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| Photo by USA Today |
Syracuse Chiefs – 5-1 (2nd in Intl. League North)
Offensive Player of the Week
Shortstop Zach Walters carried over his strong spring with an unbelievable first week with the Chiefs. Through his first six games, Walters has four home runs (three of them solo shots) with an OPS of 1.141. Considering Walters established a career high last season with 12 homers, it will be interesting to see how many he ends up with this season. The 23-year-old is already a third of the way there and could be showing power potential yet unsurfaced.
Pitcher of the Week
Right-hander Tanner Roark had a tremendous start against Lehigh Valley on Friday with no hits allowed and seven strikeouts. He took the win after pitching just six innings, likely because it is so early in the year. But for a guy who had trouble in Triple-A last season (6-17, 4.39 ERA), it was a great start for his season.
Notes
- Both Corey Brown and Mike Costanzo had a pair of home runs this week, contributing to a Chiefs team with 11 total blasts through their first six games.
- Ross Ohlendorf has already picked up two wins this year allowing just two earned runs through 11 innings of work.
- Micah Owings already has a home run and six RBI through five games, making the case to be the next guy called up when the Nats need a bat off the bench.
Harrisburg Senators – 3-3 (4th in Eastern League Western)
Offensive Player of the Week
Outfielder Steven Souza, Jr. has started his season off well after impressing in minor league camp with the Nationals this spring. Through six games he already has eight walks to match a home run, five runs and seven hits. His on-base percentage over the past few seasons has been impressive and his .577 mark so far continues that trend.
Pitcher of the Week
23-year-old Paul Demny had a nice outing against Bowie in his first game of the year. He went five innings with just two hits allowed and one earned run. He walked two and struck out six en route to his first victory of the season.
Notes
- Matt Skole will be out for the foreseeable future with a microfracture in his left wrist. Mike Rizzo told Mark Zuckerman on Tuesday that Skole will seek a second opinion before any timetable for return is finalized.
- The Nats’ 2012 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Nathan Karns, got roughed up in his first outing with seven earned runs in 2 1/3 innings vs. New Britain.
Hagerstown Suns – 3-3 (4th in South Atlantic League Northern)
Offensive Player of the Week
Outfielder Brandon Miller, 23, is off to a hot start at the plate with a team-leading 13 total bases through his first six games. He has recorded a hit in the Suns’ last five outings and has a home run and two RBI so far. This is Miller’s first stint at the Single-A level after being drafted by Washington in the fourth round of the 2012 draft.
Pitcher of the Week
2011 ninth round pick Dixon Anderson has been great through two starts this year having allowed just three earned runs through 11 innings pitched. Perhaps most impressive is his nine strikeouts to just one walk, with a .195 opponent’s batting average to complement. The 23-year-old UC-Berkeley product could be one to watch this season.
Notes
- 2012 third round pick Brett Mooneyham (Stanford) had a strong outing against Delmarva with one earned run and three hits in four innings. The 6-foot-5 lefty could also be an underrated pitching prospect in store for the Nats.
- 23-year-old first baseman Mike McQuillan has recorded at least one RBI in four of the team’s five games this season.
Potomac Nationals – 2-3 (last in Carolina League North)
Offensive Player of the Week
24-year-old Jason Martinson, a fifth round pick of the Nats in 2010, has scorched out of the gate with three home runs and eight RBI in his first five games. It’s just one week, but he is slugging 1.176 with a team-best 20 total bases. He has also scored at least one run in each of the games he has played.
Pitcher of the Week
Taylor Jordan, 24, is off to a nice start to 2013 after throwing five innings of scoreless vs. Lynchburg. After a fantastic 2011 season Jordan struggled last year so we’ll see if he can keep it up.
Notes
- Outfielder Caleb Ramsey also has multiple homers already with longballs in each of his last two games against Salem.
- Pitcher A.J. Cole had a rough season debut with four earned runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings against Lynchburg.
16 comments:
Speaking of minor leagues . . .
I read a fantastic trivia stat last week.
Get this:
If Bryce Harper were in AA (not AAA), he'd be the third youngest guy in all of AA-baseball.
Yowza!
who are the two guys ahead of him?
Speaking of Zach Walters...he is one Davey's favorites.
It was Davey that gave him some batting tips in ST.
GoooooNats Scouts.....they had to be instrumental in getting Zach from the DBacks for Marquis. Not enough said about these unsung heroes.
Now if Zach can just not piss of JWerth with his green shoelaces, he'd be all set for the Bigs! LOL
One of these days I'm going down to Potomac to see Billy Burns play. Last night he had 3 hits and a walk to raise his BA to .550. He is also reputedly the fastest guy in the entire Nats organization, anywhere.
Not bad for a 2011 32nd round pick, the 967th guy selected overall. I don't know how the Nats find these guys, but they do. Billy grew up with Matt Skole and they remain good friends. Maybe Matt clued the Nats in on Burns.
He has no power, but neither does Denard Span. Burns is a proficient base stealer and a natural leadoff guy, like Span, but faster. Stranger things have happened, like Mike Piazza not being drafted, at all. I love stories like this one, and would love to see the kid make it.
Wonk, I only see one guy in Texas League whose BD is after Harper, by one day.
Laddie BB, I'm pretty impressed with Billy Burns, too, though the book on him is he's strictly a CF,{not a corner OF guy], and he should be playing at a higher level at his age. I have heard he is a fantastic fielder and, like you, I have heard he is lightning fast.
just going by stats, this guy can possibly be in AA by the end of this season which isn't terrible for a 23-24 year old.
by the way, span did have 38 doubles last season which I think is pretty good.
Kind of weird that the post uses Eury's picture, but doesn't mention his 23 game hitting streak or .379 BA.
Wonk, I only see one guy in Texas League whose BD is after Harper, by one day.
Wow. I don't know the specifics -- it was just a claim by one of the regular columnists (and I can't remember who: Boswell, Wise, Kilgore -- one of them)
How long ago did you see it? They might have been promoted or flamed out by now.
An FYI to all the STHs on here, the unusued ticket exchange now appears to be up and running. It now includes last week's games. Since technically you're supposed to exchange unused tickets within 5 days of the game you missed, I'd do those exchanges right away before whatever grace period they've decided on for the first week's games expires.
I saw Billy Burns play on Sunday. He got on base 4 times, I think. But then, walks aren't particularly exciting to watch. The third baseperson did play a couple-three steps in on the grass, though; he was the closest I can remember seeing, other than an obvious sacrifice situation. (That's when Burns was batting lefty. When he batted right, the guy moved back to the edge of the grass.)
Funny thing: watching baserunning and outfield drills (specifically, going back on flies) in Viera, I can't believe anyone is faster than Michael Taylor. The man just covers ground. Burns, in fact, looked the worst of the outfielders we saw on that one drill. I doubt that that means anything, though: they were using a ball-launching machine, not reading off the bat; and all the players had a hard time waiting for the ball to actually launch. If Burns was waiting longer than the others -- i.e., not anticipating -- he would have looked worse on the back end.
Zach Walters? Better than Jeff Kobernus? I don't think so Chase? What teams are you watching?
And yes former 2nd round pick Jeff Kobernus is still a prospect.
The columnist or the player?
Sec. 3, My Untucked Sofa said...
How long ago did you see it? They might have been promoted or flamed out by now.
April 10, 2013 3:06 PM
Me, I like everybody.
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
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