2008 Scouting Report

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

This page will next be revised in early August.

Unless otherwise indicated, all statistics are through June 30.

July Profile

I hate writing about really bad teams; it always sounds like I'm picking on the players. Appleton's team has scored 282 runs while permitting their opponents to score 326. The team's last in the MWL in homers and runs scored, and near the bottom in nearly every category. Their defense is iffy, too. The pitching staff's around the middle of the pack, but even excellent pitchers can't win without run support, as Michael Pineda's been demonstrating.

This team basically doesn't field a real offense. Second baseman Edilio Colina and center fielder Maximo Mendez are fine players, but there's nothing else in the Rattlers' lineup except good, albeit fairly reckless, speed.

The T'Rats have a fairly strong rotation. Michael Pineda isn't a stud pitcher, but he's pitched about as well as anyone in the league this season; unfortunately, his team's not been very helpful. Phillippe Aumont, Juan Ramirez, and Nate Adcock are better than your usual MWL rotation-fillers, but to no avail. Jake Wild's thrown well as the team's swing pitcher, and Keith Meyer's been very effective in middle relief. The nominal closers, unfortunately, have been a disaster; I'll not name them.

Gone from Appleton: Donald Hume, Wisconsin's nominal ace, has moved up to High Desert.

Season Summary

• Second Half (through June 30): 3-9, .250 (8th place, 5.0 behind)
• First Half (final): 31-35, .470 (sixth place, 9.5 behind)
• Pitching: 3.54, 34-44, 20 saves, 20 holds, no complete games, 613 strikeouts
• Hitting: .236, 282 runs scored, 24 HR, 89 steals (66% success)
• April: 8-14 (.364)
• May: 14-15 (.483)
• June: 12-15 (.444)

• Position Players used: 21
• Pitchers used: 21
• Pitchers per game: 3.54

Leading Players

• Best Player on the Team: Starting Pitcher Michael Pineda

• Best Starting Pitcher: Michael Pineda (1.43, 5-3, 51 strikeouts)
• Bullpen Stopper: no bullpen stopper
• Strikeout Pitchers: Justin Souza, Rob Harmon, Keith Meyer, Jose Escalona, Nathan Adcock
• Control Pitchers: Jake Wild, Phillippe Aumont

• Best Hitter: Edelio Colina (.289, 1 HR, 30 RBI; 39 runs scored)
• Home Run Leader: Denny Almonte (4)
• High Batting Average: none
• High On Base Percentage: none
• High Slugging Percentage: none
• Notable Baserunners: Gavin Dickey, Ron Garth, Alex Liddi, Max Mendez, Joe Dunnigan
• Notable Batting Eye: none

May Profile

The Timber Rattlers scored 68 runs in their first 22 games; they surrendered 94. They hit 3 homers; they allowed 13. This team's pitchers are, basically, wild; the offense is abysmal. That doesn't mean there's nothing to watch, but this is a weak squad.

Outfielders Gavin Dickey and Daniel Carroll--both of whom are on the Disabled List as I write--are pretty much the entire offense. Carroll, in particular, looks like a promising talent, but no slap hitter can carry a team in this league.

Wisconsin's pitching rotation's going to be a challenge for manager Kevin Pollreisz and pitching coach Jaime Navarro; so far, the staff hasn't demonstrated much strength. There's more promise in the bullpen; Michael Pineda, Travis Mortimore, Bryan Harris, and Shawn Kelley have all pitched well, albeit with limited opportunities, during April.

Pre-Season Profile

Unless several hitters have recovered over the winter, the Timber Rattlers won't be scoring many runs this summer; only Ron Garth and Daniel Carroll have respectable records. The pitching, on the other hand, just might keep the Snakes in the hunt. Travis Mortimore, Michael Pineda, and Jake Wild all look pretty promising, and the rest of the staff looks pretty solid. First round pick Phillipe Aumont hadn't pitched professionally before the season's start, but it's fairly safe to assume he'll make a contribution.

Manager

Based on his four seasons at Everett, Terry Pollreisz is generally a conventional manager. He's willing to let a good runner have his fun; he generally resists issuing intentional passes.

First Round Draft Selections

• Phillipe Aumont (2007, 11th selection)

Team Age Information

• Average Team Age: 22.0
• Pitchers: 22.0
• Hitters: 21.9

• Oldest Player on the Team: Korey Feiner (9/25/1981)
• Youngest Player on the Team: Michael Pineda (1/18/1989)

The average player in the Midwest League this season is 21.9 years old. This information is based on opening day rosters as published on MILB.com and will not be updated.

Where they played last season

This summary is based on the team's opening day roster and will not be revised to reflect roster changes.

Many of these players appeared in Appleton last summer, with reinforcements from virtually everywhere in the system. The Mariners don't work like any other organization.

Team           League          W/L    Place    Hitters Pitchers
                                     (Teams)
High Desert    California (A+) 54/86 10(10)       5       1
Wisconsin      Midwest (A)     53/85 14(14)       8       4
Everett        Northwest (A-)  35/41  5(8)        4       5
Mariners       Arizona (R)     37/19  1(9)        3       2

There's evidence of lots of movement in the Mariners' system here: Six of these players appeared at two levels in the organization last summer, another appeared at three, another at four, and (insanely) one played for five Seattle farm clubs in 2007. Three appeared briefly at the Triple-A level, two at Double-A, and one spent the season playing for the DSL Mariners. Two of the T'Rats did not play professionally last year; one was in another organization (mostly at the Triple-A level!)