8/21/25 : Offensive Prowess including the Steal

It’s who they are :

Johan Rojas had a four game hiatus last week with Lehigh Valley before returning to action to play the last two games of the series in Buffalo and has started both games thus far this week. On Sunday he smoked a hard liner (106 mph off the bat) to right center field that Buffalo’s center fielder dove for and missed, it enabled the speedy Rojas to get to third base for a triple. That’s the type of ability I’ve always seen in him, yes the swing will get long on occasion however he’s at his best when deploying an aggressive, full swing approach. I’ve never seen him as a compact swing, take pitches, go the other way hitter. His best weapon is obviously his quickness however he’s got the ability to go gap to gap with hard liners and turn those into extra base hits. That’s what I saw as he progressed thru the minors. Johan needs to play with an edge, to bring to the plate the same confidence (borderline cockiness) that he possesses on defense. That’s not, in my opinion, going to be achieved by asking him to be a frequent bunter who works counts and takes a shorter swing. It’s just never been his game nor who he is. I’m not ready to give up on him either, elite defense like he possesses is not a common skillset and he’s just 25 years old - just sayin - it took a change of scenery for Victor Robles to blossom in Seattle last season - Johan has major league skills and will display them somewhere in the future in the show.

Now if ya want to talk about a guy who loves to bunt, does so successfully and can also stroke the baseball the other way let me talk about Justin Crawford.  The mercurial twenty-one year old has 60 hits with Lehigh Valley this season to the opposite field and regularly puts pressure on defenses with his speed both in beating out ground balls for hits but also turning line drives into extra bases and singles into doubles with stolen bases. Hard ground ball hits are part of his game and even when he develops more consistent power that’s likely always going to be the case (see Christian Yelich). One can analyze his offensive approach in a cookie-cutter fashion and bemoan the percentage of ground balls he hits but when doing so it should also be factored in the elite speed he possesses from the left side of the dish and no matter at what level of play the likelihood is he’s going to get a good amount of infield ground ball hits - look no further than Trea Turner to see how speed translates to hits on slow rollers. Crawford also has shown the ability to pop the ball out of the yard and as he grows into his frame more that will come to fruition. He’s a unique and very talented hitter, one whom I believe can hit .300 or better in the big leagues. Defensively he has struggled with balls hit right at him in center field along with not always getting the best of jumps or reads on balls however speed has covered for that and he’s got a rocket arm. I think at present he projects more as a very good left fielder with top of the order offensive skills. He’s the runaway candidate to win his second consecutive Paul Owens Award - I’m sorry but hitting .330 with a .409 OBP at the highest level of the minors as a lineup regular at any age is damn impressive, he’s doing it as a 21 year old!  Enough said.

Center Field PT :

Earlier this summer, actually on July 3rd in an FCL game while on rehab assignment, Devin Saltiban made his pro debut in center field. The twenty year old 2023 third round draft selection had played outfield in high school at home in Hawaii but after signing with the Phillies was converted to a second baseman. It was decided to re-visit the possibility of him playing the outfield and he’s continued to play there even after being reactivated on 7/18 with Jersey Shore. Devin played well at second base but now also shows his athleticism as an outfielder where his speed is more of a factor. He’s had his struggles this summer offensively at the High A level but was coming on strong in May when a batted ball unfortunately hit him in the groin area and required a surgical procedure. Devin hit 17 home runs last season at Clearwater and has seven to date this year - the bat speed is his calling card which enables him to hit some very long taters - chalk this year up to learning experience including now moving back to center field, the kid can play, don’t give up on him just yet.

Twenty year old Dante Nori, (2024 1st round draft selection), has quietly has had a very solid first full season as a pro. He’s coming off a great month of July (.324/.446/.541 slash line, .987 OPS in 21 games) and has 16 doubles, 11 triples and 36 stolen bases in 107 games (492 PA’s) with a .265 batting average and .364 OBP.  Dante has a .995 fielding percentage as a center fielder - he reminds me a great deal of former Phillie legend Lenny Dykstra in build, speed, hustle, love of the game and approach but has a much better arm than Lenny did. He’s also got a much better head on his shoulders and a work ethic that’s outstanding. He’s been at the top of the order for Clearwater most of the year and is certainly ready for a promotion - with the Threshers likely going to the playoffs perhaps the plan is for him to finish the season as part of a possible Florida State League championship run. Either way the young fella has a bright future ahead of him.

