Astros Prospect Report: Games of July 11, 2016

AAA Fresno Grizzlies: All-Star Break

AA Corpus Christi Hooks: 5-1 win over Tulsa (LAD)

-> Conrad Gregor: 2-for-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI
-> Chase McDonald: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R
-> Alejandro Garcia: 2-for-4, RBI
-> Derek Fisher: 1-for-3, BB, 2B, SB, R
-> Nick Tanielu: 1-for-3, BB, RBI, R
-> Roberto Pena: 1-for-3, RBI

SP Keegan Yuhl: 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K (win)
RP Albert Minnis: 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K (hold)
RP Chris Cotton: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K

Nice bounce back for Yuhl in this one. He had allowed seven earned runs in his previous two outings. This game dropped his ERA to 2.55, and his walk rate is just 1.9 per nine innings on the season.

Fisher is off to a slow start in July, with just seven hits during the month so far (.194 average). He's struck out 12 times in his last nine games. Overall he's still solid on the season, with an .852 OPS, 30 XBH and 19 steals in 81 games.

A+ Lancaster JetHawks: 8-4 win over Inland Empire (LAA)

-> Bobby Boyd: 3-for-5, R, 2 RBI
-> Ramon Laureano: 2-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI
-> Antonio Nunez: 2-for-4, 2 R
-> Aaron Mizell: 1-for-3, R
-> Trent Woodward: 1-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI
-> Johnny Sewald: 1-for-4, BB, 2B, SB, RBI, R
-> Keach Ballard: 1-for-4, 2B
-> Marc Wik: 1-for-4, SB, R
-> Bryan Muniz: 0-for-4, BB, R

SP Brock Dykxhoorn: 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 K (win)
RP Gonzalo Sanudo: 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K (hold)
RP Kevin Comer: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K
RP Ryan Deemes: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K

The walks were uncharacteristic for Dykxhoorn tonight; just a 1.7 BB/9 coming into this game. I like him, he has some talent, clearly has decent command most of the time, but I'm still not sure who he is. He doesn't miss a ton of bats, but he also doesn't generate a ton of grounders. It's hard to tell how much he's using his natural height to his advantage.

I think it's safe to be at least mildy interested in Boyd. He's a lefty in Lancaster, so some of it isn't real (he had one career homer coming into this season, and he's hit six already, so yeah...), but he has some talent. A true center fielder, he draws just enough walks and limits strike outs enough to be a solid OBP thread, and he's a very serious base-stealing threat once he reaches (30 bags in 61 games this year). So we'll see. Definitely a guy you need to see outside of Lancaster, but there's some 4th outfielder upside here.

A- Quad Cities River Bandits: 4-1 win over Clinton (SEA)

-> Dexture McCall: 3-for-4, RBI
-> Osvaldo Duarte: 2-for-3, HR, RBI, 2 BB, 2 R
-> Connor Goedert: 2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R
-> Christian COrrea: 2-for-4, RBI
-> Kyle Tucker: 1-for-2, 2 BB
-> Hector Roa: 1-for-4, RBI
-> Arturo Michelena: 1-for-5
-> Kristian Trompiz: 0-for-3, BB

SP Jose Hernandez: 7.0 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 BB, 6 K (win)
RP Ralph Garza: 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K (save)

Hernandez is on a heck of a roll right now; this is his seventh-straight start allowing one or no earned runs. He's also not walked more than one batter in any of those games. The numbers are awesome; 0.69 ERA, 0.9 BB/9, 9.0 K/9 in 39 innings during that stretch of games. His ERA was 5.20 prior to those seven games; it's now 2.87. Heck of a break out.

Tucker is hitting just .243 in his last ten games, but there are silver linings. He hasn't whiffed in five straight games, and he's up to 28 stolen bases after swiping three in his last ten games. You're very likely going to see a 35-40 SB season with an OPS around .750 or better from this 19-year-old playing in full-season ball one year after being drafted.

Duarte is on a .333 run during his last ten games, helping raise his season numbers to .272/.322/.423. He's spent the entire year with QC so far, and if he keeps this tear up, he could eventually earn a promotion for the last month of the season. Still just 20 years old, though, so no rush on him. He's flashing a solid power/speed combo with 27 XBH and 15 stolen bases in 70 games.

SS Tri-City ValleyCats: 6-5 win over Mahoning Valley (CLE)

-> Ryne Birk: 3-for-4, BB, 2B, R, 3 RBI
-> Kevin Martir: 2-for-4, 2 R
-> Chuckie Robinson: 2-for-4, R
-> Randy Cesar: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
-> Stephen Wrenn: 0-for-2, R, 3 BB
-> Spencer Johnson: 0-for-2, 2 BB
-> Alexander De Goti: 0-for-4, BB, R
-> Taylor Jones: 0-for-4, BB

SP Dustin Hunt: 3.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 1 K
RP Ryan Hartman: 3.2 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 7 K
RP Luis Ramirez: 1.0 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K (win)
RP Nick Hernandez: 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K (save)

Is it time for a promotion for Birk? Just 17 games, so maybe not, but dang, what a 17 games they've been. Looking like Altuve down there with a .365/.468/.556 line. He's hitting .586 during the seven-game hitting streak he's on. Twice as many walks as strike outs. As we've seen with Tyler White, your draft round doesn't matter; if you hit, people will notice you, people will eventually give you the shot that you've earned. Ryne Birk, we know your name.

Oh-for at the plate? No problem, I'll just walk three times. If it weren't for Birk, Wrenn would easily be team MVP right now. He owns a 1.048 OPS and has 15 XBH and six steals in just 23 games. He's striking out a little bit, but other than that, you can't find something to pick at. Excellent start.

Hartman was the 9th rounder, so it's nice to see another one of the bonus guys off to a solid start. 1.50 is the ERA, and he's sporting a 7.0 K/BB ratio after the big night in this game.

RK Greeneville Astros: 12-4 win over Elizabethton (MIN)

-> Bryan De La Cruz: 3-for-4, BB, 2B, HR, RBI, 3 R
-> Wander Franco: 3-for-4, 3 RBI
-> Chaz Pal: 2-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R
-> Miguelangel Sierra: 2-for-5, SB
-> Ruben Castro: 2-for-5, R
-> Troy Sieber: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, R, 2 BB
-> Jonathan Arauz: 1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R
-> Marcos Almonte: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI, R
-> Abraham Toro-Hernandez: 1-for-5, RBI, R
-> Luis Payano: 1-for-1, R, 2 RBI (pinch-runner, then DH)

SP Abdiel Saldana: 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K
RP Devon Carr: 1.0 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K
RP Ricardo Castro: 4.0 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 3 H, 0 BB, 4 K (win)

After a slow start, Greeneville is 7-5 in July to pull back to respectability.

After homering seven times in ten games, this almost seems like a disappointment for Sierra. Two knocks and a bag though, yes please. He has 11 hits during his last six games, and owns a 1.176 OPS, second-best in the league (the eight long balls is the top number, for now).

We're still at the point where a big night can wildly affect overall numbers, of course, but after this game, De La Cruz is hitting .302/.388/.628 in 12 games. Notable is the six walks and 10 strike outs, very solid rates. Just a baby still at 19, too.

In four games with the club, Castro owns a 2.04 ERA, 1.5 BB/9 and 9.2 K/9 in 17.2 innings of work.

Today's Scheduled Starters

AAA: Off Day
AA: Off Day
A+: Off Day
A-: Off Day
SS: Sebastian Kessay vs. Aaron Civale
RK: Off Day