Around the Minors: The week of Sept. 6
Sept. 12
Sept. 12
Power dial set to max
The recent surge at the plate continued for
Joining elite company
With his solo shot in the eighth inning for Double-A Bowie,
Electric encore
After twirling one of the best performances of his career in his Double-A debut for Portland last time out,
Walk this way
You can put it on the board. Third-ranked Cardinals prospect Jordan Walker notched his first career two-homer game and finished with three RBIs for High-A Peoria. The 19-year-old found the seats in consecutive games and has gone yard 15 times in his first professional season -- launching six with Low-A Palm Beach to open the year. Walker is batting .300 with an .836 OPS, 26 RBIs, two triples and 13 doubles across 51 games with the Chiefs.
All signs showing Green(e)
Hitting must be contagious because
You never forget your first
In his 17th professional game, Aaron Zavala connected with his first career home run. The second-round selection in this year's Draft crushed a ball 101 mph to right to give Low-A Down East a lead. The 19th-ranked Rangers prospect is batting .305/.431/.441 with 15 runs scored and eight RBIs across two levels of the Minors this season.
Flexing to the top
After a back and forth between being tied at the top or trailing by a lone dinger, it is
Sept. 11
Four by four
In a 20-12 slugfest, you'd probably expect a certain number of crooked numbers. In Saturday's contest between Double-A Amarillo and visiting Tulsa, one of them was even more crooked than usual. The Sod Poodles smacked four straight homers in the third inning. After a leadoff homer by Ryder Jones and two consecutive plunkings, it was tee-off time. Stone Garrett went to left-center field, then Buddy Kennedy to center, Dominic Fletcher to right-center and Dominic Canzone. All of them (including Jones' solo shot) came off right-hander Melvin Jimenez.
California dreamin'
The playoff picture in the Low-A West came into focus when San Jose clinched its postseason berth with a 9-2 victory over the visiting Ports. As he's done all season,
The Giants are headed to the Low-A West Finals!
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 12, 2021
San Jose will take on Fresno in the best-of-5 series. pic.twitter.com/wLsbAtB4J0
You'll believe a man can fly
Let's file this under the dictionary definition of "web gem." It was only the first inning, but
Wesneski's world
The Double-A Patriots couldn't ask for much more from
The stage is set
It'll be all West Division in the Low-A Southeast postseason. Pittsburgh's No. 19 prospect
With a commanding 8-1 victory, @The_Marauders make a date with the Tarpons for the Low-A Southeast Finals! pic.twitter.com/3ryACEAvm3
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 12, 2021
Welcome to the club
It's been a scorching week for
Never forget
Teams around Minor League Baseball -- like Double-A Somerset, Triple-A Round Rock and Double-A Corpus Christi -- did their part to remember and honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks that occurred 20 years ago. From local heroes to first responders, clubs and ballparks across the Minors paid tribute to those lost on that fateful day.
Today we remember all those who died on September 11th with a tribute to the 39 people from our home, Somerset County, that tragically passed on that day. #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/QnnjJPb2RZ
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) September 11, 2021
#NeverForget pic.twitter.com/WVVxtHZpun
— Round Rock Express (@RRExpress) September 11, 2021
On the morning of 9/11/21, about 100 First Responders & service members honored our fallen heroes by climbing 110 or 220 equivalent flights of stadium stairs to match the height of the World Trade Center towers.
— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) September 11, 2021
We thank all those who protect our community and our country! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/jkA1OWT9Is
Sept. 10
Finding his power stroke
For the second time in his career -- and first time stateside --
She said yes!
The fans at Atrium Health Ballpark on Friday night got more than just a baseball game between Low-A Kannapolis and Fayetteville. In-between innings, during a couple's balloon race game, two Cannon Ballers fans took things to the next level. Jorden and Jose became engaged on the field.
Congrats Jorden and Jose on your engagement!! 💍#HaveABlast pic.twitter.com/33OUg36B8x
— Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (@Kcannonballers) September 11, 2021
Can't touch this
It was a career night for
Sliding into the weekend like...
This was not an easy play, but
Locked-in and loaded
It appeared that everything was working for
Now it's a pattern
For the third straight game,
Just like they used to do it
There was something going on in the outfield at Peoples Natural Gas Field during the third inning. A pair of misplays by Bowie outfielders Cal Mitchell in right and Canaan Smith-Njigba in left led to a pair of little league home runs for Double-A Erie. First,
Pacing the circuit
The Mississippi Braves became the first Double-A club to clinch a spot in the postseason. The team's 64-40 (.615) record is the best in the Double-A South and provided the club with an 11-game cushion atop the South Division standings. The effort of second-ranked Braves prospect
The M-Braves are the first Double-A team to clinch a spot in the postseason! pic.twitter.com/uHdy1KcEG7
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 10, 2021
Sept. 9
Out with the old, in with the new
In the now-defunct Northwest League, two players -- Gary Johnson of Tri-City (1962) and Anthony Laurenzi of Medford (1982) -- put together 26-game hitting streaks. That mark has been passed on the new High-A West circuit by Spencer Horwitz of Vancouver. The Toronto infield prospect has hit safely in 27 straight games after singling in the fifth inning. He added an RBI single in the sixth for good measure and scored three times against Spokane.
No one ever had a 27-game hitting streak in the Northwest League.
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 10, 2021
Now Spencer Horwitz has one on the new High-A West circuit. pic.twitter.com/9ZJ5z0yHj0
Keeping pace in the home run race
The home run race is knotted up yet again.
'Easy swing, easy power'
Another day, another home run for
Talk about a team player
Left-hander Ian Seymour didn't just take one for the team, he road-tripped to do it. When top Rays prospect Shane Baz was scratched from his start for the Triple-A Bulls due to illness, Seymour left his High-A Bowling Green squad in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to make the ultimate spot start. It wound up being a rather impressive one too. Seymour gave up an unearned run on one hit and one walk while striking out six over five frames against Norfolk.
