Your 2011 Huntsville Stars

[Mass Haas]

Indications are that we will begin to see some formal minor league roster announcements as early as Thursday (perhaps not all on the same day) -- gee, it's not like there's a little something going on in Cincinnati that might hold our interest otherwise.

 

So whether it's Toby, Eric, or myself -- or more likely one of our readers -- feel free to link to any formal notices you see here. Don't worry about the initial post format, we'll pretty that up with an edit later if need be.

 

As you might know, we use the "Your 2011" threads to post and link to feature stories that are outside the scope of game activity covered in the Daily Link Report. Each feature story is then tied back to and linked to that player's Brewerfan Player Index page for future reference (check out Hunter Morris' page here, including article links towards the bottom of the page). All the links from the past two years should be "active", others from prior years may not be, as we had linked directly to the newspaper sites previously.

 

These threads have become among the most popular for viewing here, and we look forward to kicking them off formally.

[battlekow]

Former Brave Brandon Jones to be in Stars' outfield this season

Mark McCarter/Huntsville Times

MARYVALE, Arizona -- It's typically a youth movement when it comes to Class AA ball, but the Huntsville Stars will be boosted this season by a veteran outfielder with big-league experience.

Brandon Jones, 27, a former Atlanta Braves' farmhand who played in 51 games for the Braves in 2007-09, will start the season in Huntsville's outfield, according to manager Mike Guerrero.

And for the second consecutive year, despite his role as the Stars' apparent centerfielder, Huntsville won't have Logan Schafer to start the season.

Schafer, the Brewers' minor league player of the year in 2009, was ticketed for Huntsville but suffered a broken left hand after batting .314 for the Brewers' in major league spring training. Schafer, who nearly missed all of last season with injuries, will be on Huntsville's disabled list.

In revealing his roster Thursday night via phone from the Brewers' spring training headquarters, Guerrero said, "If pitching and defense hold up, we're going to have the opportunity to win a lot of ball games."

The Stars open the season April 7 at Jacksonville, with the home opener April 13 against Carolina.

Here's the Stars' roster:

Starting pitchers:

• RHP Wily Peralta
• RHP Michael Bowman
• LHP Daniel Merklinger
• RHP Cody Scarpetta
• RHP Jesus Sanchez

Bullpen:

• RHP Michael Fiers
• RHP Darren Byrd
• LHP Daniel Meadows
• LHP Lucas Luetge
• RHP Donovan Hand
• RHP Roque Mercedes
• RHP Corey Frerichs

Outfield:

• OF Lee Haydel
• OF Brandon Jones
• OF Erik Komatsu
• OF Chuck Caufield

Infield:

• 3B Taylor Green
• 1B/3B Steffan Wilson
• Util Juan Sanchez
• 1B Sean Halton
• SS Yancarlos Ortiz
• Util Sergio Miranda

Catcher:

• C Dayton Buller
• C Anderson De La Rosa

[LouisEly]

Fiers to the bullpen in AA?

 

(Sigh...)

[JohnBriggs12]

Glad to see Halton, my breakout candidate, on the roster as I expected.

 

Jesus Sanchez will be interesting to follow. He's a converted catcher entering his 3rd year as a pitcher after posting 2 very good seasons in the Phillies organization. He could move up very quickly in the P50 if he puts up those numbers at Huntsville.

[CheezWizHed]

Fiers to the bullpen in AA?

 

A double disappointment. I was expecting starting at AAA (or at minimum BP at AAA).

 

Also Green back in AA. With Gamel moving to 1B, I'd think the 3B spot at AAA should be his.

[DHonks]

I'm also bummed about Green and Fiers. I wonder why they moved Fiers back to the pen after being the surprise of last season

[YoungGeezy]

Fiers to the bullpen in AA?

 

A double disappointment. I was expecting starting at AAA (or at minimum BP at AAA).

 

Also Green back in AA. With Gamel moving to 1B, I'd think the 3B spot at AAA should be his.

 

 

I think Green having to repeat is more of a product of him being leap over by Wheeler who be starting at 3b. Im disappointed about Green and I think overall with the Brewers not protecting him then making him repeat, id say he is really not in there future plans.

[Mass Haas]

Milwaukee Brewers prospects coming to Huntsville Stars include top young playersBy Jacob Carpenter, The Huntsville Times al.com

 

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Huntsville Stars manager Mike Guerrero revealed his Opening Day roster on Thursday, announcing that some of the Milwaukee Brewers' top-rated prospects will start the season in North Alabama.

 

The group includes two of the organization's most promising arms, right-handers Cody Scarpetta and Wily Peralta, as well as a few young speedsters in the field.

