Pirates Minor League Report

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Apr 19, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Major League baseballs sit on the field before the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

As the month of April winds down, It is time to take a look at the Pittsburgh Pirates Minor League system. In the next few slides, I will take a brief look at each level of the minor league system and give you a look at each team’s location, standings and performance. We will also take a closer look at hitters who are performing well and, of course, a few hitters who are under performing at the AAA and AA levels. Finally, we will close with a brief look at the pitching at the AAA and AA levels.

I know, I know, it is only the first month and we only have a small sample size. The average fan may not take the time to follow the Minor League teams or even know much about the Pirates Minor League Affiliates. I have learned over the years that it is good idea to be familiar with the players in the farm system. These players could be future Pirates, trade bait or even just career minor leaguer’s who never really make it to the big leagues.

We will start our journey down on the farm with AAA.

Next: Begin the race in Indy

Feb 13, 2014; Bradenton, FL, USA; A freshly painted logo adorns at wall at Pirate City before the Pittsburgh Pirates first spring training workout. Mandatory Credit:

David Manning

-USA TODAY Sports

We begin our look at the Pirates Minor League system at the AAA level. The Indianapolis Indians, of the International League Western Division, play their home games at Victory Field in Indianapolis. The park is a five and a half hour drive from PNC Park. While it features a beautiful view of the city, the bigger highlight is the product on the field. I personally recommend a visit, as it is well worth the drive, to watch these future Pirates.

The Indians currently sit in second place in the Western division with a record of 12 wins and 10 losses. The Columbus Clippers are leading with an 11-9 record. Third place at the moment would be the Toledo Mud Hens at 9-10, with the Louisville Bats 8-13 rounding out the final spot in the division.

Steve Lombardozzi, who was featured in Jacob’s post earlier this month, leads the team in many hitting categories. In 66 at bats, Steve is carrying a .375 Batting Average/.444 On Base Percentage/.500 Slugging along with an OPS of .944. He also leads the team in hits with 27, 9 doubles and 36 total bases. He is second on the team with 11 RBI’s. Steve has appeared in the Outfield, 3rd Base, 2nd Base and Shortstop.

Deibinson Romero, who came over from the Twins AAA team in Rochester, is on fire at the plate. In just 46 at bats, He is hitting .320/.463/.640 and an OPS of 1.103. He leads the way with 4 Home Runs, 13 walks and 14 RBI’s. His primary position is 3rd base. He was initially signed just to provide some depth at the 3rd base position for the Pirates organization but so far he is making a name for himself.

Gorkys Hernandez,  a player that has experienced a short stint in the Majors, is producing on offense. While gathering the 2nd most at bats, 75, he is hitting .293/.398/.400 and an OPS of .798. He is tied for the team lead in Walks with 13. Gorkys has started every game in Centerfield so far this season.

Pedro Florimon, another player who has spent time on a Major League roster and battled for a spot on the Major League roster in spring training, has been performing well at Indy. He has appeared in only 14 games and is hitting .318/.354/.432. In the field, he has been mainly playing Shortstop.

Alen Hanson has posted the most at bats for the team with 77. He has scattered 18 hits but has also struck out 18 times. He is currently hitting .234/.289/.260 and an OPS of .549. In the field, he has been playing 2nd base.

Jose Tabata, yes he is still with the organization and performing at a mediocre level. He is hitting .255/.327/.298 with an OPS of .625. In 47 at bats, he has just 12 hits.

Brent Morel has also been struggling at the plate. He is hitting a dismal .140/.259/.260. In 50 at bats, he has only 7 hits and has struck out 17 times. Morel has seen action in the field at 3rd base and 1st base.

Hunter Morris has seen the most action at first base with 15 appearances. He has had 59 at bats and currently leads the team in strikeouts with 24. If the Pirates eventually send Andrew Lambo back down, we could only hope he can produce better numbers at this position for Indy.

Jaff Decker battled for the Pirates final bench spot before heading to the DL. Once activated and assigned to AAA, Jaff has appeared in 7 games. It was recently announced by the team that he has been placed on the DL at Indy now as he continues to battle injury.

Wilfredo Boscan has thrown 24 innings, and has a 1.50 ERA thru 4 starts. He has only collected 1 win so far this season.

Nick Kingham has had 5 starts and currently has a 4.85 ERA and has a 1-2 record. He leads the team with 29 K’s.

Adrian Sampson is second on the team with 24 K’s after 4 starts. His ERA sits at 3.22 while he holds a record of 0-3.

John Holdzkom has appeared in 9 games and has only 1 save. He has struckout 12 batters and walked 10 while currently holding an ERA of 5.40.

Blake Wood has also appeared in 9 games and has recorded 6 saves while striking out 14 batters. He is currently carrying a 2.08 ERA.

Next, we make hay as we mow our way down to AA.

Next: Watch Out For the Curve

Sep 17, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates minor league outfielder

Josh Bell

(35) of the Altoona Curve in attendance as he was named the Pirates Minor Player of the Year before the Pirates host the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park. The Pirates won 9-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Altoona Curve, of the Eastern League Western Division, play their home games at Peoples Natural Gas Field in Altoona. Less than 2 hours from PNC Park, many Pirate fans frequently make the trip east to take in a game.

The Curve are leading the division with a record of 12-6. They are followed in second place by the Bowie Baysox at 11-9. The Akron RubberDucks sit at 10-10. The rest of the division stacks up with Harrisburg Senators, Erie SeaWolves and Richmond Flying Squirrels all currently below .500.

