Minor League Report: April 30-May 6, 2012

Iowa Cubs - After a terrible 1 for 5 game with 4 strikeouts, Brett Jackson rebounded Sunday with a solid 2 for performance with a home run and a walk in Iowa’s 12-4 loss to New Orleans.  Anthony Rizzo went 0 for 2 with 2 walks in the game and Josh Vitters went 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.  Jackson is batting .259, Rizzo .364, and Vitters .241.  Potential call-up Adrian Cardenas, claimed off waivers from Oakland in the off-season is batting .319.  Luis Valbuena, who was claimed from Cleveland and who lasted on the MLB roster for just one day, is batting .313.

Tennessee Smokies - Trey McNutt is by far the most highly touted prospect in Tenessee, and at first glance, his numbers don’t disappoint as he has posted a 1.56 ERA.  However, he hasn’t lasted long in his five starts.  With five starts, McNutt has pitched just 17.1 innings, meaning that he has average just 3.42 innings per start.

Daytona Cubs - Winning today’s game 5-4, Daytona won their previous game 11-1.  Matt Szczur is batting just .239, but a third of his hits have been for extra bases.  Fellow outfielders Rubi Silva, John Andreoli, and Nelson Perez are hitting well, with batting averages of .320, .315, and .307 respectively.

Peoria Chiefs - More surprising than any Peoria player’s individual performance (besides perhaps Gerardo Concepcion‘s poor start), the Chiefs have played absolutely terrible as of late.  Dropping 2 of 3 to the Kane County Cougars to begin the month, the Chiefs played even worse against the Quad Cities River Bandits.  The Chiefs lost 20-5 on Saturday and not much better on Sunday, losing 9-2.