Oof…this was a rough week for most of the pitchers, as everyone got smacked around a bit…except Mason Black.  So at least there’s one good pitching performance to celebrate this week!  But at least you’ve also got Marco Luciano doing the best he’s done all year!

Top Prospect Watch

#1: Kyle Harrison

This Week (AAA): 27.00 ERA, 3.86 WHIP – 2.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 HR, 2 BB, 2 SO

Season (AAA): 4.53 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, .194 Avg – 15 G, 15 GS, 49.2 IP, 35 H, 26 R, 25 ER, 8 HR, 39 BB, 82 SO

Well, bad games are going to happen.  Well, this was possibly the worst of Kyle Harrison’s young career.  He just got hit hard, giving up three home runs in one game.  Let’s just move on, and hope this turns around quickly this week.

#2: Marco Luciano 

This Week (AA): .389/.500/.667 – 7-18, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 BB, 8 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA

Season (AA): .218/.335/.468 – 34-156, 9 2B, 0 3B, 10 HR, 29 BB, 58 SO, 5-5 SB-SBA

On the flip side, Marco Luciano had one of his best weeks of the season, highlighted by a 3-hit game on Saturday.  It’s great to see Luciano bringing up his batting average after his slow start.  It’ll take a lot of work for his numbers to get back up to above-average after that start, but he’s on his way.

#3: Casey Schmitt

This Week (MLB): .000/.444/.000 – 0-5, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 BB, 3 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Season (AAA): .313/.352/.410 – 42-134, 10 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 8 BB, 28 SO, 3-3 SB-SBA

Season (MLB): .256/.296/.368 – 34-133, 9 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 5 BB, 32 SO, 2-3 SB-SBA

Yeah…Schmitt continues to struggle, not picking up a single hit this week, but also not starting regularly recently.  He’s been able to grab a few walks at least, and the strikeouts slipped, but he obviously hasn’t had any contact lately.

#4: Grant McCray

This Week (High-A): .217/.296/.217 – 5-23, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 BB, 8 SO, 2-3 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .230/.331/.381 – 62-270, 9 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 38 BB, 96 SO, 29-35 SB-SBA

McCray had another week that was just average.  Some hits, some walks, a bit of strikeouts, and some steals.  The breakout we’d hoped to have seen in May has cooled off, unfortunately.

#5: Carson Whisenhunt

This Week (AA): 13.50 ERA, 3.00 WHIP – 2.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 3 SO

Season (Low-A): 3.29 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, .231 Avg – 4 G, 4 GS, 13.2 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 20 SO

Season (High-A): 1.42 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, .107 Avg – 6 G, 6 GS, 25.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 36 SO

Season (AA): 5.91 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .262 Avg – 3 G, 3 GS, 10.2 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 15 SO

It was a rough one for Whisenhunt this week, as his this game in Double-A was full of a ton of hits.  Still, Whisenhunt has been picked for the MLB All-Star Futures game in a couple of weeks, so he’s left a huge impact on the team.

#6: Vaun Brown

This Week (AA): .273/.304/.455 – 6-22, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 0 BB, 8 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA

Season (Low-A): .412/.500/.529 – 7-17, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 BB, 5 SO, 3-3 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .300/.391/.550 – 6-20, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 5 SO, 2-2 SB-SBA

Season (AA): .245/.321/.429 – 24-98, 5 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 8 BB, 39 SO, 6-6 SB-SBA

After a slump the last couple of weeks, Brown has started to come alive again, finishing the week with back-to-back 2-hit games.  If this is the end of Brown’s slump, it’s a great sign that he was able to overcome some adversity very quickly, because making adjustments is what baseball players need to do.

#7: Luis Matos

This Week (MLB): .217/.250/.348 – 5-23, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA

Season (AA): .304/.398/.443 – 35-115, 7 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 17 BB, 12 SO, 9-13 SB-SBA

Season (AAA): .398/.435/.685 – 43-108, 6 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 7 BB, 8 SO, 6-7 SB-SBA

Season (MLB): .282/.378/.385 – 11-39, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 6 BB, 4 SO, 2-2 SB-SBA

Luis Matos didn’t have the strongest week in the big leagues, but he continues to acquit himself well overall in the big leagues after his callup.  The lack of power may haunt him, but he’s putting up efficient at-bats almost every time, and that’s going to be his strength long-term.

