Thanks to a picture that was tweeted and soon deleted by J.P. Crawford's sister Eliza, we caught a quick glimpse of the Phillies' top draft pick signing his first professional contract today.
Crawford, 18, was selected 16th overall out of Lakewood (CA) High School less than two weeks ago by the Phillies. The youngster enjoyed his high school graduation late last week, then took off to begin his life as a pro ball player, flying into Philadelphia on Monday. Crawford met with team officials and put ink to paper on Tuesday afternoon shortly after 1 PM.
The lefty batting shortstop, has been highly touted throughout his high school years and is said to have great defensive range and a strong arm. Crawford hit .432 in 25 games in his senior season this year and is his school's all-time leader in hits and runs scored.
If the weather holds off in Philadelphia, Crawford could join the Phillies for batting practice at Citizens Bank Park in the afternoon.
This year's selection by the Phillies was the highest they've drafted since 2001, when they took Gavin Floyd 4th overall.
When the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws host the South Atlantic League All-Star game on Tuesday night, the club will be represented by four players on the North division roster. Initially, just catcher Chace Numata and pitcher Steven Inch were selected as All-Stars, but due to other pitchers' availability, two more BlueClaws hurlers were selected to represent the resident team in the game with lefty Yoel Mecias and right-hander Delvi Francisco now selected to fill voids on the roster.
The North division team will also include Lakewood manager and former Phillies All-Star Mickey Morandini, who will serve as a coach.
"It's fun. It's always exciting when you get to host an All-Star game. I know the organization here has really worked hard to do as much as they can for everybody coming in, with the events going on, so my hat's off to all the people that have busted their butt to make this thing happen," Morandini stated.
"We're excited. We've got a good group of players coming in, I know that. We've got a lot of guys that can hit and we've got a lot of good arms out there. For me, it's exciting to see them go out there and compete against each other and see how things go."
Numata, a 20-year-old, is batting .254 with two homers and 24 RBI this season. The 20-year-old was a 14th round draft pick in 2010. Inch, the team's closer, has a 1-5 record with seven saves and a 5.61 ERA in 24 games. The 22-year-old, Inch, was a 6th round draft pick of the Phils in 2009. Mecias, the 'Claws' lone left-hander this year, is 4-2 with a 3.71 ERA and a 10.46 K/9 mark in 12 games (10 starts) this season. The Venezuela native is 19-year-old. Francisco, a 20-year-old Dominican native, is 1-2 with two saves, a 2.90 ERA and a 10.16 K/9 mark in 21 relief outings this season.
The two-night "ClawStar Spectacular" kicked off on Monday night with a celebrity hitting challenge that featured the likes of retired slugger Matt Stairs, Cy Young Award winning pitcher Dwight Gooden, comedian Artie Lange, retired wrestler Tito Santana, the NBA's Randy Foye, NY Giants top draft pick Justin Pugh, Morandini and former Phillies closer Mitch Williams.
Williams, who is most famous for his time with the 1993 National League Champion Phils, wasn't concerned with the competition he had to face in the hitting challenge, but he was a little envious of the First Energy Park facility today's Class A Phillies players get to enjoy.
"These kids are so spoiled, it's not even funny. You should have seen the goat pastures I played on. They've done a really good job here," Williams stated while perched in the comfort of Lakewood's home locker room.
The hitting challenge event pitted two teams of celebrities and SAL All-Stars against each other, with the South team, led by Charleston (Yankees) catcher Peter O'Brien, winning by a score of 1835-1810.
Following the team challenge a surprise home run derby took place with Hickory's (Rangers) Joey Gallo edging David Chester of Greenville (Red Sox) for the title.
Prior to Tuesday's game, which gets started at 7:05 PM at FirstEnergy Park, All-Stars along with visiting family members as well as league and team employees will take part in a community outreach as part of local "Restore the Shore" efforts.
Here's an abbreviated version of the usual series preview, reviewing the match ups for this week's three-game series between the National League East division rival Nationals (34-34) and the Phillies (33-37) at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park.
Monday, 7:05 PM. Dan Haren (4-8, 5.70 ERA) vs. John Lannan (0-1, 6.14 ERA). In five career starts against the Phillies, Haren has a 0-3 record along with a 5.79 ERA. Haren is 0-3 with a 6.05 ERA in his last four starts. Ryan Howard is 1-for-9 (.111 avg) in his career against Haren. The left-handed Lannan will make his fourth big league start of the year after missing nearly two months with left knee issues.Adam LaRoche is 0-for-12 in his career against Lannan. The former Nats hurler has a 6.05 ERA in nine career starts at Citizens Bank Park. Tuesday, 7:05 PM. Ross Detwiler (2-4, 3.02 ERA) vs. Cliff Lee (8-2, 2.55 ERA). In five road starts this season, Detwiler is 1-2 with a 3.12 ERA and a .290 batting average against. Detwiler has just one win and a 4.40 ERA in his last six starts. Domonic Brown is 0-for-7 in his career against the lefty Detwiler. In five home starts this year, Lee is 2-1 with a 3.82 ERA. Lee has a 5-3 record along with a 2.51 ERA in eight career starts against the Nats. Ryan Zimmerman is 3-for-18 (.167 avg) with a homer in his career against Lee.
Wednesday, 7:05 PM. Gio Gonzalez (3-3, 3.40 ERA) vs. Kyle Kendrick (6-4, 3.76 ERA). Gonzalez is 0-1 with a 2.12 ERA over his last seven starts. The former Phillies prospect has a 3-1 record with a 2.52 ERA in four career starts against the Phils. Michael Young us 5-for-22 (.227 avg) with a home run in his career against Gonzalez. Kendrick is 4-2 with a 3.74 ERA in seven home starts this season. In 20 career games (18 starts) Kendrick has a 4.90 ERA against Washington. Ian Desmond is 10-for-25 (.400 avg) with two home runs in his career against Kendrick.
