Bravesworld.com | Atlanta Braves News, braves Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Eulogio is making a bid for a promotion, while Gio is definitely not.</div><h3>HOT</h3>Jose Ortegano, P, Braves - Ortegano has not given up a home run during his 74 2/3 innings - 13 starts worth - thus far at Low-A Rome. He has also compiled a 1.56 GO:AO, a 74:20 K:BB and a .266 BAA. Last year, in Rookie ball, he posted a .199 BAA, a 1.83 GO:AO over 60 2/3 IP, three home runs, a 55:11 K:BB, a 1.48 ERA and a 6-1 record. He is liable to show up on prospect lists next year.T.J. Beam, P, Pirates - Beam gave up a hit in two-thirds of an inning in relief Sunday for Triple-A Indianapolis. He's put up some nice numbers: a .196 BAA, a 39:13 K:BB over 38 innings and one home run. He has a 2-1 record, a 1.89 ERA and four saves. The Pirates are ranked 29th in both pitching OBP and ERA in the majors.Everth Cabrera, 2B, Rockies - Cabrera has stolen 45 bases in 68 games for Low-A Asheville through Sunday. He's hitting .285/.368/.392 with 11 doubles, four triples and three home runs - and a 48:31 K:BB to boot. A lot of offense from a second baseman, so if he can sustain it he could make some prospect lists for 2009. Just to put the 45 stolen bases in some kind of perspective: the average number of steals for a major league team thus far is 44.Craig Stammen, P, Nationals - Stammen struck out eight and did not walk anyone over 6 1/3 innings on Friday for High-A Potomac. He gave up nine hits and no earned runs. His strikeout rate has picked up for the first time in his career: 24 over his last 20 innings - with one walk. He is already 24, so this is good timing for Stammen. Sometimes guys like this catch lightning in a bottle and rocket up through a system. If he was with Boston, it would take years, but he is with Washington, so it could take less time, if indeed he has figured out a new approach.Jeremy Cummings, P, Rays - Cummings is 5-1 with a 1.96 ERA through his seven starts at Triple-A Durham through Sunday. He has a 39:9 K:BB, a .178 BAA and has given up two home runs over 41 1/3 innings. Over 27 innings against left-handed hitters, he has not given up a home run and has a .160 BAA.Marquez Smith, 3B, Cubs - Smith was 1-for-4 with his 11th home run on Saturday for Low-A Peoria and is hitting .396/.467/.698 in June. He hit only .229 with one home run in April and has heated up each month. On the year, he stands at .300/.367/.524. He should be on 2009 prospect lists if this holds up.Brian Mazone, P, Phillies - In his three June starts, Mazone, a lefty, has a .185 BAA, an 11:4 K:BB over 19 1/3 innings and zero home runs through Sunday. During his last outing on June 11, he gave up three hits and two walks over seven innings, struck out six and did not allow an earned run. Through 14 starts this year, he has a 7-4 record, a 2.93 ERA, a 50:14 K:BB over 92 innings and nine home runs, not overpowering, but adequate - and warming up in June.Nicholas Additon, P, Cardinals - Additon has not allowed an earned run in his last 30 innings at Low-A Quad Cities through Sunday. He has appeared in 15 games, eight of them as a starter, and has a .208 BAA, a K:BB of 65:20 over 59 1/3 innings and five home runs. The only troublesome stat is his GO:AO of 0.57. The 47th-round pick in 2006 had comparable numbers last year at lower levels and could end up on some prospect lists if he keeps it up.Eulogio De La Cruz, P, Marlins - De La Cruz gave up one hit over six scoreless innings on Tuesday for Triple-A Albuquerque, walking one and striking out five, and then on Sunday he struck out nine over six innings and gave up one earned run. He had one ugly major league outing at the end of May, which has marred an otherwise excellent year for the 24-year-old. He has a 1.90 GO:AO, a 60:25 K:BB over 72 2/3 innings and just three home runs. He has pitched especially well in May and June and could end up having a breakout year.Lou Marson, C, Phillies - Marson went 2-for-3 on Sunday for Double-A Reading and is hitting .379 over his last 10 games. He is making a strong case for a promotion, with a year-to-date line of .356/.469/.454 and a 39:42 K:BB.Mick Mattaliano, P, Orioles - Mattaliano has 14 saves and a .133 BAA over 23 2/3 innings at Low-A Delmarva through Sunday. He also has a 3.21 GO:AO, a 12:4 K:BB and no home runs yet. With the bases empty, his BAA drops to .114. He had comparable numbers last year