This final minor league includes stat leaders at each level. For eligibility, batting AVG and OBP required a minimum of 100 ABs at that level. Pitcher leaders required a minimum of 20 innings or 5 starts for starters.
Affiliate Teams (from AAA to Rookie):
Note: I won't be showing the "duds" for the rookie leagues unless they are top prospects or top draft picks. A lot of the guys in the rookie leagues are young and adjusting to pro ball. Many of them never make it past rookie ball, and even the truly gifted ones can have bad weeks, months, etc.
* Player is in the top 10 on the Halos Heaven top prospects list
AZL Angels
(finished 2nd at 15-12 in first half)
(finished 3rd at 15-13 in second half)
Tempe, AZ
Level = Rookie, Arizona League (hitter friendly)
Stat Leaders:
AVG: Gleyvin Pineda .316
OBP: Gleyvin Pineda .397
HR: Jo Adell, Jimmy Barnes 4
SB: Nonie Williams 11
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ERA: Austin Krzeminski 1.78
ERA Starter: Johnny Morell 1.95
WHIP: Austin Krzeminski 1.022
WHIP Starter: Wilkel Hernandez 1.040
K/9: Jorge Tavarez 13.9
Studs:
Gleyvin Pineda (2B, 21), Pineda was much improved from his 2016 season with the AZL Angels. He led the team in AVG and OBP but is also a bit old for the Arizona League. He should move to Orem and/or Burlington next year if he keeps improving. Pineda was signed out of the DR in 2015.
Wilkel Hernandez (RHP, 18), was signed out of Venezuela in 2016 and played last year for the DSL Angels. He had a .161 BAA, 1.04 WHIP and 2.61 ERA.
Austin Krzeminski (RHP, 20), Austin who? The Angels signed him as an undrafted free agent and in 30.1 innings he had a 1.78 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. He didn’t allow a single home run and walked only 3 batters. Not bad for an undrafted dude. We’ll see what he can do in his sophomore effort.
Others:
Nonie Williams (SS, 19), This 3rd round pick from 2016 has still not adjusted well to pro pitching. In 2017 he had a .220 AVG with a .286 OBP and 53 Ks in 43 games. He did hit about 25 points higher in the second half so hopefully is starting to adapt. HIs splits are pretty dramatic as he had a .300 AVG against lefties and .195 vs. righties
DSL Angels
(35-35, 3rd place)
Dominican Republic
Level = Rookie, Dominican Summer League South
Note: The DSL is a mix of high school and junior college type players. As such, pitchers generally have less control and velocity, and hitters tend to have less power since players at this age and level are not yet full developed. Take that in to account when looking at DSL stats.
Stat Leaders:
AVG: Oliver Carmona .281
OBP: Oliver Carmona .393
HR: Christian Gomez 4
SB: Daniel Ozoria 21
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ERA: Emilker Guzman 1.02
ERA Starter: Rafael Fortunato 2.56
WHIP: Emilker Guzman 1.02
WHIP Starter: Rafael Fortunato 1.120
K/9: Shakiro Pina 12.0
Studs:
Robinson Pina (RHP, 18), this dude had a 3.68 ERA but just a .188 BAA with zero home runs allowed in 51.1 innings. He also had a very respectable 1.15 WHIP in his first season.
Kiber Arvelaez (RHP, 19), had a 1.56 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with zero home runs allowed and 37 Ks over 40.1 innings. That was an improvement over his already stellar 2016 where he had a 2.01 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.
Rafael Fortunato (RHP, 19) threw 52.2 innings and had a 1.12 WHIP and 2.56 ERA.
Emilker Guzman (RHP, 18), Guzman was nearly unhittable in his first season. He had a 1.02 ERA, .162 BAA, and 0.80 WHIP. He did allow 11 walks in 44 innings but he was pretty lethal overall.
Orem Owlz
(finished 1st in first half at 26-11)
(currently tied for 1st in second half at 21-13)
Orem, Utah
Level = Rookie, Pioneer League (hitter friendly)
Note: Orem stats as of Wednesday, September 6th. Orem actually wraps up their season on Sunday, September 10th.
