Weekly Minor League Wrap Up, 7/16/12
Venezuelan Summer League Phillies-
Shortstop Deiber Olivera has been on fire for the VSL club. Through 42 games this season, the 5-foot-11-inch 155-pounder has posted a .400 batting average (2nd in the league) with 15 doubles, 2 triples and 26 RBI. The 19-year-old righty hitter was signed by the Phillies in May 2011.
Left-handed hurler Douglas Parada, who threw a 9-inning no-hitter on Saturday, has a 7-0 record with a 0.69 ERA through 11 starts with the VSL Phils. The 19-year-old has struck out 63 and walked just 7 in 65 2/3 innings pitched while holding opponents to a .158 batting average against. Last year in the same league, Parada posted a 5.40 ERA with 4 strike outs and 4 walks in 5 relief outings.
Dominican Summer League Phillies-
Righty hurler Jorge Serrano has posted a 1-0 record and a 1.08 ERA over his past three starts. The 18-year-old Serrano is a native of Columbia.
Rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies-
Carlos Tocci, a 16-year-old Venezuelan OF has tallied a .333 batting average with a double, 4 RBI and 2 stolen bases through his first 11 games with the GCL club. The 6-foot-2-inch 160-pound righty hitter was signed by the Phillies last August on his birthday.
Dylan Cozens, taken by the Phillies 77th overall in this year’s draft, is having a great July. The 18-year-old outfielder is batting .395 with 6 doubles, a HR and 6 RBI in 11 games this month.
Class A short-season Williamsport Crosscutters-
Last season’s 1st round draft pick Larry Greene Jr. hit his first professional home run on Sunday in the Crosscutters’ 8-3 win over Vermont. The 19-year-old lefty hitting outfielder is batting .301 through 26 games this season.
Chris Serritella, this year’s 4th round draft pick, is off to a great start to his pro career. The 22-year-old Southern Illinois product is batting .320 with 13 doubles, 4 HR and 19 RBI in 27 games. Serritella plays first base and serves as the Cutters’ designated hitter.
Class A Lakewood BlueClaws-
Carlos Perdomo has had multiple hits in six of his past seven games. Over that stretch, the 22-year-old middle infielder has gone 14-for-30 (.467 avg). Perdomo, a right-handed hitting Venezuelan, is batting .242 overall in 53 games this season.
First baseman Chris Duffy had a team record 19-game hit streak end on July 4th and since then, the 28th round draft pick from 2010 has gone 15-for-36 (.417 avg) with two grand slams and 14 RBI. The 24-year-old Duffy posted a .205 average with 2 homers and 9 RBI in 20 games earlier this season with Clearwater.
Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers-
LHP Adam Morgan earned no wins in his two most recent starts, but tallied 17 strike outs in 14 innings pitched, while allowing just 2 earned runs and 3 walks over that stretch. Through 17 appearances this season, the 22-year-old has a 3-8 record with a 3.23 ERA and a 9.58 K/9 mark. Morgan was the Phillies’ 3rd round draft choice out of the University of Alabama in 2011.
Infielder Albert Cartwright is 19-for-51 (.373 avg) in 12 games this month. The 24-year-old righty hitter has posted a .264 average with 4 homers and 27 RBI in 69 games this season. Cartwright was acquired from Houston for LHP Sergio Escalona in 2011.
Double-A Reading Phillies-
All-Star first baseman Darin Ruf has posted a .353/.425/.618 line in his last 10 games. Ruf, who will turn 26 years old later this month, was the Phillies’ 20th round draft choice in 2009.
The R-Phils’ new closer, RHP Tyler Knigge, has made two scoreless appearances since earning a promotion from Clearwater. The 23-year-old Idaho native now has a combined 0.58 ERA in 36 games at two levels this season. Knigge was the Phils’ 12th round draft pick in 2010.
Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs-
After struggling throughout June, when he posted a .198/.263/.385 line, Cody Overbeck is picking it up in July. In 9 games this month, the 26-year-old first baseman is sporting a .290/.389/.516 line. Overbeck was the Phils’ 9th round draft choice out of the University of Mississippi in 2008.
Outfielder Domonic Brown, who is expected to return to the IronPigs on Monday, rehabbed his sprained knee last week with the GCL Phillies, going 11-for-19 (.579 avg) with 7 doubles and 4 RBI in 5 contests.
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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider. You can check out more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.
