Quote from padscharg on October 18, 2022, 11:16 am

That may be true, but it is never bad to be the leading hitter in any league, haha

Quote from Henry Silvestre on October 21, 2022, 1:23 pm

Quote from LynchMob on October 18, 2022, 10:14 am

Quote from Henry Silvestre on October 18, 2022, 5:51 am

Merrill leading the AFL in hits...hitting a cool .366

Tirso Ornelas 3-4 yesterday with a SB

CAVEAT: Keith Law at The Athletic sez ... The league is very offense-heavy this year, with just a couple of good starting pitching prospects and a lot of reliever-at-best guys who throw hard and either don’t know where it’s going or don’t have a great second pitch. As a result, the offensive stats are comical – I saw one game where the final score was 20-4, and that wasn’t the worst game I saw all week – and teams are churning through pitchers so quickly that many games, including all three for the Saturday tripleheader at Chase Field, were shortened to seven innings.

AFL through 16 games ...

 

Merrill .327/.386/.490

 

Moises Lugo 1-0 1 save 5 games 7.0IP 3H 1R 1ER 1BB 7Ks

Alek Jacob 0-0 5 games 7.2 IP 5H 2R 2ER 2BB 10Ks

Efrain Contreras 1-0 3 games 10.1IP 5H 4R 3ER 6BB 11Ks

 

Looks like our Pitching been AWESOME in the AFL... maybe down for others...But the Padres arms look terrific

Quote from Henry Silvestre on October 24, 2022, 1:17 pm

https://twitter.com/SamDykstraMiLB/status/1584635906866094080?t=XZ2Btw_XMwnPHNjedR829A&s=19

Looks like Merrill has no problem hitting MLB caliber pitching as many thought Komat could have actually pitched at the MLB level out of the BP right from the draft

Quote from Henry Silvestre on October 30, 2022, 6:29 am

I am excited about a full season at A+/AA for Griffin Doersching (8th rd)..

.911 OPS at LE.. walked about 16.5% of the time..K'd 39% (a bit high)..and HR once every 10 ABs or so (pretty elite).. I know he is older spec... but fellow 8th rd pick at A+ Paul Goldschmidt had a 33% K rate 10% walk rate and HR around 1x every 18 ABs in his A+ season (he was 21)... not saying Doersching is the next Goldy.. Different batters for one... Doersching os more like Phillies Kyle S. BUT if there was a spec I would like to see hitting Bombs at Petco one day is Griffin Doersching....

https://www.mlb.com/news/padres-draft-power-hitting-first-baseman-griffin-doersching

Quote from JasonE135 on October 30, 2022, 7:35 pm

Quote from Henry Silvestre on October 30, 2022, 6:29 am

I am excited about a full season at A+/AA for Griffin Doersching (8th rd)..

.911 OPS at LE.. walked about 16.5% of the time..K'd 39% (a bit high)..and HR once every 10 ABs or so (pretty elite).. I know he is older spec... but fellow 8th rd pick at A+ Paul Goldschmidt had a 33% K rate 10% walk rate and HR around 1x every 18 ABs in his A+ season (he was 21)... not saying Doersching is the next Goldy.. Different batters for one... Doersching os more like Phillies Kyle S. BUT if there was a spec I would like to see hitting Bombs at Petco one day is Griffin Doersching....

https://www.mlb.com/news/padres-draft-power-hitting-first-baseman-griffin-doersching

I see Griffin Doershing as a RHH 1B version of Joey Gallo. He will likely hit right around .200/.300-.325 with easy 40-HR power. He will not make a lot of contact but if he can keep his walk rate up he can have value. I don't see him being a 3 or 4 hitter. More of a 5 or 6 hitter with the potential for 40+ HR if he can make enough contact. Not perfect but plenty valuable.

Quote from Randy Manese on November 4, 2022, 1:53 pm

Actually those numbers cited for Doersching by Henry S, were his combined Arizona Complex and Lake Elsinore numbers.  Doersching only had an .861 OPS at LE and it was going down as the season was ending.  Joshua Mears had better stats at LE than Doersching and far more AB's - so, if you are looking for a power guy with a high K rate and low BA, then I'd point you in the direction of Mears (who is about 2 years younger than Doersching) as the better prospect.  Mears has hit some of the most prodigious bombs in the minors in the last 2 seasons and in my opinion, he, not Doersching, could be the next RH Joey Gallo.  The 2023 season will be an interesting one for the both of them.

Certainly, Mears did not have a great 2022 but still crushed 22 HRs in a little over 315 AB's, despite being on the IR a couple of times.  He also is more than adequate in the OF and can run well for such a large man.  Doersching is the current bright shiny object but don't underestimate Mears, who maybe just a batting tweak away from doing some real damage.

Quote from Henry Silvestre on November 4, 2022, 3:33 pm

Quote from Randy Manese on November 4, 2022, 1:53 pm

Actually those numbers cited for Doersching by Henry S, were his combined Arizona Complex and Lake Elsinore numbers.  Doersching only had an .861 OPS at LE and it was going down as the season was ending.  Joshua Mears had better stats at LE than Doersching and far more AB's - so, if you are looking for a power guy with a high K rate and low BA, then I'd point you in the direction of Mears (who is about 2 years younger than Doersching) as the better prospect.  Mears has hit some of the most prodigious bombs in the minors in the last 2 seasons and in my opinion, he, not Doersching, could be the next RH Joey Gallo.  The 2023 season will be an interesting one for the both of them.

Certainly, Mears did not have a great 2022 but still crushed 22 HRs in a little over 315 AB's, despite being on the IR a couple of times.  He also is more than adequate in the OF and can run well for such a large man.  Doersching is the current bright shiny object but don't underestimate Mears, who maybe just a batting tweak away from doing some real damage.

Oh I like Mears a ton..anyone that plays CF and hits bombs is a unicorn..not many in the mlb...But Mears is a top 10 Padres prospect...

I like Doersching to develop into a "cult like hero"..his 80 power grade is the systems best.. and while he did dip a bit towards the end of the regular season at LE..he came back with a terrific playoffs performance to close out his rookie season

 

.412 .444 .824 1.268 his postseason #'s.. 17 AB and the most encouraging stat ..facing the best of best only 4 SO's (23.5% strikeout rate)

Quote from Randy Manese on November 4, 2022, 10:23 pm

Because of his age, Doersching might start 2023 at Ft Wayne vice Lake Elsinore.  Probably the toughest place in which to hit in the Padres minor league system so will definitely be challenged by both level of talent and weather.  Agree that he could achieve that cult hero status with that blonde hair and massive physique - hope it happens!

Best 3 hitters in the Padres system have to be Jackson Merrill, Samuel Zavala and the soon Padre to be Ethan Salas.  All are mature beyond their chronological ages and real "gym rats" who are growing into their bodies.  Look for all 3 to move quicker than most prospects through the system with Merrill possibly challenging for an everyday MLB slot as early as 2024.  Darkest of the dark horses on the position player side may be Oliver Carrillo, who was old for the Dominican League at 21 and got a late start due to injury but showed big power and a high batting average combined with a very good eye.  If he has a good spring training outside chance he could start at Lake Elsinore in 2023.  A corner OF/1b type whose ultimate best position may be DH.  Lots of decent batting prospects in the Dominican and Arizona Complex League for whom there are high expectations in 2023.

 

Quote from Jeremy Hill on November 4, 2022, 10:47 pm

https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022/10/29/is-jackson-merrill-the-1-prospect-in-baseball