Malts Minor League Report (Pt. 2)

[JayA]

It’s been a few months since we last checked in on the progress of the rebuilding Madison Malts in their first season under new management. In the major leagues, I suppose you could say that things are going to plan as the Malts currently sit at 57-67, a full 10.5 games back from the Kalamazoo Badgers. Javier Aguilar continues to be an MVP candidate though, racking up a .328/.409/.531 slash line on his way to 65 extra base hits, 34 stolen bases, and a 5.3 WAR to this point. Of the 26 players on the Major League roster only he and Rule 5 draft pick Pedro Molina figure to be in the long-term plans for the Malts, meaning that the real future of the organization is still marinating and developing. That’s where we’ll once again turn our attention for this article. Let’s break it down by level again.

AAA: Akron Ambers (77-50, 3rd in AML Central)
The Akron Ambers have put together a great AAA season but unfortunately find themselves in line behind the Mansfield Mohicans by 27 games and the second place Evansville Tri-Staters by 25 in what may be the strongest division at any level of baseball in this world. Still, the positives have far outweighed the negatives with this squad.

Offensively, the team has been led by the outfield group where they’ve got three different players with three different skillets, all finding a way to contribute to the team. RF Raúl Gonzáles is a long-time player within the organization who is currently leading the team with a .299 average while also ranking second in HR (12), RBI (35), and SB (20). In addition, Gonzáles is a great defender and has contributed in the field on his way to leading position players with a 3.2 WAR. Fresh on his heels is another minor league vet in CF Donald Davis. The 29-year-old defensive wizard who has never played a game at the highest level, is one of the team leaders in WAR at 3.1. He’s posted just a .324 OBP, but has managed to post a team-high 25 stolen bases when he does get on the basepaths and could be in line to win the award for best defensive CF in the league. Lastly is the man who kicked off the rebuilding process last year in LF Aaron Lawrence. The 23-year-old lefty has racked up 34 extra base hits and 17 stolen bases on his way to a 2.4 WAR.

Though there have been many strong performers at the plate this season for the Ambers, make no mistake about it that on the mound is where the team has truly been able to separate itself from the pack. The Ambers rank in the top-3 as a unit in ERA (2nd), Starters’ ERA (3rd), Bullpen ERA (1st), Hits Allowed (1st), Bases on Balls (1st), and Strikeouts (3rd) on the season. They are led by the dominant lefty Seong-Chin Kim whom the team acquired this offseason as one of the focal points in the trade sending Pablo Garza to the Okinawa Shisa. Kim has delivered promptly in the minor leagues and has a legitimate shot at the pitching triple crown, currently ranking #1 with 15 wins while coming in at #2 in both ERA (1.93) and Strikeouts (173). His 7.5 WAR ranks #1 in the league and while compiling his 15-4 record, he’s also posted a 0.90 WHIP and a 196 ERA+. Kim is undoubtedly ready for the major leagues at this point, and insiders are excitedly awaiting what could be a September debut for the organization. The Ambers bullpen is being anchored by 22-year-old hard-throwing righty Ángel Villa who began the season as a setup man before moving into the closer role due to his absolute dominance on the mound. He currently leads the league with 36 saves in 40 opportunities and has limited opponents to just a 0.88 WHIP while compiling a 1.3 WAR in 56 innings of work.

AA: Youngstown Thunder (80-47, 2nd in ATAL North)
Similar to the situation in AAA, the AA Youngstown Thunder also feature a fantastic record but find themselves buried deep below the 102-win Maine Lobsters. The team ranks in the Top-5 in the ATAL in almost every significant batting and pitching statistic, empathizing how well-rounded this squad is.

The team has been led by two-way star Armando Rúbio who didn’t join the team until about 40 games into the season. At the plate, Rúbio has been outstanding in posting a .308/.414/.505 slash line while racking up 11 HR, 12 SB, and a 3.4 WAR in his only 84 games. The former #4 overall pick has also taken the mound 10 times for the Thunder, compiling a 5-3 record, 3.70 ERA, 38 Strikeouts, a 1.29 WHIP, and 1.4 WAR as a pitcher. Having a player with this type of production on both sides is an extreme rarity and his value can’t be overstated.

In addition to Rúbio at the plate, the Thunder have been platooning at almost every position in an effort to get as many guys as many AB as possible. There isn’t just one player that jumps off the page, but rather a selfless group of team players who are willing to make the sacrifices and put in the work to build a winning team. There are seven players who currently have 10+ HR and 10 who have posted at least 1.0 WAR at the plate and in the field already with several more right on the verge of joining one or both of these groups.

On the mound, Halmar Reus–another acquisition from the aforementioned Pablo Garza trade–has been one of the most efficient starting pitchers in the league, having posted 12 wins, a 2.78 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 130 Strikeouts, and a 4.9 WAR which is good enough for 4th in the league. He’s joined by lefty Todd Miller who has joined Reus with 12 wins and just narrowly trails him with 4.8 WAR across 174.1 innings pitched in the starting rotation. They form one of the most formidable 1-2 punches in the ATAL.

Anchoring the bullpen has been last year’s first round pick, Orlando Ávila, who has racked up 68 Strikeouts, a 0.87 WHIP, and 2.2 WAR in just 72.2 innings of work. He recently moved from a middle reliever role to closer and has converted his first three saves, giving him four on the year.