Josh Bell is performing well in his climb up through the system. In 80 Plate Appearances, he currently has a .352 Batting Average/.418 On Base Percentage/.451 Slugging while holding a .868 OPS. He leads the team with 25 hits and has walked 8 times. Josh has only been playing first base thus far this season.

Sebastian Valle has appeared in just 11 games. During his 41 plate appearances, he has collected 13 hits and is carrying a .361/.425/.472 and an OPS of .897. We will continue to keep an eye on this catcher’s numbers as the season progresses.

Willy Garcia has seen action in 17 games, mainly playing in Left Field. In his 70 Plate Appearances, he has collected 18 hits while batting .295/.353/.344 and an OPS of .697. However, he is tied for the team lead in strike outs with 23.

Stetson Allie has played in 16 games, mainly starting in Right Field. He has 72 plate appearances and has scattered 15 hits while hitting .231/.292/.385 and an OPS of .676. He leads the team in home runs with 2 and is tied for the team lead with 11 RBI’s. However, he is tied for the team lead in strike outs with 23.

Keon Broxton has appeared in 18 games and leads the team with 82 plate appearances. He has 21 hits and 11 RBI’s while hitting .273/.317/.429 and an OPS of .746. The majority of his time has been spent in Centerfield.

Max Moroff, second baseman, has appeared in 17 games and has 78 plate appearances. He has 19 hits and leads the team with 12 runs scored. He is currently hitting .297/.400/.453 with an OPS of .853. He also has accounted for 11 walks and 11 strikeouts.

Gift Ngoepe has appeared in 18 games while playing shortstop. In his 71 plate appearances, he has 11 hits, 11 strikeouts and is only hitting .127/.232/.250 with an OPS of .482. His play in the field at shortstop has been his best asset so far this season.

Angel Sanchez, Chad Kuhl and Jason Creasy lead the starting pitchers in wins with 2 each. The highest ERA among these three pitchers is a 2.14. Each has appeared in at least 21 innings and have all accounted for at least 12 strikeouts.

Tyler Glasnow has appeared in 3 games and has a 1-0 record. He has a 1.08 ERA and has struck out 17 batters while only walking 6.

Yhonathan Barrios and Collin Balester have combined for 6 saves this season. Thomas Harlan has appeared in 6 games out of the bullpen and is carrying a 2-1 record. Other notable relievers to watch are John Kuchno, Jhondaniel Medina and Johnathan Schwind.

We heat up as we head south for a look at Advanced A.

Next: Fly South to Bradenton

Mar 12, 2015; Bradenton, FL, USA; The field is made ready for play before a spring training baseball game at McKechnie Field. The Boston Red Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The Bradenton Marauders, of the Florida State League South Division, play their home games at McKechnie Field. Pirate fans are familiar with this field as it is the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Marauders currently sit in a tie for 3rd in their division with the St Lucie Mets at 10-10. The Charlotte StoneCrabs at 14-6 and Palm Beach Cardinals at 11-9 sit atop the division. The Jupiter HammerHeads at 8-12 and the Fort Meyers Miracle at 7-13 round out the rest of the division.

We dig deeper and head for the hills as we take a look at A.

Next: Feel the Power

Oct 15, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; The lights are out during a power outage during game three of the American League Championship Series baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The West Virginia Power, of the South Atlantic League Northern Division, play there home games at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, West Virginia. At just under a 4 hour drive from PNC Park, this may be a locale for a die hard follower, more so than the casual fan. However, it is one of the first places you can get a glimpse of future stars.

The Power currently are sitting in second place in the division at 13-7. The Hickory Crawldads at 14-5 lead the way. The remainder of the division finishes up with the Delmarva Shorebirds at 11-8, Greensboro Grasshoppers at 9-10, Lakewood BlueClaws at 10-10, Hagerstown Suns at 9-11 and finally the Kannapolis Intimidators at 8-11.

Next, we take a short drive down 79 south to discover the newest member of the farm system in Short Season A.

Next: Short Season, Short Drive

Apr 15, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates baseball equipment sits in the dugout cubicle before the game against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The West Virginia Black Bears of the New York Penn League, Pinckney Division, begin play June 19th and finish up September 7th. They will be playing home games at a brand new facility that they share with the West Virginia University baseball team. While only an hour drive from PNC Park, I would believe it is safe to say that many Pirate fans, die hard and casual fans, will take the short trip to Morgantown for a game and to see the new ballpark.

Prior to the move to Morgantown, West Virginia, the team was based in Jamestown, New York and nicknamed the Jammers. The Black Bears will be joining the Auburn Doubledays, Batavia Muckdogs, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, State College Spikes and the Williamsport Crosscutters in the Pinckney Division. Once the season begins play in June, we will have more information available on the records, batters and pitchers during our look at the Pirates Minor League System.

Now head to where it all begins for some players.

Next: First Stop, Rookie Ball

Apr 29, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A young Pittsburgh Pirates fan looks for a ball before the game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Many players are just beginning to grow as they hit Rookie Ball. The Bristol Pirates, of the Appalachian League – West Division, are located in Bristol, Virginia. They also play a short season with their opener being June 23rd and the season ending September 1st. Home games are played on Boyce Cox Field at Devault Memorial Stadium in Bristol, VA.

They are joined in the West Division by the Elizabethton Twins, Greeneville Astros, Johnson City Cardinals and the Kingsport Mets. Once again, since the season begins play in June, we will have more information available on the records, batters and pitchers during our look at the Pirates Minor League System.

I hope you have enjoyed this trip around the Pirates Farm System. We are looking forward to providing updates throughout the season on the various Minor League affiliates in the Pittsburgh Pirates Organization.

Next: Gerrit Cole - Cy Yound Candidate?

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