Miami Palms Blog

Troy Munoz has been the ace for the past couple of years for the Palms. He saw his batting average against spike a bit last year, but that was to be expected given his hitability. He also tends to give up too many home runs, but some how manages to have an ERA that has never been above 3.50 (he had a career high at 3.46 last season). His strikeout total started to mount late in the year, suggesting that he was finally able to start putting more movement on his pitches, rather than relying exclusively on his fast ball and change up. If that trend continues, he will one day be recognized as an elite pitcher.

If there has been a weak link in the Palms bullpen the past couple of years, it has probably been Art McLoughlin. The tall lefty has been eminently hittable in his career, giving up a .296 average and 10 home runs last season. His advantage is that he has the highest strikeout rate of anyone in the bullpen, and a few years experience under his belt, but he needs to to start striking out more batters and giving up fewer hits if he figures to be anything more than a situational pitcher ever in his career.

The Palms had to be impressed by Blake Johnston's rookie outing, especially if they look only at the basic statistics. His ERA of 2.89 was very good, especially for a long reliever, however his ascension to a starters role is his lack of strikeouts. A groundball pitcher, he didn't give up many home runs, but he needs to improve his K/9 before he can usurp Manny Parra's spot in the rotation. His time is certainly coming, however, just not this year.

Paul Janish is almost entirely known for his glove. Last season with Cincinnati was a career year at the plate for him and he hit .211 with a home run. He was added exclusively as a defensive replacement for Jaspero Gonzalez, a natural second baseman. Don't expect Janish to show up in big games early, because his bat is such a liability. If nothing else, at least he walks regularly.