Lakers Movers and Shakers

[ScottH]

Noah Hill letting people know he wants the shortstop job in Duluth!

Noah Hill (AAA) is a versatile, talented player who, in all probability, will make his PEBA debut this season. Making 41 appearances for Racine in 2031, Hill returns for more development but looks to be about ready to take over at shortstop for the Warriors. If Hill can show enough range to play shortstop and develop a little more offensive punch expect him to receive the call.
Also able to play third base and left field respectably, the 22 year old could move into any of those positions but with the other young players coming up right behind him, shortstop looks like the best place for Hill if acceptable defense can be played.

After 14 games, the Alberta native has 20 hits in 55 at bats with a double, triple, 2 homers and 11 runs scored.

Freddy Ortiz (AAA) can also play multiple positions (2B, 3B, SS), currently working at second base with Racine. Defense and getting on base will be his game and as a second baseman, he might be able to do those two things very well. If Hill and Ortiz work well together up the middle with Racine, look for them to advance together and form a dynamic combination for most of 2031.

After 14 games Ortiz is 13 for 58 with a double, a homer and a .362 OBP.

Sergio Rosas (AAA) has blitzed through the Duluth system since being selected in the third round of 2030. His quick advancement seems more for perceived ability than production on the field. As far as run, field and throw the 23-year-old Cuban can really stand out on the field of play. If he can find himself on base more than 35% of the time Rosas could be a nice addition to the Warrior outfield.

After 14 games, Rosas is 18-57 with 2 doubles and 3 home runs.

John Neville (AAA), yes that John Neville. He played in the Duluth system last year, combining AA and AAA stops to put together a nice 118.2 inning season, was released and re-signed as a minor league free agent. There is not much about Neville that says “call him up” but he is off to a nice start at Racine.

3 starts, 2 wins, 3.86 ERA, 18.2 innings, 21 strikeouts and 1 walk. Keep on chuckin’ John.

Twenty-six-year-old Roberto Valdez did not earn the first base job during the spring, but he is off to a fast start in Racine. After winning the USCBA COL Regional MVP with the Minnesota Lucky Rodents in 2027, Valdez was the 45th overall selection and went on to earn an SS-A All-Star selection that same year. Add to that a NAFTA A All-Star selection, Platinum Stick Award, and Outstanding Hitter Award in 2029, and a 2030 All-Star selection, Duluth moved quickly to pick up the 6’7” 235 pound Valdez when he was cut loose. After last year’s AA season, he won a Great Northern Cup with the Den Bosch Dykes.

Valdez currently has played 14 games in Racine and is 17-56 with 3 doubles and 3 homers. His first base play does need to improve if he wants to be something more than a left- handed bat off the bench.

Jim Fish has made three starts in Racine and is making a case for a quick call-up. Twenty-one innings, 13 hits given up, 18 strikeouts and no walks. An 0.62 Whip. Fish was basically banished to the bullpen in 2027 but is looking good as a starter. Hope we can avoid making a move early, but it is nice to have the 30-year-old performing well in AAA.

Young left-hander Hiroya Ishikawa is making a case to be a short reliever. The 23-year-old was claimed off waivers two months ago and dropped onto the Racine roster where he has 7.2 innings of brilliant work striking out 8, walking 1 and allowing no runs. Bullpen depth is important, and the undersized lefty appears to be a nice addition.

Jose Ramirez underwent surgery for a labrum issue and will not be available until after the All-Star break so his chance of battling for the third base job in Duluth is now looking more like 2032. Ramirez hit .409 in spring training after belting 55 home runs over the last two seasons of minor league ball. Ramirez was a 3-time college all-star with the Central Florida Wicked Witches and the 35th overall selection in the 2029 draft after winning the Platinum Stick Award that same season.

[ScottH]

1B: Roberto Valdez has 10 extra base hits and 13 rbi and 18 runs scored after 25 games in Racine. The big lefty is putting pressure on management to consider him for the Duluth spot currently filled by Krelis Knippschd.

