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Albuquerque Isotopes
Series Record: 1-5 | 9-24
The ‘Topes had a difficult week as they faced off against the Round Rock Express losing 5 out of the 6 games. It’s been a difficult season so far, but there has been plenty of promise as well. The Isotopes sent their 4th player to the show this season when star prospect Jordan Beck was called up last week. While they may not be competing for a playoff spot anytime soon, the Isotopes have plenty of players on the roster who can make an impact in the Show.
Notable Performers:
Jimmy Herron: 24 PAs, .333/.375/.381 (.756 OPS), 7 H, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Jameson Hannah: 13 PAs, .417/.462/.750 (1.212 OPS), 5 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
Drew Romo: 20 PAs, .556/.500/.889 (1.389 OPS), 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 SB
Sam Hilliard: 22 PAs, .286/.318/.667 (.985 OPS), 6 H, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 SB
Kyle Wilcox: 3.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.333 WHIP, 2 BB, 5 K
Josh Rogers: 7.0 IP, 1.28 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 1 BB, 4 K
Tyler Danish: 5.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.235 WHIP, 3 BB, 8 K
Peyton Battenfield: 4.0 IP, 2.25 ERA, 0.500 WHIP, 0 BB, 6 K
Series Recap:
While certainly, it is not the cause of every difficulty the Isotopes have faced, it is clear that pitching is still a major issue. Twice this week the team lost by double digits as the pitching staff and bullpen both struggled. However, it was quite surprising to see the lineup struggle this week. Besides Thursday’s offensive outburst, the team only scored 8 runs in 5 games. While this week was certainly rough, there were plenty of bright spots as well. Catcher Drew Romo has continued to hit the cover off of the baseball, hitting .556 with 1 home run. The 22-year-old is now hitting .371 with an OPS of .896. If the Rockies decide to trade one of their veteran catchers at the trade deadline, it would not be surprising to see Romo get called up to Blake Street. The Outfield trio of Jameson Hannah, Jimmy Herron, and Sam Hilliard helped to carry the lineup this week. Hannah barely played last season due to injury and was just activated this week. He certainly made an impact, hitting .417 and hitting a walk-off in his first game back with the team. Sam Hilliard has continued to mash at the plate, and his two home runs this week helped to propel him past former Rockie Jordan Patterson for the all-time lead for career homers as an Isotope.
After struggling in their first appearances with the club last week, new additions Tyler Danish and Peyton Battenfield put together great starts this week. Danish was particularly impressive, putting to together a scoreless 5.2 innings with 8 strikeouts. When the Rockies picked these two up, this was certainly what they had in mind. Fellow MLB vet, Josh Rogers also had a great start, allowing only one run in 7 innings. With these three pitching so well, this was arguably the best week the pitching staff has had. The bullpen continued to struggle this week but righty Kyle Wilcox was very impressive, striking out 5 in 3 innings. 2024 has been a rough season so far for Wilcox, but he has the potential to pitch like he did this week.
In terms of reinforcements, the team has added Jameson Hannah, Michael Toglia, and Reagen Todd. This is now Toglia’s third season in an Isotope uniform. The first baseman started off the season with the Rockies hitting 4 home runs with a .106 average before being sent down. Sunday was the 1st time Reagen Todd has pitched in an Isotope Uniform in 623 days, due to Tommy John Surgery. The lefty had a 5.24 era with the team in 2022.
Call-Up Power Rankings:
- Michael Toglia – 1B – 2024 Season Stats: .273 AVG | 0 HR | 3 BB | 4 K |
- Riley Pint – RHP – 2024 Season Stats: 3.86 ERA | 14.0 IP | 26 K | 15 BB
- Sam Hilliard – OF – 2024 Season Stats: .325 AVG | 6 HR | 19 BB | 29 K | 8 SB
Looking Ahead
Next up on the ‘Topes calendar are the El Paso Chihuahuas. The Chihuahuas are the affiliate of the San Diego Padres and have a record of 14-19. The Isotopes have a 4-5 record against them this season.
Hartford Yard Goats
Series Record: 2-3 | 14-10
The Yard Goats faced a difficult challenge this week against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. The Rumble Ponies have one of the most talented rosters in the country, and has several top-100 prospects. Despite this, the Yard Goats were able to hold their own.