Solid Triple-A debut for the kid 👏👏
— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) September 10, 2021
Thanks for jumping in, Ian!#BULLieve pic.twitter.com/TuQfusS11p
Never too young
Fifth-ranked Washington prospect Andry Lara became just the 11th teenager to be added to the ranks of the Fredericksburg Nationals since 2005. The 18-year-old joined such notable names as Juan Soto and Luis Garcia in the process. After going 3-2 with a 4.54 ERA and 47 strikeouts over 39 2/3 innings in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League, Lara gave up four runs on three hits and five walks while fanning three over 4 2/3 frames in his first outing for the Low-A club.
A whole new ballgame
High-A Bowling Green punched its ticket to the postseason by edging Winston Salem, 3-2, in their doubleheader opener. The Rays affiliate is quite familiar with the playoffs, having reached them for five seasons in a row and winning the Midwest League championship in 2018. This year, though, it'll be a completely different playoff picture in the High-A East with an opponent to be determined.
For the 5th season in a row, the @BGHotRods are going to the playoffs! pic.twitter.com/aAw528NyNQ
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 9, 2021
Sept. 8
A little razzle dazzle
This season,
Some grand playoff aspirations
Quad Cities made use of a patented well-balanced attack as well as a grand slam for some breathing room to sew up the top seed in the High-A Central. After backing into a postseason spot despite a loss on Tuesday,
Coming up Aces
Some quick off-day math shows that
Mr. 5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/zPfDlLABPr
— Reno Aces (@Aces) September 9, 2021
How do you spell relief? M-o-r-e-t-a
Talk about an ultimate closer.
The streak continues!
— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) September 9, 2021
Dauri Moreta now has a 0.00 ERA through his first 20 Triple-A appearances 😳 pic.twitter.com/kQTtgVB7lL
Shouldering the responsibility
Seattle has decided to shut down fourth-ranked prospect
Emerson Hancock has been shut down for the season due to a shoulder issue. However, there is nothing structurally wrong.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 9, 2021
More from @DKramer_: https://t.co/vgvaGb9eth pic.twitter.com/YGcfdKiMDT
'Witt Jr. can fly'
We know
Sept. 7
A grand moment
What appeared to be a snoozer early on turned into a thriller thanks to
Breaking the sound barrier
You knew it was gone as soon as you heard it. The sound at the point of contact between the bat and ball on Riley Greene's 20th home run of the season may still be resonating around Principal Park. The second-ranked Tigers prospect continued his torrid streak at the plate with a towering blast to straightaway center for Triple-A Toledo. It's the 20-year-old's third long ball in the past two games -- his fourth with the Mud Hens -- and it came two innings after top Tigers prospect Spencer Torkelson crushed his 26th of the year.
OKC dealing aces
It was a sight to behold for Dodgers fans everywhere. L.A.'s ace
Making em count
Talk about being locked and loaded. Rays' 29th-ranked prospect
1️⃣0️⃣ strikeouts tonight from Tobias Myers over 5+ innings, including 2 punchouts of @MiLB’s top prospect Adley Rutschman
— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) September 8, 2021
Myers’ final line:
5.0+ IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K pic.twitter.com/V9bJjZppN9
This one will last a lifetime
It's not everyday you get the chance to face a three-rime Cy Young winner, especially if you haven't made it to The Show yet. But that was exactly the case for Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday. The Isotopes saw Dodgers' ace Clayton Kershaw on rehab assignment with Oklahoma City, and Rockies prospect
The big top in the outfield
There was nothing ordinary about this play. Yankees outfield prospect
Gon' postseason fishin
The Low-A Tampa Tarpons are headed to the playoffs. The club clinched a spot in the Low-A Southeast Finals with a 70-36 (.660) record. Led by strong efforts from recently drafted players
These Yankees are headed to the postseason!
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 7, 2021
With a 70-36 (.660) record, the @TampaTarpons clinched a spot in the Low-A Southeast Finals. pic.twitter.com/Z3WmUiT7kt
Sept. 6
Keeping our eyes on Rookie
The beloved bat dog of the Trenton Thunder, who helped host the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons earlier this year, needed medical attention after getting stung by a bee. Love and best wishes immediately started pouring in from two- and four-legged fans across the Minor League landscape.
I was stung by a bee above my left eye. I went to see my frens at Newtown Vets and Dr. Kohler and the technicians took good care of me. Even though I had to get a shot...I still got a lot of treats. I had never been stung before. pic.twitter.com/VI7evrdwdy
— Rookie (@BatdogRookie) September 6, 2021
Laboring on Labor Day
Whether it was Triple-A West running its usual slate on Mondays or just Minor League clubs marking the first Monday in September, special attention was paid to MiLB teams, staffs and their fans for the holiday. There were fireworks on and off the field, and as always, some special and humorous insights delivered over social media.
MiLB on Labor Day ... definitely a labor of love: https://t.co/DgsMNLC1T4 pic.twitter.com/Pm87pFXpmt
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 7, 2021
Catch as catch can
Hope no one went for refreshments in the third inning of the Triple-A River Cats' game against the visiting Bees. Giants outfield prospect
Padlo-ing the lead
The third extra-base hit of the game for
The week that was
The season may be winding down with the turn of the calendar to September, but the Minor League home run race between Griffin Conine and MJ Melendez is still simmering. In fact, a lot of balls are leaving the yard at unbelievably fast velocities, but that didn't mean there wasn't room for a no-hitter or two ... or three. Plus, man's best friend enjoyed barking in the park and Double-A Erie hosted a Wonder-ful reunion. Review the action here.