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MLB Promotions
Michael Kopech, Filthy 81mph breaking ball (path). pic.twitter.com/WfrV6TNmO8
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 26, 2018
Michael Kopech: 20 IP, 0.94 FIP, 12.15 K/9, 0.00 BB/9
MLB: 11 IP, 3.15 FIP, 7.36 K/9, 0.82 BB/9
Ian Hamilton: AAA: 10 IP, 2.64 FIP, 9.00 K/9, 0.00 BB/9, 5 saves
MLB: 1 IP, 3.15 FIP, 0 .00 K/9, 0.00 BB/9
Ian Hamilton's MLB debut lasted only 6 pitches:
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) September 1, 2018
97.6 MPH fastball (ground out)
97.5 MPH fastball (called strike)
97.4 MPH fastball (line out)
90 MPH fastball (ball)
97.7 MPH fastball (ball)
97.7 MPH fastball (line out)
Caleb Frare: AAA: 10 2⁄3 IP, 2.30 FIP, 13.50 K/9, 5.06 BB/9
Today is something special. I have achieved a childhood dream. I don’t have the words to say how I feel. I want to thank God, my fiancé and family, my coaches, and the many people that have helped me and pushed me along the way. The journey is not over yet. pic.twitter.com/Itx53XNG33
— Caleb Frare (@Caleb_Frare) September 1, 2018
Ryan Burr: AAA: 6 1⁄3 IP, 2.23 FIP, 7.11 K/9, 1.42 BB/9
MLB: 3 2⁄3 IP, 5.61 FIP, 4.91 K/9, 0.00 BB/9
Ryan Burr talks about his MLB debut pic.twitter.com/hR6gB7kN47
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 23, 2018
Aaron Bummer: AAA: 10 IP, 1.84 FIP, 8.10 K/9, 0.90 BB/8
Charlotte Knights
ICYMI: For his triple on August 26th, @Lamantha21 was our @RotoRooter "Cleanup Hitter of the Week" pic.twitter.com/aKxGLgbgMP
— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) September 2, 2018
Eloy Jimenez: .359 BA, 4 HR, 12 R, 16 RBI, 10 XBH, 5 BB, 16 K **August MVP**
Seby Zavala: 278 BA, 1 HR, 11 R, 12 RBI, 12 XBH, 3 BB, 22 K
Charlie Tilson: .241 BA, 10 R, 13 RBI, 3 XBH, 5 BB, 20 K, 2 SB
Ryan Cordell: .302 BA, 3 HR, 12 R, 18 RBI, 9 XBH, 9 BB, 25 K
Spencer Adams: 31 1⁄3 IP, 5.12 FIP, 4.02 K/9, 4.31 BB/9
Jordan Guerrero: 32 IP, 3.12 FIP, 11.53 K/9, 3.09 B/9
Carson Fulmer: 11 2⁄3 IP, 5.22 FIP, 7.71 K/9, 0.77 BB/9
Jordan Stephens: 26 2⁄3 IP, 6.30 FIP, 8.44 K/9, 5.06 BB/9
Carson Fulmer is actually improving. In the month of August, Fulmer only issued one walk for a .077 BB/9. In July, he allowed 12 walks, for a 6.89 BB/9. Fulmer’s FIP and ERA still take hits because of his home runs; he allows too many — not just as a reliever, but in general. He allowed three home runs last month, which is 2.31 HR/9 in limited innings pitched. An 18.4% strikeout per walk rate looks great, his walks look great, but he still gives up hard contact far too often. But August was a step forward for Fulmer, because he seems to be attacking the strike zone. Now it is time to work on (maybe overhaul) his mechanics.
