by Bill Moriarity / A’s Farm Editor
Unfortunately, the A’s started off the season with a number of the organization’s most notable minor league pitchers on the disabled list. Names like A.J. Puk, Grant Holmes, Logan Shore, Daulton Jefferies, James Kaprielian, Dustin Hurlbutt, Evan Manarino and Dalton Sawyer have all started the season on the shelf.
Despite this, there actually have been plenty of promising performances in the minor league system from young pitching prospects like Parker Dunshee, James Naile and Bryce Conley in the early going this season. You can always stay up to date on the A’s top prospects and all the daily action in the A’s minor league system right here on Athletics Farm…
Click here for this week’s pitching updates on Nashville, Midland, Stockton & Beloit…
SEASON’S TOP STARTING PITCHERS:
(through games of 4/15/18)
RHP James Naile (Nashville – AAA)
(17.2 IP / 15 H / 0 ER / 2 BB / 15 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.96 WHIP)
RHP Parker Dunshee (Stockton – A+)
(10 IP / 3 H / 0 ER / 1 BB / 14 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.40 WHIP)
RHP Bryce Conley (Beloit – A)
(10 IP / 0 H / 0 ER / 2 BB / 8 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.20 WHIP)
LHP Zack Erwin (Stockton – A+)
(13 IP / 9 H / 1 ER / 1 BB / 12 K / 0.69 ERA / 0.77 WHIP)
RHP Joel Seddon (Midland – AA)
(11 IP / 9 H / 2 ER / 2 BB / 10 K / 1.64 ERA / 1.00 WHIP)
RHP Brian Howard (Stockton – A+)
(10.1 IP / 3 H / 2 ER / 2 BB / 15 K / 1.74 ERA / 0.48 WHIP)
NASHVILLE SOUNDS
Pacific Coast League – Triple-A
Nashville Sounds Starting Rotation: RHP James Naile, RHP Frankie Montas, RHP Trevor Cahill, LHP Eric Jokisch, LHP Brett Anderson
RHP James Naile has emerged as the surprise ace of the Nashville Sounds starting staff early in the season. The 25-year-old has failed to allow a run in 17 2/3 frames and has earned the win in each of his first three starts for the Sounds. Naile, who was drafted by the A’s in the 20th round back in 2015, missed a good chunk of 2017 due to injury but put up a solid 3.21 ERA in 61 2/3 innings when he did manage to make it to the mound for Midland last season. The rest of Nashville’s starting rotation has been a bit of a work in progress. LHP Eric Jokisch, signed by the A’s as a minor league free agent in the offseason, has surrendered 8 earned runs over 11 innings and has taken the loss in each of his first two starts for the Sounds. RHP Trevor Cahill has allowed just 4 hits in 9 2/3 innings, but he’s struggled with his control at times, issuing 7 walks while striking out 10 and posting a 3.72 ERA over his first two outings. It’s expected that he’ll join the A’s starting staff this week and will be replaced in the Sounds rotation by RHP Daniel Gossett, who relieved him in Thursday’s game and tossed 4 scoreless frames. LHP Brett Anderson and RHP Frankie Montas have both been on short leashes since neither had been stretched out for starting duty by the end of spring. Anderson has fared fairly well though, allowing 2 earned runs while walking none and striking out 12 in 8 innings over his first two starts. Meanwhile, Montas’s first start was a disaster – he was charged with 4 runs after making it through just 2/3 of an inning. His next outing went much more smoothly though. The 25-year-old flame-thrower allowed just 1 hit while walking none and striking out 3 over 3 innings of work. RHPs Chris Bassitt and Raul Alcantara have both been serving as long relievers and filling in for multiple innings after Anderson’s and Montas’s early departures. Bassitt has been outstanding, allowing just 4 hits while striking out 11 over 8 scoreless innings in relief. Alcantara’s been less impressive though, giving up 5 earned runs in 7 innings of work. For the most part, the Sounds bullpen has been solid so far this season. RHP Lou Trivino has yet to allow a base runner while notching 8 strikeouts over his first 4 1/3 innings, and he also owns the Sounds’ only save. RHP Bobby Wahl has failed to surrender a hit or a run over his first 4 frames, while RHP Josh Lucas and LHP Jeremy Bleich have combined for 7 scoreless innings of relief, and RHP Simon Castro just returned to the roster and made his season debut for the Sounds on Sunday.
MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS
Texas League – Double-A
Midland RockHounds Starting Rotation: RHP Joel Seddon, RHP Corey Walter, RHP Ben Bracewell, RHP Norge Ruiz, RHP Kyle Friedrichs
After making 27 appearances in relief last season, RHP Joel Seddon has been the leader of the RockHounds rotation early this season. The 25-year-old has allowed just 2 runs while striking out 10 in 11 innings over his first two starts for Midland. Meanwhile, RHP Ben Bracewell has given up 6 runs, just 2 of them earned, over his first 10 frames. The roughest record in the early going belongs to RHP Corey Walter, who has surrendered 12 runs on 20 hits in his first 11 innings of work. The remaining members of the RockHounds rotation have each had one good outing and one bad one. RHP Kyle Friedrichs got off to a good start, allowing just 1 earned run over 6 innings in his first appearance, but he then surrendered 4 earned runs over 5 frames in his last outing. RHP Norge Ruiz, the 24-year-old Cuban import, got off to a rough start, giving up 8 runs in just 1 2/3 innings in his Double-A debut, but he bounced back to throw 5 shutout frames in his last appearance. Meanwhile, RHP J.B. Wendelken, returning from Tommy John surgery, has turned out to be one of the most reliable relievers out of the RockHounds bullpen, allowing just 1 earned run and striking out 8 over 4 frames while picking up a pair of saves for the Hounds. RHP Jake Sanchez returned to the RockHounds from the Sounds this weekend and just notched his first save on Sunday. RHP Trey Cochran-Gill, who was injured most of last season, has looked solid, allowing just 1 hit while striking out 4 over his first 3 1/3 frames in relief. But after dominating for Stockton last season, side-arming RHP Nolan Blackwood has looked a little shaky in the early going, giving up 4 runs, 2 earned, on 4 hits and 3 walks over his first 3 innings of work for the RockHounds.
STOCKTON PORTS
California League – High-A
Stockton Ports Starting Rotation: LHP Jesus Luzardo, RHP Parker Dunshee, RHP Brian Howard, RHP Matt Milburn, LHP Zack Erwin, RHP Jake Bray
Stockton’s six-man starting staff has definitely put together the most impressive collective pitching performance in the A’s system so far this season. Stockton’s starters have compiled a solid 1.59 ERA over the team’s first 11 games. RHP Parker Dunshee, last year’s 7th-round draft pick for the A’s, has perhaps been the most impressive. The 23-year-old has allowed just 3 hits while walking 1 and striking out 14 over 10 scoreless innings. Last year’s 8th-round pick, 6-foot-9 RHP Brian Howard, has given up 2 runs and struck out 15 in 10 1/3 frames, while 24-year-old LHP Zack Erwin, who was acquired from the White Sox in the Brett Lawrie deal, has allowed just 1 run and struck out 12 over 13 innings, and 20-year-old LHP Jesus Luzardo has compiled 16 strikeouts in his first 9 2/3 innings while posting a 1.86 ERA for the Ports. RHP Matt Milburn threw 5 shutout innings in his first start but then gave up 5 runs in 4 2/3 frames in his last outing. RHP Jake Bray, who was acquired from the Orioles in the offseason, notched 82 strikeouts in 51 innings for Class-A Delmarva last season. He’d worked primarily as a reliever throughout his career, but the A’s are converting him into a starter this season in Stockton, and the 25-year-old tossed 4 scoreless innings in his first start last week. 23-year-old Cuban RHP Miguel Romero has quickly emerged as Stockton’s stopper in the early going, allowing 1 earned run on just 2 hits while walking none and striking out 6 over 6 2/3 innings and already picking up 3 saves for the Ports. Former starter Angel Duno has been a solid set-up man, throwing 7 1/3 scoreless frames in relief for Stockton, while last year’s closer for the Snappers, RHP Sam Sheehan, has already tallied 10 strikeouts in his first 6 innings out of the bullpen for the Ports.
BELOIT SNAPPERS
Midwest League – Class-A
Beloit Snappers Starting Rotation: RHP Jean Ruiz, RHP Bryce Conley, RHP Wyatt Marks, RHP Xavier Altamirano, RHP Michael Danielak, LHP Jared Poche
When they’re not busy being rained or snowed out, like Stockton, the Snappers have been working with a six-man rotation in the early going this season. RHP Bryce Conley, who led the Snappers’ no-hitter last week, has been the most impressive member of the staff so far. Last year’s 22nd-round draft pick for the A’s has yet to allow a hit or a run over his first 10 frames this season. RHP Wyatt Marks, last year’s 13h-round pick, has given up just 2 earned runs while walking none and striking out 12 over 10 innings of work. Last year’s 9th-round pick, LHP Jared Poche, allowed just 1 run and struck out 6 over 4 2/3 frames in his Beloit debut last week, while RHP Michael Danielak, last year’s 19th-round pick, gave up 3 runs over 3 2/3 innings in his debut, and RHP Xavier Altamirano allowed 3 runs over 4 2/3 frames in his first start. 21-year-old Colombian RHP Jean Ruiz started off well, striking out 7 in 5 innings in his first outing, but he surrendered 5 runs in just 2 innings of work in his last appearance for the Snappers. RHP Dakota Chalmers, the A’s 3rd-round draft pick back in 2015, has been working out of the bullpen for Beloit, but his control issues have continued. The 21-year-old has tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings while walking 6 and striking out 5 for the Snappers.
* * *
Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm. You can also get our exclusive A’s minor league newsletter e-mailed to you free by signing up here.