We’re coming close to the midway point of the MLB season with minor-leaguers trying to put up their best numbers with the trade deadline looming. The Birds are rumored to have some interest in several big-name pitchers—a possible deal could mean shipping out some young studs. With that pending, it’s time to take a look another trip to the minors in the latest edition of “Down O’n the Farm”.
We’ll spotlight on the organization’s Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk and look at the hottest hitters and pitchers on the diamond.
Note: Stats posted below do not include those from Wednesday night’s games.
Zelous Wheeler: After starting the 2013 season in Bowie, Wheeler was called up to Norfolk after 24 games in the Eastern League. Since getting the call-up, Wheeler has made every game count, putting up some impressive numbers. In the midst of a seve- game hitting streak, he’s been one of Norfolk’s hottest hitters. He just notched a six-hit series against Scranton Wilkes-Barre where he batted .352. With only nine extra base-hits, Wheeler has been relying on using the whole field with 30 singles.
Oh yeah, if you’re a left-handed pitcher… you might not want to pitch to this guy. He’s hitting .421 against lefties on the year with an overall .522 on-base percentage. It sure seems like he’s seeing the ball pretty well against those southpaws and don’t expect that to change any time soon.
Buck Britton: WARNING: If you see Buck Britton, do not approach him, he is on fire. I repeat, Buck Britton is on FIRE. Older brother Zach has put together a couple of nice outings for the Orioles, but “anything you can do, I can do better” says the younger brother. Two nice games from Zach might just be out-done by 21 straight from the second baseman Buck. That’s correct—Britton is just three games away from tying Gregg Jefferies for the franchise record 24 straight games with a hit.
He’s only been a Tide for 39 games, but he has 43 hits and 20 RBI’s. You could argue that Britton has been the organization’s best infield prospect this year and that his time in the major leagues might be coming.
Jairo Asencio: The bullpen up in the bigs has been a bit shaky, so finding a good arm in the bullpen down in the minors might come in handy at some point this year. If someone had to be picked, Asencio might be the guy you could make the biggest case for. The 30-year old is helping Norfolk late in games as he has established himself as the closer. He has allowed just one run in his last eight outings and has earned 17 saves for the Tides. Asencio, who dons the #38, is holding hitters to a mere .188 batting average and is striking out about a batter per inning.
While his role in Norfolk is currently crucial, he could provide much needed help in the Baltimore bullpen if needed. Don’t expect a move any time soon, but if Asencio keeps up his impressive performances, he might play a big role down the stretch.
