Article: AFL Recap - Week 3: Garver Powers Saguaros

[Steve Lein]

Twins prospects playing with the Surprise Saguaros helped them to a 4-2 record on the week, and they currently sit in second place in the West Division with a 9-7-1 overall record, one-and-a-half games behind the Peoria Javelinas.

 

Stephen Gonsalves remained sidelined this week, but it was one for the hitters anyway. One prospect collected at least one hit in all four games he played while another continued to show an all-around game, but the biggest week came from a player at a position the parent organization should be keeping a keen eye on this offseason. A left-handed member of the bullpen also continued to stand out.

 

Read on to see how each player fared on the week!(links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name)

 

Stephen Gonsalves – Did not pitch.

 

Gonsalves continued to rest during the AFL season’s third week, but is still learning plenty while there with his teammates. Hopefully he can get back to adding some of those innings he’s looking for this week!

 

Seth Update: Gonsalves threw a bullpen on Friday and it went just fine. He expects to throw another bullpen on Monday and hopefully make a start on Friday for Surprise.

 

Nick Gordon – 4 games, 5-17, 2B, BB, 5 K’s, 2 SB’s.

 

Nick Gordon started out the week very well, collecting two hits in each of his first two games on the week to raise his average to .406. In the small sample size that is the AFL, his 1-9 effort in the next two caused him to finish week 3 batting .341.

 

Batting leadoff as the DH in Monday’s 7-2 loss, Gordon started the game with a single and added another with two outs in the seventh. He was left on base both times.

 

Back to playing shortstop and hitting second on Wednesday, Gordon was instrumental in the Saguaros 6-1 win. His double in the first inning was the first of four consecutive hits in the frame, and he scored the first of three runs that would prove more than enough at the end. His two-out single in the second came before a home run off the bat of Jose Trevino that put Surprise up 5-0. He also drew a walk in the sixth to reach base in three out of five trips on the day.

 

On Friday Gordon didn’t have quite as good of a day as he wore a sombrero with three strikeouts in five trips to the plate, but after his single in the fifth inning he also swiped second base for his third steal of the season.

 

In the finale on Saturday Gordon was 0-4, but late in the game he beat out a double play ball to reach first, stole second base with two outs, and came around to score when a Twins teammate then lined a single to center field. The run put Surprise in front comfortably at 6-2.

 

Mitch Garver – 3 games, 5-12, 2B, 2 HR’s, 5 RBI, 3 K’s.

 

In his three games on the week, Garver again batted cleanup in each, and was behind the plate in two while the DH in another. In all three games the Saguaros were victorious, and Garver was a big reason why.

 

In their 4-0 win against Glendale on Tuesday, Garver’s two-run home run in the fourth inning gave them a 2-0 lead. He had also singled in the first inning but was erased on a double play and finished the day 2-4.

 

In Thursday’s tilt against Peoria, the score was 4-2 in favor of the Javelinas heading into the top of the ninth. After two quick outs, Garver ripped a double to left field that opened the flood gates. He moved to third on a wild pitch, then after a walk another wild pitch allowed him to scamper home to make it 4-3. Before the inning was over the Saguaros put up five two-out runs and take the lead 7-4. They held on to win 7-5.

 

On Saturday Garver was part of a power display from the Saguaros as they took down Scottsdale 6-3. As the DH in this one Garver started with strikeouts in his first two at-bats, but would more than make up for those in his final two. With the score 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Garver blasted his third home run of the season, a two-run shot with two outs. In the seventh, after Gordon had stole second base, he added another two-out RBI with a single to left to drive him in.

 

After week 3, Garver is one of five players in the AFL with an OPS above 1.000 and is tied for the league lead in home runs with three.

 

Tanner English – 4 games, 5-15, 1 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 5 K’s, SB.

 

English picked up a hit in each of his four games on the week, including a big one in Surprise’s win on Thursday.

 

Batting eighth and playing center field in the week’s first game on Monday, English singled in the fifth, but he and another runner were left stranded in scoring position with their team down 5-0 at the time. His other three plate appearances resulted in a ground out and two K’s and he committed his first error on defense on a hard line drive to him.

 

In Tuesday’s shutout win, English was 2-4 batting ninth but was caught stealing after his first single of the game in the fifth. After his second single in the eighth he made it as far as third, but was ultimately left stranded.

 

In the Saguaros comeback win on Thursday, English put the final nail in the coffin for the Javelina’s in the top of the ninth. His two-run homer capped their two-out scoring at five and provided the insurance needed to close out the 7-5 win.

 

Batting ninth and playing center field again on Friday, English reached base twice in four trips via a single and walk, and also stole his first base of the AFL season. Both times he reached base he was stranded in scoring position as Surprise fell to Scottsdale 6-3.

 

Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s, 1.50 ERA (overall).

 

Melotakis again pitched in two games on the week and for one inning apiece, pitching the seventh in Tuesday’s 4-0 win and the sixth in Friday’s 6-3 loss.

 

On Tuesday in his team’s shutout victory, he needed just ten pitches to put the Desert Dogs down one-two-three, including one strikeout.

 

On Friday he needed only nine pitches to finish his inning, but he did allow a two-out single before striking out the final hitter of his inning.

 

In his six innings out of the Saguaros bullpen Melotakis has allowed just one run on five hits and a walk, while striking out six. He’s also been very efficient, throwing over fifteen pitches in just one of those appearances, and not more than eleven in four others. Fifty-five of his seventy-seven pitches have gone for strikes (71.4 percent).

