by Ethan Kassel / A’s Farm Stockton Contributor
The 2019 Stockton Ports season got off to a bit of a bumpy start in April. An early six-game losing streak and a later seven-game skid led to a sub-.500 record for the month. But the club did manage to finish the month strong with a five-game winning streak. The Ports have one of the youngest and least experienced lineups in the league, but a number of young Ports prospects seem to be adapting well in the early going.
Outfielder Lazaro Armenteros
Even though he struck out 42 times in 79 at-bats in April, when Armenteros manages to make contact, magical things happen. The 19-year-old Cuban import homered five times and hit four doubles on the month, allowing him to slug .481 with an OPS of .869 despite failing to put the ball in play in 43% of his plate appearances. Armenteros also led the team with 18 walks in April, making him an effective player even with the eye-popping strikeout totals. Considering what he’s done while swinging and missing so frequently, if he can manage to lower his K rates even slightly, Armenteros could prove to be one of the most dangerous hitters in the organization.
Shortstop Nick Allen
After putting up disappointing offensive numbers in the Midwest League in 2018, a return to his home state of California has allowed Allen to break out at the plate. In 24 April games for the Ports, the 20-year-old batted .286 with a team-leading nine doubles and a pair of homers while slugging .439 and a putting up an OPS of .791. Combine that with his 10 walks against just 18 strikeouts, and Allen has proven to be a force at the plate for the Ports while consistently flashing the leather in the hole. With Eli White traded to the Rangers and the Orioles claiming Richie Martin in the Rule-5 draft, the former 3rd-round pick was presented with the opportunity to move up the organization’s depth chart at shortstop this season and, so far, he’s done just that.
Pitcher Brady Feigl
Feigl has been the picture of consistency for the Ports pitching staff so far this season, allowing no more than three earned runs in any of his five April outings. And he’s thrown between 77 and 87 pitches in every outing, with at least two-thirds of his offerings going for strikes in four of those five appearances. His strongest performance came on April 11 at Modesto, when his six shutout innings helped Stockton snap a six-game losing streak. In that game, last year’s 5th-round draft pick for the A’s allowed just two hits and a pair of walks while striking out nine. Feigl compiled and ERA of 3.33 on the month while inducing an average of two groundouts for every flyout and allowing just two homers in the hitter-friendly confines of the California League.
Pitcher Nick Highberger
Relief pitching in the California League can be pretty inconsistent, but Highberger has been absolutely sensational so far this season. He finally allowed his first run of the season in his last appearance of the month on Monday, and he finished April with an ERA of just 0.66. The two hits he allowed in that outing brought him up to just four hits on the month and gave him a total of 10 baserunners allowed in 13 2/3 innings. And while Highberger racked up just nine strikeouts over his nine appearances, he’s thrived by keeping the ball in the infield, getting two groundouts for every flyout. The 30th-round draft pick has been a favorite of the A’s front office, and he’s definitely shown the stuff to warrant continued confidence.
Pitcher Jesus Zambrano
The 22-year-old Venezuelan righty impressed in his third stint at Beloit last year. And while it took him a while to find his groove in the Midwest League, he seemed to adjust quickly to his first look at the California League. For the month of April, Zambrano allowed just three earned runs over 14 1/3 frames, while striking out 18 and walking just four, finishing the month with a 1.88 ERA. And Zambrano has done a good job of keeping men off base, allowing just eight hits on the month. Two of those hits did leave the yard, but considering the fact that one of those long balls was to San Jose super-prospect Heliot Ramos, it seems that only top prospects have had the ability to make Zambrano appear mortal.
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