Hoos In the Pros: Major League Update #3

The MLB season is past the halfway point. The ASG is in the rear view mirror, so we thought it about time to take another look around the pros at all of our former Hoos. Today, we’re looking at the big leagues, and the guys who are close to the big leagues. Tomorrow, we look at the minors.

Javier Lopez, San Francisco Giants – Lopez is having a bit of a down year. His problem has been walks, as he’s given up 10 walks in just 15.2 IP. He’s only given up 14 hits. He’s got 8 Ks to go along with a 4.60 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. He started off the season poorly, giving up runs in 3 of his first 6 appearances. He’s been fighting an uphill battle since, but he’s still struggling with his command this year. He’s still pretty good at getting lefties out, so he’s not going anywhere. But he’s 39, so you have to figure the end is near.Ryan Zimmerman, Washinton Nationals – To noone’s surprise, Zimm is back on the DL. This time, it is a rib injury and it is relatively mild. He’s expected back as soon as he’s eligible. That may be bad news for the Nats though, as Zimmerman’s .221 BA and .284 OBP are not helping their offense. Though he’s been better than his replacement, Clint Robinson.

Mark Reynolds, Colorado Rockies – The thin air of Colorado continues to work for Mark, who is having his best season in at least 5 years. Strangely, this has not been because of his power. He’s got just 9 HRs (in 295 ABs) but he’s making more contact and he’s batting .257, which would be his highest BA since his rookie year. His .343 OBP would be his highest since 2009, and his K-rate would actually be the lowest of his career.Brandon Guyer, Tampa Bay Rays – Though Guyer’s overall season numbers still look good, he’s been struggling at the plate for the past 2 months. After putting up monster numbers in April and May, Guyer has batted under .200 for June and July and has completely stopped producing runs. It is possible that this is related to playing time, as his numbers have decreased along with his playing time. It is hard to know which of these is the cause and which is the effect. On the year, he’s still batting .247 with a 783 OPS. He also leads the majors in HBP, with 22.

Sean Doolittle, Oakland Athletics – Though Doc has been on the DL for the past 4 weeks with a shoulder injury, he’s been mentioned in trade rumors. The A’s are basically ready to trade anybody on their roster for the right package, but a left-handed relief pitcher who has been a closer could fetch a good return. Doc will need to prove he’s healthy after missing nearly all of last year and a mont now. For the season, he’s got a 2.93 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP with 35 Ks in 30.2 IP. He’s also got 4 saves.Phil Gosselin, Arizona Diamondbacks - The biggest thing that Phil can say about this season is that he’s spent all of it in the majors. That’s an accomplishment for a guy who bounced back and forth between the majors and AAA for the past couple of years. He’s spent most of the year as a utility guy and a pinch hitter. He’s batting .264 with a 679 OPS. He has 1 HR and 7 RBI in 125 ABs.

Tyler Wilson, Baltimore Orioles – Prior to July 4th, Wilson had also spent the entire season with the big club. However, he was sent down on Independence day and remains in AAA. He was the Orioles’ 5th starter, but he wasn’t pitching particularly well. On the year, he is 4-6 with a 5.22 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and a 43:21 K:BB ratio. Even worse, he’s averaging under 6 innings per start, which puts a strain on the O’s bullpen. His last start, he gave up 8 ER in just 3 IP. Kyle Crockett, Cleveland Indians - Sort of the opposite of Wilson, as Crockett spent almost 2 months in the minors following his early season struggles. He pitched well in AAA, and the Indians recalled him this week as they needed a lefty in the pen. So far in 2 appearances since his return, he’s retired all 4 batters he’s faced with 2 Ks.

Chris Taylor, Los Angeles Dodgers – The trade from the Mariners to the Dodgers seems to have worked out pretty well for Taylor, as he’s currently in the big leagues and hitting well. After struggling at the plate for part of 3 seasons with the Mariners, he’s finally hitting in LA. He hit his first HR, a grand slam on July 15 and drove in 6 during that contest. He’s got a .270 BA and an 839 OPS on the season, which includes 3 games he played for Seattle in May. Along with his HR, he has 2 doubles and 2 triples. Jarrett Parker, San Francisco Giants – Parker began the season in AAA, but was recalled in May and has remained with the big club since. He’s been their 4th OF and a PH, and has performed pretty well. He is batting .255 with a 798 OPS. He has 5 HRs and 11 RBI. He was tearing it up in AAA, with 13 HRs in just 36 games prior to his recall.

John Hicks, Detroit Tigers – Here’s another guy who has torn it up in AAA this year. Hicks has an 886 OPS with 8 HRs in 43 games at AAA. He also spent some time in AA, where he was even better. In AA, he had a 936 OPS and a .388 BA over 14 games. He is on the Tigers 40-man roster, and current backup C James McAnn is batting .197 with a 548 OPS. Hicks may get a shot at the bigs before too long.Will Roberts, Cleveland Indians – After doing very well at AAA last year, Roberts has struggled this year. He’s got a 4.70 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. Those don’t look too good, and when you add in his nearly 4 BB/9 and his almost 1:1 K:BB ratio, he’s not impressing anybody. Roberts may get dropped off this list for the next update.