SS: Noah Hill finished April at .305/.380/.484 in 25 starts and his defense at shortstop continues to improve. Hill might be ready to play third base at Duluth right now but there currently is not a need to move him from shortstop when the Warriors currently at those positions are playing well. If Perreault or Sharp fade before the All-Star break, Hill might be the guy that gets the call.

LF: Currently in a 10-game hitting streak, Patrick Woods now has a slash line of .383/.414/.596 after 23 starts.

At 27, Lucio Vasti attempts to add left field to his skill-set, but can this really work? Duluth signed the Italian free-agent as a first baseman but depth at that position has moved Vasti out onto the grass. Hitting is something Vasti can do (.298/.385/.596) and we will see if defensive flexibility is part of his game.

Scott Wiggins has been added to the Racine roster on a rehab assignment. The 15-year pro could possibly help at the PEBA level but it may not be in Duluth.

As far as AAA pitching goes Racine does not have "prospects" that will show up on people's radar. Two guys, Jong-Pil Song and Hiroya Ishikawa, might be worthy of mention for being under 26 and having a chance to pitch in Duluth some day. But the entire staff in Racine has done really well and should be there to help Duluth when the time comes.

Four Lakers have eaten up most of the innings, doing an outstanding job helping the first-place team to a 17-9 record. Jim Fish (2-1, 1.62, 33.1 IP), Martin Silva (3-3, 3.53, 35.2 IP), John Neville (2-0, 3.29, 27.1 IP), and Tadakuni Suzuki (3-0, 0.96, 28 IP) have a combined total of 115.2 PEBA innings on the mound. However, they also have 39 years of professional baseball under their collective belts giving the Racine starting staff a great deal of high-end experience. For Fish (13:1) and Neville (14:1), their strikeout-to-walk ratio has been the key to their success this season.

Lance Kinney has taken the fifth spot in the rotation and the Lakers have won both of his starts with Kinney allowing just 1 run over 13 innings in those starts. Kinney had two tries in PEBA earlier in his career but did not perform well enough to stick and recently spent two seasons at (AA) Medicine Hat, making 40 starts. At 32, time might be running out for the right hander.

Three left-handed relievers are interesting individuals that might find their way into the mix of pitchers at Duluth. Ishikawa has some PEBA experience with Yuma last year, it was not a good experience however (9.19 ERA over 96 innings). Strictly a bullpen arm with Racine, Ishikawa has 6 appearances covering 10 innings with 12 strikeouts and an 0.70 Whip while allowing only a solo home run. Ishikawa has some weapons from the left side and at 23 has time to improve. Carlos Medrano needs to figure things out with his 98 mph fastball and mediocre stuff. With starter stamina and short-reliever ability, Medrano does not have a clear track to Duluth and really needs to dominate in Racine. With just two solid pitches, Silvio Nederhof has a chance to make a PEBA roster if he accepts a role of short outings but many appearances. So far, it is working (6 appearances, 6.2 IP, 0 runs).

[DrewV]

I'm pleased to see that Hill's performing solidly and that his defense developed as expected.

[ScottH]

Three Racine Lakers have been named to the 2032 Global Baseball Brotherhood All-Star Game as the team holds a six game lead in the North with a 40-25 overall record.

Starting Pitcher Martin Silva has made 13 starts in 2032 and earned a nomination with a 4-5 record and an 0.87 Whip. The 28-year-old has never made a PEBA appearance but does stand to be next in line should anything happen to one of the Duluth starters. Silva signed a minor league deal with the organization in March after several seasons in ABSF.

Jong-pil Song made 24 relief appearances and allowed just one run while picking up 11 saves before making a move to the starting rotation going 7.2 innings in a 10-6 Lakers win. The South Korean has 102 career minor league wins since 2024 and looks hungry to make his PEBA debut in whatever role might come his way.

