2024 Minor League game thread Week 15 – 7/22-28

It is an imperfect measure, of course. Mainly because the Cardinals tend to jerk the workhorse types around between starting and relieving. Organizational need seems to mean treating them like organization guys rather than somebody with real potential. Its no wonder they don’t ever develop into ML mainstays.

Rincon and Salas both record quality starts tonight. Rajcic maybe could have gotten one if he actually started, but Hence went the first 1 2/3 in that one.

I know I’ve promoted Rincon a lot on here. I am always complaining to Brian on the member’s page (for a couple years now) that he never makes the top 50. Rincon is just barely 22 and a starter at High A. But his fastball isn’t great and he doesn’t strike out a lot of hitters. But the kid just keeps making adjustments to get better and better. Here’s his last 8 starts:

6/8: 5 1/3, 6 hits, 0 runs
6/14: 6, 3 hits, 0 runs
6/21: 6, 4 hits, 3 runs
6/28: 5, 5 hits, 8 runs
7/3: 5 2/3, 8 hits, 3 earned runs
7/10: 5, 3 hits, 2 runs
7/21: 5, 4 hits, 1 run
Tonight: 7 (still going), 6 hits, 1 run

That’s 6 good to great starts, 1 that was so-so, and one that was terrible. He also had 3 quality starts in May and another where he was one out short of a QS. There are some clunkers early on when he was adjusting to the new league. But he is another under the radar guy I hold in high regard.

J, Rincon is a guy who should be in the priority group of starter prospects. Just scan his game log the last couple years. He’s nowhere on the prospect lists. A bunch of guys who have yet to demonstrate they are even starter prospects at all, much less top prospects, crowd out the guys who can do the job. This past spring I found myself trying to argue that Cornwell should be taken more seriously. Got laughed off the board. Guys who probably are never going to factor in because of lack of durability sucked up all the oxygen. They are on the shelf, he is answering the bell. He has 3 QSs in his last 6 turns. We do have some guys like that, but we don’t seem to pull them out of the scrum for insensive care.