Tigers minor league report: Crouse on a roll
TRIPLE A TOLEDO
Who’s hot ...
Matt Crouse, LH starter: Quietly has been one of the Mud Hens’ more trustworthy arms after opening at Double A Erie. In 10 starts for Toledo, Crouse, 26, has a 2.98 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. Not a big strikeout guy (36 in 60 1/3 innings), but does his job. He’s 6-foot-4, 190 pounds and was a 24th-round grab in 2011 out of Ole Miss.
And who’s not …
Dixon Machado, SS: He’s hot. He’s cold. Presently, he’s cold, which of course will be followed by something simmering any day now. In his last 10 games, Machado is batting .132. He’s 24 and the Tigers insist he’ll smooth out. But his 2016 season has been anything but smooth offensively. Extremely streaky.
Late-bloomer Jeff McVaney enjoys breakout year
DOUBLE A ERIE
Who’s hot ...
Corey Jones, 3B: Long-in-the-tooth gent who has been helping the SeaWolves, Jones, 28, is .294 in his last 10 games and .285 on the year with five home runs and a .774 OPS. The 6-foot, 205-pound left-handed hitter was a seventh-round pick out of Cal State Fullerton in 2010.
Joe Jimenez, RH reliever: Has had the audacity to allow runs in two of his 34 games in 2016. That’s how ridiculous have been Jimenez’s numbers, which include having allowed only 14 hits for the entire year (341/3 innings). He has struck out 57 and walked 11. And he will go to spring camp in 2017 with a chance to make the big league club, although brief time in the bushes could be required.
And who’s not …
Kody Eaves, 2B: A bit befuddled at the plate this month, as might be surmised by his .034 batting average the past 10 games and .198 clip for the season. Eaves came to the Tigers from the Angels in a trade for Jefry Marte.
SINGLE A LAKELAND
Who’s hot …
Mike Gerber, OF: The 6-foot, 190-pound left-handed hitter refuses to cool off, batting .438 in his last 10 games, .395 in July, .316 in June, and is headed soon to Double A Erie. Gerber has 13 home runs and an .809 OPS in his second full season after the Tigers nabbed him in the 15th round in 2014 out of Creighton.
Tyler Alexander, LH starter: One of the true studies in consistency anywhere in the Tigers’ farm chain in 2016, Alexander has a 1.77 ERA in his last 10 games, a 2.12 ERA on the year, with a 1.04 WHIP in 16 games (15 starts). Has been nipped for only 78 hits in 891/3 innings, with 72 strikeouts and 15 walks. The 2015 second-round pick from TCU is 6-2, 200 and turned 22 last week.
And who’s not …
Joey Pankake, 2B: Has a couple of home runs in his last 10 games, and has hit 14 on the season in the vast tracts of the Florida State League. But his offense, overall, has been spotty with a .171 average in his last 10 games and no better than .229, with a .703 OPS and .304 on-base percentage, for 2016. Pankake (6-2, 185) was a seventh-round pick in 2014 from South Carolina.
SINGLE A WEST MICHIGAN
Who’s hot …
Sandy Baez, RH starter: Prospect with some potential, Baez (6-2, 180) has had one bad game (six runs) in his last 10, which is why his ERA is at 3.24 for that stretch and not significantly lower. But this 22-year-old has rotation-worthy stuff and should be worth watching in 2017.
Drew Smith, RH reliever: Only twice in his last 10 games has he allowed a run. Numbers for 2016 have been steady: 3.86 ERA, 1.20 WHIP. He was a third-round pick in 2015 out of Dallas Baptist.
And who’s not …
Cam Gibson, OF: Not terrible by any means, but .194 in his last 10 games isn’t what Gibson would have preferred in mid-July. Has had a challenging first full season in professional baseball, which is normally the case for players drafted the previous year, as Gibson was in 2015 out of Michigan State (fifth round). He’s batting .236 for 2016, with a .299 on-base average and .632 OPS.
SINGLE A CONNECTICUT
Who’s hot …
Mark Ecker, RH reliever: The Texas A&M product was the Tigers’ fifth-round pick in June and has been just fine in his early days at Connecticut: six games, nine innings, two hits, 11 strikeouts and one walk. Ecker is 21, stands 6-foot and weighs 180.
Ryan Castellanos, RH pitcher: Brother of a certain Tigers third baseman, Ryan Castellanos (25th round, 2015, Nova Southeastern) has worked in six games (282/3 innings). The vital numbers: 23 hits, 17 strikeouts, seven walks, 1.05 WHIP and 2.20 ERA.
And who’s not …
Emanuel Chavez, RH reliever: Things have not gone well for this 21-year-old, who is attempting to shake off an eight-game run that has seen him allow 12 hits and nine walks in eight innings. That he has 13 strikeouts explains why the Tigers will be patient.
GULF COAST LEAGUE WEST
Who’s hot …
Daniel Woodrow, OF: Of course, a guy who was playing college ball only a few weeks ago at Creighton might figure to have started smartly in a rookie league, and Woodrow (5-10, 155) has with a .367 average and .958 OPS in 15 games. The left-handed batter is 21 and was a 12th-round pick by the Tigers.
Jose Vasquez, RH starter: Turned 20 in March and this Venezuelan has broken in nicely: 21 innings, 15 hits, 18 strikeouts and four walks.
And who’s not …
Dalton Lundeen, LH reliever: The 30th-round pick out of Valparaiso has not been pleasured by his summer in Florida: 11.88 ERA and 2.28 WHIP in five games.
GULF COAST LEAGUE EAST
Who’s hot …
Bryan Tejeda, C: The 20-year-old is batting .328 with an .831 OPS in 15 games. Tejeda (6-0, 190) is a right-handed batter signed out of the Dominican Republic.
Wladimir Pinto, RH reliever: Not bad for an 18-year-old, signed two years ago during his years in Maracay, Venezuela: six games, eight innings, four hits, 12 strikeouts and two walks. He’s 5-11, 170.
And who’s not …
Hector Hernandez, OF: Ah, the days will grow brighter, all because they couldn’t be much dimmer than a .048 batting average in his last 10 games. Hernandez, 20, is a left-handed hitter from Venezuela, and is 6-0, 175.
lynn.henning@detroitnews.com
Twitter.com/Lynn_Henning