MadFriars' Short-Season Leagues Year-End Review

By foxsports
Published

MadFriars kicks off its end of the year wrap-up of all the Padres' minor league affiliates with the guys who know them the best, their play-by-play announcers.  Today's interview is with Chris King, the voice of the Tri-City Dust Devils, but before we go to eastern Washington we have a quick rundown on the AZL Padres.

Arizona League Padres

Summary: The Arizona Summer League is the introduction to professional baseball for most high school draftees, international free agents arriving in the United States for the first time, and later-round selections. With the team enforcing strict pitch and innings limits for most pitchers, the AZL Padres struggled through the 2015 campaign.

[Top Players] The big name to keep in mind from this year's squad is man-child Brad Zunica, 19, a big first baseman out of Florida. Zunica was MadFriars' top player and prospect and should be starting next year in the TinCaps' infield.

[On the mound] There were several pitchers of note in the desert this year, including Jacob Nix, 19, the Padres' third round selection in June. Nix was limited to only 19.2 innings in seven outings, but the big righty from the LA area showed what he offers as a full package and was the selection as the top prospect, just ahead of fellow draftee Austin Smith.  RHP Emaneuel Ramirez, 20, was the top pitcher in the AZL with a 1.51 ERA and was promoted late in the season to the Northwest League.

Sam Geaney explained what the organization is looking for in the Arizona League.

Tri-City Dust Devils

Summary: In their first year as a Padres affiliate and without any high draft picks, the Tri-City Dust Devils shocked everyone by posting their best record since 2011 and advancing all the way to the Northwest League finals before losing to the Hillsboro Hops.

[Top Players] SDSU product Ty France, 20, was the top player according to MadFriars. France had the best average and on-base percentage on the club, and was second on the team with a .391 slugging percentage. He also performed while making the adjustment to a new position at first base. Shortstop Peter Van Gansen, 21, this year's 12th-rounder was the glue for the Dust Devils offense and defense. Outfielder Jose Urena, 20, may be the top prospect with his powerful bat and could easily profile a big league corner outfielder.  However, he will need to cut down his strikeout rate to move forward.

Phil Maton, 22, another late-round pick in this year's draft, was the headliner. He had a big year with 58 strikeouts in 32.2 innings against only five walks. The last time the Padres had a reliever put up these sorts of video game numbers in the lower minors was when Kevin Quackenbush came into the system. He could move back to the rotation next spring. Righty Walker Lockett, 21, was dominant in the short-season league before being sent back to the Arizona League for personal reasons. Lockett's draft pedigree and on-field performance this summer speak to him having the highest potential, but there are going to be questions for him to answer when he gets to Peoria next spring.

Sam Geaney, the Padres Direct of Player Development, gave his thoughts on why he was so pleased with this year's squad, and why he is still high on young prospect third baseman Carlos Belen, 19.

Minor League Announcer Series: Chris King

Many observers would view the Dust Devils as a scrappy, overachieving squad. The highest drafted Dust Devil this season was catcher Austin Allen, who was taken in fourth round this June. Late-round draft picks like first baseman Ty France, reliever Phil Maton and shortstop Peter Van Gansen outplayed their draft positions and led the Dust Devils to one of their most successful seasons ever. The fans in Pasco, Washington got behind this year's version of the Dust Devils, and the organization set a franchise-record for attendance.

Dust Devils broadcaster Chris King has been with the team since he graduated from Washington State University in 2012. King chatted with MadFriars, to reflect on a season to remember in Pasco.

The Dust Devils set a franchise-record in attendance. What was the reason for the overwhelmingly positive response this season?

Chris King: I think there were a lot of reasons. First, I think it was the fact that it was something new. The Rockies had been here for the last 14 seasons, and there hasn't been a lot of winning seasons in that timeframe. The Rockies also didn't send many of their top draft picks here. The Rockies moved their rookie affiliate in the Pioneer League from Casper, Wyoming to Grand Junction, Colorado, and sent most of their top talent there before moving them up the chain.

The Padres' organization was in Tri-City in the 70's and won a championship in 1971. Mainly, the change to a San Diego affiliate excited the fan base. The Rockies hadn't sent a first-round pick here in many years, while the Padres have started top picks like Trea Turner and Hunter Renfroe [in the past] in the Northwest League. The fans just seemed excited about the change.

