'Stros Before Pro's

5th Update

2007-07-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

Brad James #32 RHP
Drafted in the 29th round of the '04 draft, Brad James has been a pleasant surprise. Not known for his velocity, James is a fantastic groundball pitcher. His arsenal is primarily sinker/slider and has been clocked up to 92 mph. So far James is looking like a steal. He started the year off at Salem and had sparkling numbers. An era under 2, 9 wins, and only 5 hr's allowed in 95 innings. His play awarded him a promotion to Corpus Christi, 2 out of his 3 starts have been good. He's gone at least 6 innings in each start, while allowing just 1 run in two of those starts. His groundball style should be good in Minute Maid. If he keeps up his play, he'll get his chance. I see him at triple-A next year, meaning he could make spot starts like Albers or they could keep him at Round Rock until '09.
Last game, August 11: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER
August 5: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K's
July 29: 7 IP, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K's

Samuel Gervacio #19 Closer
Quite possibly the Astros closer of the future, Samuel Gervacio has stood out as one of the best bullpen arms in the system. Gervacio at times can be dominating. He has a good fastball and great breaking ball he can snap off. He can strikeout people with either pitch. The Dominican product has an outstanding K/IP ratio with 76 strikeouts in just 52 IP. The only problem is consistency. If he's going to be a closer, he'll have lower that era because the majors is very unforgiving. The good thing is he strikes a whole lot of people out. He could be a surprise next year if we're in need of bullpen arms but '09 seems more realistic.
(Promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi)
Last game, August 15: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's
August 12: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 K's
August 10: (L 1-1) .2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB
August 8: (W 1-0) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, BB, 3 K's
August 5: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Koby Clemens #22 3B
Koby is trying to make a name for himself but has lacked the numbers so far in the minors. The 8th round draft pick out of Memorial High School has been mediocre so far. He has shown plus power at times but his average has been lacking. Currently he is hitting .261, not bad, but not good either. The good thing is that .261 is an improvement from 2006 where he hit .229. He is improving, homeruns, doubles, avg., obp, slg., and ops. have all gone up. You can never give up on this kid, winning is in his blood. If he has just half of the work ethic his father has then he'll be just fine. ETA - 2010
Last game, August 17: 0-2, 2 BB, 1 K
August 15: 0-3
August 13: 0-4, 2 K's
August 12: 1-4, 2B, run
August 11: 0-3, run, BB

4th Prospect Update - Eli Iorg, Sergio Perez, J.R. Towles

2007-07-22T01:37:00.000-07:00

Eli Iorg #9 RF
The 24-year-old has always been physically gifted. The Astros scouting director described him as a five-tool player Standing tall at 6'3" and 200 lbs., the former Tennessee Vol' has compiled good power numbers in the farm system. The 1st round supplemental pick hit 15 hr's and 32 doubles at Lexington A ball and has performed even better at Salem. He has improved his average to .296 as compared to .256 at Lexington. Iorg's strikeout rate on average has been one per game, he needs to improve that. Unfortunately, Iorg has been struck with some bad luck. He's out for the season with a torn ligament in his elbow. Despite the injury and his age, 24, I still see him in an Astros uniform by 2009. His last 4 games before the injury, 5-9, hr, triple,2 bb, 5 rbi.
Last Game, May 26: Out for season, tore ligament in elbow

Sergio Perez #22 RHP
Perez was the Astros 2nd-round pick, and 67th overall. In his first year at Lexington he struckout 21 in 16.1 innings. He was mainly used as a reliever at Lexington but this year at Salem, advanced A ball, he has gotten his fair share of starts.He's got a decent era. at 3.72 but in his last 10 games he's been at 2.62. He has a fastball that sits in the mid 90's and tops out at 97. He complements that with a hard slider and his somewhat violent windup has been compared to Orioles closer, Chris Ray's. There are questions with his durability so he might have a future as a reliever rather than a starter. His live arm will eventually find its way into an Astros uniform. Think Sergio Perez in '09!
Last Game, August 14: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K's
August 9: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's
August 3: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO's
July 29: 6 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO's
July 19: 5.2 ip, 3 er, 2 bb, 4 so's

J.R. Towles #21 C
Despite being a 20th round pick in 2004, J.R. Towles has established himself as one of the best Astros hitters and the best defensive catcher. He's hitting a solid .323 at double-A Corpus with some pop, 9 hrs and 9 doubles in 48 games. He's the best Astros catching prospect since John Buck. A lot of scouts say he will amount to nothing more than a backup catcher but they don't know the type of work ethic this guy has. After the '05 season Towles improved his game by adding 15 more lbs. of muscle and changing his stance. The following season he hit a sparkling .317. Not only that, but his strikeout rate has dropped every year. He's a class-act and a consummate professional. How can you not root for this guy? Expect him to get an invite to spring training next year. If he plays well he might earn a starting spot, since the Astros are in desperate need of a major-league-ready catcher. Many believe he is not ready yet, neither do i, but if the Astros don't sign or trade for a young catcher then he might be the only good option. ETA: 2009-10
Last game, August 16: 1-2, run BB, sb
August 15: 0-3, BB
August 13: 1-3, single, BB, run
August 11: 1-4, single
August 10: 1-4, single, run

