1 Padres Press Clips Sunday, May 8, 2016 Article Source Author Page Shields, Padres done in by 4 Mets HRs MLB.com DiComo/Paris 2 Green confident Shields will turn it around MLB.com Paris 4 Weeks strains hamstring, likely headed to DL MLB.com Paris 6 Quartet of Padres ramping up rehab stints MLB.com Paris 7 With mom in stands, Cashner starting on Mother's Day MLB.com Paris 9 Bartolo Colon clubs Mets to 6-3 win over Padres ESPN Ruben 10 Colon hits 1st career homer in Mets' 6-3 win over Padres Associated Press AP 11 Carlos Belen hits first TinCaps homer UT San Diego Sanders 14 Acee: Getting in early on believing in Padres UT San Diego Acee 16 Unlikely Colon blast sinks Shields, Padres UT San Diego Sanders 19 Kemp's outfield work with Brock paying off UT San Diego Lin 21 Lindsey intent on landing back on map UT San Diego Sanders 24 Mets-Padres Preview STATS LLC STATS LLC 26 Prospect Hunter Renfroe continues to put up numbers FOX Sports San Diego Conniff 28 April MadFriars' Players of the Month FOX Sports San Diego Jay 30
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
1
Padres Press Clips Sunday, May 8, 2016
Article Source Author Page
Shields, Padres done in by 4 Mets HRs MLB.com DiComo/Paris 2
Green confident Shields will turn it around MLB.com Paris 4
Weeks strains hamstring, likely headed to DL MLB.com Paris 6
Quartet of Padres ramping up rehab stints MLB.com Paris 7
With mom in stands, Cashner starting on Mother's Day MLB.com Paris 9
Bartolo Colon clubs Mets to 6-3 win over Padres ESPN Ruben 10
Colon hits 1st career homer in Mets' 6-3 win over Padres Associated Press AP 11
Carlos Belen hits first TinCaps homer UT San Diego Sanders 14
Acee: Getting in early on believing in Padres UT San Diego Acee 16
Unlikely Colon blast sinks Shields, Padres UT San Diego Sanders 19
Kemp's outfield work with Brock paying off UT San Diego Lin 21
Lindsey intent on landing back on map UT San Diego Sanders 24
Mets-Padres Preview STATS LLC STATS LLC 26
Prospect Hunter Renfroe continues to put up numbers FOX Sports San Diego Conniff 28
April MadFriars' Players of the Month FOX Sports San Diego Jay 30
2
Shields, Padres done in by 4 Mets HRs By Anthony DiComo and Jay Paris / MLB.com | @AnthonyDiComo | 1:52 AM ET
SAN DIEGO -- Lost in the stories, the standing ovations and the instant legend surroundingBartolo
Colon's first career homer was the simple fact that, in context, it was the critical component to the Mets
winning a game.
Colon's two-run shot allowed the Mets to lead wire-to-wire Saturday night in a 6-3 win over the Padres,
snapping the Mets' two-game skid.
"I don't even know how to explain it," Colon said. "I'm very thankful. I thank God for this amazing
moment. I wasn't expecting it."
Nor was Padres starter James Shields, who gave up a pair of two-run homers to Colon
andYoenis Cespedes. That accounted for all of New York's offense until David Wright andMichael
Conforto hit admittedly less surreal back-to-back homers in the ninth. In addition to becoming
ever more of a cult hero in Flushing with his performance at the plate, Colon delivered 6 2/3
innings of three-run ball to improve to 3-1.
"He was locating that sinker, man, and he was tough,'' Padres outfielder Melvin Upton Jr.said.
"He had it going. I remember facing him when he was throwing 97 [mph] in Anaheim. He has
lost some [velocity], but he is still doing it."
San Diego outfielder Jon Jay did stay hot with a three-run shot off Colon, drawing the Padres
within a run of the lead in the third inning. But scoring for both sides stopped there until the
ninth.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Bart's Shining Moment: When he went deep off Shields for his two-run shot in the second, Colon became the second-oldest Mets player to homer, and the oldest in big league history to hit his first career long ball. By the time Colon finished trudging around the bases in 30.6 seconds, the fourth-slowest home run trot this season, he had given the Mets a 4-0 lead. And his teammates were ready for him, giving Colon the silent treatment before mobbing the 42-year-old wonder.
