Each Monday this year for the Phillies minor league full season affiliates is a scheduled off day. They get to re-charge from a six day run of games before starting on another stretch the next day.
Here’s a review of the past week with a spot light on players from each team who had good, even great numbers and performances.
Lehigh Valley ( Overall Record 18-18, 2-4 during the past week) - next series @ Worcester ( Red Sox affiliate ) ... they are 23-13 overall
RHP Mauricio Llovera - appeared in three games and threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out three batters. He’s seemingly converted to a full time reliever and for the season has appeared in 13 games ( 16 1/3 IP ) posting a 2.70 ERA with 17 K’s and 6 walks. He was tagged for 3 runs on 5/27 in 2/3 of an inning of work but in the other 12 games ( 15 2/3 IP ) he’s allowed just 2 runs which equates to a 1.15 ERA and in 11 of the appearances he’s pitched scoreless relief. The young man may have found his niche.
RHP Enyel De Los Santos - he threw 2 perfect innings of relief on 6/9 striking out 5 of the 6 batters he faced. Enyel has appeared in 7 games for LHV posting 17 strikeouts and 4 walks in just 9 2/3 innings of work. He’s shown a dominant fastball and two plus secondary offerings. He hasn’t yielded a run in his last five appearances spanning 6 2/3 innings recording 14 K’s, no walks and no hits allowed. He’s retired all 14 batters he’s faced over his last 4 appearances. He’s healthy and firing 🔥. Promoted to the show again on 6/12.
LHP Ethan Evanko - pitched 3 scoreless innings of relief on 6/10, no hits, one walk and three K’s. The versatile hurler can either start or pitch out of the pen and for the season has pitched 17 1/3 innings between Reading and LHV. He’s pitched scoreless baseball in 6 of his 9 appearances … 8 of the 10 runs scored against him came in two games. He’s a strike thrower who had an outstanding 2019 season posting a 1.61 ERA in 19 games ( 67 IP ) between Lakewood and Clearwater.
LHP David Parkinson & LHP Christopher Sanchez delivered outstanding pitching efforts on Saturday, the 12th in a doubleheader. Parkinson went 5 2/3 no hit innings with 3 BB and 5 K’s. Sanchez went 5 2/3 innings … 1 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 6 K’s.
Reading ( Overall Record 11-25, 5-1 during the past week) - next series @ Harrisburg ( Nationals affiliate ) ... they are 12-23 overall
UTL Dalton Guthrie - went 9 for 16 ( .562 ) during the week including four two hit games with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs. Dalton has had two hits in each of his last four games and has a five game hitting streak. He’s also a versatile defender and has played four defensive positions this season ( 2B, SS, 3B, CF ). Dalton was signed in 2017 after being drafted in the 6th round of the 2017 draft out of the University of Florida. He’s raised his season average over 50 points this week.
OF Matt Vierling - went 10 for 22 ( .455 ) for the week with a triple, home run and five RBIs. Since returning to action on 6/5 after time off due to a hand injury he’s hit .433( 13 for 30 ) with 22 total bases and has a hit in seven of the eight games he’s played with a current 5 game hitting streak. Matt has a .345 batting average for the season in 91 AB’s with 6 home runs and 18 RBIs.
UTL Madison Stokes - went 8 for 19 ( .421 ) during the week including a 4 hit game on 6/10. He’s riding a six game hitting streak over which he’s gone 10 for 22 ( .454 ) with 19 total bases with 3 doubles, 2 home runs and 6 RBIs. He’s raised his season average nearly 40 points this week. Madison has played multiple positions ( 1B, 2B, 3B, LF & RF ) defensively as well which enhances his ability to move up the ladder. Madison was drafted in the 10th round of the 2018 draft out of the University of South Carolina.
SS Bryson Stott - continued his hot hitting by going 9 for 22 ( .409) for the week including three multi hit games. He hit a double, 2 home runs and delivered six RBIs. Bryson is hitting .282 in 10 games ( 35 AB’s ) at Reading since his promotion and .286 overall ( including Jersey Shore ) with 7 home runs and 16 RBIs in 112 AB’s … he’s also walked 31 times … just four less than the number of times he’s struck out ( 35 ).
