Minor League Notes, July 5^th, 2010

**Kyle Drabek threw a nine-inning no-hitter yesterday for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the Double-A Eastern League. On the season, he's now 8-8, 3.20 in 17 starts with an 80/45 K/BB in 107 innings, 86 hits allowed, 1.53 GO/AO. Drabek now has 31 career Double-A starts under his belt, and it seems to me that he doesn't have a lot left to prove at that level. I wish his strikeout rate were a little higher, and the next stop on the Blue Jays ladder, Triple-A Las Vegas, isn't an easy place to pitch by any means. My guess is that he'll have some adjustment issues there.

**Twins prospect Max Kepler-Rozycki is hitting .222/.300/.333 through nine games for the GCL Twins, with four walks and eight strikeouts in 36 at-bats. The small sample size numbers don't mean much at this point, but I like the fact that he's drawn some walks, he's just 17 years old, and he grew up in Germany: the fact that he's in the GCL at all is remarkable. Kepler's 6-4, 190 pound frame and extremely good athleticism drew comparisons to Mickey Mantle this spring from journalist Phil Rogers, and professional scouts don't dispute this; his tools are terrific, and Twins sources say he's more polished than you'd expect given his background. Meanwhile, Minnesota's other big international signee last year, Miguel Sano, tore up the Dominican Summer League with a .344/.463/.547 mark, showing power and plate discipline. He was just promoted to the GCL.

**Marlins prospect Logan Morrison has overcome an early-season shoulder injury and is currently hitting great for Triple-A New Orleans, .320/.428/.500 in 50 games with a strong 33/27 BB/K in 178 at-bats. I am planning a quick trip up to Des Moines for Sunday to see him play, which will probably mean that someone on the Marlins roster will get hurt this week and Morrison will be promoted to the majors. There are no holes in his numbers this year; he's hitting at home and on the road, against lefties and righties, strong month to month. PCL sources say that his bat looks ready for the majors right now, but the Marlins are still trying to figure out how he will fit into the lineup.