With the Lakers offense struggling, just one hitter has made this year's squad. Patrick Woods had a shot to win a Duluth outfield job last year but he can still handle the AAA pitching and provides plenty of power but he will have a difficult time finding his way back to the Warriors through a crowded outfield. With eight homers and 34 RBI, Woods continues to produce.

Lucio Vasti signed a minor league deal in the off-season, coming from Italy. He has aided the Lakers offense with 10 home runs so far this season while he works at both first base and in the outfield.

Lance Kinney has gone 4-2 in ten starts but does not look like an option for the Warriors.

The man to watch currently is waiver claim Hiroya Ishikawa. With four quality pitches the 23-year-old has four quality pitches and is able to baffle AAA hitters but after a 2031 season where he put up a 9.19 ERA at Yuma, half a season in Racine looks to be restoring some confidence in the undersized Japanese left-hander. After allowing one run in six relief outings, Ishikawa has won seven consecutive starts at Racine and overall has 59 strikeouts in 48.2 total innings. Good left-handers are hard to find so a call-up may not be far away.

Andres Holguin has moved up from AA Medicine Hat to pick up some innings after the promotions of Fish and Neville. Holguin made two starts for Duluth last season without showing much future.

AA Medicine Hat:
Round 1 pick of the 2030 draft, Gary "Scrawny" Murphy continues to develop quietly with the Drillers. Once called "scrawny" by a scout, Murphy has developed into a 6'5" 200 pound righthander with four pitches and a velocity sitting around 98 mph. Currently at 5-4 with a 3.05 ERA, "Scrawny" might be looking at a PEBA debut in 2034.

Larry Emerson has returned to the starting rotation and put together four straight competitive outings, winning two of them. With four average-to-above pitches and velocity at 96 mph Emerson has a chance to work his way into a PEBA opportunity eventually. He still has a long way to go but at 25 he is worth giving an extended opportunity.

Victor Thomas has been carrying much of the load for the Drillers with 12 home runs and 37 RBI. At this point Thomas is still a strike out waiting to happen but he does produce runs and is continuing to develop playing AA at 22 years of age.

Sergio Rosas has been moved down to AA, which he skipped last season going directly from Rapid City in 2031 to Racine this year where he put up 10 home runs quickly before a promotion to Duluth. It was too much for him however and he has landed in Medicine Hat possibly until next season.

A Rapid City:
Skip Hathaway has been a real bright spot for the Rushmores who lead the Big Sky by the slightest of margins. He looks like he will have mid-90's velocity with three above average pitches and he currently sports a 5:1 K/BB ratio picking up 6 victories with one loss in 11 starts.

Yong-chan Yi has picked up 15 saves and 2 wins in 20 appearances this season after being picked up last August. Yi has an outside shot at becoming a tough lefty out of the Warrior bullpen but it is still early. Yi will probably move on to Medicine Hat after the All-Star Game.

With 21 homers and a .648 slugging percentage Sergio Campos continues to assault minor league pitching. The 2031 13th overall selection in the PEBA Draft, Campos leads the NAFTA in home runs and runs scored while sitting second in Slugging and RBI. The organization is undecided at this time whether or not the left fielder will stay at Rapid City all season or move up to Medicine Hat mid-term.

Antonio Herrera seems to have found his power stroke and currently has a slash line of .283/.351/.512. With over 1200 professional at-bats at the lower levels it may be time to see if "Dandy" is ready for AA. He stopped being a teenager just one month ago land remains a top 10 prospect.

Tommy Burris has decided to make a name for himself after being a 16th round selection in 2030. Never given much press, Burris looks like another quality outfielder coming through the Duluth system. He can run, hit, and throw and might just ride the Campos/Herrera wave up the line.

Ethan "Scab" Dodgson looks destined to be a designated hitter. Unable to play the infield and can not find time in the outfield "Scab" is doing pretty well with the bat (.296/.355/.519)

[ScottH]

Racine Lakers 2032 Season Review:

For just the third time in the history of the Global Baseball Brotherhood (26 seasons in AAA), the Racine Lakers have finished in first place in the RML North. The Lakers 81 win total marks the sixth time the franchise has won over 80 games at the AAA level. Racine drew an average of 7689 fans during their 70 home games sending a message it might be time to expand Laker Stadium. That might prove difficult with the retractable roof.