A: Middle Bass Vinters (78-37, 1st in AWL Stars & Stripes)
Moving into the lower levels of the minor leagues we see the organization really start to take off, beginning with the Middle Bass Vinters. The Vinters currently rank #1 in the league in runs scored and #2 in runs allowed, proving that they can get it done in all aspects of the game.

At the plate and in the field, the team is very similar to the AA team in that they haven’t relied on just a few players, but instead have distributed at-bats to multiple players at almost every position. The result is a team that features four players with at least 16 HR, nine guys with 30+ RBI, and an astounding 10 players who have posted at least 1.0 WAR already. The Bash Bros. in the outfield highlight this group as Curt Darrah (.218/.357/.575, 27 HR, 74 RBI, 4.1 WAR), Theo Shields (.270/.392/.538, 24 HR, 90 RBI, 3.9 WAR), and Dave Graham (.292/.386/.564, 18 HR, 64 RBI, 4.8 WAR) have all continued to dominate opposing pitching. Additionally of note is the #1 prospect in the entire Malts organization: SS Hang-Ki Fu. The 20-year-old was called up from the international complex in March and started playing with the Vinters shortly after the rookie draft concluded. In his first 62 games with the team, he has struggled to make contact batting just .242, but has showed solid plate discipline (.364 OBP) and defense as he’s quickly accumulated 2.2 WAR. The future is undoubtedly bright for Fu.

On the mound, Jorge Sandoval has been the most valuable pitcher for the Vinters. After beginning the season in the bullpen, Sandoval moved into the starting rotation and has now made 14 starts. He’s posted a dominant 12-3 record on the season, currently holds a 1.83 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, and has struck out 131 batters in 122.2 innings on his way to 4.8 WAR. He is one of three players (Mariano Lozano, Jae-woo A) who have already accumulated 12 wins for the Vinters.

Short A: Akutan Island Eagles (63-19, 1st in AL Klondike)
The most dominant team in the Malts system this season has been the Akutan Island Eagles who came out of the gates blazing and have not slowed down. Ranking first in the league in both runs scored and runs allowed, the Eagles have built a six game lead with 28 games left to play and will look to finish the season strong.

The offense has been powered by DH Ed Starks who leads the team in batting average (.336), HR (23), and RBI (65) while racking up 4.0 WAR in his first 238 at bats. Joining him in the success from the plate is 19-year-old 1B Wilson Seguillo who has struggled in the field, but has posted a .260/.359/.506 slash line while belting 14 HR and driving in 48 runs. Seguillo has taken a huge jump forward this season after the team invested heavily in one-on-one coaching last winter.

Pitchers Taizo Miyata and Kuang-an Yang both hail from the other side of the world, but the duo have been arguably the two best pitchers in the entire league this year in Alaska. A former 19th round draft pick, Taizo Miyata has had a career-altering season this year for the Eagles. Relying on some of the best stuff anywhere in baseball and a “classic” fastball/changeup/curveball three-pitch repertoire, Miyata has started the season with a 13-2 record while posting a 1.85 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, racking up 150 strikeouts and 4.6 WAR in just 102.1 innings of work. Hailing from Taiwan, Kuang-an Yang has similarly been dominant so far this year. The sidearm pitcher has been clocked as high as 97 MPH and leads the league with a 1.55 ERA helping him to a 7-2 record, 88 strikeouts to only 18 walks, and a 0.85 WHIP. He started the season with the A squad and has been close to unhittable since debuting in S-A.

Rookie: Melbourne Bitters (40-23, 2nd in TL)
Finally, we arrive at the Rookie level where the Malts have seen the results one would expect after having six picks in the first two rounds this year. Unfortunately, nearly all of those draft picks have missed time with either injury (Adolph Glotz, Salvador Delozada, Sandy Calder) or in the case of Taroemon Takahashi extended contract negotiations. The Bitters have still been able to find success though, following an old school small ball strategy that has seen them rely on speed, defense, and pitching.

The aforementioned Taroemon Takahashi has been the most valuable player on this team. He was a little late joining the roster, but started delivering immediately upon arrival. Through his first 55 games, Takahashi has posted a .273/.368/.603 slash line on his way to belting a team-high 18 HR and 41 RBI. The #15 overall pick from Tainan City High School has still struggled with strikeouts, going down 52 times in 194 at-bats, but the team is still excited about him as the first baseman of the future.

Ángel Fuentes has been the top pitcher for the Bitters to this point, posting a 6-3 record, 2.82 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 2.1 WAR in his first 12 starts. The 19-year-old is not as highly regarded as some of the other names in the organization, but if he continues to play at this level, he’s got a chance to fast-track himself into the higher levels. It’s also worth mentioning the bullpen work being done by this group as the Bitters feature the #1 bullpen ERA in the league. They’re being anchored by a pair of this year’s second round picks in the hard-throwing righty Sandy Calder (9 saves, 0.47 WHIP despite spending significant time on the IL) and lefty Mike Merritt (8 saves, 5-2 record, 10.9 K/9).

All in all, it’s clear that the Malts as an organization still have a long way to go. However, early returns on the investment into the future that management committed to are looking strong. Time will tell whether any of these young men turn out, but for now fans of the organization continue to have a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Until next time…