In my ongoing season reviews of the various Astros minor league teams, today we'll look at the Corpus Christi Hooks.
The team finished with a 67-73 record (.479 win percentage) and was in fourth place (out of four teams) in their division. As a team they ranked within the league as follows:
Corpus Christi Team Batting
.252 BA - 5th out of 8 teams
.337 OBP - 1st
.381 SLG - 3rd
Corpus Christi Team Pitching
3.92 ERA - 7th
1.27 WHIP - 2nd
1118 SO - 3rd
412 BB - 8th
I am still somewhat mystified as to what exactly happened with the 2014 Hooks. To start the season, they were made up largely of the 2013 JetHawks team who had dominated the California League and won both halves of the season, yet the team never really took off (even before losing players to promotion and injury). Their offensive numbers were decent and, except for their ERA, the pitching was definitely above average in the league. That they had the second best WHIP in the league and the second worst ERA, and a run differential of +31, tells me that tough luck had to have played a big factor. The other glaring stat for this team was that they were 40-30 at home and 27-43 on the road. Needless to say, I botched my prediction for this team horribly, but I'm hard pressed to explain it.
Now, on to individual achievements. Below I am indicating the player's current age as well as information as to how many years the player has been playing. Any players who were promoted to Oklahoma City prior to the end of the season will be addressed in the season recap for that team.
CATCHERS
Tyler Heineman - 23; 3rd season
Heineman isn't quite the elite defensive catcher that Lancaster's Roberto Pena is, but he doesn't miss that high mark by much. And the switch-hitter is also solid offensively. Heineman has always been a good hitter and will likely improve upon the .242/.332/.332 batting line that he put up this season. In 78 games (70 at catcher), he hit 15 doubles, three triples and one home run with 25 RBI; walked 24 times to 37 strikeouts; and caught 46% of would-be base stealers.
Rene Garcia - 24; 7th season
I am at a loss to explain Garcia's regression at the plate this season. His .244/.279/.352 batting line was well below the mark he set last season at Corpus Christi. In 75 games (71 as catcher), the 35th round draft pick from 2008 hit 14 doubles and five home runs with 23 RBI; walked nine times while striking out 32 times; and had a 37% caught stealing rate. Garcia is also a plus defensive catcher.
INFIELDERS
1B/DH/C M.P. Cokinos (24; 3rd season) was another player whose offense fell off this season as he hit .271/.305/.320 with seven doubles, one hone run and 22 RBI in 60 games. 1B/DH Telvin Nash (23; 6th season) has improved on his plate discipline since his 198 strikeout season in 2012, but he's still going to strike out a lot. He's also going to keep hitting home runs as he did this season with 22 of them (.227/.330/.484 in 84 games). 2B/SS Nolan Fontana (23; 3rd season) gets an incomplete, having been shelved since June 19th, but he did manage to hit .262/.418/.376 in his 66 games. Utility infielder Carlos Perdomo (24; 7th season) split his time between Lancaster (36 games) and Corpus Christi (60 games), hitting a combined .277/.358/.347.
There were two players promoted to Corpus Christi during the season who had particularly good years, and one player obtained in a trade who played very well for the team in his short time there.
1B Conrad Gregor - 22; 2nd season
The 4th round 2013 draft pick had a whirlwind season: 44 games at Quad Cities, 47 games at Lancaster and 33 games at Corpus Christi. All told, he hit .311/.404/.509 with 31 doubles, five triples, 16 home runs and 86 RBI in 124 games, walking 68 times and striking out 80 times. The lefty started a little slowly at Corpus Christi after his promotion (.239/.323/.376), but was already showing improvement at the end of the season with a .270/.360/.459 batting line in August. He is also a very good defensive player.
2B Tony Kemp - 22; 2nd season
Fellow lefty infielder Kemp preceded his Vanderbilt teammate Gregor to Corpus by about a month, playing 72 games at Lancaster and 59 at Corpus Christi. Kemp had an excellent season at the plate, hitting .316/.411/.449 with 30 doubles, eight triples, eight home runs and 58 RBI. He stole 41 bases (13 caught stealing), walked 73 times and struck out 67 times. He was also a plus defender; Kemp made a fielding error in his fourth game for the Hooks and then went errorless for the remainder of the season.
