On the Farm: Long, McCullers, McCurdy

Leading up to the 2014 season, cchooks.com spotlights select farmhands in the Astros system. Today, we feature LHP Kenny Long, RHP Lance McCullers and C Ryan McCurdy.

Kenny Long
Pitcher
BORN January 28, 1989 in Fox River Grove, IL
OPENING DAY AGE 25
HEIGHT 6'1
WEIGHT 155
BATS Left
THROWS Left
RESIDES Fox River Grove, IL
SCHOOL Illinois State
ACQUIRED Selected in the 22nd round of the June 2012 draft

Career Highlights: 2013 - Began the season with eight scoreless innings over six appearances for Lancaster, including two saves, April 23-May 8. Promoted to Corpus Christi May 9 and made Hooks debut the next night. Started his time with the Hooks by tossing four consecutive scoreless appearances May 10-17. Allowed a run in four of his next five outings May 18-June 6 (10 ER in 6.2 IP). Pitched less than one inning in 9 of 22 Hooks appearances. Yielded a .400 (38-for-95) opponents' batting average and 2.52 WHIP as a Hook. Returned to Lancaster July 23. Appeared for the JetHawks that night and pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record a save. Allowed runs in back-to-back games just twice for Lancaster: July 28-31 and August 9-13. Tossed a season-high three innings July 31 against Lake Elsinore. Two wins of the season both came in August against Rancho Cucamonga: 8/23 and 8/30. Yielded just a 1.93 ERA (3 ER in 14 IP) at home and a 3.68 ERA (6 ER in 14.2 IP) on the road. Held left-handed hitters to a .158 batting average (6-for-38).

2012 - Made professional debut June 19 with Tri-City at Vermont and allowed two earned runs in one inning. Following that appearance, did not allow a run until July 25, a stretch that covered 8.1 innings in 12 games. Recorded first career save June 23 at Connecticut and first career win August 7 at Aberdeen, a game in which he threw a career-high 3.2 innings. Did not allow a run at home in 5.2 innings and did not yield a hit to left-handed batters in 25 at-bats, including 14 punchouts. Pitched for Lancaster from August 11 through the end of the season. Allowed only one run with the JetHawks, on August 21. Left-handed batters in the California League went 1-for-18 (.056) against him. Combined WHIP for the season was 0.63.

Career stat note: Holds left-handed hitters to a .198 batting average (26-for-131), including 7-for-81 (.086) at Class A. Career strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.00.

College Notes: Left as the program's all-time leader in saves (28), appearances (96), opponents' batting average (.200) and games finished (73). His senior season in 2012, he made 30 appearances and posted a team-best 2.29 ERA to go with a Redbirds' single-season record 13 saves in as many chances. He struck out 52 batters and walked 11 in 51.0 innings pitched. Was a three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference first team selection. Spent the summer of 2010 with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Pitched in 21 games, going 4-3 with a 1.13 ERA and one save.

Lance McCullers
Pitcher
BORN October 2, 1993 in Tampa, FL
OPENING DAY AGE 20
HEIGHT 6'2
WEIGHT 205
BATS Left
THROWS Right
RESIDES Tampa, FL
ACQUIRED Selected in the supplemental first round (41st overall) of the June 2012 draft

Career Highlights: 2014 - Entered 2014 as Houston's No. 5 prospect and No. 60 overall according to MLB.com.

2013 -Named a Midwest League Mid-Season All-Star and finished T-4th in the league with 117 strikeouts. Made Midwest League debut April 5 at Kane County and went five scoreless innings, allowing four hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Lost back-to-back games in which he appeared April 9 & 16, at Burlington and vs. Clinton. Fanned career-high nine batters in no-decision May 5 at West Michigan. Earned first win of the season May 28 vs. Kane County in a relief appearance. The 5/28 game started stretch of victories in three straight appearances through June 7. He did not allow a run (and just two hits) in 10 innings during this stretch, lowering his ERA from 1.94 to 1.57. Earned Quad Cities' Pitcher of the Month honors for May after he went 1-2 with a 1.88 ERA in 7 games (4 starts). In 24 May innings, he walked 14, struck out 26 and held opponents to a .195 batting average. Pitched in the Astros' tandem system, alternating between starting and relieving, from Opening Day until June 7. On the season went 4-2 with a 3.44 ERA in 19 starts and 2-3 with a 1.96 ERA in six relief appearances. He did not allow a home run over his first 19 appearances of the season, covering 74.2 innings. Became a full-time starter June 11 through the end of the season, going 3-1 with a 4.75 ERA (28 ER in 53 IP) in 11 starts. Worst start of the year came July 2 vs. Clinton: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO. Tossed a career-high 6.1 innings July 17 at Fort Wayne. Left-handers hit .193 (33-for-171) against him, while righties batted .276 (59-for-214). Averaged 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

