Athletics Prospects: Luis Morales spins a gem

Morales finally looked like himself again, with eight strikeouts for Lnsing

It’s been a few weeks of getting healthy for the Oakland Athletics organization, and quite a number of big names were rehabbing last week. Joe Boyle and Luis Medina took the mound for Las Vegas, while down in Arizona Ryan Cusick and Adrian Martinez made appearances. Then for two of the system’s big righties, Luis Morales and Steven Echavarria each had their best starts of the season as they are both working back into form from injuries that delayed the start to their years.

Las Vegas Aviators

Game Results

Record: 25-26, 3rd in PCL West, 8 GB

2-4 last week

Season stats

• Nick Allen - 9 G, 40 PA, 1 HR, 5.0% BB, 12.5% K, .447/475/.684, 190 wRC+
• Lawrence Butler - 9 G, 41 PA, 2 HR, 14.6% BB, 24.4% K, .257/.366/.514, 116 wRC+
• Logan Davidson - 31 G, 119 PA, 4 HR, 5.9% BB, 35.3% K, .288/.336/.477, 99 wRC+
• JT Ginn - 8.1 IP, 3.24 ERA, 8.1% BB, 35.1% K, 0 HR, 3.07 FIP
• Brett Harris - 29 G, 119 PA, 3 HR, 16.8% BB, 24.4% K, .278/.412/.433, 129 wRC+
• Max Muncy - 22 G, 87 PA, 2 HR, 9.2% BB, 23.0% K, .274/.379/.438, 108 wRC+
• Ryan Noda - 21 G, 90 PA, 3 HR, 20.0% BB, 32.2% K, .186/.356/.357, 83 wRC+
• Freddy Tarnok - 6 IP, 13.50 ERA, 10.7% BB, 14.3% K, 1 HR, 6.82 FIP
• Jacob Wilson - 6 G, 25 PA, 0 HR, 4.0% BB, 8.0% K, .375/.400/.458, 119 wRC+

Top Performers

The shake ups in Las Vegas keep coming, though the week was relatively quieter compared to last week with only a handful of major names moving levels. The biggest of these was Oakland selecting the contract of Daz Cameron, and it’s hard to argue that Cameron didn’t deserve the opportunity. The former first round pick has truly come into his own this season with the Aviators, and while some of him running a 147 wRC+ (by far the best of his six Triple-A seasons) is him running a high BABIP, the jump in walk rate has covered up the biggest weakness in his career to this point. Cameron has never run a particularly good on base percentage despite having at least decent contact skill and power, and a 16.4% walk rate had him sitting top five in on base percentage in the league.

With that Brett Harris took his trip back down to Vegas, and while it wasn’t a fantastic first taste in the show there is plenty for Harris to take away from it. Harris’s below average ability to find hard contact certainly contributed to his poor numbers, but he looked fantastic on the defensive end and was still able to maintain the high walk rate he showed this season. Harris really projects as a utility player at the next level (and it may be wise for Oakland to get him some reps in the outfield) and his combination of defensive ability and plate discipline is certainly enticing in that role.

On the injury front it’s disappointing to see JT Ginn hit the injured list after such a strong start to his Triple-A career. Ginn left his start early on the 16th, and it’s certainly concerning given just how many injuries Ginn has dealt with to once again be facing missed time. On the other side of the injury coin Luis Medina and Joe Boyle each made rehab appearances, with Medina showing particular promise for a return to the Athletics rotation. Medina’s results were awful as he allowed five runs before being pulled in the third inning, but the results are secondary to his condition. There is some level of feel missing from Medina’s location, more so than his usual form, and that was the main factor in him struggling to get through his start. However, the raw stuff was sharp and looked major league ready, so it’s just going to be about getting his legs back under him and getting his command back to a playable point over the next couple of rehab appearances. Boyle was dreadfully wild, even compared to his normal form, and he didn’t make it out of the first inning before being pulled. Still the stuff was there, he averaged 97.8 mph on the fastball, and he made it through the outing healthy which is all that you ask for early in these trips.

Midland Rockhounds

Game Results

Record: 28-17, 1st TL South, +0.5 G

3-3 last week

Season stats

• Cooper Bowman - 43 G, 197 PA, 6 HR, 13.2% BB, 21.3% K, .259/.361/.434, 121 wRC+
• Denzel Clarke - 37 G, 156 PA, 3 HR, 8.3% BB, 40.4% K, .193/.269/.314, 63 wRC+
• Ryan Cusick - 10 IP, 0.00 ERA, 3 BB, 11 K, 0 HR, 2.57 FIP
• Gunnar Hoglund - 49 ⅔ IP, 4.17 ERA, 6.6% BB, 22.7% K, 8 HR, 4.75 FIP
• Brennan Milone - 41 G, 170 PA, 5 HR, 11.8% BB, 23.5% K, .265/.359/.422, 118 wRC+
• Jack Perkins - 2 ⅓ IP, 15.43 ERA, 8.3% BB, 25.0% K, 0 HR, 2.28 FIP
• Royber Salinas - 36 ⅔ IP, 3.68 ERA, 15.8% BB, 25.5% K, 5 HR, 5.50 FIP
• Daniel Susac - 28 G, 119 PA, 2 HR, 3.4% BB, 32.8% K, .248/.277/.319, 64 wRC+
• Colby Thomas - 42 G, 188 PA, 12 HR, 4.8% BB, 19.1% K, .272/.319/.549, 130 wRC+