3B Colin Moran - 21: 2nd season
Yet another lefty bat, Moran came into the Astros system in the Marlins trade in July. For the season (117 games with the Marlins High A affiliate and 28 games at AA Corpus Christi), he hit .296/.344/.397 with 27 doubles, seven home runs, 55 RBI and 37 walks to 76 strikeouts, and showed above average defensive abilities. In his time with the Hooks, the first round 2013 draft pick hit .304/.350/.411.
2B Tony Kemp - 22; 2nd season
Fellow lefty infielder Kemp preceded his Vanderbilt teammate Gregor to Corpus by about a month, playing 72 games at Lancaster and 59 at Corpus Christi. Kemp had an excellent season at the plate, hitting .316/.411/.449 with 30 doubles, eight triples, eight home runs and 58 RBI. He stole 41 bases (13 caught stealing), walked 73 times and struck out 67 times. He was also a plus defender; Kemp made a fielding error in his fourth game for the Hooks and then went errorless for the remainder of the season.
3B Colin Moran - 21: 2nd season
Yet another lefty bat, Moran came into the Astros system in the Marlins trade in July. For the season (117 games with the Marlins High A affiliate and 28 games at AA Corpus Christi), he hit .296/.344/.397 with 27 doubles, seven home runs, 55 RBI and 37 walks to 76 strikeouts, and showed above average defensive abilities. In his time with the Hooks, the first round 2013 draft pick hit .304/.350/.411.
OUTFIELDERS
Brandon Meredith - 24; 4th season
Meredith started the season playing first base for Lancaster before hitting the DL for a month and a half. After his return, he went back to playing the outfield and he had good defensive numbers at both positions. Meredith hit .239/.346/.450 with ten doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 44 RBI in 80 games (39 at Lancaster and 41 at Corpus Christi). He walked 41 times and struck out 70 times. In August, he was batting .257/.381/.571 and in his final game on September 1st, he hit a grand slam ... nice way to end a season.
Teoscar Hernandez - 21; 4th season
Hernandez spent his first 96 games with Lancaster and his final 23 with the Hooks, hitting .292/.362/.535 with 37 doubles, nine triples, 21 home runs, 85 RBI and 33 stolen bases (nine caught stealing), but there is the matter of the Astros system-leading 153 strikeouts (to 51 walks) that he still needs to work on. His batting average and slugging percentage at AA translated well from his time playing in the (mostly) hitter-friendly California League, but there was a significant drop off in his on-base percentage after the the promotion. He is an excellent defender in center field. Hernandez is from the Dominican Republic.
Teoscar Hernandez - 21; 4th season
Hernandez spent his first 96 games with Lancaster and his final 23 with the Hooks, hitting .292/.362/.535 with 37 doubles, nine triples, 21 home runs, 85 RBI and 33 stolen bases (nine caught stealing), but there is the matter of the Astros system-leading 153 strikeouts (to 51 walks) that he still needs to work on. His batting average and slugging percentage at AA translated well from his time playing in the (mostly) hitter-friendly California League, but there was a significant drop off in his on-base percentage after the the promotion. He is an excellent defender in center field. Hernandez is from the Dominican Republic.
Delino DeShields - 22; 5th season
DeShields, the 1st round pick in 2010, spent his entire season with the Hooks, hitting .236/.346/.360 with 14 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 57 RBI. He walked 61 times to 112 strikeouts and had a system-leading 54 stolen bases (14 caught stealing). In his first full season playing the outfield, DeShields held his own, but his defensive numbers overall were better in center field than in left field.
Leo Heras - 24; 7th season
Picked up from the Mexican League last year, Heras also spent his entire season with the Hooks, hitting .236/.354/.364 with 13 doubles, six triples, five home runs, 36 RBI, 16 stolen bases (4 caught stealing), 52 walks and 58 strikeouts. He improved his batting line to .250/.400/.375 in August, and contributed solid defense in both left and right field.