Watson & Crawford go all the way back to tee ball, photo- Shane Watson
With the Phillies' 2013 first round pick, J.P. Crawford en route to Philadelphia, jotting some ink on his first professional contract seems inevitable. What has become somewhat of a ceremonial signing for 1st rounders, which typically includes the player taking batting practice and/or putting himself on display to the media, seems to be in the near future for the 18-year-old Lakewood High School (CA) product that was taken with the 16th overall pick in the MLB draft less than two weeks ago.
With the excitement level picking up for Crawford to join the Phils organization, I spoke with one of his closest friends, Shane Watson, who was selected with the Phillies' first pick in the 2012 draft. The two players grew up together, playing tee ball on the same team and being by each other's side through high school ball until Watson turned pro last year.
Now, the two "brothers" seem to be more excited than any pair of ball players you might come across. I spoke with Shane over the weekend and he offered his thoughts on the guy that will soon be the newest addition to the Phillies family. Read ahead for that interview.
- In your playing days, I know you guys came up on the same tee ball league team together and played at the same high school, but through all those years in youth ball, I imagine that you two would have faced each other at some point. Yeah, a couple times in, like, intrasquad games, for high school, we would face each other and I think it was a draw. I know once he hit a dribbler back to me and then another time I walked him. So, we came out even and it was a draw, I think. We both got the best of one another one time. That was about it, though, from what I remember.
- And obviously, you got to see him play a considerable amount. So, how would you describe his strengths out there on the field? I would say there's not too many holes in his swing. I mean, it's kind of hard to pitch to him. He's one of those guys where he can handle pressure. He's gonna play hard. He's a Lakewood (High School) guy. All of us pride ourselves on playing really hard, playing with lots of heart and getting after it. So, he's gonna do that, no matter what.
I want to let the Phillie fans know he's going to play his heart out for them. He can run, he's fast and he's an all around good player.
- When J.P. was selected with the Phils' first pick this year, just as you were last year, what sort of advice did your provide him?
Just pretty much, be ready to play every day, because it's a grind. In high school we play two games a week and four games, sometimes, is a lot for high school. Now, going to pro ball, playing every single day, especially, is the big change. I said, "Alight, bro, it's really hot and the hotels are gonna suck." So, I mean, the players that don't like it play better. That's what pitchers keep telling me, on my team. It'll make them play better, hoping to move up. I kind of told him enjoy the experience and enjoy the family before he gets going. It's just a grind to play every day.
- Right off the bat, once J.P. signs, no one would expect you guys to be on the same roster right away, but what would your excitement level be to actually be place on the same pro roster at some point? It's been crazy. Hopefully, we won't be on the same roster for a while. Because I don't want to be down a level that I don't want to be at. But, it's cool. I think in (fall instructional league) we'll be together on the team, on the roster maybe. I'm guessing, but, yeah, I was talking to my actual brother, Scotty, I was talking to him, and he talked about planning barbecues at (J.P.'s) house, him coming to barbecues at our house and just to be drafted by the same team is pretty crazy, I think.
- When the signing is official, clearly J.P. will make some phone calls. Which number phone call do you think you will be? I'm not sure. I think, like, going from draft night, right after he talked to the lady on TV, and talked about me a little bit, he called right after and said, "Hey, bro. I love you." And threw a little stuff in there. So, I imagine I'd be up there. He'll probably just call his family and then, I'll probably be one of the first friends he calls. Either way, man, we're like brothers. It's crazy to get picked by the same team. I can't explain it.
- The first half of the South Atlantic League season wraps up here this weekend and the BlueClaws will host the game. For those players not representing the team in that contest, yourself included, will you hang around New Jersey for the break, or will you head home to enjoy some time off? I am personally going home. I am flying out of Hagerstown Monday morning and going back to California. A couple guys are going to New York. Some guys are going to Philly. I don't really know where everybody's going, but the main thing, I think every one's going home for a break, really.
Here's our weekly rundown of top performers and those players that have cooled off as of late. Stats and notes current through games played on Saturday. Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs...
Third baseman Cody Asche is 13-for-34 (.382 avg) with two doubles, a triple, a homer and three RBI in his last nine games. Asche, a lefty batter, was the Phillies' 4th round draft pick in 2011. The 22-year-old is batting .281 with seven home runs and 40 RBI in 65 games this year.
Upon making his Triple-A debut, catcher Cameron Rupp went 4-for-11 (.367 avg) with three RBI in his first three contests. Rupp, 24, was the Phillies' 3rd round draft choice in 2010 out of the University of Texas.
Who's not-
In his last nine games, outfielder Leandro Castro is 6-for-35 (.171 avg) with a double, a triple and four RBI. The Dominican native celebrated his 24th birthday this weekend. Overall, Castro is sporting a .264 average with six homers in 59 games this season. Double-A Reading Fightins...
Who's hot-
Righty starter David Buchanan has tallied a 2.98 ERA while sporting a 2-4 record over his last seven starts. Overall, in 14 starts, Buchanan has a 3-7 record with a 4.65 ERA. The 24-year-old was a 7th round draft pick of the Phils back in 2010.
Who's not-
Reading OF Tyson Gillies
Outfielder Tyson Gillies is 4-for-28 (.143 avg) with one RBI in his last 10 games. Gillies, 24, batted .148 in 18 games with Lehigh Valley this year.
First baseman Jim Murphy has no homers and no RBI in 11 June games after slugging eight home runs and knocking in 21 runs in 30 May games. Murphy, 27, was a 17th round pick in 2008.
Class A Advance Clearwater Threshers...
Who's hot-
In his last seven appearances, righty reliever Colby Shreve has thrown 11 1/3 scoreless innings, while allowing no runs, striking out eight, with three walks and giving up four hits. Shreve, 25, had a short stint with Reading earlier this season and should earn another promotion if he continues pitching like this.
Panamanian righty Severino Gonzalez in nine games with the Threshers- 27 K, 2BB, 22 2/3 IP, 1ER, 0.40 ERA. The 20-year-old was signed as an amateur free agent in April, 2011.
Lefty starting pitcher Hoby Milner has gone 6-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his last 10 starts for the Threshers. Overall, Milner is 6-2 with a 3.36 ERA. The 22-year-old was a 7th round draft pick last year out of the University of Texas.
