On the Farm: James, Kemmer & Martes

This cchooks.com feature profiles select farmhands in the Astros system. Today, we look at RHP Joshua James, OF Jon Kemmer and RHP Francis Martes. 

Joshua James
Pitcher
BORN March 8, 1993 in Hollywood, FL
OPENING DAY AGE 23
HEIGHT 6'3
WEIGHT 206
BATS Right
THROWS Right
RESIDES Hollywood, FL
SCHOOL Western Oklahoma State College
ACQUIRED Selected in the 34th round of the 2014 June draft

Career Highlights: 2015 - Led Astros farmhands and ranked 5th in the Midwest League in ERA. Paced the River Bandits in innings pitched, starts (T-1st), WHIP (1.23), opponent batting average (.237) and hit batsmen (16), while ranking 2nd on the club in wins and strikeouts. Surrendered 2 home runs in 431 at-bats, producing a groundout-to-flyout ratio of 1.20. Season debut was a 4-inning save April 13 vs. Clinton. Tossed 5 frames of 1-run ball in next appearance, a start April 18 vs. Kane County. Did not allow an earned run in next 3 outings, totaling 10 2/3 innings. Struck out 6 over 4 shutout frames May 23 vs. Peoria. Hurled 7 scoreless innings, matched a season high with 7 strikeouts and yielded just 2 hits in the nightcap of a June 12 doubleheader vs. Lansing. Earned a victory in next assignment thanks to 4 shutout innings at Clinton. Named Quad Cities Pitcher of the Month for June, going 1-0 with a 2.14 ERA and .186 opponent batting average in 4 appearances. Went 5-2 with a 2.37 ERA in final 7 regular-season appearances (6 starts). Permitted 6 ER in last 6 starts for a 1.50 ERA. Includes August 29 vs. Peoria when he pitched a season-best 8 innings. In 18 total starts, posted a 4-4 record and 2.20 ERA. Won all 3 decisions in relief, authoring an ERA of 4.43. Lefties hit .273 an owned both home runs in 209 at-bats. Right-handers were held to a .203 batting average in 222 at-bats. Lost Game 1 of the playoffs despite allowing 2 earned runs over 5 innings of work.

2014 - Fanned 10.2 batters per 9 innings while averaging 3 strikeouts for every walk issued. Struck out all 3 Elizabethton batters he faced in pro debut June 20. Turned in a scoreless performance in 5 of first 6 assignments, totaling 14 innings.

Career Notes: Has permitted 2 home runs in 37 career appearances (574 at-bats). 

Jon Kemmer
Outfielder
BORN November 17, 1990 in Shippenville, PA
OPENING DAY AGE 25
HEIGHT 6'2
WEIGHT 225
BATS Left
THROWS Left
RESIDES Shippenville, PA
SCHOOL Brewton-Parker College
ACQUIRED Selected in the 21st round of the June 2013 draft

Career Highlights: 2016 - Earned a non-roster invite to Major League Spring Training. Rated by Baseball America as Houston's No. 13 prospect entering the season.

2015 - Named the Hooks Player of the Year. Led the Texas League in hitting (.327), slugging percentage (.574), home run per at-bat ratio (1/20.22), and hit by pitch (12). Just the second player in club history to win a batting title. Finished 2nd in on-base percentage (.414), t-2nd in home runs (18), and 4th in extra-base hits (50). Led the Hooks in hits (119), long balls, total bases (209), OBP, SLG, and OPS (.988). His slugging percentage broke the team record of .533 set by Hunter Pence in 2006. Inactive for much of April and played in just 7 games. Led all Double-A players with a 1.012 OPS from May 1 through the end of the season. Collected 4 hits, including a home run, and 4 RBIs May 22 against Midland. Hit in 7 straight games May 24-June 11, going 11-for-26 (.423). Posted a second 4-hit performance with a home run and 3 RBIs June 11 at Midland. His third 4-hit night came June 20 at home against Frisco. Hit in 8 straight games June 21-July 2 (11-for-31). Named Hooks Player of the Month for June after he hit .403 with 4 home runs, 14 RBIs, and a 1.062 OPS. Put together a pair of 12-game hitting streaks late in the season, August 1-13 went 16-for-43 (.372) and August 20-September 4 went 21-for-52 (.404). Named Hooks and Texas League Player of the Month for August, batting .376 with 4 long balls, 19 RBIs, and a 1.145 OPS. Earned TL Post-Season All-Star honors. Hit .143 (2-for-14) in the playoffs with 3 runs scored. Started 19 games in left field, 3 in center, and 46 in right. Hit .375 with 13 home runs in 54 games at Whataburger Field and .273 with 5 long balls in 50 road games.

