Minor League Report: April 23-29, 2012
And the third installment of the Minor League Report… with our top prospect struggling.
Iowa Cubs – Top Prospects Going In Different Directions
Offensively, Anthony Rizzo is continuing his hot streak, batting .378 with 7 homers and an OPS over 1.000. Meanwhile, Vitters is having a sub-par season at the plate, while Brett Jackson is batting just .233. However, in Jackson’s case, his OBP is still almost a 100 points higher than his batting average, so he has still be somewhat productive at the plate despite his major contact issues. Defensively, it is another story, as Rizzo leads the team with 5 errors and Vitters has 4, while Jackson has yet to have a (recorded) mishap in Center Field. The I-Cubs sit at 2nd place in the division with a 9-13 record, but are 7 games behind the division-leading Omaha Storm Chasers.
Tennessee Smokies – At Least Their Outfielders Have Combined For More Than One Homer
No position player that has played over 5 games for Tennessee is batting over .300, but pitchers Trey McNutt, Alberto Cabrera, Ryan Searle, and Frank Batista have started their seasons with dominating stat lines. The Smokies are tied for last place in the Southern League Northern Division, sitting 6 games behind the division-leading Jackson Generals.
Daytona Cubs – Statistical Anomalies
The defending Florida State League Champion Daytona Cubs have been a statistical anomaly in 2012. Top Prospect Matt Szczur is hitting just .233, reminiscent of another top outfield prospect in Iowa, while Cuban import Rubi Silva is batting .319. Nelson Perez is batting just .261. However, he has made that 26% count, with an outstanding .402 OBP that is 141 points higher than his batting average, and a .924 OPS. Daytona sits 11 games out of first and in dead last in their division. There’s always next half, right?
Peoria Chiefs – Last Place, Like The Whole Organization
Down this low in the system, the stat lines don’t matter too much. However, one should keep an eye on Michael Jensen, PJ Francescon, and Kyler Burke on the mound, and Oliver Zapata behind the plate. The Chiefs sit in last place, but just 3 games out of first. Additionally, Gerardo Concepcion, the big off-season acquisition from Cuba made his professional debut. Concepcion was roughed up in the first inning, giving up five runs, but proceeded to tally four scoreless innings afterward.
The Chicago Cubs, Tennessee Smokies, Daytona Cubs, and Peoria Chiefs are all in last place. Only the Iowa Cubs saved this organization from being last across the board.