Stat Leaders:
AVG: Jeyson Sanchez .394
OBP: Dave MacKinnon .510
HR: Jeyson Sanchez 13 (15 total inclduing Burlington)
SB: Torii Hunter 13
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ERA: Isaac Mattson 1.09
ERA Starter: Elvin Rodriguez 2.50
WHIP: Isaac Mattson 1.014
WHIP Starter: Elvin Rodriguez 1.037
K/9: Isaac Mattson 13.9
Studs:
Jordan Adell (OF, 18 - 1st Round) - Adell hit 4 home runs in Arizona and batted .288 before being moved up to the Owlz. In Orem is slashing .355/.395/.474 with a pair of stolen bases. He wasn’t drop dead amazing but he was GOOD - and he’s only 18. Looking forward to seeing what he can do in his first full season next year.
Jeyson Sanchez (1B, 23), spent most of the year in Burlington and struggled there but he excelled in Orem in a more hitter friendly league. He hit 13 home runs there in 27 games and had a .458 OBP.
David MacKinnon (1B, 22), was drafted in 2017 and played just 2 games in Arizona before hitting Orem. He walked 25 times to just 11 Ks in 109 ABs. He also had a very impressive .504 OBP.
Brandon Marsh* (OF, 19), Marsh missed part of the season with a hand/thumb injury but was impressive in his 163 ABs with a .350 AVG, .392 OBP, 4 home runs, 8 stolen bases, and 5 outfield assists.
Torii Hunter Jr. (OF, 22), He hit .347 with a home run and led the team with 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts. He also had a .431 OBP.
Manuel Guzman (2B/SS, 22), was signed as a minor league free agent in January. He hit .352 with 5 triples and 5 home runs in 57 games. He also drew 41 walks to only 26 Ks.
Isaac Mattson (RHP, 22 - 19th round 2017), had a 1.09 ERA in Orem with a .176 BAA, and 1.01 WHIP. He struck out 38 and walked 10 in 24.2 innings.
Elvin Rodriguez (RHP, 19), he’s not on the Bees but included here since he start3ed 11 of his 14 games in Orem. He had a .224 BAA and 11 walks in 54 innings. He had a bit of a problem with the long ball and gave up 7 of them total this year in 68 innings.
Others:
Cole Duensing (RHP, 19), spent most of the year in Orem where he had a 9.93 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. He did have a four solid starts for Orem, but was rocked in his other 5 starts. He’ll likely land in Orem again to start 2018.
Burlington Bees
(finished 31-38 in first half)
(29-41 second half)
Burlington, Iowa
Level = A, Midwest League (pitcher friendly)
Stat Leaders:
AVG: Brandon Sandoval .323
OBP: Brennon Lund .400
HR: John Schuknecht 10
SB: Jahmai Jones 18 (27 total in 2017)
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ERA: Zac Ryan 0.63
ERA Starter: Joe Gatto 3.46
WHIP: Sean Isaac 1.030
WHIP Starter: Jose Suarez 1.226
K/9: Carlos Salazar 13.4
Studs:
Brandon Sandoval (OF, 22), played through 3 levels in 2017 and had a combined .332 AVG and .388 OBP. He ended in Burlington but his brief stint for IE went well with a .385 AVG over 7 games.
Richard Fecteau (3B, 23), he quietly put together a very solid season with an overall .316 AVG, 10 home runs, and .865 OPS with 41Ks and 21 walks in 68 games.
Zac Ryan (RHP, 23), Ryan threw 8 innings in Orem before he arrived in Burlington where he absolutely dominated. Along with his 0.63 ERA he had a .181 BAA and 1.08 WHIP in Burlington.
Others:
Roberto Baldoquin (SS, 23), Pop quiz: did Baldoquin spend more time on the DL or more time hitting a paltry .253 with 42 Ks and 12 walks? Answer? This dude just can’t stay healthy - or good. He played only 52 of the Bees 139 games this year. I can’t imagine he has many days left as a very expense depth player in the organization.
Inland Empire 66ers
(first half record 30-40)
(35-35 second half)
San Bernardino, CA
Level = A+, California League (hitter friendly)
Stat Leaders:
AVG: Zach Gibbons .339
OBP: Zach Gibbons .398
HR: Brendon Sanger, Michael Barash 10
SB: Kyle Survance 17
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ERA: Jaime Barria 2.48
ERA Starter: Jaime Barria 2.48
WHIP: Jaime Barria 0.934
WHIP Starter: Jaime Barria 0.934
K/9: Jonah Wesely 12.6
Studs:
Jahmai Jones* (OF, 19), Jones hit .282 on the season with a .348 OBP and 27 total stolen bases. He also hit 14 home runs and 7 triples in 127 games and had the longest hitting streak in the California League in 2017 at 25 games.
