Your 2015 Brevard County Manatees

[Mass Haas]

Indications are that we will begin to see some formal minor league roster announcements as early as Friday 4/3. The formal announcement will come directly from the Manatees, not the Brewers. All four minor league affiliates will likely send out their press releases within an hour or so of each other once the Brewers have given them the official go-ahead to do so.

 

Opening Night is Thursday 4/9!

 

Feel free to link to any formal notices you see here.

 

Often we learn via farmhand tweets, who has been assigned where, prior to the formal affiliate announcements. We'll link to any of those posts in this thread as they come out.

 

As you might know, we use the "Your 2015" threads to post and link to feature stories that are outside the scope of game activity covered in the Daily Link Report.

 

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

 

Please don't speculate here at this time, this is an anxious time for many on the farm, and unfortunately we're also going to learn about several player releases in the next few days, in addition to those players excited about their assignments.

[Mass Haas]

Via Gord Ash (through the beat reporters) --

 

As expected, Wei-Chung Wang will open in Brevard County's rotation.

[Mass Haas]

Via Adam McCalvy --

 

RE: RHP Hiram Burgos -- Start at Brevard. Hope is AA by mid-May and AAA by All-Star break.

[Mass Haas]

Sunday tweets for the Manatees (click for tweets) --

 

RHP Kaleb Earls -- Earls (stat page) skips Wisconsin

 

OF Omar Garcia

 

RHP Javi Salas

[Mass Haas]

Currently the roster stands at 27 players. The 'Tees will make some roster moves to get to the league's 25-player roster limit before play begins on Thursday in Daytona.

 

Waiting on online link, if one does not appear shortly, will type out roster that has been released...

 

Victor Roache back at Brevard to start 2015.

[BrewersAA]

 

Victor Roache back at Brevard to start 2015.

 

Ouch... i really would like to see him out of the FSL. Maybe we need to start a Free Victor Roache thread.

[Jenkins5]

So guy mashes all spring so u hold him back.... If u want a guy to hit more, best bet is not to hold him back in a league and stadium that is arguably the worse for hitters. Terrible decision in my opinion. Roache, Ramirez, Denson stock all took a nice hit this spring as prospects by being held back

[Mass Haas]

Currently the roster stands at 27 players. The 'Tees will make some roster moves to get to the league's 25-player roster limit before play begins on Thursday in Daytona.

 

C: Garfield, Eshleman, Neda

 

IF: Brennan, Cooper, Halcomb, Macias, McFarland, A. Ortega

 

OF: Coulter, Davis, Garcia, Roache

 

P's: Archer, Burgos, Earls, Gainey, Lieser, Medlen, J. Ortega, Peterson (L), Salas, Seidenberger (L), Spurlin, Terry (L), Wang (L), Woodruff

 

RHP's Woodruff, Earls and Ortega jump over Wisconsin.

[WV Brew]

Looks like a lot of the catchers were held back also. I guess to make room for Centeno and LaTorre.

[Mass Haas]

Also via the beat guys again --

 

Brewers Asst. GM Gord Ash said RHP Taylor Williams will begin year on DL with elbow irritation. Not considered serious.

 

Williams has formally been placed on the Helena roster in a paper move.

[Mass Haas]

Manatees roster now updated on MiLB.com

[brewmann04]

thanks they need to update their Roster Positions though

[TheCrew07]

Ortega jumps past WI, that's interesting.

[Jenkins5]

So brewers see no future in Garfield, 3 straight years without giving him a promotion.... That means we still have zero hope for a catching prospect in our system....

 

Hope Roache goes up when Ratterre is move to BC (assuming)

[Mass Haas]

Miller Park Prospects -- 2015 Preview: Brevard County Manatees (A+)

[Jenkins5]

When judging prospects I like to look at age. For A+ I think 22-23 year old season is the median age for a prospect. I like prospects to be between 20-22 at this level to rate them higher. Once you get to that 23-25 level, you're getting pretty old for the competition. Looking at the age for Brevard players:

 

Pitching

 

1993

Ortega - June (21-22)

Earls - March (22)

Woodruff - February (22)

 

1992

Seidenberger June (22-23)

Terry June (22-23)

Wang April (23 most)

Salas March (23)

 

Position Players

1993

Angel Ortega - September (21 all)

Omar Garcia - August (21 most)

Clint Coulter - July (21 most)

 

1992

Chris McFarland - November (22 all season)

Taylor Brennen - January (23 all season)

 

1991

Victor Roache -September (23 all season)

 

A. Ortega, Garcia, Coulter, McFarland, J. Ortega, Earls, Woodruff, are all good age (under 23) for a prospect at this level to be rated a little higher in rankings.

 

Roache, Brennen, Wang are all still decent prospects based on age....however, Roache and Wang would rank high by starting out in AA. Brennen is where he needs to be, he is a Taylor Green type prospect.

[Mass Haas]

Not sure exactly how the two players were allocated to make room (DL stints, transfers, etc.), but to get to the 25-man roster limit from 27, catcher Paul Eshleman and RHP Tristan Archer were dropped from the Manatees Opening Day roster. We should learn more by end-of-day.

