Phillies Minor League Update: Hoskins is still on fire

Let’s run through the minor leagues and check in on the Phils’ top prospects.

LEHIGH VALLEY: It was a better week for the Pigs, who are now 8-8 on the young season. Here’s how the kids are faring:

Jorge Alfaro: .327/.352/.481, 4 XBH, 16 K, 1 BB, 52 AB
Jesmuel Valentin: .311/.367/.422, 3 XBH, 9 K, 3 BB, 45 AB
Rhys Hoskins: .320/.433/.620, 7 XBH, 11 K, 9 BB, 50 AB
Roman Quinn: .207/.242/.241, 2 XBH, 21 K, 3 BB, 58 AB
Cameron Perkins: .304/.385/.587, 8 XBH, 7 K, 5 BB, 46 AB
Nick Williams: .294/.315/.431, 5 XBH, 18 K, 1 BB, 51 AB
Dylan Cozens: .148/.246/.315, 3 XBH, 24 K, 7 BB, 54 AB
J.P. Crawford: .083/.214/.125, 1 XBH, 16 K, 8 BB, 48 AB

Some really bad strikeout to walk ratios early for Alfaro, Quinn and Williams, especially. Crawford is still struggling, but at least he’s walking now. Perkins had a scorching week, while Hoskins continues to stay hot.

The pitchers? Check these out:

Jake Thompson: 9.2 IP, 14.90 ERA, 11 K, 9 BB
Ben Lively: 17 IP, 3.18 ERA, 14 K, 3 BB
Ricardo Pinto: 18.1 IP, 1.47 ERA, 11 K, 3 BB
Nick Pivetta: 19 IP, 0.95 ERA, 24 K, 2 BB
Mark Appel: 12.2 IP, 7.11 ERA, 7 K, 6 BB

Thompson was a touch better his last time out, while Appel is really having a tough time settling in this year. Pivetta seems bound for a promotion – he’s been lights-out. Pinto hasn’t looked too shabby, either. Lively had a cup of coffee with the Phils (and never got into a game).

READING: The Fightins’ played only five games this week thanks to rain and off days. They went 3-2 and are now 6-7.

The hitters:

Andrew Pullin: .340/.397/.623, 9 XBH, 13 K, 4 BB, 53 AB
Malquin Canelo: .250/.400/.344, 2 XBH, 11 K, 8 BB, 32 AB
Scott Kingery: .277/.407/.596, 7 XBH, 11 K, 9 BB, 47 AB
Carlos Tocci: .304/.340/.348, 7 K, 1 BB, 46 AB

Not much going on here. Tocci’s hitting well (but that slugging percentage is low), while Pullin and Kingery are moving along.

The pitchers:

Thomas Eshelman: 16 IP, 3.94 ERA, 12 K, 3 BB
Drew Anderson: 9.2 IP, 9.31 ERA, 4 K, 2 BB

Anderson’s start Friday was short lived thanks to a rain delay, so he couldn’t work too hard on bringing down that early season ERA. Eshelman is doing as is. Keep an eye on Yacksel Rios – the 23-year-old has 15 strikeouts and one walk in 10 relief innings this season.

CLEARWATER: The Threshers are a steady ship at 11-6 thus far. They’ve won a few close games, too.

Hitters:

Herlis Rodriguez: .310/.396/.667, 7 XBH, 11 K, 6 BB, 42 AB
Damek Tomscha: .276/.354/.534, 7 XBH, 11 K, 6 BB, 58 AB

Cornelius Randolph: .228/.343/.404, 4 XBH, 16 K, 9 BB, 57 AB
Jose Pujols: .183/.210/.217, 2 XBH, 30 K, 2 BB, 60 AB

The Clearwater offense has cooled recently, though third baseman Jan Hernandez now has three home runs and a .543 slugging percentage. Pujols is already at 30 strikeouts … woof.

Pitchers:

Cole Irvin: 20 IP, 0.90 ERA, 17 K, 3 BB
Franklyn Kilome: 16.2 IP, 2.70 ERA, 17 K, 5 BB
Jose Taveras: 16.2 IP, 1.08 ERA, 17 K, 6 BB
Seranthony Dominguez: 13 IP, 0.69 ERA, 20 K, 4 BB
Alberto Tirado: 18 IP, 1.00 ERA, 14 K, 9 BB

This is called good starting pitching.

LAKEWOOD: The Claws don’t know what they want to be, but they’re involved in a ton of one- and two-run games and are now 9-7.

Hitters:

Cord Sandberg: .333/.391/.492, 8 XBH, 17 K, 4 BB, 63 AB
Daniel Brito: .355/.429/.532, 5 XBH, 17 K, 7 BB, 62 AB
Mickey Moniak: .283/.381/.396, 5 XBH, 19 K, 7 BB, 53 AB
Arquimedes Gamboa: .280/.321/.400, 1 XBH, 5 K, 2 BB, 25 AB (7-day disabled list)

Very little changing with the Lakewood offense early on. Sandberg continues to hit well, and he now has seven doubles this season. Outfielder Carlos Duran is hitting .146 but has a .300 on-base percentage thanks to nine walks.

Pitchers:

Sixto Sanchez: 14.1 IP, 3.77 ERA, 17 K, 2 BB
JoJo Romero: 13.2 IP, 3.29 ERA, 18 K, 7 BB
Ranger Suarez: 15.1 IP, 1.17 ERA, 21 K, 7 BB
Adonis Medina: 17 IP, 1.06 ERA, 18 K, 5 BB

More good pitching, this time specifically Suarez and Medina. Sanchez’s K rate continues to dazzle. This is all good.

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.