Bill Mitchell's Minor League Ramblings

Minor League Ramblings For the week of :
June 28, 2004

Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.

Who's Hot and Who's Cold
June 28, 2004

Everyone, not just chicks, digs the long ball. In this week's HOT report we salute the mid-season homerun leaders in each full season league.

HOT

International League (AAA) - Marcus Thames, OF - Detroit (Toledo) - Thames may not proceed past his current total of 24, as the veteran slugger got the call to the big club last week.

Pacific Coast League (AAA) - Calvin Pickering, 1B - Kansas City (Omaha) - Why is he still in Omaha? Pickering ended the week with 25 bombs and a .771 slugging percentage. Just one homer behind Pickering is the ever-popular Seattle farmhand Bucky Jacobsen.

Eastern League (AA) - Ryan Howard, 1B - Philadelphia (Reading) - The left-handed hitting Howard is the hottest hitter in minor league baseball right now, with a string of two-homerun games in the past week boosting his total to 28.

Southern League (AA) - Greg Sain, 1B/3B - San Diego (Mobile) - He's hitting only .222, but Sain has connected enough times to lead the Southern League with 21 big flies.

Texas League (AA) - Dallas McPherson, 3B - Anaheim (Arkansas) - The Angels' third baseman of the future will soon be surpassed as Texas League leader, having recently been promoted to AAA. He's already got three homers at that level to go with the 20 he smacked out of the park for Arkansas.

California League (High A) - Michael Napoli, C/1B - Anaheim (Rancho Cucamonga) - Napoli hit only four homeruns last season as Rancho Cucamonga's backup catcher, but has drilled 19 bombs in the first half of this season. The 22-year-old right-handed hitter has delivered solid offensive numbers (.314/.401/.609) for the Quakes.

Carolina League (High A) - Tony Blanco, 1B/OF - St. Louis (Potomac) - The former Red Sox top prospect is blossoming in his second tour of duty in the Carolina League, batting .306/.403/.588 with 17 homeruns. Despite the fact that he's in High A for the third year in a row, Blanco is still only 22.

Florida State League (High A) - Brandon Sing, 1B - Chicago Cubs (Daytona) - Despite the fact that he's not a highly-touted prospect, the right-handed hitting Sing is putting together a nice season in his third trip to Daytona. Now 23, Sing is batting .285/.426/.623 with 21 homers. Most impressive is his high walk total (56).

Midwest League (Low A) - Brian Dopirak, 1B - Chicago Cubs (Lansing) - The free-swinging Dopirak is coming into his own with a fine season in the Midwest League, batting .301/.357/.599 with 21 homeruns. Teammate Kevin Collins is breathing down his neck with 20 long balls.

South Atlantic League (Low A) - Ian Stewart, 3B - Colorado (Ashville); Adam Boeve, OF - Pittsburgh (Hickory); Jon Benick, 1B - Pittsburgh (Hickory) - The closest homerun race is in the Sally League, with Stewart, Boeve and Benick tied for the league lead with 17 homeruns apiece.

--- Bill Mitchell