Minor League Ball Gameday, Wednesday, August 24

Here's the Minor League Ball Gameday discussion thread for Wednesday, August 24th.  Some items worthy of your attention:

***I started writing an article about this but discovered that Sam Dykstra at Minorleaguebaseball.com had already done all the work: examining the potential impact of the California League/Carolina League re-alignment, most notably the loss of the High Desert effect and the addition of Kinston and the effects this could have on both league statistical standards and the Texas Rangers farm system in particular. Go read it.

***Carl Triano at Beyond the Boxscore looks at the impact of hitting with runners in scoring position on playoff clubs.

***At Fangraphs, Eno Sarris talks with Cleveland Indians starter Trevor Bauer and the changes to his sinking fastball this season.

***Scott Gelman at Fishstripes tells us that Miami Marlins 2016 first-round pick Braxton Garrett will not pitch in a professional game this season.

***Former Vanderbilt ace and 2015 Los Angeles Dodgers first round pick Walker Buehler looked great in his first outing back from Tommy John surgery yesterday. Eric Longenhagen reports no problem with his stuff:

So Buehler was 95-97, touched 98 on one gun, slider/cutter 91-93, curveball looks great.

— Eric Longenhagen (@longenhagen) August 24, 2016