Minor League Notes: AAA Salt Lake

Yesterday was Opening Day for the minor leaguers, which comes with less fanfare than its major league counterpart but also comes with a diverse selection of entertainment. Everything from baby racing, field maintenance workers dancing to Bruno Mars, to a man standing atop the stadium and pelting unsuspecting victims with squishy baseballs for fun. You just don’t get that sort of environment in the major leagues. The minor league games also offer us a chance to watch the future of the Angels organization in action. Here’s what went on last night in the AAA Salt Lake Bees opener.

• Adam Wilk was the starting pitcher and was very effective through 5 innings. In scuting him, I didn’t see much in the way of off-speed pitches, or at least effective ones, but he really didn’t need them. His 88-90 mph fastball with movement painted the outer corners and kept hitters from squaring him up. I doubt we see Wilk with the Angels this year but he did show to be rather slid AAA depth.

• Kyle Kubitza was probably the most physically impressive of all the prospects. He’s every bit as big as he’s listed (6’3 220 lbs), but he’s also quite athletic. He showed a big swing with a small load, leading me to believe this is all going to translate to the majors. There aren’t any timing mechanisms or glaring approaches that will be hampering him at the next level. He finishes with his hands high (straight from the Tony Gwynn school of hitting) and swings through the ball. He seems to be more line-drive oriented but given his uppercut swing, size, strength and athleticism, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he ended up hitting for power. In the later innings when they brought in relievers to face him, he did the smart thing and acted as a statue in the batter’s box until they threw a strike, which didn’t happen. He should post solid OBP numbers this year and in the pros. On the bases, this guy runs like a gazelle. Very long strides and he can absolutely fly, much faster than I would’ve though. I’m not sure he has the quickness to steal bases only 90 feet away, but in terms of going first to third, Kubitza’s a “plus” runner, which is surprising given his size. In the field, the Angels had him playing behind the bag most of the night. The opposition tried bunting on him several times but they couldn’t get one down. He isn’t a “plus” defender at all and will need more time at 3B to even become adequate but I’m confident that in time he will be. Very excited about this acquisition for the Angels.

• Grant Green was impressive at a level that didn’t show up in the box score. I’ve always seen his arm as more of a “fringe” tool, kind of on the weaker side, but in LF he showed an accurate cannon despite a slower first step and non-efficient routes to the ball. I had no idea Green could huck it 200+ feet on a line without a crow hop and hit his mark perfectly every time. Offensively, it was the same Grant Green we know. Great contact, line-drive approach. While he only recorded one hit, he also had two loud outs, one liner in the gap and one he just got under to dead-center that traveled 400 feet instead of the 405 needed to leave the park.

• Josh Rutledge just did not look comfortable in the field at all last night. He booted routine grounders, seemed heavy footed, throws didn’t have a ton on them. At the plate was a different story though, he was smashing line drives all over the field, a couple of which he hit too hard and they stayed up for the outfielder. It seems to me he’d be better off at 2B or the OF like Green.

• Alex Yarbrough showed a lot out there. Defensively, he’s got a decent glove and decent arm. They aren’t in the “plus” category but his footwork is fine and he seems to be holding his own in the infield. Offensively, in his first AB he went down on three pitches, his second wasn’t much better. But his third and fourth AB’s were what I expected from a AA MVP. Relaxed approach at the plate, quick left-handed swing that’s aesthetically pleasing. Like Kubitza he finishes with his hands high and drives through the ball. He shouldn’t hit for much HR power but should record his fair share of doubles. Decent runner in the field too.

• Carlos Perez put on a clinic behind the dish last night. His lateral movement is the best I’ve seen since (gulp!) Jeff Mathis. His motions are quick behind the plate and throws an absolute seed to 2B. The Rivercats didn’t bother pretending to run on him, even when their faster runner were on. Offensively, Perez has a habit of jumping at the pitch, he doesn’t stay back at all, which makes him quite susceptible to the off-speed pitch. When he does have his timing down and quiets his movements we see that he can spray line drives into the OF. He’ll be a marquee defensive catcher at the next level.

• Cam Bedrosian had a bit different of an approach last night. Instead of unleashing the 94-96 mph four-seam fastballs I’m used to seeing from him, he instead deployed a 90-93 mph cut fastball that gave batter fits. I’m not sure if this was by design, but it certainly seemed to be. Bedrosian’s slider was the same it’s always been, lethal, filthy, crazy or whatever word you want to use to describe it. His motion to the plate is also quicker, more simplistic than it was in AA last season.