Okay, we couldn’t find a photo of Hessman in our photo library but that’s International League Player of the Week, Francisco Peguero in the photo.
League awards
Francisco Peguero of the Norfolk Tides (BAL) took home the Player of the Week Award thanks to a huge week that included four multi-hit games and an 11 for 24 run that included three doubles. Peguero, just a few days shy of his 26th birthday, is showing that his excellent 2013 numbers weren’t a Pacific Coast League mirage, hitting .338/.387/.397 over 16 games with the Tides and earned his first Triple-A Player of the Week honors.
The Pitcher of the Week is Syracuse Chiefs (WAS) 25-year-old righty Taylor Hill. The Vanderbilt product was the Nationals’ sixth round pick of the 2011 draft and has steadily moved up the minor leagues, reaching Triple-A briefly last season. So far this year, Hill has been dominant, posting a 1.63 ERA, 0.96 WHIP with 47 strikeouts and just eight walks in 60 2/3 innings. He made two appearances this week, combining for 11 shutout innings, allowing just 11 hits and one walks with six strikeouts. Hill hasn’t allowed a run since May 9 and has been one of the best pitchers for the Chiefs this year.
Division Leaders
The race in the North is heating up with the surging Rochester Red Wings (MIN) jumping up to take a share of the lead from the Buffalo Bisons (TOR) and the Syracuse Chiefs riding a hot streak to move within a half game of the division lead. Rochester has been getting it done with pitching, posting the league’s lowest runs per game ratio at 3.55 to go along with their league-low 3.14 ERA. The Bisons recently fortified their team, promoting two key players from Double-A New Hampshire (RHP Deck McGuire and C A.J. Jimenez) and added three players in trades (C Hector Gimenez, RHP P.J. Walters and CF Melky Mesa).
In the South, the Durham Bulls (TB) have reclaimed the top spot after going 7-3 in their last ten and lead the Gwinnett Braves (ATL) by 2.5 games. Durham still has one of the best pitching staffs in the league, leading in WHIP (1.22) and strikeouts (483, leading by 80 over their nearest competitors). Durham also boasts a very solid offense with the #2 OPS and OBP in the league and hitting the third most home runs.
Things are pretty stable in the West with Gregory Polanco-led Indianapolis Indians (PIT) in first place by a comfortable 5 games.
Individual Accomplishments
Orioles’ righty Kevin Gausman earned his first win of the season with a 6 1/3 inning performance in which he only allowed four hits, no walks and three strikeouts. Buffalo’s Kyle Drabek (TOR), had an even more dominant performance on May 22, throwing eight shutout innings, allowing just two hits and two walks to the Louisville Bats with five strikeouts.
Some of the biggest news in minor league baseball this week happened when 36-year-old, right-handed hitting Mike Hessman smashed his 400th minor league home run as a member of the Toledo Mud Hens. Hessman has only accumulated 250 major league plate appearances (with 14 home runs) over five intermittent big league seasons that span 2003 to 2010 but his minor league career dates back to 1996 after being drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 15th round that year. Since hitting his 400th, he’s hit two more and is now just one big fly away from tying Ollie Carnegie’s International League all-time home run record of 258.