Off-season League Notebook: Sandberg, Arano, Knapp stay hot

Throughout the off-season, we’ll be bringing you details on Phillies players participating in fall and winter leagues from around the globe.  Read ahead for a rundown of how many players have performed to date.  Stats are current through games played on Friday except ABL notes, which include stats for Saturday’s games.

Australian Baseball League-

Outfielder Cord Sandberg is hitting a lofty .444 with a double, four walks and a steal in six games for Canberra.  The 20-year-old was one of nine minor league Gold Glove Award winner as a member of the Lakewood BlueClaws this year.  Sandberg was a 3rd round draft selection in 2013.

Through seven games for the Sydney Blue Sox, first baseman Rhys Hoskins is batting .240 with five doubles, a homer and five RBI.  In a double header on Saturday, Hoskins went 3-for-6 with two doubles and a home run.  The 22-year-old was a 5th round draft pick by the Phils last year.  He batted .319 with 17 home runs and 90 RBI in 135 combined games for Class A Lakewood and Class A Advanced Clearwater this year.

Mexican Winter League-

For the Yaquis, right-handed pitcher Victor Arano has a 2-0 record with a 1.00 ERA in eight relief outings.  He has struck out nine and walked none in nine innings of work.  The 20-year-old had a 4-12 record with a 4.72 ERA in 24 games with Clearwater this year.

Arizona Fall League-

Catcher Andrew Knapp is batting .296 with eight RBI in six games.  “The California Kid” has played catcher, first base and designated hitter for the Desert Dogs thus far.  The 23-year-old was the Phils’ second round draft selection in 2013.  With Double-A Reading this year, Knapp sported a .360 average with 11 homers and 56 RBI in 55 games.

Shortstop J.P. Crawford went 3-for-20 in five games for Glendale.  The 20-year-old was the Phillies’ first round draft selection in 2013.  After sufffering a thumb injury Crawford has been replaced in the AFL, as the Phillies are required to have seven players there, by infielder Drew Stankiewicz.

Edubray Ramos is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA while striking out three and walking none in four innings of work.   The 22-year-old righty tallied a 4-6 record with a 2.07 ERA and an 8.4 K/9 mark in 47 combined games with Class A Advanced Clearwater and Reading this year.

Lefty Tom Windle has allowed two earned runs in four innings while striking out three and walking one.  The 23-year-old, a second round pick of the Dodgers in 2013, was acquired as part of the Jimmy Rollins trade last off-season.

Right-hander Jesen Therrien has a 1-0 record but has allowed five earned runs in five innings of work.  The 22-year-old was a 17th round draft pick in 2011.  This season in 39 combined games with Class A Lakewood and Clearwater, Therrien had a 5-0 record with five saves, a 1.43 ERA and a .218 batting average against.

Righty Yacksel Rios is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four games (three starts).  He has struck out seven and walked four in 12 innings pitched for Glendale.  In 26 games for Clearwater this year, the 22-year-old sported a 6-5 record with one save and a 2.75 ERA.  Rios was the Phillies’ 12th round draft pick in 2011.

Outfielder Aaron Brown is 4-for-11 (.364 avg) with a double in three games.  The lefty batter tallied a .257 average with 11 homers and 47 RBI in 110 games for Clearwater this season.  Brown, 23, was a third round draft choice out of Pepperdine last year.  Brown was originally slated to play this off-season in Australia, but replaced Dylan Cozens, after he suffered an arm injury.

Venezuelan Winter League-

In 11 games with the Tigres, outfielder Carlos Tocci has a .333 average with a triple, four RBI and two stolen bases.  Tocci has not played in a game since October 21st.  The 20-year-old posted a .287/.339/.363 slash line in 127 combined games with Lakewood and Clearwater this year.

Outfielder Herlis Rodriguez is batting .237 with four RBI in 13 games for the Tigres.  The 21-year-old posted a .284 average with 10 home runs and 61 RBI in 120 games for Lakewood this year.

20-year-old infielder William Cuicas is 0-for-1 in one game for the Tigres.  Cuicas batted .186 with 12 RBI in 40 combined games for Williamsport and Lakewood this year.

Willians Astudillo is batting .182 with a double and three RBI in 14 games for the Caribes.  In 107 games with Clearwater this year, the multi-positional righty batter posted a .314 average with three home runs and 49 RBI.

Catcher Gabriel Lino is batting .250 with four doubles, a triple and five RBI in 15 games for the Cardinales.  The 22-year-old had a .215 batting average with 17 RBI in 53 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year.

Infielder Edgar Duran is batting .237 with two homers and six RBI in 16 games for the Bravos.  The 24-year-old batted .163 with nine RBI in 45 games for Lehigh Valley this year.

Righty Stephen Shackleford has a 1-2 record with a 5.68 ERA in seven appearances for the Tiburones.  The man they call “Shack” set Reading’s single-season saves record with 30 this year.  In 54 games there, Shackleford tallied a 4-2 record with a 4.45 ERA.