Who's not-
Harold Martinez with Lakewood in 2012
Harold Martinez, the Phils' 2nd round draft pick from 2011, has gone 2-for-13 (.154 avg) in four games this month. Overall, the 23-year-old first baseman/third baseman/designated hitter is batting .205 with one home run in 34 games this season.
Class A Lakewood BlueClaws...
Who hot-
Larry Greene Jr. hit his 1st HR of the season for Lakewood in Hagerstown on Saturday. The 21-year-old Greene, last year's supplementary 1st round pick, is batting .187 in 45 games with the BlueClaws.
Willie Carmona went 10-for-19 (.526 avg) with a homer and five RBI over a six-game hitting streak this past week. The 22 -year-old has a .282 average with two home runs and 22 RBI in 54 games overall this year. The first baseman/third baseman/designated hitter was the Phils' 11th round draft choice out of Stony Brook University last year.
Who's not-
All-Star catcher Chace Numata has cooled off lately, as has gone 3-for-26 (.115 avg) in his first eight games this month. Overall, the 20-year-old Hawaii native is batting .248 with two homers and 23 RBI in 48 games this year.
The Phillies continued locking in last week's draft picks on Friday as the team came to terms with their second round pick Andrew Knapp and officially announced the signing of their third round selection Cord Sandberg.
Knapp, taken 53rd overall, is a switch-hitting 21-year-old. The University of California product led the Golden Bears in batting average this year with a .350 mark while mashing eight homers with 41 RBI. Knapp's deal is said to be for $1.03 million.
Reports last week stating that Sandberg has signed almost immediately for the amount of $775,000 seemed to be fully on point as the amount proved accurate with details released by the Phils.
High school prep catcher Jake Sweaney, who was selected in the 4th round with the 121st pick out of Garces Memorial High School in California, signed for a reported $400,000.
Other signees include 25th rounder Cody Forsythe, a lefty pitcher out of Southern Illinois. In his senior season this year, the 22-year-old sported a 4-5 record with a 3.03 ERA in 15 games started.
Overall, the Phillies have signed seven of their top 11 picks and 23 of their 40 selections. First round pick J.P. Crawford has yet to ink a contract.
Also worthy of note are some releases from extended spring training this week, just as the short-season Class A Williamsport and the Rookie level Gulf Coast League are set to begin their schedules. Outfielders Miguel Alvarez and Yan Olmo were released while two players that began 2013 on Class A full season Lakewood's roster, infielder Tyler Greene (11th round pick, 2011) and righty pitcher Andrew Aizenstadt were cut as well.
And lastly, as you may have heard on this week's edition of the PhoulBallz Podcast, outfielder Jiwan James, who is recovering from left knee surgery, is participating in all baseball activities at this point and should not be far off from official activation for game action.
The Rockies (35-32) were dealt a poor hand on Thursday, when three of their regulars suffered injuries. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, the National League's second leading hitter, has been placed on the disabled list with a broken rib suffered on a diving defensive play in Thursday's contest against Washington. Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was drilled with a line dive foul, while standing on deck in that game, while outfielder Dexter Fowler was hit by a pitch on his hand.
The Phillies (32-35) are no strangers to ailing stars, as the team currently has two All-Stars, second baseman Chase Utley and catcher Carlos Ruiz, on the disabled list with injuries of their own. Additionally, multi-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay is out of action following shoulder surgery and starting hurler John Lannan has missed nearly two months due to a left quad issue.
Both clubs will try to persevere as they begin a three-game series at Coors Field on Friday night.
The Phillies won two of three meetings in Colorado last year.
Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups and other key stats for this series.
Friday, 8:40 PM. Kyle Kendrick (6-4, 3.22 ERA) vs. Juan Nicasio (4-2, 4.61 ERA). In nine career games against the Rockies (eight starts), Kendrick has a 3-2 record along with a 4.63 ERA and a .308 batting average against. In six road starts this year, Kendrick is 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA. The right-hander Nicasio has a 2-1 record with a 4.31 ERA in six home starts this season. Nicasio has recorded a win just once in his last eight outings. Saturday, 4:10 PM. Jonathan Pettibone (3-2, 3.70 ERA) vs. Tyler Chatwood (3-1, 2.14 ERA). In four road starts, Pettibone has a 1-1 record with a 5.32 ERA. Pettibone is 0-2 with a 4.84 ERA in his last four starts. Chatwood is 1-0 with a 3.57 ERA in three home stats this year. The righty Chatwood allowed two earned run over five innings in his lone career start against the Phils last September. Michael Young is 5-for-6 (.833 avg) in his career against Chatwood. Sunday, 4:10 PM. Cole Hamels (2-9, 4.45 ERA) vs. Jhoulys Chacin (4-3, 4.52 ERA). In six career regular season starts against the Rockies, Hamels is 3-1 with a 3.32 ERA. Hamels is 1-4 with a 3.48 ERA in seven road starts this year. Hamels has a 5.09 ERA in three career regular season starts at Coors Field. In his last outing against Washington (five innings, two earned runs), Chacin notched a victory after going seven straight starts without one. In five career games against the Phillies, Chacin has a 1-0 record with a 1.21 ERA. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard are a combined 0-for-16 in their careers against Chacin.
In 11 career games at Coors Field, Phils catcher Humberto Quintero is a .364 hitter with three doubles, a homer and four RBI. Quintero is batting .150 in eight road games in the big leagues this season.
Injured catcher Carlos Ruiz is slated to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday. Ruiz has been sidelined with a hamstring strain since May 20th.
Domonic Brown holds the National League lead in home runs with 19, while Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki are second and third with 18 and 16 respectively. Brown is batting .326 with four homers and 12 RBI in 12 games this month.
Ryan Howard is batting .289 in 12 games this month, but has not slugged a home run since May 29th. In 23 regular season games at Coors Field, Howard has a .286 average with six home runs and 19 RBI.
Rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado is batting .327 in 12 games this month. The 22-year-old is batting .250 with four homers and 13 RBI in 25 home games.