Birmingham Barons
Web Gem Alex Call! @ACAD_27 goes head over heels into the Biloxi bullpen to make an amazing running catch as the game remains tied 1-1 going to the 8th. #NextSox #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/IMtC5XigrM
— Birmingham Barons (@BhamBarons) August 31, 2018
Joel Booker: .293 BA, 15 R, 6 RBI, 4 XBH, 11 BB, 33 K, 4 SB
Alex Call: .176 BA, 3 HR, 10 R, 9 RBI, 8 XBH, 11 BB, 33 K
Luis Basabe: .250 BA, 3 HR, 11 R, 11 RBI, 9 XBH, 9 BB, 29 K, 2 SB
Zack Collins: .181 BA, 3 HR, 7 R, 12 RBI, 6 XBH, 10 BB, 31 K
Dylan Cease: 17 2⁄3 IP, 1.61 FIP, 14.77 K/9, 4.58 BB/9
Ian Clarkin: 17 IP, 4.31 FIP, 6.35 K/9, 3.71 BB/9
Bernardo Flores: 27 1⁄3 IP, 4.13 FIP, 4.94 K/9, 1.32 BB/9
Matt Foster: 10 2⁄3 IP, 4.02 FIP, 7.59 K/9, 3.37 BB/9
Jose Ruiz: 11 IP, 2.55 FIP, 9.82 K/9, 4.09 BB/9, 4 saves **August MVP**
Kodi Medeiros: 29 1⁄3 IP, 4.66 FIP, 9.51 K/9, 4.30 BB/9
Like Carson Fulmer, another forgotten-on-purpose pitcher is Ian Clarkin, and he is also looking better lately. Clarkin has been exclusively a reliever since his return from injury, but was struggling mightily until August. Clarkin did not have the home run problem that Fulmer did, but Clarkin was issuing too many free passes. A 10% walk rate is too high for what Clarkin will become, a swingman. The batting average against was good, at .226, but the BABIP at .265 indicates it should have been higher. His 83.3% LOB is a good indicator of how much better Clarkin has been recently. Throw FIP and ERA out: LOB percentage is the key stat for a reliever, and Clarkin worked around trouble most of the time.
Winston-Salem Dash
.@Luis5Gonzalez and Luis Robert posted 3⃣-hit, 4⃣-run efforts, @lazriv02 hit his second grand slam, and Luis Martinez dominated on Thursday night.
— Winston-Salem Dash (@WSDashBaseball) August 31, 2018
Here are the highlights from our 13-0 win over Salem... pic.twitter.com/lzzaZSV9V8
Luis Gonzalez: .310 BA, 2 HR, 21 R, 15 RBI, 11 XBH, 14 BB, 17 K **August MVP**
Luis Robert: .224 BA, 15 R, 5 RBI, 6 XBH, 4 BB, 23 K, 6 SB
Blake Rutherford: .244 BA, 1 HR, 14 R, 10 RBI, 9 XBH, 8 BB, 22 K, 1 SB
Gavin Sheets: .313 BA, 1 HR, 9 R, 12 RBI, 5 XBH, 10 BB, 13 K
Laz Rivera: .295 BA, 3 HR, 11 R, 16 RBI, 6 XBH, 2 BB, 17 K, 2 SB
Lincoln Henzman: 14 2⁄3 IP, 3.51 FIP, 4.91 K/9, 3.07 BB/9
Alec Hansen: 12 IP, 4.71 FIP, 9.75 K/9, 10.50 BB/9
Blake Battenfield: 13 IP, 4.14 FIP, 4.15 K/9, 2.08 BB/9 (last start was August 10)
Tyler Johnson: 12 2⁄3 IP, 0.77 FIP, 12.79 K/9, 0.71 BB/9, 5 saves
Gavin Sheets is an enigma. His .360 wOBA is very good, 122 wRC+ is good, and 10.6% BB-rate and 16.4% K-rate are great. However, five home runs and an ISO of .107 is not good for a six-foot-four, 230-pound first baseman. It is even worse when most scouts say he has off-the-charts raw power that clearly has not turned into game power. Now, 35 total extra-base hits is not something to sneeze at, but that number should be closer to 50. Theoretically it is possible that Sheets crushed several balls off the wall and had to settle for singles, but five home runs proves his power is a real problem. I love James Loney as much as the next guy (wait, the next guy probably doesn’t love Loney at all), but Sheets should look to change some mechanical aspect with his swing or approach to tap into his raw power.