RHP Braden Zarbnisky - made two scoreless appearances ( 4 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K’s ) and has pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings over four games in June. Between Jersey Shore and Reading this season he’s posted a 2.25 ERA in 11 games ( 20 IP ) with 20 K’s and 5 walks while recording a 1.05 WHIP. Signed as a free agent out of West Virginia University on 7/21/20 Braden hasn’t missed a beat in his first pro season.
RHP James McArthur & RHP Jack Perkins each turned in strong starts this week … McArthur went 4 2/3 innings on 6/9 yielding one run on one hit despite walking 6 batters. Perkins went 4 innings in his Reading debut on Saturday ( 1 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K’s ) and also hit a triple as a batter 😳
Jersey Shore ( Overall Record 15-19, 2-3 during the past week) - next series @ Hudson Valley ( Yankees affiliate ) ... the are 20-14 overall
RHP Adam Leverett - continues to shine … he pitched 4 2/3 scoreless frames on 6/9 allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out six batters. For the season he’s posted an outstanding 0.43 ERA in 6 games ( 21 IP ) with a WHIP of 0.71 with 23 strikeouts and 6 walks. Adam was signed on 6/11/19 after being drafted in the 15th round of the 2019 draft out of Gordon State Junior College.
RHP Victor Santos & LHP Nick Lackney continued delivering stellar relief performances. Santos ( 20 yrs old ) pitched 3 scoreless frames on 6/13 allowing just 2 hits and a walk while striking out 5 batters. For the season he’s posted a 1.10 ERA in 8 games ( 16 1/3 IP ) with a 1.04 WHIP, 24 K’s and 4 walks. Lackney tossed a perfect inning on 6/13 with 2 K’s … for the season he’s appeared in 11 games with Clearwater, Jersey Shore and Reading and has a 0.00 ERA ( 15 IP ) with a 1.40 WHIP… 16 K’s but also 13 walks.
LHP Ethan Lindow & RHP Noah Skirrow also turned in good pitching performances during the week. Lindow in his first Jersey Shore outing went 4 2/3 innings … 1 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 5 K’s and Skirrow tossed 4 innings … 1 unearned run, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K’s … for the season Noah now has a 0.93 ERA with a 0.93 WHIP in 6 games ( 19 1/3 IP ) with 28 K’s and 8 walks. He was signed on 6/16/20 as a free agent from Liberty University.
Clearwater ( Overall Record 18-18 , 2-4 during the past week) - next series @ Dunedin ( Blue Jays affiliate ) ... they are 14-21 overall
OF Johan Rojas - went 9 for 25 ( .360 ) during the week with a double, home run and four RBIs. He’s riding a ten game hitting streak ( 16 for 44 … .364 ) with 3 doubles, a triple, 3 home runs and 9 RBIs raising his season’s average 50 points during the streak.
2B/SS Casey Martin - 6 for 19 ( .316 ) during the week with two multi hit games and five doubles ending the week with a four game hitting streak. For the month of June he’s hitting at a .364 clip ( 12 for 33 ) with six doubles. We also saw him make some outstanding defensive plays this week at shortstop which I’m sure most scouts in attendance noted, good glove and foot work and solid arm.
C Juan Aparicio - 5 for 11 ( .455 ) in three games with a walk, two home runs and five RBIs. He also threw out a couple base runners attempting to steal. Juan has always been a solid hitter in his brief career, two of his previous three pro seasons have resulted in an above .300 batting average. The 21 year old from Venezuela was signed on 7/2/16 as a third baseman and has transitioned to making himself a decent catcher … still a ways to go but if ya can hit they’ll find a spot for ya … Willians Astudillo has proven that.
Strong pitching continues to show at Clearwater … this past week …
LHP Maikel Garrido - in his CW debut went 3 1/3 innings on 6/10 - 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K’s - showed the high velo ( 94-97 ) we’ve seen on the backfields but with a command that we’ve not witnessed before … great to see.
LHP Jordi Martinez - 4 scoreless IP -6/12 - 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K’s on 6/11 - 2.53 ERA -21 1/3 IP, 24 K’s for the season
LHP Rafael Marcano - 4 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K’s on 6/11 - 1.13 ERA in 24 IP, 33 K’s, 7 BB - 7 total games
RHP Victor Vargas - 4 IP, 1 unearned R, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K’s on 6/10 - 26 K’s, 6 BB in 22 1/3 IP for the season
Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️