:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55460061/35367820322_6b65ba3695_k.0.jpg)
This is our weekly look at notable performances from all over the system, from big-name prospects and less heralded guys alike. The mission is to answer this simple question: "Who had a good week?"
Today, we’ll cover results from Monday, June 19 through Sunday, June 25.
AAA Omaha Storm Chasers (37-36)
There is a template for this column that gets copied from week to week. The blurb at the top stays the same; only the dates and team records change. For as long as Raul Mondesi is in the minors, his name might as well be added to the template, because he is almost always in here. This week: 10 hits; 3 doubles; a triple; two steals. Jorge Soler walked five times this week, in addition to homering and hitting three doubles among eight total hits.
That poor, poor baseball... #SolerPower pic.twitter.com/VK7tmtG5YY
— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) June 25, 2017
First baseman/DH Frank Schwindel was 7-for-19 this week, including three doubles. "Schwin Diesel" has played almost as much at Omaha as he did with Northwest Arkansas before his promotion. His line as a Natural: .350/.374/.577. His line with Omaha: .248/.264/.388. Third baseman Garin Cecchini also had three doubles in seven hits this week, but also hit a triple, and drew four walks (one intentional).
Luke Farrell is the Pacific Coast League’s Pitcher of the Week, an award slightly more prestigious than being featured in this column:
Farrell posted a 2-0 record and 1.29 ERA (2 ER/14.0 IP) in his two starts between June 19-26, yielding just six hits and no walks while fanning a league-best 18 batters. Included in that frame was an eight-inning gem on June 19 at Iowa in which he relinquished a lone earned run on just three hits, striking out nine while setting a single-game career-high for innings pitched.
AA Northwest Arkansas Naturals (42-34)
Second baseman/left fielder Corey Toups has hits in 10 of his last 11 games. This week, he had eight hits in eight games, but struck out 11 times.
RHP Ashton Goudeau started the week well, with five shutout innings. He allowed two hits, and no walks, and struck out five. Goudeau had struggled for about a month. Lefty starter Jake Kalish allowed one run in six innings on Wednesday, with five strikeouts and no walks. Fellow southpaw Foster Griffin pitched six shutout innings on Sunday, giving up five hits and two walks, with six strikeouts.
A-Adv. Wilmington Blue Rocks (40-34)
The Carolina League All-Star game was positively stacked with Blue Rocks:
Shortstop Nicky Lopez , outfielder Anderson Miller , and pitchers Foster Griffin , Cristian Castillo , A.J. Puckett , Richard Lovelady , and Yunior Marte were named to the Northern Division All-Star team earlier this month. The seven selected players are the most since 2011 when Wilmington had five mid-season All-Stars. The seven selections also make the Blue Rocks the most represented team in the All-Star game in either division.
Lopez singled and scored; Miller hit a single. Castillo, Puckett, Marte and Lovelady each pitched scoreless innings. Griffin is up in Northwest Arkansas and thus did not appear. This week, Lopez, Miller, Lovelady, and Marte were all promoted to AA Northwest Arkansas.
The scoreless streak by Lovelady is getting absurd. In addition to his All-Star appearance, he pitched 1.1 innings on Friday and 1.2 on Sunday without allowing a run. That’s now 14 regular games and one exhibition game, totaling 24.2 innings. Some numbers from the regular games: eight hits, three walks, 30 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .103/.136/.115 against him in this time.
First baseman Chris DeVito picked up where he left off in the first half, with six hits in four games. DeVito is doing well in his first 41 games with Wilmington, but his .293/.339/.471 line is not as stupidly dominant as he was in his 30 at Lexington. Third baseman Wander Franco went 7-for-15 plus three walks. His double on Saturday was his 11th of the season.
Right-hander Scott Blewett punched out 12 and walked just one in six innings, with two runs allowed on four hits. That’s a career high, and his second consecutive start with double-digit Ks.
Low-A Lexington Legends (36-37)
Lexington’s week was only four games because of the All-Star break. Pitcher Jace Vines was the only Legend to appear in the game; he pitched one scoreless inning. Is a 1.000 slugging percentage sustainable? Second basemen Gabriel Cancel had that this (short) week, with all four of his hits going for extra bases. His two doubles brought his season total to a team-leading 16, and his home runs were his 6th and 7th of 2017.
Left-handed pitcher Garrett Davila pitched seven solid innings on Sunday. He gave up just a solo home run and one other hit, walked just one, and struck out six. It was the best start of the season for Davila, a 4th-round draft pick out of high school in 2015.
Others: Darrell Miller, Jr., whose dad played for the Angels and whose uncle Reggie was an NBA star, began his professional career going 10-for-13 with a home run for the Idaho Falls Chukars. Shortstop Ricky Aracena was sent to the Chukars and hit .385/.467/.731 with two home runs in his first week. Royals fourth-round pick Michael Gigliotti homered twice in his professional debut for Burlington. First baseman Dennicher Carrasco also homered twice this week for the B-Royals and is hitting .333. First-round pick Nick Pratto doubled last night for his first professional hit for the Arizona Summer League Royals, while second-rounder M.J. Melendez is 3-for-6 with a triple. Zane Evans pitched a scoreless inning for the ASL Royals, he is converting to the mound after spending four seasons as a catcher.
_____________________________________
As always - did you go to any minor league games this week?