"We all kind of said, 'What would we do if Bartolo hit a home run?'" Mets second basemanNeil
Walker recalled, laughing. "That made everyone's career to witness that." More >
Painful bunt: The Padres' Jemile Weeks hit a sacrifice bunt to put Derek Norris at second base
in the seventh. Weeks was poised to reach first with no one covering, but he strained his right
hamstring while sprinting toward the bag. Colon tagged out Weeks as he was sprawled in the
basepath, unable to rise. Reliever Jerry Blevins fanned Jay on a slow curveball to end the inning
and strand Norris, maintaining the Mets 4-3 lead.
"It looks like [Weeks] is going on the DL," Padres manager Andy Green said. "It looks like he got
it pretty good." More >
Still on fire: Colon was not the only Met to show some muscle against Shields. Cespedes' two-
run homer in the first inning gave him 10 in 25 games this season, also moving him into the
National League lead with 29 RBIs. But the day's overall offensive star was Wright, who
reached base safely in all five of his plate appearances.
"The thing I feel good about is I am getting on base for the guys who are swinging the bats really well behind me," Wright said. "It's part of hitting at the top of the order." Say Jay Kid: Jay got the Padres back into the game with his first homer of the season, a third-inning, three-run blast. That made it 4-3, with Norris and Shields, both aboard on singles, scoring ahead of Jay. It was also Jay's first home run as a Padre.
QUOTABLE
"Next question, man." -- Shields, on if he was surprised Colon hit his first career home run off
him More >
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Among the more bizarre stories to come out of Colon's first career home run is this one: Most
offseasons, Colon plays in a Friday night softball game in Bonao, Dominican Republic, about an
hour's drive from his hometown of Altamira. The game has a Home Run Derby-type
atmosphere, and Colon said he often hits long balls there.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mets: Matt Harvey will look to become the second straight Mets pitcher to homer when he takes
the mound Sunday in the 4:40 p.m. ET series finale at Petco. Realistically, Harvey is simply
trying to put his rough start to the season behind him, relying on some mechanical adjustments
to improve his 2-4 record and 4.76 ERA.
Padres: San Diego will attempt to win its last outing of a series for the first time this season and
also clinch a series victory Sunday. Andrew Cashner (2-2) goes for his second straight win, with
Amarista, who started 84 games last year, didn't make the club out of camp. Since being recalled April 10,
the left-handed hitter delivered a spark by batting .333 in eight games. He also gave Green flexibility off
the bench.
So if handicapping the infielders, which returns first?
"Amarista might be just a tick ahead of Solarte,'' Green said. "But there's a horse race coming up here
soon, so Solarte could pull ahead before it's all said and done.''
9
With mom in stands, Cashner starting
on Mother's Day By Jay Paris / Special to MLB.com | May 7th, 2016
The Padres' Andrew Cashner is pitching against the Mets on Sunday, and that's appropriate on Mother's
Day.
Many players in the finale of the four-game series will use pink equipment to raise funds to fight breast
cancer.
Cashner's mother, Jane, is a breast cancer survivor and will be in attendance.
In his last start, Cashner worked six innings and allowed three runs in earning Tuesday's win over the
Rockies.
Matt Harvey, who will oppose Cashner, is 1-1 lifetime against the Padres, striking out 21 in 18 innings.
It's New York's final contest in San Diego this season. The Mets continue their season-high, 11-game road
trip by opening a four-game series on Monday against the Dodgers.
Three things to know about this game
• Mets manager Terry Collins spoke to Harvey between starts about correcting some of the mechanical
issues that Harvey feels have plagued him in recent starts.
"Matt's feeling good,'' Collins said. "Certainly, there's no arm issues. There's none of that stuff. He's just
got to make better pitches and he knows that."
• Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes seeks his sixth homer in 11 games as he stays hot on the road trip. He
remains among the Majors' leaders in road slugging percentage.
• Regardless of Sunday's outcome, it will be the third straight series for the Padres that they didn't lose.
