Sean Poppen - 2017

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Sean Poppen, 23, was a 19th round pick in the 2016 amateur draft. He pitched four years at Harvard. 

 

Poppen began the 2017 season at Cedar Rapids, where he pitched the Cedar Rapids Kernels home opener. He pitched seven innings and left with a 6-3 lead, but Beloit rallied to win, 7-6. 

 

Poppen's pitching line:

• 7 IP, six hits, 3 runs, 2 earned, 0 walks, 7 strikeouts. 
• 87 pitches, 60 strikes
• 12 ground ball outs to 2 fly ball outs

Poppen also hit a batter in the early innings. Interestingly, Kernel's second baseman Brandon Lopez was beaned twice in the early innings, too. It's probably nothing? 

 

The blog Knuckleballs has a good write-up of the home opener and great photos here. There is another very good article about Poppen here, from last June after the draft, by a Norfolk Tides beat writer named David Hall. The chorus I hear repeated in Hall's article is "...if the baseball thing doesn't work out..." and it's true; Poppen has a lot going for him should he not make it to the majors. 

 

But his performance in the first game indicates he will be sticking around for a bit. 

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Poppen flashed a gaudy pitching line Friday night in a loss.

 

Cedar Rapids fell to Wisconsin 3-2 last night in ten innings, all the runs being accounted for on tenth inning home runs. The game was scoreless after nine.

 

Poppen's line:

 

• 7.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts

Poppen was removed with two outs and a runner on second in the eighth.

 

According to MiLB, Poppen surrendered a single in the first and second innings. He walked the leadoff batter in the eighth. The only base runner to reach between the 2nd and 8th innings was on a throwing error by Poppen himself. Poppen was removed at the 102 pitch mark.

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Cedar Rapids won in extra innings Friday night, April 21, by a score of 4-3. The Kernels scored the winning run in the bottom of the 12th on a base-on-balls, followed by two wild pitches, and finally a fly ball single (pulled-in outfield?) to bring the run home. 

 

Poppen's line: 

 

• 6 IP, 6 hits, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO

 

It's another nice pitching line, but compared to his first two starts, Poppen labored. 

 

- Poppen loaded the bases in the top of the first with nobody out on a single, single, and hit batsman, but got help from a ground ball double play, allowing just one run to score.

 

- Poppen allowed a run on a walk and two singles again in the third, and then a double and a single in the fourth brought home Kane County's third and final run. 

 

- Poppen held Kane County hitless in the fifth and sixth.

 

- There were two "singles to pitcher" in the game, and Poppen apparently made a throwing error on one of them. Unknown whether they were bunt hits, or what. Anyone know? (My plan is to stop through Cedar Rapids a couple times next month and see him pitch in person to fill in some of the grey areas.) 

 

- Poppen faced 27 batters, struck out 7, for a game K% rate of 25.9

 

The one walk and seven strikeouts pushes Poppen's BB:SO ratio to 2:22 in 20.2 innings pitched on the season. 

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If it's Sean Poppen pitching, it's extra innings.

 

Cedar Rapids defeated Peoria 5-3 last Thursday (the 27th) in 12 innings. The game was scoreless after six innings, at which time the teams traded runs until the game was tied 3-3 after nine. Each of Poppen's last three starts (see above) have gone to extras.

 

Poppen's line Thursday:

 

• 6.1 IP, 5 hits, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO

 

For Poppen, 96 pitches, 26 batters faced, two wild pitches, 6:5 GB:FB. Poppen was relieved after a giving up a one-out single in the seventh. 

 

 

 

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Poppen most recently pitched on May 5, picking up his first victory in a 12-4 win over Fort Wayne.

 

His line:

 

• 6.1 IP, 9 hits, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO

 

The TwinsDaily game write-up is here, and Cedar Rapids write-up is here, with includes some more information about the two pitches that are working for Poppen right now, and also about his fielding; by my count, Poppen has made three throwing errors already this season. 

 

 

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Poppen pitched on May 11, taking a loss to Bowling Green in a 10-0 defeat.

 

Poppen's line:

 

• 6 IP, 9 hits, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO

 

He also hit a batter.

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Poppen pitched on May 17, earning the pitcher's win in a 7-4 victory over Peoria at Perfect Game field in Cedar Rapids.

 

Poppen's line:

 

• 6 IP, 5 hits, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

 

Poppen also hit a batter. 

 

Per MiLB, Poppen was spotted two runs in the bottom of the first inning, and the top of the second began with a Peoria batter reaching via an error. Peoria then scored the 3 runs off of Poppen on four singles and a sacrifice fly, three of singles being called ground balls, per MiLB. There was also an outfield assist at second base to help Poppen out of the inning. His 

 

Poppen's top line in 7 starts is now 2-1, 2.38 ERA, with a BA-against of  .240, WHIP 1.10, and a 8:44 BB:SO in 45.1 innings

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Poppen was the starting pitcher on May 22 in an extra-inning win versus Clinton.

 

Poppen's line:

 

• 5.0 IP, 4 hits, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO

 

Poppen allowed two runs in the top of the first, the first three batters reached. Poppen then settled in, but his pitch count in the five innings ran up to 95. 

