Southern League Update: Jungmann Leads the Way
By JT Casalena
Jungmann Dominant In Two Starts
2011 1st Round Draftee Taylor Jungmann dominated in his two starts this week, throwing a combined fourteen innings, and not giving up an earned run. Even without putting up gaudy strikeout numbers, Jungmann was very effective, giving up a mere six hits combined this week. Jungmann came out with victories in both games, and has lowered his season ERA to 3.78 after both outings. Jungmann did walk six, but even with the free passes, his WHIP still resided under one for the week. Jungmann has been much better as of late, with a 3.03 ERA over his last 10 games, along with an opponent batting average of only .172. The Brewers have to be pleased with his progress as of late, and if he can continue progressing, he may be due for a promotion to Triple A-Nashville.
After a slow start to the season, Marlins prospect Kyle Jensen has heated up as of late. Jensen hit four homers this week in only five games, due to a suspended game today and a cancelled game on Thursday, both due to rain. Jensen drove in six runs in the five games, and added two doubles, all while batting .368. Jensen isn’t a big name prospect, but has a good power tool, and has now hit twelve homers on the year, after hitting twenty-four and twenty-seven the past two years. He is hitting .234 on the year, but has an on-base percentage of .354, much more respectable.
Mariners top pitching prospect, Taijuan Walker, has been having a great year for the Jackson Generals, posting a sparkling 2.52 ERA while striking out more than a batter per inning. His most recent performance may have been his best thus far, as on June 8th, Walker went 7.1 innings, struck out nine, while only giving up one run. He only gave up three hits, and perhaps most impressively, walked none. He threw ninety-one pitches during the start, sixty-three of them for strikes. The performance gave Taijuan the most strikeout’s in the league thus far, with seventy-seven on the season. This is Walker’s second year in the Southern League, after being aggressively moved up from the Low-A Midwest League, mainly to avoid what could be a disastrous situation of pitching in the extremely hitter friendly park of the High Desert Mavericks, the Mariners California League affiliate. Walker is a candidate for a promotion to Triple A later this season, and may be on his way to the majors in 2014.
Archie Bradley has been arguably the most impressive minor league player so far this season. The Diamondbacks prospect posted a 1.26 ERA in 28.2 IP in Class A California League, and since being promoted to the Southern Learn, has continued his stellar performance. Bradley’s ERA resides at a mere 1.13, and he has struck out more than one per inning. Bradley was named the Diamondbacks minor league pitcher of the month for May, in which he made six starts, half of them being scoreless appearances. Bradley figures to rise up prospect lists this summer, likely to a top ten position by the end of the year. With the Diamondbacks pitching depth, there is no need for them to rush Bradley, and he likely won’t see big league action until 2014.