Notable Performers:
Bladimir Restituyo: 17 PAs, .313/.353/.500 (.853 OPS), 5 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K
Zac Veen: 14 PAs, .250/.357/.500 (.857 OPS), 3 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K
Yanquiel Fernandez: 15 PAs, .333/.333/.334 (.667 OPS), 5 H, 6 K
Sterlin Thompson: 20 PAs, .211/.250/.316 (.566 OPS), 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K
Ryan Ritter: 11 PAs, .250/.455/.250 (.705 OPS), 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K
Warming Bernabel: 18 PAs, .176/.222/.353 (.575 OPS), 3 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K
Adael Amador: 16 PAs, .000/.125/.000 (.125 OPS), 0 H, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 SB
Connor Van Scoyoc: 5.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.2000 WHIP, 2 BB, 5 K
Andrew Quezada: 6.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.833 WHIP, 1 BB, 4 K
Juan Mejia: 1.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.000 WHIP, 0 BB, 2 K
Jaden Hill: 1.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 SV
Mason Albright: 6.0 IP, 1.50 ERA, 1.667 WHIP, 1 BB, 6 K
Series Recap:
Several key members of the lineup struggled including Sterlin Thompson, Warming Bernabel and Adael Amador. This week was especially tough to Amador, who didn’t record a hit this week as his average fell to a dismal .132. However, there were some positives as Zac Veen, Bladimir Restituyo, and Yanquiel Fernandez all hit well this week. The outfield trio combined for 13 hits and two home runs this week. This season has continued to be a great bounce-back for Veen, after an injury riddled 2023.
The pitching staff received several quality starts this week, with Connor Van Scoyoc, Andrew Quezada, and Mason Albright combined for 17 innings of 1 run ball. It was especially nice to see Albright and Van Scoyoc have dominant starts after they struggled a bit early this season. Quezada has continued to pitch great this year, lowering his ERA to 1.64. Reliever Jaden Hill has continued to dominate at Hartford, striking out 3 and collecting a save on Wednesday. While he has struggled a bit with inconsistency this season, one could make a strong case for why he deserves to be in triple-a at least.
After striking out 8 in 7.2 innings, 21-year old reliever Angel Chivilli was called up to the big leagues when Justin Lawrence was placed on the paternity list. This was an interesting call-up, as Chivilli had never pitched in triple-a or above. However, Chivilli is one of the best relievers in the whole Rockies Organization. Unfortunately, he did not make an appearance in the Show before being optioned back to Hartford. The team also added infielder Kyle Datres, who spent most of last season with Hartford with a small cup of coffee at Albuquerque.
Call-Up Power Rankings:
- Andrew Quezada – RHP – 2024 Season Stats: 1.64 ERA | 22.0 IP | 17 K | 8 BB
- Angel Chvilli – RHP – 2024 Season Stats: 2.35 ERA | 7.2 IP | 8 K | 4 BB | 1 SV
- Jaden Hill – RHP – 2024 Season Stats: 3.38 ERA | 8.0 IP | 11 K | 1 BB | 4 SV
Looking Ahead
This week the Yard Goats will take on the Reading Fighting Phils. This will be the first matchup between the two teams this season. The Fighting Phils currently have an 11-16 record.
Spokane Indians
Series Record : 2-3 | Season Record: 15-7
Notable Performers (Series Stats):
Braiden Ward – 12 PA, .429/.529/.571 (1.101), 6 H, 3 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 4 SO, 8 SB
Dyan Jorge – 22 PA, .278/.409/.278 (0.687), 5 H, 3 R, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 5 SO, 1 SB
Juan Guerrero – 22 PA, .318/.318/.318 (0.636), 7 H, 3 R, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 4 SO, 2 SB
Sean Sullivan – 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Chase Dollander – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Zach Agnos – 2 SV, 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Series Recap:
The Spokane Indians finally escaped the bad weather North of the border, returning home to Avista Stadium for their series against the Eugene Emeralds. The Emeralds are Spokane’s most distant opponent in the Northwest League, a foe the team hasn’t seen since last season. With five days of rest, the Indians were looking to jump-start the series in game one but ultimately lost by a score of 3-1. The Indians returned to the win column on Wednesday with a 6-4 victory but weren’t able to support Sean Sullivan’s tremendous outing on Thursday night, losing by a final score of 7-2. The Spo rebounded with a 7-6 Friday night win thanks in part to Braiden Ward’s speed, but weren’t able to keep the momentum and dropped Saturday night’s game by a final of 12-8. The bad weather found Spokane again on Sunday, raining out the day the Indians were set to debut their Copa de la Diversión identity as the Cafecitos de Spokane.