LEFTY PITCHERS
Josh Hader - 20; 3rd season
Obtained in the Bud Norris trade last year, Hader was just named the Minor League Pitcher of the Year in the Astros system. Drafted by the Orioles in the 19th round in 2012, Hader pitched his first 22 games (15 starts) in Lancaster with a 2.70 ERA, 1.103 WHIP and held batters to a .206 batting average before his promotion to Corpus Christi in early August. For the season, he had a 3.28 ERA, 1.184 WHIP and walked 54 batters while striking out a system-leading 136 batters in 27 games (19 starts) and pitched a total of 123.1 innings.
David Rollins - 24; 4th season
Rollins came to the Astros in the July 2012 mega-trade with the Blue Jays and pitched for the Hooks the entire season. In 27 games (12 starts), he had a 3.81 ERA, 1.231 WHIP and walked 22 batters while striking out 77 in 78 innings pitched. Rollins was transitioning from starter to reliever at the end of the season.
Mitch Lambson - 24; 4th season
Drafted by Houston in the 19th round in 2011, Lambson started his season with 17 bullpen appearances in Lancaster before receiving a mid-June promotion to Corpus Christi. In 40 total appearances (54.2 innings), he had a 2.14 ERA and a 1.006 WHIP, holding batters to a .229 average. In Corpus, he had a 1.36 ERA and a 0.909 WHIP and held batters to a .207 average. Lambson was extremely stingy with his walks, allowing only nine free passes all season while striking out 63 batters.
RIGHT-HANDED PITCHERS
Brady Rodgers - 24 (as of 9/17); 3rd season
Rodgers' season almost serves as a microcosm of the Hooks season on the whole. His ERA was on the high side at 4.55, but his WHIP of 1.239 was better than the league average, and his up and down results were somewhat reflective of that. He walked only 20 batters in 126.2 innings and struck out 91 in 27 games (18 starts), all of which were in Corpus Christi except for one spot start in Oklahoma City. Rodgers was drafted in the third round in 2012.
Aaron West - 24; 3rd season
West is another player who gets an incomplete for the season. The 17th round 2012 draft pick was out from April 27th to July 8th and then again after July 26th. He only pitchd in 10 games (8 starts) with a 4.72 ERA and a 1.252 WHIP, striking out 19 and walking 11 in 34.1 innings of work.
There were four starters who graduated from Lancaster during the season and had varying degrees of success.
Kyle Smith - 22 (as of 9/10); 4th season
Smith, the 4th round 2011 draft pick who was obtained in the Justin Maxwell trade, was the first to be promoted in early May. In 28 games (16 starts) between the two venues, he had a 3.95 ERA, a 1.195 WHIP and held batters to a .235 batting average. He walked 37 and struck out 127 in 123 innings.
Mike Hauschild - 24; 3rd season
The Astros' 33rd round pick in 2012 was also promoted in May. In a total of 28 games (20 starts), Hauschild had a 4.32 ERA, a 1.268 WHIP and walked 34 batters while striking out 118 in 133.1 ininngs of work. He was second only to Rudy Owens in innings pitched in the Astros minor league system this season.
Chris Devenski - 23; 4th season
Devenski had a terrific bounceback season in 2014, earning his promotion to the the Hooks in early July. In 27 games (16 starts), he had a 4.04 ERA, a 1.127 WHIP and held batters to a .226 batting average. In 118 innings, he walked 33 and struck out 114. Devenski was drafted in the 25th round in 2011 and came to Houston in the Brett Myers trade with the White Sox in 2012.
Mark Appel - 23; 2nd season
Unless you've been living under a rock, you likely know of Appel's early season woes. The first overall draft pick from 2013 had a 9.74 ERA and a 1.914 WHIP in 12 starts in Lancaster. After Appel's promotion to Corpus Christi at the end of July, he appeared in seven games (six starts) with a 3.69 ERA and a 1.231 WHIP, holding hitters to a .236 average. For the season, he walked 24 and struck out 78 in 83.1 innings.
Jordan Jankowski - 25; 3rd season
Jankowski pitched all season for Corpus Christi, starting in relief but earning a rotation spot later on in the season. In 30 games (14 starts), Jankowski had a 3.58 ERA, a 1.074 WHIP and held batters to a .227 average. In August, he improved on that considerably; in four games (three starts), he had a 1.35 ERA and a 0.650 WHIP, walking three and striking out 33. For the season, the 34th round 2012 draft pick walked 26 and struck out 120 in 108 innings of work.
