Road to Blake Street Newsletter #2 - Week of 4/12 to 4/17
Welcome back to the most exciting part of your day! We are two weeks into the season and each affiliate has played a road series and a home series. Hopefully, you were able to settle in for a game or two. I can’t stress this enough, Rockies fans are incredibly lucky to have the affiliates that we do! Each team had a fantastic opening series, with the stadiums filled and the camera crews doing work. After watching the Fresno at San Jose series this week, it is hard to find good camera work!
I joke, I just wanted a reason to show that snag by friend of the pod, Zach Kokoska.
How well do you know the new baseball rules? Have you heard of a pitch clock? This was the first week it was introduced and it started off with a bang! Nick Kennedy, Yard Goats arm barn, pitched a very efficient inning. (Humblebrag: we had this posted before MiLB Twitter posted a similar topic on their feed the next day.)
Let’s dive into the affiliates!
Albuquerque Isotopes
Series Record: 4-2 vs Rainers
Overall Record: 5-7
The Isotopes snagged a series win against Tacoma backed by some starting pitching performances and a few notable offensive outbursts. Ryan Feltner had a decent start, going 5.1 giving up 3 (2 earned) and striking out 5. MiLB signings Dillon Overton and Zach Neal each turned in 5 quality innings en route to victories. Jake Bird notched 3 scoreless innings on the week. On the other side, Elehuris Montero notched 6 hits, including a home run, Colton Welker hit .412 with 2 homers, and Aaron’s guy Sean Bouchard had 7 hits including 2 triples and a homer.
The Isotopes are heading back out on the road to Round Rock to face off with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate. Their roster is headlined by Colorado raised Cole Winn.
Friends of the Pod - Weekly performances
Wynton Bernard - 1.746 OPS, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 6 RBI, .500 BA
Taylor Snyder - .917 OPS, 1 double, 5 hits
Frank Duncan - 2 starts, 4.2 IP, 12 ER, 6 K, 3.85 WHIP
Top Prospects:
Elehuris Montero - .865 OPS, 1 homer, 4 RBI, .316 BA
Ryan Vilade - .748 OPS, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, .300 BA
Colton Welker - 1.238 OPS, 2 homers, 6 RBI, .412 BA
Ryan Feltner - 1 start, 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 5K, 1.5 WHIP, 3.38 ERA
Fire Performance:
Sean Bouchard - 1.222 OPS, 1 double, 2 triples, 1 homer, 5 RBI, .389 BA
Zach Neal - 1 start, 5 IP, 3 K, 1 hit, 0 BB, 0.200 WHIP, 0 ERA
Dillon Overton - 1 start, 5 IP, 9 K, 1.00 WHIP, 5.40 ERA
Hartford Yard Goats
Series Record: 2-4
Overall Record: 4-5
The Goats dropped a tough series to a loaded New Hampshire Fisher Cats roster (Toronto affiliate). Two games were postponed, leading to two doubleheaders. Talk about a wash, am I right?
Willie MacIver has gotten off to a scorching start. This week he added two homers. Pitching headliners Karl Kauffmann and Noah Davis pitched good -- not great -- though Davis was excellent in his second start. Ezequiel Tovar cooled down after a ridiculous start to the year but he still turned in some quality games. Bullpen studs Gavin Hollowell, Dugan Darnell, and PJ Poulin also didn’t have their way.
Fortunately, the load was carried by Jimmy Herron who knocked two balls out of the yard. He was injured most of 2021 but has a 1.985 OPS to start 2022. Keep an eye on him as the Yard Goats head out to Somerset (Yankees affiliate) for the week.
Friends of the Pod:
Hunter Stovall - .650 OPS, 2 SB, 2 BB, 0 K (10 PA)
Coco Montes - .749 OPS, 2 SB, 5 BB, 1 RBI
Willie MacIver - .878 OPS, 2 homers, 5 RBI, .188 BA
Karl Kauffman - 1 start, 4.2 IP, 8 K, 1 BB, 1.714 WHIP, 1.93 ERA
Noah Davis - 2 starts, 8.2 IP, 13 K, 1.269 WHIP, 8.31 ERA (7 ER in game 1, 1 ER in game 2)
Dugan Darnell - 1 G, 1 IP, 1 ER, 1 K, 3.00 WHIP, 9 ERA
Nick Bush - 1 start, 5 IP, 6 ER, 5 K, 1 BB, 1.8 WHIP, 10.8 ERA
Top Prospects:
Brenton Doyle - .105 OPS, 2 BB, 1 RBI, 0.00 BA
Ezequiel Tovar - .535 OPS, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 SB, .177 BA
Aaron Schunk - .491 OPS, 1 double, 1 homer, 3 RBI, .111 BA
Michael Toglia - .558 OPS, 4 RBI, 1 SB, .211 BA
Fire Performance:
Jimmy Herron - 1.571 OPS, 1 double, 2 homers, 2 RBI, .571 BA
Kyle Datres - 1.250 OPS, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 SB, .500 BA
Nick Kennedy - 2 games, 2 IP, 5 K, 0.00 WHIP, 0.00 ERA
Spokane Indians
Weekly Record: 2-4
Overall Record: 3-6
Spokane played against Eugene in some wild conditions. Rain, snow, cold -- you name it -- the Indians and Emeralds played in it. Spokane’s bats cooled down in their first road series of the ‘22 campaign in a low-scoring series. With a team OPS hovering over .500, the squad scored a measly 19 runs in the 6-game series. The starting pitching for Spokane did make waves as Joe Rock was rock solid in his 1 outing, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on a home run that could have easily ended in a strikeout two pitches before. Tony Locey did his part on the bump with a quality start while Restituyo did his best Zac Veen impression and stole home (kind of). Drew Romo and Grant Lavigne joined Veen with a relatively quiet week.