In Tuesday night’s series-opening loss, the Indians offense was quiet once again and weren’t able to offer up any run support for starting pitcher Mason Green who only lasted three innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs, and four walks, earning the loss while striking out three. Not Green’s best stuff, but he’s had a much better start to the season than his 2-2 record indicates. The three earned runs he allowed in Tuesday’s game were his first of the year. Mix that in with his batting average against of .186, 16 strikeouts through 19.0 total innings, and 80 BF (a 20 K% for those without a calculator) it’s clear that Green’s starts have been tremendous for Spokane. It’s simply a matter of can the offense offer any help.
Cole Carrigg, Dyan Jorge, and Juan Guerrero all had two hits Tuesday evening, with Jorge knocking in the only run off a single in the fifth inning. Those three accounted for six of the seven total hits Spokane had in the series-opener.
Wednesday night was a completely different story. Kyle Karros, Dyan Jorge, and Juan Guerrero each brought in a run en route to a 6-4 victory. The game was high in strikeouts with a total of 21 between both clubs (11 for Eugene and 10 for Spokane). Spokane sparked the offense early, scoring all six runs before the fifth inning was over. However, the most important aspect of Spokane’s victory on Wednesday was their baserunning, once again, courtesy of Carrigg and Karros, with Carrigg nabbing his eleventh and twelfth bag of the season, the second-highest total in the Northwest League. But Wednesday night’s baserunning was just a sample of what was to happen on Friday night.
Chase Dollander hadn’t seen the mound since April 19th before he made his start on Wednesday, and while his outing didn’t have as much excitement as his three previous starts had, Dollander threw for four strong innings, leaving the game after only allowing two hits, walking three, and fanning six. He currently has a 42.8 K% and a 10.4 BB% through 19.1 IP and 77 BF. Zach Agnos came in and secured the Spokane victory, earning his third save of the season to accompany his 3-0 record before he’d eventually pick up his fourth save on Friday. While there were some struggles, Agnos and Dollander got the job done. I can go on about Agnos and Dollander all day, but Sean Sullivan’s performance in Thursday night’s loss warrants more attention.
Sean Sullivan came to play on Thursday night exiting the game with a line of 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, and 10 K, Sullivan once again asserted his dominance over the Northwest League. His 10 strikeouts were the second-highest in-game total of the season so far for Sullivan, three shy of the 13 Ks he had in his Single-A debut back on April 6th. Did you know that Sullivan has only allowed one walk so far this season? Through 20.2 IP and 86 BF, Sean Sullivan has only allowed one walk. The guy is a machine. Accurate. Poised. He’s working with a 38.4 K% and his ERA has dropped to 2.61 on the season. This was a game that should’ve earned Sullivan another win, however, with rough outings from the bullpen—Brayan Castillo allowing three earned runs in 0.2 IP and Anderson Bido allowing another two in 1.1 IP immediately following Sullivan’s exit—and a lack of offense, the Spo couldn’t create enough to build on Sullivan’s start. Braiden Ward tacked on an RBI and one stolen base in the game, but what he’d do on Friday night to spark the Indians offense broke minor league record books.
On Friday night, Braiden Ward accomplished something that had not been done in the MiLB since at least 2005 and never in the AL/NL history dating back to 1900, when he stole six bases. His sequence alone in the bottom of the first inning was an absolute masterclass on baserunning. Batting in the leadoff spot, Ward was hit by the second pitch in the count, from there he stole second, then third, and then Ward shocked the crowd and Emeralds players when he stole home. Indians announcers weren’t surprised, they’ve seen Ward do this before and even mentioned his tenacity on the base path during the broadcast. And it wasn’t the first time Ward’s stolen home either, just look back to June 29th’s game against Vancouver last season when he made another daring heist of home plate in what was a four hit, four SB evening.
