Dbacks block
Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 9:53 am
A couple stories about players on the block - Allie & Sappington (w/ a mention of already traded Dilson Herrera).
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Bucs' Allie slugs two more home runs
Converted pitcher rediscovers approach after power outage
By Jake Seiner - Special to MLB.com - 5/21/13
The biggest adjustment Stetson Allie has had to make this season has been trying to keep everything the same.
The former pitcher has been perhaps the Minor League's most intriguing story, breaking out as one of the South Atlantic League's premier sluggers after retooling his plate approach to seek and destroy outside fastballs.
After struggling to maintain that approach over the past couple of weeks, the West Virginia first baseman has rediscovered his stroke, blasting a pair of homers in Tuesday night's 9-3 triumph over Kannapolis.
The 6-foot-2, 238-pound Pirates prospect has four homers in his last five games after failing to go deep in his previous 14 contests. With 12 homers, he's tied with Hickory's Joey Gallo for second in the South Atlantic League.
"The past week or so, I had been getting away from my approach," Allie said. "Over the past three or so days, I've gotten back to it. I'm working hard in my early work on seeing the ball and sticking to what I do best."
What Allie has done best is abuse South Atlantic League pitchers who decide to throw him fastballs away. The Ohio native discovered this spring that he has more than enough power to drive balls the opposite way with authority. He also had found himself susceptible to professional breaking balls last year in a 42-game stint in the Gulf Coast League as he tried hitting from his heels -- like he did in high school.
Former Major Leaguer Orlando Merced coached Allie, preaching to him to look for fastballs away. The goal is for Allie to punish those heaters when he gets them in a hittable location. And because he's already focused on staying back and waiting for those balls to travel further, he's found more success timing off-speed pitches.
"If I stay with the same thing, I can see breaking pitches and changeups better," he explained. "It just works out that way."
As the power numbers piled up, Allie found himself abandoning the approach. He batted .213 (10-for-47) with only three extra-base hits during the 14-game homer drought.
"That just kind of crept in," he said. "I just tried to do too much. What I do best is hit balls to right field, and I got away from it, trying to hit that 500-foot bomb. When I do that, it's not me."
Extra work in batting practice corrected Allie's mind-set in short order. And ever since he homered in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, he's been back on track. Allie hit his drought-ender on a 3-2 changeup, driving the ball to left field in exactly the fashion he game-plans.
"Most of the home runs I hit to right or center field are off fastballs," he said. "If I pull the ball, usually it's a breaking ball or a changeup. When I'm on the fastball and hit it to right field, I know everything is all timed up and I'm on. I just need to keep doing that every day."
That held true Tuesday. Allie connected off Intimidators starter Euclides Leyer in the first inning, driving an outside fastball out to right field. In the sixth, Ryan Bollinger challenged Allie with a breaking ball and left it middle-in, and Allie pulled it for a solo shot to left.
The latter home run was the Power's second of the inning, as Dilson Herrera also took Bollinger deep. Herrera, the Pirates' No. 20 prospect, has three homers in his last nine games and five for the season. He's hitting .305 with an .844 OPS.
"He's got some tremendous hands," Allie said. "He's a tremendous player. He has all the tools as a second baseman. He has power, a big glove, he can run and he's just a great ballplayer."
Cal notes: Sappington's star rising
Big right-hander beginning to dominate with Inland Empire
By George Alfano - Special to MLB.com - 5/22/13
Four years ago, Mark Sappington was a smart high school student with an 85 mph fastball and exactly one college interested in him as a pitcher. Now he's the Los Angeles Angels' No. 9 prospect and the organization's reigning Minor League Pitcher of the Month.
The 22-year-old right-hander has started the season with a 5-0 record and 2.05 ERA for the Inland Empire 66ers, who have won all nine games Sappington has started.
"I'm doing what I need to be successful," said Sappington, adding, "I almost played football instead of baseball in college."
A native of Peculiar, Mo., the 6-foot-5 Sappington attended Division II Rockhurst College in Kansas City and was a star in academics -- posting a 3.75 GPA with a double major in Economics and Financial Accounting -- while his pitching skills were a work-in-progress.
"The summer before my junior year, [Rockhurst coach] Daryl Cronk taught me the slider," said Sappington, who said he hasn't thrown a curveball in a year.
He's gained 35 pounds since high school, tipping the scales at 225, and about 10 mph on his fastball, which now sits between 92-95 and can reach as high as 98. With this increase in velocity, Sappington became the highest Draft pick taken out of Rockhurst when the Angels selected in the fifth round in 2012.
"We have competitive bullpen drills, and there isn't too much sideways rotation in his body when he delivers the ball," said 66ers pitching coach Brandon Emmanuel. "He does what he needs to do to improve and isn't caught up in the 'I'm in professional baseball' attitude."
To complement his fastball and slider, teammate Mike Morin showed him a changeup prior to this season. Morin, who is also from the Kansas City area, has been promoted from setup man to closer for the 66ers and has recorded four saves since May 12.
"It isn't so much that he taught me the changeup as he showed me the whole mentality of when to throw the change and how to go after hitters," Sappington said.
Opposing batters are hitting .204 against Sappington, who has 49 strikeouts and 20 walks in 52 2/3 innings prior to last night's scheduled start. He has yielded only 39 hits and three home runs, and he gets most of his outs on ground balls, with a 1.74 grounder-to-fly-ball ratio.
"He's not a thrower -- he's a pitcher," said 66ers manager Bill Haselman, who played 13 years in the Majors at catcher. "He throws downhill, which means everything ends up right around a batter's knees."
