Count Logan Moore In As A Phillies Catcher of the Future Top Prospect

It was a warm Sunday afternoon at Brighthouse Field.  It was a Sunday afternoon that you seek out the seats under the shade of the overhang and sit back for a nice afternoon of Florida State League baseball.   Especially after Baseball Betsy and I spent the last two frustrating evenings over in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field watching the Clearwater Thresher lose two games in extra innings to the Tampa Yankees.  That ballpark is only twenty miles from where we reside but it was two frustrating late nights of driving back over the Causeway after the games.  But Sunday afternoon was to be different and one of the reasons why was the play of Threshers catcher Logan Moore.

Moore was the Phillies ninth round pick in the 2011 draft.  He is developing into the best defensive catcher in the Phillies system.  With 34 year old  Carlos Ruiz going down on Sunday with a strained hamstring in the Reds game after only recently coming off of his 25 game drug related suspension to start the season, General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. might have no choice but to quickly develop new catching prospects for the Phillies.   Especially since Ruiz is in the final year of his contract and backup catcher Erik Kratz will turn 33 years old on June 15th.  The top three young catchers who have been mention as potential major league prospects,  Tommy Joseph at AAA, and Sebastian Valle and Cameron Rupp at AA have struggle both offensively and defensively behind the plate this season.

Joseph is on the disabled list  suffering from a concussion and is hitting only .209 for Lehigh Valley.  Defensively he has been charged with nine passed balls so far this season.  He has thrown out only 22% of the runners who have attempted to steal on him.   Valle has hit only .211 with five passed balls and is throwing out runners at only a 19% rate.  He is sharing time behind the plate with Rupp who is hitting just .216.  He has only one passed ball and a slightly better 26% rate in throwing runners out stealing with Reading this season.

These disappointing numbers have given Logan Moore a great opportunity to move up the Phillies catching prospect ladder quickly.  He has only 3 passed balls and has thrown out 43% of stolen base attempts as the No. 1 catcher for the Threshers this season.  What is truly amazing in addition to Moore’s throwing arm is his bat.  He is hitting only .171 in 105 at bats this season but is hitting .324 ( 11 for 34 with 13 RBIs) with runners in scoring position.  He is hitting only .074 (4 for 54) with the bases empty.   A 250 point difference after at least 100 at bats  between a batting average of a player with the bases empty compared with his average with runners in scoring position is rare, if it has every happened, in the history of baseball statistics.

In Sunday’s Threshers game Moore was true to form as he came to bat in the second inning with runners on first and second with no score in the game.  And of course with a runner in scoring position he drove a single to right which rolled under the right fielders glove.  Two runs scored on the fielding error in right and Moore wound up at third.  He would then score the third run in the inning on a wild pitch to the next batter.  That run turned out to be the game winner in the Threshers 6-2 victory over the Yankees.

Most teams want a catcher who is know as a defensive specialist first and a hitter second.  He must be able to call a game for the pitching staff and be able to communicate with them.  Usually a 30% caught stealing rate is considered good.  Moore’s 43% caught stealing is excellent.  He showed off his arm when he gunned down a base stealer by throwing a strike to Carlos Alonso at second in the game.  The Threshers’ staff earned run average is 3.99 by far the best of the four Phillies minor league teams this season.   This shows reflects Moore’s ability to handle the staff and his good catcher’s ERA.

Moore seems to be able to communicate well with his pitchers.  When he went to the mound in Sunday’s game to confer with  rookie middle reliever Severino Gonzalez, Maikel Franco from third and Harold Martinez from first did hustle in if the need for Spanish translation arose.   The young 20 year old Panamanian pitched three shut out innings giving up only two hits and struck out three with Moore flashing the signs.

With the two Phillies major league catchers in their early to mid 30′s and the three young prospect catchers struggling at AAA and AA, the opportunity to become the catcher of the future for the major league team for a true “catch and throw” receiver like Logan Moore is there for the taking.  Especially a left-handed hitting, 22 year old catcher who can hit over .300 with runners in scoring position such as we have seen this season in Logan Moore with the Clearwater Threshers.

I Like How They Play The Game: Phillies Prospects Franco, Alonso and Logan

I always like to blog about what I see.  And last night I saw the game played the way it should.  The problem was I had just hours before blogged about the three guys that stood out in different ways  in last night’s Clearwater Threshers 6-3 win over the Bradenton Marauders of the Pirates system.  So here it goes another blog about Carlos Alonso, Maikel Franco and Logan Moore.

