Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from March, 2020

PhoulBallz Interview: RHP Addison Russ on MLB spring training

Addison Russ, image- Jay Floyd Righty hurler Addison Russ looked great for the Phillies in this year's spring exhibition season.  Due to the pro sports hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, his efforts were cut short, however. In six relief appearances this spring the 25-year-old notched a 1-0 record, a 1.59 ERA and a .263 batting average against. Last year in 55 appearances with Double-A Reading, Russ, who was the Phillies' 19th round draft selection out of Houston Baptist in 2017, posted a 5-6 record with 22 saves, a 2.54 ERA and a 12.9 K/9 mark.  Anxious for baseball to get rolling again, Russ talked with me this week, offering feedback on his time around the big league team this spring, his production in Grapefruit League play, his uniform number, how the break in the schedule impacts his progress and more. Read ahead for remarks and insight from Russ. - What did you do over the off-season to prepare for the 2020 campaign? And did the invitation to bi

PhoulBallz Interview: RHP Trevor Bettencourt talks rehab, baseball shutdown, more

Trevor Bettencourt, image- Jay Floyd Please consider supporting my work and subscribe to  my Patreon page .  Your patronage will get you exclusive interviews and early access to all of my content. Righty pitcher Trevor Bettencourt continues to recover from his second Tommy John surgery, but instead of rehabbing at the Phillies spring training complex in Florida, he's at home in California, because of the halt of professional sports due to the coronavirus outbreak. Last year, just two appearances into his 2019 campaign with the Double-A Reading, Bettencourt's season was cut short, as he was dealing with arm trouble. In his professional career to date, the 25-year-old sports a 7-3 record with 12 saves, a 3.38 ERA and .273 batting average against and an 11.3 K/9 mark in 69 relief appearances. A 25th round draft selection in 2016, Bettencourt first went under the knife for UCL reconstruction after his sophomore season in college in 2014. This week I talked with the

PhoulBallz Interview: Jeff Singer talks spring training, coronavirus hiatus, more

Jeff Singer, image- Jay Floyd Please consider supporting my work and subscribe to  my Patreon page .  Your patronage will get you exclusive interviews and early access to all of my content. Local Philly guy Jeff Singer is back in his home region due to the coronavirus outbreak and the delay it has caused to the 2020 season.  Prior to the pre-season being halted, the 26-year-old got some time on the bump with the big league team in spring training. In Grapefruit League player, the lefty pitcher notched two scoreless appearances for the Phillies this spring. Last season in 42 relief outings with Double-A Reading Singer, who was signed as a free agent in 2015, posted a 7-0 record with three saves, a 2.34 ERA, a 10.8 K/9 mark and a .180 batting average against. Last week, I talked with Singer, who shared his thoughts on his time around the Phillies this spring, his current training situation, the baseball hiatus and more.  Read ahead for that full interview.  - What can

Phils prospect Barber staying positive during baseball's hiatus

Albertus Barber, image- Jay Floyd Please consider supporting my work and subscribe to  my Patreon page .  Your patronage will get you exclusive interviews and early access to all of my content. If you simply mind the masses on social networking platforms, you'd think minor league players are really getting the shaft as baseball, among other sports, has shut down completely while the world deals with the coronavirus pandemic.  That's not the case in every prospect's mind. While there were recently loads of people advocating for teams to pay their minor league talent as it became clear that members of each big league club's 40-man roster won't miss a payday and that stadium staffers can expect to be taken care of as well, some individuals in the minors already feel like they are being compensated quite well. Pitcher Albertus Barber is perfectly happy with every single bit of treatment by his parent club to date, as the Phillies are still hosting many out

PhoulBallz Q&A: What did you stock up on?

