Cardinals Minor League Spring Training Notebook: 03/22/18

photo: Daniel Poncedeleon (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Cardinal Nation’s 10th year of providing results and much more from St. Louis Cardinals minor league spring training games continues. Again this year, I am joined in these recaps by TCN analyst Derek Shore.

Following are the highlights from the Cardinals minor league action held on Thursday, March 22. The Nationals were the opponents for the seventh set of spring game action. Memphis and Springfield traveled to West Palm Beach while Palm Beach and Peoria remained home at the George Kissell Quad in Jupiter.

Both of the Cardinals’ upper-level clubs were successful road warriors, as was the Palm Beach club, with all three winners plating exactly five runs each. Following the 3-1 day, the Cardinals are a collective 13-9-6 overall on the spring, including a 12-8-4 mark versus external competition.

Once again this spring, Cardinals Baseball Operations Coordinator for Player Development Tony Ferreira is sharing highlights from minor league spring training contests.

The raw data is his, but the comments and awards are mine. However, be aware that only minimal pitching and hitting results are being shared – what you see here. So to find those struggling, you will have to look for names missing or make some guesses.

Remember these working team assignments are fluid by the day. In addition, another 15 players have yet to be cut from Major League camp.

When players are members of The Cardinal Nation Top 50 Prospect List for 2018, their rankings are noted.

Daniel Poncedeleon (Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports)

Thursday’s Pitcher of the Day: Daniel Poncedeleon, Memphis

The Thursday performance by the comeback hurler was nothing short of magnificent. The right-hander allowed no hits and just two walks over five one-run innings, while picking up five strikeouts along the way.

It is clear that by his performance, Poncedeleon intends to pick up right where he left off last May – as a leader of the Triple-A rotation. It has all the makings of a wonderful story for the 26-year old, who was a non-roster invitee to St. Louis’ camp earlier this spring.

Honorable mentions go to a pair of high strikeout relievers – lefty Jacob Evans of Memphis and righty Will Latcham, pitching for Springfield.

Lane Thomas (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Thursday’s Hitter of the Day: Lane Thomas, Memphis

With a double, home run and three RBI in just two at-bats, Memphis’ Thomas is our Hitter of the Day. Cardinals fans can be excused if they are unfamiliar with the outfielder, however.

With St. Louis holding extra international cap room they could not use due to the overspending penalty from the year before, they traded an undisclosed amount to the Toronto Blue Jays for the 22-year old last July. Thomas was almost immediately bitten by the injury bug, playing in just nine games for Palm Beach before suffering a season-ending injury.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder, Toronto’s fifth rounder from the 2014 draft, is primarily a center fielder after also playing second and third base earlier in his career. Thomas looks to be a tweener, with good, but not great tools. His aggregate line is .242/.321/.376/.697. The right-handed hitter has 44 steals in 66 attempts over his four-year professional career.

Honorable mentions go to his teammate Evan Mendoza, with a home run and two RBI and a single, double and four RBI performance by Springfield designated hitter Luke Dykstra.

For more, The Cardinal Nation members can check out the full list of minor league spring training attendees and minor league spring training game schedules.

Ahead – exclusively for TCN members – is my annual pre-Opening Day series in which I predict the opening rosters for all four full-season minor league affiliates and explain why. St. Louis was posted previously, with the others to follow. The St. Louis roster prediction article is free for all readers.

If you are not yet a member of The Cardinal Nation, join now and order our first-ever Prospect Guide at less than half price.

The entire system view by level and position as last season ended with every transaction all year long is available via the Roster Matrix, always free, right here at The Cardinal Nation.

Jacob Wilson (USA TODAY Sports Images)

Minor league notes – Wilson and Motte

In a ceremony prior to Thursday’s minor league games at West Palm, former Cardinals minors infielder Jacob Wilson was presented with his 2017 Memphis Redbirds championship ring.

The Memphis-area native was claimed by the Nationals from the Cards in the minor league phase of the December Rule 5 Draft after splitting last season between Springfield and Memphis. His 66 RBI last season were fourth-most in the entire system and his 17 long balls tied for third.

Jason Motte (Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports)

Jason Motte may report to Memphis, as expected, or he may not. The former St. Louis closer was told he is not making the major league club out of camp. The 35-year old then exercised an out in his minor league contract that allows him to seek a big-league deal elsewhere. If he doesn’t get one – and the odds seem stacked against him – Motte could decide to return to the Cardinals, and specifically, Memphis.

It may not be a lock, however. Strong springs from more youthful 40-man relievers Mike Mayers and Josh Lucas and the nearing return of top prospect Alex Reyes potentially in a bullpen role would seem to present considerable roadblocks for Motte to overcome in his goal to return to the majors.

Memphis (4-2-1) 5 at Syracuse 1

Memphis pitching TCN IP H ER BB K Notes
Daniel Poncedeleon #31 5  0 1 2 5 Pitcher of the Day – see above
Derian Gonzalez #48 2 2 1 1 40-man addition this winter shifted to relief and could move fast.
Jacob Evans 2 1 2 LH sleeper prospect with 10.4K/9 IP bet. PB/Sgf in 1st relief year.
Memphis hitting Pos TCN AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB BB K Notes
Evan Mendoza  3B #26 2 1 1 2 1 NYPL batting champ. .339 avg #1 in system. 7th OBP, 2nd SLG, 1st OPS.
Lane Thomas CF 2 1 2 3 1 1 Hitter of the Day – see above

Springfield (4-2-1) 5 at Harrisburg 4

Springfield pitching TCN IP H ER BB K Notes
Evan Kruczynski 3 3 1 3 9th rd LHS from 2017 draft made 13 starts for Peo (3.41 ERA).
Will Latcham 1 3 12.03 K/9 IP was 4th in NYPL and 5th in entire system in 2017.
Springfield hitting Pos TCN AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB BB K Notes
Luke Dykstra DH 3 2 4 1 Lenny’s son was part of the 12/16 Jaime Garcia trade with Atlanta.

Palm Beach (3-2-2) 5, Potomac 4  

Palm Beach pitching TCN IP H ER BB K Notes
No highlights
Palm Beach hitting Pos TCN AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB BB K Notes
Angel Moreno DH 2 1 2 1 21 y/o OF hit .229 in high-A in 2017. Rule 5 pick from Tampa Bay.

Hagerstown 3 at Peoria (2-3-2) 2

Peoria pitching TCN IP H ER BB K Notes
Jacob Patterson 1 2 JC closer 2nd in Appy Lg with 9 saves, 3rd with 18 G finished.
Bryan Dobzanski 1 1 2 Took to relief with 2.10 ERA after change (final 19 G at Peoria).
Peoria hitting Pos TCN AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB BB K Notes
Edwin Figuera SS 3 2 1 Batted career-best .284, 10th in NYPL, 7th toughest to K.
Jonatan Machado CF #25 1 1 1 1 1 Hit in 25 of 35 GCL gms, incl 11 multi-hit gms on way to .323 BA.
Elehuris Montero 3B #36 2 1 1 1 GCL All-Star #9 in system in SLG (.468), 7th in OPS (.838).

Friday’s games: The Mets will be the Friday opponent, with Memphis and Springfield on the road for the third consecutive day, with their games to be held at Port St. Lucie. The Class-A games will be played at the George Kissell Quad in Jupiter, Fields 2-5.

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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian on Twitter.

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