The Venezuelan Parallel League wrapped up yesterday. I admit I know little about it, although it strikes me as more of an instructional league more then anything else. Also it seems like a loose version of the minor league edition of the Venezuelan Winter League. If anyone can fill me in, feel free. The Cardinals have their own team. I don’t know the degree of difficulty the competition is like, so don’t get too excited about the numbers here, good or bad. Seems about the same as the VSL or DSL.
Team leaders, min (75 AB min)
Isolated power (SLG-BA): Domnit Bolivar–.287
Isolated discipline (OBP-BA): Frederick Parejo–.133
Secondary average: Bolivar .419
Gross production average (OBP*1.8+SLG/4): Jose Garcia .332
K% Ted Obregon 25.3%
Steals-Garcia, 20
Errors-Bolivar, 22
Pitchers (Min 20 IP)
K/9-Eduardo Sanchez-12.7
BB/9-Richard Castillo-2.79
K/BB Sanchez-3.66
FIP Sanchez-1.53, Castillo 2.43
Saves-Sanchez-10
Among the league leaders, Jose Garcia was came in 2nd in the batting title, hitting .362. Bolivar and Ruiz were 4th and 5th in the league in HRs, hitting 12 and 11 respectively. Ruiz led the league with 49 RBI. Garcia’s 20 steals was 3rd in the league, however it should be pointed out he was caught 8 times. He also led the league in hits with 64 and doubles with 13.
Best prospect, in my opinion:
Romulo Ruiz, SS–
Ruiz was signed to one of the biggest signing bonuses the Cardinals ever gave a player to date, back on the July 2 deadline in 2006. A 17 year old catcher who was converted at shortstop, Ruiz was one of the youngest players in the system last season. He showed his youth, too, hitting just .190/.247/.241 in the Gulf Coast League. But the fact that he leapfrogged playing in the Venezuelan Summer League as a 17 yr. old is a good indicator that the Cardinals have high regard for Ruiz. Scout.com talked to Luhnow after signing day about the new crop of signees, and he gushed about him.
“We had seen him…[play] as a catcher, and our opinion was that given his speed and range, shortstop would make more sense. We spoke to his trainer, and he was converted to that position. In June, when I saw him again, I was amazed at how smooth the transition was for him. He is a natural at that position. He has five tools, a tremendous work ethic, and great instincts for the game.”
Ruiz will probably open up his season back with the GCL team, with the possibility of moving forward from there. He finished with a .301/.380/.541 line as the team’s DH.
Also of note:
- Jose Garcia, 2B. 19 years old.-Jose made it all the way up to A ball this year with the Swing after doing well at stops in Johnson City and Batavia. I’ve got the chance to see him play in a marathon of a game that saw himself and Tim Dorn pitch in. He looked like he was having fun pitching until he gave up the go ahead HR to the visitors. I was impressed with his fielding the most when I saw him. He struggled in A ball, but looking at his numbers in rookie ball he profiles as a speedy contact hitter. Could be a sleeper.
- Kevin Moscatel, C-16 year old was signed to a $250K bonus. Hit just .225/.313/.268 in 71 at bats, but he profiles as an offensive catcher. We probably won’t hear much about him for a while, but he could sneak up on us all Luis de la Cruz like a few years down the road.
- Javier Avendano, 17 year old RHP- Another bonus baby. Signed for $100 K this summer, he enjoyed a nice debut. 19.1 IP, 15 hits, 9 BB, 18 K, 2.33 ERA.
- Richard Castillo, RHP-Followed up strong VSL performance (3.05 FIP) with a strong performance in the instructs and now winter league. He should see time in the states next year, starting at the GCL.
- Eduardo Sanchez, CL-18 year old spent time as the GCL team and Johnson City’s closer, racked up
3033 K’s in 22 IP. Now he’s dominating here. Another sleeper for ya.
Filed under: Winter ball
erik
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fewgoodcards
roarke49
theredbaaron
I’d say the Parallel league is slightly above the VSL because most of the GCL guys come back as well as people like GArcia and others who played even higher (MArtinez and Lucena even played a couple of games but for a different team).
I originally thought Ruiz would repeat the GCL but with Jaun Mosquera from the DSL coming up and Ruiz having the strong winter I think he may get pushed to Johnson City.
I haven’t yet figured out how Bolivar and Ruiz could add nearly .200 to their ISO slg #’s over what they did in the States.
Moscatel may turn out to be good but the next sleeper catcher is Jaun Castillo from the DSL who should be the catcher in the GCL next year. Luhnow has hinted that he may be better than De La Cruz.
I definitely think Garcia is a sleeper. His rise last year went almost unnoticed.
Sanchez has put up really impressive #’s everywhere he’s been. I thought maybe he’d start in the Parallel league but he was still relieving. Can a guy start out as a reliever at age 17 and stay a reliever all the way to the majors?
Note: Sanchez actually had 33K’s in 23.1 innings.
Erik, thanks for dipping so deeply into the system for this. Wow, really deep. A catcher converted to SS? Don’t see that every day.
Texas is getting rave reviews for how DEEP it’s minor league system is, largely due to lots of talent at very low levels. I can’t even say right now what the level of talent (relative or absolute) for the Cards in these low minors and instructionals is.
I’d be interested in seeing some sort of your “top ranking” for hitters and pitchers at each stop. Or maybe by calendar age. Who are our top 17, 18, 19, 20 YOs in the system, and where are they playing? Or what’s the short list of the best players at each team in 2007? Something like that.
Thanks for this, I love reading about these guys and couldn’t get this kind of info anywhere else.
Hell Erik are yo going to start tracking down the Vietnam Jungle League stats for the potential midle reliever that we could have stashed their. Interesting stuff, is there a listing of where the Cards send players under their control?
good idea. I’ll think about it and try and do that sometime.
Good observation, a lot of the GCLers were there, as well as guys as high as A in Garcia. Maybe it’s a tougher league then I gave it credit for.
Jose Garcia; I looked for him the other day when I was studying the “system at a glance” post and never saw him mentioned as a prospect anywhere. Thought it odd, wondered why.
that’s because i don’t really know a whole lot about him.
Good info, but simple question - why would you DH a 17 year old SS you just signed for $500K? Strange no?
yeah, i guess they had bolivar and garcia playing the middle IF, but i agree, why not give him more time at SS. it’s not like Bolivar should be standing in his way. maybe he was nursing some sort of injury. i dunno
Any information on why Ruiz played as a DH? Seems a little odd but maybe they just wanted him to concentrate on hitting. Also may explain why his performance was so much better.
Just because Bolivar didn’t get as big of a bonus doesn’t mean the Cards on just as high on him as they are Ruiz. I think they are. The only reason that it is the least bit strange to me (I mean somebody had to DH for them all to get playing time) is that since Ruiz is new to the position you’d think they’d want him to get as much experience at the position as possible.