@BimboColesHair, We may actually never see Colon pitch again for the Indians since he has been suspended for a full season. I wouldn't even worry about updated his stats cause of the suspension. Who is your surprises in good ways and surprises in bad ways for the minors this season so far for you? You get a chance to actually watch a fair amount of these guys.
I'll take him out next round of updates.
Good surprises...
Hitters:
Bobby Bradley - change in swing mechanics has him on pace for a sub 20% K rate, which is an incredible step in the right direction. Figured he'd still K in the high 20s, especially beginning to see guys with MLB experience in AA. Hasn't come at the expense of his power too, which is even better.
Willi Castro - another guy who tinkered with his mechanics. Always touted for his speed and defense, finally is putting it together at the plate. Career best numbers all over the place for him, and he's doing that as 19/20 year old switch hitter in a league that is usually tough on offense.
Li-Jen Chu - forgotten guy from the Bradley/Chang AZL championship team, recovered from TJ and has finally stayed healthy. Will play as many games this season as he did in his 1st 3 pro seasons combined. Not sure he sticks at C, but love his approach at the plate and his simple swing.
Eric Haase - he's not much of a prospect IMO, but you have to give him credit for staying toe-to-toe with Mejia in both OPS and wRC+, considering how ridiculous Mejia has been to this point. Best C platoon in minor league baseball, by far.
Conner Capel - people will look at his slash and say why, but I look at it as a 19/20 year old kid touted as a speed tool prospect who skipped short season A ball and went straight to full A ball and is hitting for more power than I ever expected from him. Still has some ironing out to do with his swing (not a fan of his leg raise), so hopefully we see some of his contact stats improve as that improves.
Pitchers:
Thomas Pannone - like Mejia last year, when you are dominating a league and then move up a level in the middle of that stretch, its usually hard to continue that performance. Guy hasn't really missed a beat in AA. Uptick in velocity, smoother mechanics, and an improved change-up have been huge for him end of last year and this year. He's a legit prospect now, after being on the fringe last year.
Shane Bieber - was touted as a command and control pitcher, and he has been all that and then some to this point. But I'm not sure anyone expected him to K this many hitters as a pro. Fastball is up this year, no longer touches the high 80s frequently, mostly sits low 90s all game. Will be interesting to see how he progresses moving forward, and how he separates himself from Adam Plutko's developmental arc, considering they look like the same guy.
Dalbert Siri - he's an enigma, but his stuff is incredible when he hits the zone, and his K numbers reflect that (16 K/9 is absurd, regardless of the league). Sits mid 90s, touches upper 90s, and has the best slider on the farm this season IMO...but he also has moments where he has no idea where the ball is going. We traded our 2 highest ceiling relievers last year, but I think we have found some good potential replacements in the lower levels this year, between Siri, Ryder Ryan, Argenis Angulo, and Leandro Linares.
Bad surprises...
Hitters:
Tyler Krieger - he just hasn't looked right at all this year. Maybe playing in the WBC threw him off a bit, but he just isn't making good contact all that often. K rate is down, which means he's making more contact, but he's not hitting many balls hard, at least in games I've seen.
Nellie Rodriguez - went from a pitchers park in AA to one of the most hitter friendly parks in the world. Timing was right for him to put up a monster year, power wise. Guy has struck out in 42% of his ABs to this point, and his slugging % is 150 points lower than last year. Nothing more than that needs to be said.
Todd Isaacs - was expecting a big year from him...still is too all or nothing with his swing, which is a shame because with Allen hurt right now, he's without a doubt the fastest guy on the farm...just can't use it cause he doesn't get on base enough. Has multiple tools to salivate over, but he needs work on his approach...hopefully getting exposed for a full year forces that on him this winter.
Gio Urshela - hate to say it, since I loved him as a prospect a few years ago, but his inability to fix his swing and the sudden vanishing of his power has me hoping we move him at the deadline, or at least moving on from him and opening up a 40 man spot this upcoming winter/spring.
Pitchers:
Micah Miniard - guy with that kind of stuff shouldn't be striking out 4 batters a game and getting lit up for 5+ runs every night. Was expecting big things from him this year after his success last year, and improvements he made in his stuff. Guys with mid 90s fastballs and a good off speed offering usually breeze through the Midwest League, but he's laboring through right now. Already at a career high in IP, so it will be curious to see how he handles the 2nd half.
Brady Aiken - really, I could just list all of the current Lake County starters in here if I wanted. Between Aiken, Miniard, and Hillman (though he's getting closer IMO), its been a disappointing year, and the biggest reason why Lake County is the worst team on the farm right now. Sitting in the upper 80s, rarely touching the 90s, mechanics look all out of whack, arm slot looks off, off speed stuff is flat, and he misses the zone by feet every once in a while...yes, FEET. Not quite sure what is going on, but hopefully he is just one of those guys who takes a bit longer to recover from TJ than most.
Adam Plutko - BB rate has all of a sudden doubled, K rate is falling, velocity is down a bit, change-up no longer looks like a plus pitch, and his mechanics no longer look as smooth as they once were. Last year he tried to add a bit more velocity and a breaking pitch into his primary offerings, but I think that has cost him a bit, as far as his standing as a prospect goes. I'd move quite a few guys in AA and A+ ball who were behind him to start the season ahead of him now.
