Around the Bases - June 12, 2009

Largely thanks to a red-hot Ian Stewart, the Rockies are riding an 8-game Win streak

Maybe I was worth that $3.6MM Bonus…
24yo Andrew Miller tossed 6 1/3 Innings, allowing 7 Hits and 3 ERs, while fanning 8. He has a 13:1 K:BB ratio over his last 12 IPs, after starting the season with a 24:22 ratio over 28IP. Miller appears to be on the verge of a serious breakout.

Coming home to Charlotte…
After another 0 for 4 performance, 22yo Gordon Beckham now has but 2 singles in 24 ABs. The concern on Beckham has always been that little loop in his swing and the fear that Major League pitchers will exploit it. It is way too early to be down on a 22yo with only 66 professional games under his belt, but it is beginning to look like some further refinement in AAA will be required.

Tale of two seasons…
After an 8IP, 5H, 1ER, 0BB, 5K performance last night, 25yo White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd has a 1.67 ERA, a 0.823 WHIP and a 36:8 K:BB ratio over his last 5 starts. On May 17, Floyd’s ERA was 7.71 and his WHIP was 1.872.

A streaking Stewart is nothing new…
24yo Ian Stewart was notorious for having pro-longed slumps and scorching hot streaks as he was coming up through the Minors. Apparently that has continued into the Big Leagues. The Rockies got off to a dreadful start, but are now riding an 8 game winning streak—led by Stewart. Over his last 9 games, Stewart has posted a .375/.405/.825 with 5 HRs. This includes last night’s 2 for 4, with a Home Run and a Walk performance.

I ain’t no stinkin’ Reliever…
After the Diamondbacks drafted Max Scherzer, the conventional wisdom was that he was a future closer. Arizona said not so fast. Last night’s 7 2/3 IP, 3H, 1BB, 0ER, 6K performance was not only the 24yo’s longest outing of his career, but it now gives him 13 straight scoreless innings.

Who cares if I walk a few…
It’s not often that you see a major league pitcher that walks 8.5 batters per 9IP, have success, but 23yo David Price is carrying around a 1.88 ERA while doing precisely that. Of course he also has 26 Ks in his first 19 IP.

I think those are Justin Smoak’s footsteps that I hear…
23yo Chris Davis turned heads with his 17 HR in 295 AB debut last season. And while he’s always been a free-swinger, nobody worried about those 88 strike outs. Well Davis has a .205/.262/.431 line this year, and it only took him 195 ABs to reach 88 strike outs. I have never been a huge Chris Davis fan…and this is precisely why.

I hope nobody was looking…
Jordan Danks and John Whittleman posted perfect nights last night…each going o for 4 with 4 strikeouts.

Two worth repeating…
20yo Blue Jay OF Prospect, Moises Sierra, went 2 for 3 with a double, a triple and a walk and is now hitting .444/.524/.778 in June.
20yo National C Prospect, Derek Norris, went 2 for 4, while hitting his 13th HR, and is now hitting .385/.455/.697 since the beginning of May.

Minor League Performance of the Day…
Goes to 24yo Kevin Mulvey of the Twins. Mulvey threw a 9 inning shutout, allowing 7 Hits and 1 Walk while fanning 7.

Thank Goodness for June…
Jordan Walden entered the season as arguably the Angels best prospect, but through the end of May he had a 6.14 ERA, a 1.955 WHIP and a 13:16 K:BB ratio. After last night’s 6 inning shutout performance, he has a 0.82 ERA, a 1.000 WHIP and a 16:1 K:BB ratio in the month of June.