10
Bartolo Colon clubs Mets to 6-3 win over
Padres Adam RubinESPN Staff Writer
SAN DIEGO -- Bartolo Colon slugged the New York Mets to a 6-3 victory over the San Diego
Padres on Saturday at Petco Park. Yes, slugged.
Yoenis Cespedes and Colon each delivered two-run homers against right-hander James Shields as the Mets built a 4-0 lead. Jon Jay answered with a three-run shot against Colon in the third, but the Mets (18-11) held on to snap a two-game losing streak. David Wright and Michael
Conforto contributed back-to-back solo homers in the ninth inning to provide closer Jeurys
Familia with a three-run cushion. Colon (42 years, 349 days) became the oldest player to produce his first career home run. He unseated Randy Johnson, whose lone major league homer came at 40 years, 9 days old with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2003. Colon (3-1) logged 6⅔ innings. He allowed three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five. Jerry Blevins struck Jay out to strand Derek Norris at second base and close the book on Colon’s outing. Blevins, Addison Reed and Familia combined to toss 2⅓ scoreless relief innings. Reed allowed consecutive two-out singles to Brett Wallace and Melvin Upton Jr. to place runners on the corners in the eighth but rallied by striking out Alexei Ramirez to preserve what at the time was a one-run lead.
Colon earned career win No. 221. He ranks second among Dominican-born pitchers, trailing only Juan Marichal (243).
Wright reached base all five times -- on three walks, a single and the homer. Wright also stole a base, which gives him a team-best three steals on the season. Conforto snapped an 0-for-17 drought with his ninth-inning long ball. The Mets have six sets of back-to-back homers this season.
Jemile Weeks departed for the Padres with a right hamstring strain. What’s next: Matt Harvey (2-4, 4.76 ERA) tries to get his season on track when he faces right-hander Andrew Cashner (2-2, 4.85) in the 4:40 p.m. ET series finale. The Mets will then bus to Los Angeles for a four-game series against the Dodgers.
SAN DIEGO -- Bartolo Colon turned on an inside fastball from James Shields, launching a home run that was as improbable as it was historic. Colon became the oldest player to hit his first major league home run, connecting Saturday night less than three weeks before his 43rd birthday, to help the New York Mets to a 6-3 victory over the San Diego Padres.
As the Mets' dugout went wild, Colon watched the ball all the way to its landing spot in the seats in the left-field corner. He didn't toss his bat until he was well more than halfway to first base. The portly pitcher's trot around the bases after hitting the impressive two-run shot took about 30 seconds.
When he returned to the dugout, his teammates were hiding in the tunnel before coming out to mob him.
"I don't even know how to explain it," Colon said. "I'm very thankful. I thank God for this amazing moment, and I wasn't expecting it. Once I hit it I knew it was gone. The ball in San Diego travels well.
"Anytime I see a fastball I swing hard because I'm not a curveball hitter," he added.
"I don't really know what to say about that," Padres manager Andy Green said. "Certain things leave you speechless.
"I don't know what the odds were of the Kentucky Derby for the trifecta today," added Green, a Kentucky native, `'but I figure the swing was probably a lot longer odds than that. It's one of those things that you just don't expect to see. Good swing."
Shields said only that it was a fastball in.
Asked if he were surprised with Colon's swing, Shields said, "Next question, man."
Colon's teammates were amazed.
"You just shake your head," David Wright said. "You watch him take BP and he's got very good hand-eye coordination and you see him hit some home runs in BP and you think to yourself, `What would happen if he ever did it in a game?' And to do it here with as many Mets fans as here, the 7 Line out there, I mean the place just went nuts, and it's one of those things where you come to the ballpark never knowing what you're going to see, and you saw it." Kevin Plawecki was aboard on a double for Colon's homer.
"I almost missed third base I was so excited," Plawecki said. "Just kind of in awe about the whole thing. It was really cool."
Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run homer for the Mets, who scored only three runs and had seven hits in losing the first two games of this four-game series. Randy Johnson hit his only homer shortly after turning 40 in 2003. He was the oldest to finally hit a home run before Colon. Colon hasn't had to worry about his hitting. He won the 2005 AL Cy Young Award while with the Los Angeles Angels, and is a three-time All-Star.
