AA Arkansas: 52 wins, 74 losses
Jeremy Moore, Of - (21 AB's) .524/.583/.857 with 2 trpl, 1 HR, 4 SB, 4 K/3 BB
Moore was the first Traveler to earn Texas League player of the week honors this year, and if you ask me, the award was overdue. The man has been on a tear going on three months now, mashing .365/.412/.581 since the allstar break in a miserable hitter's park. The key to his high batting average on balls in play is the groundball: he's hitting .351 when he makes contact on the ground, which is over a 100 points better than the average player and well above what even guys with good speed put up. There's undoubtedly some luck at work, but Moore's speed, athleticism and pop deserve much of the credit. He's turning into a very interesting player.
Trevor Reckling, lhsp - (1 start) 1 W, 9 IP, 7 hits, 2 ER, 5 K/3 BB
The line doesn't scream dominance, but inducing three double plays equates to its own kind of efficiency. He needed just 112 pitches to get through the Hooks' lineup four times. Overall, August has been unkind to Reckling, whose Saturday evening start was the first this month where he K'd more batters than he walked. About the only positive marker lately is a slight uptick in his groundball rate.
Roberto Lopez, C, Of - (16 AB's) .438/.591/.563 with 1 trpl, 3 K/6 BB
Lopez has struggled with the bat in AA, but I think the numbers will be adequate by the end of the year. He should hit, both this August and next year: He's got a simple, quick swing with enough pop to keep pitchers honest. In the meantime, he's made improvements on the defensive side, vastly increasing his versatility. Last week he played catcher twice, outfield twice, first base once, and filled in at first. His fielding stats at every position, including catcher, are adequate. Our next Rob Quinlan?
AAA Salt Lake Bees: 66 wins, 54 losses
Hank Conger, C - (20 AB's) .350/.409/.750 with 2 dbl, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 K/2 BB
Nice to see the power. He hasn't broken out this year, so will no doubt stay under the radar (relatively speaking) in the national prospect lists this offseason, but he remains VERY young for a catcher on the cusp of the majors. A consolidation season with the Bees would be helpful, but I expect him in Anaheim to stay by August of 2011.
Jason Bulger, rhrp - (3 appearances) 3 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 4 K/2 BB
With Walden's promotion, the Halos' bullpen is suddenly a crowded scene. Honestly, I don't think the Halos are cold blooded enough to release Scot Shields outright, so Bulger's going to have to wait until the rosters expand before he throws another pitch in the majors.
Paul McAnulty, Of, 1B - (23 AB's) .400/.423/.600 with 2 dbl, 1 HR, 1 K/1 BB
McAnulty's another guy who faces an uphill battle to return to the majors. Off the forty man roster now, he'll likely move on to another organization next year. He's done very good work for the Travs and the Bees though, and will rank among the most productive players in the Halos farm system when we compile the numbers in a couple of months.