The Dust Devils seemed like a team that really overachieved and played well together. What made the team so successful?

Chris King: The coaching staff here was excellent and really raved about the guys they had in Extended Spring Training. Manager Anthony Contreras is a really upbeat guy and kept things positive.

A lot of the guys who played for Tri-City knew each other before playing together this season. Ty France went to high school with starting pitcher Adrian De Horta. France also grew up with shortstop Peter Van Gansen and catcher A.J. Kennedy. I think that was a big part in developing team chemistry.

On the field, shortstop Peter Van Gansen was the glue of the team. He was excellent defensively and was better than advertised offensively. Ty France carried the offense, and outfielder Juan Carlos Urena was one of the best players in the league for most of the season, before a prolonged slump at the end of the season.

We chose first baseman Ty France as our player of the year. Who would you select as your player of the year?

Chris King: Yeah, I think France is the best choice. He had a 38-game on-base streak this season -- the longest since the Northwest League kept track of that record, dating back to 2009. He also played first base, a position he really hadn't played before. He has some gap power and has a good approach at the plate. He was awfully impressive all year.

Van Gansen would have to be in the discussion as well. He just does all the little things well and his glove is incredible. Urena certainly would have been in the discussion, but he struggled so badly towards the end of the season. In fact, he wasn't playing every day in the season's last few weeks. Still, he is a guy who has a lot of talent.

Aside from the players you mentioned, were there any other guys that stood out to you?

Chris King: Catcher Austin Allen was the highest draft pick on the team, and he really came on at the end of the year. He was a guy who played Division II baseball at Florida Tech, but he showed some potential. Once he made the adjustment to facing good pitching every day, he turned a corner.

Infielder Kodie Tidwell is a really smart player. He is one of those glue-type guys I mentioned. Centerfielder Rod Boykin is another intriguing guy to watch. He actually seemed to be developing some power. He hit three homers this season, two of which came at Gesa Stadium [the Dust Devils' home field]. Gesa Stadium is a notoriously extreme pitcher's park with little to no wind. Home runs hit in Pasco are quite the accomplishment, and his home runs certainly weren't cheap. He strikes out a lot, but if he can make more contact, he could develop into something.

We chose RHP Phil Maton as our pitcher of the year. Who would be your choice?

Chris King: Maton, hands down. Maton had one of the most dominant seasons I have ever seen in the Northwest League. He averaged 16 strikeouts per nine innings -- that was the best strikeout rate in the Northwest League since 2006. He was such a weapon, because he could throw more than one inning out of the bullpen. His future may be as a starter, but he could be special as a reliever.

RHP Brett Kennedy was another impressive college arm. He has a veteran's polish and was impressive and RHP Adrian De Horta was great too. He is a third year professional, but was still one of the younger pitchers on the staff. In the bullpen, two lefties Nathan Foriest has a ton of movement on his curve and Will Headean was impressive as well.

Maton seems like such an interesting guy. What can you tell us about him?

Chris King: His fastball sits in the 90-93 MPH range. He has tremendous movement on his fastball, and that is what makes him special. He throws a slider that he calls a cutter. He will throw a change as well. He has a smooth, repeatable delivery that is also very deceptive.

First-year manager Anthony Contreras seemed to do a great job with the team this season. What can you tell us about him?

Chris King: Yeah, he was fantastic. He is steady and very even-keel. He has played at every level in the minors, so he knows what it takes to prepare and knows how to help players be successful. He has a bright future in the game. He relates to players well.

Hitting coach and former big leaguer Marvin Bernard was a huge asset as well. He lives in the Tri-Cities area, and would help out and throw batting practice in the year's past. The coaching staff really did an incredible job.

Finally, what were your takeaways from the Padres' first season in Tri-City?

Chris King: Everyone was fantastic. Farm director Sam Geaney was up here quite a bit and he was impressive. The team in many ways was an underdog, and exceeded expectations all season.

One interesting fact: The Hillsboro Hops, the team that beat Tri-City in the playoffs had their top-six picks playing for them this season, including Dansby Swanson, the top pick in June's draft. The Dust Devils took that talented squad right down to the wire.

I think the future is bright for Dust Devils baseball.