over 20 2/3 innings spanning 14 games, so it is safe to begin considering Mattaliano as a potential prospect.Mark Melancon, P, Yankees - In his nine relief appearances at Double-A Trenton through Sunday, Melancon has posted a 21:3 K:BB over 23 2/3 innings. He has also achieved a .148 BAA with 12 hits over 23 2/3 innings and just one home run. He has been mentioned as trade bait recently because of the injury to Chien-Ming Wang.Yamaico Navarro, SS, Red Sox - Navarro went 1-for-3 on Saturday for Low-A Greenville. He is hitting .341 over his last 10 games and has five home runs in his last 37 at-bats. He hit five all of last year in 225 at-bats with Rookie-level Lowell, so this is a new development for Navarro and one that could bear watching.Chris Smith, P, Red Sox - Smith struck out three in his one inning of work on Saturday for Triple-A Pawtucket. He gave up one hit. He has a .185 BAA against lefties, .197 overall. In addition, he has posted a 40:7 K:BB over 40 2/3 innings. Four of his five April appearances were as a starter, but Boston switched him to relief starting in May. He could see some action if Mike Timlin continues to be shaky.Juan Ramirez, P, Mariners - Ramirez struck out six, walked one and gave up four hits over six innings on Thursday for Low-A Wisconsin. Except for his last outing, when he walked three over 3 2/3 innings and was yanked, his command has been very good - not counting that outing, he has a 52:12 K:BB over his last nine starts. On the year, he has a .210 BAA, and he has not given up a home run yet. The Mariners could use him right now, of course, but they're going to have to wait a year or two at least.John Ely, P, White Sox - Ely pitched a gem on Thursday for High-A Winston Salem, striking out eight and giving up just one hit and no runs over seven innings. He yielded an infield hit in the first and was then perfect for the rest of the game, getting nine groundball outs to go along with the seven Ks. He had veered off the tracks in May with a couple of shaky outings but has gotten it together lately.Neftali Feliz, P, Rangers - Feliz struck out 11 and gave up one hit over 5 1/3 innings on Saturday for Low-A Clinton. He's having an excellent year across the board: a .188 BAA, a GO:AO of 1.71, a K:BB of 83:24 over 68 1/3 innings and a 2.24 ERA. He's at least another year away but worth adding to your watch list.James Happ, P, Phillies - Happ struck out six, walked two and gave up six hits over five innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday. He has a 17:2 K:BB over his last 17 2/3 innings encompassing three starts and has a K:BB of 87:32 over 82 innings for the year. He has hit double digits in strikeouts twice in his last seven games. He could see some major league innings before the year is over.<h3>NOT</h3>Gio Gonzalez, P, A's - Gonzalez continues to have serious control problems at Triple-A Sacramento - he has walked eight over his last 12 1/3 innings through Sunday. He appears to be in some kind of free fall. His May K:BB was 30:17 over 30 2/3 innings; in June, it is 15:10 over 17 1/3 innings. One inkling that things could begin to turn around is his rising GO:AO, but everything else seems way off. He does not turn 23 until September, so he has some time.Jon Gilmore, 3B, Braves - Gilmore has been sent down from Low-A Rome to Rookie-level Danville. He was hitting .173/.193/.173. In his 81 at-bats, the 2007 supplemental first-round pick did not have any extra-base hits and posted a 17:2 K:BB ratio.John Holdzkom, P, Mets - Holdzkom is having an ugly year at Low-A Savannah through Friday. He has appeared in 15 games in relief and has given up 29 hits and 26 walks over 21 2/3 innings to lead the South Atlantic League in WHIP at 2.54. He has an 8.31 ERA and a .312 BAA. Somewhat offsetting those awful numbers are the facts that he has given up no home runs and has a 3.88 GO:AO, so he could turn it around at some point.Dustin Molleken, P, Pirates - Molleken gave up 10 hits and two walks over four innings on Tuesday at Low-A Hickory, good for seven earned runs, jacking his ERA to 6.61. Then, just for good measure, he gave up 10 hits again on Sunday, this time over 5 2/3 innings, giving up five earned runs. He leads the South Atlantic League in home runs coughed up with 20. Over his three June starts, he has a BAA of .400 and an ERA of 10.54 with five home runs in 13 2/3 innings.Article first appeared 6/17/08

