Minor League Monday 4/14/08

The weekend did not go well for the Yankees, but it's Monday and that means talk of conjuctivitis and hamstrings can wait. Today we look to the future:

Hitter of the Week - Jesus Montero, C/DH, Charleston Riverdogs (Single A):

Montero showed why he's one of the Yankees' best prospects this week, getting a hit in all seven games last week, including four doubles and two home runs, resulting in a robust .375/.394/.688 (AVG/OBP/SLG) line. That performance becomes even more impressive when you put it in context, as he's the second youngest player in a league and park that's not so friendly to hitters.

Of course the big question about Montero is whether he has the defensive ability to remain a catcher, where his fantastic bat has the most value. Most scouts don't think he has the agility to compensate for his already large size (6'4", 225lbs), but the Yankees are giving him the opportunity to prove them wrong by alternating him with Austin Romine between the catcher and DH spots. It's a great move on the team's part, as it gives two catching prospects who are raw defensively the chance to hone their game while limiting the injury problems that come with moving to a full-time professional workload for the first time. For Montero, the results have been mixed so far, as he's thrown out a healthy three of nine basestealers, but allowed an unhealthy three passed balls in just seven games behind the plate.

Of course, without being able to see him in person, it's impossible for me to get a real read on what his future is like defensively, but even as a first baseman or DH, his offensive future seems bright.

Pitcher of the Week: Eric Hacker, RHP, Tampa Yankees (Single A Advanced):

For the second time in as many weeks, a Yankee pitcher came close to perfection only to be denied thanks to his pitch count. Hacker, who missed the 2006 season with shoulder injuries, pitched seven perfect innings against the Dunedin Blue Jays on Tuesday before being pulled. He then proceeded to retire the first seven batters he faced on Sunday, giving him a total of 9.1 perfect innings. All told, he threw a total of fourteen scoreless innings this week, striking out ten, walking one and allowing only two hits. It's extremely hard for a 25 year-old righthander in Single A who doesn't have electric stuff to stand out in a farm system that's packed with young pitching, but Hacker certainly did so this week.

As always, here's a few more items of interest:

• Last week I mentioned that Double A infielder Kevin Russo had left the team after doctors found some abnormalities in his blood work. I'm glad to report that further testing revealed no problems, and he celebrated his return to the Thunder by hitting a home run in his first game back.


• Shelley Duncan has been taking whatever frustration he might have about his demotion out on the pitchers of the International League. He hit a home run in each of his first three games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and in five games has posted a ridiculous .500/.560/1.136 line. While still at the mercy of injuries and roster mechanics, Duncan is making a strong case to be called back up as soon as possible.

Minor League Monday 4/7/08

Pitcher of the Week - Kei Igawa, LHP, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Triple A):

There were some fine pitching performances this week in Scranton, but only one of them could be described as perfect. The much maligned Kei Igawa did not allow a single member of the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs to reach base in the first six innings of the Yankees' opening game. Unfortunately, Igawa was on a strict pitch count, and the Scranton coaching staff decided to pull him after the sixth rather than allow him to chase perfection. Still, six innings of perfect baseball is impressive, and is probably enough to push him to the top of the list of potential replacements should something happen one of the major league starters. Even more impressively, it may be enough to keep me from cringing if that happens.

Hitter of the Week - Brett Gardner, CF, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Triple A):

I'll be the first to admit that these "awards" aren't always given to the week's best players. This week's best hitter, for example, was probably either Jason Lane or Brad Suttle. However, since I'm forced to write about whoever gets the award, I'm inclined to give it to the best story, and this week that's Brett Gardner. I wrote about Gardner back in my first Minor League Monday when he hit his first home run in two years. Thankfully it's taken a lot less time for him to hit another, as he went deep off of the Ironpigs' Brian Mazone in Saturday's win. Even more surprising was that this home run didn't sneak over the wall, but instead soared over the "371 feet" sign in right center by a healthy margin. Whether this is a sign that Gardner is adding the one missing element to his game remains to be seen, but you can rest assured that if he is it's not at the expense of his formidable speed. Gardner remains so fast that, even though he was in his home run trot, he nearly made it to third base before the ball landed.

A few extra notes:

• Those of you who check the box scores might have been worried by Mark Melancon's appearance for the Tampa Yankees on Thursday, which said that he left the game without facing the batter. If so, then you can put your mind at ease, as it had nothing to do with the oft-injured Melancon's health. It turns out that when he took the mound someone noticed that his name had been accidentally left off the lineup card by manager Luis Sojo, making him ineligible to pitch. Since then, Melancon has pitched 3.2 mediocre, but completely healthy, innings.
  
  
• Those of you who like to worry should feel free to do so for Trenton Thunder infielder Kevin Russo, who left the team and headed back to Tampa after doctors found abnormalities in his blood work. Here's hoping that it's nothing more than a little scare for the 23 year-old.