Kannapolis Intimidators
Kannapolis bats come alive for 11 runs in Hagerstown Saturday night
— Kannapolis Intimidators (@Intimidators) September 2, 2018
RECAP ➡️ https://t.co/2A0y22WbUu pic.twitter.com/GF42o4NEcG
Justin Yurchak: .209 BA, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 XBH, 5 BB, 5 K
Ian Dawkins: .256 BA, 1 HR, 5 R, 5 RBI, 4 XBH, 8 BB, 16 K, 4 SB
Steele Walker: .196 BA, 3 HR, 12 R, 16 RBI, 8 XBH, 6 BB, 25 K, 5 SB
Ramon Beltre: .215 BA, 1 HR, 10 R, 11 RBI, 6 XBH, 2 BB, 24 K
Luis Curbelo: .224 BA, 10 R, 4 RBI, 5 XBH, 5 BB, 38 K
Bennett Sousa: 14 1⁄3 IP, 2.57 FIP, 8.79 K/9, 2.51 BB/9, 1 save **August MVP**
Andrew Perez: 10 IP, 4.47 FIP, 9.00 K/9, 5.40 BB/9
Great Falls Voyagers
Lenyn Sosa: .255 BA, 16 R, 11 RBI, 5 XBH, 1 BB, 19 K, 2 SB
Romy Gonzalez: .253 BA, 7 HR, 19 R, 19 RBI, 16 XBH, 6 BB, 33 K, 3 SB **August MVP**
Gunnar Troutwine: .457 BA, 10 R, 10 RBI, 4 XBH, 6 BB, 8 K
Bryce Bush: .273 BA, 2 HR. 14 R, 8 RBI, 8 XBH, 8 BB, 16 K, 3 SB
Jonathan Stiever: 7 IP, 4.63 FIP, 12.86 K/9, 2.57 BB/9
Codi Heuer: 12 IP, 3.60 FIP, 9.00 K/9, 3.75 BB/9
Jason Bilous: 14 IP, 6.28 FIP, 7.07 K/9, 7.07 BB/9
Davis Martin: 13 IP, 4.04 FIP, 9.00 K/9, 2.08 BB/9
Konnor Pilkington: 8 IP, 5.35 FIP, 7.88 K/9, 3.38 BB/9
AZL White Sox
Harvin Mendoza: .305 BA, 8 R, 9 RBI, 3 XBH, 7 BB, 6 K, 2 SB
Camilo Quinteiro: .302 BA, 1 HR, 8 R, 4 RBI, 15 BB, 14 K, 2 SB
Ty Greene: .385 BA, 10 R, 7 RBI, 4 XBH, 8 BB, 3 K, 2 SB **August MVP**
Luis Mieses: .191 BA, 5 R, 5 RBI, 1 XBH, 2 BB, 16 K, 1 SB
Cabera Weaver: .267 BA, 9 R, 5 RBI, 4 XBH, 8 BB, 22 K, 4 SB
Lency Delgado: .213 BA, 4 R, 9 RBI, 1 XBH, 2 BB, 14 K, 1 SB
Brayan Herrera: 20 IP, 3.62 FIP, 6.75 K/9, 3.15 BB/9
Hunter Kiel: 3 2⁄3 IP, 4.62 FIP, 12.27 K/9, 9.82 BB/9
DSL White Sox
Jose Rodriguez: .307 BA, 13 R, 5 RBI, 6 XBH, 3 BB, 14 K, 9 SB **August MVP**
Harold Diaz: .293 BA, 4 R, 5 RBI, 6 XBH, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 SB
Sidney Pimentel: .167 BA, 2 HR, 7 R, 7 RBI, 2 XBH, 4 BB, 18 K, 2 SB
Francisco Benitez: 9 IP, 6.83 FIP, 6.00 K/9, 12.00 BB/9
Cristofer Melendez: 21 2⁄3 IP, 1.93 FIP, 13.29 K/9, 2.91 BB/9
Wilber Perez: 22 IP, 3.18 FIP, 9.00 K/9, 1.64 BB/9