Nonetheless, his at-bats are always a highlight. He usually swings hard and his helmet often falls off in the process, frequently drawing cheers and laughs from fans at home and on the road.
Before his home run, he was a career .089 hitter in 225 at-bats, striking out 119 times.
At 42 years, 349 days, Colon is the second-oldest Mets player to homer. Julio Franco homered on May 4, 2007, when he was 48 years, 254 days old.
Colon's major league debut was April 4, 1997, in a no-decision for Cleveland against the Angels. Franco was his teammate. The opposing manager was Terry Collins, now in his sixth season as the Mets manager.
Colon (3-1) pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits while striking out five and walking one. Jeurys Familia pitched the ninth for his ninth save in as many chances.
Cespedes hit his 10th homer with two outs in the first. Wright was aboard on a walk.
Wright and Michael Conforto hit consecutive homers off Carlos Villanueva with one out in the ninth. It was Wright's fourth and Conforto's fifth. Jon Jay hit a three-run homer to right-center off Colon with one out in the third, his first with the Padres. Shields and Derek Norris were aboard on singles.
Shields (1-5), who singled twice, allowed four runs and five hits in six innings, struck out eight and walked five.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: 2B Jemile Weeks strained his right hamstring running out a sacrifice bunt in the seventh and collapsed in the base path well short of first. He had to be helped off the field.
Mets: RHP Matt Harvey (2-4, 4.76) is scheduled to start the finale of the four-game series. Padres: RHP Andrew Cashner (2-2, 4.85) is scheduled to start for the Padres.
Triple-A El Paso: 1B James Loney hit his second homer Friday night. He is hitting .333
through his first 24 games of his minor league deal.
Double-A San Antonio: SS Jose Rondon is tied with INF Taylor Lindsey for the team lead
with 35 total bases. Rondon is hitting .318 with 14 RBIs and four steals.
High Single-A Lake Elsinore: A 36th-round pick in 2015, LHP Kyle McGrath has 23
strikeouts, one walk and no runs allowed through his first 14 2/3 innings.
Low Single-A Fort Wayne: With 10 strikeouts in a quality start Friday (6 IP, 1 ER), RHP Brett
Kennedy (2-1, 2.54) has 19 strikeouts, two earned runs and one walk over his last 11 innings.
26
Mets-Padres Preview Stats LLCMay 8, 2016 at 2:16a ET
The New York Mets' stud pitchers put in stellar work during an eight-game win streak in
April, but a lack of run support since then led to some ordinary results.
The New York Mets' stud pitchers put in stellar work during an eight-game win streak in April, but a lack of run support since then led to some ordinary results.
The Mets regained some pop in their previous game - and even their 42-year-old starting pitcher got in on the act.
New York will try to continue scoring when Matt Harvey takes the mound Sunday looking to help the club salvage a four-game split against the San Diego Padres.
The Mets' rotation posted a 2.51 ERA during their streak April 22-30.
Harvey (2-4, 4.76 ERA), Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz led the way with two victories apiece, and Noah Syndergaard also pitched well in his one start during the surge.
Bartolo Colon has earned two wins and Matz picked up one in the seven games since the streak, but Syndergaard lost twice while Harvey and deGrom have both taken a loss.
The starters, however, shouldn't shoulder the blame because they posted a 2.84 ERA in the six games after the streak. Run support was the issue for the Mets, who scored 50 times during the eight-game run but only 16 times in the six that followed.
That dip in production appeared to end Saturday when New York (18-11) went deep four times in a 6-3 win over San Diego (13-18), including a two-run shot by Colon, who turns 43 on May 24 and became the oldest player to hit his first major league home run.
Yoenis Cespedes hit his 10th of the season and fifth in 10 games before David Wright and Michael Conforto added back-to-back solo blasts in the ninth.
New York will try to keep it up to back Harvey, who is 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three career starts against the Padres.
The right-hander received 10 combined runs of support in winning his previous two outings before the Mets were shut out for the second time when he starts in Tuesday's 3-0 loss to Atlanta. In two of his other starts, New York has put up one and two runs.
Despite the lack of support, Harvey is blaming his early struggles on bad mechanics and not his heavy 2015 workload in his comeback from Tommy John surgery. He was 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA after his first six starts last season.