Eulogio is making a bid for a promotion, while Gio is definitely not.

HOT

Jose Ortegano, P, Braves - Ortegano has not given up a home run during his 74 2/3 innings - 13 starts worth - thus far at Low-A Rome. He has also compiled a 1.56 GO:AO, a 74:20 K:BB and a .266 BAA. Last year, in Rookie ball, he posted a .199 BAA, a 1.83 GO:AO over 60 2/3 IP, three home runs, a 55:11 K:BB, a 1.48 ERA and a 6-1 record. He is liable to show up on prospect lists next year.

T.J. Beam, P, Pirates - Beam gave up a hit in two-thirds of an inning in relief Sunday for Triple-A Indianapolis. He's put up some nice numbers: a .196 BAA, a 39:13 K:BB over 38 innings and one home run. He has a 2-1 record, a 1.89 ERA and four saves. The Pirates are ranked 29th in both pitching OBP and ERA in the majors.

Everth Cabrera, 2B, Rockies - Cabrera has stolen 45 bases in 68 games for Low-A Asheville through Sunday. He's hitting .285/.368/.392 with 11 doubles, four triples and three home runs - and a 48:31 K:BB to boot. A lot of offense from a second baseman, so if he can sustain it he could make some prospect lists for 2009. Just to put the 45 stolen bases in some kind of perspective: the average number of steals for a major league team thus far is 44.

Craig Stammen, P, Nationals - Stammen struck out eight and did not walk anyone over 6 1/3 innings on Friday for High-A Potomac. He gave up nine hits and no earned runs. His strikeout rate has picked up for the first time in his career: 24 over his last 20 innings - with one walk. He is already 24, so this is good timing for Stammen. Sometimes guys like this catch lightning in a bottle and rocket up through a system. If he was with Boston, it would take years, but he is with Washington, so it could take less time, if indeed he has figured out a new approach.

Jeremy Cummings, P, Rays - Cummings is 5-1 with a 1.96 ERA through his seven starts at Triple-A Durham through Sunday. He has a 39:9 K:BB, a .178 BAA and has given up two home runs over 41 1/3 innings. Over 27 innings against left-handed hitters, he has not given up a home run and has a .160 BAA.

Marquez Smith, 3B, Cubs - Smith was 1-for-4 with his 11th home run on Saturday for Low-A Peoria and is hitting .396/.467/.698 in June. He hit only .229 with one home run in April and has heated up each month. On the year, he stands at .300/.367/.524. He should be on 2009 prospect lists if this holds up.

Brian Mazone, P, Phillies - In his three June starts, Mazone, a lefty, has a .185 BAA, an 11:4 K:BB over 19 1/3 innings and zero home runs through Sunday. During his last outing on June 11, he gave up three hits and two walks over seven innings, struck out six and did not allow an earned run. Through 14 starts this year, he has a 7-4 record, a 2.93 ERA, a 50:14 K:BB over 92 innings and nine home runs, not overpowering, but adequate - and warming up in June.

Nicholas Additon, P, Cardinals - Additon has not allowed an earned run in his last 30 innings at Low-A Quad Cities through Sunday. He has appeared in 15 games, eight of them as a starter, and has a .208 BAA, a K:BB of 65:20 over 59 1/3 innings and five home runs. The only troublesome stat is his GO:AO of 0.57. The 47th-round pick in 2006 had comparable numbers last year at lower levels and could end up on some prospect lists if he keeps it up.

Eulogio De La Cruz, P, Marlins - De La Cruz gave up one hit over six scoreless innings on Tuesday for Triple-A Albuquerque, walking one and striking out five, and then on Sunday he struck out nine over six innings and gave up one earned run. He had one ugly major league outing at the end of May, which has marred an otherwise excellent year for the 24-year-old. He has a 1.90 GO:AO, a 60:25 K:BB over 72 2/3 innings and just three home runs. He has pitched especially well in May and June and could end up having a breakout year.

Lou Marson, C, Phillies - Marson went 2-for-3 on Sunday for Double-A Reading and is hitting .379 over his last 10 games. He is making a strong case for a promotion, with a year-to-date line of .356/.469/.454 and a 39:42 K:BB.

Mick Mattaliano, P, Orioles - Mattaliano has 14 saves and a .133 BAA over 23 2/3 innings at Low-A Delmarva through Sunday. He also has a 3.21 GO:AO, a 12:4 K:BB and no home runs yet. With the bases empty, his BAA drops to .114. He had comparable numbers last year over 20 2/3 innings spanning 14 games, so it is safe to begin considering Mattaliano as a potential prospect.

