photo: Todd Lott (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers were active this weekend as each team played games on Saturday and Sunday. This notebook will cover both Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27.
The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system went 1-3 on Saturday, with Springfield tallying the only win, a 4-1 triumph over Binghamton. Todd Lott led the system offensively by reaching base four times while T.J. Zeuch had the best of three strong performances from the Springfield pitching staff.
Listed below are stats and results from games on March 26th.
Pitcher of the Day – T.J. Zeuch
T.J. Zeuch spent five and a half seasons with the Blue Jays before being acquired by the Cardinals in exchange for cash. He has been a starter throughout his career, but in recent years he has begun spending time in both the rotation and the bullpen. The 26-year-old has MLB experience in each of the last three seasons, though he has accumulated a 4.59 ERA and 5.79 FIP in 49 innings.
After being acquired by the Cardinals, he made nine appearances (five starts) for Triple-A Memphis and pitched his way to a 4.93 ERA. He actually saw his strikeout rate tick upwards to 21.6% in Memphis, which is notable for someone who doesn’t typically miss many bats. The problem for Zeuch was that his walk rate and home run rate also increased above his career norms, as reflected by his 4.82 FIP.
Zeuch will provide swingman depth in Triple-A this year, where he will have the opportunity to prove that his strikeout rate gains were not just a fluke. On Saturday, Zeuch fanned five in three innings for Springfield while allowing only one hit and no walks. The honorable mention goes to fellow Springfield pitcher Garrett Williams for his scoreless effort.
Player of the Day – Todd Lott
If you have been reading these reports consistently, then you will have seen Todd Lott’s name pretty frequently. He has gotten off to a hot start this spring and that continued on Saturday as he went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a walk for Springfield.
Lott’s best tool is his power, so it is no surprise that he is racking up the extra base hits. He will need to continue doing this to add value since he is limited to first base and the corner outfield. After splitting time between Palm Beach and Peoria last season, Lott is fighting for a spot in the Springfield lineup this spring. His strong performances may help him get there.
The honorable mention goes to Evan Mendoza, who went 2-for-2 with a three-run homer.
Memphis (5) at Syracuse (7)
| Memphis Pitching | TCN | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Angel Rondon | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | TCN’s 9th ranked prospect had a 4.13 ERA in the Memphis rotation but a 5.60 in the bullpen |
| Memphis Hitting | Pos | TCN | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | SB | BB | K | Notes |
| Jordan Walker | 3B | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 19-year-old hit 14 home runs between Palm Beach and Peoria | ||||||
| Evan Mendoza | INF | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | Slick fielding infiedler has shown some power this spring after hitting for very little in his career | |||||||
| Justin Toerner | OF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | The former 28th round draft pick reached Triple-A last year | ||||||
| Matt Koperniak | 2 | Koperniak, who began the year in Single-A and ended it in Double-A, stole just 4 bases last year |
Springfield (4) at BInghamton (1)
| Springfield Pitching | TCN | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| T.J. Zeuch | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | Acquired from the Blue Jays in July and was a swingman in Triple-A | |
| Garrett Williams | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | Selected from the Angels in the 2020 minor league Rule 5 Draft and pitched at Springfield and Memphis in 2021 | |
| Connor Lunn | 42 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | Threw over 120 innings for Peoria in 2021 and earned a 3.96 ERA. |
| Springfield Hitting | Pos | TCN | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | SB | BB | K | Notes |
| Chase Pinder | OF | 3 | 2 | 1 | Lost 2020 season due to Covid and lost most of 2021 due to injury | ||||||||
| Todd Lott | 1B/OF | 45 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Power hitting primary first baseman has been hot this spring | |||||
| Roberto Baldoquin | INF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Minor league signing originally signed with the Angels for $8 million after leaving Cuba |
Peoria (6) vs. Brooklyn (8)
| Peoria Hitting | Pos | TCN | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | SB | BB | K | Notes |
| Masyn Winn | SS | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | The super athletic shortstop struggled at High-A after starting 2021 well with Palm Beach | ||||||
| Adari Grant | OF | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | The Cardinals’ first ever signing out of the Bahamas had an 88 wRC+ in the DSL in 2021 |
Palm Beach (2) vs. St. Lucie (3)
| Palm Beach Pitching | TCN | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Trent Baker | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Threw 7 ⅔ innings at the FCL level after being drafted in the 9th round | |
| Gustavo J. Rodriguez | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Had a 7.36 ERA (4.89 FIP) in Single-A last year as a 20-year-old |
| Palm Beach Hitting | Pos | TCN | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | SB | BB | K | Notes |
| Osvaldo Tovalin | 3B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2021 10th round pick only played third base in his first professional season | ||||||||
| Elijah Cabell | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | The 17th round pick in the 2021 draft has a lot of power (.213 ISO) but strikes out a lot (40.8% K rate) | ||||||||
| Hansel Otamendi | OF | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Batted .296 and posted a 109 wRC+ at the FCL level in 2021 |
On Sunday, the Cardinals system again went 1-3 with Springfield earning the only victory. Todd Lott’s hot streak continued with two more hits, including a home run, and he is now 9-for-10 in his last four games with five extra base hits. However, Jacob Buchberger is the Player of the Day after reaching base four times and leaving the yard.
