The Anthony Banda Chronicles

[Mass Haas]

I am well-documented elsewhere on our forum regarding my feelings on the loss of LHP Anthony Banda in the Gerardo Parra trade, but for more detail here --

 

In his age 21 season, Banda hasn't missed a beat and is excelling in the notoriously pitcher-evil California League, as these numbers will show through four starts.

 

Mitch Haniger who? He was the throw-in!

 

In Banda's combined most recent 72.2 innings in the Brewer and Diamondback systems, he has allowed 11 earned runs (1.35 ERA) with fantastic peripherals.

 

At some point this summer, Arizona will bump up Banda to escape California, and he'll be a 21-year-old taking on Biloxi bats in the Southern League.

 

If he were still in the Brewers' system, would he be the top lefty in the system? Wei-Chung Wang? Hobbs Johnson (24 years old today)? Kodi Medeiros until proven otherwise?

 

With each Banda appearance, does current Milwaukee VP of Amateur Scouting Ray Montgomery, who certainly had a voice with Arizona in acquiring Banda, knock on Doug's door, and say "why did you let us grab Anthony?"

 

When the Brewers move Parra this summer, they'd be doing well to get that kind of value.

[TURBO]

I was crushed when they traded him, I saw some great appearances in a t-rats uniform, and he was also a friendly kid in the auto lines...

 

Still bums me out.

[Outlander]

Just dumb to throw him in the trade like they did. Both Wang and Banda are at A+ now and they did everything to keep Wang but basically just give Banda away plus Banda isn't on the 40 man. Just embarrassing when their pitching in the minors has been so pathetic for so long. Made a couple of small trades last summer but they were both pretty bad.

[JohnBriggs12]

Definitely a very bad deal. Could have been justified if Parra met a glaring need, but he didn't. He added some depth to the OF that was missing, but as a PH, he was kind of eh and he wasn't going to provide the offense missing because of Braun's thumb issue. You should not have surrendered a promising young arm like Banda to get that kind of help.

[Mass Haas]

For MiLB.TV subscribers: There's only one California League franchise with MiLB.TV (San Jose), and that's where Anthony Banda's Visalia team plays tonight (9:00 PM Central), so I'll look forward to sampling that, more likely to catch it on the archive.

[LouisEly]

Lots of guys have looked great in A-ball, some even in AA, but couldn't cut it in AAA or the majors. Let's wait until he's doing this 15 starts into AA before mass hand-wringing and head-banging-on-wall-ing.

[Mass Haas]

For MiLB.TV subscribers: There's only one California League franchise with MiLB.TV (San Jose), and that's where Anthony Banda's Visalia team plays tonight (9:00 PM Central), so I'll look forward to sampling that, more likely to catch it on the archive.

 

Promise we won't detail every Banda start, but since we mentioned this game was available to watch online, we'll link to the box score and post his line: 5 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

 

If you're an MiLB.TV subscriber, you know how to find the April 30th archive.

[jerichoholicninja]

Lots of guys have looked great in A-ball, some even in AA, but couldn't cut it in AAA or the majors. Let's wait until he's doing this 15 starts into AA before mass hand-wringing and head-banging-on-wall-ing.

 

This 100%.

[trwi7]

Would still be nice to have two solid prospects instead of a $6 million Gerardo Parra.

[DHonks]

I never got the trade. An avg-at-best OF for 2 prospects is frustrating. We should be moving Parra soon and getting something in return. I'm comfortable with Rogers, Clark, Schafer, and Herrera for backup OF spots if needed

[Outlander]

Lots of guys have looked great in A-ball, some even in AA, but couldn't cut it in AAA or the majors. Let's wait until he's doing this 15 starts into AA before mass hand-wringing and head-banging-on-wall-ing.

Definitely don't agree, even if he fails it wasn't a very forward thinking move. They take one step forward with Wang then another step back with Banda. There is no reason for the Brewers to have traded a promising left hander for a backup outfielder that Schafer often plays ahead of. On a small scale it shows everything that is wrong with the way the Brewers do things.

[Mass Haas]

Banda twirls first complete-game shutout

No. 25 D-backs prospect scatters five hits over nine frames for Visalia

By Ashley Marshall / MiLB.com

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/4/7/6/129197476/cuts/banda960_l1ahaodk_f2mf4sv8.jpg

 

Anthony Banda lowered his California League ERA to 3.90 in Sunday's outing. (Ken Weisenberger/MiLB.com)

 

Pitching in the hitter-friendly California League has been a new experience for Arizona southpaw Anthony Banda. On Sunday, he continued to learn about what it takes to succeed at that level.

 

Arizona's No. 25 prospect scattered five hits and a walk while striking out five batters over nine innings in the Visalia Rawhide's 3-0 win over the host Bakersfield Blaze at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

 

It was Banda's first complete-game shutout of his four-year professional career, which has included 50 starts and 16 relief appearances.

 

"I've never thrown a shutout before, so obviously it was a great one and I could not ask for more," he said. "As a team, we played very well and I had great defense behind me.

 

"By far, this is the best start of my career. Anybody will agree with me that if you throw a complete-game shutout or whatever, it'll be the best start of your career unless you have something better like a perfect game or something like that."

