Feb 27, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco (62) runs against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
We take a look at the Triple-A International League after two weeks of play.
Who’s Hot?
The Durham Bulls – Winners of six in a row, the Bulls are now 9-3 after Mikie Mahtook rapped out five hits while the pitching staff combined for a three-hitter on Monday. As is the case with early-season small sample sizes, Mahtook raised his batting average over 80 points to .356 with one game. The club is tied atop the league standings in runs scored and is leading outright in hits and total bases. The pitching staff has the best ERA in the International League (2.92) and has a giant lead in strikeouts (130, 30 more than its closest competitor).
The Indianapolis Indians – Despite a loss on Monday, the Indianapolis Indians have won five of their last seven and have a 9-2 record. While the pitching has been just ok, the offense has been stellar, led by Gregory Polanco.
Gregory Polanco (Indianapolis) – Polanco leads the league in batting average at a whopping .465 right now. The 22 year old is also second in OPS in the league (1.255) and has hit safely in 10 straight games (the entire season outside of the first game).
Jesus Aguilar (Columbus) – Aguilar has only failed to hit once in the last ten games and has thumped three home runs and four doubles to lead the leage in OPS (1.266).
Ernesto Mejia (Gwinnett) leads the league in home runs with six while J.D. Martinez (Toledo) is right behind him with five.
Chase d’Arnaud (Indianapolis) may only have 22 at bats but he leads the league with six stolen bases.
Scott Carroll (Charlotte) – Carroll, 29, has the most innings in the league without allowing a run with 19. More of a finesse guy than a power guy, Carroll has allowed only 12 hits and five walks in those 19 innings but has struck out only 9. He is getting a tremendous number of ground balls with a 2.64 Ground-Out to Air-Out ratio.
Jeff Francis (Louisville) – Biding his time in Triple-A, 34-year-old veteran Francis is tied for the league lead in strikeouts at 17 with just two walks in 16 innings. While he’s tied with Tampa Bay prospect Nate Karns with those 17 Ks (Karns needed only 12 1/3 innings to reach that number), he’s posted a 1.69 ERA to Karns’s 8.76. Jake Brigham (Indianapolis) has 16 Ks but in just 10 1/3 innings.
Who’s Not?
The Syracuse Chiefs (WAS), Columbus Clippers (CLE) and Norfolk Tides (BAL) are all sitting with three wins. Lehigh Valley (PHI) has the worst offense in the league (.600 OPS).
The Columbus Clippers have also given up the most runs in the league and have, by far, the worst ERA at 5.48. The Pawtucket Red Sox have walked the most batters with 60 and have only struck out 90 batters.
Despite sharing the league lead in strikeouts, Nate Karns (Durham) also leads the league in walks with 12 in 12 1/3 innings.
Omar Poveda (Syracuse) has the highest ERA in the league with a 14.63 mark. Small sample sizes are fun!
There’s the “Mendoza Line” (.200) but hovering around the .100 mark are Jordan Lennerton (two hits in 26 at bats for a .077 BA), Maikel Franco (Lehigh Valley) (.098) and Kevin Pillar (Buffalo) (.105).
Weird Stat of the Week
Jordan Lennerton (Toledo) has just two hits for a batting average of just .077 but has taken 13 walks and has an OBP of .385.