PEORIA – After Friday night’s excitement in Mesa with the Spring Breakout game, things went back to normal around the Peoria Sports Complex. The (mostly) Fort Wayne TinCaps and Lake Elsinore Storm squads taking on their A-ball counterparts at home while the (kind of) El Paso Chihuahuas and San Antonio Missions teams hit the road to Goodyear.
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The big news on the back fields was the appearance of Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller midway through the TinCaps game. Morejon’s velocity sat in the upper 90s with a few fastballs up to 99, but he gave up some hard contact, including a three-run home run, which will surely make some future member of the Daytona Dragons immensely happy.
Miller fared better, striking out the first two batters he faced on seven pitches, before giving up a flare double by a left-handed hitter down the line and a single on an eight pitch at-bat before ending the inning without getting the third out – a reminder that the backfields are about getting work done, not competition.
Infielder Sung-Mun Song received at-bats at the start of every inning with mixed results, with a hard single in his first plate appearance, followed by three strikeouts, two of them looking, to go along with some soft ground ball outs.
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Truitt Madonna is adjusting to the professional game. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
On the minor league side, Truitt Madonna got the start behind the dish and looked solid defensively to go along with a pair of hits in the four days watching him play. He doesn’t always get the barrel of the bat, but he hits the ball very hard. Right now, the plan is for him and fellow 2025 draftee Ty Harvey to rotate between catcher, DH, and first base this year for the Storm.
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Isaiah Lowe was the starting pitcher for the other game and was up and down for most of the contest. His sweeper/slider was his most consistent pitch along with his changeup, but he struggled noticeably with command of his fastball and was between 89 and 92 with his velocity for most of his outing.
Lowe was one of the better pitchers in the system in 2024, but struggled mightily in Fort Wayne last year with a 3-12 record, a 5.69 ERA, and 51 walks in 91.1 innings. He is expected to return to the TinCaps this season looking to return to the form he showed in the first half of 2024, particularly with his fastball command when he was one of the better pitchers in the California League.
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Minor league free agent signee D.J. Snelten got to follow Morejon and Miller on the backfields, and the giant 6-foot-7, 270-pound 33-year-old lefty was impressive, with a fastball sitting in the upper 90s as he retired the side in order. Snelten was originally drafted by the Padres in 2010, elected to attend the University of Minnesota, and has been in three organizations, the independent American Association, and two Mexican League teams. Last season, he didn’t pitch.
On the mound today, he was sitting between 95 and 97 and seemed to have an idea where his slider was going. He should have a decent chance to be part of El Paso’s bullpen when camp breaks.
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While the younger guys stayed back in Peoria, a largely older group headed to Goodyear to take on the Reds. The Triple-A hitters included Pablo Reyes and Nick Solak, who were reassigned from big league camp yesterday.
Kasen Wells, likely headed to join the Fort Wayne outfield, played up with the Triple-A squad and looked good after making a cameo in Saturday’s Spring Breakout. The left-handed hitter yanked a triple to the gap against a right-handed sidearmer to plate a run in his best at-bat of the day. The 22-year-old Texan missed time with leg injuries last year, but posted a strong .364 on-base percentage between the two Single-A levels.***Over on the other field, Joshua Mears had a couple of hits and looked loose at the plate and running around in center field. The big man, originally drafted in the second round back in 2019, had walked away from the game last June after struggling in San Antonio, but has decided to give it another go. Long a favorite in the organization, Mears has likely played his way back to San Antonio this spring.
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Another system vet likely in the mix for the Missions, Albert Fabian, had a pair of loud hits, including an opposite-field line drive double against a left-hander. The 24-year-old, who likely fits better at DH than in the outfield corner, had a productive July when he got to San Antonio last year following a year of rehab to a major leg injury, but faded down the stretch. He looks to be in better shape this year, which could help him sustain production.
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On the mound, Victor Lizarraga used his kitchen-sink arsenal to hold the Reds scoreless over four innings. Though his fastball only tops out at 94, the 22-year-old righty was able to use it well in the heat. Down 3-1 in the count with a runner on in the first, he ran one fastball in for a called strike two before elevating for a swinging strike three. He spent the majority of the last two years at San Antonio before a call-up to El Paso for the final 10 days of last season. He could find himself back at either level to open the year.
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Minor league free agent signee Eli Villalobos showed off a loud fastball in his two innings of work. The 28-year-old, who reached the big leagues with Miami in 2024, ran his four-seamer up to 97 and showed up to 20 inches of Induced Vertical Break, which approaches an elite level. The Long Beach State product pitched in Mexico last year. He is in competition with Snelten and a group of other veterans from outside the organization to make the bullpen at one of the upper-minors affiliates.
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Lamar King Jr., our number 12 prospect coming into the year, has had a rough few days. Playing two levels up with the Triple-A squad, he struck out three times, twice looking. The club ultimately had Brendan Durfee on the Spring Breakout roster instead of King. The physical catcher is heading into a critical year where he’ll need to show that he can get the impressive power he shows off in batting practice to translate into games consistently.
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Alex McCoy’s huge frame helps him generate big power. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Another hitter who has struggled a bit over the week, Alex McCoy had mixed results. The big man – and he looks even bigger this spring – had a few ugly at-bats against right-handers, swinging late and defensively at a number of offerings. He did smoke a groundball down the third base line off a lefty, and legged out a infield single when he beat the throw from former top prospect Cam Collier.
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Speaking of plus-sized sluggers, Leandro Cedeño crushed a double off the batters eye in center field and had a single to right on the day. The 27-year-old, who couldn’t find a big league invite as he returned from two years in Japan, is approaching 300 pounds. While he has prodigious power, he’s looking to show he can provide enough in his overall game to get a spot in El Paso.
