Denzel Clarke isn’t one of many highest-profile prospects within the Oakland Athletics group. A 2021 fourth-round pick of Cal State Northridge, the 22-year-old outfielder is No. 17 in our most up-to-date ranking of the system. However he is without doubt one of the most intriguing — and most enjoyable. Gifted with elite athleticism, Clarke made plenty of highlight-reel catches this summer time, and he additionally legged out a pair of inside-the-park house runs. In a season cut up between Low-A Stockton and Excessive-A Lansing, he put up a 123 wRC+ whereas going deep 15 occasions and stealing 30 bases in 33 makes an attempt.
His baseball background is modest in comparison with that of most of his friends. A local of Ontario, Canada, Clarke started enjoying at age 10, and it wasn’t till he was 16 that he started taking the sport severely. It was then that his travel-ball coach with the Toronto Mets instructed him he had a shot at doing one thing particular if he devoted his consideration to the diamond. Previous to that, he was multi-sport to the max.
“I performed the whole lot,” defined Clarke, who’s at present with the Arizona Fall League’s Mesa Photo voltaic Sox. “At school, it was observe and subject — that runs within the household (Clarke’s mom competed within the 1984 Summer season Olympics) —volleyball, basketball, badminton. I really like racquet sports activities, so I performed some tennis. I touched on just about the whole lot besides soccer and hockey. My mother was very precautionary with concussions, so these are the 2 I averted.”
A Enterprise Administration main in school — finally incomes a level is amongst his priorities — Clarke is aware of that he has a whole lot of improvement in entrance of him. On the similar time, he’s happy with the strides he’s already made — and can proceed to make — each time he steps onto the sphere.
“The extra you expertise issues, the extra you be taught and the extra you may develop,” stated Clarke, whose cousins Josh and Bo Naylor play for the Cleveland Guardians. “As I’m transitioning from athlete to baseball participant, my instruments are beginning to refine. My pace has all the time been there, and the ability has come as I’ve grown into my physique and continued to refine my swing. I’m beginning to see my hit-ability enhance as nicely. My arm is getting stronger. I see a whole lot of my instruments refining themselves.”
Previous to the season, our lead prospect analyst, Eric Longenhagen described the 6-foot-5, 225-pound outfielder’s instruments as “exceptionally loud.” Nice-tuning stays, however Clarke’s ceiling is excessive.
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Ty Wigginton went 7 for 8 towards Shawn Camp.
Campy Campaneris went 7 for 9 towards Minnie Rojas.
Gilly Campbell went 7 for 11 towards Flint Rhem.
Al Van Camp went 5 for 9 towards Firpo Marberry.
Roy Campanella went 2 for 32 towards Ewell Blackwell.
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Joey Wentz turned a query mark into an exclamation level this yr. In 2021, the left-hander had returned from Tommy John surgical procedure to log an 0-7 document with a 4.50 ERA over 72 innings between Excessive-A and Double-A. Within the season simply accomplished, he logged a 3.03 ERA over 86 innings. Furthermore, the final 32-and-a-third of these frames got here within the huge leagues with the Detroit Tigers.
“I’ve come a good distance, even from April to now,” stated Wentz, who made 14 of his 21 appearances within the minors. “I actually loved working with a few of the new guys the Tigers introduced in, like [Director of Pitching] Gabe Rivas. Doug Bochtler, my pitching coach in [Triple-A] Toledo, additionally helped make me higher. Some mindset stuff shifted, which led to extra success on the sphere.”
The recently-turned-25-year-old Lawrence, Kansas native additionally made a significant arsenal adjustment. He added a cutter, which helped him “open up elements of the zone” and higher allowed him to make the most of his fastball, curveball, and changeup. Studying and growing the brand new pitch was a matter of discovering the best grip and, from there, delivering it with conviction.
“Once I first began throwing the cutter, I had an inclination to again it up and type of flip it right into a weak fastball,” defined Wentz. “As amateurish as this sounds, I needed to begin throwing it like a fastball and simply belief it. Now the horizontal motion is in a superb place. I couldn’t let you know precisely how a lot it strikes — it’s not a ton — as a result of I don’t take a look at the analytics very a lot. Once I’m profitable, I’m holding issues fairly easy.”
The quantity of success Wentz had this season is spectacular. His MLB debut was rocky — six earned runs in two-and-a-third innings — however after that he was stellar. Establishing himself as a bona fide big-league pitcher, Wentz allowed simply 5 earned runs over his remaining 30 innings of labor.
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A quiz:
Curt Schilling appeared in 402 big-league video games, the second-highest complete amongst Alaska-born gamers in MLB historical past. Which participant born within the state of Alaska has appeared in essentially the most video games? (Trace: he performed within the present century.)
The reply might be discovered under.