 

Here's a sampling of what the prospect experts are saying of the soon-to-be Stars that could one day be taking the field in Miller Park:

 

Cody Scarpetta, RHP

The 22-year-old drafted out of high school in 2007 will debut in Double-A after a season spent in High-A ball last year. Scarpetta is the second-ranked prospect according to Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America, while Jim Breen of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has Scarpetta ranked first in his annual Prospect Madness.

 

Said Baseball Prospectus: "His 91-94 mph fastball is a tick above average, and his plus-plus curve is the best in the system, capable of generating silly-looking swings from good hitters. ... Scarpetta will flash a solid changeup at times, but it remains an inconsistent pitch that needs refinement. He can get out of whack mechanically, and lose the strike zone."

 

Said the Journal-Sentinel: "The story is very simple with Scarpetta. He gets tons of strikeouts (9.98 K/9) and always has a low HR-rate, but a ton of walks (4.71 BB/9). His fastball has late burst, exploding on hitters, and his curveball fools young players. ... However, his pure stuff and success as a starter - especially in the second-half of 2010 - keeps his ceiling as a #2/3 starter in the big leagues."

 

Wily Peralta, RHP

With the Brewers rotation in flux due to injuries, the 21-year-old Peralta had the chance in spring training to play his way into a starting spot with the big league club. An erratic preseason, however, has him in Huntsville.

 

Said Breen of the Journal-Sentinel: "The Brewers want to give the #5 spot in the starting rotation to Wily Peralta, but he is making that decision very difficult by not performing well on the mound. His location has been horrendous all spring. Peralta's control on the mound has been decent. His command within the strike zone, however, is not nearly where it should be.

 

Still, many analysts remain high on Peralta, including ESPN.com's Keith Law, who has him ranked first among Brewers prospects.

 

Said ESPN.com's fantasy projectors: "A Tommy John surgery recoveree (2007), Peralta was a strikeout artist in the lower minor league levels but as he has advanced higher, his three-pitch (fastball-slider-change) combination has been more hittable; he had a 6.17 strikeouts-per-nine innings ratio in eight Double-A starts to close 2010."

 

Lee Haydel, OF

The 23-year-old Haydel returns to Huntsville for a second season. In 127 games last year, Haydel hit .285 while spending most of his time in left field. For the second straight year, the Louisiana native has been tabbed as the organization's fastest prospect by Baseball America.

 

Said Breen of the Journal-Sentinel: "Haydel's game is quite simple: Speed and defense. He is one of the fastest players in the Brewers' farm system and is a plus-defender wherever he is played in the outfield. ... While Haydel has no power of which to speak, he has begun to develop more of a line drive / groundball stroke that will keep him from wasting his speed."

 

Right-handed starting pitcher Wily Peralta, pictured in an August 2010 file photo, is one of a few top Milwaukee Brewers prospects bound for the Huntsville Stars this season. (The Huntsville Times/Bob Gathany)

 

http://media.al.com/sports_impact/photo/9445750-large.jpg

[tstads20]

I think Green having to repeat is more of a product of him being leap over by Wheeler who be starting at 3b. Im disappointed about Green and I think overall with the Brewers not protecting him then making him repeat, id say he is really not in there future plans.

It has been disappointing to see what has become of Green, seems like he's been derailed by injuries a lot and then just hasn't been able to show enough when he is healthy. He's still only 24, so maybe there's a possibility for him as a utility player in the future? I've heard rumors of them thinking of trying him out at catcher, so that could also be a reason he'll be at AA again.

 

Disappointed in the decision about Fiers as well, with how shallow our pitching depth is right now, don't you want to maximize all and any legit options you have?

[DHonks]

Green seems to have the Brad Nelson luck with the wrist injury. Some guys just have a hard time swinging like they used to. I still like Green and--given our present right-handedness--think he could be very important to our team

[And That]

Just realized this means that Matt Cline will be headed back to BC. Blargh.

[CheezWizHed]

Green seems to have the Brad Nelson luck with the wrist injury. Some guys just have a hard time swinging like they used to.

 

Yeah, I'm hopeful that this year Green will break "back out", being his second year removed from wrist problems. He put up similar numbers as Lawrie last year (not saying he is a prospect like Lawrie - older, repeating AA, etc...) and those were under his career norms. Maybe he is being discriminated against in the Brewer's system because he can play defense.

 

Looking at Wheeler, its kind of funny how similar he and Talor are also. Similar size, late round draft picks, similar offensive numbers. Looks like Taylor has the potential for more power, however (if he recovers to his pre-wrist injury state).

[Mass Haas]

WSSP 04/05/2011 Brewer catcher Jonathan Lucroy talks about his rehab in Florida

 

Nice interview, Lucroy's going to be a nice listen all season.