Former Phillies prospect Josh Outman is 2-0 with a 4.81 ERA out of the Rockies' bullpen. The lefty hurler was dealt to Oakland as part of the Joe Blanton trade in 2008. He was then swapped to Colorado prior to the 2012 season in a deal for Seth Smith.
In 87 career games against the Phillies, Todd Helton has a .360 average with 17 homers and 62 RBI. Helton is batting .221 in 27 home games this season.
Phillies bullpen ERA- 4.51 (28th in MLB)
Rockies bullpen ERA- 3.30 (12th in MLB)
We're back with episode 29 of the PhoulBallz Podcast. This week, Jay and Tug interview Clearwater Threshers radio man Ben Gellman, who discusses all the team's top performers including Aaron Altherr, Kelly Dugan and Hoby Milner. The guys also share updates on Jiwan James' road to recovery following knee surgery, discuss the future of the Phillies' third base position with prospects Maikel Franco and Cody Asche, plus Jay dishes some juicy rumors about catching prospect Sebastian Valle.
Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE.
Right-handed pitcher Kevin Walter recently made his Class A debut after a considerable wait, having dealt with a lengthy recovery from Tommy John Surgery. A Phillies' 20th round draft selection out of Legacy High School in Colorado, back in 2010, Walter had been limited to very minimal game action over the three years after signing his first pro contract until he was promoted to Lakewood from extended spring training a couple weeks back.
In two starts since joining the BlueClaws the 21-year-old is 0-1 with a 4.00 ERA while striking out seven and walking five batters in nine innings pitched.
I recently spoke with the six-foot-five 215-pounder about his recovery, his admiration for other players, his pitch repertoire and plenty more. Read ahead for my full interview with Kevin.
- What was your excitement level to finally get a call for a promotion an join the Class A BlueClaws roster?
It's both excitement and relief. It's kind of getting back into real baseball. It's kind of- it wears you down, when you're down in extended spring and it's very monotonous. So, it's good to play in front of some people and play with a real team and play some real baseball.
- I know you got paired up with catcher Justin Dalles for your first start with Lakewood. You two seemed to have a good rapport. Had you two worked together before?
I was very pleased to hear that he'd be catching me here (for my debut). I mean, Chace (Numata) is solid, but I've worked with Justin in extended, so we were on point together, it seems like.
- I noticed in your first start for Lakewood that the fastball was at 91 MPH in the 1st inning, at 90 MPH in the 2nd and then dipped below 90 the next two frames. What are your thoughts on that and how did you feel out there?
I felt great. I kind of think I was getting too delicate, I would say...I was trying to be a little too precise and Justin came out in the 3rd and said, "What are you doing? Just throw the ball!" And that kind of helped me out a little bit. First time being out in a stadium with fans in quite a while, so I just needed to get out there and throw.
- What's your full repertoire out there right now?
Right now, I'm just going straight fastball, change up, curve ball. Maybe, I'll mix in a slider in the future, but right now, just those three.
- Your curve ball looks to have good movement and fools your opponents. Talk about that a bit. My curve ball has good break, but it is a little bit harder to control sometimes, and I felt my change up was a little more control-able (in my first outing).
- What are your thoughts on Lakewood thus far? I love it here so far. The stadium's beautiful. The fans...even on an 11 o'clock start, with all the kids out here and stuff, it was real cool.
- Regarding your situation when you missed time and required surgery...take me through that. What can you tell me about what took place and how you progressed?
So, it was my first spring training in 2011, I started feeling that elbow pain. I tried to rehab and tried to go the non-surgical route, didn't quite work, ended up having the surgery the end of '11. I rehabbed all last year, got some innings. I think about 12, 15 innings maybe, between the end of GCL and instructional league and pretty much came out, feeling pretty good in spring training and it's felt good since.
- Through all of that, how discouraging is it to be sidelined, out of action, and not be able to fully charge into your professional career?
I'd be lying to you, if I said it wasn't discouraging. It is. But, I mean, now that I'm back, now that I'm playing in games, we can start building things up and really making big strides.
- Who was the biggest help to you during all the down time?
Steve Schrenk was huge. Les Lancaster was huge. Carlos Arroyo, all those guys down there, I mean, it wears you down for sure. Rehab is not a fun process, but those guys all help you out a lot. They're all there to help you and get you through it mentally too. The big thing is mental, getting through it. All those guys down there in Clearwater, all the rehab guys, all the trainers, they're all very helpful.
- Coming up as a teen what other positions did you play and when did you take exclusively to pitching?. I was primarily a third baseman until my last couple years of high school. And then, I'd say, junior/senior year of high school, I knew I was going to be a pitcher, potentially play third base or first base in college, but I knew I was going to be a pitcher for the most part. That's what I've always really strived to be.
- Were the Phillies among teams that were scouting you a lot in those days, or was it a bit of a surprise when they took you in the 2010 draft? I had briefly spoken with some of the Phillies guys in high school as far as scouting and stuff. I filled out a questionnaire and all that sort of standard protocol, but I hadn't talked to them directly before the draft and I was kind of surprised when they picked me. Kind of didn't think it was going to happen, but I was pleased and it's a great organization and a great city, obviously, I mean it would be pretty unbelievable to play in a big market like that. I know I'm a little behind, as far as going through the surgery and stuff like that, but I'm pretty excited to get going.
- That's pretty cool. A lot of guys at the lower levels stay reserved and wouldn't admit if they are looking beyond the level they're at and they won't say they're thinking about what's four levels ahead. This is the beginning of a very long process, but you see these guys, especially when I was down in rehab, like (Roy) Halladay just came in and they're normal guys. You see the guys that used to play in Lakewood. It's not too-too far- I mean, it's very far for me- but we're really, we're all baseball guys. We're all pitchers. All of us relate to each other, so it's cool to see the guys like (Justin) De Fratus and (Jake) Diekman, guys that I've played with instructional league a little bit. (Vance) Worley, all those guys are fun to watch because they were here not too long ago.
