A Pre-Playoffs Look at Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes won the first half of the Southern Division of the California League, thus gets home field for the final two games (if necessary.)  Their opponent is the LAA affiliate Inland Empire 66ers, who won the second half.  Game 1 is Tuesday at Inland Empire and games 2 and 3 (if necessary) will be in RC beginning Thursday.

As I am composing this, the Quakes starter has not been named.  I believe there will be three to choose from for the three games.

• Chris Campos
• Gabe Emmett
• Christian Romero

My favorite RC SP is Payton Martin, but unless he gets re-assigned to RC for the playoffs, he will remain in Arizona at the Complex in development.  He last pitched July 7 in what was clearly his worst outing of the year, and it was not all that horrible.

In his six starts since June, Martin has thrown 19.0 IP, allowed 4 earned runs (3 in final game) and 14 hits.  He had 21 K against just 2 BB.  He had a 1.89 ERA with a 0.842 WHIP, a .206 BAA and .534 OPS against.  Of the 14 hits, 1 HR and 3 doubles.  He had 251 pitches thrown with 71% strikes.  In his 6 starts since June, Payton Martin has been outstanding.

This was Payton’s first season as a full-time pitcher.  He was a high school 2-way player who had a scholarship offer to East Carolina as a SS.  He chose to pitch for the Dodgers.  For his season as a whole:

• 2 IP, 2.04 ERA, 1.134 WHIP, .213 BAA, .563 OPS against, 1 HR, 5 doubles, 15 BB and 48 K. He threw 584 pitches with 65% strikes.

There will be more to come on Payton in a future post.

That leaves:

• RHP Chris Campos – 69.1 IP, 5.06 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, .275 BAA, 9 HR, 85 K, 30 BB
• RHP Gabe Emmett – 86.0 IP, 5.55 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, .249 BAA, 11 HR, 71 K, 55 BB

Emmett has control problems evidenced by his 55 BB against only 71 K.  Campos is more of a strikeout pitcher, with better control.  Campos probably has command issues with more HR/9 and a higher BAA.

The third starting option is:

• RHP Christian Romero – 76.2 IP, 3.17 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, .217 BAA, 10 HR, 74 K, 21 BB

Romero is a 20 year old from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, who started the season in the bullpen.  After 10 relief appearances, Romero was moved to the rotation.  In 10 starts, he probably has moved to the head of the rotation.

• 49.1 IP, 3.28 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 7 HR, 51 K, 9 BB

Christian Romero, whose 3.17 ERA was fourth in the California League among pitchers with at least 70 innings.

This is by far the most innings Romero has pitched as a professional.

A longshot potential starter is 21 year old RHP Patrick Copen.  Copen was the 7^th round pick in the recent 2023 draft out of Marshall.  He only had 2 appearances with RC, both very short starts.

• 3.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .167 BAA, 2 K, 3 BB

Copen would probably be looked at as an opener if he does start.

There does not appear to be a solid choice for high leverage relief.  Of the relievers with save opportunities, their record is 22 saves in 43 save opportunities.  In order of most saves:

• RHRP Madison Jeffrey – 15^th round 2021 draft – 10 SV/13 SVO – 41 G, 42.0 IP, 6.86 ERA, 2.12 WHIP, .252 BAA, 63 K, 49 BB

• RHRP Kelvin Ramirez – 2021 IFA (Venezuela), 3 SV/6 SVO, 37 G, 57.1 IP, 3.92 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, .226 BAA, 64 K, 31 BB

• RHRP Livan Reinoso – 2022 UDFA, 3 SV/5 SVO, 38 G, 65.2 IP, 4.39 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, .239 BAA, 83 K, 51 BB

• LHRP Kelvin Bautista – Acquired in trade for Dennis Santana, 2 SV/5 SVO, 40 G, 46.1 IP, 5.44 ERA, 2.16 WHIP, .274 BAA, 59 K, 51 BB

• RHRP Liam Doolan – 2022 IFA (Australia), 1 SV/1 SVO, 20 G, 39.2 IP, 3.63 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, .219 BAA, 43 K, 15 BB

• RHRP Joel Ibarra – 2018 IFA (Hermosillo, Mexico) – 1 SV/7 SVO, 38 G, 61.1 IP, 2.64 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, .155 BAA, 71 K, 49 BB

• LHRP Garrett McDaniels – 2022 UDFA – 1 SV/1 SVO, 12 G, 15.2 IP, 2.87 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, .250 BAA, 19 K, 8 BB

• RHRP Reynaldo Yean – 2021 IFA (Dominican Republic), 1 SV/1 SVO, 18 G, 16.0 IP, 9.00 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, .220 BAA, 28K, 16 BB

• RHRP Noah Ruen – 12^th round 2023 draft – Tyler, Texas JC, 0 SV/1 SVO, 10 G, 12.1 IP, 2.92 ERA, 1.14 ERA, .222 BAA, 12 K, 4 BB

• RHRP Jonathan Edwards – 2021 UDFA, 0 SV/3 SVO, 34 G, 43.0 IP, 6.28 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, 46 K, 48 BB

Remaining pitchers without a save opportunity:

• RHRP Roque Gutiérrez – 2020 IFA (Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico),16 G, 49.0 IP, 4.59 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, .251 BAA, 54 K, 17 BB

• RHRP Carlos Martinez – 2019 IFA (Santa Domingo, DR), 11 G, 15.0 IP, 8.40 ERA, 1.87 WHIP, .214 BAA, 20 K, 16 BB

• LHRP Brandon Neeck – 9^th round 2022 draft, 20 G, 26.2 IP, 7.43 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, .314 BAA, 36 K, 16 BB

• RHRP José Rodriguez – 2019 IFA (Oaxaca, Mexico) – 1 G, 2.0 IP, 9.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .250 BAA, 2 K, 0 BB

It is a take your pick of relievers and hope they can compete.  Too many of them have extremely poor control with their K/BB ratios.

