Around the Farm: April 16, 2012

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday's performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday's game.

Lonnie Chisenhall: 3B, Columbus Clippers: 3-for-5, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI:

Lonnie Chisenhall is hitting .380, with four homers, eight runs, five doubles, eight RBI, two walks and eight strikeouts. He has a .404 OBP, and a 1.124 OPS after 12 games to start the international league season off for Columbus. Chiz has a four game hit streak going, with multiple hits in each game. During the four games, he’s gone 9-for-18, with three runs, four doubles, a homer and three RBI. Over his last seven games, he’s had six multi-hit games, and gone 14-for-27. Chisenhall is hitting the ball better than he has ever hit since joining the organization, and while it’s a small sample size, it’s a good sign that the third baseman is reacting to his demotion as the spring ended. Yeah, I know he has holes, but there comes a time when you just have to bring a guy up. If he keeps hitting like this, it will be sooner, rather than later. Let’s see if Chisenhall can maintain this hot start for a couple more weeks. If he does, things could get really interesting in Cleveland.

Trevor Crowe: LF, Columbus Clippers: 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 CS (3):

There are some that are absolutely sick and tired of seeing Crowe’s name caw-ing at them every night. Clearly, he could care a less. Clearly, he’s back. Tonight, Crowe continued his torrid pace to start the 2012 minor league season as though he were trying to show off two seasons in one, especially after missing most of the 2011 season due to injury. Crowe has two straight three-hit games, and three-strait multi-hit games in which he’s gone 8-for-11, with three runs, three doubles, a triple, an RBI, two walks and two K’s. Overall, the outfielder/DH is hitting .469, with a .553 OBP and a 1.396 OPS. Now, I’m not Aaron Cunningham, nor do I want to be at this point. Why? He has a Crowe breathing down his neck, and deservedly so. I’d say he’s ironed out the kinks.

Adam Abraham: DH, Akron Aeros: 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 BB:

There are flashier names in the system, nobody is a harder worker or a better professional than this guy. Abraham was the leader of last season’s Kinston Indians, who found their way into the Carolina League championship game, even though they may not have been one of the top two teams in the league. Why? They were the hardest working team in the league, just like Abraham. This season, Abraham has permanently moved to first base/DH, from third base, and the Tribe is hoping that he can focus more on his offense. When he’s on, he’s a doubles machine. Tonight was his first multi-hit, multi-run game, but he may have started to come out of his opening season slump.

• Matt LaPorta: DH, Columbus: 1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 K: The LaPorta watch  continues, as the 1B/LF/DH has hit in nine of ten games.
• Justin Toole: SS, Columbus: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K: Little did we know that the only thing that Toole needed to do to start hitting was move up two levels to Triple A. In two starts, he’s gone 4-for-7. Of course, he was 4-for-5 in Carolina, so perhaps he’s just planning on hitting a ton wherever he goes.
• Kevin Slowey: SP, Columbus: L (1-2), 5 1/3 IP, 10 H, 6 R/ER, 3 BB, 5 K: This is two bad starts in a row for Slowey, who was brought in to be the fifth starter for the big league club. As it stands now, he may not be a top-3 starter to get a call-up should the Indians need to make a move for a starter.
• Hector Ambriz: RP, Columbus: 2 IP, 1 K: Ambriz gave up a run in his first outing, but in his last three, going 4 2/3 innings, his given up only one hit, and two walks, while striking out four. Not a big name, but one that could see some big league action this year.
• Jared Goedert: LF, Akron: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 K: Out of nowhere, Goedert has put together a seven-game hit streak, with back-to-back two hit ballgames. Overall, he’s hitting .371 as a super-utility guy in Akron. He could be re-developing his game for another run at the bigs.
• Chin-Hsiu Chen: 1B, Akron: 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B: Chen has been lost in the shuffle since moving to first base, only hitting .250 on the season. I’m not sure he has enough offense to play first in the bigs, but perhaps Tribe management sees more than I do. It’s not like we have offensive juggernauts ahead of him.
• Ryan Rohlinger: 2B, Akron: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI: Rohlinger doesn’t look like a big power guy, but he’s hit double-digit home runs in ever year in the minors since 2007.
• Bryce Stowell: RP, Akron: W (1-0), 3 IP, 2 H, 7 K: Yeah, Stowell is back. In three games so far this year, Stowell has gone five innings, giving up two hits without a walk, while striking out 11 total. Tonight, the power righty went three innings, showing that his arm is sound, and ready for promotion. Boy, this club is loaded with potential bullpen guys.
• Cody Allen: RP, Akron: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 K: Allen has simply been the best reliever in the system so far this year, and is slowly becoming one of my favorites pitchers. He's now pitched in eight total innings, splitting them equally between Carolina and Akron, throwing two innings in each outing thusfar. Overall, Allen's given up only two hits, while striking out 12. He's not given up a walk. In Akron, the righty has actually been more dominant against left handed batters, with three of his four Akron K's coming against lefties. With Stowell, Guilmet, Bryson, Langwell and Landis joining him, this bullpen may be the best in the entire system (yeah, I said it). (--thanks goes out to James for catching me on this one--)
• Preston Guilmet: RP, Akron: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 1 HR: Guilmet has only made three appearances so far this season, and he’ll need more work to get rolling. This was the first run given up by the Aeros’ closer this season.
• Tyler Holt: CF, Carolina: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 CS: Holt continues to put up numbers that scream for him to move up to Akron. I know that they are continuing to work on his approach at the plate, but he’s ready for the next step. He has been caught stealing four times this season so far, against only one stolen base.
• Jeremie Tice: DH, Carolina: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI: Manager Edwin Martinez expects the Muddies DH to have a big offensive year, and Tice is starting to prove his manager right. He drove in the Mudcats only two runs tonight, and has a quiet three game hit streak going.
• Alex Monsalve: C, Lake County: 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB: Monsalve finds himself back in ATF for a third straight night, with a modest three-game hit streak. He broke his multi-hit streak at two, but made up for it with his lone hit a long ball. He’s really working on his approach at the plate, walking for the seventh and eighth times tonight, against only six K’s all year.
• Felix Sterling: SP, Lake County: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R/ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HR: Sterling had another solid outing in his third start of the season. He still hasn’t given up more than two runs in a game, and appears to be settling into the season nicely. He did struggle finding the zone tonight with the three walks, but the Indians have to like what they see so far.

Jim is currently the co-site editor, the ATF/Carolina Mudcats/Indians/General Site Columnist, and the co-host of IPI's weekly online radio show, Smoke Signals. You can follow Jim on Twitter @Jim_IPI, or contact him via e-mail at jpete@indiansprospectinsider.com.