'Stros Before Pro's 3rd Update

2007-07-16T01:05:00.000-07:00

Jordan Parraz #8 OF
The, 6'3", 220 lb. outfielder has had a slow start to his career. The 3rd round, 2004 draftee has seen others in his draft class move through the system. Hunter Pence, Troy Patton, Mitch Einertson, Ben Zobrist, and others have surpassed him. Parraz signed as a 19-year-old out of community college. His play was mediocre for the first 2 years at (R) Greeneville and short season Tri-City. His third year, 2006, in the minors and second with Tri-city proved to be his best one. Parraz filled up the stat sheet with 26 XBH, 23 steals, 33 walks, and a sparkling .336 avg. in 70 games. There was also much improvement in his glove. This season with the Lexington Legends, Jordan has done pretty good. He leads the team in rbi's and hr's but i don't like seeing that avg. at 267., especially when he was at .336 last year. He'll eventually be a spot start guy or be traded. I'm thinking Jason Lane on this one, prove me wrong Jordan. ETA: 2009-10
Last Game, August 17: 1-3, 2B, k
August 15: 2-5, 2 R, rbi, k
August 14: 0-5
August 13: 0-1
August 12: 1-4, 2B, rbi

Video from a fan, I like the very little motion and effort he puts into his swing.

Devon Torrence #39 CF
This is one of the more interesting stories within the Astros system. Torrence was drafted out of high school by the Astros in the 16th round. The interesting tidbit is that he's committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes to play cornerback or safety. So who did he choose? Both. The Astros have a deal set in place where he will be able to play football in the fall and Astros baseball in the spring. The thing I don't like is Torrence has stated football will come first. There is a big risk for injury but Purpura believes he is worth the risk. He's a switch hitting centerfielder with projectable power and plus speed. Torrence is an upper echelon athlete. Since he's got his mind on his football career right now, I'm not sure if he'll ever end up in the big leagues. The positive aspect of this is usually two sport football athletes tend to choose the other sport to lessen the possibility of injury. ETA: ???? Who knows? but I'll take a stab at 2011 since his decision should be made by this year.
(Has not played since August 1st, he is getting ready for football at Ohio State U., placed on inactive list)
Last Game, August 1: 1-4, single
July 31: 2-3, rbi, BB (picked off once)
July 30: 0-4, 4 so
July 29: 0-2, so
July 26: 0-4, 4 so's

Felipe Paulino #55 RHP
The fireballer has spent his career in search of another pitch. The right-hander consistently throws his fastball in the upper 90's and has even been clocked at over 100 mph. He's a 23-year-old at double-A but there's still much hope. Paulino's curveball has much potential but control problems have hampered him. Though 23, He only had 130 innings of work before he was signed by the Astros out of Venezuela in 2001. There's no durability issue, the only question is whether he can add a breaking pitch to complement his already plus fastball.
ETA: 2008 if he finds the 2nd pitch, Never if he doesn't.
Last Game, August 15:(W) 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 k's (starts like this will get him promoted sooner than later)
August 9: 6 IP, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K's
August 3: (W) 7 IP, 4 ER, 6 BB, 6 SO's
July 28: 7 IP, 1 ER, 7 SO's, 5 BB
July 22: 7 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO

'Stros Before Pro's 2nd Edition

2007-07-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

If you have any prospects you would like me to add, leave me a comment or e-mail me at SJOVTG@hotmail.com.

Joshua Flores #17 CF
The speedy centerfielder is a force to be reckoned with on the basepads. At just 21 years of age, Flores is already the fastest prospect in our farm system next to Josh Anderson. While also displaying some pop with 5 homeruns and 16 doubles. Possibly the Astros future leadoff man, Flores was wreaking havoc at Advanced-A Salem, he was second in the league in avg. at .325, 3rd in stolen bases with 25, and ranks top 10 in slugging, obp., and ops. This warranted a promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi. In 15 games with the Hooks his avg. has been sub-par but give him time to to adjust. On the bright side, he has attempted five steals and hasn't been caught. Look for his avg. to rise from the disappointing 161. it is at now. I wouldn't be surprised in the future to see Hunter Pence move to one of the corner outfields to make room for this Astros 2005 4th round draft pick. With a plethora of outfielders already, I don't see Flores seeing the majors until 2009, barring any trade.
Last game, August 17: 0-2, BB
August 16: 1-3, 2B, sb
August 15: 2-3, run, BB, 2 sb's
August 12: 1-4, 2B
August 11: 3-5, 2 runs