Manager Sergio Sandoval 28-22; took over for Felix Collazo who was promoted to Duluth bench coach during the season.
Jerry Abbott, first year as pitching coach in the Duluth organization 2.88 ERA
Ronald Elmore first full year with Racine after 8 ½ seasons with big club 527 runs scored

Key Lakers who earned promotion in 2032:

Noah Hill split time at both shortstop and third base after making his PEBA debut on May 10. Hill continued to develop his offensive skills after promotion, hitting six of his eight homeruns over the last two months of the season. For his rookie PEBA season Hill had a slash line of .291/.328/.400 adding 25 stolen bases and striking out just 35 times in 490 plate appearances. Third base may be where he ends up playing after showing his defensive skill set in 2032 with a .983 fielding percentage and just 3 errors in almost 550 innings at the corner. Hill looks like a cornerstone for the organization moving forward.

After going 4-0 for the Lakers to start the 2032 campaign, John Neville earned promotion to Duluth and put together a string of 9 consecutive starts giving the Lakers an opportunity to win. In eight of the nine starts, Neville allowed 3 or fewer runs while going six or more innings. With lack of run support he went 2-7 in those nine starts while putting up an ERA of 2.76. But then August came to town and Neville took 2 hits to “control” and a hit to his “stuff” and he could not get anyone out. Neville finished the season with 19 starts, a 4-15 record, with a 4.76 ERA allowing three or more runs in every one of his last 10 starts. If he can not find his form in the off-season, the 31- year-old could be finished in Duluth.

Holy Mackerel Jim Fish. In 10 starts with Racine, the big righty went 6-1, walking just 3 batters in 69 innings. Fish was promoted and threw a 9-inning complete game in a 0-2 loss and followed that up with 6.2 innings of one run work before leaving the game with a season ending injury. Hopes are high for Fish to return in 2033. His pinpoint control is enjoyable to watch even if he does leave a few over the middle. His WHIP of 0.69 in Racine and 0.89 in Duluth was remarkable.

Hiroya Ishikawa led the Racine Lakers in victories in 2032 with nine before a promotion to Duluth that did not go well. It appears Hiroya does not enjoy relieving and with 2 excellent pitches and 2 average pitches maybe he should start. But there is that issue of lack of movement and lack of control to consider. He may end up being another good AAAA pitcher.

Jong-Pil Song saved all 14 of his opportunities in 2032, 11 at Racine and 3 with Duluth. One bad month of September in which he allowed 3 “earnies” in 3 separate innings and his pitching line looks a wreck. There was no real cause of concern with the September performance as far as health or development. His overall season was excellent and sometimes it is good for a rookie to get pushed around a little bit.

With nobody stepping forward and taking over the first base position, Roberto Valdez got the call in June. Valdez showed signs of being able to hit a little, but consistency was an issue. Finishing with eight homers at Racine and 8 at Duluth, the off season will tell us if Valdez has a spot with the Warriors.

Quality work in Racine but no joy in Duluth:

Alastair Sellers struggled to a .241/.328/.340 slash line in Duluth. Demoted to Racine near the end of May to work out some deficiencies in his game, Sellers went on to lead the Lakers offensive attack, finishing with .300/.354/.518 slash line hitting 33 extra base hits in 69 games. The organization feels Sellers will get first chance in right field in 2033.

Patrick Woods was a big contributor for the Lakers in 2032, leading the club in most major offensive categories, 21 homers, 79 rbi, 67 runs. The biggest weakness in his game is that his defense is quite offensive. With young, talented players coming up through the system, it is unclear what Woods’ path back to Duluth will be.

