Minor League Pitcher and Hitter of the Week: June 3-9
It's a Florida thing on this week's edition of the MiLB Players of the Week, with a Rays and Marlins farmhand taking home the honors.
If you can take one thing from this weekly series, I hope that it is proving to you just how wonderful, and just how unpredictable, this sport is.
We’re coming fresh off of the news that the Colorado Rockies are promoting Adael Amador from Double-A Hartford after his torrid stretch the last couple of games. Now, why am I referencing this? Amador was not having a great start to his 2024 campaign before these last couple of weeks, and is now on his way to joining the big league club.
That just goes to show you that, at any moment in time, a prospect can turn his entire season around and catapult himself back onto the scene. Week after week we are seeing fresh new names just as much as the high-profile players that we would expect it from. This past week was no different.
For more information on the Top Prospects that find themselves on Just Baseball’s Top 100, you can find that list here.
Pitcher of the Week: Trevor Martin (RHP) – Tampa Bay Rays (High-A Bowling Green Hot Rods)
Weekly Stats: 2 GS, 11.2 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 18 K
Season Stats: 12 GS, 63.2 IP, 15 BB, 82 K, 2.97 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 11.6 K/9
While the Rays have not been performing the way they have in recent years at the Major League level, we have seen our fair share of Minor League prospects featured during this series.
Trevor Martin is the latest to make the list.
After putting in his longest outing of the season in his latest start, Martin pitched 11.2 innings across two starts this past week for the Bowling Green Hot Rods. While he doesn’t currently rank within the top 15 prospects in the organization, Martin has continued to flash the potential to be a Major League starter when his name is called especially if his fastball continues to be as sharp as it has this year.
His ability to generate ground balls at over a 40% mark, and his arsenal compromised of for average to above-average pitches, the Rays might have found themselves another gem where they can use their development to unlock the next level of Martin’s potential.
Hitter of the Week: Griffin Conine (OF) – Miami Marlins (Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp)
Weekly Stats: .500/.600/1.750, 4 HR, 9 RBI, .650 ISO, 321 wRC+
Season Stats: .272/.378/.543, 13 HR, 38 RBI, .272 ISO
Well, well, well. Look who we have here!
To say Griffin Conine has been on a hot stretch lately would not give him justice, hence why he is being highlighted as the Minor League Hitter of the Week. Coming off a three-game stretch where he has hit a home run in each of them, Griffin is inching ever closer to making his Major League debut for the franchise that currently references his father as “Mr. Marlin.”
The most impressive thing about Conine’s season as a whole thus far is that he has been able to cut his K% below 30% while improving his BB% to over 14%, and still producing an ISO at .272 on the season heading into June 10th.
With the Marlins heading towards a deadline where they will likely look to move big league pieces off of their Major League roster, Griffin Conine should soon be on his way to Miami for his Major League debut.
Honorable Mentions:
Pitcher: Chase Dollander (RHP) – Colorado Rockies (High-A Spokane Indians):
Weekly Stats: 1 GS 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K
Pitcher: Luinder Avila (RHP) – Kansas City Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals):
Weekly Stats: 2 GS, 11.0 IP, 7 H, 5 BB, 14 K
Hitter: Edgar Quero (C) – Chicago White Sox (Double-A Birmingham Barons):
Weekly Stats: .619/.704/1.847, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .524 ISO, 417 wRC+
Hitter: Brice Matthews (OF) – Houston Astros (High-A Asheville Tourists):
Weekly Stats: .462/.533/1.495, 4 HR, 7 RBI, .500 ISO, 295 wRC+
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