On the Farm: Gillingham, Goebbert, Gouvea

Leading up to the 2013 season, cchooks.com spotlights select farmhands in the Astros system. Today, we feature RHP Alex Gillingham, OF Jacob Goebbert and RHP Murilo Gouvea.

Alex Gillingham
Pitcher
Height:  6-3
Weight:  200
Born:  10/17/89 in Camarillo, CA
Bats/Throws:  R/R
Resides:  Thousand Oaks, CA

School:  Loyola Marymount.  As a junior in 2011, went 8-4 with a team-best 2.49 ERA en route to an All-West Coast Conference selection.  Led the WCC with 112.0 IP.  Threw at least 7.0 innings in 13 of his 14 starts.  As a sophomore in 2010 was 2-4 with a 5.28 ERA and in his 2009 freshman campaign, posted a 4-4 record with a 5.74 ERA.

Acquired:  Via trade from Colorado, along with RHP Alex White, for RHP Wilton Lopez in December 2012.  Originally drafted by the Rockies in the 11th round of the 2011 draft.

Career Highlights:  2012 - Ranked among South Atlantic League leaders in ERA (3.66, 8th), WHIP (1.22, 5th) and BB/9 IP (2.05, 2nd).  Named SAL Pitcher of the Week for May 29-June 4 after he threw his second career complete game vs. Augusta on June 1.  Did not allow a run on five hits and one hit batter while notching a career-high eight strikeouts.  In four August starts, went 2-1 with a 2.60 ERA.  At home posted a 3.24 ERA (24 ER in 66.2 IP) in 10 starts and his ERA was 4.15 (26 ER in 56.1 IP) over nine road starts.

2011 - His professional debut was also his only pro appearance out of the bullpen, when he gave up an earned run in two frames on June 24.  Made first start June 29 and took the loss after he allowed six runs, three earned, on six hits in three innings.  Threw the only complete game by a Pioneer League pitcher in '11 on August 22, allowing five earned runs in 8.0 IP to Great Falls en route to a loss.  His 5.55 ERA ranked 15th in the PL among qualifying hurlers.  Tied for the league lead among pitchers with eight putouts.

Career stat note:  For his career averages 2.14 BB/9 IP and has a 3.02-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Jacob Goebbert
Outfield
Height:  6-0
Weight:  205
Born:  9/24/87 in Hoffman Estates, IL
Bats/Throws:  L/L
Resides:  Hampshire, IL

School:  Northwestern University.  Had junior season cut short due to injury, hitting .280 with 10 doubles, four homers and 23 RBIs in 30 games.  A second team All-Big 10 selection as a sophomore in 2008, batted .353 with 10 HRs and 48 RBIs.  Established a school single-season record with 22 doubles.

Acquired:  Selected by the Astros in the 13th round of the 2009 draft.

Career Highlights:  2012 - A non-roster invitee to big league camp for the second consecutive spring, hit a combined .291 with nine home runs and 54 RBIs in 130 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City and Double-A Corpus Christi last season.  Ranked among Texas League leaders in batting average (.304, 4th) and on-base percentage (.399, 4th).  Named TL Co-Player of the Week for April 5-16 (with Brandon Barnes) after he hit .375 (12-for-32) with two home runs and 10 RBIs.  Reached base safely in 22 straight road games from May 3-July 17, hitting .297 (22-for-74) with a .436 OBP.  Promoted from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City June 9 and went 1-for-1 that night as a pinch-hitter.  Pinch-hit in seven of his 16 games played with the RedHawks.  Went 0-for-10 against southpaws with OKC.  Returned to Corpus Christi June 30.  In 22 games from August 9-September 1, hit .435 (30-for-69), which led all Double-A hitters in that span.  Hit .333 (28-for-84) against left-handed pitching with Corpus Christi.   With the Hooks, played one game at first base, two games in centerfield, 39 games in left field and 48 games in right field.

2011 - A non-roster invitee to big league camp, hit a combined .290 with 62 runs, 27 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs and 67 RBIs in 132 games between Lancaster, Corpus Christi and Oklahoma City.  Began the year with Lancaster but moved quickly to Corpus Christi.  Stroked a double to left in his first AA at-bat, highlighting a 2-for-4, one-RBI performance May 6 vs. Midland.  Hit safely in 14 of 16 games from May 19 through June 5, going 23-for-56 (.411) with three doubles, a triple, two homers and nine RBIs.  Raised his average from .250 to .344 during that period.  Batted .326 in July with six doubles, three triples, one HR and 14 RBIs.  With the Hooks was 29-for-71 (.408) with runners in scoring position.  Hit .345 with three homers and 22 RBIs at Whataburger Field (.262-2-12 on the road).  Was Corpus Christi's defensive player of the month in June and July.  For the year with the Hooks posted a .972 fielding percentage and racked up eight outfield assists in 73 games.  Promoted to Oklahoma City in early August and collected hits in nine of first 10 games.  Was 13-for-40 (.325) in that stretch with three doubles, one HR and six RBIs.  Smashed a three-run blast with two outs in the seventh inning August 20 at Iowa to cap a four-RBI night.  Played in 22 games for Salt River of the Arizona Fall League, hitting .247 with six doubles, two HRs and 10 RBIs.