Blake Smith (RHP, 25), in 20.1 innings for the 66ers, Smith had a 2.66 ERA and .187 BAA.
Sam Holland (RHP, 23), threw 64.1 innings and had a 3.22 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. He struck out 58 to 23 walks. Holland wasn’t as strong this year as he was in 2016, but he was one of the better pitchers for the 66ers, even if his stats took a step back (he had a 0.83 ERA and .151 BAA in 43.1 innings last year).
Joe Gatto (RHP, 22), Gatto moved up from A ball at the start of August and didn’t really miss a beat. He had a 3.34 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in high A and a 3.43 ERA with a 1.40 WHIP in 128 innings for the whole season. His walk rate is pretty high (about 1 every other inning) which keeps his WHIP higher than it should be.
That’s about it for great or notable performances in IE. Most of the better players didn’t stay in IE very long and landed in Mobile for a good portion of the season.
Mobile BayBears
(19-19 second half / 1st place)(30-39 record in the first half)
Mobile, Alabama
Level = AA, Southern League (pitcher friendly)
Stat Leaders:
AVG: Sherman Johnson .296
OBP: Matt Thaiss .412
HR: Zach Houchins 14
SB: Michael Hermosillo 21 (35 total across 3 levels)
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ERA: Eric Karch 2.06
ERA Starter: Jesus Castillo 3.04
WHIP: Greg Mahle 0.932
WHIP Starter: Alex Blackford 1.169
K/9: Connor Lillis-White 10.9
Studs:
Brennon Lund (OF, 22), Lund had himself a season and played through 3 levels. In total he hit .308 with a .373 OBP. He also had 6 home runs and 20 SB. He struck out a pertty high 100 times but he also walked 43 times. He had 10 outfield assists, 3 double plays, and a .974 FPCT as well.
Abel De Los Santos (RHP, 24), De Los Santos was promoted to the Bess but only pitched one inning there. He spent most of his season in Mobile where he had a 2.95 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 36.2 innings.
Jesus Castillo (RHP, 21), Castillo came over in the Jose Smith trade last year. He played in 3 levels this year and had an overall 3.32 ERA and 1.22 WHIp in 124 innings. He struck out 118 and walked 26.
Adam Hofacket (RHP, 23), pitched 14 innings in Salt Lake with a 6.75 ERA but threw 38.2 innings for Mobile with a 2.79 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Across 3 levels this year he had a 3.49 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 69.2 innings.
Greg Mahle (LHP, 24), yea Mahle found a home for himself in AA this year and he had a 2.66 ERA over 44 innings. Mahle also had a .203 BAA and 0.93 WHIP. In his 27 innings in Salt Lake he didn’t fare as well and put up an 8.13 ERA and 1.99 WHIP.
Eric Karch (RHP, 25), Karch led the BayBears in ERA after Jordan Kipper was traded away. He paired a 0.94 WHIP (also second to Kipper) with a 2.06 ERA. He only walked 6 batters all season in 43.2 innings.
Others:
Matt Thaiss* (1B, 21), Thaiss had a pretty solid year (though I don’t usually put someone in the stud category unless they bat over .300 or over .400 OBP). Across both levels Thaiss had a .274/.375/.395 slash line. He also hit 15 home runs and walked 77 times to 109 Ks in 514 ABs. He WAS a stud in Mobile though with a .412 OBP in 49 games.
Brendon Sanger (OF, 23), spent most of the season playing for the 66ers but had a short call-up to the BayBears before an injury. Sanger, who was ranked #21 in the HH mid season rankings had a .258 AVG and .344 OBP with 11 HRs in the minors this year.
Conor Lillis-White (LHP, 24), was a stud for IE with a 3.63 ERA, .205 BAA and 0.94 WHIP in 22 innings. In AA his ERA went up slightly to 4.03 but his BAA went down to .167. He had a 1.30 WHIP for Mobile thanks largely to a huge walk problem. He walked 32 batters in just 44 innings which is WAY higher rate than at any point in his career.
Taylor Ward* (C, 23), Ward had a decent year that got better when he was promoted to AA. He hit 9 home runs with a .258 AVG and .368 at both levels and he walked 57 times which almost equaled his 60 Ks. Ward also threw out 39% of base stealers this year.
