by Josh Moore / A’s Farm Contributor
A brief look at some of the top performers in the A’s minor league system over the past week…
1) RHP Grant Holmes (Midland – AA)
(14 IP/9 H/2 ER/1 BB/17 K/1.29 ERA/0.71 WHIP)
Coming in to the week, Holmes had allowed 43 base runners and 18 earned runs in his previous 25 1/3 innings. The right-hander turned it around in a big way with two gems this week, including Saturday’s 8-inning, 2-hit, 8-strikeout performance where he held the opposition hitless until the 7th inning.
2) 3B-OF Renato Nunez (Nashville – AAA)
(25 AB/2 HR/4 BB/7 K/.400 AVG/.483 OBP/.800 SLG)
Nunez is the last remaining member of Stockton’s 2014 infield not currently playing in the big leagues. But with the tear he’s on now, it might not be long before he joins Chad Pinder, Matt Olson and Ryon Healy in Oakland. Nunez has hit 5 home runs and 5 doubles over his last 12 games for the Sounds.
3) C-OF Matt McBride (Nashville – AAA)
(22 AB/3 HR/2 BB/4 K/.318 AVG/.375 OBP/.773 SLG)
The 2nd-round draft pick of the Indians back in 2006, McBride had hit 1 home run all season for Nashville before belting 3 in 3 straight games to start the week off with a bang for the Sounds.
4) 3B Matt Chapman (Sounds – AAA)
(28 AB/3 HR/2 BB/11 K/.286 AVG/.333 OBP/.643 SLG)
Chapman has the organization’s longest current hitting streak at 10 games and has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games, while also hitting 5 home runs over his last 9 games for the Sounds.
5) RHP Paul Blackburn (Nashville – AAA)
(13 IP/5 H/1 ER/4 BB/9 K/0.69 ERA/0.69 WHIP)
The 1st-round supplemental draft pick for the Cubs in 2012, Blackburn has allowed 1 earned run or less in 4 of his last 5 starts since May 19. And last week, opposing hitters had a .114/.188/.182 slash line against the right-hander.
6) SS Eli White (Stockton – A+)
(20 AB/0 HR/1 BB/5 K/.400 AVG/.429 OBP/.500 SLG)
White came into the week on a 2-for-19 skid, but then managed to put together 3 multi-hit games in a row for the Ports. And Stockton skipper Rick Magnante told us last month that White is a guy who has the potential to really surprise people.
7) SS-3B Edwin Diaz (Beloit – A)
(20 AB/1 HR/3 BB/3 K/.300 AVG/.391 OBP/.550 SLG)
NOT the Seattle Mariners reliever, the 21-year-old Puerto Rico native has compiled a total of 7 multi-hit performances in his last 14 games for Beloit, and he belted a big 3-run blast in the first inning for the Snappers on Saturday.
8) SS-3B Eric Marinez (Beloit – A)
(18 AB/0 HR/0 BB/4 K/.444 AVG/.444 OBP/.444 SLG)
Marinez started the week strong, slapping 8 singles in his first 11 at-bats. He might have placed even higher on the list if he hadn’t gone 0 for 7 in Thursday’s and Friday’s games. Since May 1, though, he’s put up a .317/.398/.404 slash line for the Snappers.
9) OF Brett Siddall (Stockton – A+)
(18 AB/1 HR/1 BB/4 K/.333 AVG/.368 OBP/.556 SLG) 924/1292/2216
Before Saturday’s 0-for-3 performance versus Modesto, Siddall had a 9-game hitting streak for Stockton, with 3 consecutive multi-hit games and a total of 5 extra-base hits over that span.
10) RHP Joel Seddon (Midland – AA)
(10 IP/8 H/1 ER/2 BB/4 K/0.90 ERA/1.00 WHIP)
After making a 4-inning spot start for Nashville on May 30, the former 11th-round selection out of South Carolina returned to the RockHounds and picked up a 3-inning save before turning in a 7-inning, 1-run start to earn his 3rd win of the season last week.
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