Again Clearwater’s first run was scored by Carlos Alonso.  After getting hit by a pitch with two outs, he steals second and scores on a base hit by Aaron Altherr.  It was his 31st run scored this season to remain second in the Florida State League in the important “Moneyball” statistic of runs scored.  Carlos scored the first run in the game the day before on a lead off home run in the bottom of the first.  He made good things happen in the field too when he laid out last night to glove a ball going to his left at second  to throw out the runner at first.  I like how Alonso plays the game.

Next up again was Maikel Franco.   This time it was his second two home run game of the season.  Last time one of his home run shots hit off the right side of the TiKi bar roof in left.  Last night he hit his second homer of the game  over the Threshers’ bullpen in left.   The ball hit the blacktop walkway in front of the little Tiki bar shack just to the right and back of the big bar.   Earlier in the game he gave the Threshers the lead with a two run shot on to the berm in right center.   Franco is now second in home runs, RBIs and total  bases in the Florida State League.  Also in the game he made a great bare-handed pickup and throw on a perfectly placed bunt down the third base line only to just miss getting the runner at first.  I like how Franco plays the game.

In our last blog we wrote about the strong arm of catcher Logan Moore this season.  And all he needs to do is get his average up to be a top catching prospect.  In the last two games the Marauders did not even try to steal a base on him.  But it was with his bat that Moore came up big last night.  With two outs in the sixth inning he lined a frozen rope line drive base hit to right for a RBI  single.  If Moore can continue to level off and barrel the ball like he did on that hit he will be one of the top catching prospects in minor league baseball.  I like how Moore plays the game.

Its nice to see that what you blog about is proven correct only hours later on the field.  Alonso, Franco and Moore proved me right because they know how to play the game.

Phillies Prospects Logan Moore, Maikel Franco and Carlos Alonso Having Breakout Seasons In The Field

Ever since Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said that pitching and defense wins World Championships,  I began paying extra attention to fielding stats in addition to the always important pitching numbers.  The Baseball Reference website is a great resource for defensive numbers.  But I still like to put a pair of eyes on the players as well.

This baseball season has been extra special for Baseball Betsy and me to watch three exceptional defensive players for the Clearwater Threshers: Catcher Logan Moore, third baseman Maikel Franco and second baseman Carlos Alonso.   Moore has thrown out 47% of stolen base attempts and Franco and Alonso have yet to commit an error in the field.

Moore has an amazing release.  He is like a quarterback with a rifle arm. He simply cocks his arm and snaps it off and the ball is always there, straight as an arrow on the right side of the second base bag to get the runner many times.   I was told that a catcher who throws out 30% of the runners is considered good.  If this is the case Moore is at the top of the class, throwing out 16 of 34 stolen base attempts for 47% this season.  He has only two errors for a .992 fielding percent.  He has an excellent chance to be a major league “catch and throw” receiver.  His left–handed bat is the problem though hitting  under .200 all season and is currently has the next to lowest batting average of all qualified Florida State League hitters.

Third base has been call the hot corner.  For Maikel Franco to have yet to commit an error this season at third base is amazing.   At Lakewood last season he committed 16 errors for the full season for a .944 fielding percent. He has a strong accurate arm and soft hands that allows him to field the slow rollers to third and make the accurate barehanded throw.  I have seen him make the strong throw to get the runner from deep behind third base.  He knows he has a strong arm which allows him many times to make the pick up and then calmly straighten up and throw a bullet to first to get the runner.   With his bat he has been hitting close to .300 this season and has been a leader in home runs and RBIs.  He is tied with Cameron Perkins in the FSL in doubles with 16.

We have been chronicling Carlos Alonso’s play at second base in previous blogs.  So far this season he has been error free, turning the double plays and he has a 5.06 range factor which is putouts and assists divided by chances.   In addition to his fielding at second base Carlos had another lead off home run yesterday.   This time as a DH.  Ironically, the guy who took his place at second committed an error in the game.   Alonso is second in the league in runs scored and  hitting over .300 out of the lead off spot.  He is fifth in the league in on base percent.  What more can he do to prove he is the All Star FSL second baseman this season.

