Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Some notes and updates from the Arizona Fall League and various winter ball performances:
• Briefly mentioned this yesterday, but I’ll still start with it today: Bryan Mitchell is currently pitching in the Puerto Rican Winter League. As a guy who got his first extended look in the big leagues this season, Mitchell isn’t a typical winter ball player, but he makes sense as a guy who could use a few more innings after spending time in the big league bullpen and missing time with a couple of short-term injuries (the concussion in the minors; the line drive to the face in the majors). Mitchell made his first Puerto Rican start on Friday and went 3.2 innings with three strikeouts, one walk and two earned runs on four hits. Numbers don’t there probably won’t mean much. He’s definitely a guy who benefits just from getting on the mound a little bit.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
• After playing nothing but first base in his first seven Arizona Fall League games, Tyler Austin has played the outfield corners his past three games. He’s also moved up to the cleanup spot for the past two games. He’s hitless in his past three games, including 0-for-3 with a walk this afternoon.
• Still leading the Arizona Fall League in home runs and RBI, Gary Sanchez came into today’s action hitting .365/.382/.808 with six homers and 17 RBI in 12 games. He’s had multiple hits in more than half of his games, and he’s homered in nearly half of them. He took a turn at designated hitter today and went 0-for-4.
• Speaking of corner outfielders, Jose Pirela continues to get all of his time in left field this winter. Taking his familiar spot in the Zulia lineup down in Venezuela, Pirela is hitting an absurd .475/.563/.700 through his first 40 at-bats. He’s the team’s regular No. 3 hitter. It’s not unusual to see Pirela put up big numbers in Venezuela, but it’s unusual to see him confined to the outfield. He usually moves around a lot. Interestingly, the guy getting most of the third base playing time for Zulia is former Yankees infielder David Adams, who’s hitting .307/.402/.533 (perhaps that’s one way to keep these numbers in perspective).
• On Sunday night, Ben Gamel hit his third winter ball home run. Through 56 at-bats in Venezuela, Gamel is hitting .268/.348/.500 while playing all three outfield positions and stealing a couple of bases. The Yankees have a little less than two weeks before they have to decide whether to protect Gamel from the Rule 5 draft.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
• Two more hitless innings in the Arizona Fall League for young hard-throwing Domingo Acevedo on Monday. He’s gotten in four games in Arizona. Three of them were scoreless outings, five innings total. The other was a three-run appearance across an inning and a third. All told, he’s struck out five and walked one. He’s incredibly inexperienced compared to the hitters around him.
• Through three Fall League starts, Ian Clarkin‘s pitching lines are starting to look familiar. He’s gone four innings each time (well, 4.1 once), and he’s walked three in every start. He’s allowed three runs in two of his three starts (one run in other), he’s struck out two in two of his three starts (had four strikeouts last time out), and he’s allowed four hits in two of his three starts (seven hits in the other). His 5.11 ERA and 1.95 WHIP aren’t good, but this is a really young kid just getting some work in after a lost season.
• Picking up his third straight win last week, Jaron Long continues to thrive in his first taste of winter ball. He’s made four starts, and allowed four runs in one of them. In his other three: 16.2 innings, 15 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts. All told he has a 1.90 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP.
• Upper-level left-handed reliever Tyler Webb is trying to stay relevant with a bunch of other upper-level lefties in the Yankees’ system. He’s pitched well in the Fall League with four strikeouts, no walks and a 0.83 WHIP. Lefties are just 1-for-10 with two strikeouts against him. The only runs he’s allowed in Arizona came on a three-run homer in a two-inning appearance.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
• Also in the Arizona Fall League: Still playing primarily second base, with two games at shortstop, Tyler Wade is hitting .194/.235/.258 through 31 at-bats. He’s struck out once in his past seven games, but he hasn’t hit much against a bunch of pitchers who are older than him. … Speaking of young guys in Arizona, Dustin Fowler is hitting .227/.261/.227 through 22 at-bats as a travel squad player. He’s split his time between left field and center field. He’s 4-for-4 stealing bases and has a couple of two-hit games. … Pitcher Chaz Hebert was just named to the Fall Stars Game. He has a 1.29 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP through seven innings, all of them in long relief. He’s basically been a piggyback starter behind Clarkin.
• Other position players: In Puerto Rico, Cito Culver has gotten a little bit of playing time, playing strictly third base so far. He has just six at-bats. … He was taken off the roster earlier this winter, but Rico Noel is up to his old tricks in Mexico. He’s hitting just .138, but he’s 5-for-6 stealing bases. He’s walked four times. … Not sure why, but Ali Castillo hasn’t played a game in Venezuela since October 15. He was a lineup regular last winter.
• Other pitchers: After a decent year in Double-A, Cesar Vargas has pitched to a 1.08 ERA with 12 strikeouts and no walks through 8.1 innings in Mexico. He’s allowed 11 hits, one of which was a homer. … Getting a few save opportunities in Venezuela, former high-end relief prospect Mark Montgomery has a 1.65 WHIP with five walks through 6.2 innings. He’s 4-for-4 in save opportunities, but he’s allowed quite a few base runners. Just hasn’t been the same in recent years. Had a shoulder issue which might explain it. … Off-the-radar young pitcher Luis Niebla continues to pitch well as a starter in Mexico. Through four starts he’s 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.
Associated Press photo
The post Winter ball notes: Mitchell playing winter ball for the first time appeared first on The LoHud Yankees Blog.