Tyson Perez - 24; 4th season
Perez, the 17th round 2011 draft pick, was moved solely to relief work this season and he thrived in that capacity. In 39 games (9 with Lancaster and 30 with Corpus Christi), Perez had a combined 3.17 ERA and 1.296 WHIP. In Corpus, he had a 2.09 ERA, 1.009 WHIP and held batters to a .187 batting average, allowing only one earned run in his last 14 appearances. For the season, Perez had 12 saves and walked 23 batters whiled striking out 44 in 54 innings.
Rodgers' season almost serves as a microcosm of the Hooks season on the whole. His ERA was on the high side at 4.55, but his WHIP of 1.239 was better than the league average, and his up and down results were somewhat reflective of that. He walked only 20 batters in 126.2 innings and struck out 91 in 27 games (18 starts), all of which were in Corpus Christi except for one spot start in Oklahoma City. Rodgers was drafted in the third round in 2012.
Aaron West - 24; 3rd season
West is another player who gets an incomplete for the season. The 17th round 2012 draft pick was out from April 27th to July 8th and then again after July 26th. He only pitchd in 10 games (8 starts) with a 4.72 ERA and a 1.252 WHIP, striking out 19 and walking 11 in 34.1 innings of work.
There were four starters who graduated from Lancaster during the season and had varying degrees of success.
Kyle Smith - 22 (as of 9/10); 4th season
Smith, the 4th round 2011 draft pick who was obtained in the Justin Maxwell trade, was the first to be promoted in early May. In 28 games (16 starts) between the two venues, he had a 3.95 ERA, a 1.195 WHIP and held batters to a .235 batting average. He walked 37 and struck out 127 in 123 innings.
Mike Hauschild - 24; 3rd season
The Astros' 33rd round pick in 2012 was also promoted in May. In a total of 28 games (20 starts), Hauschild had a 4.32 ERA, a 1.268 WHIP and walked 34 batters while striking out 118 in 133.1 ininngs of work. He was second only to Rudy Owens in innings pitched in the Astros minor league system this season.
Chris Devenski - 23; 4th season
Devenski had a terrific bounceback season in 2014, earning his promotion to the the Hooks in early July. In 27 games (16 starts), he had a 4.04 ERA, a 1.127 WHIP and held batters to a .226 batting average. In 118 innings, he walked 33 and struck out 114. Devenski was drafted in the 25th round in 2011 and came to Houston in the Brett Myers trade with the White Sox in 2012.
Mark Appel - 23; 2nd season
Unless you've been living under a rock, you likely know of Appel's early season woes. The first overall draft pick from 2013 had a 9.74 ERA and a 1.914 WHIP in 12 starts in Lancaster. After Appel's promotion to Corpus Christi at the end of July, he appeared in seven games (six starts) with a 3.69 ERA and a 1.231 WHIP, holding hitters to a .236 average. For the season, he walked 24 and struck out 78 in 83.1 innings.
Jordan Jankowski - 25; 3rd season
Jankowski pitched all season for Corpus Christi, starting in relief but earning a rotation spot later on in the season. In 30 games (14 starts), Jankowski had a 3.58 ERA, a 1.074 WHIP and held batters to a .227 average. In August, he improved on that considerably; in four games (three starts), he had a 1.35 ERA and a 0.650 WHIP, walking three and striking out 33. For the season, the 34th round 2012 draft pick walked 26 and struck out 120 in 108 innings of work.
Tyson Perez - 24; 4th season
Perez, the 17th round 2011 draft pick, was moved solely to relief work this season and he thrived in that capacity. In 39 games (9 with Lancaster and 30 with Corpus Christi), Perez had a combined 3.17 ERA and 1.296 WHIP. In Corpus, he had a 2.09 ERA, 1.009 WHIP and held batters to a .187 batting average, allowing only one earned run in his last 14 appearances. For the season, Perez had 12 saves and walked 23 batters whiled striking out 44 in 54 innings.
Next up will be the Oklahoma City team (I skipped Lancaster and that will be my final review.
Earlier season reviews ~
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