BREWERS’ MINOR-LEAGUE REPORT
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Garrett Cooper, 1B, Colorado Springs: Cooper becomes the first two-time winner this season after putting together another monster week. In seven games, he hit .419 with three doubles, three home runs and 10 runs batted in while compiling an OPS of 1.251. Cooper is in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak, with multiple hits in five of those games, and leads the Sky Sox with a .345 average. He’s also tied for the team lead with six homers and is tops in RBI with 31 and OPS at .992. Cooper’s teammates Eric Sogard (.417), Ivan De Jesus Jr. (.400) and Ryan Cordell (.379) were scorching at the plate as well.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Brandon Woodruff, RHP, Colorado Springs: Woodruff’s terrific start to 2017 continued last week, as he improved to 5-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.83 and his WHIP to 0.96 after making a pair of starts. He went six innings in both, winning one, while striking out 13 and walking only one. Woodruff’s five victories lead the Sky Sox and are tied for the lead in the Pacific Coast League. Advanced Class A Carolina RHP Marcos Diplan (2.45 ERA in two starts) and Class A Wisconsin RHP Thomas Jankins (1-1, 3.27 ERA in two starts) also had solid weeks.
JOURNAL SENTINEL’S TOP FIVE PROSPECTS
1. Lewis Brinson, OF, Colorado Springs: Brinson hit .259 with a homer and two RBI in six games and is sitting at .326/4/ 13 with an OPS of .910 through 21 games. 2. Josh Hader, LHP, Colorado Springs: Hader went 1-0 in a pair of starts with a 4.00 ERA to improve to 3-2 with a 4.40 ERA and WHIP of 1.37 through six starts. He’s struck out 24 in 30 2⁄3 innings, but his 19 walks are tied for second-most in the Pacific Coast League.
3. Isan Diaz, INF, Carolina: Diaz hit .280 with a homer and two RBI in six games but had a 12-game hitting streak snapped. He’s up to .280 with five homers and a team-leading 21 RBI.
4. Corey Ray, OF, Carolina: Ray hit .261 and drove in four runs in five games, raising his average to .250. His 10 doubles are one off the team lead, held by Jake Gatewood. The Brewers’ top pick from 2016 has been the Mudcats’ regular leadoff hitter and centerfielder since returning from off-season knee surgery. 5. Lucas Erceg, 3B, Carolina: Erceg hit in five of the six games he played in last week, and also homered for the second time this season. He’s batting .221, but with only five walks through 27 games his on-base percentage is just .261.
AFFILIATES UPDATE
Class AAA Colorado Springs: The Sky Sox slugged their way to a 6-1 week to improve to 19-8 overall, which is tops in the Pacific Coast League's American Northern Division. All phases of the game seem to be working, as their top eight regular position players are hitting over .300 and have on-base percentages of .360 or better. Aside from Woodruff and Hader, starter Paolo Espino (3-0, 2.94) and reliever Tyler Cravy (3-0, 3.00) are also pitching well on a staff whose collective 3.49 ERA is fourth-best in the PCL.
Class AA Biloxi: A 4-2 week moved the Shuckers closer to .500 at 15-16, which leaves them in third in the South Division of the Southern League. Luis Ortiz is back pitching after a hamstring issue, and despite a 1-3 record is putting together a nice start with a 3.33 ERA, 26 strikeouts and a 0.99 WHIP in five starts. Biloxi’s .221 team batting average is third-worst in the league.
Advanced Class A Carolina: The Mudcats turned in a .500 week with a 3-3 record and now sit at 13-17, good for third in the Southern Division of the Carolina League. Gatewood had another good offensive week, hitting .348 with a homer and six RBI. Right-hander Cody Ponce was a hard-luck loser May 6, allowing four hits, one run and one walk with eight strikeouts over seven innings as Carolina was shut out, 1-0, on five hits by Frederick. Class A Wisconsin: The Timber Rattlers largely treaded water in the Midwest League’s Western Division with a 3-4 week that left them at 13-15. Monte Harrison leads the team with a .276 average, and he remains tied with Tucker Neuhaus and Demi Orimoloye for the homer lead with six. Catcher Mario Feliciano has cooled off since his hot start and sits at .273 with a homer and 10 RBI.