Atlanta Braves Week 8 Farm Report: A third of the season complete

(20-30) Florida Fire Frogs (A+)

WEEK 8 RECORD: 1-6

Players of the Week

(C) William Contreras 

6 games, .320 BA, double, 4 RBI

As you see by their 1-6 record for Week 8, the Fire Frogs didn’t play very well this past week; and as a result, the offensive stats are rather bare.

There were a few players that were close (Jefrey Ramos for example), but overall, Contreras turned in the most productive week, despite not much in the power department.

Speaking of the power department, Contreras hasn’t been hitting many extra-base hits in 2019 and is only slugging .373 at the moment.

Through 42 games, the Braves #7 prospect has only one home run, though he has 11 doubles. His batting average (.285) and on-base percentage (.347) look sharp, so it’s just a matter of him turning up the power.

His K/BB rates are decent at 20.8% and 8.2%, respectively, but he very well could improve upon his walk-rate if he doesn’t intend on hitting for more power as the season progresses.

All in all, Contreras remains one of the leaders on this Fire Frogs team; a team that frankly doesn’t have anyone putting up too crazy of a season yet with the bat.

(SP/RP) Hayden Deal

1 start, 6.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Deal has had sort of a sneaky-awesome season in 2019, which is hard to fathom considering his fantastic 2018 campaign in Rome (9-1, 2.17 ERA).

The undrafted 24-year-old from North Carolina has been amazing this season, pitching to a 1.50 ERA overall. He has yet to give up more than two runs in a single start and has only given up two runs in a start twice; not to mention he has two scoreless outings.

He’s becoming more well-known, earning a nomination to the 2019 Florida State League All-Star Game on June 15 in Jupiter, Fla.

This season Deal is 2-3 in 9 starts, and has 47 strikeouts in 54 innings pitched. The lefty has only allowed one home run all season, to go along with only 12 walks.

Week At A Glance

(5/20) Monday: Lost 9-2 vs. Tampa Tarpons – FULL RECAP

• (P) N. Kingham: 7 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
• (C] W. Contreras: 2-3, RBI, BB, K
• (1B) D. Lugbauer: 1-4, 2B, K

Starter Nolan Kingham struck out 11 on Monday, but surrendered three home runs, one of which came off the bat of a rehabbing Giancarlo Stanton. If not for the long balls, Kingham’s performance perhaps would’ve ended rather well.

Drew Lugbauer‘s double was the only XBH of the game for Florida. Greyson Jenista finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, as well as Jefrey Ramos.

Shortstop Riley Delgado came away with a hit and a run in his four at-bats, going down on strikes once as well.

(5/21) Tuesday: Lost 3-0 vs. Tampa Tarpons – FULL RECAP

• (P) M. Withrow: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• (C] W. Contreras: 2-4
• (CF) G. Schwartz: 1-3, 2B, K

The Fire Frogs were shut down by Tampa’s starter, Miguel Yajure, for seven innings on Tuesday as the 21-year-old righty struck out eight Florida batters and only surrendered six hits with one walk.

Matt Withrow made only his second start of 2019 and worked through a relatively modest outing, only giving up two hits; but his wild pitch in the 2nd allowed a run along with a sac-fly in that same frame.

Five different Florida batters contributed towards the Fire Frogs hit total, with Contreras and Schwartz (above) leading the lineup. Outfielder Greyson Jenista finished 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

Three Florida relievers pieced together the remaining 5.1 innings after Withrow was removed, allowing only two more hits and striking out seven.

(5/22) Wednesday: Lost 7-1 vs. Tampa Tarpons – FULL RECAP

• (P) P. Pfeifer: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
• (DH) H. Owenby: 2-4, 2B, 2 K
• (LF) I. Wilson: 1-3, 2B, R, K

Before Wednesday’s game, Hagen Owenby was activated from Danville (Rookie) and arrived in Tampa for his Advanced-A debut.

Owenby was taken in the 12th round by the Braves in 2017 out of East Tennessee State, in Johnson City, Tenn. He hit .278 with 1 homer in 45 games last season for Rome, as a 22-year-old.

As shown above, Owenby’s debut was a successful one, as he led the Fire Frogs in their loss on Wednesday night.

Florida’s starter, Philip Pfeifer, threw a career-high 102 pitches; but he was dinked and dunked to death from Tampa’s seven base-hits, chasing him from the game after five innings.

Other Florida offensive contributors consisted of Kevin Josephina and William Contreras, with each picking up a base-hit. Greyson Jenista was hitless, but he did walk twice, as well as strike out twice.

(5/23) Thursday: Lost 8-5 vs. Dunedin Blue Jays – FULL RECAP

• (P) F. Tarnok: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• (SS) R. Delgado: 3-5, 2 RBI
• (LF) J, Ramos: 4-5, 2 R

Florida got some great individual performances from a few of their hitters on Thursday, but in the end, the pitching couldn’t pick up the win.

Making his second start, Hagen Owenby batted 8th as the DH, going 2-for-3 with a double (his second in as many games). Owenby also knocked in two runs, walked once, and struck out once. In Owenby’s first 7 at-bats (2 games) with Florida, he has four hits, 2 doubles, and 2 RBI.

Izzy Wilson replaced Garrison Schwartz at left field and finished 2-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base. Schwartz is listed as active so I’m not sure why he was replaced after just one at-bat.

With the game tied 2-2 in the 7th, Florida’s reliever Troy Bacon gave up two runs and was tagged with a blown save (his second of 2019). Bacon gave way to Kurt Hoekstra, who surrendered three more runs in the 8th from a three-run home run by the Blue Jays, Chavez Young (#21 prospect in Toronto Blue Jays organization).

(5/24) Friday: Lost 4-0 vs. Dunedin Blue Jays – FULL RECAP

• (P) H. Deal: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
• (LF) J. Ramos: 2-4, 2 K
• (SS) R. Delgado: 1-4, 2B

There cannot possibly be any complaints regarding Florida’s starting pitcher Friday night, Hunter Deal. The lefty worked yet another terrific start, scattering just eight hits, with two of those being doubles.

Deal has yet to allow over two runs in a single start this season, and he leads the Florida State League in ERA, with his 1.50 mark holding strong after Friday’s start.

But the Blue Jays starter, Justin Dillon, was just as good as he only allowed 2 hits and struck out six, flying through the Fire Frogs hitters with 92 pitches (61 strikes).

Florida’s bats were obviously quiet for the first seven innings, thanks to Dillon, with Riley Delgado’s double in the 5th being the only XBH for the Fire Frogs against Dunedin’s starter.

Right fielder Greyson Jenista was hitless in three at-bats, striking out twice. Drew Lugbauer, Hagen Owenby, Kevin Josephina, Izzy Wilson, and Brett Langhorne all finished hitless as well.

Also on Friday, four Fire Frogs were nominated to be All-Stars in 2019.

The nominees: catcher William Contreras, LHP Hayden Deal, RHP Brandon S. White, and shortstop Riley Unroe will get the opportunity to play in the FSL 2019 All-Star game on June 15 in Jupiter, Fla.

(4/25) Saturday: Lost 7-5 vs. Dunedin Blue Jays – FULL RECAP

• (P) N. Kingham: 2.1 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, K
• (RF) G. Jenista: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• (SS) R. Delgado: 1-3, RBI

With a 7-run deficit until the 5th inning, the final score ended up looking much better for the Fire Frogs on Saturday.

After chipping away with one run in the 5th, Florida decided to wait until the final inning to put up 4 runs and almost climb all the way back.

Nolan Kingham struggled mightily, giving up 5 runs before getting pulled halfway through the 3rd inning. Kingham’s struggles have been pretty consistent all season, as he’s now up to a 5.63 ERA.

Florida ended up outhitting the Blue Jays, 9-8, thanks to two hits apiece from William Contreras and Hagen Owenby. One of Contreras’ hits was a line drive RBI-single in the 9th, scoring Izzy Wilson.

Florida’s bullpen was lights out, working 5.2 innings and not allowing a single hit. Lucas Young, Bradley Roney, and Daysbel Hernandez struck out five and walked four in Saturday’s loss.

(5/26) Sunday: Won 6-2 vs. Dunedin Blue Jays – FULL RECAP

• (P) M. Withrow: 3.1 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 4 K
• (C) W. Contreras: 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R
• (DH) G. Jenista: 2-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R

Sunday’s win snapped a 6-game losing streak for Florida, as the bats finally came alive on the last day of Week 8. Down 1-0 in the 4th inning, Riley Delgado kicked off a string of three-straight doubles that ended with the Fire Frogs up 3-1 when the frame concluded.

Delgado finished 2-for-5 with two runs and his 6th double of 2019. He’s up to a .301 batting average and a .706 OPS.

William Contreras and Greyson Jenista were the other two to double immediately after Delgado. Contreras now has 11 doubles this season and is sporting a .285 average, while Jenista is up to 12 two-baggers and is hitting just .228.

Right fielder Izzy Wilson also picked up two hits, also scoring two runs and striking out twice. Wilson is running a measly .211 average and .686 OPS.