James Van Ostrand #25 OF
The Lexington Legends are lucky to have this Canadian born outfielder on their side. With this SAL team underachieving, Van Ostrand has been one of the very few that have found consistency at the plate. His .303 avg. is the best on the team and has proven that his bat is the most effective and efficient in the lineup. His performance warranted him a place with the best prospects in baseball at the Futures Game. James did not disappoint. Despite being the lowest player drafted among any player on either roster, Van Ostrand managed to hit a homerun with his only AB. He obviously has pop in his bat, the only question is if he can mature and maintain that power. Possibly another talented outfielder for the Houston Astros. The Canadian still has a long way to go, so it's hard to tell when he might put on a 'Stros Uniform. I think a 2010 call up or a trade is the most probable scenario since the Astros already have a number of outfielders.
Last Game, August 17: 1-2, HR, run, rbi, 2 BB
August 15: 1-4, 2B, run
August 14: 0-2, run, 3 BB, k
August 13: 0-3, BB, k
August 11: 0-4. 3 k

Maxwell Sapp #23 C
The big 6'2", 220 lbs. catching prospect out of high school may have the most power potential out of any Astros prospect in the system. He's displayed this talent since he was a kid. When he was 12-years-old he hit 18 homeruns...in one week! As a 13-year-old little leaguer, he hit 41 homeruns in one season. Unreal. Perfect Game had Sapp ranked #3 best raw power hitter and #1 arm defensively before the '06 Draft. Houston's 1st round investment has yet to hit a homerun this season but give the teenager sometime. He's shown the ability to get hot, one stint in may had him improve his avg. from .260 to over .300 in less than a week. At only 19 he has much more time to grow, refine, and perfect his game. Sapp is a rare commodity, being a catcher with a power bat from the left side. Don't expect to see him anytime soon though, his numbers show he has much room for improvement. The Astros will take their time with this one. I'm not worried though, the man has been hitting tape measure shots all his life. ETA - 2010 or '11
Last Game, August 13: 0-2
August 12: 0-3, BB, k
August 11: 1-4, k
August 9: 0-2, run, BB, 2 k's
August 8: 0-4, BB

'Stros Before Pro's 1st Edition

2007-07-12T23:04:00.001-07:00

Troy Patton #19 LHP
Troy Patton, recently promoted to Triple-A Round Rock, had a fantastic first start. The talented lefty allowed just 4 hits in 7 innings of work, most outs came on the ground or in the air. The Astros' best pitching prospect had command of the strikezone, throwing 53 of the 78 pitches for strikes. Though Patton struckout just two Omaha Royals, he has shown strikeout potential in the past. His arsenal consists of a fastball that can reach 94-95 with good tailing action, changeup, slider, and a curveball that has good bite to it (when he's got good command). In the video below, he states that control of the curve is one of his weaknesses. He may be a September call-up but if the Astros aren't in the race don't expect him on the roster until 2008. You never know though, Purpura may be gone before this season is over and the next GM may think Patton is ready for the show.
Recently Added to Minor League News Fab50, ranking the 50 best prospects in the minors
Last Game, August 14: 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 k's
August 8: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's (Dominated, Scattered 3 singles)
August 2: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO
July 28: 5 IP, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO's
July 21: 7 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 SO (1 unearned run)

Patton answering questions about promotion and future expectations

Mitch Einertson #10 OF
This 21-year-old native of Oceanside, California has been tearing up Carolina League pitching. The starting outfielder for the Salem Avalanche won player of the month in May, compiling an average of .400 in that stint, and has been hot ever since. This versatile 5th round pick out of high school is tied for the league lead with 59 RBI's and also ranks top ten in avg. (.305), slg. (.488), total bases (125), ops. (.855), and two-baggers with 25. Slowly, as he matures those doubles will turn into homeruns. Expect a promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi relatively soon.
Last Game, August 17: 0-4, k
August 15: (2nd game) 2-5, 2 singles, 2 rbi, 2 k's
August 15: 0-4, rbi, k
August 14: 0-4
August 13: 0-4, 2 k's

Brian Bogusevic # LHP
The former first round draft pick out of Tulane has had a tough road so far. He's been hampered by injuries the past 2 seasons. When he's played his play has been up and down. Though he can give up hit parades, he has shown progress by throwing gems. His arsenal consists of a fastball that ranges between 89-93, changeup, and slider which is his out pitch. If he doesn't work out as a starting pitcher, he may end up in the bullpen or outfield. Bogusevic was projected to be a pitcher or an outfielder before the '05 draft. Some teams liked him for his bat, the Astros liked his arm. His stuff needs to improve because he was very hittable at Salem, giving up 133 hits in 114.1 IP. Despite the stats, he has proven he can dominate games. Some games at Salem were so impressive that it garnered him a promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi. His pitches can be successful in the major league, there are just tweaks he has to make.
Last game, August 16: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K's
August 10: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's
August 4: .2 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 k

Old School Bogus' video. Not really important to his pitching, but just shows his pure athletic ability.