Right-hander Alexis Rivero has no decisions and a 3.38 ERA in six outings for the Tigres.  In 41 combined games with Lakewood and Clearwater this year, Rivero, who turns 21 years old today, posted a 4-2 record with 10 saves, a 2.54 ERA and an 8.4 K/9 mark.

Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez has a 0-2 record with a 3.54 ERA in four starts for the Aguilas.  He tossed six shut out innings in his most recent appearance on Friday.  The 29-year-old right-hander appeared in six minor league games this year after dealing with shoulder issues.

Lino Martinez has tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings in two relief appearances for the Aguilas.  The 23-year-old lefty had a 2-0 record with a 5.06 ERA in eight combined games for the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies and Clearwater this year.

Elvis Araujo has a 2-1 record and a 3.00 ERA in six games with the Aguilas.  The 24-year-old left-hander posted a 2-1 record with a 3.38 ERA and an 8.8 K/9 mark in 40 games at the big league level this year.

Catcher Wilson Garcia is 1-for-8 in three games for the Aguilas.  The 21-year-old sported a .321 average with five RBI in 19 combined games for Class A short season Williamsport and Clearwater this year.

Dominican Winter League-

Righty Jimmy Cordero has tossed two scoreless frames in two appearances for the Leones.  Cordero, a 24-year-old, was acquired from Toronto in the Ben Revere trade this season.  In 13 games with Reading, he posted a 2.12 ERA with 18 strike outs in 17 innings.

Center fielder Roman Quinn is batting .256 with two triples, a homer and five RBI in nine games for the Tigres.  Quinn tallied a .306 batting average with four homers, 15 RBI and 29 stolen bases in 58 games with Reading this year prior to being sidelined with an injury.  The 22-year-old switch-hitter was the Phillies’ second round pick in the 2011 draft.

Backstop Logan Moore went 0-for-3 in one game for the Tigres.  The 25-year-old lefty batter had a .661 OPS in 69 combined games with Reading and Lehigh Valley this year.  Moore was a 9th round draft pick in 2011.

Shortstop Malquin Canelo is batting .257 with two doubles, three triples and three RBI in 10 games for the Toros.  The 21-year-old sported a .281 average with eight home runs, 47 RBI and 17 steals in 126 combined games for Lakewood and Clearwater in the 2015 regular season.

Infielder Angelo Mora is 4-for-21 (.190 avg) in seven games with the Estrellas.  In 98 combined games for Clearwater and Reading this year, Mora, who is 22, posted a .312 average with three home runs and 39 RBI.

With the Estrellas, righty pitcher Ryan O’Sullivan has thrown 4 1/3 scoreless innings for the Estrellas.  The 25-year-old posted a 2.39 ERA in 36 appearances for Reading this year.

Nefi Ogando, a righty hurler, made his season debut for the Aguilas this week, throwing a scoreless inning.  The 26-year-old appeared in four big league games this season after posting a 2.86 ERA and a 7.9 K/9 mark in 44 minor league appearances this year.

Ulises Joaquin has allowed an earned run in 2 2/3 innings of work for the Aguilas.  The 23-year-old righty reliever had a 4-2 record with 16 saves, a 2.96 ERA and an 8.7 K/9 mark in 46 appearances for Clearwater this year.

Joely Rodriguez has tossed 1 2/3 innings without allowing a run for the Gigantes.  The lefty had a 6.12 combined ERA in 32 total outings for Reading and Lehigh Valley this year.  Rodriguez was acquired from Pittsburgh last off-season in a trade for Antonio Bastardo.

Also with the Gigantes, Alberto Tirado has allowed an earned run in 2/3 of an inning.  Tirado was the other player acquired in the Ben Revere deal.  In 40 appearances in the Class A Advances Florida State League this year, the 21-year-old had a 2.68 ERA with 77 strike outs and 53 walks in 77 1/3 innings.

Roberto Clemente League (Puerto Rico)-

Jesmuel Valentin had a 2-for-5 game in the season opener for the Indios on Friday.  The 21-year-old infielder missed a majority of the 2015 regular season following a criminal case related to domestic violence and a subsequent suspension by the Phillies.  The switch-hitter batted .271 with a home run and 14 RBI in 31 games for Clearwater.

Also with the Indios, first baseman Brock Stassi went 2-for-5 with a double.  Stassi was the MVP of the Double-A Eastern League this year, when he posted a .300/.394/.470 slash line in 133 games for Reading.

Lefty hurler Hoby Milner tossed 2/3 scoreless inning with the Indios.  The 24-year-old was a 7th round pick in 2012.  He enjoyed success with Reading late in the season after changing his arm angle, but had a 3.52 combined ERA in 30 appearances for Clearwater and Reading.

Backstop Rene Garcia went 2-for-5 with an RBI on opening day for the Gigantes.  The 25-year-old righty batter hit .318 with 22 RBI in 52 combined minor league games this year.

With the Cangrejeros, infielder Emmanuel Marrero went 1-for-3.  The 22-year-old infielder batted .187 in 61 combined games for Clearwater and Lakewood this year.