Chris Pettit - (this week) .429/.484/.536 with 3 dbls, 8 RBI's, and 3 SB's
Pettit may not have hit .696 this week, like he did last week, but the man continues to rake. His hit streak currently stands at sixteen games.
Freddy Sandoval - (this week) .370/.393/.704 with 1 dbl, 1 trpl, 2 HR's, and 8 RBI's
Hitting in front of Pettit must have helped, but it was just a matter of time before Sandoval began mashing AAA pitching again. I'm not sure when he'll get his opportunity - the most likely scenario has him winning what's now Rob Quinlan's job next year. This week he played five games at 3rd and one game at 1st.
Brandon Wood - (this week) .294/.333/.529 with 1 dbl, 1 HR, and 1 SB
Not bad for a guy shaking off two wasted weeks on the bench and a demotion.
Rich Thompson - (this week) 5 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits, 6 K/2 BB
It's just a matter of time before Thompson returns to the bigs.
Dan Denham - (this year) 3.18 ERA.
I just wanted to mention Denham's strong start, because with his peripherals - more hits than innings pitched, more BB's than K's, and more flyballs than groundballs - he's going to come down to earth real soon. He currently leads the Bees in innings pitched, and in the PCL that deserves a huge slap on the back any day of the week.
Hank Conger - (this week) .346/.393/.538 with 2 dbls, 1 HR, and 1 SB
Conger had a good week both at the plate and behind it: he caught a season high 4 games, erased 3 of 6 would-be-base-stealers, and mashed. He's looked great all May.
Trevor Reckling - (this week) 7 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits, 7 K / 1 BB.
Another week, another dominant start.
Bryan Rembisz - (this week) 4 IP, 0 runs, 2 K.
The scoreless streak continues.
Ryan Mount (.267/.353/.467) and Ben Johnson (.286/.348/.476) were both solid this week, which is more important than it sounds due to Arkansas' struggles scoring runs.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, 11 and 19
Efren Navarro - (this week) .370/.433/.630 with 1 dbl and 2 HR's
Navarro's been the Quakes' most consistent producer in May. How long would Trumbo have to struggle before Navarro overtakes him on the depth chart? Probably all season, but I think it should be a more interesting question than that.
Mathew Sweeney - (this week) .353/.500/.471 with 2 dbls and 5 walks.
Sweeney was a beast out of the gate, slamming three homeruns in the first two weeks. He then slumped for the balance of April, but is showing signs of life again. Patience has never been a strong point of Sweeney's game, so I love the walks.
And that's it for the Quakes. They've really struggled so far, with inconsistent hitting and starting pitching compounded by weekly bullpen implosions. The lineup is better than this, but their rotation could really use another solid arm to fill Reckling's void.
Roberto Lopez - (this week) .417/.517/.667 with 3 dbls, 1 HR, and 1 SB
Lopez' release from extended spring training was exactly what the Kernel's hereto punchless line-up needed. Not only is he putting up the same Nintendo-caliber numbers as last year, his presence has breathed new life into guys like Gabriel Jacobo and Angel Castillo. It's no coincidence that those two began shaking off their early season rust right as Lopez punched in.
Lopez spent April learning to catch. That's not supposed to be his permanent home - it looks like he'll be a catcher in the same sense that Shawn Wooten and Rob Quinlan are catchers. He's only spent a few innings behind the dish for the Kernals so far, spending the rest of his time in left field, right field and first base. Lopez will turn 24 in August, so let's hope for his sake the Angels advance him quickly.
Angel Castillo - (this week) .370/.370/.481 with 1 HR and 1 SB
Castillo finally had some hits fall in. This week's 5 K to 0 BB ratio doesn't show it, but he's actually cut down on the K's, which should help the nineteen-year-old hit for better average as the season progresses.
Gabriel Jacobo - (this week) .280/.357/.560 with 2 dbls, 1 trpl, 1 HR, and 1 SB
Another beneficent of the Lopez effect, Jacobo hit for the cycle in an odd Friday / Saturday suspended game. He's another guy on this list who had a good week in the patience department, despite not generally being known for such things.
Beau Brooks - (this week) .429/.556/.857 with 2 HR
Brooks began the year as caddy for catcher Anel De Los Santos and occasional DH, but now it looks like he deserves a better gig. The Halos drafted him in the 20thround last year after a come-from-nowhere junior season at Troy University, where he belted 11 homeruns, but then Brooks managed just a .529 OPS across two rookie leagues. That's all in the past now, and catchers who hit for power from the left side don't grow on trees. I've got a very good feeling about him - at 21, he's about the same age as when Mike Napoli's power began to emerge. I'm going to keep an eye on him.