Fortunately, Shelby Lackey provided a boost, navigating two scoreless appearances. 2021 UDFA Luke Taggart is also pulling weight, recording 4 more scoreless innings, bringing him up to 6 scoreless frames on the year to go along with 8 Ks.
Spokane heads to Hillsboro (Arizona affiliate) for what should hopefully be a less wacky weather series.
Friends of the Pod:
Grant Lavigne - .188 SLG, 1 double, .125 BA
Shelby Lackey - 2 games, 2 IP, 1 K, 0.000 WHIP, 0.00 ERA
Joe Rock - 1 start, 5 IP, 8 K, 2 ER, 0.800 WHIP, 3.60 ERA
Top Prospects
Zac Veen - .510 OPS, 2 RBI, 5 SB, .177 BA
Drew Romo - .501 OPS, 1 double, 3 RBI, 1 SB, .217 BA
Fire Performance
Bladimir Restituyo - .915 OPS, 3 doubles, 3 RBI, 1 SB, .375 BA
Colin Simpson - 1.117 OPS, 1 double, 1 homer, 2 RBI, .300 BA
Andrew Quezada - 1 start, 5 IP, 4 K, 1 ER, 1.400 WHIP, 1.80 ERA
Tony Locey - 1 start, 6 IP, 7 K, 1 H, 0.667 WHIP, 0.00 ERA
Fresno Grizzlies
Weekly Record: 3-3
Overall Record: 6-3
The Grizzlies split this weekend against the San Jose Giants. We saw a steady flow from the offense, matched by some sweet performances on the hill.
Benny Montgomery caught fire, recording 8 hits. The smooth Adael Amador OPSed 1.101 fueled by his first homer of the year. Yanquiel Fernandez also went yard and Hunter Goodman, Warming Bernabel, and Juan Guerrero did their part.
On the bump, 18-year-old Victor Juarez and Brayan Castillo both delivered 4.2 favorable innings with Juarez recording 7 Ks and Castillo keeping runners off the basepaths aside from 3 hits. 2021 7th rounder Evan Shawver was plain dominant, going 5 scoreless. Additionally, Juan Mejia converted both his save opportunities and only allowed one baserunner. Finally, keep an eye on 2021 12th rounder Mason Green who turned in 5 scoreless innings, continuing to flash swing-and-miss stuff.
Juan Brito is made of steal!
Our central California affiliate stays in town for a visit from the Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego affiliate).
Friends of the Pod:
Zach Kokoska - .552 OPS, 1 double, .214 BA
Top Prospects:
Benny Montgomery - .879 OPS, 1 double, 3 RBI, 2 SB, .400 BA
Adael Amador - 1.101 OPS, 1 double, 1 homer, 2 RBI, 2 SB, 5 BB, .417 BA
Yanquiel Fernandez - .741 OPS, 1 homer, 3 RB, 2 SB, .238 BA
Hunter Goodman - .683 OPS, 3 doubles, 3 RBI, .261 BA
Warming Bernabel - .824 OPS, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 2 SB, .333 BA
Juan Guerrero - .714 OPS, 3 RBI, .333 BA
Fire Performance:
Victor Juarez - 1 start, 4.2 IP, 7 K, 3 ER, 1.071 WHIP, 5.79 ERA
Brayan Castillo - 1 start, 4.2 IP, 6 K, 0 ER, 0.643 WHIP, 0.00 ERA
Evan Shawver - 1 start, 5 IP, 5 K, 0 ER, 0.600 WHIP, 0.00 ERA
Don’t miss out on our Road to Blake Street….Banter Pod #10.
We have minor league baseball! After a one week hiatus, this installment of Road to Blake Street...Banter has an entire two weeks of games to dive into. As we try and establish an optimal in-season format, we kick the MiLB season off by identifying some big-time performers, some slumpers, and some Goldilock in-betweeners as we keep you updated on a laundry basket of Rockies prospects.
Drop some feedback via our socials and give us some segment suggestions! See you next week!
Friends of the pod on the IL
Chris McMahon
Sam Weatherly
Blake Goldsberry