Fishing for Mudcats: "Waiting to Exhale..."

From the Bait Shop:

Here is this week’s ‘Fishing With Mudcats,’ focusing on games from Tuesday August 21st through Monday August 26th.

Where We Stand After Week #21:

Second Half Record: 29-34 (2-5 the past week, 61-72 Overall), 4^th Place in the Southern Division second half

Week #21 Games:

Week #21 Transaction:

The Offense:

Week #21

Player	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
Alex Monsalve	19	2	4	0	0	0	0	1	5	0.211
Anthony Gallas	15	2	4	1	0	1	2	1	2	0.267
Delvi Cid	22	2	5	4	0	0	3	1	5	0.227
Dwight Childs	8	0	1	1	0	0	1	1	4	0.125
Giovanny Urshela	28	4	9	1	1	2	4	1	4	0.321
Justin Toole	30	2	7	1	0	0	2	1	5	0.233
LeVon Washington	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0.000
Marcus Bradley	9	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	0.111
Rob Nixon	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000
Ronny Rodriguez	25	3	7	0	0	2	4	2	5	0.280
Todd Hankins	16	3	4	2	1	0	2	1	5	0.250
Tony Wolters	27	5	8	4	1	1	4	3	5	0.296
Tyler Cannon	19	3	4	1	0	0	3	7	7	0.211
Totals	221	28	54	15	3	6	25	21	51	0.244

The Good…

Giovanny Urshela is having one fantastic baseball season. In case you forgot, the Carolina League is a notorious pitcher’s league. There are currently only five players hitting over .300 in the league as we speak. Urshela isn’t one of them, but he is hitting .276 on the season, which just happens to be 12^th in the league for players that are eligible. He’s second on the team in hitting on the season (Aguilar hit .277). While this isn’t a guarantee of success as he moves up through the system, he sure has improved his stake. If he can build upon this season in Akron and Columbus, he can certainly be a serviceable infielder in the bigs, at the very least. This kid still has a lot to offer.

Wolters continues to rebound after rough weeks, like last week. But, here he is again, tying for the team lead in doubles, leading the team in runs, and tying for the team lead in RBI. While he certainly isn’t the premiere player in the organization, I think there is a lot more than meets the eye with Wolters. While he may be the odd man out in the infield prospect watch right now, there’s a long time between today and his time in Cleveland. The upside seems limited, but I think he’ll be a surprise. Is he better than the shorts or second base options we have? No…not yet.

Ronny Rodriguez is turning out to be the best offensive product in Carolina. The only thing that will keep him from 20 homers is the potential to get sent up to Akron for the playoffs, which is likely. That said, the kid has been nothing but consistent, and he followed that up with another big week. Rodriguez is toolsy, but he has a growing abundance of power, and if that continues to develop, he could turn into a special prospect…if he isn’t already.

I’d be remised if I didn’t talk about Justin Toole. He played every position on Sunday showcasing his mad defensive skills. That’ll be Toole’s calling card in the future…as a minor league uber-utility guy.

…the Bad and the Ugly…

Alex Monsalve continues to try to work through his initial months in High-A baseball. I’m high on this kid, especially with regards to his offense. He’s young, and at 20, has a long way to go. Still, he has power-hitting potential from the right side that will keep him in the intriguing category going forward. He’ll need to put together better weeks than this one though.

Tyler Cannon is one of my favorite under the radar players for the Muddies. This week, he wasn’t anywhere close to the radar. Cannon is similar to Justin Toole, although overall I think he’s a better offensive player. I think he’s future is pretty locked as a minor league utility fill, but if he can get some consistent offense, there’s something to Cannon. I’m just not sure that he’ll get enough time anywhere to show off that “something.” This week was a case in point.

Delvi Cid has been playing well, but this week, his bat took a step back. I don’t think Cid is a massive prospect. I do think he’s got potential as a speed guy in the system, especially if he continues his 2012 play in Akron in 2013. I know that’s a stretch, but he’s 30 stolen bases waiting at every level…if he gets a chance.

The Pitching:

Week #21

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Benny Suarez	3.667	4	1	1	1	2	0	2.45
Fabio Martinez (L, 0-2)	1	2	3	3	2	1	0	27.00
Francisco Jimenez (L, 8-8)	1.667	3	3	3	3	1	1	16.20
Grant Sides	4	4	4	2	2	5	0	4.50
J.D. Reichenbach (L, 5-7)	6	8	7	7	3	6	0	10.50
Jeff Johnson	4	1	0	0	0	4	0	0.00
Jordan Cooper (W, 8-7)	12	11	0	0	1	9	0	0.00
Justin Toole	1	2	2	2	0	2	2	18.00
Kyle Blair	3.667	1	0	0	1	4	0	0.00
Michael Goodnight (L, 2-13)	6	6	6	5	4	5	1	7.50
Mike Rayl	5.333	5	4	4	5	3	0	6.75
Rob Nixon (H, 2)	5.333	3	0	0	1	4	0	0.00
Will Roberts (L, 4-9)	4	11	8	8	3	3	0	18.00
Totals	57.667	61	38	35	26	49	4	5.46
Starters	32.667	40	22	21	17	23	2	5.79
Relievers	25	21	16	14	9	26	2	5.04

The Good…

Jordan Cooper dominated this week in the starter role. He made two starts, went 2-0, gave up 11 hits in 12 innings, and walked only one, while striking out nine. I’m not sure where he stands in the system. He’s 23, and while he was a ninth rounder, I’m not sure that he’s a guy that’s going to be pointing towards the top of the system. Of course, with the upper levels lack of prospects, he could be pitching well at the right time.

Rob Nixon has turned downright wicked after getting bombed early in his Muddies debut. Nixon is closing in fast on 24, so he needs to get himself promoted soon, or find himself in the “too old to be a prospect” mold. Right now, he’s pretty much assured himself of a look in Akron. Now he’ll just have to avoid the initial struggle he suffered in Carolina.

…the Bad and the Ugly…

There really weren’t many good outings from anyone on this staff. That starts with Mr. Fabio. He gave up three earned in an inning. Boy, what a great outing for the late seasons acquisition.

Francisco Jimenez has quickly seemed to lose any steam that he seemed to have over the past season. He’s always been a relatively middling pitcher, who at best, is a minor league fill. This only confirms it.

Will Roberts got torched for 11 hits and eight runs in four innings. He had been pitching well, but isn’t really an elite sort of pitcher. I think he can be good, and potentially an innings-eater, but right now, he’s just another guy.

Week #21 Awards:

The Archives:

Here Comes Week #22:

The View Astern:

Mike Rayl headed on up to Akron almost a year after heading to Carolina. My best guess is that it’s going to be permanent, and it’s well deserved. This was the first year in Carolina in recent memory that the staff wasn’t loaded for bear with big-time starters. Rayl was absolutely the best overall starter all season. No, he isn’t an all-star caliber guy, but he’s pretty good. Not sure if he’s a big league prospect, but there’s something to be said for consistency.

Have a beautiful weekend everybody…

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.