 

Lucroy taking part in scrimmages between Brevard and Huntsville before heading to Jacksonville, where he'll catch through this weekend for the Stars.

 

Plus he enjoyed a couple of nights with home cookin'! Listen in...

[battlekow]

No link, but Adam McCalvy says that RHP Andre Lamontagne has biceps tendinitis but is close to being healthy and will likely report to Huntsville when he is.

[Mass Haas]

From John Sickels' site in his daily minor league notes:One of my favorite sleepers is Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Michael Fiers, a 22nd round pick in 2009. He posted a 130/32 K/BB in 125 innings in High-A and Double-A last year, with 106 hits allowed. He's being used in the bullpen for Double-A Huntsville this season, picking up a save in two games so far, with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts to his credit. He started last year, but in the majors he projects as a reliever, so using him in the relief role in the high minors makes sense. Fiers doesn't have blazing stuff, but he changes speeds brilliantly, throws strikes, and posts outstanding K/BB and K/IP ratios. Many scouts see him as a Quadruple-A guy due to his lack of plus heat, but optimists think he can be a good utility pitcher in the majors, (long relief, fifth starter) due to his savvy. I'm among the optimists, or at least among those who think his performance merits an opportunity.

[TooLiveBrew]

Is there any compelling reason why Peralta wasn't bumped to Nashville this season? I understand he didn't pitch much in Huntsville last season, but does he really need to repeat it at all?

 

 

EDIT: To further clarify that I'm not just basing this off one or two games, Peralta was one of the final two players considered for that 5th spot in Milwaukee. He lasted basically all the way through ST until he had one horrid outing, if my memory serves me. So it's not like the Brewers don't think of him as an advanced talent.

[paul253]

At this rate in about a month or so Peralta should be bumped up to Nashville with Heckathorn replacing him.

[battlekow]

No Brewers made this week's Baseball America Prospect Hot Sheet, but Wily Peralta was close:

Frankie (Pittsburgh): Did Wily Peralta get any consideration for the list? thanks Ben

Ben Badler: A final cut. He wasn't facing the most daunting lineups, but when he's right, he's got solid-average or better stuff across the board. With the shape the Brewers' farm system is in and my lack of faith in Mark Rogers becoming anything more than a serviceable reliever at best, you could make a good case for Peralta being the best arm in that system.

[Tedaldtada]

Got this out of Sickels on a recent AQA thread.

 

 

Wily Peralta

After his hot start, is he gaining some buzz? He looks like a cross of 2009 and 2010 Wily Peralta.

 

by Tedaldtada29 on Apr 14, 2011

 

wily

Too really good outings so far. If that keeps up for another 2-3 starts, buzz will commence. He’s always been somewhat underrated.

 

by John Sickels

[TheCrew07]

I guess that depends on what "Best Arm" means... he doesn't have the best arm in the system, that's Santo Manzanillo. He might have the best arm of the starting pitchers, but Rivas is the best "pitcher" in that group, however Peralta is probably the best all around pitching prospect in the organization as his upside is greater than everyone else at AA+.

[battlekow]

Huntsville Stars pitcher Jesus Sanchez settling in on the mound

John Turner/Huntsville Times

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- For Stars pitcher Jesus Sanchez, moving is just part of being a ballplayer.

In his first year with the Brewers organization, the 23-year-old pitcher already has played in the Yankees and Phillies farm system. He's played in the Gulf Coast League, Florida State League, South Atlantic League, and now, the Southern League.

"It's part of the business, and you've got to get used to it, because you never know what's going to happen," Sanchez said. "Today you're here, and tomorrow you're not here."

But it's not the miles that bother the Venezuela native, it's the positions.

Sanchez, who makes his second start of the season tomorrow at 4:43 p.m. against Carolina, is in his third season as a pitcher. He hopes it will be the third of many.

"When I younger playing baseball, when I was trying to sign, I was an infielder," Sanchez said. "(Coaches) said, 'Have you ever been a catcher before?' I said 'no,' and they said, 'Can you try?' I said 'Yeah, let's go.'

"Then they said, 'Have you pitched before?' I said, 'About two times when I was 6 of 7 years old.' They said 'We're going to make you a pitcher,' and after that, I just try to do everything the coaches tell me to do."

The results so far have been encouraging. In his first year as a pitcher with the Phillies organization in 2009, Sanchez won 10 games with a 3.44 earned-run average. Last season, he lowered his ERA to 2.99 while holding opponents to a .230 batting average.

In his first start for the Stars on April 9 at Jacksonville, Sanchez allowed one run in six innings, striking out three and allowing two hits in the win.