 

Randy Rosario – 1 game, 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H’s, BB, K, 7.94 ERA (overall).

 

Rosario made only one appearance on the week, and it came in Wednesday’s 6-1 win over the Scottsdale Scorpions.

 

Unfortunately for Rosario, he was the one responsible for the Scorpions lone run. Summoned for the sixth inning, he quickly got the first out on ground out before a single, double and walk loaded the bases. The next hitter got an infield single hit toward Gordon at short to score the run. He then struck out Tim Tebow and got a fly out to end the threat and limit the damage.

 

John Curtiss – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 R, 3 H’s, BB, 5 K’s.

 

Curtiss saw action in the games on Wednesday and Saturday, pitching an inning in each.

 

In the 6-1 win on Wednesday, he was called upon for the eighth inning. He bookended his inning with strikeouts, and in-between he allowed a single but quickly picked off the runner at first base.

 

On Saturday he again got the eighth inning, but ran into trouble early before recovering late. A walk and two singles scored a run before he was able to pick up his first out, and three strikeouts later he escaped the inning with limited damage. He also hit a batter after the first two strikeouts which loaded the bases, but got the final hitter looking to end the frame.

 

In his 6.2 total innings pitched in the AFL thus far, Curtiss has now struck out eleven and lowered his ERA to 5.40 from 13.50 over his last four games (one run allowed in last 4.2 IP)

 

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week!

 

Click here to view the article

[Otwins]

How is Garver behind the plate? A good young catcher would be huge

[HitInAPinch]

On the linked article to MLB.com:

 

"Gordon, of course, is the son of Tom Gordon".  Like everyone would know that.  I thought he was this guy's son:

 

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Cleveland+Indians+v+Minnesota+Twins+uS1Wr1nH2iEc.jpg

[Steve Lein]

 

How is Garver behind the plate? A good young catcher would be huge

 

I mentioned this in the AFL preview, but Stuart Turner often gets the defensive catcher praise in the organization (and rightfully so), but Garver is also no slouch and has actually thrown out basestealers at a higher rate than Turner for their MiLB careers.

 

They were also voted 1-2 for the Johnny Bench Award coming out of college (top collegiate catcher).

 

Garver has been the better hitter in the minors by quite a ways.

[DocBauer]

Think there are 2 threads on this?

 

Anyway, the AFL may be short in nature, but it sure looks like Gordon is primed for AA next season.

 

And I'm starting to like Garver with the Twins more and more for 2017!

[DJL44]

Nick Gordon made the Fall Stars roster

[Steve Lein]

 

Think there are 2 threads on this?

Anyway, the AFL may be short in nature, but it sure looks like Gordon is primed for AA next season.

And I'm starting to like Garver with the Twins more and more for 2017!

 

(Like the regular season MiLB reports, these first get posted to the writer's own blog, and then get moved to the front page by our hosts!)

 

I'll post here what I did back on my own blog:

 

"Yeah. In general you get a lot of top-level talent and guys right on the doorstep of the majors. Very good level of competition throughout the league.

I think Gordon was always a lock for AA. In the context of the Florida State League, he was very good there this last year. In my experience following guys, the top prospect types get a bump in their numbers when they move to AA just by getting out of the stadium environments in the FSL. It's not stated enough how hard it is to hit in that league for young guys.

For reference, only 2 hitters in the entire league hit over .300 this year. Gordon's .291 mark was 6th." 

 

And, the leaguewide OPS was .677 this year.

 

Also, if the Twins do nothing else at the position, Garver should at least get a loooooooooooooong look in Spring Training....

[Seth Stohs]

 

I mentioned this in the AFL preview, but Stuart Turner often gets the defensive catcher praise in the organization (and rightfully so), but Garver is also no slouch and has actually thrown out basestealers at a higher rate than Turner for their MiLB careers.

 

They were also voted 1-2 for the Johnny Bench Award coming out of college (top collegiate catcher).

 

Garver has been the better hitter in the minors by quite a ways.

 

Not sure how it ended, but somewhere around mid-season, Garver's pitch framing stats were really good, well above average. Turner's were average. I mean, take that for what it's worth. 

[High heat]

Like to see hitting well and that the coaches think he is one of the top hitters as well batting him 4th. Also it sounded like he threw out 2 of the 3 would be base stealers and had some nice things to say about quickly learning new pitchers and working with them. Would like to be able to count on Garver as a catching option in 17.

[dougd]

Am a little surprised that Garver was not picked for the AFL West all star team, although I take it that selection is not really based on actual AFL performance.

[Steve Lein]

 

Am a little surprised that Garver was not picked for the AFL West all star team, although I take it that selection is not really based on actual AFL performance.

 

You have that exactly correct.

 

The AFL All-Star game is not about the league's top performers. They want fans to watch, so it's going to be the players with name recognition.

 

Garver might be a good bet as a fill-in if someone can't play, however.

[dgwills]

It's hard to get excited about a 9th round draft pick out of college who is 25 and still in the minors, but Garver just keeps on improving.

If he could become a mlb caliber starter that would be huge for the Twins. Otherwise we are going to have to use a high draft pick or spend a lot of money to get a catcher.

With the pitching problems we have that is not ideal.

Keep it up Mitch!

[Mike Sixel]

Catchers come up slower.

 

College seniors come up when they are 25 or 6, unless they are elite prospects.

 

We should be very happy he looks this competent/good.

[70charger]

Wasn't Dozier a 9th rounder out of college? Maybe 8th?