[ayaghmour2]

RHP Harry Beardsley (#81 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 156th Overall (1946)
AA: 10-12, 180 IP, 3.75 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 76 BB, 96 K
CWL: 1-1, 20.2 IP, 1.74 ERA (258 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 14 BB, 11 K

Look who's back in the top 100! With one bad start and one good start, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Harry Beardsley this week, but he did a good job keeping the Cienfuegos lineup in check for the rematch. He left after seven, allowing 2 hits, a run, and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts. No win for Beardsley, as the Stallions only supplied him with an Elmer Grace (.258, 4) RBI single, and the Crocs got to Curt Campbell (1-1, 6.00, 5) for four after Beardsley left. The walks are still concerning, but Beardsley has struck out 12.6% of hitters he faced Walks seem to be up all around int he CWL, so there may be no cause for concern, but start three was the first time he didn't walk more batters then he struck out. He'll get another start on Saturday, so I'll be watching to see how well he can command the zone. Between him and Kelley, Santa Clara has a deadly 1-2 punch, and if we can finally get Ron Berry (1-2, 5.25, 12) going, the Stallions may be able to win their first Western Division title.

RF Jimmy Hairston (#141 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943)
AAA: .268/.365/.424 (100 OPS+), 558 PA, 21 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 72 RBI
CWL: .372/.500/.488 (153 OPS+), 54 PA, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI

Very few players can do what Jimmy Hairston has done so far: reach base every other plate appearance while walking at a 20.4 % clip. As crazy as that sounds, that's exactly what Hairston has done so far, as he's posted a 176 WRC+ in his first 13 games for the first place Stallions. It's hard to believe they'd be in the lead without him, as his .372/.500/.488 line is best on the team, leading Santa Clara in average, OBP, OPS (.988), and WAR (0.7). One thing he doesn't lead in is, ironically, walks, as leadoff man Johnny Peters (.283, 11, 1) has 13 in 74 PAs (12.8%), but Hairston's BB% clears quite easily. Only three players, including Sailors starting outfielder Joe Scott (.368, 1, 11, 2), have a higher OBP then Hairston and his 153 OPS+ is sixth in the league. It's a long winter season, but Hairston has got off to an enviable start, and there's nothing that would lead me to believe that he's going to slow down any time soon. Despite being ranked outside of the top 100, he's an extremely gifted young player, who should be able to maintain high triple slashes in the majors, even without the double digit power you prefer in a corner bat.

RHP Zane Kelley (#225 Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1947)
AAA: 13-8, 188.2 IP, 4.15 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 61 BB, 61 K
CWL: 3-0, SV, 33 IP, 1.36 ERA (330 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 10 BB, 15 K

I really don't want to cover every Zane Kelley start, but if he keeps pitching like this, how can I stop? Make it a third complete game victory for the former 7th Rounders, who was excellent in the Stallions 8-2 win over the Matanzas Buccaneers. The 11 hits were the most he's allowed so far, but he walked just one with two earned runs, striking out 4 to improve to 3-0. Last week he also made a pair of relief outings, allowing just 3 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts in 4 innings pitched. Now in 33 innings, Kelley owns a 1.36 ERA (330 ERA+), good for second in the CWL, while his 1.00 WHIP is best down south. Early on he's made plenty of improvements, as he's kept his BB% similar (7.4 to 7.6) while increasing his K% (7.4 to 11.4) by four. There's still plenty of season left, but it's great seeing Kelley succeed in both a starter and pen role. We don't have an obvious opening in our rotation, but our pen doesn't really have any spots guaranteed. His options will work against him, but it's hard to ignore his dominance in the winter.