Two Major One Minor 072912

Here is the 13th installment of Two Major One Minor for 2012. The players this week are A J Griffin, Sam Deduno and Alex Colome.


RHP Griffin first caught my attention this season when he pitched two consecutive complete games for the Oakland Athletics Triple A team in Sacramento. That on its own may not be impressive but the fact he did it in the batting practice Pacific Coast League made him worthy of keeping an eye on. He did get the call up to Oakland and has done nothing but shine so far. He is 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA. 29 K, 0.97 WHIP in 36.0 IP over 6 games with Oakland. The combination of good control with above average strikeout ability added to pitching at home in Oakland makes Griffin a pitcher with a bright future. He was originally drafted by the Athletics in the 13th round in 2010. Griffin turned 24 on January 28.


RHP Deduno has been trying find a place to fit in the past few seasons spending in the Rockies, Padres and Twins organizations. He has a live arm with strikeout ability but also has some control issues as seen in his BB/9 and K/BB numbers at most stops in the minors and Majors. In his limited time with the Twins he has shown glimpses of being ready to turn the corner. He is 2-0 with a 3.13 ERA, 18 K, 1.56 WHIP in 23.0 IP over 4 games. He'll be one to keep an eye on as the struggling Twins give him a chance. He originally signed with the Rockies as an amateur free agent in 2003 out of the Dominican Republic. Deduno turned 29 on July 2nd.


RHP Colome is another in the constant flow of talented pitchers the Tampa Bay Rays organization produces each year. Colume is currently pitching with the Rays Double A team in Montgomery and has shown the most promise on that roster. In 2012 he is 7-3 with a 3.68 ERA, 69 K, 1.47 WHIP in 66.0 IP over 13 games with Montgomery. His current 9.4 K/9 rate is his best in the past three seasons but he needs to get better control and get the walk numbers down. He originally signed with the Rays as an amateur free agent in 2007 out of the Dominican Republic. Colome will be 24 on December 31.