business.
Gary Wallace June 21, 2010 00:49
@destiny99:
“His ceiling is still a mid-back rotation starter…”
… which is exactly what I said.
“I don’t know where you got this 88-92 business.”
Reports I saw as of a month ago had him in the low 90s consistently while, as you noted, running it up to 95. I wasn’t trying to sell Phelps short or anything like that, those were just the numbers that I had. It’s very possible his fastball has picked up some life as it warmed up.
Destiny99 June 21, 2010 13:18
“… which is exactly what I said.”
Right, when I said his ceiling is STILL mid-back rotation, that means I’m in agreement, so I don’t know what your point is here. But if we’re going to split hairs, you never suggested Phelps was a middle-of-the-rotation guy but specifically stated Phelps projects at a “BACK of the rotation arm.” So….huh?
“Reports I saw as of a month ago had him in the low 90s consistently while, as you noted, running it up to 95.”
Wait. The most recent reports you read on Phelps had him low 90s and topping out at 95 but you wrote above that he is a 88-92mph guy? Um, makes no sense & how is that doing anything BUT selling Phelps short?
Fail.
Gary Wallace June 21, 2010 14:01
“But if we’re going to split hairs, you never suggested Phelps was a middle-of-the-rotation guy but specifically stated Phelps projects at a “BACK of the rotation arm.” So….huh?”
I interpreted your “mid-back” as “middle of the back”. If you’re saying middle-to-back, I disagree with the “middle” part. Not saying it’s impossible, but I’d say that’s an optimistic outlook.
“Wait. The most recent reports you read on Phelps had him low 90s and topping out at 95 but you wrote above that he is a 88-92mph guy? Um, makes no sense & how is that doing anything BUT selling Phelps short?”
…Because that’s the most information we have on Phelps. The majority of reports since he was drafted had him in the upper 80s to low 90s (read: 88-92). His recent increase has seen him in the low 90s (read: 89-93). I don’t know about you, but I’d like to see him maintain that over the course of the year before I start saying that’s the type of guy he is.
“Wait. The most recent reports you read on Phelps had him low 90s and topping out at 95 but you wrote above that he is a 88-92mph guy?”
Yes. Because sitting 88-92 while getting it up to 94/95 doesn’t mean you’re 88-95. You’re still a high 80s, low 90s guy. It’s not an insult, despite the fact you seem to be taking that way.
I’d prefer to err on the side of caution and utilize the most information possible. If you want to jump to conlcusions, feel free. I’m a bit bearish on him.
“Um, makes no sense & how is that doing anything BUT selling Phelps short?”
… Because he got Pitcher of the Week?
I get it. You like David Phelps and think my velocity report on him is insulting to his stuff (for some reason). Sorry you take offense to that.
Destiny99 June 21, 2010 15:51
You’re misreading me.
No I don’t really care if you like or dislike Phelps. You obviously respect the kid if he’s the Milb pitcher of the week.
However, it seemed like you were backtracking. The end of last year he was 92-94 and he’s been low 90s (touching 95) for some time now. It isn’t any “jump to conclusions” so that’s why I took exception to a capsule implying Phelps’ stuff is “not overpowering” and 88-92. He is low 90s – 91-93 while touching 94-95. That is a big difference from the fringy and inaccurate velocity you posted.
Talk to some people in Trenton and I’m sure they’ll support what I’m saying.
Gary Wallace June 21, 2010 16:40
For clarification, when you refer to Phelps’ fastball do you mean 4-seam or 2-seam?
Destiny99 June 21, 2010 17:09
MARK NEWMAN:
“We also like David Phelps, who we drafted out of Notre Dame (14th round, 2008). Like Bleich and Warren, he throws harder now than he did in college, 92-95 last year.”
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/3/18/1379601/interview-with-mark-newman-yankees
Destiny99 June 21, 2010 17:11
His 2-seamer is about 90-91 and his 4-seamer is 92-95.