- And you gestured here to this wall beside us, it's a wall (leading into the BlueClaws' clubhouse) full of framed pictures of guys that went "from the shore to the show", as they say. Players that made it to the big leagues after playing on this Lakewood roster. When new guys come in here, such as yourself, how impressed are you by something like this? I don't know if anyone else does, but I was. It's fun to see the guys that you know. The ones you've spoken to, had conversations with. (Mike) Stutes, (Lendy) Castillo, I mean these guys were just here a couple years ago! It's not a long time. It's definitely fun to- and even the older names. Even '01, '02. It's kind of fun to see Ryan Howard's picture up here.
- Absolutely. Now lastly, what players did you look up to most prior to becoming a pro?
As far as pitchers, I always looked up to Jon Lester, just, you know, the type of guy that overcame a lot of adversity with his cancer and even though he's a left-handed guy, I like to look at his mechanics, kind of how he does things, how he approaches hitters. I always enjoyed watching him. I still enjoy watching guys like Josh Johnson, Matt Cain, kind of the same build, the same sort of pitchers that I would like to emulate and relate to.
The road trip continues for the Phillies (31-33) as they head to Minnesota to take on the Twins (27-33).
Losers of three straight games after a streak of five wins that gave them a winning record for the first time all year, the Phils will look to return to their winning ways against the American League Central's last place Twins.
Minnesota will send right-hander P.J. Walters to the mound in the series opener. The 28-year-old replaced former Phillie hurler Vance Worley, when he was demoted to Triple-A Rochester last month. The Phils will counter with lefty Cole Hamels, who broke a six-game losing streak with his last start, allowing one run over seven innings against the Marlins.
The Twins dropped two of three contests against the Phillies at Target Field last year.
Read ahead for full details on the pitching match ups and other key stats from this series.
Tuesday, 8:10 PM. Cole Hamels (2-9, 4.56 ERA) vs. P.J. Walters (2-1, 3.00 ERA). Hamels is 1-0 with a 6.23 ERA in two career starts against Minnesota. In six road starts this season, Hamels is 1-4 with a 3.57 ERA. Joe Mauer is 0-for-6 in his career against the lefty Hamels. The Walters will be making his 4th big league start of the year. Walters faced off against Hamels in Minnesota last June...he allowed four earned runs in that game without recording an out. Also in that game, Hamels gave up six earned runs in six innings. Wednesday, 8:10 PM. Tyler Cloyd (2-2, 3.68 ERA) vs. Mike Pelfrey (3-6, 6.40 ERA). In four road starts this season Cloyd has a 2-1 record with a 4.03 ERA. Cloyd has a 1.32 ERA in two starts this month after posting a 5.74 ERA in three May starts. In 20 career starts against the Phils, Pelfrey has a 7-7 record with a 5.16 ERA. In six home starts this year, Pelfrey has a 2-3 record with a 5.93 ERA. Ryan Howard is 16-for-43 (.372 avg) with three HR in his career against the right-handed Pelfrey. Thursday, 8:10 PM. Cliff Lee (7.2, 2.55 ERA) vs. Kevin Correia (5-4, 4.11 ERA). In 19 career starts against the Twins, Lee has an 8-4 record along with a 3.64 ERA. Lee has a 5-0 record and a 1.85 ERA over his past seven starts. In eight starts on the road this season, Lee has a 5-1 record with a 1.80 ERA. In six home starts this year, Correia has a 3-1 record with a 2.95 ERA. Correia has a 1-3 record with an 8.64 ERA in 11 career outings against the Phils.
Catcher Steve Lerud, who joined the Phillies this week when Erik Kratz was placed on the disabled list with a knee ligament tear, was batting .221 with two homers and 14 RBI in 31 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season.
Ryan Howard is 6-for-14 (.429 avg) with a double, a triple and three homers in three career games against the Twins. Howard is batting .231 in 32 road games this year.
In 37 career games against Minnesota, Delmon Young has a .274 average with seven homers and 23 RBI. Young, who played with the Twins for four years, has a .298 average with eight homers and 79 RBI in 126 games at Target Field.
Ben Revere will be facing his former team for the first time in regular season play. Revere is a .261 hitter with 37 steals in 133 career games at Target Field.
In 23 home games this year, Justin Morneau has a .340 average with two homers and 15 RBI.
Joe Mauer is batting .382 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 26 home games this season. Mauer is a .343 hitter in nine career games against the Phillies.
Lefty reliever Glen Perkins has a 4.15 ERA in nine home outings this season. Perkins has thrown two scoreless innings against the Phils in his career.
Phillies team home runs- 66 (13th in MLB)
Twins team home runs- 54 (23rd in MLB)
We're back with our (usually) weekly developmental rundown. As you expect, here's a rundown of who is hot and who is not throughout the Phillies' four full season minor league teams. Triple-A Lehigh Valley...
Who's hot-
Utility man Michael Martinez has been scorching hot this past week, when over a seven-game stretch, the 30-year-old Dominican went 13-for-23 (.565 avg) with two homers and five RBI. The success follows a month in which he batted .204 in 15 games with the IronPigs and a hitless stint with the big league team in the month of May.
First baseman Cody Overbeck also had a very good seven-game stretch, as he went 11-for-26 (.423 avg) with five doubles, two home runs and nine RBI. The 27-year-old, who was a 9th round draft pick in 2008, is batting .247 overall with 11 homers and 31 RBI in 52 games this season with the 'Pigs.
Closer Jake Diekman threw four scoreless outings and notched two saves while striking out eight batters and walking two in four innings last week. Overall this season, the 26-year-old lefty is 1-0 with a 5.90 ERA and 10 saves in 29 appearances.
Who's cold-
B.J. Rosenberg has surrendered 12 earned runs over 10 1/3 innings (10.45 ERA) while striking out nine and walking seven over his last two starts for Lehigh Valley. Rosenberg, a 27-year-old righty, was the Phils' 13th round draft pick in 2008.
Double-A Reading...
Who's hot-
Despite going 0-2 in his last two starts, lefty pitcher Jesse Biddle sports a 2.57 ERA with 13 strike outs and six walks in 14 innings in those outings. Overall this season, the 21-year-old Biddle is 3-6 with a 3.03 ERA and two complete games in 13 starts.