As a team, in the hitter friendly California League, RC was:

• ERA – #6 – 4.56
• WHIP – #6 – 1.48
• BAA – #1 – .236
• 3^rd least HR allowed – 82
• Most strikeouts – 1,389
• Most walks – 701

Offensively, RC was all over.  They led the California League in HR with 111, but only 4^th in runs with 706.  They were #4 in BB with 544 and #2 in K with 1,365.

• BA – .253 – #5
• OBP – .342 – #5
• SLG – .391 – #3
• OPS – .733 – #3

There were only 12 listed on the active roster, so what I have included below is certain to grow.

The big offensive weapon for RC is C/DH Thayron Liranzo.  Liranzo was a 2021 IFA from San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic. For 2023, Liranzo hit .272/.400/.562/.962 with 24 home runs. He topped the league in home runs, OPS (.962), slugging percentage, extra-base hits (50), total bases (194), and wRC+ (155). He was third in RBI (71), and fourth in on-base percentage and runs scored (81).

18 year old OF (primarily RF) Josue De Paula – Josue was a 2022 IFA from the DR.  He did not play in the rookie ACL this season, but instead moved directly to full season A Ball, and he did not disappoint.  He was 16 PA shy of being a qualified batter for batting titles.  If he did qualify, he would have been #3 in BA (.284), #5 in OBP (.396), and #4 OPS (.768).  For the season he batted  .284/.396/.372/.768.  He lacked power and XBH in general, but his bat to ball skills were outstanding, especially for an 18 year old in full time A Ball, with 46 BB (13.5%) against only 61 K (17.9%).

De Paula only had 2 HR, 2 triples, and 15 doubles.  But as he matures and gets stronger, that power will more resemble his 55 power.  He already registers as a 60 hitter.  Finally, he led the team in SB with 14.

19 year old Jesus Galiz, another C/DH will be expected to help offensively.  He was a 2021 IFA from Maracaibo, Venezuela.  In 330 PA, Galiz batted a respectable .267/.316/.407/.723.  He had 8 HR, 1 triple, and 16 doubles.  He too had decent bat to ball skills with 21 BB (6.4%) and 74 K (22.4%).

There are five 2023 draft picks on the current roster.  3B Jake Gelof was the 2^nd round pick in this year’s draft.  He started out very slowly, but has found his timing in September and especially the last week when he was named California League Player of the Week.

16 RBIs 🤯 Jake Gelof is the Cal League and @AllPro_Plumbers Player of the Week! pic.twitter.com/0ueYFyXEEe

— Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (@RCQuakes) September 12, 2023

After 4 games in the rookie ACL, Gelof was moved to Rancho.  For the year, in 137 PA at RC, Gelof is batting a pedestrian:

• .225/.314/.433/.747 with 5 HR, 8 doubles, 1 triple, and 23 RBI.

• But for September in 41 PA, Gelof batted .308/.341/.744/1.085 with 5 HR, 2 doubles, 17 RBI.

• He had a stellar week last week. In 27 AP, Gelof batted .360/.407/.920/1.327, with 4 HR, 2 doubles, and 16 RBI.

Another 2023 draft pick, 1^st round pick, CF Kendall George was moved up from rookie league ACL immediately after the LAD ACL team was eliminated in the playoffs. George hit better in RC than he did at ACL.  George will almost certainly have a below average OPS due to his non-existent SLUG.

In 50 PA, George batted .381/.469/.429/.898 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI.  He stole 6 bases out of 8 attempts.

Other 2023 draft picks with RC:

• 1B Joe Vetrano – 5^th round – 144 PA, .270/.354/.357/.711, 2 HR, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 24 RBI

• SS/2B/OF Sam Mongelli – 10^th round – 108 PA, .241/.389/.310/.699, 1 HR, 3 doubles, 9 RBI

• SS Jordan Thompson – 15^th round – 82 PA, .270/.329/.297/.626, 2 doubles, 7 RBI

Other players on the roster:

• 2B Wilman Diaz – 2021 IFA, Maracay, Venezuela,

• OF Luis Rodriguez – 2019 IFA, Quíbor, Venezuela

• SS/2B/CF José Izarra – 2022 14^th round draft pick, 455 PA, .219/.305/.332/.637, 18 doubles, 3 triples, 7 HR, 49 RBI

• Backup Catcher Simon Reid – 2022 10^th round draft pick, 126 PA, .239/.341/.367/.708, 11 doubles, 1 HR, 15 RBI

I will update once the rosters are updated.