"My body doesn't feel bad," Harvey told MLB's official website. "I don't feel tired. I don't feel any downside from the workload last year. It's just right now, I'm in a little funk with my mechanics, and we're working to get rid of that."
Opposing Harvey will be Andrew Cashner (2-2, 4.85), who has notched three quality starts in his last four outings. The right-hander tossed six resilient innings and allowed three runs and five hits in a 6-3 win over Colorado on Tuesday.
Cashner's first two innings were rough - he allowed all three runs while laboring through 57 pitches - before he bounced back to clamp it down. He'll now try to win consecutive outings for the first time since a three-start streak in September 2014.
"You never use your last start as motivation - you forget about it," Cashner said. "Today's over with, and it's on to the Mets on Sunday. Can't really look back. You've just got to keep looking forward, good or bad."
Cashner is 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA in three career starts against New York.
Padres second baseman Jemile Weeks strained his right hamstring running out a bunt in the seventh Saturday and was helped off the field. His status is unclear.
28
Prospect Hunter Renfroe continues to put up numbers Hunter Renfroe, 24, has always been one of the most physically gifted prospects in the Padres'
system, the classic five-tool player - hit for average, hit for power, run, throw and play
defense. Since last July, the talents so many scouts have dreamed on have begun to emerge.
By John Conniff, MadFriarsFOX Sports San DiegoMay 3, 2016 at 11:45a ET
EL PASO -- Hunter Renfroe, 24, has always been one of the most physically gifted prospects in the Padres' system, the classic five-tool player - hit for average, hit for power, run, throw and play defense. Since last July, the talents so many scouts have dreamed on have begun to emerge.
After making some mechanical adjustments to his swing in Double-A San Antonio last year, Renfroe hit .333/.358/.633 with six home runs in 21 games after a late-season promotion to Triple-A El Paso. This year, he is off to an equally hot start with the Chihuahuas, closing out April at .291/.333/.582.
"I saw Hunter when he destroyed the Cal League in 2014," said Rod Barajas, his manager in El Paso this season and last year with the Missions. "He did it all on physical talent in [High-A] Lake Elsinore, he was just better than everyone else in the league."
"The difference now is that he realizes it has to be more than just physical talent."
One of the big separators in the minor leagues is the jump from High-A to Double-A, where pitchers have the ability to throw more than one pitch and much better command of their fastballs. Hunter struggled after he was first promoted from the Storm in the second half of 2014.
Renfroe hit .232 in 60 games in the second half of 2014 and was hitting a paltry .184 last April before getting together with his hitting coach Morgan Burkhart, who is also with him again in El Paso this season, to make a few changes.
"I made some adjustments in late May and in June last year," said Renfroe after one of the Chihuahuas' recent games. "I was always kind of a toe-tap guy in college and we really cut that down. The main thing was just getting smoother, or quieter, to the ball instead of jumping at it."
However, as Barajas mentioned, what has impressed most observers in the organization is not the mechanical adjustments that he has made with his swing, but the mental growth that they have seen in the past year.
"I had this conversation with Morgan and he noticed that Hunter has started coming up to him in games and asking pretty advanced questions about hitting; what he should or should not do in certain situations," said Barajas. "In essence, he's looking at more of the mental challenges of the game than just the physical, which didn't happen as much last year."
29
While Renfroe does acknowledge the mental growth in his game, particularly in his approach at the plate, to him it is just part of the continuum of his development.
"The higher you go, the mental part becomes bigger than the physical," Renfroe said on the differences between levels. "Every year you come to a different level and you are trying to learn something different. You get more at-bats, you see more balls and you just try to get better."
In addition to his growth at the plate, his defense has also improved. Renfroe, who was a catcher throughout Little League and high school, did not begin to play the outfield until his sophomore year at Mississippi State and focused more on improving his footwork and routes during spring training.
"A lot of it comes naturally, but I do work on it every day and try to just work on my jumps by running after balls in BP. "
"I work on my turns and drop steps, being able to get the balls that are hit over my head. If I can become more efficient, I can get to more of them."
While he has the ability to play all three outfield positions †“ and he is usually the backup centerfielder for Manuel Margot †“ it's always been his arm in right field that draws the most attention.
"I'm always kind of hoping the third base coach is going to send the runner from first when the batter hits the ball to him," laughed Barajas. "Hunter has a cannon and it's fun to watch."
"He's always been solid out there. Every now and then he might misplay a ball, but he has always been a plus defender. He charges the ball well and he likes to throw."
Since he was first drafted by the Padres with the 13th overall selection in the 2013 draft, the organization and his teammates have always been amazed at just how many things Hunter can do well - and moreover, what he may be able to do in the future.
"He can do a lot of things well †“ and he can hit a lot of pitches well. I think sometimes that can get him into trouble too," said Burkhart. "It's ongoing, we are getting him to learn situations and play to his strengths."
"He has come a long way from last year, but still has some finishing. But the attitude, effort and ability that I have seen from him is going to pay off."
Much of the growth in Renfroe's development just comes from getting a chance to play more. At Mississippi State, he only played in 14 games as a freshman, six of them as a pitcher. He had a mediocre year as a sophomore before being propelled to the first round after a monster junior year with a .345/.431/.620 slash line and 16 home runs.
He still ended up with only 560 plate appearances, which is about 200 less than other comparable college players that San Diego has drafted like Auston Bousfield and Nick Torres.
As Burkhart said, Hunter isn't quite ready to be an everyday player in the big leagues yet, but he's also not that far away either.
"He has the desire to get him over the hump on the mental and physical side and he's willing to work at it; so it's all there."
30
April MadFriars' Players of the Month Each month, MadFriars reports the top level performers across the San Diego Padres' minor
league affiliates. Here are the best from April, 2016.
By David Jay, MadFriarsFOX Sports San DiegoMay 3, 2016 at 11:37a ET
The MadFriars.com team, which provides the most comprehensive coverage of the Padres' minor league system, is back again this year to report on top performers at every level of the organization each month. These reports are not meant to be revisions of their top prospect rankings, but rather news about recent performances worthy of attention.
El Paso Chihuahuas (Triple-A)
After the first month of the season, the Chihuahuas lead the Pacific Coast League in most offensive
categories. Hunter Renfroe and Alex Dickerson have been the biggest contributors, with Dickerson slightly edging out his higher-profile teammate. The Poway native hit .364/.419/.576, good for an OPS nearly 80 points better than Renfroe's.
Austin Hedges was off to a stellar start, hitting .333 and a .583 slugging percentage before he suffered an
injury to the hamate bone in his wrist. He'll now be sidelined for a few months. In his absence, Jason
Hagerty has absolutely crushed the baseball, with a 1.059 OPS in 40 plate appearances, though he'll continue to log most of his work at first base and designated hitter.
Things have not been nearly as encouraging on the mound. The four guys who've taken a turn each time through the Chihuahuas' rotation have combined to give up a 6.98 ERA and sport an uninspiring 43:26
strikeout-to-walk ratio in 80 innings. Carlos Pimentel was the best of the bunch, putting up a 4.87 ERA in April.
The bullpen has been a bit better as Tayron Guerrero and minor league free agent signees Derek
Eitel and Jose Dominguez have all had positive results at the back end. While they posted a 1.71 ERA, they've still allowed 18 free passes in 25.1 innings for the month.
El Paso Player of the Month: Alex Dickerson
San Antonio Missions (Double-A)
The early surprise in the organization has been the performance of Jose Rondon and Taylor Lindsey up
the middle for the Missions. Both were acquired from the Angels for Huston Street at the deadline in 2014, and they both carried averages north of .300 through April.
Lindsey, now getting his third taste of Double-A after going backward last year, had the strongest line in April with an impressive .322/.400/.559. The 24-year-old appeared to be in much better condition this spring than he was last year. Rondon bounced back from a rough introduction to the Texas League and an elbow injury last year, hitting .314 while logging 18 games at shortstop this month..
After the 2015 Lake Elsinore pitching staff limped through the season, the Padres turned to the minor league free agent market to try to find some stability for the Missions this year. While the strategy hasn't paid off in
general,Cesar Vargas made a pair of strong starts as the organization moved him back out of the bullpen, ultimately earning a spot on the big league roster based on 12.2 strong innings. The only returner in the
rotation, Bryan Rodriguez, threw three strong games to secure an early-season promotion to El Paso.
