[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-3
Seasonal Record: 18-21 (5th, 10.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 21 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .429 AVG, 1.478 OPS
John Moss : 22 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .318 AVG, .991 OPS
Red Bond : 19 AB, 5 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .263 AVG, 1.085 OPS

Schedule
5-22: Loss at Sailors (6-8)
5-23: Win at Sailors (10-3)
5-25: Loss vs Kings (7-3)
5-26: Loss vs Kings (6-5)
5-27: Win vs Kings (1-7)

Recap
Yes, part of the short writeup yesterday was our embarrassing performance, but the other part was the fatigue from the first day back from vacation paired with a busy work day. That would have made even a fun week short! Today I was off for Juneteenth and got a full 11 hours of sleep, so you get a full length one despite the poor performance!

To be fair, 2-3 is an upgrade , and we absolutely slaughtered the Sailors in their biggest loss of the season. The issue was that the Kings took two of three from us in Chicago, making the overall week a loss despite the nice run differential. I don't know why we can pitch now, but hey, we have three hot hitters right now!

The first is Leo Mitchell, still stuck at 8 steals, though when you hit three homers in a week, no one really cares about how many bases you swipe. The vet was 9-for-21, adding a double and triple as well, with 5 runs, 5 RBIs, and 2 walks. Those were Mitchell's first three homers of the season, and while his .312/.358/.464 (114 OPS+) season line isn't great, his 123 WRC+ isn't too far from his career norm, and he's got 9 extra base hits in 120 trips to the plate. Our best hitter, however, has been Red Bond, who had a three home week of his own. He's got 8 in four fewer PAs, though he had just two non-homers on the week. Bond is off to a torrid start, slashing .347/.440/.643 (180 OPS+) with 20 runs, 18 RBIs, and 17 walks. The last hot hitter is John Moss, who now has 7 homers after just 4 all of last season. Moss was 7-for-22 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs, with a .279/.359/.476 (117 OPS+) batting line that is more in line with what we thought we were getting last year. It's been awesome seeing him hit again, and while this trio could use a little help, it's great seeing big offensive weeks from all of them.

The pen still sucks, so let's pretend they don't exist, and while the rotation wasn't great, the two game winners did well. Duke Bybee continues to dominate, 8 innings with 5 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. He's 4-2 in his 7 starts, with a 2.54 ERA (170 ERA+) that ranks 2nd in the CA. Paired with a 1.01 WHIP and 2.3 K/BB he's been elite, with just the 7 longballs in 56.2 innings a cause for concern. He's on pace for career bests in K% (12.4) and BB% (5.3), and if he keeps this up he's going to start taking starts from the guys ahead of him. That could be Johnnie Jones, but after a rough four start stretch he held Brooklyn to just a single run. Sure, there were 4 walks and 9 hits in 8 innings, with just one strikeout, but a wins a win and Johnnie is back even at 3-3. His 4.25 ERA (101 ERA+) is slightly above average, and the highest on the staff, as for once he's not off to his usual hot start. I'm hoping this bounce back can help him get back on track, but I'm worried that it might be the exception due to the poor control and single strikeout in his last two starts.

Looking Ahead
Here's a weird series, one on Monday in New York before an off day, and then we get a double header on Wednesday before another off day. The Stars have been roughed up by lineups left and right, allowing a league high 243 runs, contributing to a 7th place 16-23 record. There's a few ways they can set up their rotation, but my best guess is we'll see nemesis Jack Wood (1-4, 6.70, 22) in the opener, followed by Dan Atwater (1-1, 7.94, 7) and ace Ed Cornett (4-2, 3.41, 21) in the double header. Cornett has been a rock at the top, so it sucks we're stuck with him, as his 3.63 FIP (82 FIP-) backs up the overall success. With Mack Sutton (.288, 10, 25), Jack Welch (.231, 11, 22), Bill Barnett (.295, 5, 21), and Bill Barrett (.282, 10, 27) slugging as backup, Cornett will be tough to beat, as they're surely going to pile on the runs. Leading the tough lineup now is former 2nd Pick Ralph Hanson (.318, 2, 12, 2), who has a solid 112 WRC+ in an already career high 27 starts. The shortstop defense hasn't been great, but if he adds another above average bat to a lineup that already contains Bob Riggins (.259, 1, 6, 1) and Charlie Woodbury (.287, 6, 25, 5), all they're going to need is a new pitcher or a rebound from Eli Panneton (3-4, 4.61, 28) and Vern Hubbard (3-4, 4.55, 20), who FIP suggests have been on the wrong side of luck.