Top Performers

Well it may not have been exactly how it was planned, but in a shortened contest Gunnar Hoglund managed to record a complete game shutout for Midland in their five inning blowout win last week. It’s been rare for Hoglund to be in this good of a form this season, so it’s disappointing that the Rockhounds were only able to play five innings, but seeing Hoglund command the zone and get swings and misses was certainly one of the highlights of their past week. Also encouraging for the Rockhounds was the return of Jack Perkins from injury, though he had a bit of a rough outing in that same double header. Perkins had some success early in his outing, though his command was never particularly sharp and the Roughriders were able to have some success on pitches left in the zone as the game went on. The hope is that even more help is on the horizon, with Ryan Cusick down the complex working on his rehab and hopeful to return soon. Cusick had such a strong couple of outings to start the season and hopefully will be able to come back relatively in the same form.

Royber Salinas has run into a major roadblock this past month, as after having a solid start to the season his command has gone completely off the rails and he is struggling to get outs. In five starts this month Salinas has as many walks as strikeouts, and while the whiffs are still coming he just isn’t throwing the ball well enough to get outs at this point. This was always the concern with Salinas, but after the form he showed last season I had hoped he could convey this healthy year into a step forward with command but he has instead gone the opposite direction. Salinas is juts two short of matching his walk total from last season with 125 fewer batters faced.

It was also not a good week for Denzel Clarke, who finished the week off on Saturday with a four strikeout game and has not played in either of Midland’s games since. Colby Thomas started out last week on a great note, getting hits in the first three games including a couple of home runs. Thomas has been the Rockhounds hot hitter all season, but as the week forward he ended on a 1-11 stretch as Midland dropped two of the three weekend games. Thomas has turned around to suddenly be making a ton of contact, with only one strikeout in his past 27 plate appearances. For Cooper Bowman it was a disappointing end to his hitting streak, as he appeared in the first game of Midland’s Thursday double header as a pinch hitter and popped out in his lone plate appearance. That snapped a 17 game hitting streak dating back to the start of the month, and Bowman has since had hits in five straight games to move his OPS to 1.025 in May

Lansing Lugnuts

Game Results

Record: 22-23, 4th in MWL East, 4 GB

2-4 last week

Season stats

• Euribiel Angeles - 40 G, 174 PA, 4 HR, 5.2% BB, 11.5% K, .294/.333/.460, 118 wRC+
• Henry Bolte - 43 G, 200 PA, 7 HR, 14.0% BB, 32.0% K, .273/.400/.497, 151 wRC+
• Brayan Buelvas - 43 G, 199 PA, 6 HR, 15.1% BB, 20.6% K, .267/.382/.485, 140 wRC+
• Will Johnston - 19 IP, 3.79 ERA, 6.4% BB, 28.2% K, 2 HR, 3.63 FIP
• Luis Morales - 17 ⅓ IP, 4.67 ERA, 12.0% BB, 22.7% K, 1 HR, 3.98 FIP
• Will Simpson - 38 G, 166 PA, 3 HR, 19.3% BB, 25.3% K, .305/.440/.496, 161 wRC+

Top Performers

Finally last Wednesday we got a glimpse of the good version of Luis Morales, as he was able to keep his secondary pitches around the zone with regularity and dominate his start against Fort Wayne. Morales has felt just a touch off since coming back from injury, but the stuff was never in doubt in any of those starts and this should be an opportunity to build confidence going forward with his season. Morales had to put a poor first inning behind him as a couple of wild pitches allowed a run to score, but that was by far the worst of the day for Morales as he seemed settled and in attack mode for the rest of the outing. I still will not call his command great, or even at the level it was late last season just yet, but it was a huge step forward for him and proof of just how dominant he can be.

Henry Bolte was due for a bad couple of games, and last week wasn’t nearly to level he had been for the previous two weeks. It still wasn’t anything I would call terrible, as it was mostly just one three strikeout game that hurt his numbers and he still managed a .385 on base percentage. Bolte’s real problem was that the contact wasn’t quite as solid as it has been in the prior weeks, but if this is a down week for him then he is going to be just fine. Bolte has been one of the biggest bright spots in the system all season and continues to put up consistently strong plate appearances.