Who's cold-
After posting a 2.37 ERA over his previous five starts, righty pitcher David Buchanan suffered a loss, giving up seven runs, five of which were earned, in Sunday's loss to Harrisburg. The 24-year-old was the Phils' 7th round pick in 2010 out of Georgia State University.
Outfielder Tyson Gillies is 0-for-11 in his past four games, after going 8-for-17 (.471 avg) in the four games just prior to that stretch. Gillies, 24, is batting .248 with four homers, 13 RBI and two steals in 32 games for Reading this year.
Class A Advanced Clearwater...
Who's hot-
Outfielder Aaron Altherr has hit safely in 10 of his past 11 games and was named as a Florida State League All-Star this past week. The righty batting 22-year-old has been one of the Threshers' top offensive performers all season long, as he sports a .315 average along with six home runs, 39 RBI and 14 steals in 55 games.
Right-handed hurler Severino Gonzalez allowed his first earned run of the season in his first start of the season for Clearwater on Sunday. Through eight total appearances, the 20-year-old Panama native sports a 1-0 record along with a 0.46 ERA while striking out 22 batters and walking only two in 19 1/3 innings pitched.
Who's cold-
Catcher Tommy Joseph is 0-for-9 in three rehab games with Clearwater, as he recovers from a concussion suffered about five weeks ago. The 21-year-old Joseph was batting .209 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 21 games with Lehigh Valley at the time of the injury.
Class A Lakewood...
Who's hot-
Catcher Justin Dalles is 11-for-28 (.393 avg) with three homers and 10 RBI over his last eight games played. The 24-year-old righty hitter has played in the Class A Advanced Carolina League in each of the past two seasons.
Lefty pitcher Yoel Mecias posted a 3-1 record with a 1.50 ERA in six May starts and was named Phillies minor league pitcher of the month. He followed up that tremendous month, however, by allowing four earned runs in four innings against West Virginia in his lone outing last week. The 19-year-old is a native of Venezuela.
Who's cold-
20-year-old outfielder Larry Greene Jr. is 3-for-34 (.089 avg) with two RBI over his last nine games. The Phillies' top draft pick from 2011 is still without a home run for the BlueClaws this season.
Outfielder Carlos Tocci is 2-for-16 (.125 avg) in his past five games. The 17-year-old Venezuelan is batting .228 with 10 doubles and 11 RBI in 55 games for the BlueClaws this year.
Offense was the primary focus early in this year's draft for the Phillies. With their each of their first five selections and eight of 11 picks to start the draft focused on position players, the Phillies seem to be realizing that the core of home grown talent that helped the team achieve all of their success in recent years is aging and the time has come to focus on filling voids that players like Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard will inevitably leave.
As we previously reviewed, the Phils selected high school shortstop J.P. Crawford and college catcher Andrew Knapp in the opening night of the annual draft on Thursday.
In the 3rd round of the draft on Friday, the Phillies went back to their usual style of drafting, picking a "toolsy" position player when they selected outfielder Cord Sandberg with the 89th pick. The 6-foot-3 215-pounder is a product of Manatee High School in Florida, where he was the quarterback for the school's football team. Sandberg is committed to play football at Mississippi State.
A lack of clarity of whether or not he's willing to walk away from the gridiron and fully commit to signing to play baseball is said to have dropped Sandberg's place in the draft, as he was projected by some to be worthy of a 1st round selection.
The lefty batting youngster batted .418 in his senior season this year. He has an athletic frame that is compared to Josh Hamilton and is a line drive-gap hitter with very good power potential. With solid speed, Sandberg, 18, projects to be a good defender.
In a bit of a surprise, Sandberg wasted no time coming to terms with the Phillies almost immediately. Reports have him signing for an amount that is a bit higher than slot money, at $775,000.
Sandberg is no relation to Phillies coach Ryne Sandberg, who also had a scholarship to play quarterback in college, but Cord's father Chuck played three years in the minors before his career was ended by injury.
With the 96th pick, the Phillies chose shortstop Jan Hernandez out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico. The 6-foot-1 195-pounder already has a strong frame and could develop more physical strength as he matures. Hernandez sports enough offensive potential that scouts see him possibly being a middle-of-the-order type guy. On the defensive side, scouting reports praise his hands and his arm. He also projects to possibly switch to third base in the future as well.
After taking a catcher with their second selection in the draft, the Phillies grabbed another backstop just two rounds later with the 121st pick, as they took Jake Sweaney out of Garces Memorial High School in California. Sweaney, a 6-foot-3 180 pounder, is another two-sport talent, as he lettered in football as a wide receiver/defensive back. The right-handed hitting 18-year-old is committed to Oregon in the autumn.
Lefty pitcher Ben Wetzler was chosen by the Phillies with the 151st pick out of Oregon State. The 6-foot-1 210-pounder sports a repertoire of fastball (90 MPH), slider and change up. The 21-year-old is praised for his command and is aggressive on the mound. In 14 starts this season for the Beavers, Wetzler tallied an 8-1 record with a 1.98 ERA.
Washington State outfielder Jason Monda was taken by the Phils in the 6th round with the 181st pick. The 6-foot-4 205-pounder hits for average and could increase his power as he matures. This season in 54 games with the Cougars, Monda batted .294 with seven homers and 40 RBI. In college, Monda played center field, but might be best suited for a corner outfield spot as a pro.
The 7th round saw the Phils take Trey Williams, a third baseman out of the College of the Canyons (JuCo) in California. Williams was a first year college player that was drafted in the 12th round last June by St. Louis and did not sign. The righty batting 19-year-old is the son of former big leaguer Eddie Williams.
Justin Parr, an outfielder from the University of Illinois, was taken by the Phillies in the 8th round. The lefty batting 22-year-old was named Big Ten player of the year, as he batted .290 with three home runs and 38 RBI in 53 games this season for the Illini as a senior. His twin brother Jordan was also drafted this year, in the 15th round by Arizona, the same team that drafted another Parr brother, Josh, two years ago.