[TheCrew07]

Watch the video, Clint Coulter discussed.

 

BA Today (April 24): Former Catchers And A Blocked Second Baseman

April 24, 2015 by Staff Report

[Hammer]

Ladies and gentlemen: Clint (Freaking) Coulter. That video and Hot Sheet reference came before his 4-5, HR, 3 RBI, 3R game yesterday.

 

Season to date:

AVG .338

OBP .434

SLG .708

OPS 1.142

 

I'm starting to think that the offensive future for the Brewers is getting brighter by the day with Coulter, Arcia, Taylor and even Roache (big improvement this year)...

[torts]

Ladies and gentlemen: Clint (Freaking) Coulter. That video and Hot Sheet reference came before his 4-5, HR, 3 RBI, 3R game yesterday.

 

Season to date:

AVG .338

OBP .434

SLG .708

OPS 1.142

 

I'm starting to think that the offensive future for the Brewers is getting brighter by the day with Coulter, Arcia, Taylor and even Roache (big improvement this year)...

 

cant wait to see his numbers in Colorado Springs!

[bork]

It will be interesting to see what they do about promotions if Coulter and Roache continue to mash. Plenty of opportunities in AAA, but none of the AA guys are really ready for promotion.

[Mass Haas]

Sorry for the duplication from the Link Report, placed here for future archiving when we'll marvel at Clint's year in High-A on his way to big league stardom...

 

FSL notes: Coulter comfortable with switch

Manatees outfielder thriving at the plate following move from catcher

By Guy Curtright / Special to MiLB.com

[TheCrew07]

Sorry for the duplication from the Link Report, placed here for future archiving when we'll marvel at Clint's year in High-A on his way to big league stardom...

 

FSL notes: Coulter comfortable with switch

Manatees outfielder thriving at the plate following move from catcher

By Guy Curtright / Special to MiLB.com

 

I found this little tidbit interesting:

"When the Brewers worked me out before the Draft, they had me take some fly balls," Coulter said. "Maybe they were thinking about me in the outfield even then."

[Mass Haas]

Manatees' McFarland gets into swing of things in May

Michael Parsons, Florida Today

 

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/337d88cbb36c9b6e2ac85e7526f827cc19dbfbaa/c=246-0-4043-2848&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2015/05/31/Brevard/B9317524249Z.1_20150531174856_000_GK7AUK77J.1-0.jpg

 

Brevard County’s Chris McFarland gets high fives after scoring a run during a recent game. (Photo: Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY)

 

Don't tell Chris McFarland that he is on a hot streak.

 

The Brevard County Manatees second baseman would rather think of it as his new norm.

 

The Lufkin, Texas, native came into the month hitting .233 and will leave hitting close to .300. In 29 games this month, he is hitting .345 and has recorded at least one hit in all but five of them with 14 multi-hit games.

 

"It's all about being consistent for me, not trying to be too big, just hit singles and doubles and steal some bags," McFarland said before a game last week.

 

It is a philosophy that he has had since he was a young boy, growing up like many his age idolizing Derek Jeter.

 

"I grew up watching Derek Jeter, that is my type of game," McFarland said. "Even when I was younger I had an oppo-type of swing, every pitch — even if it is an inside pitch — I am trying to stay right up the middle with it."

 

Like Jeter, McFarland grew up playing shortstop but was moved to second base once he became a pro.

 

"Honestly, my first year of pro ball it was hard. The hardest thing was the double play turns because it is totally different," McFarland said. "I have a lot of work to do still, but I feel very comfortable at second base now. I love it there."

 

The 22-year-old has also found his way to the top of the batting order, hitting either first or second in the lineup now that leadoff hitter Johnny Davis is out for the season.

 

"I love the two-hole, it is probably my favorite," said McFarland, who comes in with 60 hits already this season. "You can do a variety of things, bunt, hit and run, drag bunt. A lot of stuff."

 

And that is what makes the right-handed hitter so special: he can do so many different things to help the team win.

 

"He has a great approach at the plate," Manatees manager Joe Ayrault said. "He gives you quality at-bats, seeing it really well and is just really focused right now."

 

McFarland has always been focused on his goal, which was to play professionally.

 

But the decision was not an easy one when he was drafted in the 18th round out of Lufkin High School.

 

"It was a tough decision, one of the toughest of my life," McFarland admitted.

 

And he waited until the final day to make that decision. He was actually already enrolled at Rice University and was not sure he was going to sign.

 

"Honestly, I have no regrets," McFarland said. "I love the pro ball atmosphere and what I have learned over the four years ... I can always go back to college and get my degree."

 

But, for now, he is concentrating on his game and seeing just how far it can take him.

[Mass Haas]

Four Manatees Selected to 2015 FSL All-Star Game

Coulter, Roache, McFarland and Ortega to Represent Brevard County

By Dave Walkovic / Brevard County Manatees

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/5/2/6/129302526/cuts/All_Star_Collage_960x540_7jmupb0h_j7x7egq0.jpg

 

Congrats, guys!