by Jeffrey Pilch / A’s Farm Contributor
The Rockhounds had a very good June, registering a 16-10 record for the month.
And with the team performing well, players like Luis Barrera, Grant Holmes and Daulton Jefferies really upped their game for the RockHounds as well.
So let’s take a quick look at how some of the A’s top prospects at Midland (as ranked by MLB Pipeline) performed during the month of June…
Pitcher A.J Puk (#2)
Highly-touted pitching prospect A.J Puk arrived in Midland at the end of June and had one appearance in relief on June 28. The 24-year-old allowed 1 run on 3 hits while walking 1 and striking out 4 in 1 1/3 innings of work for the RockHounds.
Outfielder Greg Deichmann (#11)
After struggling through May with an OPS of .520 for the month, the A’s 2017 second-round draft pick improved his performance just a bit in June by slashing .246/.271/.386 for Midland. Deichmann last played on June 19 before landing on the injured list for the RockHounds.
Pitcher Grant Holmes (#12)
Holmes pitched well in June after missing over a month with a sore shoulder earlier in the season. He put up a 1.42 ERA while walking just 4 and striking out 14 in 19 innings of work during the month. After missing most of last season with shoulder issues, the A’s have been limiting his innings this year, and Holmes has yet to throw more than 4 frames in an appearance this season.
Outfielder Luis Barrera (#13)
After a great April and a mediocre May, Barrera was sizzling in June, slashing .406/.420/.594 for the RockHounds while also garnering the Texas League All-Star Game MVP award. Unfortunately, Barrera last played on June 27 and has since landed on the injured list for the second time this season.
Pitcher Daulton Jefferies (#14)
Jefferies, who’s returning from Tommy John surgery this season, has looked like he’s more than up to the challenge at Midland. In June, the Cal product logged 19 innings over 6 appearances, during which he whiffed 21 batters while walking just 2 for the RockHounds.
Shortstop Kevin Merrell (#17)
Merrell’s slash lines were nearly identical in April (.228/.287/.342) and May (.230/.284/.322), but he definitely picked up the pace in June by slashing .300/.309/.389 for Midland. Unfortunately, he only drew a pair of walks during the month, which definitely served to suppress his on-base percentage.
Outfielder Tyler Ramirez (#20)
Ramirez returned to the RockHounds from Las Vegas on June 3. And during the month, the 24-year-old wound up slashing .247/.356/.376 in his return to the Texas League.
Pitcher Brian Howard (#21)
After an outstanding April followed by an almost-as-good May, the 6-foot-9 righty compiled a 4.20 ERA over 30 innings in June, but his strikeout-to-walk ratio was impressive. Howard notched 32 strikeouts while issuing just 8 walks over 5 June starts. The 24-year-old has been a real workhorse for the RockHounds, and he’s done a good job of keeping the ball in the park, allowing a total of just 6 home runs so far this season.
Catcher Jonah Heim (#29)
Heim turned in strong months for Midland in both April and May before being promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas on June 9. And his solid production at the plate combined with his above-average work behind the plate make Heim a player worth keeping an eye on.
Outfielder Dairon Blanco (#30)
After compiling an impressive OPS of .931 in April, Blanco’s OPS dipped to .764 in May. But the 26-year-old managed to improve a bit over his May performance by slashing .263/.314/.484 in June. One concern though is his increasing strikeout rate. Blanco whiffed 30 times while walking only 6 times in 95 at-bats in June.
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