Padres Winter League Report: November 14 (Tatis Debuts with Homer in D.R.)
There was plenty of action on Wednesday around the globe as winter leagues are starting to heat up.
Both the Puerto Rican and Australian winter leagues begin play on Thursday. Michael Gettys (Adelaide Bite), Justin Lopez (Canberra Cavalry), Kelvin Melean (Canberra Cavalry), and Jarryd Dale (Melbourne Aces) will all be action in Australia.
Here is a recap of the day’s events:
Arizona Fall League
Hudson Potts– (0-4) 2 K
The young infielder is struggling a bit with the bat, hitting .234 on the year. Potts could use a break and will likely take some deserved time away from baseball in the next few months. Expect Potts to come into spring with a recharged battery. He should be the starting third baseman for the Sod Poodles.
Buddy Reed– (0-2)
Reed is at .333 for the season now after a 0-for-2 game on Wednesday. He was removed from the game early. No indications on why he was removed. If we hear something, we will keep you posted.
Austin Allen– (2-4) Run, K
Backstop Austin Allen got two hits on Wednesday and is hitting .263 on the season. He did commit his third passed ball of the season in the game.
Mexican winter league
Christian Villanueva- (0-4) 2 K
The Padres’ third baseman is off to a slow start as he is hitting .094 in his first few games in Mexico. He has one homer but has struggled in his first week.
Dominican winter league
Franmil Reyes– (3-4)
Reyes has been on a tear in the D.R. He is up to .425 on the year after three more hits on Wednesday. Look for Franmil to get even better in his second year of major league service time. Reyes was in right field for the team and hitting in the cleanup spot.
Franchy Cordero– (0-4) 3 K
Franchy had a rough game on Wednesday going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. He is hitting .250 on the year in his first handful of at-bats. His elbow looks to be 100 percent as he comes into camp this spring with a real chance to emerge.
Fernando Tatis Jr.– (1-2) HR, Run, RBI, 2 BB, SB, K
Ho hum. Fernando Tatis made his debut on Wednesday and promptly homered in his first at-bat off Royals’ prospect Jake Kalish. He also stole a base and walked twice. Tatis is playing for the Estrellas Orientales, who he played with last season. He could put on a show this winter in the D.R.
Francisco Mejia– (0-3) RBI, K
The switch-hitting catcher made his debut on Wednesday along with Tatis on the Estrellas. Mejia did not record a hit but did drive in a run. Mejia is another exciting young player to watch in the Dominican Republic this winter.
Diego Goris– (1-3)
Third baseman Diego Goris is hitting .257 on the year after earning one hit in three at-bats on Wednesday. He is nothing more than organizational depth at this point as Hudson Potts is close to reaching Goris’ level in the system.
Por si te lo perdiste. Cuadrangular de Fernando Tatis Jr. debutando, al primer pitcheo. #JuntosPodemos #ElNiño pic.twitter.com/4yR3WSGlvt
— EOBASEBALLCLUB (@EOBASEBALLCLUB) November 15, 2018
Venezuelan winter league
Edward Olivares– (0-4) K
The Venezuelan outfielder went 0-for-4 on Wednesday, dropping his average to .337 on the year. He has played really well this winter and has been in the lineup virtually every game for his team.
Gabriel Arias– (3-4) 2 2B, 2 errors
Arias is hitting .288 on the year but he continues to have defensive issues. He committed a throwing error and a fielding error on Wednesday. He is playing for the Tiburones de La Guaira in Venezuela and still has some work to do with his game to be considered a top-tiered prospect.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.