Tyson Guerrero was named Texas League Pitcher of the Week
The AAA Omaha Storm Chasers went 3-3 this week, dropping 4.5 games behind in the second half. Despite this, they’ve secured a playoff spot after winning the division in the first half. Left-handed pitcher Noah Cameron made a notable Triple-A debut, going 6.2 innings, allowing just one earned run on seven hits, striking out ten without issuing a walk. Cameron, who missed some time earlier this season due to injury, has been strong since his return. While a major league debut this season is unlikely, he’s a player to watch for 2025.
Reliever Carlos Hernandez was flawless in his two appearances last week, retiring every batter he faced and striking out five. The Royals signed Dinelson Lamet to a minor-league deal on July 19. Lamet made a strong debut for Omaha, pitching five scoreless innings with one hit, one walk, and five strikeouts. His fastball and slider showed impressive spin, making him a potential bullpen prospect if he maintains these results.
The Storm Chasers’ offense was led by familiar faces. CJ Alexander drove in five runs with two home runs, including a grand slam on Sunday. Nick Loftin topped the team with six hits, batting .500 with a .538 on-base percentage and .500 slugging, all six hits being singles and no strikeouts. Outfielder Tyler Gentry had a strong week, hitting .263 with a .333 on-base percentage and .474 slugging, including a double and a home run.
Grand Slam: CJ’s Version 😎 pic.twitter.com/vL0woTTTaL
— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) August 4, 2024
The AA Northwest Arkansas Naturals went 4-2 this week, closing in on a playoff spot and now trailing by 2.5 games as the season’s final month begins. Shortstop Tyler Tolbert had a standout performance, leading the team with eight hits, including a home run, and stealing two bases. Javier Vaz hit an inside-the-park home run, contributing a .333/.429/.556 line with a team-high seven RBIs and three walks, all without a strikeout.
Outfielder River Town appeared in three games, leading the team with a 1.055 OPS, including a triple and a walk, while avoiding strikeouts. Catcher Carter Jensen, who moved up a level last month, has slugged .469 with two home runs in nine games. Despite a 12.8% walk rate, he has struggled with strikeouts, holding a 28.2% rate, which is understandable given he’s nearly 4.5 years younger than the average age for the level.
Left-handed pitcher Tyson Guerrero was named Texas League Pitcher of the Week after two starts in which he threw 13 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and three walks while striking out 11. Steven Zobac also excelled, not allowing an earned run in his start and striking out six. Reliever Eric Cerantola may have made his final Double-A appearance last week before being promoted to Triple-A Omaha on Monday, finishing his time with a 2.78 ERA and a 12.5 SO/9 rate.
The A+ Quad Cities River Bandits went 3-3 this week, with several lesser-known players stepping up. Justin Johnson, drafted by the Royals from Wake Forest last summer in the 10th round, has shown significant improvement recently. Over the past two weeks, he’s hit .442/.489/.605 with four doubles and a home run. Dustin Dickerson, an eighth-round pick last year, also had a solid week, batting .308 with four RBIs.
Shervyen Newton contributed seven hits, including a home run. Trevor Werner is regaining his form, hitting .333/.462/.524 with a double and a home run last week. Since just before the All-Star Break (July 9), Werner has posted a .290/.389/.461 line with five doubles and two home runs. This marks a notable turnaround after a challenging first half of the season.
Spencer Nivens gave us the lead, Shervyen Newton gave us the insurance
… and two more DEMOLISHED baseballs! 💥#BanditTogether🦝 pic.twitter.com/W1aBXBxXmT
— Quad Cities River Bandits (@QCRiverBandits) August 3, 2024
A+ Quad Cities River Bandits
Left-hander Frank Mozzicato led the Bandits with six strikeouts in his single start of the week, allowing two runs over six innings while walking just one batter. Ryan Ramsey also had a notable performance, delivering five scoreless innings with two hits allowed and five strikeouts. Starter Ethan Bosacker, quietly effective, permitted just one earned run in six innings during his start last week. Since his mid-season promotion to Quad Cities, Bosacker has posted a 1.69 ERA over four starts, throwing 70% strikes and walking only four batters in 21.1 innings.
A Columbia Fireflies
In a 3-3 week, Columbia saw standout performances from their starters. Emmanuel Reyes made two starts, totaling 11 innings and giving up just one run. Reyes allowed two hits and two walks while striking out nine. Since turning 20 in May, Reyes has been dominant, with 15 appearances and 72.1 innings pitched since May 1. His strikeout-to-walk ratio stands at 53:24, reflecting solid performance despite not being exceptionally impressive in that regard.
A Columbia Fireflies
Hiro Wyatt made a strong impression in his second appearance for Columbia, striking out six while allowing two hits and a walk over five scoreless innings.
The Fireflies’ offense was somewhat subdued this week, but Derlin Figueroa stood out with six hits, including a home run, and five walks. Outfielder Erick Torres added five hits and eight walks, finishing the week with a .238/.448/.429 line. Third baseman Brennon McNair showcased a power surge, slugging .714 with two home runs and three home runs over his last ten games. Catcher Blake Mitchell had a tough week, recording just two hits in five games.
Mitchell has struggled since the All-Star Break, batting .195 with a .212 BABIP and one home run over his last 13 games. Despite this, his strikeout rate has improved to 14.5%, along with a 21.8% walk rate. His strikeout rate has been trending down since May 15, sitting at 24.4% overall and 22.8% over the past two months.