FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE
MINOR LEAGUES BASEBALL
CLASS “A” ADVANCED

PITCHERS OF THE WEEK

06/25/2012
FRANK DEL VALLE, Dayton Cubs (Chicago Cubs)
(1-0, .0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 2 HBP, 0 BB, 11 K)
Del Valle, a 22-year old Cuban born left-hander, faced his first Major Leaguer on June 22nd, as Daytona visited Clearwater, where Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was rehabbing. Perhaps wound up to face Utley, Del Valle fanned a career high 11 batters over six no-hit frames in the Cubs’ 3-1 win. He did not walk a batter but did hit two of them, including Utley, once. Though going just 2-2, Del Valle has posted a 1.37 ERA over 19-2/3 innings in four June appearances.

06/18/2012
ENNY ROMERO, Charlotte Stone Crabs (Tampa Bay Rays)
(0-0, 1.13 ERA, 1 G, 7 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 4 BB, 6 K)
Left hander Enny Romero has been a solid contributor to the Stone Crabs rotation this season, posting a 3.30 ERA in 12 starts. On June 11th, the Rays’ No. 8 prospect showed that he’s pretty good out of the bullpen as well. Romero pitched seven innings of no-hit relief against St. Lucie (which owns the best record in the Minor Leagues), striking out six and walking four. It was his second straight outing without allowing an earned run. Romero has held FSL hitters to a .205 average in his 13 outings.

06/11/2012
SHANE GREEN, Tampa Yankees (New York Yankees)
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 8 K)
After being blasted for nine earned runs over 7-2/3 innings in two early May starts, Greene returned to the Tampa rotation in top form last weekend. The 23-year old right hander struck out six over four scoreless innings June 10th, before pitching six perfect frames against Daytona on June 9th Greene fanned a season high eight to earn his first victory of the season in the Yankees’ 7-0 win.

06/04/2012
JESSIE BIDDLE, Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies)
(1-0, 0.64 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 14 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 21 K
After two rough starts in April, back-to-back, losses to Lakeland, the 20-year old Biddle has been outstanding. The Philadelphia native, whom the Phillies made the 29th overall pick in 2011, has allowed six earned runs while fanning 48 over his last 46 innings. This week Biddle struck out nine Tampa Yankees, over seven innings in a no-decision on May 29th, then fanned a career high 12 while holding Palm Beach to four hits in seven shutout frames on June 3rd,. The southpaw No. 13 prospect ranks third in the FSL with 64 strikeouts and is tied for fifth with 2.51 ERA.

05/29/2012
ASHER WOJCIECHOWSKI, Dunedin Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays)
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 12 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 HBP, 1 BB, 12 K)
Wojciechowski, a 2010 first-round pick and the Blue Jays’ No. 11 prospect, entered the week having been pounded in his previous two starts to the tune of 14 runs on 15 hits in 5-1/3 innings. The right-hander scattered five hits over six scoreless frames against Jupiter on May 21st, for his first win since April 24th, then held Brevard County to one run on four hits while striking out a season high eight batters over six innings on May 26th. One key for Wojciechowski seems to be avoiding sunlight; after pitching 12 scoreless innings in two day starts for Dunedin last season, the right-hander has a 10.80 ERA in his two day games this year.

05/22/2012
C.J. RIEFENHAUSER, Charlotte Stone Crabs (Tampa Bay Rays)
(2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 1 GS, 6-1/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 10 K)
A reliever in 2010 and a starter in 2011, Riefenhauser has done a bit of both this season, with outstanding results in both roles. After striking out the lone batter he faced in relief (and earning the win) on May 15th, the left-hander allowed three hits while fanning nine over six shutout frames to beat host Tampa on May 18th. Having now pitched 11 scoreless innings in his two starts of the campaign, Riefenhauser leads the FSL with six wins and a 0.70 ERA and leads qualifying pitchers with 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

05/14/2012
ERIC JOKISCH, Daytona Cubs (Chicago Cubs)
(2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 16 K)
Jokisch has been a workhorse for the Cubs this season, pitching fewer than six innings in just one of his eight starts. The left-hander fanned a season high 11 over seven scoreless innings against Jupiter on May 7th, before tossing six more shutout frames against Brevard County on May 12th. An 11th round pick out of Northwestern in 2010, Jokisch leads the Florida State League with 49-2/3 innings pitched and ranks third with 48 strikeouts.

05/07/2012
JOSE RAMIREZ, Tamp Yankees (New York Yankees)
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 2 BB, 10 K)
The 22-year old Ramirez was thumped in his first two outings of the season, giving up 11 runs on 21 hits in just 10 innings. Steadily improving since then, the right-hander’s work paid off on May 4th, as the Yankees prospect out dueled Bradenton’s heralded Jameson Taillon (last week’s FSL Pitcher of the Week) in a 2-0 win. Ramirez held the Marauders to two hits while striking out a season high 10 batters in six scoreless innings for his second victory of the season.

04/30/2012
JAMESON TAILLON, Bradenton Marauders (Pittsburgh Pirates)
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 11 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 2 BB, 10 K)
The Pirates have been understandably cautious with the arm of Taillon, the second overall pick in the 2010 Draft. The right-hander averaged four innings in his 23 starts for West Virginia last season. This week served notice that the training wheels are coming off, as Taillon stifled the Jupiter Hammerheads for 11 scoreless innings over two starts. The April 29th game, in which Taillon earned his first Florida state League victory, was the longest of his career; six three hit innings. MLB.com’s No. 8 prospect has fanned 28, walked four and held FSL hitters to a .169 average in 24-2/3 innings this season.

04/23/2012
BRODY COLVIN, Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies)
(0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 6 K
Colvin is still looking for his first win of 2012, but he certainly deserves one this week. The Phillies No, 3 prospect held visiting Tampa to a pair of singles in six shutout innings but the Yankees rallied for two late runs to top the Threshers, 2-1. After a tough 2011 campaign during which he suffered a back injury, the 21-year old Colvin seems poised to regain the form that saw him fan 120 batters in 2010.

04/16/2012
SEAN NOLIN, Dunedin Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays)
(2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 11-2/3 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 2 BB, 13 K)
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Nolin was impressive in his first 2012 start, allowing four hits while fanning a pair over six scoreless innings at Clearwater on April 6th. He was overwhelming in his second, racking up 11 strikeouts in 5-2/3 frames against Brevard County on April 12th (and he had to be, as Manatees starter Jed Bradley was perfect through his first five innings). Nolin has held hitters to a .175 batting average to earn two victories in as many Florida State League outings.