Brayan Buelvas had a fairly strong week, though I do worry he is getting a bit into some bad habits as he started to swing a bit more freely in his outings last week. Buelvas has the ability to make contact at a high rate and enough power to do damage on pitches in the zone, but when his pitch selection dips he can go through rough patches. It wasn’t every at bat for Buelvas, and it’s hard to be critical of a week with a .391 on base percentage and three extra base hits. Buelvas has overall had his first true taste of breaking out at the minor league level and has a .924 OPS with 15 walks to only 18 strikeouts in May. Buelvas is still just 21, but given his professional experience and proximity to Rule 5 eligibility it should really not be long before he’s given a look against Double-A pitching. That’s the point at which I think the finer bits of his approach will be tested and we’ll get to see how he is able to handle pitchers with a better feel for locating secondary pitches.

Stockton Ports

Game Results

Record: 18-25, 4th in CAL North, 11 GB

4-2 last week

Season stats

• Cole Conn - 39 G, 181 PA, 4 HR, 18.2% BB, 21.0% K, .281/.441/.430, 145 wRC+
• Steven Echavarria - 13 ⅔ IP, 8.56 ERA, 12.8% BB, 17.9% K, 0 HR, 4.64 FIP
• Ryan Lasko - 40 G, 184 PA, 1 HR, 15.8% BB, 28.3% K, .190/.326/.261, 72 wRC+
• Nate Nankil - 36 G, 149 PA, 5 HR, 12.8% BB, 16.8% K, .262/.396/.459, 135 wRC+
• Myles Naylor - 38 G, 168 PA, 5 HR, 17.9% BB, 32.7% K, .182/.333/.321, 87 wRC+
• Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang - 28 ⅔ IP, 1.57 ERA, 1.8% BB, 27.5% K, 1 HR, 2.62 FIP

Top Performers

It took a lot longer than I would have expected, but Ryan Lasko finally has his first home run in the Athletics organization. Lasko has been a huge disappointment this season as he has struggled both making contact and making that contact hard, but in Tuesday’s game against Inland Empire he got a fastball on the very first pitch of the game and turned on it for a home run. There has to be hope of more of that from Lasko — he certainly has the raw strength to hit the ball out consistently — it’s just been a struggle for him really any time he faced higher quality pitching. The rest of Lasko’s week was uneventful, as he piled up eight strikeouts in the final five games.

In that same game we saw a home run from Myles Naylor, who had by far his most consistent week at the plate. Naylor turned on a pitch low and in to just clear the wall in left center field, and while he hasn’t really gone on a good run there have been consistent flashes of easy power like that to give hope that a breakout is around the corner. Naylor whiffed way too much last week, but also came up with seven hits and a .944 OPS. Naylor has just slowly started getting fed on as these lower level pitchers get more developed through the season, with that strikeout rate dangerously rising as pitchers seem to be figuring out the holes in his swing.

It’s going to be a long road for Steven Echavarria to reach his potential, but in games like the one last Saturday it becomes clear why the Athletics invested how they did in him. His season got off to a late start due to injury, and in his first four outings he matched his walks and strikeouts as he just wasn’t particularly sharp working back. Finally we got a glimpse of that potential for Echavarria, as he was able to find his location with his fastball and slider and run up three innings of one run ball with four strikeouts. Echavarria’s slider was the weapon that was enabled the most success at getting swing and misses, though it was his ability to keep his fastball in the zone but on the edges that made the difference for him. I’m not particularly confident in Echavarria’s fastball shape and I think long term even if the velocity ticks up he’s going to need to command it well and command it away from hitters to have success. But when he can get to his slider he’s a dangerous arm and one that can put away hitters at a solid rate while also inducing ground ball contact with his fastball.

ACL Athletics

Game Results

Record: 4-12, 5th in ACL East, 6.5 GB

0-3 last week

Season Stats

• German Ortiz - 16 G, 65 PA, 0 HR, 15.4% BB, 21.5% K, .358/.469/.415, 141 wRC+
• Carlos Pacheco - 14 G, 52 PA, 0 HR, 11.5% BB, 26.9% K, .171/.346/.220, 69 wRC+

Top Performers

We have two rehab assignments to talk about down in Arizona, starting with Adrian Martinez. Working only one inning each time Martinez was able to have some success, striking out three batters and walking none in his two innings of work. Martinez likely should head back to Vegas pretty soon to join their bullpen, where he struggled early this season but really didn’t have time to get settled before hitting the injured list. Then there is Ryan Cusick, who unfortunately walked three batters in three innings of work. His final line was kind of a reflection of the competition he was facing — there was only one strikeout and one hit — and with a guy with Cusick’s fastball/slider combination it should be expected that rookie level hitters are going to swing at the first strike they get and not do much with it. The issue was just the walks, but after a layoff of over a month, especially when dealing with a core injury, finding stability in the delivery is one of the hardest things for a pitcher and it’s not really a surprise to see someone who already struggles not being able to throw strikes.