Archive for Matt LaPorta

Last night, Matt LaPorta stepped to the plate in the sixth inning and launched a Vin Mazzaro sinker deep into the left field bleachers. That homer was a game-changer. Prior to LaPorta’s two-run shot, the Indians trailed the A’s 2-1 and had a 35 percent chance of claiming victory. After the blast, the Tribe had a better than 70 percent shot of getting the W. With the two clubs trading zeros from that point forward, Cleveland came out on top by a 3-2 score.

The Indians expected frequent offensive heroics from LaPorta after he was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in the July 2008 CC Sabathia trade. A fearsome slugger at the University of Florida, LaPorta thumped minor league pitchers for a .279/.386/.539 line in 433 plate appearances split between Milwaukee and Cleveland’s Double-A affiliates in ’08. LaPorta has also thrashed the opposition in Triple-A over the past two years, batting .310/.400/.548 in 474 PA. Yet, LaPorta’s feats of strength in the minors have been conspicuously absent in Cleveland.

In 525 major league PA over the 2009-2010 seasons, LaPorta has a .243/.309/.395 triple-slash. His wOBA is .310, and his park-and-league-adjusted wOBA is eight percent worse than the MLB average (92 wRC+). That would be acceptable if LaPorta were a slick defender at a premium position. But, considering that he’s a DH-worthy first baseman/corner outfielder, LaPorta’s lagging lumber has made him a replacement-level player. He has accumulated just 0.2 WAR in the majors.

LaPorta hasn’t been a total hacker, but his 8.4 percent walk rate is slightly below-average. The 6-foot-2, 210 pound hitter’s vaunted power hasn’t been on display, with a mundane .152 ISO. To some extent, LaPorta has been unlucky. His batting average on balls in play is .274, while his expected BABIP, based on his rate on home runs, strikeouts, stolen bases, line drives, pop ups and fly balls, is .311. Still, he has shwon run-of-the-mill secondary skills instead of being a guy who takes and rakes with the best of them.

While LaPorta isn’t exactly thriving against fastballs, he’s at least holding his own (-0.1 runs per 100 fastballs seen). Against pitches that dip and dive, though? Well, LaPorta’s channeling his inner Pedro Cerrano. He has been -1.38 runs below average per 100 changeups seen, -1.48 runs/100 against curveballs and -1.62 versus sliders. These numbers might look worse than they should due to LaPorta’s low BABIP. But opposing pitchers seem to think he’s vulnerable against breaking balls and changeups. Over the past two calendar years, 309 hitters have gotten 500 or more big league PA. LaPorta ranks in the bottom 10% in terms of fastballs seen.

Matt LaPorta certainly isn’t a lost cause, and 500-some PA shouldn’t be used as some conclusive judgment of his abilities. But he is 25 years old now, and neither ZiPS (.253/.320/.414 rest-of-season line) nor CHONE (.264/.337/.446) throw out very optimistic projections. If LaPorta is going to be an asset for the Indians, he’s going to have to hang tough against secondary stuff and find the cheap seats more often.

It took a little longer than expected, but the Cleveland Indians finally recalled prized offensive prospect Matt LaPorta on Wednesday. The first-baseman-turned-outfielder received a brief taste of the Majors back in May but he hit just .190/.286/.286 in 42 at-bats. Sent back down to triple-A, the 24-year-old former No. 1 draft pick (by Milwaukee) hit .299/.388/.530 with 17 homers in 338 at-bats. Prior to his recall, LaPorta was hitting .333 with four homers and eight walks in his past 10 games.

With the trade-deadline deal that sent Ryan Garko to San Francisco, as well as the continued shoulder woes plaguing Travis Hafner, there are plenty of at-bats available for LaPorta if Cleveland wishes to plug him in at first base or designated hitter. The club also currently has just three outfielders on the big league roster – including LaPorta, whose third best position is probably left field (behind DH and 1B). With the club’s playoff hopes non-existent, there should be lots of time for LaPorta to audition for a regular gig in 2010, which he deserves regardless of how well he hits in the final five weeks of the season. Despite his earlier MLB troubles, LaPorta projects to be an offensive force in the Majors with the potential to hit 25-30 homers.

Given the state of the big-league club in 2009, Cleveland fans will probably have to endure a rebuilding effort in 2010. The club lacks the veteran presence on the roster to make a significant playoff push next year and the organization does not have the money needed to bring in high-priced free agent talent (not that a lot of it is available this winter). On the plus side, though, the team brought in a lot of young, affordable talent at the trade deadline and now quite possibly has one of the top three minor league systems in all of baseball.

