Quick, can you name the batting average leader for the Midwest League (entering play Wednesday)? How about if I give you a hint: It’s a Single-A league. How about now? One more hint: He plays in the Detroit Tigers organization.
I’ll reveal the answer in a moment. If you already know the right answer, I’m very impressed.
For whatever reason, the lower levels of the minors are largely neglected in terms of news coverage. I’ve been giving weekly updates on Advanced-A ball this season, but even I must admit I recognize far more names in Double- and Triple-A than I do any other level. Unless you live near a minor league ballpark and regularly attend games, you probably don’t know the names of very many players either.
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One reason is that players who play in these leagues, regardless of how talented they are, are still a couple years from the majors. With the exception of the Kris Bryant’s of the world, players spend a couple full seasons riding buses to towns with names like Burlington and Cedar Rapids. I’m sure their beautiful towns, but they’re obviously not a final destination.
Another reason is that players at the lower levels of the minors don’t have an extensive portfolio of work with which to gauge their future. A player with two successful seasons in a lower level doesn’t make a prospect. Two poor seasons don’t stymie a prospect either; just ask Bubba Starling.
With that in mind, I’d like to highlight some interesting names who are playing in Single-A. I’ll start with position players and get to the pitchers in the coming days. We’ll start in the Midwest League.
Next: Meet Michael Gerber and Derek Fisher
The answer to the question I posed at the beginning of this post is Michael Gerber. He is currently hitting .364 and is tied for the lead in Runs Batted In with 25 for the West Michigan Whitecaps, for whom he plays right field. He was a 15th round pick by the Tigers out of Creighton University in 2014. As a Blue Jay, he slashed .274 AVG/ .329 OBP/ .500 SLG with 11 home runs in 2014 and then followed that up with an impressive .298/.367/.492/ 7 HR line in 65 games in the minors.
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Gerber’s success is due to his impressive batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and strikeout rate: his .349 BABIP and 18.3 K% from 2014 are both stellar numbers and they’ve translated into 2015, where they stand at .394 and 12.1 entering play Wednesday.
Leftfielder Derek Fisher of the Quad Cities River Bandits is near the top of most offensive leaderboards as well: He’s hitting .337 (fourth), is tied for third in OBP (.442), and leads the league in slugging (.607) and his five home runs are tied for second.
This comes after an equally impressive 2014, when he hit .303/.378/.408 with 17 stolen bases in 41 games with one game in Rookie Ball notwithstanding. Interestingly, he’s only stolen three bases thus far. Apparently he’s opting for power instead, since he hit only two home runs in 2014.
The two outfielders mentioned above are off to good starts in their first full professional season. The next two aren’t.
Alex Jackson and Monte Harrison are both among the top three of their respective franchises’ prospect list according to MLB.com: Jackson is Seattle’s top overall prospect and Harrison is third for the Brewers. Jackson, a first round pick in 2014, is hitting an abysmal .157 and has struck out 35 times in 28 games. Harrison is hitting .155 with 44 Ks in 24 games. Both are regarded as incredible athletes; Harrison is considered the best overall athlete in the Brewers’ system by some; so the two are just getting used to the rigors of being an minor league player. Keep an eye on them as the season moves into the summer.
Next: Who Does the SAL Have to Offer?
In the South Atlantic League, Luke Tendler is doing his best Mike Piazza impersonation. Tendler was a 29th-round pick out of North Carolina A&T by the Texas Rangers. He hit .350/ .389/ .571 with seven home runs for the Aggies in 2014 and promptly his .316/ .390/ .531 with 11 home runs in 67 games at Single-A Short Season Spokane.
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Based on the way he’s hitting thus far in 2015, that performance wasn’t a fluke. His at-bats-per-home run are virtually unchanged from last season; 23.3 in 2014, 23.8 in 2015; and even if his ridiculous .405 BABIP takes a significant tumble he could still easily match last season’s .348. Keep an eye on his K%, which has jumped nearly eight points. Of course, it’s still too early to tell, but it’s encouraging to see a late-round pick enjoy success.
Venezuelan centerfielder Carlos Tocci, 19, is making waves for the Lakewood BlueClaws. Already playing in his fourth minor league season, Tocci is second in the league in batting (.347) and third in OBP (.419). This is Tocci’s third season playing for Lakewood, and considering his youth, his combined .226 average and .280 OBP the past two seasons are understandable. This time around, he’s gotten the best of opposing pitchers: his BABIP is up 91 points and his strikeout rate is down from 17.8 to 9.9 percent of his plate appearances. The BABIP will certainly come down, but if he keeps his Ks down as well, he will continue to have offensive success.
Lastly, Rafael Devers of the Red Sox organization breaks the chain of outfielders to make the list. Devers, the Red Sox’s fifth overall prospect according to MLB.com, is entering his name into the candidacy for best hitter in the organization. Devers is batting an impressive .324/.339/.476 with two home runs. Last season, his first as a professional, he hit .322/.404/.506 with seven homers in 70 games. He is striking out in a very manageable 19.3 percent of his plate appearances, which is helpful considering he’s only drawn two walks in 109 plate appearances. That could become problematic as the season progresses, but keep an eye on Devers to rake the whole season.