Listed below are stats and results from games on March 26th.
Pitcher of the Day – Gianluca Dalatri
The Cardinals signed Gianluca Dalatri as an undrafted free agent in 2020, but he had to wait until 2021 to make his debut. He made 13 appearances with Palm Beach and earned a 5.60 ERA, but his 3.18 FIP was much better. The right-hander had a 31.6% strikeout rate with Palm Beach and a decent 9.2% walk rate.
He then got his feet wet in Peoria, tossing 4 ⅔ innings but his four appearances did not go well. Dalatri was touched six runs on ten hits, two of which left the park, and two walks. He doesn’t have many professional innings to his name but he will be competing for a place in Peoria. As a soon-to-be 24-year-old, he will not want to start the year in Palm Beach again.
On Sunday, the right-hander tossed a pair of clean innings in Springfield’s victory and fanned three. The honorable mention goes to Edgar Manzo who struck out three in two innings while allowing a hit and a walk for Palm Beach.
Hitter of the Day – Jacob Buchberger
Jacob Buchberger began 2021 in Palm Beach as a 23-year-old and posted a 126 wRC+, largely due to solid on-base skills and a high average. The corner infielder batted .308 with an 11.1% walk rate, giving him an OBP just a hair under .400 (.392). Only 20 of his 62 hits went for extra bases, though, and of those 20, only three cleared the fence.
As a result of his strong performance at the plate, Buchberger earned a promotion to Peoria, where he was not as successful. In 21 games, he batted just .163 while his walk rate was slashed to 5.9%. This led to him posting a wRC+ of just 32. With little power, he is a questionable fit as a corner infielder. Unless he adds power, Buchberger will need to bat near .300 and take a lot of walks if he wants to provide value and make up for his lack of power and defensive limitations.
Buchberger showed a bit of power on Sunday, clubbing a home run while walking twice and also being hit by a pitch. The honorable mention goes to Todd Lott, who went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run to continue his hot streak. Won-Bin Cho was also perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 for Palm Beach.
Memphis (1) vs Jacksonville (14)
| Memphis Pitching | TCN | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Michael McGreevy | 8 | 3 ⅔ | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2021 first round pick is rated by Baseball America as having the best curveball and the best control of any pitcher in the Cardinals system |
| Memphis Hitting | Pos | TCN | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | SB | BB | K | Notes |
| Justin Toerner | OF | 4 | 2 | Second consecutive day of reaching base multiple times | |||||||||
| Nick Dunn | 2B | 3 | 1 | 1 | Light hitting second baseman makes a lot of contact but has only hit 12 career home runs | ||||||||
| Irving Lopez | INF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Utilityman played five positions in 2021 for Springfield and Memphis |
Springfield (4) vs Pensacola (2)
| Springfield Pitching | TCN | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Gianluca Dalatri | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | Threw 22 ⅓ innings between Single-A and High-A last year and earned a 6.85 ERA | |
| John Beller | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | Left-hander compiled a 4.59 ERA and 4.09 FIP in 80 ⅓ innings for Palm Beach in 2021 |
| Springfield Hitting | Pos | TCN | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | SB | BB | K | Notes |
| L.J. Jones | OF | 4 | 2 | 1 | Had 7 outfield assists in 2021, also played 1B | ||||||||
| Todd Lott | OF | 45 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Fourth straight day with multiple hits, has gone 9-for-10 with four doubles and a homer in that stretch | |||||
| Zade Richardson | C | 3 | 2 | Hit 12 home runs for Peoria in 2021 but also batted .180 |
Peoria (3) at Beloit (7)
| Peoria Hitting | Pos | TCN | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | SB | BB | K | Notes |
| Joshua Baez | OF | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | Stole five bases and tallied six extra base hits in 23 games after being the Cardinals’ 2nd round pick in the 2021 draft | ||||||
| Jacob Buchberger | 1B/3B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 (also an HBP) | 126 wRC+ in Palm Beach dropped to 32 in Peoria | |||||
| Masyn Winn | SS | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Tallied an extra base hit in each day of the weekend |
Palm Beach (3) at Jupiter (5)
| Palm Beach Pitching | TCN | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Tink Hence | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2020 draft pick has thrown just 8 professional innings (9.00 ERA) |
| Edgar Manzo | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | Threw 66 innings for Palm Beach and was TCN’s Pitcher of the Month in July |
| Palm Beach Hitting | Pos | TCN | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | SB | BB | K | Notes |
| Won-Bin Cho | OF | 3 | 3 | 1 | Potential five star outfielder will likely make his professional debut in the Florida Coast League this season |
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