His play to start the game catapulted the Indians from there. Ward went 3-3 with 2 2B and added another RBI to give him one RBI in the previous three games, he’d add another RBI and SB in Saturday’s loss, giving him a Northwest League-leading 16 SB on the season, only four ahead of Cole Carrigg who sits in third place with 12. Six stolen bags will always overshadow whatever other Indians players did to help the team earn the 7-6 victory, but Dyan Jorge added three RBIs and Blake Adams had six Ks through 5.0 IP, although it would be Carson Skipper who’d earn the win with three Ks 1.0 IP.
Saturday’s game turned ugly early on as the Emeralds offense chased starting pitcher Connor Staine after only 2.2 IP in which he allowed five hits, four walks, and had seven earned runs. Turner Hill had a night to remember for Eugene, finishing 3-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI, including a grand slam off of Luis Amoroso in the eighth inning.
Before the eighth inning, the Indians were trailing 8-0 but opened the floodgates in the bottom of the seventh, scoring seven runs before the inning was over. Braiden Ward, Dyan Jorge, Kyle Karros, and Trevor Boone all knocked in a run, while Robby Martin Jr. and the red-hot Juan Guerrero each drove in two runs. Sadly, after Turner Hill’s grand slam extended Eugene’s lead, the Indians couldn’t seem to find any more runs. The 12 runs allowed by Spokane are the most they’ve allowed in a game this season.
What’s Up Next Preview:
The Indians will get an extra day of rest after Sunday’s game was postponed in preparation for their upcoming series against the Hillsboro Hops, Arizona’s High-A affiliate. Spokane finished with a record of 14-8 against Hillsboro last season, and they’re looking once again to find sustained success against their opponent after an inconsistent two-week stretch, weather-permitting.
Fresno Grizzlies
Series Record : 3-4 | Season Record: 15-11
Notable Performers (Series Stats):
Jake Snider – 27 PA, .200/.370/.250 (0.620), 4 H, 0 R, 2 RBI, 5 BB, 9 SO, 1 SB
Aidan Longwell – 28 PA, .231/.286/.346 (0.632), 6 H, 6 R, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 4 SO, 0 SB
Austin Emener – 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Alberto Pacheco – 4.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Jack Mahoney – (L, 2-3), 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Isaiah Coupet – (W, 3-1), 5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 11 K
Jace Kaminska – (W, 2-1), 6.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Series Recap:
The Fresno Grizzlies entered their series against the Inland Empire 66ers hoping to snap the four-game skid they started at the tail end of their series against San Jose. And while the Grizzlies did break the streak on Tuesday night, winning the series-opener by a final score of 9-2, they went on to drop the next three games, both games of the doubleheader on Wednesday by a score of 6-5 and 5-1, while dropping Thursday by a final of 3-1. The offense fell short Friday night as well as the Grizzlies losing streak grew to four games after the 3-2 loss. However, Fresno was able to break the streak on Saturday, winning by a final of 5-2, before a shutout victory on Sunday, a 5-0 win.
On Tuesday, the Grizzlies victory was a total team effort, on both sides of the ball. Fadriel Cruz knocked in three runs with one swing with his HR in the third inning before Aidan Longwell brought another run in with his HR in the sixth inning. Tevin Tucker continued his success at the plate by adding a 3B and a HR. It was the night of the long ball, but the same can’t be said for Inland Empire who were held to two runs by Fresno’s pitching staff and starter Alberto Pacheco who finished his 4.1 IP allowing only 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, and 6 K. Collin Baumgartner picked up the win after his 0.2 IP performance.
For Wednesday’s double-header, Inland Empire walked off the first game of the day. Felix Tena brought the Grizzlies back from an early deficit with a two-run shot in the fourth inning before taking the lead courtesy of a Braylen Wimmer RBI in the fifth and an Andy Perez RBI in the eighth.
