Last Night Was Some Night!

 The Guardians were not playing last night but the full-season minor league teams were in full prospect balling out mode.  Let's look:

COLUMBUS

Worcester is the Red Sox affiliate. Boston had the 16th ranked farm system entering the season.  They have 6 prospects from their current top 30 on their roster including their starting pitchers from Wednesday and Thursday night.  But, basically, they are a very veteran minor league team, the kind that usually excels at AAA.  They are 5-6 on the season which places them at 14th out of 20 teams in early standings in the International League.  

The reason I mention this is that last night it seemed as if the Clippers were playing a mediocre AA team.  Everything was working for the first 4 innings offensively.   Guys were roping balls.  These were not loopers that were falling in.  Frankly, Freeman's chopper in the first inning was the only weak contact I remember.  

Freeman had a career night, with a crushed HR that left the yard on a line drive over the center field fence.  He was only credited with 2 doubles but could have been given a third as the right fielder tried to make a shoe string catch on a ball that skipped past him.  Freeman ripped balls to left, right and center, maximizing his reputation as a good contact hitter.

Brayan Rocchio with 3 more hits, all of which were crushed. Pretty much everyone got into the act.

I watched the game particularly to watch Bibee.  He wasn't as sharp with his control as I would have liked to see as I try in my mind to transfer what he would have looked like if he had the same game against major league hitters.   Still, he was so good that I think, right now, his stuff would play in the major leagues.  Assuming no injury and continued performance his timeline to make his ML debut looks no later than June 1st, in my opinion.  When he struck out Alfaro in the first on consecutive fastballs at 98 and 99, that was the cherry on top of that inning.  He looked as dominant as his pitching line would indicate and he is on a Beiber trajectory, in my opinion.

AKRON

Gavin Williams was the story for me in this game.  He didn't dominate and it is a little concerning that it took him 75 pitches to get through 5 innings although he only walked one and only struck out 3.   Still, he gave up only 4 hits for a WHIP on 1.0.   I think, given Adam Scott's struggles and the fact that Columbus already has a bulllpen game every series, I imagine that Williams, if he avoids injury or meltdown, would be in Columbus by the middle of May.  Again, some red flags in his ability to put hitters away but he was hitting 101 so that is a good sign.

LAKE COUNTY

Keeping on pace with his elders (minor league level-wise), Denholm went 5 innings for the Captains, matching Williams' AA line almost exactly.

LYNCHBURG

As expected when you post your 2nd round, polished, college pitcher at low A in his first season, Messick thrived yesterday and over his first two starts.  Still, 10 innings pitched and 10 hits is a bit of a concern.  He is showing excellent control but, from my experience, for someone like him to punchout only a guy an inning against MUCH younger competition could be a red flag as to how his stuff might have trouble playing when he is promoted.

All-in-all, dominant pitching at every level of the minors yesterday.  With Scott (COL), Carver (AKR), Mace (LC) and Gomez (LYN) it will be interesting to see what happens today.