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NEWS NOTES
Jake Eisenberg — a visitor on episode 974 of FanGraphs Audio — received’t be returning because the play-by-play voice of the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. Eisenberg stuffed in on New York Mets and Kansas Metropolis Royals radio broadcasts this previous season.
Michael Nels has been named the brand new Normal Supervisor of the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The Brookfield, Wisconsin native’s resume consists of elements of seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, most lately because the Director of Membership and Premium Providers.
Ray Man, a Corridor of Fame punter who performed his whole skilled soccer profession with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, died Thursday at age 72. A multi-sport athlete throughout his time on the College of Southern Mississippi, Man was drafted 4 occasions by MLB groups: the Cincinnati Reds (twice), Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves. He threw a no-hitter for Southern Miss in 1972.
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The reply to the quiz is Josh Phelps. Born in Anchorage, the designated hitter/catcher/first baseman appeared in 465 video games for six groups from 2000-2008.
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Left on the cutting-room flooring from my early-October column that led with Stan Boroski had been his ideas on a reliever he labored with from 2011-2016. I’d requested the now-retired Tampa Bay Rays bullpen coach which pitchers he’d most loved tutoring, and his response included the Govt Vice President & Normal Supervisor of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“There have been so a lot of them,” stated Boroski, “However the guys that come to thoughts are the Steve Geltzs, the Andrew Bellattis, the Brandon Gomess — the blokes who didn’t have super-high-end octane stuff, so to talk. With the ability to take the talents they did have, and maximize their major-league careers, was extra enjoyable than serving to guys who threw 100 mph.”
Gomes joined the Dodgers in 2017 as a pitching coordinator earlier than being promoted to farm director, assistant GM, and most lately to his present place final January. His rise from Seventeenth-round draft choose to strong big-league reliever had included a attribute that made his 90-92-mph fastball play up.
“The cut up and slider got here alongside, however a giant a part of it was realizing that he had that type of lower-slot, carry fastball,” defined Boroski. “That’s one thing we didn’t totally perceive when he was right here, however we did know that it labored for him. He wouldn’t blow up the radar gun, however given a chance, and along with his willingness to simply assault the zone, he was in a position to maximize his stuff. That’s the aim, to maximise what you might have.“
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Orix Buffaloes received this yr’s Japan Sequence, with their clinching victory over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows coming final Sunday. It was the Osaka-based membership’s first NPB championship in 26 years.
Orix outfielder Masataka Yoshida has reportedly requested to be posted. Per The Japan Occasions, the Buffaloes could be prepared to make the 29-year-old, two-time batting champion accessible to MLB groups “on circumstances.”
Courtney Hawkins is reportedly becoming a member of the Yakult Swallows’ fall camp, which is able to basically function a tryout for the soon-to-turn-29-year-old outfielder. The previous MLB first-round draft choose had 48 house runs and a 1.055 OPS this yr with the unbiased Atlantic League’s Lexington Legends.
One of the best-of-seven Korean Sequence is tied at two video games apiece following a 6-3 Kiwoom Heroes win over SSG Landers on Saturday. Song Sung-mun went 3-for-3 with two RBIs for the winners.
Twenty-one-year-old New York Mets infield prospect Ronny Mauricio is 16 for 42 with two house runs for the Dominican Winter League’s Tigres del Licey. Twenty-year-old Cincinnati Reds infield prospect Elly De La Cruz is 13 for 36 with one house run for Tigres del Licey.
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The Pink Sox will look completely different subsequent season. Simply how completely different stays to be seen, however given their 78-84 document and final place end within the American League East, adjustments are clearly so as. That stated, the workforce that fell two wins in need of the World Sequence only one yr in the past isn’t with out expertise. If Xander Bogaerts, Nathan Eovaldi, and Michael Wacha all return, Chris Sale and Trevor Story are wholesome, and some 2022 underachievers rebound to earlier norms — admittedly all huge ifs — the Chaim Bloom-constructed membership may conceivably contend with out impactful additions.
In line with Boston’s chief baseball officer, we’re not about to seek out out.
“I count on that once we get to spring coaching we’re going to have a special roster,” Bloom stated in response to my suggestion throughout an end-of-season press convention. “We have to win, and we really feel we now have items right here to win, however we additionally have to do the best issues so far as rebuilding our membership to offer us the perfect likelihood to do this.”
Re-signing Bogaerts would seemingly be a prime precedence, and there’s purpose to imagine that Boston’s deep-pocketed possession will open the coffers to maintain him in a Pink Sox uniform. As for different priorities and what the roster will appear to be come Opening Day… let’s put it this manner: It guarantees to be a busy offseason. Quite a few strikes might be made.
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FARM NOTES
Seattle Mariners prospect Robert Perez Jr. received the Arizona Fall League Dwelling Run Derby final night time, beating Baltimore Orioles prospect Heston Kjerstad 11-10 within the finals. A 22-year-old outfielder/first baseman, Perez Jr. had 27 house runs throughout the common season, 20 in Low-A Modesto and 7 in Excessive-A Everett.