#8: Aeverson Arteaga

This Week (High-A): .211/.318/.368 – 4-19, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 BB, 2 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .212/.299/.368 – 53-250, 12 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 28 BB, 69 SO, 5-7 SB-SBA

Look at those numbers…almost spot on averages for both the week and the season for Arteaga.  Although he had some good offensive numbers at the lowest levels, this might be more the Arteaga to expect, a light-hitting, excellent defensive shortstop.

#9: Cole Waites

This Week (AAA): 0.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 0 SO

Season (AAA): 5.84 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, .242 Avg – 26 G, 3 GS, 24.2 IP, 23 H, 16 R, 16 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 23 SO

Season (MLB): 15.43 ERA, 3.43 WHIP, .462 Avg – 3 G, 0 GS, 2.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 2 SO

Only one game in for Cole Waites this week, but it was a good single inning of work.  Still, the lack of strikeouts from Waites is concerning after last season, but at least he’s finding ways to be effective.

#10: Mason Black

This Week (AA): 0.00 ERA, 0.86 WHIP – 9.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 11 SO

Season (AA): 4.00 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, .212 Avg – 14 G, 14 GS, 54.0 IP, 42 H, 26 R, 24 ER, 7 HR, 20 BB, 66 SO

Two starts for Mason Black this week, and two more shutout starts.  Black seems to have finally found his groove and has turned his season around since the start of the season.  Can he keep it rolling?

System Risers (To be chosen and replaced after each month)

Tyler Fitzgerald

This Week (AAA): .200/.238/.200 – 4-20, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 BB, 7 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA

Season (AA): .324/.410/.588 – 22-68, 6 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 9 BB, 22 SO, 3-3 SB-SBA

Season (AAA): .294/.363/.488 – 47-160, 5 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 18 BB, 41 SO, 13-15 SB-SBA

A bit of a soft week for Fitzgerald after the last couple of weeks of strong performances, but it wasn’t that bad.  There’s a good chance that Fitzgerald is next in line among position players to make it to the big leagues, and he feels like a perfect Kapler type of player.

Wade Meckler

This Week (AA): .421/.542/.526 – 8-19, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 BB, 3 SO, 1-2 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .456/.494/.633 – 36-79, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 BB, 9 SO, 2-3 SB-SBA

Season (AA): .355/.459/.419 – 22-62, 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 12 BB, 9 SO, 2-3 SB-SBA

What a week for Wade Meckler, though most of Wade’s strong hitting numbers came from a 5-for-5 day.  Still, Meckler is putting it together in Double-A, which is fantastic for a 8th round pick in his first pro season.

Patrick Bailey

This Week (MLB): .400/.409/.550 – 8-20, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Season (AA): .333/.400/.481 – 18-54, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 6 BB, 13 SO, 2-2 SB-SBA

Season (AAA): .216/.317/.353 – 11-51, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 BB, 15 SO, 1-1 SB-SBA

Season (MLB): .323/.352/.535 – 32-99, 7 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 4 BB, 26 SO, 0-0 SB-SBA

Patrick Bailey continues to just impress offensively in the big leagues, and has really taken a hold of the reigns of the catching role.  Will he continue to hold onto it?

Carter Howell

This Week (High-A): .261/.292/.348 – 6-23, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 BB, 7 SO, 0-1 SB-SBA

Season (Low-A): .337/.398/.500 – 60-178, 9 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 17 BB, 39 SO, 8-11 SB-SBA

Season (High-A): .286/.363/.429 – 26-91, 5 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 11 BB, 23 SO, 2-4 SB-SBA

Carter Howell seems to have equalized out a bit after his promotion to Eugene, but at the end of the day, he’s still one of the most effective hitters on the High-A roster right now.

Hayden Birdsong

This Week (High-A): 24.00 ERA, 2.67 WHIP – 3.0 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 3 SO

Season (Low-A): 2.16 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, .218 Avg – 12 G, 10 GS, 41.2 IP, 34 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 0 HR, 22 BB, 70 SO

Season (High-A): 10.29 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, .296 Avg – 2 G, 2 GS, 7.0 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 6 SO

Ouch…Birdsong’s second game at the High-A level was very, very rough.  That seems to have been the theme of the week.  But hopefully it’s just a blip for Birdsong.