Jose DePaula, who struggled as a starter, has embraced his relief role, and owns a 1.35 ERA with an
impressive 10:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio through his first six innings. While unheralded righty Jason
Jester missed some time on the disabled list, he also has laid claim to the closer's spot and recorded three saves in as many chances. The 2014 draftee is an under-the-radar name to watch.
San Antonio Player of the Month: Taylor Lindsey
Lake Elsinore Storm (Advanced-A)
While the middle infield duo of Javier Guerra and Luis Urias get plenty of (well-deserved) attention, it's 21-
year-old Josh VanMeter who paced the Storm offense through April. After missing most of last year after suffering a broken leg, VanMeter hit .304/.371/.518, leading the club in all three categories while splitting time between second and third base. Among players with 50 plate appearances, Guerra was next on the club with a .713 OPS.
Coming into the season, the important pitching storylines for the Storm wereDinelson Lamet's progress and a deep bullpen. Through the first month, both have been positive. Lamet, whose career didn't get started until last year when he was 22, has been fantastic through his first five games, posting a 1.73 ERA with only 17 hits allowed in 26 innings. After working on a short leash last year, the Dominican has already gone six innings twice in April, and he'll be given a chance to stretch out more as the season goes on.
The Storm bullpen has depth, balance, and a lot of talent. Lefty Kyle McGrathhas been the best of the
bunch, working 12.2 innings of scoreless ball with a ridiculous 19:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Righty Jimmy
Brasoban, who landed on the disabled list late in the month, didn't allow a run in 8.2 innings. Righties T.J.
Weir and Colby Blueberg, and lefties Jose Torres and Brad Wieck have all been dominant as well, combining for a 1.67 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 48.1 innings.
Lake Elsinore Player of the Month: Dinelson Lamet
Fort Wayne TinCaps (Low-A)
Austin Allen's pre-draft profile last year was a bat-first catcher. A month into his first full season in the minors, he's wearing that "bat-first" label pretty well. The 22-year-old from St. Louis got off to an absurdly hot start and finished April with a .460/.539/.603 slash line. While that's fueled in part by an unsustainable average on balls-in-play over .500, he's also posting very good strikeout and walk rates, and hitting the ball hard.
As strong as Allen's been, the team leads the Midwest League in runs because of a number of encouraging
performances. Luis Tejada, playing the outfield in his fourth stint with the TinCaps, only went hitless in three of his 15 starts, posting an OPS of .905 that was good enough to earn a promotion to Lake Elsinore. Corner
infielder Ty France posted an impressive .453 on-base percentage, continuing the trend since he was
drafted out of San Diego State last summer. Meanwhile, big first baseman Brad Zunica clubbed three homers early and has an isolated power rate of nearly .200, though he'll need to cut his strikeout rate through the summer.
32
The TinCaps pitching staff is one of the strengths of the system, and many pitchers showed their upside in the
season's first month. Logan Allen stood out among the teenagers on the roster, posting a 2.08 ERA with a
strikeout an inning. Fellow trade acquisitions Jean Cosme (4.50 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 20 innings)
and Enyel De Los Santos (2.70, 17K in 16.2 IP) also looked strong in their first Padres exposure. The club's
top two selections in last year's draft,Jacob Nix and Austin Smith, had matching 3.86 ERAs, though both issued more walks than they'd like.
Among the 2015 college draftees, Brett Kennedy and Elliot Ashbeck led the way. Kennedy, an 11th-round pick, had a club-best strikeout rate with 19 in 17.1 innings, while Ashbeck, a product of Bradley University, led
the team with a 1.63 ERA. With so many arms and several games lost to weather, only Walker
Lockett logged more than 20 innings in the month, though you can expect to see the team stretch out their starters in the coming month.
Fort Wayne Player of the Month: Austin Allen
System Player of the Month: Austin Allen
Allen certainly has plenty to prove after just one month of full-season ball, especially behind the plate, but he reached base in significantly more than half his plate appearances in April, spraying line drives around the field in the process. He enters May leading all of minor league baseball in batting average and on-base percentage, so it's hard to imagine a more impressive start to the season.