San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
FERGUSON BACK, GETTING ON BASE AND WREAKING HAVOC FOR STORM
At some point, second baseman Max Ferguson, still getting his feet under him after an illness drained him of more than 15 pounds his junior year at Tennessee, will start to hit the ball with more authority.
That’s not keeping him from impacting low Single-a Lake Elsinore’s games.
“He’s getting on base a ton,” Storm manager Eric Junge said. “He’s got the green light. He’s off to the races and wreaking havoc. He’s a good baserunner, so he’s fun to watch.”
The 22-year-old Ferguson leads the Padres’ farm system with 11 steals, including five in one game in which inexperienced pitching gave catchers no chance to catch him swiping second base three times and third base twice.
He’s giving himself opportunities on the bases because he’s walked (13) more than he’s struck out (11), collecting bunt singles and a hand full of doubles (3) en route to a .308/.472/.385 batting line through 11 games to start his first full season in the minors.
The Padres drafted Ferguson in the fifth round last year after he hit a careerhigh 12 homers while batting .253//378/.461 in 67 games at Tennessee. While Ferguson enjoyed the power boost, the batting average dipping and the strikeouts ballooning (22.7 percent) led to him sliding a bit in the draft.
Knowing he’d been slowed by an illness, the Padres were happy to sign Ferguson for $324,100 as their fifth-round pick. He went on hit .212/.382/.297 over 152
(Through Friday; min. 32 plate appearances, 9 innings pitched)
Batting average:
.433 — OF Robbie Podorsky (AA) .541 —
On-base percentage:
Slugging percentage:
.864 — OF Trayce Thompson (AAA)
Homers: RBIS:
7 — Thompson 17 — 3B Brandon Dixon (AA/AAA)
plate appearances split between rookie ball and Lake Elsinore over the summer.
“I lost a lot of weight, more than I would have liked,” Ferguson said. “Obviously
Steals: 11 — 2B Max Ferguson (A)
Wins: 2 — Several tied
ERA: 0.00 — RHP Jairo Iriarte (A)
WHIP: 0.70 — Iriarte
Saves: 2 — LHP Hazahel Quijada (A), RHP Keegan Collett (A)
Strikeouts:
17 — LHP Robert Gasser (A+) 13.0 — RHP Garrett Hawkins (A)
SO/W:
playing baseball as much as we do, it’s difficult to put it back on, but in the offseason I was able to put on 20 pounds and get back to where I want to be.”
Which is 185 pounds on his 6-foot-1 frame, plenty light enough to be a threat on the bases.
As far as a power surge, Ferguson admits that a ball in the gap will do him and his wheels a lot better than one in the air.
“Last year I was hitting too much stuff in the air,” Ferguson said.
“I don’t look like James Wood (6-foot-6, 240 pounds), so that’s not going to be a super successful thing for me. It’s just getting back to who I am — hitting hard line drives.
“Home runs are a happy accident.”
Around the farm
El Paso (AAA): LHP Ryan Weathers (7.36 ERA) turned in his first positive outing of the season Friday, striking out three and scattering five hits and a walk over four shutout innings. He still has a 9-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 11 innings to start the year.
San Antonio (AA): RHP Kevin Kopps (3.60 ERA) blew a save on Friday as the Missions lost a 10th straight game. CF Esteury Ruiz (1.185 OPS) went 1-for-4 with his 10th steal to extend his on-base streak to 13 games.
Fort Wayne (A+): Through 12 games, OF Joshua Mears (1.076 OPS) has a pair of two-homer games. For the season he has five homers and a .267/ .365/.711 batting line.
Lake Elsinore (A): OF Wood (1.533 OPS) returned from a sore right wrist on Friday, going 1-for-4 with a double in his first game since April 9.
jeff.sanders@sduniontribune.com