If defense wins world championship the Phillies have three players with the Clearwater Threshers this season who fit the bill.  Logan Moore, Maikel Franco and Carlos Alonso are three players who could play key roles in the future if the Phillies are to return to a World Championship  caliber team.

Cameron Perkins Is The Surprise Position Player In the Phillies System With One-Quarter of the Minor League Season In the Books

For the month of May, Cameron Perkins has been the hottest hitter in the minor leagues.  So far this month he is hitting .419 going 18 for 46 with six doubles, a triple and a home run for the Clearwater Threshers.   In last night’s game he showed why even when he does not square up the pitches he still gets base hits.  Perkins went three for four on an infield chop to third, a broken bat looper to right and a bunt single down the third base line.  Not exactly scalding the ball but all base hits none the less.

Perkins has a unique ability to put the ball in play on a consistent basis.  He leads the Florida State League in hits and is second in hitting at .373 after the first quarter of the season which has just ended.   He rarely strikes out and hits the ball usually on the line to all fields in the games I have seen him play.

It really was not to be like this for Perkins.  In the minor league camp back in March he was listed on the working group four list.  These players were being ticketed to start the season at Low A Lakewood. But in a late spring training game the scheduled Clearwater Thresher right-fielder Kelly Dugan injured his back and Perkins was able to work his way on to the Threshers’ opening day roster.

The problem is now where to play Perkins now that Dugan has returned to the lineup.  Dugan hit one of the longest home runs this season at Brighthouse in last night’s game.  He took a 2-0 fastball and lined it right over all three fences in right center and on out of the park for his second home run of the season.  Kelly has played a strong defensive right field and has hit around .300 since returning from his back injury and certainly has put himself on the prospect outfield radar screen with his left-handed bat and strong arm.

Last year when I first saw Perkins play in the Gulf Coast League he was a corner infielder,  then once  he was moved to Williamsport he played the infield corners and right field.  He hit .304.  Now the Phillies minor league department has him playing in left field but his power numbers have improved and he leads the FSL with 16 doubles in only 35 games.    He has struggled a bit defensively in left but he had never played the position before.  He was a third baseman when the Phillies drafted him out of Purdue in last year’s draft.

Perkins just might be the right-handed hitting outfield bat the Phillies are looking for down the road at the major league level.  He is hitting left-handed pitching at a .421 clip so far this season.  I have no doubt he will be an excellent fielding left fielder once he gets more playing time there. Last night he showed his speed in picking up a stolen base in the 5-3 lost to the Bradenton Pirates.

Starter Hoby Milner pitched well enough to win in the game going five innings with seven strikeouts and giving up only three runs in a no decision for him. Wild late relief pitching cost the Threshers in the loss.  In the early going Hoby got a few pitches up in the zone and gave up a couple of back to back doubles to end his scoreless inning steak at 18.1 consecutive innings of shutout baseball.

It’s hard to believe but one-fourth of the minor league season is already in the books.  To me Cameron Perkins has had a breakout season and has been the position player surprise of the season so far in the Phillies system.

With both AA Reading and AAA Lehigh Valley playing under .500 baseball so far this season, I would not be surprised if roster shakeups take place in the near future.   Cameron Perkins certainly should be one to be considered for moving up quickly in the Phillies minor league chain.

How To Go 8-2 Over The Last Ten Games: The Threshers’ Alonso, Altherr, Perkins, Milner and Garcia Show How

Back ten games ago, the Clearwater Threshers were three games under .500.  They were a good club but seemingly not going any where in the Northern Division of the Florida State League.  Over the last ten games through Sunday, the Threshers won eight of ten games and currently have the best record during that time playing .800 baseball.  They are now three games over .500 and only two games out of first place.

It’s not hard to see why they have turned their season around.  They have a leadoff hitter getting on base and turning double plays at second base.  They are getting timely hitting from two outfielders.  They have a starter who has not given up any runs  in his last two starts and a closer with a 95 mph fast ball who is picking ups saves in the ninth.  A simple recipe for winning.

When second baseman Carlos Alonso was given the second base job on an every day basis and put in the lead off spot the Threshers took off.  In his last ten games he has hit .300, has an on base percent of .391 and scored ten runs.  Even more impressive has been his play in the field.  During a two game stretch during the streak he had an assist or putout in   14 straight innings and during this time and helped turn six double plays.  Carlos has been a magician at second base making several great catches on high pops to short right field as well.

