On the Farm: Pena, Perez, Quevedo

Leading up to the 2013 season, cchooks.com spotlights select farmhands in the Astros system. Today, we feature Cs Roberto Pena and Carlos Perez, and RHP Carlos Quevedo.

Roberto Pena
Catcher
Height:  6-0
Weight:  217
Born:  6/8/92 in Caguas, PR
Bats/Throws:  S/R
Resides:  Caguas, PR              

Acquired:  Selected by the Astros in the seventh round of the 2010 draft.

Career Highlights:  2012 - Hit .237 with 31 runs scored, 16 doubles, three home runs and 33 RBIs in 82 games between Lexington and Lancaster.  Carried a .987 fielding percentage through the season and was charged with four passed balls.  Cut down 32 percent of runners attempting to steal.  Began the year at Lexington and posted a 10-game hitting streak from June 1-13, batting .342 with five runs, four doubles and three RBIs.  For the month, hit .329, scored nine times, smacked seven doubles and drove in seven runs in 20 games.  Matched a career-high four RBIs on July 1 against Asheville with a three-run home run and sac fly.  Joined the JetHawks on July 17, going 2-for-4 with an RBI against San Jose in his California League debut.  On August 31 at High Desert, went 3-for-3 with a sac fly and three RBIs.  The next night, scored four runs and drove in four via a double, home run and two walks in Lancaster's 23-12 assault of the Mavericks to close out the regular season.  Was 2-for-12 with an RBI during the postseason as the JetHawks cruised to claim the CL title.  For the season, batted .288 from the right side of the plate and notched a .214 batting average from the left side.  Hit .188 with two doubles, one home run and eight RBIs for Cirollos de Caguas of the Puerto Rican Winter League.

2011 - Was fourth among circuit catchers in caught-stealing efficiency, throwing out 39 percent of base runners.  Cracked a grand slam on August 23 against Asheville, the first and only slam of his pro career.

2010 - Named Defensive Player of the Month for the GCL Astros in July, hit .227 with 10 runs, six doubles and 17 RBIs between the Gulf Coast League, Greeneville and Lexington.

Career state note: Owns a .988 fielding percentage and has thrown out 37 percent of runners attempting to steal.

Carlos Perez
Catcher
Height:  6-0
Weight:  193
Born: 10/27/90 in Valencia, VZ
Bats/Throws:  R/R
Resides:  Valencia, VZ

Acquired:  Via trade from Toronto, with RHPs Francisco Cordero, Joe Musgrove, Asher Wojciechowski and Kevin Comer, LHP David Rollins, and OF Ben Francisco for LHP J.A. Happ and RHPs David Carpenter and Brandon Lyon in July 2012.  Originally signed by the Blue Jays as a non-drafted free agent in January 2008.

Career Highlights:  2012 - A non-roster invite to Big League camp this spring, posted a composite batting average of .285 with 28 doubles, six triples, five home runs and 50 RBIs in 97 games between Lansing and Lancaster. Threw out 45 of 134 base runners for a .336 caught-stealing percentage.  Hit safely in 18 consecutive games at the Lugnuts' Cooley Stadium from May 5 to June 9, which was the longest home streak in the Midwest League.  Batted .357 and notched a .413 on-base percentage during that stretch, scoring 15 runs while driving in 10.  Recorded hits in 12 of his final 13 games at Lansing, batting .357 with three doubles, two triples, two home runs and seven RBIs, striking out six times against six walks.  As a Lugnut, went 21-for-57 (.368) and featured a 1.073 OPS against left-handed pitching.  Batted .325 with runners in scoring position and .379 with RISP and two outs.  Was shipped to the JetHawks in late July.  Equaled career high for hits in a game on August 1, going 4-for-6 with a double, three runs scored and three RBIs at Stockton.  Batted .354 in 18 games on the road, scoring seven runs while plating seven.

2011 - Tied for the club lead in triples.  Started the campaign strong, posting a .319 batting average in April.  Matched a career best for RBIs (4) in one game on June 11 at Cedar Rapids, July 16 against Lansing and July 24 vs. Beloit.  For the month of July, authored a .424 on-base percentage.  Hit .391 and carved out a 1.027 OPS during the playoffs as Lansing fell to Quad Cities in the championship series.