 

Banda (5-3) faced four batters about the minimum and didn't allow a runner to reach third base in tossing the first complete-game shutout in the Cal League this year.

 

Selected by the Brewers in the 10th round of the 2012 Draft, he worked around a two-out walk to Tim Lopes in the first inning and a one-out single to Kyle Petty in the second before setting down the next eight batters.

 

Petty and Carlton Tanabe singled in the fifth, but Banda struck out Aaron Barbosa, and he rolled an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play to erase Rayder Ascanio's bunt single in the sixth.

 

Barbosa singled with two outs in the eighth, but the 21-year-old Texas native set down 10 of the final 11 batters he faced to complete the shutout.

 

"It was mainly a mix of everything, but you have to start by establishing the fastball and showing them you can throw to both sides of the plate and locate where you need to," Banda said. "I threw the curveball for strikes and expanded the zone when I needed to and made them chase the pitches I wanted them to. Everything was really spot-on and the fastball was what established everything.

 

"I threw the curveball in counts where we thought it would be good, such as 0-1 or 2-1, or in fastball counts to get them to roll over or pop it up or something. When I got back to even or ahead, I'd put them away with a fastball or expand the zone with a breaking ball."

 

The 6-foot-2 hurler has had mixed success in his first year at the new level. For every start in which he's posted zeros, there has been another in which he's allowed four or more runs.

 

After starting the year 3-0 with a 1.65 ERA in his first three outings, Banda then allowed 23 runs over his next six starts, including six runs over four innings in Rancho Cucamonga on May 5 and six more in Lake Elsinore on May 21, when he failed to make it out of the first inning.

 

Since then, things have been better. He spun five shutout innings against the Blaze on May 27 and allowed two earned runs -- five in total -- against Modesto on Monday.

 

"[it is] the tempo," Banda said of the difference between his good and bad starts. "Having a good tempo continuously and being aggressive and having confidence in what I can do and what I'm able to do. No matter what happens -- good, bad or indifferent -- I have to stay aggressive. I have to stay within myself and battle through and show the team I'm going to fight for [them]."

 

Visalia left fielder Alex Glenn went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, catcher Tyler Baker collected two hits and center fielder Breland Almadova contributed a run and an RBI out of the No. 9 spot.

 

Bakersfield starter Brett Ash (2-4) allowed three runs -- one earned -- on eight hits and a walk while striking out one batter over six innings.

 

***

 

Only comment from me at this time is that Banda will rank much higher than #25 on the D-Backs list heading into 2016. - MH

[TURBO]

Good for him, bad for us... *sigh*

[Mass Haas]

Latest on LHP Anthony Banda (MiLB Player Page)

 

Two most recent starts -- 14.1 IP, 12 H, 1 ER 1 BB, 16 K

 

Thrown to the wolves of California League ballparks in his age-21 season, Banda (pronounced Bonda) is 2nd in the Cal League in innings (114.2) and K's (107 strikeouts, only 30 walks).

 

Of the 25 pitchers who have thrown enough innings to qualify among Cal League pitching leaders (link), Banda is 8th in ERA and tied for 12th in WHIP, tied for 5th in fewest HR's allowed.

 

And apparently, the Diamondbacks just love Banda, and won't it be fun to see him going up against the Biloxi Shuckers next spring with Mobile.

 

FYI -- Former #1 draft pick Dylan Bundy (2010, 14th overall), a year older than Banda, is among the qualifying pitchers you'll see on that leaderboard list.

 

It will be interesting to see what the perceived value is of this week's Gerardo Parra deal acquisitions, and to determine if Banda (even minus Mitch Haniger, demoted to High-A six weeks ago) would provide a more desirable benefit.

[CheezWizHed]

Would still be nice to have two solid prospects instead of a $6 million Gerardo Parra.

 

Could be interesting that we might have our cake and eat it too! Its not often that you trade for someone and increase their value. Here is hoping for a good return on Parra.

[Mass Haas]

(Parra trade # 1)

 

LHP Anthony Banda's most recent start -- 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 13 K

 

Last three starts -- 20.1 IP, 17 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 29 K

 

But in perspective -- newcomer RHP Zach Davies (Parra trade #2) is only six months older and is doing his thing at AAA (Banda's at High-A, Cal League).

[Mass Haas]

Asked this question today to Bill Mitchell, doing the Baseball America Top 10 Diamondbacks list

 

***

 

Remember, I love Zach Davies, thank you Gerardo!

[Mass Haas]

Anthony Banda and Others Impress on the Mound

[Mass Haas]

Reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week Banda values unique advice

Hall of Famer Johnson shares mound knowledge with D-backs lefty

[Mass Haas]

Southern League 3rd best 2.12 ERA...

 

Mobile's Banda tosses up eight more zeros

No. 14 D-backs prospect allows two hits, ties season high with nine K's

By Michael Peng / MiLB.com

 

[QuevedosTongue]

Banda is like bruise on Mass Haas's leg that he feels compelled to keep pressing his finger on. And it hurts every single time.

[Outlander]

Mitch Haniger who? He was the throw-in!

It appears that he has finally figured things out at 25. Hitting 311/419/529 between AA and AAA this year. Could end up being a heck of a trade for Arizona. Since the Brewers received Davies in return for Parra it doesn't hurt as much for me anymore but still would be nice to have Banda in the system.