Welcome to my weekly recap of the Albuquerque Isotopes! This will be a weekly series summarizing how the ‘Topes did this week, which players did well, transactions, and other insights. Given that the season started this week the Isotopes only played in three games, the current sample size is quite small and this week’s recap will be a quick whiparound. While it will change throughout the season, this is a very talented roster worth getting your eyes on.
Record this week: 1-2
Overall Record: 1-2
The Kids Are Alright
The Isotopes Roster features a bunch of the Rockies’ top prospects including guys like Jordan Beck, Drew Romo, and Greg Jones. Beck in particular hit the ground running in his debut going 2 for 4 including a 450 ft blast. While it is still early, Beck has looked like one of, if not the best Isotopes hitter to start the season and could mash his way to an early season call up.
Beck wasn’t the only impressive prospect, as Greg Jones went 3 for 12, though more notably he had 4 walks. The strikeouts were a major concern going into the year (and still are as he struck out 5 times), but it was great to see Jones flash improved plate discipline. Jones was also productive on the basepaths, stealing a pair of bags while also showcasing his other plus tools as he played a strong centerfield and shortstop.
The Bullpen was a Mixed Bag
The Isotopes pitching staff has never been strong, due to the elevation and the Rockies’ usual need for pitching. The bullpen started strong in the first game, but it went downhill throughout the rest of the series. In a slugfest on Sunday, the bullpen gave up 15 runs. Certainly, this is a very small sample size, and the team is still figuring out their roles, but improvements will be needed. It was also interesting to see Jeff Criswell come out of the bullpen on Friday after being a starter last season.
Criswell and Matt Koch combined to deliver 4 scoreless innings, while the rest of the pen gave up exorbitant run totals, primarily because of Sunday’s ballooned score.
Other Top Performers
Karl Kauffman
It’s hard to put together a strong pitching performance in the PCL, but Kauffman did exactly that on Saturday. Over 5 innings he only gave up 1 run and struck out 5 batters.
Sean Bouchard
Bouchard had a great start to the season going 7 for 15 (.438 AVG), along with 7 RBIs. 5 of his 7 hits were extra-base hits.
Coco Montes
Coco (now wearing batting gloves?) only played in two games but made his mark hitting .500 over 8 at-bats. This follows a season where he hit .317 with 22 bombs.
Ty Blach
Blach didn’t go too far in his start, (3.2 innings), but he did deliver a strong performance. The 33-year-old Denver Native struck out 2 and only gave up 1 run in his start. Given that the Rockies only have two lefties, Blach could be a useful option to the team if he continues to pitch like this.
Transactions:
C Daniel Cope was transferred to the Development List
LHP Josh Rogers was transferred to the Development List
The Isotopes kick off a series in Oklahoma City today (Dodgers Triple-A affiliate) and will spend the week there before returning the The Land of Enchantment back home in Albuquerque.
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