Minor League Update - Lexington Legends

The mustachioed Legends of Lexington have started 9-10 to start the 2014 season. The club currently sits sixth in the seven-team South Atlantic League’s Southern Division, trailing first place Savannah (SF) by 2.5 games.

As a team, the Legends are hitting .249/.299/.350 with a league low 36 walks. The pitching staff has recorded a solid 3.31 ERA, ranking in the top half of the league. The staff has a league-high two shutouts this season.

Individual Hitting

 

MiLB.com/lexingtonlegends.com (Mary Lay)

Who’s Hot:

Outfielder and Missouri native Fred Ford leads the South Atlantic League with 17 RBI and ranks second with seven doubles. The 22-year old, who has also spent some time at first base is hitting .283/.338/.500 across 64 plate appearances in 18 games.

He and third baseman Michael Antonio each have two of the club’s eight total home runs. Antonio and outfielder Dominique Taylor have nine RBI, trailing only Ford on the Lexington roster.

Who’s Not:

Prospect Elier Hernandez is off to a slow start, hitting .206/.242/.222 in 16 games with only one RBI to this point.

Shortstop Humberto Arteaga may be turning the corner with seven hits in his last four ballgames, but his line is less than stellar at .239/.239/.254 – which of course means he has yet to draw a walk in 67 plate appearances out of the two-hole. Arteaga has collected hits in 13 of 16 games, but has scored only twice and driven in only two runs.

Individual Pitching

Who’s Hot:

Andrew Edwards ranks second in the league among qualified starters with a 1.06 ERA over 17 innings. Teammate Andrew Matt Tenuta falls just behind him with a 1.09 ERA in 24.2 innings and has allowed only 24 base runners thus far.

Luis Santos is 1-0 with a save as a tandem starter. In 14.1 innings, the right hander has allowed 13 hits and only one walk. He has struck out 13.

Who’s Not:

Andrew Fairchild was dominant in his first start of the season, tossing six no-hit innings April 8. He walked three and struck out seven in the outing and allowed one unearned run. However, in his next start, the 20-year old lefty surrendered nine earned runs in just 1.1 innings. He walked six and allowed two hits. To this point, Fairchild is 0-2 with an 11.05 ERA with four wild pitches.

Lefty Luis Rico’s three losses are tied for most in the league. He has allowed three earned runs or more in three of four starts this season, and has posted a 9.00 ERA to this point.

Prospect Countdown: #36 Fred Ford

36. Fred Ford Rightfielder

Paden Bennett (NR): Big, big, fan of Fred Ford.  Some fans will look at him and see his .248 average and cringe.  Yes, that needs to improve.  However, what have the Royals lacked in the Majors in recent seasons? The ability to take walks.  Now, perhaps the organization does not want the lineup to walk and would like the contact approach better.  I, like other Royals fans would love to see the walk approach put in and to see more pitches.  Jack Maloof seems to be the right guy for the job.  Fred Ford fits the bill!  I liked the Royals pick of Ford in 2012 and love what I'm seeing, this guy has power and is a good athlete.  Keep an eye on this kid.

Joe Cox (NR):  Ford was selected in the 7^th round by the Royals in the 2012 amateur draft. The 6-5 210 pound outfielder played JuCo ball in Missouri and was not ranked as a top 500 player in last year’s draft.  While he has been looked at as a money saving pick at that slot, Ford did impress with the Burlington Royals by hitting 13 home runs in 254 plate appearances. Ford turns 21 in April but has a ceiling as a power threat three true outcome hitter. Even if he never sees the majors, he is worthy to note for his ability to take a walk and obvious size and power.

Damion Mandalas (29): Ford makes this countdown thanks to my placing of him at 29. The Royals have made a concentrated effort in the Dayton Moore regime to control their borders and they've done that by drafting All-American and NJCAA Region XVI Player of the Year, Fred Ford. At nearby Jefferson College, Ford crushed JuCo pitching in 2012 for a .430 average with 16 home runs, 20 doubles, 75 RBI, and 32 stolen bases.

The Royals sent Ford to Burlington to being his professional career and there he continued to mash. Ford ranked third in the Appalachian League in home runs with 13 and second among qualifying players in isolated power at .247. Ford's walk percentage also was strong at more than 6% more than league average. Unfortunately, the strikeout percentage of 32.8% will need to improve as he progresses up the ladder. 

Dan Ware (NR):  Fred Ford is probably not the name most look for in a box score for a team that also has the likes of Bubba Starling and Cameron Gallagher, or even Patrick Leonard (for you Royals nerds out there.)  Fred will be a guy to keep tabs on.  A Missouri native, he has shown in his first professional season that he has some power in his swing clubbing one home run per 16 at bats.  Hopefully he can start the season off in Idaho Falls and pick up where he left off.  

Total Points: 2