Also of note, a familiar name Mark Leiter Jr., a New Jersey native, was selected in the 23rd round by the Phils. Lieter's dad Mark Sr. pitched for the Phillies in the late 1990's. "Little Light", as he is known, posted a 4-9 record along with a 4.94 ERA in his senior season for the New Jersey Institute of Technology this year. The righty hurler plans to fly to the Phils' spring training facility in Clearwater soon to undergo a physical and sign his first pro contract in the coming days. Seniors don't quite have the negotiating power that a college junior or high school player might hold, with the option to return to school. MLB.com's Draft Tracker has a full list of the organization's picks.
Check out batting practice and game footage of Cord Sandberg in the media player below...
Check out a video package on Jan Hernandez in the media player below...
Check out footage of Jake Sweaney in the media player below...
Check out lefty Ben Wetzler footage in the media player below...
Righty reliever Colby Shreve entered his 2013 campaign with a 19-14 record, six saves and a 3.54 ERA along with a 7.25 K/9 mark and a 3.24 BB/9 mark in 110 games at three levels, but hasn't been as sharp this season. In 15 games (14 with Class A Advanced Clearwater and one with Double-A Reading), the Las Vegas native has a 0-2 record, a 4.44 ERA and has struck out 19 and walked 16 in 26 1/3 innings pitched.
The 6-foot-5 210-pounder was sidelined with an elbow injury and required Tommy John surgery when he was selected in the 6th round of the 2008 draft by the Phils and did not make his pro debut until 2010.
Shreve, 25, altered his arm angle a bit last year and improved the velocity of his fastball which was clocked at 95 MPH during his time with Reading in 2012.
Last month, I talked with Colby, during his most recent stint with Reading, for Phillies Nation TV. He spoke about working to climb the developmental ladder, getting drafted by the Phillies and his impression of the rebranding in Reading. This segment went unused on the TV program, but I definitely wanted to bring it to the viewers anyway. Check out the interview in the media player below and be sure to tune into PNTV every Tuesday at 6 PM on The Comcast Network. The program also replays throughout the week on TCN and Comcast Sportsnet, so check your listings.
The Phillies took another player out of Lakewood High School with their first pick in the MLB amateur draft on Thursday night. J.P. Crawford became the third player taken by the Phils from the southern California school with an early round pick in the past seven seasons. Last year, righty pitcher Shane Watson, who played with Crawford since both prospects were very young, was taken by the Phils with their first pick, 40th overall. Watson's older brother Scotty played with the other of the Phils' Lakewood High draft picks, Travis d'Arnaud.
Crawford, a lefty batting shortstop, is highly touted and is said to have tremendous defensive abilities at his position with exceptional range and a strong arm. The 18-year-old hit .432 in 25 games in his senior season this year and is his school's all-time leader in hits and runs scored. Offensively, he has a high ceiling, but does not project to hit for great power.
The youngster is a cousin of Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford. Additionally, his father Larry played professional football in Canada.
The 6-foot-2 175-pounder is committed to playing college ball at the University of Southern California on a full-ride scholarship, but according to Phillies assistant general manager in charge of amateur scouting Marti Wolever, as told to CSNPhilly.com, Crawford is ready to sign his first pro contract.
"All indications are that he’s ready to start his professional career, but that’s a difficult decision to make,” Wolever said. “Southern Cal is a great option for him to have, but as far as development goes, I think what we have to offer is a leg up on what he might entertain by going to school."
And when gauging how likely a player is to sign, it's important to keep in mind that while a full scholarship is not something to scoff at, that it is standard for contracts of high school draft choices to include full college tuition paid at a time of the signee's choosing over a four-year period.
Crawford was selected 16th overall by the Phillies with their highest pick since they took Gavin Floyd with the 4th pick in 2001.
Also drafted on Thursday by the Phillies was catcher Andrew Knapp. The 21-year-old is a University of California product and led the Golden Bears in batting average this year with a .350 mark, and slammed eight homers with 41 RBI.
The lefty hitting Knapp is not related to righty hurler Jason Knapp, who was the Phils' 2nd round selection back in 2008 and ended up being a key trade chip when the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee from the Indians.
I suppose there's not much wrong with taking the best player available, but if there is one position the Phils don't need more depth in, it's catcher. With currently injured 21-year-old Tommy Joseph, 22-year-old walking trade bait Sebastian Valle and emerging 23-year-old Cameron Rupp all making progress at the upper levels of the organization's developmental ranks, this early draft spot could have been better used.
The Phillies will make their next selections in the draft on Friday. Their upcoming spots in the draft are in the 3rd round with the 89th and 96th picks. Selections of the 3rd through 10th rounds will take place beginning on Friday at 12:30 PM, while rounds 11 through 40 will take place on Saturday starting at 1 PM.
A sampling of Crawford's on-field skills can be viewed in the media player below.
Batting practice and game hitting footage of Knapp can be seen in the media player below.
When he was taken with their first pick in the 2011 draft, Larry Greene Jr. was billed as the Phillies' power source of the future. Two years later, the Valdosta, GA native has just a pair of home runs as a pro and none above the short-season rookie level. A lack of ability to put the ball beyond the outfield walls hasn't soured the organization on the youngster, as coaches and organizational brass are still confident he can develop into the type of offensive threat they thought he could be, when they drafted him two years ago.
After beginning last season in extended spring training, Greene would man left field for the Williamsport Crosscutters, batting .272 while lacing two home runs and driving in 26 runs in 70 games. Over the off-season, time spent with a newborn at home seemed to prevent the young slugger from keeping up with his workout routine and he showed up to spring training less fit than the team liked and he was kept in extended spring training, once again, to open the 2013 season, in order to work off some weight.
Since being assigned to Class A Lakewood in late April, the 6-foot tall 235-pounder is struggling with his average, batting .183 with five doubles, a triple, no home runs and 14 RBI. Faced with troubling offensive stats, most glaringly, his lack of power, Greene is staying focused on improving his game, although he's not as disappointed with the homer totals as others might be.