Outfielder Aaron Altherr is one of the few five tools players in the Phillies system.  He showed why over his last ten games.  Aaron hit .297 with two home run, 12 RBIs and  two stolen bases.   He has been out of the lineup in the last two games after a collision with shortstop Jose Mojica, but his .622 slugging percent brought pop to the lineup during the streak.

What can we say about left fielder Cameron Perkins.  Though he was rested during one of the last ten games he has hit .385 with six doubles, a triple and a homer for a .667 slugging percent in his last ten.   Perkins is leading the FSL in hits with 50 and shows no signs of slowing up.   Perkins is still learning to play left field after starting the season in right field but with him, Altherr, Kelly Dugan and Kyrell Hudson in the outfield it is hard to get every one playing time.

The most impressive pitcher in the starting rotation has been lefty Hoby Milner who gets the start tonight.  In his last four starts he is 4-0 and has given up only two runs and three walks with 24 strike outs in 24 innings of work.  He has not given up a run over his last 16.2 innings.  Right now Hoby is the ace of the Threshers staff after struggling in his first three starts of the season.

Gabe Arias has joined the rotation after starting the season in the bullpen.  Arias now in his seventh season in the Phillis system has responded in winning his last two starts by going 14 innings giving up only two runs.  He has been a model of consistency this season and has one of the lowest ERAs in the high A minor leagues.

This 8-2 streak could not have been successful without a good ninth inning closer.  And Luis Garcia with his 95 mph fastball has been that man in close and late games.  In his last four outings he pitched seven shutout innings.  Luis has picked up three saves on only four hits and six strike outs during the last ten games.

So the Thresher have gone from an under .500 team in April to three games over .500 by mid May and only two games off the pace.  The formula they have been using is quite simple by studying the last ten games.  A lead off hitter who gets on base,  two hitters with pop in the middle of the lineup and good starting and relief pitching.   Let’s see if it will continue as Hoby Milner goes for his fifth win of the season tonight.

Maybe other teams should follow the Thresher’s formula!  It’s not all that complicated.

Saturday Morning Means Breakfast Then Baseball: Phillies Prospects Pullin, Cozens, Grullon and Martinez Made It All Worthwhile

It’s Saturday morning at the Complex but first a quick drive by for Breakfast on the way and then down Belcher to Old Coachman road to the Complex to see how the extended spring training guys are doing for the 10:00 am. start with the Blue Jays.  Baseball Betsy and I try to check up on them a couple times each week.  This morning some my favorites, second baseman Andrew Pullin, right fielder Dylan Cozens, catcher Dievy Grullon and center fielder Gustavo Martinez showed in an hour or so time while we were there why some day they will be playing in the major leagues.

Pullin was playing second against the Blue Jays top extended team on Ashburn Field.  He flawlessly pulled off two double plays in turning the 6-4-3 and tagging a runner going to second and throwing to first to get another double play.  As a 19 year old in his second year in the Phillies system, has made great progress at second after moving from the outfield.

Playing over on Roberts Field the left-handed hitting Cozens lined a double off a left-handed pitcher down the left field line and eventually moved around to score on a sacrifice fly.  The 18 year old slugger always seems to do something special when we watch him on Saturday mornings.  A couple of Satrudays ago he made that throw from right field on the fly to nab a runner attempting to score on a fly ball.

Also on Roberts Field Deivy Grullon showed why he will be a major league catcher someday.  A Carlos Ruiz in body type, he threw from his knees to almost nail a runner who strayed too far from first.  Though in his only at bat I saw, he grounded out to third.  Grullon usually squared up the ball and hit it hard in other games I have seen him play this spring.

Smallish centerfielder, 19 year old Gustavo Martinez is always worth watching for his speed and his contact hitting.  Earlier in the week it was reported that he took rehabbing New York Yankee pitcher Michael Pineda down the right field line for a double.  In this morning’s action against the Blue Jays he beat out an infield single to deep short.   Though we all thought he had second stolen he was called out by the umpire on the next play.