2014 - Between Quad Cities and Lancaster hit .291 with 16 home runs and 50 RBIs in 91 games. With the River Bandits saw action at first base, left field and right field. Stumbled out of the gate, hitting .185 in first 7 contests. Hit .324 (22-for-68) from April 15-May 30 to raise average to .284. June 21-30 raised average from .282 to .311, by going 13-for-29 (.448). In 21 June contests batted .362 with 7 RBIs. Hit .324 against left-handed pitching and .280 versus righties. Promoted to Lancaster July 11. Went 2-for-3 that night with 2 runs, a home run and 3 RBIs in JetHawks debut at Rancho Cucamonga. July 22 belted 2 home runs and drove in a career-high 6 runs. Lancaster Player of the Month for August, hitting .305 with 7 HR and 17 RBIs. Hit .405 (17-for-42) during a 10-game hit streak from August 10-22. With the JetHawks, hit .308 against right-handed pitching.

2013 - Homered in his first professional at-bat on June 18 and went 4-for-4 on the day. Slumped following that game as average dropped to a season-low .184 on July 8, after a 15-game stretch in which he hit .111 (5-for-45). Posted a 3-hit night August 2 at Aberdeen. Batted .283 (15-for-53) over final 14 games to raise average from .199 to .221.

College Notes: As a senior in 2013, hit .366 with 13 doubles, 12 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a .717 slugging percentage. Earned Southern States Athletic Conference Player of the Year and was named an NAIA First Team All-American.

Francis Martes
Pitcher
BORN November 24, 1995 in Cotui, DR
OPENING DAY AGE 25
HEIGHT 6'0
WEIGHT 170
BATS Right
THROWS Right
RESIDES Cotui, DR
ACQUIRED Via trade from Miami, with OF Jake Marisnick, IF Colin Moran and a 2015 Competitive Balance Round A pick, in exchange for RHP Jarred Cosart, IF Enrique Hernandez, and OF Austin Wates in July 2014.

Career Highlights: 2016 - Ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Houston organization by Baseball America. His fastball and curveball were labeled the best in the system by BA entering the season. Sits at No. 20 in the publication's listing of the Top 100 pro prospects.

2015 - Went 8-3 with a 2.04 ERA in 19 games (16 starts) with Quad Cities, Lancaster, and Corpus Christi. At Quad Cities, combined with Kevin Comer to pitch a shutout May 30 against Burlington. Tossed a 7-inning, complete-game shutout in Game 2 of a doubleheader June 14 against Great Lakes. Allowed 6 hits, struck out 5, and didn't walk a batter. Fanned 10 in 6 innings July 3 vs. Peoria. Did not allow more than 2 runs in any of his 10 appearances. In 4 starts at Modern Woodman Park, allowed just 1 earned run in 24 innings (0.38 ERA). Opponents hit .181 against him. Made first appearance for Lancaster July 24 vs. Stockton and yielded 4 earned runs on 6 hits with 2 walks and 9 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Allowed 3 earned runs his next time out on July 30, 2 on August 2, and just 1 unearned run in his final 3 outings. Struck out 10 for a second time in 2015 August 4 against Bakersfield. Won his last 4 starts for the JetHawks en route to earing Lancaster Pitcher of the Month for August. He went 4-0 with a 0.68 ERA and 25 strikeouts. Held left-handed hitters to a .204 batting average, while righties batted .244. Promoted to Double-A August 25, at which point he was the youngest player in the Texas League (19). Debuted for the Hooks August 28 at Midland and allowed 6 earned runs on 7 hits in 4 2/3 innings. His next time out, September 2 vs. Frisco, tossed 6 shutout innings and struck out 9. Made 1 start in the playoffs and allowed 4 earned runs on 8 hits, 3 home runs, and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts in 4 innings.

2014 - Went 3-3 with a 4.09 ERA in 12 games (9 starts) between the GCL Marlins and GCL Astros. Won back-to-back starts July 19 & 25, tossing 10 total innings and allowing 4 earned runs on 8 hits with 12 strikeouts. Traded July 31. Pitched 3 innings in Astros debut and took the loss after he allowed 2 unearned runs in 3 innings. Rated the No. 19 prospect in the Gulf Coast League by Baseball America.

2013 - Allowed more than 2 earned runs just once in 12 outings. Posted a 4.19 ERA in 6 relief appearances and a 2.32 mark in 6 games started.