Future Colorado Rockies: New Britain Rock Cats July 1 Update

New Britain Rock Cats logo [Image via Twitter/@Rockies]The New Britain Rock Cats — the Colorado Rockies’ new AA affiliate in the Eastern League — rode a very hot start to the 2015 season.

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The Colorado Rockies ended their relationship with the AA Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League after last season, and in the minor league shuffle that seems to exist across baseball every year, the club picked up the New Britain Rock Cats as their new AA club. The Rock Cats play in the Eastern League, with affiliates predominantly for east coast clubs (there are only two big league affiliates west of the Mississippi with teams in the Eastern League: the Rockies, and the San Francisco Giants, who have the Richmond Flying Squirrels).

The Rock Cats won’t be around for long, either: they will soon become the Hartford Yard Goats (yeah, I know) when play begins in 2016. But, they are going to be with the Rockies for at least a few years, so we might as well get to know ’em!

The last week (2-5): The Rock Cats’ offense has gone quiet in the last seven games, with the club scoring only 11 runs across those contests — five of the games saw the Rock Cats score just one run a piece — and the team tallied two 1-0 wins on the week. As you’d expect with that, though, the pitching has been strong over the past week, the New Britain allowing just 26 runs over those seven games (take away a 9-2 loss to Bowie last Wednesday and the staff has been nails since then).

It was a bad week, though, for a club that started the season hot and now finds themselves sitting in second place in the Eastern League’s Eastern division, down by just one game, at 41-36. This week, they are in the middle of a tough series with the Reading Fightin Phils, a club that’s also 41-36, so the top of the Eastern Division of the EL hangs in the balance.

Trending up (Trevor Story): Bai, Felicia! Story — one of the Rockies’ top prospects and a shortstop stud who will (probably) replace Troy Tulowitzki (whether it’s due to trade or age or whatever) was just promoted to AAA Albuquerque a few days ago. He had been hitting .281/.373/.523 with ten home runs, twenty doubles and six triples in 256 at-bats at New Britain as a freakin’ 22-year old. I know, he’s not really a Rock Cat trending up any more, now that he’s an Isotope, but he deserves a shout-out for his promotion and is certainly worth watching.

Trending down (Tom Murphy): Murphy, a 24-year-old catching prospect from upstate New York, has a lot of power for a backstop — he’s hit 11 home runs in 253 at-bats in New Britain this season — but he’s gone cold of late. The Rockies rave about his work behind the plate and his power beside it (think Wilin Rosario, but can actually play some defense and call games), but the SUNY-Buffalo product is just 4-for-36 with eight strikeouts over his last ten games.

On the season, Murphy is slashing .249/.318/.451 with the 11 homers, 16 doubles, and 21 walks in 69 games. He’s also struck out 77 times; considering his age and development, the Rockies would likely love Murphy to assert himself in AA and earn a promotion sometime this season. In spite of the cold streak the last ten days, though, he will represent the United States at the Pan American Games this year.

One to watch (Juan Ciriaco): Ciriaco, a second baseman, has played well at every level he’s been in the Rockies’ system, and now finds himself slashing .299/.309/.354 in 147 at-bats this year. He has very little power — he’s hit just three home runs in 1,346 minor league at-bats — and he needs to get on base more (just ONE walk even though he’s already racked up 147 ABs this year), but he doesn’t strike out a lot (he’s averaged a whiff every 5.63 at-bats across his minor league career).

Considering Ciriaco is a .275/.319/.334 minor league career hitter even with his aversion to walking, you’d have to think exciting things could happen for him as a table-setter if he could one day become more disciplined at the plate. He stole 50 bases in 2013 at Asheville, and another 24 bases last year in Modesto, too.

Quick hits: Ahh, minor league scheduling. The Rock Cats play 13 games against Reading between June 30 and July 26. … Nobody is hitting above .300 for the Rock Cats this season, with only Ciriaco (.299) hitting and Story (.281, and now promoted to AAA) hitting above .273 for the club. … Gus Schlosser, who the Rockies acquired along side David Hale over the winter, is 7-3 with a 4.31 ERA in 21 games (3 starts) this summer, allowing 42 hits and 16 walks in 39.2 innings. … Austin House is closing for the Rock Cats. He’s racked up 19 saves in 31 games, but has allowed 39 hits and 11 walks in just 27 innings. … Justin Miller, currently in the Rockies’ bullpen, started his 2015 season in New Britain. … Yohan Flande, also in the Rockies’ pen, made six starts for the Rock Cats at the beginning of the year, too. … Former long-time big leaguer Dave Burba is the Rock Cats’ pitching coach. … Noel Cuevas, who came to the Rockies from the Dodgers in the Juan Nicasio trade, is the starting center fielder for the Rock Cats as David Dahl recovers from surgery. Carlos Estevez, promoted from Modesto earlier this year (right after we wrote about him!) is throwing well in the Rock Cats’ bullpen, and is now 5-1 with 6 saves and a 2.38 ERA in 34 innings this summer.

Socials:
RockCats.com
@RockCats
FB.com/NBRockCats

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