Some of the prospects that should be ready to contribute in 2010 include: catchers Carlos Santana and Lou Marson, infielders Wes Hodges and Jason Donald, outfielder Michael Brantley, and pitchers Hector Rondon, Carlos Carrasco, and perhaps Scott Barnes. The 2011 season should see another wave of key prospects reach the Majors, such as third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, as well as pitchers Nick Hagadone, Bryan Price, and Jeanmar Gomez. The 2009 season has been a disappointing one, and 2010 will probably be equally as tough, but the future is bright for the Indians.

And one final thought: Free Jordan Brown.

2008 Draft Slot: 16th overall
Top Pick: Brett Lawrie, 2B, British Columbia (Canada) high school
Best Pick: Brett Lawrie
Keep an Eye On: Logan Schafer, OF, Cal Poly State University (3rd round)
Notes: Logan Schafer, a gifted defender, is making huge strides offensively despite being quickly promoted to high-A to begin 2009. He’s hitting more than .300 and he’s trimmed his strikeout rate by 10%. The walk rate, though, is too low at about 4%. Brett Lawrie has looked good at the plate for such a young player – and given his inexperience as a Canadian product. His move from catcher to second base, though, hurts his value a bit, especially considering his defense at the keystone is… not good.

Bonus: Here is my pre-2008 draft interview with Brett Lawrie.

2007 Draft Slot: Seventh overall
Top Pick: Matt LaPorta, OF/1B, University of Florida
Best Pick: Matt LaPorta
Worst Pick: Dan Merklinger, LHP, Seton Hall (6th round)
Notes: Remember when Seton Hall was a powerhouse school? Dan Merklinger has struggled with staying healthy and throwing strikes. But it’s not a bad draft when your worst pick (which isn’t that bad) doesn’t occur until the sixth round. Matt LaPorta was a valuable pick because it helped the club get C.C. Sabathia from the Indians for the playoff race in 2008. The club lacked a second-round pick, but it found value in the third round with Jonathan Lucroy, who is now in double-A.

2006 Draft Slot: 16th overall
Top Pick: Jeremy Jeffress, RHP, Virginia high school
Best Pick: Jeremy Jeffress
Worst Pick: Brent Brewer, IF, Georgia high school (2nd round)
Notes: Brent Brewer would be a great marketing tool for the Brewers, but the bat just does not look like its going to play above A-ball. Jeremy Jeffress is still one of the most talented players in the draft but he’s painfully inconsistent and there are questions regarding his maturity and dedication, as well. Cole Gillespie (3rd round) and Lee Haydel (19th round) both appear to have the potential to make the Majors as fourth outfielders, if not more.

2009 Draft Slot: 26th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Best available player, college or prep
MLB Club Need: Second base, Catcher, Relief pitching
Organizational Need: Right field, Second base, First base, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: Center field, Catcher
Notes: The Brewers organization does not pick until the back end of the first round in 2009, but the club also has two supplemental first round picks for losing pitchers C.C. Sabathia and Brian Shouse to free agency. The club also has an extra second-round pick for Sabathia (It would have been a first-rounder if the Yanks hadn’t signed Mark Teixeira too).

Given the recent impact that the C.C. Sabathia trade has had on the playoffs, let’s revisit the move that brought the burly left-hander to the National League and the Milwaukee Brewers. We all know what Sabathia has done for the Brewers in the second half of the season, so let’s look at how the prospects received by Cleveland did this past season.

Outfielder Matt LaPorta was the prospect with the highest profile, as a former first round pick who has put up impressive minor league numbers. He struggled, though, after coming over from Milwaukee and hit just .233/.281/.350 in 17 Double-A games before heading to the Olympics where he was beaned by a pitch and sat out the remainder of the season as a precaution.

In a small sample size, LaPorta’s walk rate plummeted after the trade from 13.0 percent to 6.3 percent, while his strikeout rate remained roughly the same around 20 percent. His power stroke also disappeared as his ISO dropped from .288 to .117, and his OPS went from .957 to .631. He’s likely earned a ticket back to Akron in 2009 to begin the season.

Zach Jackson is a former supplemental first round pick (32nd overall in 2004 by Toronto). He is a soft-tossing lefty who projects as more of a middle or long reliever than a starter. Jackson, 25, appeared in 11 Major League games (nine starts) combined between Cleveland and Milwaukee in 2008. He posted a 5.55 ERA (4.61 FIP) in 58.1 innings. He allowed 69 hits and 16 walks to go along with 31 strikeouts (4.78 K/9). He’ll have to battle for a roster spot in 2009.

Rob Bryson was a name that wasn’t known by many people before the big trade. The 20-year-old, who has split time between the starting rotation and bullpen, spent the season in A-ball. He appeared in just seven games after coming over from Milwaukee after suffering from shoulder inflammation and possibly a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. He has the ability to hit the mid-90s when healthy.

When the Brewers secured the playoff berth, it allowed Cleveland to pick a fourth prospect, as a player to be named later. That player is expected to be named today and should be either outfielder Michael Brantley or infielder Taylor Green.