You never know who you might meet at an extended spring game.  On Thursday I stopped briefly at the Complex to watch the action and struck up a conversation with young Phillies Dominican pitching prospect 19 year old Feliberto Sanchez.  Needless to say his limited English was better than my non existent Spanish.  Feliberto injured his knee and was watching from a small stool next to me in his red shirt/blue shorts workout gear.   He offer me the empty stool next to his and I watched an inning or two with him.   He made sure we had a good line of sight to watch the game as he told a Phillies pitcher to move out of the way for us.  We had a good line of sight to the hitter and pitcher in the game  until two Phillies pitching coaches came by and he asked me if I knew who they were because he implied he could not asked them to move.  This morning Feliberto walked by and we gave each other a big hand shake.

Other than watching the two games that take place each extended spring date,  we also watch the walking wounded on disabled list who are all around the Paul Owens Training Center.  Pete Levin, Brody Colvin, Jiwan James, Chad Carman, Colin Kleven were just some of the rehabbers sitting around after treatment whom I recognized today.  Several of the Latin players were wearing arm braces from what looked like TJ surgery.  The buzz around the Complex was when will Roy Halladay make an appearance to rehab.   He has not even had his surgery and the fans wanted to know.

The other odd events were seeing a former Phillies player now with the Blue Jays extended camp and another rehabbing.  Catcher Matt Hitt was in the Phillies camp and now is playing for the Blue Jays extended spring training squad.  Last Saturday when I went over to the Englebert Training Complex to see the game, there was former Phillie pitcher Michael Schwimer leaving after what appeared to be just finishing up treatment for his arm injury.

Extended spring training games end on June 5th just before the first year draft after which will bring a new group of prospects  reporting to the Complex.  Once they are signed they will  join the guys here and get ready for the opening of the Williamsport season in the NY-Penn League on June 17th against the Pirates farmhands in State College Pa.  Down here in Clearwater we will get to see the Gulf Coast League lid lifter at high noon on Friday June 21 against the Blue Jays at the Complex.  Baseball Betsy and I just cannot wait!

Clearwater Threshers Second Baseman Carlos Alonso Puts On A Clinic On How To Play The Game

When was the last time you listened to a nine inning game or watched any game where the second baseman handled 13 putout or assist chances in the field and executed at least one of these chances in every inning? A catcher or first baseman yes, but a second baseman I can’t ever remember that happening. That’s what Carlos Alonso did with his five putouts and eight assists in the field in Wednesday night’s 5-4 Threshers win over the Palm Beach Cardinals in Jupiter Florida.

One of Alonso’s putouts on a pop fly behind second base out toward short right field was a spectacular catch as described by Ben Gellman, the Threshers play by play guy on the internet, and was a key in preserving the one run win.

Carlos Alonso may have started out as a utility infielder and backup left fielder this season but with injuries giving him a chance to play every day at second he has become the best second baseman in the Florida State League.  He has yet to commit an error in the field and is hitting .309.  His .412 on base percentage is fifth in the FSL.  Now hitting out of the lead off spot, he is tied in the league for second in runs scored with 25 in the 29 games he has played so far this season.

It is his play in the field though that must be catching the attention of the scouts who regularly frequent Section 111 at Brighthouse Field and the away fields where ever the Threshers play.  Carlos has simply been brilliant at second base especially turning the double play.  He is one of the reasons why that the Threshers defense leads the FSL in double plays and the team is now two games over .500 after a slow start.

In Wednesday night’s game Carlos was key in the four double plays over the first seven innings the Threshers racked up behind starter Perci Garner who upped his record to 3-0.  Perci had trouble getting the lead off hitters out in the game. But with a “strike um” out, “throw um” out double play, two “around the horn” DPs and a 4-6-3 DP, Garner was able to stay out of  just enough trouble to pitch seven strong innings giving up four runs, only two earned, and striking out six.  Closer Luis Garcia’s 95 MPH fastball in the eight and ninth innings and the defense of Carlos Alonso preserved the win and the four game sweep of the series with the Cardinals.

Alonso not only had a great four game series in the field in Roger Dean Stadium but went five for 17 with a double and homer with the bat.  He scored six runs total against the Cardinals.  In Wednesday’s game he scored the first and fourth Threshers runs set up by his single and double.  It’s amazing how a lead off hitter with a high on base percentage can jump start an offense.

Watching Carlos Alonso play the game of baseball is like watching someone put on a clinic on how it should be played.  I have played, watched and listened to a lot of forgettable baseball games over the years but this Wednesday night’s game in the Florida State League will be one I will not quickly forget.