Zavier Warren is 20 for 63 and has a .476 OBP with the Glendale Satan Canines. The 23-year-old infielder within the Milwaukee Brewers group has drawn 19 walks and gone down on strikes 13 occasions.
Evan Reifert has thrown 10-and-two-thirds innings of hitless and scoreless innings over seven appearances for the Mesa Photo voltaic Sox. The 23-year-old right-hander within the Tampa Bay Rays group has walked 4 and fanned 22.
Cristian Hernandez has allowed eight hits and one earned run in 10 innings with the Shock Saguaros. The 22-year-old right-hander within the Philadelphia Phillies group has walked one and fanned 10.
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Roy Campanella put up robust numbers in his 1955 MVP season. The Corridor of Fame catcher slashed .316/.395/.583 with 32 house runs and a 150 wRC+ whereas serving to lead the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Nationwide League pennant. He was price 5.7 WAR.
Certainly one of Campanella’s teammates had a greater yr. Don Newcombe went 20-5 with a 3.20 ERA over a team-high 233-and-two-third innings, and he had among the best pitcher-hitting seasons in big-league historical past. In 125 plate appearances, the right-hander slashed .359/.395/.632 with 9 doubles, seven house runs, and a 168 wRC+.
Newcombe completed the season with 4.6 WAR as a pitcher and a couple of.3 WAR as a hitter, for a cumulative complete of 6.9. He completed seventh in MVP voting. As for who ought to have received the award, Willie Mays had a superb argument. The New York Giants celebrity had a league-leading 9.0 WAR and an MLB-best 51 house runs. He completed fourth within the voting.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
Grant Lavigne and Zac Veen have been swinging sizzling bats within the Arizona Fall League. Samantha Bradfield talked to both Colorado Rockies prospects for Purple Row.
Simply Baseball’s Aram Laighton looked at underrated Arizona Fall League prospects.
Pink Reporter’s Wick Terrell opined on Cincinnati GM Nick Krall’s most troublesome activity of the offseason.
Baseball is getting into a fragile and harmful world with legalized betting. Nick Groke addressed the subject at The Athletic (subscription required).
True Blue LA’s Samantha Carleton celebrated the life of Roz Wyman, who helped deliver the Dodgers to Los Angeles.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Aaron Judge had 16 stolen bases and no triples this season. Johnny Mize had 16 triples and no stolen bases in 1938.
Los Angeles Angeles Angels batters struck out 1,539 occasions this yr, essentially the most within the majors and essentially the most in franchise historical past. In 1978, Angels batters struck out 682 occasions, the fewest in franchise historical past for a full 162-game season.
Willie Keeler had 5 consecutive seasons (1897-1901) with greater than 600 plate appearances and 5 or fewer strikeouts. “Wee Willie” had 1,077 hits, 154 walks, and a .416 OBP over that stretch.
Jose Canseco had 3,631 complete bases and 1,407 RBIs.
Mark McGwire had 3,639 complete bases and 1,414 RBIs.
Buddy Lewis had 1,112 hits and a .304 batting common for the Washington Senators via his age-24 season earlier than lacking the 1942, 1943, and 1944 campaigns whereas serving within the navy. The left-handed-hitting third baseman/outfielder logged simply 454 extra hits after returning to the majors in 1945.
Roy Gleason’s big-league profession comprised eight video games for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963, the primary seven as a pinch-runner and the final as a pinch-hitter. Gleason, who doubled in his lone plate look, subsequently grew to become the one particular person to serve in Vietnam after enjoying in MLB. He was awarded a Purple Coronary heart.
Mike Marshall grew to become the primary reliever to win the Cy Young Award on in the present day’s date in 1974. The best-hander appeared in a document 106 video games and logged 15 wins and 21 saves whereas throwing 208-and-a-third innings out of the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen.
San Francisco’s Dusty Baker was named the Nationwide League’s Supervisor of the Yr on in the present day’s date in 1997. Baker additionally received the award in 1993 and 2000.
Gamers born on in the present day’s date embrace Ever Magallanes, whose MLB profession comprised three video games and the identical variety of plate appearances for the Cleveland Indians in 1991. A local of El Sauz, Mexico, Magallanes reached base as soon as, drawing a stroll towards Oakland’s John Briscoe.
Additionally born on in the present day’s date was Skip Pitlock, a left-handed pitcher who appeared in 18 video games for the San Francisco Giants in 1970, and in 41 video games for the Chicago White Sox over the 1974-1975 seasons. An .080 hitter for his profession, Pitlock struck out in 12 of his first 15 at-bats earlier than logging the primary of his two hits — an inside-the-park house run off of Houston’s Wade Blasingame.
