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Astros: Fresno Player Spotlight- Underrated Bullpen Pieces
The expectations attached to the Fresno Grizzlies, the Astros Triple-A affiliate, in 2016 was huge, and now they are back to their winning ways after a mediocre start to 2016.
As of July 23rd, the Grizzlies are seven games over .500 and are only 3.5 games back of the Pacific Coast League-leading Tacoma Rainiers.
Part of the comeback for the Grizzlies had to do with their bullpen. Manager Tony DeFrancesco has many options to get the job done out of the bullpen, from right-handed closer James Hoyt to Josh Fields, a right-handed fireballer with big league experience.
This bullpen was put on display on Thursday night against the Round Rock Express. After a rough outing for left-hander Tommy Shirley, giving up three earned runs on six hits including a Joey Gallo home run in 2.1 innings, the bullpen was put to the test early. They met up to the challenge, throwing 5.2 innings of scoreless ball and giving up only one hit in the 3-0 loss.
Those three pitchers, Brendan McCurry, Jandel Gustave, and Jordan Jankowski, showed that the Astros do have a future regarding their bullpen.
Next: Brendan McCurry
Brendan McCurry
With only 11 games under his belt at the Triple-A level, Brendan McCurry, the number 21 prospect in the Astros organization, has already impressed many. In 11 outings, including one start, he has a 2.00 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP with 16 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched.
In his last outing against Round Rock, McCurry was especially filthy. In his 2.2 innings of work behind Shirley, he gave up no runs on no hits, walked one, and struck out five.
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These five strikeouts came from a guy who was averaging only eight strikeouts per nine innings in his limited time with Fresno. With McCurry striking out 55.6% of batters in that outing, that may show that he is becoming more comfortable against Triple-A batters.
In his career with the Astros at Double-A Corpus Christi, he was dealing strikeouts. In 39.2 innings there in 2016, he had 50 strikeouts with a 2.27 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. With a fastball in the low nineties and a plus curveball, his unique throwing style has been proving tough, especially against left-handed batters, who are hitting only .130 against him at Triple-A. That could prove valuable to the major league club as soon as September.
With a left on base percentage that is hovering at about 80%, McCurry has the stuff to be a valuable piece of the Astros major league bullpen. Look for the young right-hander to be in the hunt for a bullpen spot as soon as Spring Training 2017.
Next: Jandel Gustave
Jandel Gustave
Jandel Gustave’s career in the Astros organization has been a roller coaster. After being signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2010, Gustave did not become a full-time reliever until 2015. That was when he really took off.
In 2015 with Double-A Corpus Christi, Gustave had a record of 5-2 with a 2.15 ERA. He also had a WHIP of 1.30 and an average against of .235.
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With a solid 2015, Gustave came up to Triple-A Fresno at the beginning of the 2016 season as the number 17 prospect in the Astros system. At first glance, it looks at though Gustave has regressed a bit. In his 42 innings so far in 2016, he has a record of 1-2 with a 4.07 ERA. However, he has actually gotten better this season.
First of all, his strikeouts have increased dramatically. With a fastball in the mid to upper nineties, Gustave averages a strikeout per inning this season. Also, his walk total is down from last year with a walk percentage at 9.2%, 0.9 percentage points lower than in 2015.
Second, Gustave has been tough to hit. His WHIP is lower than it was last season. 0.04 points lower than last season, Gustave’s average against has also decreased to .226.
Third, Gustave has had no trouble giving up the long ball. In his 42 innings this season, he has given up no home runs.
The point where Gustave gets into trouble is when there are runners in scoring position. In 10.1 innings, he has a 16.55 ERA, giving up 19 earned runs on only 11 hits and walking eight.
Even though he has been in the Astros organization for six seasons, Gustave is only 23 years old. With high velocity on his fastball, Gustave has the chance, like McCurry, to get a chance at a bullpen spot in 2017.
Next: Jordan Jankowski
Jordan Jankowski
As a 27-year-old on a Triple-A roster, Jordan Jankowski is an old man compared to the other young prospects in the system. Drafted by the Astros in the 34th round in 2012, Jankowski was once a highly touted prospect in the Astros system. At the Triple-A level primarily as a reliever who can pitch multiple innings, Jankowski has found his niche.
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In his 52.1 innings this season, Jankowski has a 3.78 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP. Where Jankowski has found his success is through the strikeout. Averaging 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings this season, Jankowski has 74 strikeouts in his 52.1 innings.
He showed that off Thursday night against Round Rock. He pitched a scoreless eighth inning and struck out the side.
Jankowski may be finding his groove also within Triple-A. As opposed to 2015, his strikeout percentage has increased, and his walk rate and WHIP have decreased dramatically.
Like Gustave though, Jankowski has struggled with runners in scoring position, giving up 19 earned runs on 12 hits and five walks. Even with those horrid numbers, he does show he is hard to hit even in those situations, with a .279 average against.
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With a .195 average against in 2016, Jankowski’s time is now to produce at the major league level. Outside Hoyt, Jankowski has the major league ready stuff to contribute to the major league club now.
***Statistics provided by Baseball-Reference, FanGraphs, and MiLB.com***