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Poppen pitched on May 27 in a 6-0 victory over Kane County. The teams were (and are, as of June 8) competing for first place in the Western conference of the low A Midwest League.

 

• 7 IP, 3 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 6 SO

 

Poppen threw 106 pitches in his seven shutout innings.

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Poppen was the starting pitcher June 1st in a 11-1 victory over Quad Cities.

 

Poppen's line: 

 

• 6.1 IP, 5 hits, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO

 

Poppen retired nine straight in the middle innings. The run off of Poppen came in the seventh, and was unearned. He was at 97 pitches.

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Poppen pitched in a June 7 loss to Clinton. 

 

• 4.2 IP, 6 hits, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

 

At first glance, it appears not to be Poppen's finest outing.

 

However, according to the MiLB game log, in the 22 batters Poppen faced, only three balls were hit in the air: a line drive single in the 3rd, a fly ball triple in the 4th, and a pop out in the 5th. The result was that Poppen's Groundout-Flyout ratio was 10:0 for the game. 

 

Earlier in the afternoon, it was announced that Poppen had been chosen for the Midwest League All Star Game. Congrats to him!

 

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Poppen pitched in a 10-5 win over Quad Cities on June 13.

 

His line:

 

• 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO

 

He also hit a batter and committed his fourth throwing error on the season. 

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Poppen was the starting pitcher last Friday evening, June 23, in a Cedar Rapids loss.

 

His stats:

 

• 6 IP, 8 hits, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 2 HR

 

It was Poppen's first start of the second half of the Midwest league season, after pitching a clean inning in the Midwest League All Star game. In th All Star game, Poppen had a strikeout and two groundouts, shortstop Palacios to first baseman Diaz.

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On July 1, Poppen was promoted to the Fort Myers Miracle.

 

Congrats to him!

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Poppen's final start with Cedar Rapids was June 29. He pitched 7 innings in an 11-3 win versus Burlington. His line:

 

• 7 IP, 5 hits, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 SO

 

The three runs against Poppen were unearned and came against him in the second inning, due in part to two throwing errors, one that was charged against him. 

 

By my count that makes five throwing errors committed by Poppen in Cedar Rapids. Let's hope those errors stay in Iowa and not follow him through the system to the major leagues.

 

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Poppen has now made three starts for Ft. Myers, and he has been phenomenal.

 

His first start was a two inning meet and greet against the Tampa Yankees.

 

His second start was against the Palm Beach Cardinals -- eight shutout innings.

 

This afternoon he made his third start, versus St. Lucie, and pitched six and a third scoreless innings, although an inherited runner did score in the seventh after Poppen left the game.

 

His FSL stats so far:

 

• 3 games, 16.1 innings, one run allowed, 12 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts

One of Poppen's strikeouts today was against Tim Tebow, so there's that. Fort Myers has forty-some games remaining on their regular season schedule, putting Poppen in line for about 8 more starts this season.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Sean Poppen has now made 8 starts at A+ for Fort Myers, and has a very respectable top line of 2-2 record and 3.05 ERA.

 

Poppen sports a 6.97 K/9 and 1.31 BB/9 in Ft. Myers, with no home runs surrendered in his 41.1 innings there. 

 

Poppen may be approaching a throwing/innings limit. He is currently at 128.1 innings between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers, where last season he totaled 109 innings between college and the minors.  

 

But Poppen's Friday night start on 8/11 may be his most auspicious professional start to date.

 

In a 7-inning game versus Dunedin, the Blue Jays A+ team, Poppen threw six shutout innings, allowing only a single hit, walk, and hit batsmen, before leaving the game scoreless to the bullpen. 

 

• 6.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

 

That's a nice pitching line in itself, but it might be of interest to note the players he was pitching against Friday night: Bichette, Biggio, Guerrero. Yes, these are sons of former ballplayers, and they are each doing well in 2017 in their own right. 

 

Bo Bichette, 19, is a 2nd round pick from 2016, and batted .427/.451/.732 in his first season of pro ball, for an OPS of 1.182. His OPS is in the 1000s again in 2017. Cavan Biggio is not putting up those numbers, but has a reputation for a great batting eye. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 18, was a top international signing in 2015 and is currently the midseason #2 prospect according to Baseball America, #6 for MiLB.com. Guerrero Jr. is batting .300 this season.

 

These will likely be the guys Poppen will pitch against if and when he reaches the majors, and Poppen held his own against them Friday night (Bichette got the hit and drew the walk).

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Poppen's season is complete.

 

Poppen pitched in 14 games for Cedar Rapids, finishing with 87.0 innings and a 2.90 ERA, with 81 strikeouts and 17 walks.  

 

After a midseason promotion, Poppen then pitched in 11 regular season games for Ft. Myers, logging 52.0 innings with a 3.63 ERA. Forty-one strikeouts and eight walks.

 

In the postseason final game for Ft. Myers, he pitched six more innings, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits.

 

By the numbers, his season was a success. Assuming he continues with baseball next season, there's a strong chance the Twins assign him to AA-Chattanooga at some point.