Mark Melancon, P, Yankees - In his nine relief appearances at Double-A Trenton through Sunday, Melancon has posted a 21:3 K:BB over 23 2/3 innings. He has also achieved a .148 BAA with 12 hits over 23 2/3 innings and just one home run. He has been mentioned as trade bait recently because of the injury to Chien-Ming Wang.

Yamaico Navarro, SS, Red Sox - Navarro went 1-for-3 on Saturday for Low-A Greenville. He is hitting .341 over his last 10 games and has five home runs in his last 37 at-bats. He hit five all of last year in 225 at-bats with Rookie-level Lowell, so this is a new development for Navarro and one that could bear watching.

Chris Smith, P, Red Sox - Smith struck out three in his one inning of work on Saturday for Triple-A Pawtucket. He gave up one hit. He has a .185 BAA against lefties, .197 overall. In addition, he has posted a 40:7 K:BB over 40 2/3 innings. Four of his five April appearances were as a starter, but Boston switched him to relief starting in May. He could see some action if Mike Timlin continues to be shaky.

Juan Ramirez, P, Mariners - Ramirez struck out six, walked one and gave up four hits over six innings on Thursday for Low-A Wisconsin. Except for his last outing, when he walked three over 3 2/3 innings and was yanked, his command has been very good - not counting that outing, he has a 52:12 K:BB over his last nine starts. On the year, he has a .210 BAA, and he has not given up a home run yet. The Mariners could use him right now, of course, but they're going to have to wait a year or two at least.

John Ely, P, White Sox - Ely pitched a gem on Thursday for High-A Winston Salem, striking out eight and giving up just one hit and no runs over seven innings. He yielded an infield hit in the first and was then perfect for the rest of the game, getting nine groundball outs to go along with the seven Ks. He had veered off the tracks in May with a couple of shaky outings but has gotten it together lately.

Neftali Feliz, P, Rangers - Feliz struck out 11 and gave up one hit over 5 1/3 innings on Saturday for Low-A Clinton. He's having an excellent year across the board: a .188 BAA, a GO:AO of 1.71, a K:BB of 83:24 over 68 1/3 innings and a 2.24 ERA. He's at least another year away but worth adding to your watch list.

James Happ, P, Phillies - Happ struck out six, walked two and gave up six hits over five innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday. He has a 17:2 K:BB over his last 17 2/3 innings encompassing three starts and has a K:BB of 87:32 over 82 innings for the year. He has hit double digits in strikeouts twice in his last seven games. He could see some major league innings before the year is over.

NOT

Gio Gonzalez, P, A's - Gonzalez continues to have serious control problems at Triple-A Sacramento - he has walked eight over his last 12 1/3 innings through Sunday. He appears to be in some kind of free fall. His May K:BB was 30:17 over 30 2/3 innings; in June, it is 15:10 over 17 1/3 innings. One inkling that things could begin to turn around is his rising GO:AO, but everything else seems way off. He does not turn 23 until September, so he has some time.

Jon Gilmore, 3B, Braves - Gilmore has been sent down from Low-A Rome to Rookie-level Danville. He was hitting .173/.193/.173. In his 81 at-bats, the 2007 supplemental first-round pick did not have any extra-base hits and posted a 17:2 K:BB ratio.

John Holdzkom, P, Mets - Holdzkom is having an ugly year at Low-A Savannah through Friday. He has appeared in 15 games in relief and has given up 29 hits and 26 walks over 21 2/3 innings to lead the South Atlantic League in WHIP at 2.54. He has an 8.31 ERA and a .312 BAA. Somewhat offsetting those awful numbers are the facts that he has given up no home runs and has a 3.88 GO:AO, so he could turn it around at some point.

Dustin Molleken, P, Pirates - Molleken gave up 10 hits and two walks over four innings on Tuesday at Low-A Hickory, good for seven earned runs, jacking his ERA to 6.61. Then, just for good measure, he gave up 10 hits again on Sunday, this time over 5 2/3 innings, giving up five earned runs. He leads the South Atlantic League in home runs coughed up with 20. Over his three June starts, he has a BAA of .400 and an ERA of 10.54 with five home runs in 13 2/3 innings.

Article first appeared 6/17/08