"I really don't think about home runs," Greene said in an exclusive interview. "I just try to hit the ball hard and I'll take hits all day, a home run don't really matter to me. Right now, I just want to improve and get better every day. But, when it comes, it'll come."
As for what improvements Greene is working on, to develop the power potential that the Phillies once raved about, the organization's coaches are confident they've identified flaws in Greene's approach and feel they'll be able to maximize what their prospect can do at the plate.
Lakewood manager Mickey Morandini asserts that the game plan, to adjust what he calls a high maintenance swing, is clear and the home runs will come for the youngster.
"We had to make some adjustments trying to get him to stay on his back side a little bit more and stay through the ball. He's just got to stay on the ball a little bit better and let the ball come to him and not be quite as loopy in his swing. It's getting there, it's getting there. It's gonna be a process for him," Morandini said.
Lakewood's manager, a former big league All-Star as a member of the Phillies, also praises Greene's abilities as key reasons why he's so confident that his player's production at the plate will improve.
"He's got great hands, he's got great hand-eye coordination, he knows the strike zone real well, but he's just got to stay on that back side and start driving the ball a bit more," Morandini stated.
Backed by his new bride Porshia and infant son Maysen, who both moved to New Jersey when he was promoted to Lakewood from extended spring training, Greene feels like things will turn around soon and credits his family being by his side as part of the reason why, citing them as a foundation, not a handicap, as the new addition may have proven to be toward his winter fitness program.
"That's my family. They come first and they help me focus here, mentally, with their support. I'm really glad they're here and they just support me with everything I do," Greene said with a proud smile.
The 2013 MLB amateur draft kicks off on Thursday evening and the Phils will have their earliest slot in recent years, as they pick 16th overall. The Phillies haven't selected that high since 2001, when they took Gavin Floyd with the 4th overall draft pick.
The Class A Advanced Florida State League All-Star rosters were announced on Wednesday and the North Division team included seven Phillies prospects from the Clearwater Threshers.
Perkins, a righty hitter, was the Phillies' 6th round choice in last year's draft, and skipped Class A full season Lakewood this year, opening his 2013 campaign with Clearwater. In 51 games this season the 22-year-old Purdue University product is batting a league best .337 with three homers and 31 RBI. Last year, with the Gulf Coast League Phillies and short-season Williamsport, the 6-foot-5 205-pounder tallied a .294 average with one home run and 38 RBI in 72 combined contests.
Altherr, a 9th round pick from 2009 out of Agua Fria High School in AZ, is batting .321 with five homers, 35 RBI and 14 steals in 50 games. The 6-foot-5 190-pounder spent last season with Lakewood, where he batted .252 with eight home runs and 50 RBI while swiping 25 bases in 110 games.
Franco entered the 2013 season as the Phillies' 4th ranked prospect by PhilliesNation.com. The 20-year-old Dominican is batting .295 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI in 54 games this season. Last year with Lakewood the 6-foot-1 180-pounder posted a .280 average with 14 home runs and 84 RBI in 132 games.
Alonso, a University of Delaware product that was drafted by the Phillies in the 32nd round in 2010. Thus far this season, the 25-year-old is batting .275 with three home runs and 24 RBI in 49 games. Alonso, a 5-foot-11 200-pounder, entered the 2013 season as a .287 hitter with nine homers and 79 RBI in three pro seasons.
Moore, a 9th round pick from 2010, is a surprise on the North division roster, as he's hitting just .164 with two homers and 16 RBI in 40 games this season. The 22-year-old Northeastern Junior College product entered 2013 as a .231 hitter in two professional seasons.
Arias, a 23-year-old Dominican, sports a 6-2 record with a 2.47 ERA in 12 games (seven starts) for Clearwater this season. Arias, who sports a fastball that reaches 95 MPH, has an 8.22 K/9 mark through his seven pro seasons. The 6-foot-2 180-pounder is currently sidelined and on the 7-day disabled list.
Garner, 24, was the Phils' 2nd round draft choice in 2010. In 11 games this year, the 6-foot-3 225-pounder has a 5-0 record along with a 2.78 ERA. The Ball State product's progress has gone slowly since he turned pro, having missed considerable time with elbow and oblique issues during his time in the minors.
Ethan Stewart with Lakewood in 2012
Lefty pitching prospect Ethan Stewart is set to officially rejoin the Threshers' starting rotation this Saturday, when the club takes on Dunedin (Blue Jays). Stewart, a 6-foot-6 205-pounder, had been demoted to extended spring training in May, as the Phillies wanted him to improve his control and increase the consistency with his arm slot.
In seven starts prior to the demotion, Stewart, who was selected by the Phillies in the 47th round of the 2010 draft, posted a 0-1 record with a 6.35 ERA and a .315 batting average against. Last season with Lakewood, the 22-year-old sported a 5-9 record with a 3.89 ERA with a .233 batting average against.
After three encouraging starts for the extended spring team, Stewart is back with the Threshers and is confident that his time away from the Threshers this year will serve him well in the long run.
"The move was tough, but being able to take it as a positive to work on stuff without the stress of real games was nice and getting back into it, I feel a lot more confident on the mound," Stewart told PhoulBallz.com on Wednesday.
Asked if he was able to bond at all with right-handed hurler Carlos Zambrano, who has been pitching in Clearwater with the extended spring team and the Threshers in recent weeks, Stewart explained that he had limited one-on-one time with the veteran, but offered the following impression...
"I didn't talk to him much, but how he goes about things is that he's really laid back and loves the game. He's a kid stuck in a big body."
On this week's edition of Phillies Nation TV, I spoke with Lehigh Valley IronPigs outfielder Darin Ruf about getting back to the big leagues and third base prospect Cody Asche about his quick ascent up the Phils' developmental ladder. Also, from Lehigh Valley's Coca Cola Park, Ian Riccaboni talked with Phillippe Aumont about his demotion from the big leagues. Pat Gallen and Corey Seidman focus on Domonic Brown's torrid offensive output and offer their usual analysis on the big league club.
Check out the full episode in the media player below and look for new episodes each Tuesday at 6PM on The Comcast Network, as well as replays all throughout the week on TCN and Comcast SportsNet.