Damien Magnifico (RHP, 26), Magnifico, aside from having a super cool name, is the guy the Angels traded away Jordon Kipper for. Note: Kipper had a 3.74 ERA and 1.466 WHIP across AA and AAA this year. His K rate was only 4.5/9 which was potentially part of the reason for the trade. Magnifico struggled in AAA and was sent down to AA where he had a 3.18 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 11.1 innings. He has a good K rate but he also walked 38 batters in 53.1 innings this year.
Salt Lake Bees (58-52 / 1st place)
Salt Lake City, Utah
Level = AAA, Pacific Coast League (hitter friendly)
Stat Leaders:
AVG: Carlos Perez .352
OBP: Carlos Perez .423
HR: Kaleb Cowart 12 (15 included MLB)
SB: Erick Young 20 (29 total counting MLB)
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ERA: Deolis Guerra 1.98
ERA Starter: Osmer Morales 3.22
WHIP: Deolis Guerra 0.829
WHIP Starter: Parker Bridwell 1.244
K/9: Alex Meyer 11.6
Studs:
Jaime Barria* (RHP, 20), Barria had a great year and played at 3 levels. He just turned 21 in July. His minor stats in 2017 include a 2.80 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and .227 BAA. He allowed just 4 runs in his 14.2 innings for Salt Lake. On June 23rd he pitched a 7-inning complete game shutout and allowed only 2 hits and zero walks to his 6 Ks.
Deolis Guerra (RHP, 28), had a great year in Salt Lake and any time a pitcher put up a 1.98 ERA in a hitter friendly league - it’s impressive. He also had a BAA of .179 and WHIP of 0.83. His success at the AAA level hasn’t really translated well to the big leagues this year.
Carlos Perez (C, 26), Perez was on fire most of the year. At the big league level he suffers from Sciosciaitis (aka not ever getting playing time), but in AAA this year her had a .352 AVG, .423 OBP, 5 home runs, and just 38 Ks in 261 ABs.
Eduardo Paredes (RHP, 22), moved up from AA to AAA and then to the majors this year. His minor league stats included a 2.54 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and .209 BAA. He also stuck out 55 over 49.2 innings.
Others:
Nate Smith (LHP, 26), Smith started just one game for the Bees after returning from an injury. He landed back on the DL after that start and threw 3 rehab appearances in Arizona before being shut down yet again. In 15 total innings he had 14 Ks, 2 walks, and allowed zero runs. Hopefully he can get healthy to start next season.
Zach Houchins (3B, 24), in his 14 ABs before the season ended, Houchins had 7 hits - including 3 triples. He also drew a pair of walks for a .588 OBP. ON the season though he was just okay for a power dude. He had 14 total home runs in 488 ABs with a .258 AVG and .315 OBP (mostly in AA)
Sherman Johnson (2B, 26), Johnson had a pretty good OBP in Salt Lake but only hit .244 in 88 games. He spent a chunk of time back down in AA where he hit .296 with a .392 OBP in 32 games. He also stole 14 bases and hit 5 home runs across both levels.
John Lamb (LHP, 26) Lamb was mostly a bust in 2017. He spent a chunk of the year out due to a drug suspension then only put up a 5.37 ERA with a 1.58 WHIP. He also had a BAA of .307 with 9 homers allowed in 70 innings, so most games he was pretty much throwing batting practice.
Michael Hermosillo (OF, 22), this dude is still young and will need some more time in AAA to work things out but he put together a pretty good year. Overall he had a .267 AVG and .366 OBP with 35 stolen bases and 9 home runs across 3 levels. His K rate (nearly 1 per game) is pretty high for a non power guy. He also had 7 outfield assists in 2017.
Manny Banuelos (LHP, 26), Eppler signed Banuelos as a minor league free agent last August. He threw 95 innings for Salt Lake with a 4.93 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. He was converted to a reliever and his ERA was better in the bullpen but his peripherals were all about the same (his BAA was even worse in the pen).
Troy Scribner (RHP, 26), He put together a pretty solid year in Salt Lake with a 4.35 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. He ha 9K/9 rate and walked 38 over 103 innings.
David Fletcher (SS, 23), had a .266 AVG and .316 OBP across AA and AAA with 448 ABs. He stole 20 bases and walked 27 times to his 55 Ks. Fletcher had a .992 FPCT with 32 double plays turned.
Brooks Pounders (RHP, 26), had a pretty impressive season with a 2.63 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and .216 BAA. Too bad he was terrible in his 10 innings with the Angels but there is always next year.