The next time the Rockies need a left-handed relief pitcher, don’t be surprised if the Sky Sox’s Matt Reynolds gets the call to the majors.
Reynolds caught Rockies manager Jim Tracy’s eye during spring training. He hasn’t done anything this season in Colorado Springs to blur Tracy’s eyesight.
Reynolds has notched some impressive credentials during his Triple-A experience. He has 64 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings and 14 walks.
In other words, he throws strikes.
The opposition has only one home run in 47 appearances. He’s 0-3 with a 2.05 ERA and has six saves, although he probably doesn’t figure as a closer.
“He has been as good as anyone we’ve had coming through the organization,” Rockies player development chief Marc Gustafson said. “He has three major-league pitches and he has shown he can pitch effectively late in the game.”
In his first 122 games in the organization, ranging from entry-level Tri-City to Double-A Tulsa, Reynolds posted 167 strikeouts and 36 walks in 162 2/3 innings.
At 6-feet-5, 240 pounds, Reynolds has some size advantages. His height helps keep his pitches down in the strike zone, and his fastball is usually in the low 90s.
He avoids thinking of his left-handedness as an advantage.
“I think it just comes down to how you pitch,” Reynolds said. “Whether you’re right- or left-handed, if you’re not competitive and on top of your game, you’re not going to be out there.”
The Rockies selected Reynolds in the 20th round of the 2007 June draft out of Austin Peay State University.
Reynolds said he wouldn’t have commanded any draft interest out of high school.
“I wasn’t that good coming out of high school,” Reynolds said. “There was no way I would have been ready for pro baseball. I was glad I had the opportunity to go to college.”
Reynolds also played first base during his high school and college days and didn’t try pitching until his junior year in high school.
He was a starting pitcher in college, but that changed when he arrived at Tri-City.
“They wanted me to be a relief pitcher,” Reynolds said. “I was fine with that. I’ve taken to it pretty well.”
Reynolds is bolstered by his first spring training in the big-league camp. He was one of the last invitees to be sent down. He’s probably high on the list of potential call-ups in September when roster limits are released.
“I’m not sure where I stand,” Reynolds said. “Time will tell. I’m comfortable with anything that happens.”
Minor-league spotlight
Alan Johnson, P, Colorado Springs
Johnson keeps pitching in the spotlight, but with the light turned out.
His 10 victories for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox lead the Rockies’ farm system. He also reached double figures in victories last year and has become a record setter. He’s the only Sky Sox pitcher to win at least 10 games in back-to-back seasons.
But, when the Rockies have needed pitching help from their minor-league affiliates, his name isn’t mentioned.
“I’m pretty much the low man on the totem pole,” the right-handed Johnson said between starts for the Sky Sox. “I don’t get much feedback as to where I stand. Obviously, I have some purpose for them to keep me here in Triple-A.”
In his last five starts, Johnson is 3-2. For the season, he’s allowed six home runs in 107 1/3 innings and owns a 76-to-32 strikeout-to-walks ratio. His two-year record for the Sky Sox is 20-12.
“He’s a pitcher who has figured it out,” said Marc Gustafson, Rockies director of player development. “He takes the ball and gives us innings.”
Johnson joined the Rockies organization in 2005 as a nondrafted free agent. In five years in the system, his combined record is 46-34 and combined ERA is 4.32.
“If I didn’t think I had a chance, I wouldn’t be playing,” Johnson said. “I don’t let it bother me that I’m not one of their top guys.”
Organizational leaders (Through Thursday)
HITTING: Matt Miller, Colorado Springs, .340; James Cesario, Modesto, .327.
RUNS: Miller, Colorado Springs, 80; Eliezer Mesa, Asheville, 70.
HITS: Miller, Colorado Springs, 137; Jordan Pacheco, Modesto, 125.
DOUBLES: Travis Metcalf, Colorado Springs, 32; Mesa, Asheville, 30.
TRIPLES: Cesario, Modesto, 10; Mesa, Asheville, 9.
HOME RUNS: Brad Eldred, Colorado Springs, 26; Jared Clark, Asheville, 21.
RBIs: Eldred, Colorado Springs, 71; Pacheco, Modesto, 70.
STOLEN BASES: Anthony Jackson, Tulsa, 25; Scott Robinson, Modesto, 25.
PITCHING VICTORIES: Alan Johnson, Colorado Springs, 10; five pitchers with eight.
LOSSES: Chaz Roe, Colorado Springs, 11; Brandon Darden, Tulsa/Colorado Springs, 11.
SAVES: Adam Jorgenson, Modesto, 24; Sheng-An Kuo, Asheville, 16.
INNINGS: Juan Nicasio, Modesto, 134 1/3; Cory Riordan, Tulsa, 122 1/3.
WALKS: Rob Scahill, Modesto, 46; Dan Houston, Modesto, 43; Kenneth Durst, Modesto, 43; Tyler Matzek, Asheville, 43.
STRIKEOUTS: Nicasio, Modesto, 127; Ethan Hollingsworth, Modesto, 114.
ERA: (starters) Tyler Matzek, Asheville, 2.93; Bruce Billings, Tulsa, 3.25; (relievers) Adam Jorgenson, Modesto, 1.60; Scott Rice, Tulsa/Colorado Springs, 1.91.