Both prospects are interesting but they project as bench or platoon players. Neither player has much power but they are both versatile. Brantley has a slightly better chance of being a regular, at least for a few seasons, due to his amazing strike zone judgment and speed (28 stolen bases in 36 attempts). He hit .319/.391/.398 in 420 Double-A at-bats. He walked 50 times (10.6 BB%) with just 27 strikeouts (6.4 K%). His ISO is a paltry .079. Green hit .289/.380/.443 in 418 High-A at-bats. He walked 61 times (12.7 BB%) with 59 strikeouts (14.1 K%). His ISO was a more respectable .153.

Obviously, none of the players above have impacted Cleveland like Sabathia has affected Milwaukee, but 2009 could be a whole different story, especially if Milwaukee is bounced from the 2008 playoffs early on and Sabathia walks for a larger free agent payday. Until then, though, Milwaukee has definitely won this deal.

Last week I wrote about the log jam in Milwaukee regarding prospects Mat Gamel and Matt LaPorta. Well, Milwaukee solved part of that issue now that the organization has sent LaPorta to the Indians as part of the trade for C.C. Sabathia. Since we have already taken a look at the big-named prospect, let’s have a look-see at the other prospects in the deal.

Zach Jackson, LHP, Triple-A
Jackson was originally drafted 32nd overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004 out of Texas A&M. At the time, he was considered an advanced college arm with a limited ceiling. Unfortunately, the latter part was true but the former was not, as Jackson has yet to solidify a big league role in five pro seasons. The 25-year-old southpaw has terrible Triple-A numbers this season, including a 7.85 ERA and 81 hits allowed in 57.1 innings split between the starting rotation and the bullpen. In his MLB career, Jackson has allowed 53 hits in 42 innings and has posted a strikeout rate of just 4.93 K/9.

Rob Bryson, RHP, A-ball
Bryson was a 31st round selection in the 2006 draft out of a Delaware high school. He has bounced back and forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen during his two seasons in the minors and has good numbers this year. He currently has allowed 43 hits in 55 innings and has struck out 77 batters. He is an extreme fly ball pitcher with a ground out to air out ratio of 0.87. He has a low-90s fastball, breaking ball and change-up.

Taylor Green, 3B, High-A (Rumored to be the Player to be Named Later)
Green, 21, was a find in the 25th round of the 2005 draft out of a community college. The left-handed hitting Canadian struggled in his debut as a 19-year-old second baseman in Rookie ball and hit .231/.328/.308 in 221 at-bats. He was moved up to A-ball in 2007 (and over to the hot corner) and thrived with a line of .327/.406/.516 with 14 homers and 86 RBI in 397 at-bats. So far this season, Green is performing well at High-A ball and currently has a line of .295/.380/.444 with 10 homers in 302 at-bats. He also has a BB-K rate of 1.00. His strikeout rate has dropped from 16.4 percent in 2007 to 13.8 in 2008.

At first glance it does not appear that Cleveland received a ton of value in this trade, with the majority of the talent locked up in one player: Matt LaPorta. But one must consider that the Brewers may have Sabathia’s services for just three months, if he elects to leave via free agency this winter. LaPorta is also a very talented player and has Travis Hafner-in-his-prime upside and can now be moved back to first base or spend time as a designated hitter.

Brewers prospects such as Mat Gamel and Matt LaPorta get a great deal of attention, and deservedly so. However, the Brewers have a few ‘B-level prospects’ that are intriguing, including Michael Brantley and Cole Gillespie.

Brantley is interesting because he is a ‘small ball’ player who has actually embraced the role. The speedy outfielder is only 21 and succeeding at the Double-A level. He is currently hitting .324/.405/.412 in 306 at-bats. He has 39 walks and just 18 strikeouts. Brantley has stolen 25 bases in 31 attempts and has scored 62 runs in 74 games.

In his career, Brantley has a .314 batting average and .404 on-base percentage. He has walked 180 times and struck out just 129 times in 1,221 career at-bats. Defensively, he is a little raw and relies on his speed to make up for his mistakes. The left-handed batter was drafted in the seventh round of the 2005 draft out of a Florida high school.

Gillespie, 24, is a much different player, although he shares the outfield grass with Brantley in Huntsville. Gillespie is currently hitting .273/.376/.491 with 10 homers and 28 doubles in 293 at-bats. He has also shown some patience at the plate with a .395 career on-base percentage.

He is considered a gamer and has solid all-around skills although no one tool stands out, which could limit him to a fourth outfielder role in the majors, as he has enough defensive ability to play all three spots. Gillespie has just enough offensive potential to spend a few years playing every day for a mid-level team. He was originally drafted out of Oregon State University in the third round of the 2006 draft.