Update from the Farm: July 2nd

Here's a look at how former Vermont Mountaineers are performing at the various levels of minor league baseball.

AAA

Cole Johnson

The Mountaineers feature five hitters and three pitchers at the step below the bigs, with several standout performers having strong seasons. Right-hander Cole Johnson has yet to give up a run in relief for the Twins' Rochester Red Wings through six innings, and Jonathan Roof had a .313/.353/.378 slash line in June for Pawtucket. Second basemen Micah Johnson returned to Triple-A after a stint in the majors and is hitting .285 with 15 stolen bases while Matt Duffy has slugged nine home runs.

- Matt Duffy, Astros- .280/.340/.435, 9 HR, 57 RBI
- Darin Mastroianni, Nationals- .261/.318/.382, 8 SB, 21 R
- Micah Johnson, White Sox- .285/.343/.386, 15 SB, 18 RBI
- Blake Lalli, Diamondbacks- .239/.294/.268, 16 RBI
- Jonathan Roof, Red Sox- .241/.339/.319, 24 R

- Cole Johnson, Twins- 0.00 ERA, 6.1 IP, 4 K
- Nick Greenwood, Cardinals- 5.85 ERA, 67.2 IP, 31 K

AA

Cody Ege

After tearing it up and earning All-Star honors in Class-A, Jantzen Witte has continued to hit in AA with Portland. The 24th-round draft pick is hitting .277 with the Sea Dogs, despite hitting just .185 over the last month. He's fared well against top prospects, hitting .260 against MLB.com's Top 20 by team. However, the Mountaineers duo of former pitchers are finding the most success. Michael Brady, after being shelled in Triple-A last year, has a 1.89 ERA over 47 2-3 innings with 44 strikeouts for the Angels. Cody Ege, with the Rangers, is 4-2 with an even more impressive 1.29 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 35 innings.

- Jantzen Witte, Red Sox- .277/.356/.416, 21 2B, 42 RBI
- Austin Green, Tigers- .224/.294/.340, 15 R, 13 RBI

- Michael Brady, Angels- 3-2, 1.89 ERA, 47.2 IP, 44 K
- Cody Ege, Rangers- 4-2, 1.29 ERA, 35 IP, 51 K

Brian O'Grady

A+
Brian O'Grady, the three-year NECBL veteran, has continued to hit the ball exceptionally well in the Cincinnati Reds orginization. O'Grady, who's last year in the league was with rival Keene, was recently promoted to Class-A Advanced Daytona after hitting .271 with 36 RBIs and an .835 OPS in Dayton. He's one of three former Mountaineers in A+, joining a pair of pitchers who've had mixed results.

- Brian O'Grady, Reds- .250/.250/.500, 3-for-12, HR

- Tyler Rogers, Giants- 0-1, 5.91 ERA, 10.2 IP, 15 K
- Kevin Vance, Diamondbacks- 4-0, 4.54 ERA, 37.2 IP, 39 K

A 

Kyle Grana

Kyle Grana is the lone Mountaineer at this level, and he's dominated with the St. Louis Cardinals' Class-A affiliate, the Peoria Chiefs. Grana played in 2011 and 2012 with Vermont, pitching in 37 games and recording 17 saves. He's continued to excel in late inning work, as he's 8-for-8 on save opportunities so far this year with a 0.96 ERA in 26 games. A midseason All-Star with short season State College last year, Grana has a 1.20 ERA over 75 games in his minor league career.

- Kyle Grana, Cardinals- 1-1, 8 SV, 0.96 ERA, 28 IP, 34 K


SS/R
These two levels are where all the 2015 draftees have ended up, from 2014 NECBL All-Star Trey Amburgey to two-year Mountaineer Robert Strader. All of these players have played in very few games so far, as many just signed and made their debuts. Strader went 2 2-3 scoreless innings in his debut with short season Aberdeen, while Ian Sagdal is 5-for-10 to open the season with short season Auburn.

Daniel Koger

- Trey Amburgey, Yankees- .222/.323/.22, 6-for-27, 5 SB
- Ian Sagdal, Nationals- .500/.500/.900, 5-for-10, 2 2B
- P.J. Jones, Mariners- .250/.250/.417, 3-for-12, 2 2B
- Danny Mendick, White Sox- .179/.256/.282, 4 RBI
- Tom Gavitt, Athletics- .091/.167/.091, 1-for-11

- Robert Strader, Orioles- 0.00 ERA, 2.2 IP, 4 K
- Elliot Ashbeck, Padres- 0.00 ERA, 4 IP, 4 K
- Daniel Koger, Rockies- 3.38 ERA, 5.1 IP, 5 K
- Zack Varela, Angels- 1.42 ERA, 6.1 IP, 3 K