Soddies by Morning: San Antonio Preview with Diego Garcia of East Village Times

The Amarillo Sod Poodles are back in action at Hodgetown this week against the Missions! Fresh off a 4-2 series victory in Tulsa and three straight victories on the weekend, the Soddies are up against a Missions team that they lead the season series against 5-4. Lets take a look at some hitters in the San Antonio batting order to keep an eye on this week with Diego Garcia, our friend from the East Village Times.

Infielder Marcos Castanon

Be on the lookout for infielder Marcos Castanon. While some of his prospect lustre has worn off, he remains one of the hottest hitters in the Texas League. Castanon hit .297 with an .879 OPS in May, and has a 10-game on base streak entering the series. - Diego Garcia

While not ranked in San Diego's system, Castanon has given the Sod Poodles issue so far this season. In his seven games against Amarillo Castanon has slashed .458/.481/.708/1.189 driving in seven runs with 4 extra base hits.

Romeo Sanabria

Sanabria in April

One of the most consistent contact hitters in the Padres’ system, there is a lot to like with the 23-year old Sanabria. Sanabria hit .329 with an .883 OPS in May, and has an active (and astonishing) 26-game on-base streak for the Missions. - Diego Garcia

Sanabria is the Padres 16th ranked prospect, and he crushed the Soddies in the first series of the season collecting five hits in just three games, but struggled in the six game series later that month.

Catcher Brandon Valenzuela

Thrust into action in the wake of Ethan Salas’ back injury, Valenzuela responded with one of the strongest months of his career, posting a .319 average and .908 OPS with four homers in May. Valenzuela can be a tricky out, as he has a good eye at the plate as a switch-hitter, although his power stroke is on the left-handed side. Look for his rocket arm behind the plate as well, as he has thrown out 34% of attempted base-stealers this season. - Diego Garcia

While he hasn't exactly been stellar at the plate against Amarillo contact wise, the excellent defensive backstop has cracked two homers in his appearances vs the Sod Poodles, including one off of todays starter Avery Short, and the other coming off Alec Baker who will likely start later in the week.

AMARILLO: LHP Avery Short

Since May 1st, Short has emerged as the most effective active pitcher for the Sod Poodles, especially following the recent promotions of Spencer Giesting and Dylan Ray. During this period, Short has achieved a 2.38 ERA (3.71 FIP) over 34.0 innings, with a 29/7 strikeout-to-walk ratio, consistently taking early leads in counts. As the only left-hander in Amarillo's rotation, he has recovered from a challenging April (6.38 ERA) when he struggled to strike out batters. This included a difficult outing against the Missions where he managed only two outs, allowing four extra-base hits, including a double to Francisco Acuna and home runs to Brandon Valenzuela, Moisés Gómez, and Marcos Castañon. However, his second outing against San Antonio demonstrated his recent form, as he pitched 6.2 innings, conceding just one run, striking out four, and walking two. Short's velocity is not top-tier, with his four-seam fastball averaging in the upper 80s, his sinker at a similar speed, and a cutter in the lower 80s. His curveball, in the upper 70s, has been particularly effective since May, offering hitters a significantly slower option in his repertoire. Finally, his changeup, which is in the lower 80s like his cutter, has become his most crucial pitch aside from his fastball placement.

SAN ANTONIO: LHP #2 Jagger Haynes

Amarillo will first face off against left-hander Jagger Haynes. Haynes, 22, has been in the San Diego organization since the 2020 Draft, but is in just his second full season in game action (not counting an 11-game cameo in 2023). Haynes has always been a stuff darling, as his heater can hit mid-90s with a strong slider. His fastball gets impressive carry, with 17.1 inches of induced vertical break. In 2024, Haynes’ summer performances were in a dominant stretch of games, and this season has seen him trend in the right direction with every start. In his last six starts, Haynes has allowed two earned runs or less in four of those. Something to note about Haynes: if he is getting swings and misses, he will be successful. Haynes has punched out 37 in his last 31.1 innings. In two appearances against the Soddies at the end of April, Haynes was tagged for eight earned runs in nine innings.