Under the Radar Progress  :

A shout out to three players who’ve had productive seasons of development that may have gone relatively unnoticed - not by the Hawkeyes who watch the PD process religiously like myself but perhaps by others.

At Clearwater Raider Tello has put up solid numbers (.279 BA and .340 OBP in 341 plate appearances with 15 doubles, 7 home runs and 44 RBIs). He was signed as a non-drafted free agent on 7/23/24 from the University of Iowa and has proven himself to be a valuable utility player (has played all four infield spots plus RF) who’s team spirit has been exemplary.  A very good first full season for him thus far.

C/1B Kehden Hettiger (21 years old) doesn’t have standout numbers at Jersey Shore but he’s made big strides in his second full season of pro ball.  Drafted in the 11th round of the 2023 draft from Sierra Canyon HS in Chatsworth, CA Kehden has shown marked improvement in his defense as a catcher. Last season one scout remarked that he looked “uncomfortable” behind the dish and questioned whether he could stick there, this year Kehden’s shown more leadership as a catcher along with improving his caught stealing rate (he’s thrown out 25 percent of base stealers this summer with Jersey Shore  as compared to 14 percent last year at Clearwater). Kehden also continues to get reps at first base when he’s not catching. As a left handed hitter only now (originally was a switch hitter) he continues to show patience at the plate with 47 walks in 347 PA’s along with the power potential (8 HR’s & 44 RBIs) that intrigued the team to initially sign him. Kehden didn’t have a lot of reps behind the dish prior to pro ball and the progress he’s shown this year is encouraging - a lefty hitting catcher with pop can have a long career - I’m happy for the 21 year old as I’m sure are multiple PD folks for his progression.

Avery Owusu-Asiedu (22 years old) had quite a struggle last season in Clearwater offensively and punched out 129 times in 357 plate appearances however there were glimpses on what the 2023 9th round draft selection from Southern Illinois-Edwardsville might become. He’s a big fella at 6’4” 230 yet has great speed and is a very good defensive outfielder. There was also signs of big time power on balls he squared and launched into the sky.  This spring he came back determined to show his capabilities and had a very solid camp - he returned to Clearwater to open the season but earned a promotion to Jersey Shore on 6/24 where he’s put up productive numbers (8 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR’s, 18 RBIs and 12 stolen bases) and had a very strong month of July with a .313 batting average and .395 OBP in 19 games (67 AB’s) earning himself a regular spot in the middle of the lineup.  Avery has swiped 28 bases this summer (16 with Clearwater) as the speed hasn’t waned even though he’s grown more strength wise into his frame. He’s a very pleasant young man and I’m very happy for his progression this summer, he’s one to keep an eye on as he continues to climb the ladder.

Reading Bats and the Art of the Steal :

The Reading offense leads the Eastern League in batting average, runs, hits, doubles, RBIs, stolen bases, slugging percentage and OPS and is second in OBP for the month of August. It’s helped propel the team into the top five of the league in most offensive categories for the season. The club is 9-9 for the month thus far with 12 of the 18 August games having been played on the road (naysayers can’t use the tired old statement in this case about Reading’s home field being a reason for the numbers 🤪).

It’s good to see hitters on the upswing statistically in the last full month of play (season ends on September 14th). While Felix Reyes has been a hot hitter the entire summer (.324/.357/.563 & .908 OPS in 308 plate appearances and he’s hitting .364 in 77 August AB’s) others have joined in to put up really good August numbers - Aidan Miller (.338 BA and .425 OBP in 68 AB’s with 10 SB’s), Caleb Ricketts (.351 BA and .383 OBP in 57 AB’s), Nick Dunn (.298 BA and .443 OBP in 47 AB’s with 4 HR’s),

Leandro Pineda (.292 BA and .414 OBP in 48 AB’s) and Dylan Campbell (.288 BA and .390 OBP in 66 AB’s with 8 stolen bases).

The art of the steal has been more heavily incorporated this month  into the Reading offense - in August they’ve swiped 44 bases which is far and away the highest monthly total (one with 10 games left to play) in their year’s balance of 147. Thirteen of Carson DeMartini’s season total of 26 stolen bases with Reading have come in August while ten of league leader’s Aidan Miller 47 swipes have been August thefts and eight of Dylan Campbell’s season tally of 13 steals with Reading have been in this month. There’s obviously been a conscious decision to incorporate the run into the offense (Eagle’s fans would love it 😂). It’s certainly worked and has perked up the offense positively - good stuff!

Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️

Justin Crawford and Johan Rojas - photo by Cheryl Pursell

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