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Pittsburgh Pirates minor leaguers own leaderboards

By Brody Hilgenkamp

Mar 3, 2016; Bradenton, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell (55) during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 3, 2016; Bradenton, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell (55) during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

The top 15 hitters in OPS in the Texas League are populated by hitters who play positions that traditionally provide lots of power. Most are outfielders or first baseman, plus Houston Astros shortstop Alex Bregman, who might win Minor League Player of the Year.

There is one outlier in the group, and that’s Dodgers second base prospect Willie Calhoun. Calhoun is a 2015 fourth round draft pick out of Yavapai College, and the 5 foot, 8 inch second baseman is slugging with the best of them.

Calhoun was the TL Player of the Week last week, and the award highlights Calhoun’s improvement as the season has progressed. At the end of April, he was slashing .244/.298/.372 with two home runs. In May, he improved dramatically and hit .284/.345/.529 and hit five home runs. So far in June, he’s been even hotter, and entering Wednesday he was slashing .286/.386/.653 with five home runs, giving him 12 on the year and the league’s seventh best wOBA (.370).

Bregman is the best player in the league, and even though Calhoun’s numbers aren’t quite as gaudy, he shows some of the same skills. The most notable of those skills is the high rate at which both players put the ball in play: Bregman has the lowest strikeout rate in the league (8.7%), and Calhoun is fourth (12.5%).

Rays shortstop prospect Willy Adames is having a career year for the Montgomery Biscuits. MLB.com No. 73 prospect was a career .261/.364/.404 hitter entering 2016, but his .285/.381/.504 line this season is easily his best yet. His .405 wOBA entering Wednesday was tied for fourth in the Southern League.

Minor league hitters beware, because San Francisco Giants pitcher Tyler Beede appears to have gained control of his lighting arm. After walking 4.35 hitters per nine innings in Double-A last season, Beede has cut that rate down to 2.08. The 2014 First Round draft pick has gone at least six innings in each of his last five starts.

Next: Class A Advanced

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