Gary Murphy was the Duluth first rounder in 2030 and has made his way to Racine in 26 months. In 2032 Murphy was promoted in August and went 6-1 in 10 starts. In eleven regular season starts with the Lakers, “Scrawny” went six innings or more 10 times while allowing more than 2 runs just twice. A top candidate for some Winter Ball, Murphy looks like maybe one season away from performing in Duluth.

Yong-chan YI made three stops in 2032. After being released from his original club in 2031, Yi has marched through the Duluth organization as a closer, going 34-38 in save opportunities. Mid-90’s from the left side with two quality pitches, Yi is 6’8”, 205 at 23 years old and Duluth will be patient with him even with his limited up-side.

The Duluth farm system was a combined 96 games over .500 in 2032 with first place finishes in Suwon-R (66-24), Rapid City-A (85-43), and Racine-AAA (81-59). Medicine Hat-AA finished second (68-72), and Kailua-SA fourth (52-58). There might be a handful of farmhands ready for Duluth during the 2033 season.

Player payroll in Duluth was cut in half to 56.6 million for the 2032 season and 50% of that went to a 34-year-old who holds a player option for 2033. With a WAR of 0.1 in over 100 games and that player being bumped from the lineup by Noah Hill, payroll could be halved again with one decision by either side. With the sixth ranked farm system you would think Duluth would be flooding the PEBA squad with young call-ups but 26 of their top 30 prospects are under age 23 and several just made their move to AA Medicine Hat during the 2032 season. So, maybe it is time to go shopping!

Now, how does one go about increasing the seating capacity of a minor league club?

[ScottH]

2033, End of April Report

Currently at 15-11, 2 games back in third place the Lakers of 2033 have many new faces on the pitching staff but a great many old faces swinging the bats.

Gary Murphy is the pitcher most people want to hear about. "Scrawny" had a solid chance to make the big club out of spring training but management was not thrilled with the home run balls he was giving up and they sent him to Racine to work on his game. Unfortunately, the ball is still flying, at a rate double what Murphy gave up last season with the Lakers. Five homers in less than 30 innings is too high. A couple solid outings will trim that ratio down where it belongs and the 24-year old will make his way to Duluth. Currently 2-0 in 5 starts with a k/BB ratio of 7:1.

Jorge Alou was sent down to build up his workload and in 5 starts he has not allowed more than two runs in a game, going between 5 and 8 innings each time out. He's an interesting guy and you never know what role he might be filling. 1-1, 2.25 with a 2:1 k/BB ratio, 1.03 whip.

Luis Moreno has been excellent in 12 relief outings that total 13 1/3 innings. Moreno has k'd 14, walked 2, saved 2 games and has 3 holds, allowing zero runs and carrying a 7:1 k/BB ratio and an 0.75 whip earning him a recent addition to the 40-man roster.

Jose Estrada is another interesting arm with the Lakers. With 3 above average pitches, velocity in triple digits the 24-year old Cuban has ability to start and close and with Duluth his best chance to rise quickly is to learn how to close games. This will be a good test for the coaching staff. He is currently 2-for-2 in save chances with 14 k's and 2 walks. There have been too many balls in the air against him however, especially the kind that leave the park, 4 in 17 innings.

Antonio Herrera was called up to Duluth with Otis Perreault coming back to Racine. With Herrera gone, both Jose Ramirez and Cipriano Garcia get to play. Ramirez was injured late spring training of 2032 and missed almost the entire season after shoulder surgery. Garcia was recently added to the 40-man roster after a solid spring and a .304 start to his first AAA season.

Juan Velasquez is doing Juan Velasquez things picking up 11 extra base hits in his first 25 starts. Fighting a back issue in the early going, "Chief" has been slow to learn the center field position but he has looked better this season than last. At just 21 he has some time.

Tommy Burris has always carried some heavy lumber but his start in Medicine Hat earned him a quick promotion to Racine. After hitting 30 home runs in 2 stops during 2032, Burris quickly hit 8 in 25 games for the Drillers. With an outfield platoon in Duluth a real possibility, Burris has pushed his way into contention for a Warriors roster spot sooner rather than later.