We'll then head back to Chicago, hosting the red hot Foresters for two. After sweeping us, they won their next six games, riding a ten game hit streak to second. At 26-14, they're 2.5 games out of first, and have a chance to get closer after handling us again. For all the attention Sherry Doyal (.360, 8, 27) rightfully gets, French Sonntag (.310, 11, 40) might be the new star of the club, as his excellent offense and defense in center have made him quite valuable. They've been scoring the most runs in baseball despite shipping Jim Adams Jr. (.260, 1, 12, 5) off for spare parts, even if Lloyd Coulter (.276, 2, 15) is going through a sophomore slump. They've got plenty of help from Eddie Morris (.383, 2, 24) at the plate, even if he doesn't know how to play shortstop, and 4th ranked prospect Joe Wood (.294, 6, 29) doesn't look anything like a 23-year-old rookie. The pitching has been tough too, second in runs against, as Ducky Davis (2-1, 3.95, 32) and Gordie Irwin (2-1, 3.99, 25) have been surprisingly effective early on. I don't know how we beat them, but at least at home the fans could help us scrape out a lucky victory or two.

The week then ends with a double header with the Cannons, who at 17-21 have the same loss total and one fewer win then we do. I don't know what's wrong with Rufus Barrell (4-0, 4.00, 20), who's still walking more guys then he's striking out, but he's somehow improved since last time we saw them. Their pen has been tough to beat, with failed starter Les Bradshaw (2-2, 4, 2.12, 10) doing well as a stopper, but the offense has had its struggles. Charlie Rivera (.293, 1, 11, 2) has helped, but they've had to rely too much on their 2-3-4 of Fred Galloway (.272, 1, 12), Mike T. Taylor (.346, 7, 28, 7), and Chuck Adams (.316, 6, 31). If we can keep them in check, we have a chance in the double header, and we'll start next week with the finale in what could be a nice series win to get us back in the right direction.

Minor League Report
LHP Dixie Gaines (AA Little Rock Governors): With a ton of talented prospects on the Little Rock squad, it's easy to overlook Dixie Gaines. He's doing his best to make people remember he used to be a top 100 prospect himself. Dixie was already off to a great start before he got to Knoxville, following his tough luck loss (8 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 6 K) with a brilliant 4-hit shutout. One of four shutouts from the Governors this week, he allowed just 1 walk and struck out 4, improving to 3-1 on the season. Later in the week he picked up a second win, allowing 6 hits, 3 runs, and 5 walks with 4 strikeouts in another complete game victory. The 23-year-olds stuff continues to impress, as our scout Dixie calls his best pitch a "Bugs Bunny" change which should make hitters swing out of their shoes. The command will never be great, but some of FABL's top arms have walk issues of their own, and with stuff like Dixie's he can make up for it. What sets him apart is his groundball tendencies, as he almost never gives up any homers, and his sinker helps him get out of many jams. Right now he's dominating, a 2.05 ERA (187 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts in his 5 starts for Little Rock, and as a Rule-5 eligible prospect, he could pitch his way onto the big league roster at some point this season.

3B Lou Jackson (AA Little Rock Governors): Pitching was the story this week for Little Rock, but that didn't stop Lou Jackson from having some fun. In a dominant 17-3 victory, Jackson was 5-for-6 with 2 homers, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. This helped the switch hitter up his season line to .284/.354/.545 (136 OPS+) with a double, 5 triples, 4 homers, and 21 RBIs in 99 trips to the plate. A versatile youngster, Jackson has played a lot of third base, even if the defense hasn't been great. A natural center fielder, there's no room in Little Rock's outfield right now, and with the Cunningham twins in the middle infield third is the best spot for Jackson's bat to stay in the lineup. A useful utility piece, Jackson is a strong hitter who can hit for a decent average, and despite not being much of a base stealer he's picked up a ton of triples. He had 27 of them last year and 12 in his draft year, so for one reason or another he's able to pick up the extra base when he finds the gaps in the outfield. His style of play seems perfect for a spacious park like the Parc Cartier, though hitting the ball hard will help you anywhere. Still, the 23-year-old profiles more as a utility player then a starter, but he's hit at each stop so far, and he could be one of the first guys promoted even with our more exciting prospects in the same lineup.

CF Frank Reece (AA Little Rock Governors): One of those guys is Frank Reece, who was named Dixie League Player of the Week in Little Rock's perfect 7-0 week. An impressive 14-for-30, Reece has been awarded the award in consecutive weeks, adding a double, 2 triples, 2 homers, 2 walks, 6 RBIs, and 9 runs. Almost a lock for Batter of the Month as well, the 52nd ranked prospect owns a .389/.431/.648 (183 OPS+) May triple slash with 9 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, 16 RBIs, and 22 runs. In 143 PAs on the season, he has an excellent 176 WRC+, and he's offered plus defensive numbers in all three outfield spots. One of our three talented Little Rock outfielders, Reece actually has the lowest WAR at 1.7, as Norman and Smith both have a 172 WRC+ and 2.5 WAR while posting plus defensive numbers with more time in right and center respectively. Outfield isn't the big league team's problem right now, our guys are all hitting well above average, but Little Rock fans are certainly enjoying watching this young trio dominate, even if one (or all) of them end up in Milwaukee sooner then later.