Around the MinorsMay 22, 2007
Colorado Has Nothing on These Guys
By Marc Hulet

30-0, 12-14, 21-6

No, those aren't football scores. Those are the results from this past weekend as the Lancaster JetHawks (Boston) and Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego) faced off in California League action. Interestingly, just this past week, I highlighted the Lancaster team as being the most offensive-minded club in A-Ball. However, they were on the short end of two of those three mammoth games as Lake Elsinore absolutely exploded against the hapless home team.

Lake Elsinore, a team heavy with former college draft picks, scored 63 runs in only three games. And if that was not mind-blowing enough, the club scored 30 runs in the first game of the series.

You can read about the teams' thrilling series at Baseball America and Minor League Baseball, so let's concentrate on breaking down the numbers:

Lake Elsinore's Five Offensive Musketeers:
                 Friday  Saturday   Sunday    Three Day Total
Chad Huffman    5 for 5 | 2 for 5 | 2 for 4 |  9 for 14 (.643)
Kyle Blanks     6 for 7 | 2 for 5 | 3 for 6 | 11 for 18 (.611)
Matt Antonelli  6 for 8 | 2 for 5 | 2 for 7 | 10 for 20 (.500)
Yordany Ramirez 2 for 7 | 1 for 5 | 4 for 6 |  7 for 18 (.389)
Craig Cooper    2 for 7 | 0 for 2 | 3 for 5 |  5 for 14 (.357)
The Before and After:
               Before         After      Difference
Huffman   38/133 (.286) | 47/147 (.320) |  +.034
Blanks    41/135 (.304) | 52/153 (.340) |  +.036
Antonelli 44/146 (.301) | 54/166 (.325) |  +.024
Ramirez   36/130 (.277) | 43/148 (.291) |  +.014
Cooper    38/116 (.328) | 43/130 (.331) |  +.003

What a difference a series can make. Hulking first base prospect Kyle Blanks (6'6'' 270 lbs) raised his average a stunning 36 points in three games. Not bad for a 42nd round draft pick. Chad Huffman, a 2006 second round draft pick out of Texas Christian University, also benefited from the series and raised his average by 34 points.

Three Game Production Totals:
            R   RBI  HR
Huffman    10 |  7 | 4 
Blanks      9 | 11 | 3
Antonelli   9 |  4 | 1
Ramirez     4 | 15 | 2
Cooper      7 | 10 | 3

Along with the 15 RBIs, Yordany Ramirez also hit for the cycle on Sunday. The non-drafted free agent - who was born in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic - had spent six nondescript seasons in the Padres' organization prior to this year. Some caution should be used before getting too excited about his season, as Ramirez had a career .277 on-base average before 2007, as well as a line of .252/.285/.378 at Lake Elsinore in 2006.

So, what effect did this offensive outburst have on Lancaster's pitching?

Friday
                 IP    HITS  RUNS
Kris Johnson    1.1  |  5  |  8
Mario Pena      1.2  |  8  | 11
T.J. Large      3.1  |  5  |  3 
Jason Blackley  2.0  |  6  |  5
Blake Maxwell   0.2  |  4  |  3
Saturday
                 IP    HITS  RUNS
Matt Goodson    4.0  | 11  | 10
Chad Rhoades    3.0  |  2  |  2
Hunter Jones    2.0  |  1  |  0
Sunday
                 IP    HITS  RUNS
Mike Rozier     4.2  | 11  | 10
Ismael Casillas 2.1  |  2  |  1
J.T. Zink       0.1  |  6  |  8
Blake Maxwell   1.2  |  4  |  4
The Before and After [IP/ER (ERA)]:
              Before           After        Difference
Johnson    36.2/30 (7.46) | 38.0/37  (8.76) |  +1.30
Pena       12.1/8  (5.95) | 14.0/19 (12.21) |  +6.26   
Large           ----      |  3.1/5   (8.10) |  +8.10
Blackley   21.2/13 (5.52) | 23.2/18  (6.85) |  +1.33
Maxwell    24.1/8  (2.99) | 26.2/15  (5.06) |  +2.07
Goodson     6.0/1  (1.50) | 10.0/10  (9.00) |  +7.50
Rhoades    20.2/11 (4.90) | 23.2/13  (4.94) |  +0.04
Jones      26.1/8  (2.76) | 28.1/8   (2.54) |  -0.22
Rozier     35.1/24 (6.15) | 40.0/32  (7.20) |  +1.05
Casillas   20.0/15 (6.75) | 22.1/16  (6.45) |  -0.30
Zink            ----      |  0.1/8 (216.00) |  +216.00

The only top pitching prospect affected by the onslaught was Kris Johnson, who has had a terrible time in the California League after a remarkable debut in the New York Penn League last season - 0.88 ERA in 30.2 innings, with seven walks and 27 strikeouts. Johnson was drafted 40th overall out of Wichita State University in 2006.

Relievers T.J. Large and J.T. Zink made their California League debuts at the worst possible time. As a 46th round pick in 2005, though, Large is probably just happy to be collecting a paycheck as a professional baseball player. Zink was an eighth round pick in 2005.

After seeing all this, you have to be even more impressed with pitcher Hunter Jones' 2.54 ERA. The 6'4'' 235 lbs lefty was signed out of Florida State University in 2005 as an undrafted free agent. Despite being passed over by 30 teams for 50 rounds each, Jones, 23, has out-performed all of Boston's top pitching prospects, save for Michael Bowden who was promoted to Portland last week. Last season in Greenville, Jones struck out 100 batters in 94.1 innings and walked only 20.

I wonder if other pitchers will be hesitant to sign with Boston after seeing the effects Lancaster has had on some talented pitchers?

Comments

Are you a Yankees fan or something? To say that players are going to refuse to sign with Boston because of one stop in their minor league system is a huge reach. Does pitching at Las Vegas or Salt Lake stop anyone from signing with the Los Angeles teams? Give me a break.