Bryan Perez pitched 4.2 innings and struck out five, allowing four total runs before Bryson Hammer entered, ultimately earning the loss through 2.2 IP and two total runs allowed. The Grizzlies would try to have short memories during the seven-inning second game of the doubleheader but would once again struggle early from both the mound and at the plate. The Grizzlies had only five total hits in the 5-1 loss and struck out a team total 10 times. Aidan Longwell scored the only run of the game off of a fielder’s choice from Andy Perez, while Tevin Tucker stayed hot and stayed on base with a single and two walks which brought his BA up to .311 and his OPS up to .928.
Fresno couldn’t seem to shake their problems on Thursday either, when the Grizzlies were once again held to five total hits in the 3-1 loss and also struck out 10 times once again in a game that could’ve easily been theirs had the offense offered any sort of support. Austin Emener showed some fight from the mound. Through 6.0 IP, Emener had a final line of 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, and 7 K. The only run Emener allowed was a solo shot from Adrian Placencia in the fifth inning. Collin Baumgartner was ultimately credited with the loss when Inland Empire walked it off in the eighth inning.
The Grizzlies attempted to right the ship Friday but the low-scoring game didn’t go their way as the comeback stalled in the seventh inning, the final being 3-2. While Jack Mahoney allowed three runs through the first three innings of his start, he settled down for the final 3.1 IP and ended the evening by allowing only 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, and 9 Ks. He was credited with the loss, which pushed his record to 2-3, but it was another night in which the Grizzlies could’ve won with some of the offensive prowess fans have seen plenty of throughout the season.
Jake Snider returned to the kind of play that warranted him being named the Colorado Rockies Organizational Player of the Month for April. He went 2-2 with 1 RBI and 2 BB, and was unfortunately caught stealing because Braiden Ward used up all of the SBs for the Rockies organization on Friday night. Andy Perez added a double in Friday’s game and sliced a single in Saturday’s win, giving him a hit in every single game of the series so far.
The real story of Saturday’s game was Isaiah Coupet, who rebounded from his rough outing against San Jose and earned the win for the Grizzlies. Through 5.0 IP, Coupet finished with a line of 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 11 K. Coupet’s 11 strikeouts were the highest number of Ks he’s had in a single game this season and also in his young professional career. With 18 total Ks across 16.0 IP in the month of April, Coupet’s clearly taking his game to another level for the month of May. His 29 Ks are good enough for fifth place out of all California League pitchers in the category while the 30 hits he’s surrendered this season ranks first among all pitchers in the California League, five ahead of Jack Mahoney who sits in second place with 25. But a win is a win, and while the opposing hitters are making contact, Coupet’s controlling his arsenal, getting more groundouts in order to slow the game down.
Aidan Longwell broke the tie going into the sixth inning with a two-run single while Braylen Wimmer and Jake Snider both also added RBIs to insure Fresno’s lead. It wasn’t the offensive output fans were looking for on Saturday night, but the Grizzlies most importantly snapped the four-game skid they’d been on since Wednesday and finished the series with another win on Sunday.
Jace Kaminska made up for the rough outing he had against San Jose last week when he earned the win on Sunday with a strong effort through 6.0 IP, finishing with a line of 6 H, 1 BB, and 8 Ks. For Kaminska, Sunday’s victory is his second of the season, although through five starts he definitely could have more. Kaminska’s ERA now rests at 1.90. Through five games and 23.2 IP, Kaminska has only allowed 18 hits, four walks, 29 Ks, and five earned runs. His 0.93 WHIP is the best in the California League. Kaminska’s been impressive so far in his first year at the Single-A level and the Nebraska product is shaping up to be one of the best arms for Fresno.
The Grizzlies jumped on the 66ers early with a four-run second inning due in part to some shaky pitching from Inland Empire starter Ruben Castillo. Aidan Longwell and Braylen Wimmer added some support when both infielders added RBIs in the inning, and the game was firmly out of reach after Jake Madden allowed only one hit and fanned two batters through his two innings of work. The Grizzlies had a rough stretch throughout the series against Inland Empire, but they finished the series on a high note, winning the last two games.
What’s Up Next Preview:
The Fresno Grizzlies will head back home to face the Modesto Nuts for their first series of the season against their neighbors to the North. Modesto currently holds a 19-6 record and are in first place in the California League. They tout a high-powered offense and currently have a run differential of +96, which is 50 more than Fresno currently has.
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