2010 - For the third consecutive season, was tabbed team MVP for a Toronto affiliate.  Carlos Delgado, Luis Lopez and Adam Lind are the only other Blue Jay farmhands with that distinction (called the R. Howard Webster Award).  Earned New York-Penn League All-Star honors and led Auburn in batting average, runs, hits, triples, RBIs, total bases (103) and on-base percentage (.396).  Ranked second on the club in walks and OPS (.834).  Strung together a 29-game on-base streak from July 12 to August 14, the second-highest stretch in the circuit.  Recorded the longest home on-base streak in the league - 27 games, which ran from Independence Day thru the end of the season.  Clubbed a grand slam on June 21 against Mahoning Valley.  Hit .333 with runners on base and .308 with men in scoring position.

2009 & 2008 - Batted .300 with 44 runs scored, 21 doubles, five triples, 50 RBIs in 101 games between the Dominican Summer League and Gulf Coast League.  Averaged more walks than strikeouts (68 to 51) while crafting a .421 on-base percentage.

Career stat notes:  Features a .985 fielding percentage through five pro seasons, throwing out 34 percent of would-be base-stealers. Carries a .372 on-base percentage into 2013.

Carlos Quevedo
Pitcher
Height:  6-2
Weight:  276
Born:  9/30/89 in Valencia, VZ
Bats/Throws:  R/R
Resides:  Valencia, VZ

Acquired:  Signed by the Astros as a non-drafted free agent in July 2006.

Career Highlights:  2012 - Went 6-7 with a 3.22 ERA and seven saves in 40 appearances between Lexington and Lancaster.  Struck out 96 and walked 16 over 86.2 innings, finishing the year with a 1.09 WHIP.  Averaged only 1.7 walks per nine innings pitched while posting a K/9 IP ratio of 10.0.  Began the season with Lexington and earned South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star honors.  Notched a scoreless streak of 25 consecutive innings from April 15 to May 18.  Won all four of his decisions in May, crafting a 1.40 ERA in nine appearances.  Struck out 19 and walked two in 19.1 innings, holding the opposition to a .209 batting average for the month.  As a Legends reliever, was 4-1 with a 2.38 ERA and four saves.  Thirteen of his 21 appearances out of the pen were of the scoreless variety.  His first two and final two outings at Lexington occurred in a starting role. Blanked Hagerstown over 4.2 innings on July 4, striking out three while holding the Suns to four hits.  Overall as a starter, yielded 13 runs in 14.0 innings for an 8.36 ERA.  Made California League debut on July 8 against Stockton and delivered three innings of shutout relief.  Did not allow a run in his first five appearances with Lancaster, fanning 14 against two walks in 12.1 innings.  Won both of his decisions and went 3-for-3 in save chances during this stretch.  Closed out the regular season by allowing one run over his final five appearances, issuing three walks while striking out 11 in 10.2 innings.  Worked in four playoff games as the JetHawks captured the California League crown.

2011 - Led Lexington in victories and innings pitched, tied for the team lead in starts and ranked second in strikeouts.  His win total was tied for third among Astros farmhands and his ERA slotted 10th.  His hits and home runs allowed (22) were the most in the South Atlantic League.  Ranked fifth in the loop in innings pitched and his 1.19 BB/ 9 IP proved to be the best among circuit starters.  Registered 44 strikeouts against two walks in his first nine starts (49.2 IP) of the season.  That stretch included an outing on May 14 against Asheville when he struck out a career-high 13 and did not walk a batter over six innings.  Was the Legends' pitcher of the month for July, going 1-0 with a 2.32 ERA in five starts.  Earned league pitcher-of-the-week honors for his August 3 start against Kannapolis when he scattered six hits over seven scoreless innings, striking out seven without issuing a free pass.  Made four starts for Navegantes del Magallanes of the Venezuelan Winter League.

2010 - Led the New York-Penn League champion ValleyCats in victories, innings pitched, WHIP (0.98) and batting average against (.245).  Was also tied for first on the club in starts, ranked second in ERA and finished third in strikeouts.  Averaged less than one walk per nine innings (0.84), the lowest ratio in the league.  Slotted second in the circuit in innings pitched, WHIP and runners per nine innings (9.07).  Crafted a 2.20 ERA in his initial three starts, striking out 16 in 16.1 innings.  Posted a 3-1 record in six July starts en route to pitcher-of-the-month honors.  Duplicated that mark in August and backed it with a 2.97 ERA over five appearances.  Steamrolled into the playoffs, winning his final three contests.  Posted a 1-0 record and 3.75 ERA in two postseason starts, fanning 10 against two walks in 12.0 innings.

2007-08 - Went 8-2 with a 2.13 ERA in 25 appearances (23 starts) for the VSL Astros.  Tabbed team MVP in 2008.

Career stat notes:  Features a 5.05 K/BB ratio and 1.18 WHIP thru six pro seasons.