Chicken Friars » Adys Portillo

Padres set 40-man Roster

Robert Moreno — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 09:03:18 +0000

The Padres added right-handed pitcher Adys Portillo, and outfielders Yesion Asencio and Jaff Decker to the 40-man roster on Tuesday.

To give a roster spot to any of the three players, The Padres designated pitcher Cory Burns for assignment.

Major League Baseball’s deadline to protect players was Tuesday at 8:59 p.m. PT. Since Portillo, Ascenio and Decker made the 40-man roster, they are protected from the Rule 5 draft, which is scheduled for Dec. 6

Courtesy: Fort Wayne Tin Caps

Portillo is a 20-year-old prospect who pitched between Single-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio in 2012. This past season he made 18 starts with Fort Wayne and with 6-6 with a 1.87 ERA.

Asencio, 23, also played the 2012 season at Single-A Fort Wayne where he was crowned the Midwest League batting champ. The Dominican took the batting crown by hitting .323 with 21 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 61 RBI and 47 runs scored in 92 games.

Decker,22, played in 56 games between Rookie-Level Peoria and Double-A San Antonio. Decker hit .201 with four doubles, four triples, four home runs and 16 RBIs in those 56 games. Decker missed much of the 2012 season with a foot injury.

Four Tincaps Make Midwest League All-Star Team

Kevin Charity — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 23:55:42 +0000

The Padres Class A team, the Fort Wayne Tincaps will be well represented this year in the Midwest League All-Star game this year. Pitcher Adys Portillo, catcher Austin Hedges, shortstop Jace Peterson, and pitcher Frank Garces will represent the Padres organization at the game, which will take place in Geneva, Illinois.

Portillo, 21, has made great strides this year, pitching to 4-2 record, with a league-leading 1.66 ERA. Portillo is having much better results in his second go-around in the Midwest League, after pitching to a 7.11 ERA last year.

Photo courtesy of milb.com

Hedges, who is just 19, was a second round pick for the Padres in the 2011 draft. He is hitting .266, with 5 HR’s and 25 RBI’s. Baseball America had Hedges rated as the Padres #10 prospect, going into the 2012 season.

Peterson, was taken 58th overall by the Padres last year, and is the top shortstop prospect in the Padres system. Peterson has been impressive in 2012, hitting .304, with a .399 on-base percentage. He also has 19 steals, good for 5th in the league.

Garces, 22, was signed out of the Dominican Republic as a minor league free agent. The diminutive Garces (he’s 5’11, 155lbs) has pitched well for the Tincaps, posting 2.73 ERA in 11 starts.

It is very encouraging to see the young talent in the Padres system enjoy some accolades. Portillo and Peterson are two intriguing prospects that should make it to Petco Park in the near future.

Adys Portillo Finally Showing Potential

Kevin Charity — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:59:56 +0000

To the casual Padre fan, the name Adys Portillo is not significiant, however, if you are a follower of the Padres farm system, he is an interesting name. Portillo, who is now 20, was signed in 2008 for $2 million, still the largest bonus the Padres have ever given to an international free agent. The Padres signed Portillo out of Venezuela, and patience was expected to be exercised, as Portillo was just 16 when he signed.

Portillo has all of the tools that scouts love: He has the ability to throw his fastball at 100 MPH, but he sits in the mid-nineties, a power slider, and a 6’2 frame. However, control has been Portillo’s biggest issue, and Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein called Portillo’s progress “disturbingly slow.” Portillo had a miserable year in Low-A Fort Wayne in 2011, posting a 7.11 ERA in 82.1 innings. He also walked 55 batters in that span, in addition to allowing 89 hits. Some analysts even referred to 2012 being a “make or break” year for the young right-hander.

Photo courtesy of milb.com

Fast forward to 2012, and Adys Portillo is turning into beast in 2012, as he has rampaged the Midwest League. So far on the young season, Portillo has 2-1 record, with a sparkling ERA of 1.41. In his start today with Fort Wayne, he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, before giving up a double. It was the only hit he allowed all day, as he struck out 6, but only walked two. Portillo has allowed one earned run or less in six of his seven starts. While the walks are still a little too high, they are down considerably from where they have been. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is better than two to one, something Portillo has never done in his professional career.

While Portillo is still years away from pitching in San Diego, it is encouraging to see Portillo realize some of the potential that he has. The Padres poured a large sum of money into his right arm, and it would be awesome to see the Padres get a return on their investment. Portillo may not stick in the rotation long-term, but a 100 MPH fastball makes him an intriguing relief candidate in the bullpen. Portillo was ranked the Padres 18th best prospect by mlb.com at the beginning of the season, but with the year he is having, he could crack the top ten next year, and perhaps work his way into the Padres future plans.

Portillo is a name I have watched for years, and I am excited to see him showing such dominance. I am sure the Padres brass is excited as well, as they have 2 million reasons to hope for continued brilliance.

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