The Children Are Our Future – Minor League Update Sponsored by TGI Friday’s

AZL Cubs

Shawon Dunston, Jr.'s minor league career has not gotten off to a fast start. He was 0-4 last night. After spending 71 plate appearances at Boise he was demoted to the AZL Cubs where he's been an improved hitter, but nothing that gets you excited. On the season he's hit .228/.291/.347. Albert Almora was 1-4 with a double and now has 3 hits in 17 at-bats. Jorge Soler was 2-4 and after 6 games he's hitting .292/.320/.542. Lendy Castillo threw 4 solid innings on assignment after contracting David Patton Syndrome. The Cubs will have to activate Castillo within 14 days or they have to offer him back to Philly. Considering he's been in the AZL for two weeks, I don't think the Cubs care one way or the other. Nor should they.

Boise

Gioskar Amaya was 2-5 with a triple and is now hitting .322/.388/.534. He and Marco Hernandez were similarly ranked by evaluators prior to this season, but Amaya has separated himself from Hernandez who was 2-4 last night, but after a miserable time in Peoria, he only has a .600 OPS at Boise. Hernandez was playing SS while Amaya was at 2nd last night. Dan Vogelbach has 8 hits in 4 games and 3 of them are doubles. Dude can hit. 

Peoria

Wes Darvill was 2-4, but isn't hitting very well. Javier Baez continues to do what Baez does. He was 2-3 with a home run and a walk. The home run was the 11th of the season in just 50 games. He's added 8 doubles and 5 triples too. He's OPS'ing over 1.000 now. Zach Cates threw 5.1 innings, allowed 3 hits while striking out 7 and walking just 1. Sheldon McDonald and combined for 3.2 innings allowing just 2 hits, no runs, walking nobody and striking nobody out.

Daytona

Ronald Torreyes was hitless and the Daytona Cubs just got a less less interesting when Jae-Hoon Ha when unfortunately injured. Matt Szczur was promoted to AA to take his spot so there's not much to talk about with this team in my opinion. Robert Whitenack had a solid start, which reduced his ERA to 6.63 so there's that. 

Tennessee

Szczur led off and played CF last night, but was 0-4 with a couple strikeouts. His promotion was deserved on its own and it's unfortunate how he got to Tennessee, but he's there. He hit better than anyone could have expected at Daytona. He transformed himself into one of the organization's more patient hitters (13.4% walk rate) and he has the tools to play CF and be a productive leadoff hitter at the big league level. Junior Lake was 2-4 with a couple doubles and is now hitting .293/.343/.438. Greg Rohan and Juan Apodaca each added a couple hits and Logan Watkins had 1. Zach Rosscup struckout 6 in 3.2 innigns of relief and didn't allow a hit. He did allow a couple walks and a couple runs. 

Iowa

Not sure why it's even said anymore, but Brett Jackson struckout again last night. Just once this time. He's struckout in 10 consecutive games and has totaled 17 strikeouts over that time. July 17th is the only game in July in which he's played and didn't strikeout. Jackson's game log on First Inning goes back to June 21st and that July 17th game is the only game he didn't strikeout. Josh Vitters was 1-4 with a walk and some guy named Chris Volstad, can't be the Chris Volstad, actually pitched a very good game. He threw 8 scoreless innings, allowed 4 hits, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts.