The Pioneer League tends to be an offense-friendly league. Case in point: Great Falls is hitting .275/.338/.443 as a team, and they’re in the bottom half of the league. They’re certainly no match for the Ogden Raptors, who have an .878 OPS as a team and average better than eight runs a game.
This being the environment, it’s not necessarily news when certain Voyagers hitters are posting impressive lines. Any Aaron Schnurbusch will tell you that while it’s cool that Romy Gonzalez hit five homers over his last six games, the test for any collegiate hitter of note truly starts in A-ball.
It’s a little more exciting when the hottest Voyagers are players who didn’t go the college route. Two more names to throw at you:
Amado Nunez: The 20-year-old is hitting .338/.376/.536 thanks to a 1.120 OPS is August as the White Sox search for supplementary international success story to Micker Adolfo. He has 61 strikeouts in 51 games, but they tend to come in clumps.
Bryce Bush: The 18-year-old third baseman is hitting .300/.372/.486 over his first 17 games in Great Falls, which includes an active 13-game hitting streak.
Charlotte 10, Gwinnett 4
- Ryan Cordell went 1-for-3 with two walks and a strikeout.
- Charlie Tilson, 3-for-5.
- Eloy Jimenez tripled, doubled, singled, walked and struck out.
- Seby Zavala was 3-for-5 with a double and a strikeout.
- Caleb Frare: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Birmingham 2, Jackson 0
- Joel Booker went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Luis Basabe doubled and struck out twice.
- Zack Collins went 1-for-3 with a homer.
- Alex Call singled, struck out twice and stole a base.
- Danny Mendick went 0-for-3 with a K.
Buies Creek 8, Winston-Salem 4
- Luis Robert went 0-for-2 with a strikeout.
- Luis Gonzalez walked in both his plate appearances.
- Blake Rutherford was 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Gavin Sheets hit his fifth homer during a 2-for-3 day. He also hit a sac fly.
- Ti’Quan Forbes went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Laz Rivera, 0-for-4 with three K’s.
Kannapolis 3, Augusta 2
- Luis Curbelo went 2-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Steele Walker was 1-for-4 with a homer.
- Evan Skoug, 0-for-3 with a K.
- Will Kincanon: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP
Missoula 6, Great Falls 5
- Romy Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a homer and a strikeout.
- Lenyn Sosa, 2-for-4 with an HBP.
- Bryce Bush went 2-for-5 with a double and a stolen base.
- Amado Nunez, 2-for-4 with a triple, double and strikeout.
- Maiker Feliez was 1-for-4.
First AAA triple. Box checked.Â
Also, I’m ready to see Frare with the big club. That’s looking like a fantastic move by Hahn.Â
He & Hamilton will both be up when the rosters expand next week, more than likely.
At this point I think keeping these guys in the minors has more to do with draft position than service time. I still think Jimenez gets the call this week to allow Hawk to gush over him and so they have their best team possible available in case those Cubs games mean anything.
At this point I think that keeping these guys in the minors has more to do with the fact that bringing them up right now means wasting an option to send someone down only to call them up on Saturday when rosters expand.
Not until he hits for the cycle.
You forgot the “Getting thrown out at home on a contact play in the first inning” check box. Eloy is ready to join this White Sox squad.
I guess the only question left is – Can he bunt?
Can he strike out attempting to bunt?
Can he get HBP attempting to bunt?
Yes.  But when he makes contact bunting, it’s a double off the wall.Â
What’s going on with Madrigal? How come e hasn’t been in the last few box scores?
Bruised thumb.
Thanks for the update. Was curious about the recent slump followed by the days off.
Was concerned they were already trying to make substantial swing adjustments.
Where exactly are they going to place Bush and Nunez next year? I mean Kannapolis? Since Great Falls is a short season I assume they won’t put them back in AZ to start, but Kannapolis seems aggressive.
Nunez will be 21 and has spent several season in SS ball. Seems like a fine time for him to reach Low-A.
Bush I agree would seem a little quick. I kind of hope they hold him in instructs until GF starts again, but that might just be the scars from Hawkins still not being completely healed.
That makes sense re: Nunez, but Bush destroyed the AZL so I’m not sure that instructs is the right place for him. These are still better problems to have than say the Hawkins category of “issues”
Bush has to go to Kanny. Let’s not overthink these things.
Yeah, I think the problem with Hawkins was having him essentially skip Kannapolis (among others).
Zangari might be a better comp. They moved him up to Kanny really quick and it exposed his issues with contact. All of the injuries then piling up didn’t help, but I’d be leery of rushing him to a level he’s not ready for.
Better to error o the side of moving prospects along than holding them back.