Skip to content
Phillies
Link copied to clipboard

Buchanan adjusting to BlueClaws

Tell Lakewood's David Buchanan to get a grip and he might reply, "Sure, which one?" It's clear that pitching is a language the affable righthander speaks fluently.

Phillies prospect David Buchanan is 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA with the Lakewood Blueclaws in Class A.
Phillies prospect David Buchanan is 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA with the Lakewood Blueclaws in Class A.Read more

Tell Lakewood's David Buchanan to get a grip and he might reply, "Sure, which one?"

It's clear that pitching is a language the affable righthander speaks fluently.

He had just finished a bullpen session, during which he worked meticulously to get his slider "tighter" so he can backdoor righthanded hitters. He's also working to better locate his changeup.

He then discussed his sinker, which is actually a two-seam fastball, his "out" pitch.

"I use that pitch to get ground balls," said the native of suburban Atlanta. "I'm a ground-ball pitcher."

And that's a nice thing to be if he's planning to work at Citizens Bank Park someday.

Buchanan has zoomed onto the prospect radar so quickly that even a snoozing air-traffic controller couldn't ignore him. He's 3-1 (1.99 ERA) for the Class A BlueClaws this season, his first full year of pro ball. His only loss came Sunday against Savannah in a game he pitched well enough to win (seven innings, two earned runs, five hits, one walk, five strikeouts).

The Phillies plucked Buchanan, 21, in the seventh round last year out of Georgia State. A 3-1, 4.21 showing at short-season Class A Williamsport was enough for a spot in Lakewood's rotation this year.

The lanky 6-3, 190-pounder doesn't seem overwhelmed by his early success. He's noticed a big difference between the short-season New York-Penn League and the South Atlantic League - big, as in bigger stadiums, bigger crowds, bigger spotlight.

"There's a lot more publicity at this level, a lot more attention," he said. "At Lakewood, we play in this huge stadium in front of about three or four times as many fans [as Williamsport]. I like it. There's a whole lot of atmosphere here. It makes it fun when you're pitching."

No nerves, not even with family and friends in the stands?

"Nah, not at this point," he said. "I don't get too nervous no matter who's in the stands."

Ramirez unbeaten

Going into the season, the Phillies seemed pretty confident that righthander J.C. Ramirez could someday pitch in the big leagues. His numbers in 2010 were kind of pedestrian: a combined 7-7 with a 4.82 ERA at Clearwater and Reading. His numbers in five pro seasons also were pretty pedestrian.

The Phillies, you'll recall, got Ramirez and righty Phillippe Aumont in the deal that sent Cliff Lee to Seattle after the 2009 season. Aumont, a former first-round pick, was seen as the big piece of the deal. Ramirez? Eh, whatever.

Ramirez, 22, a 6-3, 225-pound Nicaraguan, is back to Double A Reading this season. Forgive the skeptics who failed to see this coming: He's 4-0 in four starts with a 1.03 ERA. He leads the Eastern League in wins and is second in ERA. He's allowed only three earned runs, 17 hits and five walks in 26 innings.

He has been outstanding, but one little question mark here: He has just six strikeouts. Scouting reports have his fastball consistently in the low- to mid-90s, a good slider and a work-in-progress changeup. Strange that he doesn't have more K's. But if he's getting people out . . .

Real quick: Aumont is 0-2 with a 2.53 ERA and two saves in nine appearances at Reading. He really has had only one bad outing. And he has 16 strikeouts in 10 innings with four walks. Now, that's a nice K-to-BB ratio.

Savery hard to ignore

The Joe Savery updates were getting kind of repetitive, so we ignored him last week. At some point, we figured, the silly batting averages would deflate and Savery's numbers would finally fade into the middle of the pack.

Well, that's not happening.

Savery finished the weekend second in the Florida State League with a .440 average and a league-leading 37 hits for Class A Clearwater. The lefthanded-hitting first baseman/DH was riding an eight-game hitting streak and had the game-winning double in Sunday's 5-3 win over Tampa. His 36 hits in April set a Clearwater record.

Couldn't ignore all that.

Hewitt streaking along

Anthony Hewitt appears to be on a carpet-bombing mission to shed that first-round-bust label.

The Lakewood rightfielder extended his hitting streak to 12 games Sunday. And he extended it with two solo homers. He went 18-for-51 during the stretch with six doubles and two triples.

This is a guy who started the season 2-for-28 (.071) and has jacked his average up to .253. The Phils took the righthanded hitter in 2008 with the 24th overall pick and hoped to see something, anything after three underachieving pro seasons. This qualifies as "something."

Garcia done for season

The inability to hit a curve, the torn rotator cuff and the dreaded shredded anterior cruciate ligament: All bitter enemies of any young man with a big-league dream.

But no enemy haunts a player more than Father Time.

Which makes last week's news about Reading utility infielder Harold Garcia a little sad.

Garcia was hitting .300 with three doubles, two homers and four RBI in 12 games for Reading. He tore his right ACL in a collision after getting a bunt single during a game with Erie on April 19.

He had knee surgery last week and is out for the season.

Garcia is 24 - not old, but when you're in your seventh minor-league season, 24 is approaching do-or-die time. He had a solid 2010, hitting .305 in stops at Reading and Clearwater. He's on the Phillies' 40-man roster, so all hope's not lost if he rehabs well and can come back in 2012.

Frandsen hitting stride

Journeyman infielder Kevin Frandsen is at least giving the Phillies a reason to peek at his box-score line. And with Wilson Valdez hitting a lusty .239, why not?

Frandsen, 28, is the starting shortstop at Triple A Lehigh Valley. He finished the weekend hitting .325, tops on the team, 12th in the International League. He also has an IronPigs-best 15 RBI. He's played every infield position in his seven pro seasons and has logged parts of five seasons in the big leagues with the Giants and Angels.

One bit of bad news for Frandsen: Shortstop Brian Bocock was activated off the disabled list yesterday and assigned to the IronPigs.