2012 - Entered the 2013 season as Houston's No. 4 prospect according to Baseball America. BA also rated McCullers' best fastball and slider as tops in the Astros' in the system. Made professional debut July 13 at the GCL Nationals and threw three one-hit, shutout innings with two strikeouts. Allowed a run in only one of four appearances in the Gulf Coast League, July 19 at the Marlins. Left-handed hitters in the GCL went 2-for-16 (.125) against him. First appearance for Greeneville was August 6 vs. Johnson City; started and took a no-decision after four scoreless frames with four walks and four whiffs. Took the loss in each of his next, and final, three appearances: August 12 at Princeton: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO; August 19 vs. Burlington: 3 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO; August 25 at Danville: 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO. Signed for a $2.5 million bonus in 2012, then the fourth-largest in Astros history.

Career stat note: Averages 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

Ryan McCurdy
Catcher
BORN December 28, 1987 in Tampa, FL
OPENING DAY AGE 26
HEIGHT 5'10
WEIGHT 175
BATS Right
THROWS Right
RESIDES Tampa, FL
SCHOOL Duke
ACQUIRED Signed as a non-drafted free agent on June 18, 2010

Career Highlights: 2013 - Hit a combined .226 with eight RBIs in 34 games between Lancaster and Corpus Christi. Started the season with the Hooks, but played in just one game - April 8 - before he was sent to Lancaster. Hit in three of his first four games in the California League (4-for-15). From May 17-June 30 hit .429 (9-for-21) to go from .154 to .277. June 30 at Rancho Cucamonga went 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Went 6-for-18 (.333) against southpaws for the JetHawks. Stayed with the Lancaster until August 1, when he was promoted back to Corpus Christi. Recorded hits in consecutive games August 8 and 15. Went on the disabled list August 29 and was activated September 5, before Game Two of the Texas League Division Series against San Antonio. In the playoffs went 0-for-2 with three walks and a run scored in four games.

2012 - Hit .203 with 16 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple, one home run and 16 RBIs in 55 games between Lancaster, Corpus Christi and Lexington. Featured more walks than strikeouts (19 to 14). Began the season at Lancaster, where he made only two appearances before being promoted to the Hooks in early May. Drove in three runs on three two-out singles May 16 in San Antonio. Swatted a grand slam - the lone home run of his career - on May 24 in Corpus Christi's 13-4 rout of Arkansas.

2011 - Played all but one game of the season with short-season Tri-City. Tabbed the ValleyCats Player of the Month in August, hitting .395 with four doubles and 11 RBIs. Batted .385 and drove in 13 of his 17 RBIs at home. Was 10-for-28 (.357) with runners in scoring position.

Career stat notes: Has committed just 14 errors in 1025 total chances for a .986 fielding percentage. Features a 22.94 caught-stealing percentage, having thrown out 39 of 170 base runners. Averaging 11.0 plate appearances per strikeout.

College Notes: Served as a full-time starter at three positions (second, third & catcher) over four-year tenure. Did not make an error behind the plate during senior season and caught 19 runners stealing. Posted a career .978 fielding percentage (19 errors | 865 total chances), leading all ACC third basemen in 2008 and 2009. Notched a .397 on-base percentage during career, striking out only 44 times in 820 plate appearances. Was hit by 69 pitches as a Blue Devil, setting ACC career and single-season records. Won All-ACC Academic Baseball Team honors twice and was a member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll thrice.