With a global pandemic going on, society is on lockdown with many local governments issuing orders to stay at home and for employers to allow their staff to work from home. This week I reached out to some familiar names to see how they prepared to be hunkered down at home for extended periods of time.  Included in the group that I surveyed are baseball players, a professional wrestling champion, a recording artist as well as the radio voice of a local team. I asked, "What did you 'panic shop' for or what did you stock up on with all of this going on?"  Read ahead for the responses I got. Dom Pipkin, image- Jay Floyd Pitching prospect Dominic Pipkin : We did a little shopping, but it wasn't like hoarders grocery edition or anything.  We got a normal amount of snacks and stuff to eat and we already had toilet paper, so we didn't buy that. Pitching prospect Jonathan Hennigan , who hunts and fishes:  Man, no.  I got plenty of deer meat, fish and hog

Baseball season on hold due to pandemic

Minor League Baseball followed suit with Major League baseball, delaying the start of the 2020 season due to the risk off illness related to the coronavirus. Per a release from MiLB: “In light of the current coronavirus outbreak, and after consultation with medical professionals and our partners at Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball will delay the start of the 2020 Championship Season. We will continue to monitor the developments and will announce additional information about the 2020 season at a later date. We will work with Major League Baseball and our community partners to resume play as soon as it is safe to do so. The health and safety of Minor League Baseball fans, players and executives is our top priority, and our thoughts are with those around the world who have been affected by this outbreak.” It's unclear why Minor League Baseball would refer to the season as "the 2020 Championship Season". In a press release, the Phillies' Do

2020 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #1 RHP Spencer Howard

I invite you to visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz in order to support my work and get access to material like this before anyone.  Plus you'll get exclusive interviews as well as other content you won't be able to enjoy anywhere else.  I could use, and I would value, your backing. Spencer Howard, image- Jay Floyd Right-handed pitcher Spencer Howard is this outlet’s choice as the Phillies’ top overall prospect. Howard was the team’s second round draft selection in 2017 (45th overall) out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and has proven to be an exceptional hurler in his time in the minor leagues. In college, in his draft year/sophomore season, Howard sported an 8-1 record with a 1.95 ERA and a 10 K/9 mark over 17 appearances (12 starts) for the Mustangs. As a red shirt freshman the previous year, he posted a 2.95 ERA in 21 appearances (two starts). After signing his first professional contract, Howard debuted with Class A short-season Williamsport, where he n

2020 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #2 Third baseman Alec Bohm

Alec Bohm, image- Jay Floyd I invite you to visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz in order to support my work and get access to material like this before anyone.  Plus you'll get exclusive interviews as well as other content you won't be able to enjoy anywhere else.  I could use, and I would value, your backing. After entering the 2018 MLB draft as one of the most advanced college hitters on the board, Alec Bohm was selected with the third overall pick by the Phillies.  Swiftly, he made a name for himself as one of baseball's fastest rising prospects. A collegiate second team All-American, Bohm batted .339 with 14 doubles, a triple, 16 home runs and 55 RBI while swiping nine bags in 57 games in his junior season for Wichita State in 2018. He notched 24 multi-hit games during his campaign that year. Overall in three seasons with the Shockers, Bohm batted .317 with 33 homers, 125 RBI and a .941 OPS in 166 total games. He was one of the top ranked college

2020 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #3 RHP Francisco Morales

I invite you to visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz in order to support my work and get access to material like this before anyone.  Plus you'll get exclusive interviews as well as other content you won't be able to enjoy anywhere else.  I could use, and I would value, your backing. Francisco Morales, image- Jay Floyd Right-handed pitcher Francisco Morales has emerged as not only one of the Phillies' best prospects but quite possibly one of the best young arms in the sport. Signed by the Phils in 2016 at age 16, for a reported $900,000, the Venezuela native participated that year in the Florida Instructional League. He would make his regular season minor league debut the following year with the Rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies, posting a 3-2 record with a 3.05 ERA, a .225 batting average against and a 9.6 K/9 mark in 10 games (nine starts). In 2018 the six-foot-four 185-pounder stepped up to the Class A short-season New York-Penn League.  There

2020 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #4 SS Bryson Stott

I invite you to visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz in order to support my work and get access to material like this before anyone.  Plus you'll get exclusive interviews as well as other content you won't be able to enjoy anywhere else.  I could use, and I would value, your backing. Bryson Stott, image- Jay Floyd The Phillies' first round draft selection from 2019, Bryson Stott , joined the organization and swiftly became one of the most promising prospects in their developmental system. In his junior season last year with UNLV, Stott posted a .356 average with 10 home runs, 36 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 58 games.  Additionally, the lefty batter that was drafted 14th overall boasted a .486 on base percentage with the Runnin' Rebels. Soon after the draft, Stott signed with the Phillies and made his professional debut with the Rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies East team.  In four games, he went 6-for-9 with a double, a triple and a home run.  With a p