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Bucs' Allie slugs two more home runs
Converted pitcher rediscovers approach after power outage
By Jake Seiner - Special to MLB.com - 5/21/13
The biggest adjustment Stetson Allie has had to make this season has been trying to keep everything the same.
The former pitcher has been perhaps the Minor League's most intriguing story, breaking out as one of the South Atlantic League's premier sluggers after retooling his plate approach to seek and destroy outside fastballs.
After struggling to maintain that approach over the past couple of weeks, the West Virginia first baseman has rediscovered his stroke, blasting a pair of homers in Tuesday night's 9-3 triumph over Kannapolis.
The 6-foot-2, 238-pound Pirates prospect has four homers in his last five games after failing to go deep in his previous 14 contests. With 12 homers, he's tied with Hickory's Joey Gallo for second in the South Atlantic League.
"The past week or so, I had been getting away from my approach," Allie said. "Over the past three or so days, I've gotten back to it. I'm working hard in my early work on seeing the ball and sticking to what I do best."
What Allie has done best is abuse South Atlantic League pitchers who decide to throw him fastballs away. The Ohio native discovered this spring that he has more than enough power to drive balls the opposite way with authority. He also had found himself susceptible to professional breaking balls last year in a 42-game stint in the Gulf Coast League as he tried hitting from his heels -- like he did in high school.
Former Major Leaguer Orlando Merced coached Allie, preaching to him to look for fastballs away. The goal is for Allie to punish those heaters when he gets them in a hittable location. And because he's already focused on staying back and waiting for those balls to travel further, he's found more success timing off-speed pitches.
"If I stay with the same thing, I can see breaking pitches and changeups better," he explained. "It just works out that way."
As the power numbers piled up, Allie found himself abandoning the approach. He batted .213 (10-for-47) with only three extra-base hits during the 14-game homer drought.
"That just kind of crept in," he said. "I just tried to do too much. What I do best is hit balls to right field, and I got away from it, trying to hit that 500-foot bomb. When I do that, it's not me."
Extra work in batting practice corrected Allie's mind-set in short order. And ever since he homered in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, he's been back on track. Allie hit his drought-ender on a 3-2 changeup, driving the ball to left field in exactly the fashion he game-plans.
"Most of the home runs I hit to right or center field are off fastballs," he said. "If I pull the ball, usually it's a breaking ball or a changeup. When I'm on the fastball and hit it to right field, I know everything is all timed up and I'm on. I just need to keep doing that every day."
That held true Tuesday. Allie connected off Intimidators starter Euclides Leyer in the first inning, driving an outside fastball out to right field. In the sixth, Ryan Bollinger challenged Allie with a breaking ball and left it middle-in, and Allie pulled it for a solo shot to left.
The latter home run was the Power's second of the inning, as Dilson Herrera also took Bollinger deep. Herrera, the Pirates' No. 20 prospect, has three homers in his last nine games and five for the season. He's hitting .305 with an .844 OPS.
"He's got some tremendous hands," Allie said. "He's a tremendous player. He has all the tools as a second baseman. He has power, a big glove, he can run and he's just a great ballplayer."
Cal notes: Sappington's star rising
Big right-hander beginning to dominate with Inland Empire
By George Alfano - Special to MLB.com - 5/22/13
Four years ago, Mark Sappington was a smart high school student with an 85 mph fastball and exactly one college interested in him as a pitcher. Now he's the Los Angeles Angels' No. 9 prospect and the organization's reigning Minor League Pitcher of the Month.
The 22-year-old right-hander has started the season with a 5-0 record and 2.05 ERA for the Inland Empire 66ers, who have won all nine games Sappington has started.
"I'm doing what I need to be successful," said Sappington, adding, "I almost played football instead of baseball in college."
A native of Peculiar, Mo., the 6-foot-5 Sappington attended Division II Rockhurst College in Kansas City and was a star in academics -- posting a 3.75 GPA with a double major in Economics and Financial Accounting -- while his pitching skills were a work-in-progress.
"The summer before my junior year, [Rockhurst coach] Daryl Cronk taught me the slider," said Sappington, who said he hasn't thrown a curveball in a year.
He's gained 35 pounds since high school, tipping the scales at 225, and about 10 mph on his fastball, which now sits between 92-95 and can reach as high as 98. With this increase in velocity, Sappington became the highest Draft pick taken out of Rockhurst when the Angels selected in the fifth round in 2012.
"We have competitive bullpen drills, and there isn't too much sideways rotation in his body when he delivers the ball," said 66ers pitching coach Brandon Emmanuel. "He does what he needs to do to improve and isn't caught up in the 'I'm in professional baseball' attitude."
To complement his fastball and slider, teammate Mike Morin showed him a changeup prior to this season. Morin, who is also from the Kansas City area, has been promoted from setup man to closer for the 66ers and has recorded four saves since May 12.
"It isn't so much that he taught me the changeup as he showed me the whole mentality of when to throw the change and how to go after hitters," Sappington said.
Opposing batters are hitting .204 against Sappington, who has 49 strikeouts and 20 walks in 52 2/3 innings prior to last night's scheduled start. He has yielded only 39 hits and three home runs, and he gets most of his outs on ground balls, with a 1.74 grounder-to-fly-ball ratio.
"He's not a thrower -- he's a pitcher," said 66ers manager Bill Haselman, who played 13 years in the Majors at catcher. "He throws downhill, which means everything ends up right around a batter's knees."