2010 - Tabbed by the Astros player development department as Lexington's Most Valuable Player, led Houston farmhands in RBIs.  A mid-season South Atlantic League All-Star, paced the circuit in doubles, extra-base hits (59) and runs.  Was also second in the loop in RBIs, third in games played and fifth in at-bats and total bases (231).  Crafted a .444 average (12x27) with six runs, three doubles, two homers, 11 RBIs and three walks from July 26 - August 2 to earn SAL batter-of-the-week honors.  Hit safely in 14 of his first 16 games, finishing April with a .292 average, 11 doubles and 16 RBIs.  Recorded seven HRs and 63 RBIs following the All-Star break.  Named the Legend's offensive player of the month for August, batted .390 with 24 runs, 10 doubles, a home run and 27 RBIs in 27 games.  Plated a season-high five runs August 30 vs. Hagerstown, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run.  A two-time defensive player of the month (April & June) for Lexington, posted a .983 fielding percentage for the season.  Committed four errors in 240 total chances, notching 10 outfield assists.

Career stat note:  Has a .431 slugging percentage over three years and averages 34 doubles a season (based on 140 games).

Murilo Gouvea
Pitcher
Height:  6-2
Weight:  210
Born:  9/15/88 in Sao Paolo, Brazil
Bats/Throws:  R/R
Resides:  Sao Paolo, Brazil

Acquired:  Via trade from Chicago-AL in exchange for future considerations in July 2009.  Originally signed by the White Sox in November 2006.

Career Highlights:  2012 - Following the season, pitched for Brazil in the World Baseball Classic.  For the Legends, led the South Atlantic League in holds (15) and tied for third in appearances (50).  Contributed to six combined shutouts: April 11 with Mike Foltynewicz and Dayan Diaz vs. Hagerstown; April 27 with Luis Cruz vs. Charleston; May 23 vs. West Virginia with Luis Ordosgoitti and Diaz; June 17 vs. Asheville with Nick Tropeano and Diaz; July 10 vs. Kannapolis with Foltynewicz and Diaz; July 28 vs. Hagerstown with Ordosgoitti.  In June, allowed one earned run in 14 IP for a 0.61 ERA.  Named Lexington Pitcher of the Month for July after he went 0-3 with a 4.08 ERA in 11 games.  Allowed 14 hits, walked five and struck out 21 in 17.2 innings.  Held right-handed hitters to a .215 BA, while lefties hit .231.

2011 - In six June appearances posted a 0.79 ERA (1 ER in 11.1 IP).  Lone start with the Legends came July 13, allowed two hits in 3.0 shutout innings, hitting one batter while walking one and striking out four.  Righties hit .242 (46-for-190) against him, while left-handed hitters batted .327 (36-for-110).  2010 - Used as a starter in his first four appearances before being moved to the bullpen.  As a starter, went 0-3 with a 12.75 ERA (17 ER in 12.0 IP), eight walks, eight strikeouts and five homers allowed.  Including the starts, allowed 24 earned runs in his first six games before allowing four in his last 12 appearances.  In nine games through August and September, went 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA.

2009 - Went 1-3 with a 4.56 ERA in 17 games, including 5 starts, with three different clubs: Bristol and Kannapolis in the White Sox system and Greeneville in the Astros organization.  Made four starts for the Bristol White Sox and went 0-1 with a 7.47 ERA.  In three games out of the bullpen, did not have a decision and posted a 1.50 ERA.  Acquired by Houston in late July and assigned to Greeneville where he was used exclusively out of the bullpen.  For the Astros, held right-handed hitters to a .169 (11-for-65) batting average.

2008 - Split time between the bullpen and the rotation for Bristol.  In five starts, went 2-1 with a 10.00 ERA.  Posted a 2-0 record with a 4.87 ERA in seven relief appearances.

Career stat note:  As a starter since the start of 2008 is 2-6 with an 8.94 ERA in 16 GS.  As a reliever in the same span is 7-12 with a 3.87 ERA in 112 appearances.  For his career averages 10.33 SO/9 IP.