Athletics Minor League Baseball Blog

At the Triple-A level,the Sacramento RiverCats are off to their usual hot start.  The perennial contenders finished the month 14-9 and they sit atop the standings in the PCL Southern Division.  You don’t have to look very far for a hitting star because Jai Miller has a 1.229 OPS as he continues to rake.  Thirteen of his 21 hits are for extra bases and he’s driven in 22 runs.  Jemile Weeks has also been solid with a .986 OPS and a 17 to 14 strikeout to walk ratio.  On the pitching side, Graham Godfrey and Guillermo Moscoso lead the way.  Godfrey is 3-0 with a 2.66 ERA while Willie Eyre is 2-0 with a 0.98 ERA.

The A’s Double-A affiliate, the Midland Rockhounds have gotten off to a decent start and they’re 12-10.  That’s good enough for second place in their division and they’re three games back of San Antonio.  Jermaine Mitchell and Michael Spina have been the two best hitters.  Mitchell has a 1.111 OPS with 24 runs while Spina leads the team with six home runs and he sports a 1.093 OPS.  On the pitching side, Ethan Hollingsworth has been the most effective starter. He’s gone 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA although you can be too encouraged by his 12 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings.

The Stockton Ports, the A’s High-A affiliate, is also off to a nice start.  They’re tied for first in their division with a 15-8 record.  Michael Choice, despite hitting just .247, has been the most productive hitter.  He leads the team with 15 runs, four home runs and fourteen RBIs.  Daniel Straley has been lights out on the mound.  He’s 3-1 with 27 strikeouts in 28 innings and he has a 0.96 ERA.

Not to be left out, the Burlington Bees are also in first place with a 15-6 record.  Royce Consigil, Nino Leyja and Tony Thompson are quite a formidable trio in the linup for the Bees and all three sport an OPS of at least .850.  A.J. Griffen and Jacob Brown both are 3-0.  Griffin has 34 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings and he has a 1.38 ERA.