"His first outing, he gave us the opportunity to win a ball game, and we did," Stars coach Mike Guerrero said. "He went six innings, and that's all you can ask for from a starting pitcher at this time."

Guerrero admits they're still in the feeling out process with Sanchez, but when it comes to position-players-turned pitchers, the Stars coach said he's seen it work plenty of times.

"There's certain players out there who have their best ability is in their arm," Guerrero said. "To give them an opportunity to get to the big leagues, they turn them into a pitcher. A lot of times, it works. Look at Trevor Hoffman. He was a shortstop, now he leads the league in saves all-time."

Sanchez said there's no going back to those struggles at the plate or blocking balls in the dirt at this point, but that doesn't mean he's done moving.

"Hopefully, I won't stay here for a long time," Sanchez said. "There's nothing wrong with moving around, but position-wise, I'm done."

Sanchez will start the first game of tomorrow's doubleheader, but he will not throw the first pitch. That honor will go to former Negro League players Carl Holden and Eugene Scruggs, who are on hand to celebrate Jackie Robinson Night.

The second game will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first, when Cody Scarpetta will take the mound for Huntsville.

http://media.al.com/sports_impact/photo/9491585-large.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Earlier we had heard biceps tendinitis for RHP Andre Lamontagne, but Baseball America's J.J. Cooper now lists his status as "shoulder injury".

 

That's not a good trade-off. Here's hoping...

[Mass Haas]

Actually, turns out it was Tom H. who first mentioned the shoulder issue for Andre Lamontagne back on April 6th...sorry about any confusion, although little is definitive when it comes to the prospect injury front.

[Mass Haas]

Stars' Komatsu off to slam-bam encore to his 'Player of the Year' season

By Mark McCarter, The Huntsville Times

 

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Give the kid credit. He knows how to make a comeback.

Most of the summer of 2009 was a wasted season for Erik Komatsu. It started with a knee to the noggin in a third-base collision, causing a concussion, and was followed by a broken wrist and torn hamstring.

Komatsu, in early March of 2010, was given a quick audition by the Milwaukee Brewers in a major league exhibition game and hit a home run.

"That kind of set things up for the whole season," Komatsu said.

He merely went from there to become the organization's Minor League Player of the Year.

Komatsu started 2011 on the Huntsville Stars' disabled list with a strained oblique muscle. But in the eighth game he started he socked a game-winning grand slam, then followed up two nights later by going 4-for-5.

That sets things up for another good season for the 5-foot-10, 175-pound 23-year-old outfielder from Camarillo, Calif. (Despite the Japanese surname, he's American born and bred; one of his grandmothers was born in Japan.)

"He's got a little power," Stars hitting coach Al LeBoeuf said. "He's not a 50-home-run guy by any stretch. But if he gets pitches to hit, he'll run into a few."

Komatsu, an eighth-round draft pick out of Cal State-Fullerton, is batting .372, tops on the team among players with 40 or more at-bats; he's fourth in the Southern League in average among such players. He has an on-base percentage of .471 and he's scored a run in nine of the 12 games he's started.

While the grand slam "was definitely good to get the monkey off my back and hit a homer," Komatsu said, it wasn't any special signature moment.

"That gave him a boost of confidence, but that kid doesn't have any lack of confidence," said manager Mike Guerrero. "He's 'Cool Breeze' -- that's what his teammates call him --and he knows he can hit."

With the cats vs. dogs rivalry of pitchers and hitters, LeBoeuf joked that he didn't want to mention the skills of hitting and pitching in the same sentence, saying, "This is the only time I'll do it."

Both skills require what he called "command of the strike zone."

"(Komatsu) commands the strike zone and gets good pitches to hit," LeBoeuf said. "When he swings at pitches he can handle, he's pretty effective. That's the reason he's going to be a good hitter, because of his command."

That, and a swing Guerrero called "one of the best I've seen for a little guy."

Last year, Komatsu played in 130 games at Class A Brevard County, batting .323 with five home runs and 63 RBIs. He had a .413 on-base percentage, aided by that discerning command of the strike zone that led to 68 walks (compared to 61 strikeouts). He was a Florida State League All-Star.

It was the sort of season that vaulted him onto the top-prospect lists, rescuing himself from near-oblivion after the woes of '09.

"My main focus last year was staying healthy and performing," Komatsu said, admitting the travails of 2009 had left him feeling almost jinxed.

"The biggest thing with a baseball it's a long season and you can't put up any kind of numbers if you're not playing."

It's been a short season so far. But big numbers already for a little guy with a sweet swing.

[Mass Haas]

Given how Erik spells his name, the nickname should be spelled "Kool Breeze".