by Brian Fonseca / A’s Farm Contributor
The Aviators finished June with a record of 15-12 for the month. Up and down the lineup, the team continues to produce at the plate as Las Vegas boasts the best batting average (.301) and on-base percentage (.374) in the 16-team Pacific Coast League. On the pitching side, the Aviators rank right around the middle of the PCL pack with a 5.49 ERA.
Infielder Franklin Barreto
Before being called up by the A’s on June 30, Barreto was having just about the best month of his career. The right-handed hitter finished June with an impressive .387/.402/.802 slash line for Las Vegas. For the month, Barreto mashed 9 home runs while collecting 13 doubles and 32 RBIs for the Aviators. And as of July 1, Barreto was still second in the PCL in both doubles (24) and runs (65). In a three-game stretch vs. Round Rock in early June, Barreto banged out a total of 9 hits, including 3 home runs, and drove in 10 runs for Las Vegas. One issue with Barreto over the years has been his high strikeout rate but, in June, his strikeout rate was down to a solid 18.9%. And the native Venezuelan has particularly excelled in the first inning this season, putting up a slash line of .433/.486/.767 in the first frame this year.
Infielder Corban Joseph
The only position player in Las Vegas who possibly had a better month than Barreto was Corban Joseph. The 30-year-old minor league veteran simply raked at the plate in June, finishing the month with an astonishing slash line of .500/.562/.711, and he currently leads all PCL hitters with a batting average of .392. Joseph tallied 12 multi-hit games for the month, including a 4-hit performance versus Fresno on June 27. The left-handed swinger has been especially tough against right-handed pitching, carrying a .436 batting average and a 488 on-base percentage versus righties on the season.
Third Baseman Sheldon Neuse
Neuse capped off a productive month by being named to MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Team of the Week on June 24. The 24-year-old slashed a hefty .384/.466/.657 for the month, and he currently leads the team in walks with 39 and is tied for the team RBI lead with 61. Neuse enjoyed a three-game stretch in mid-June when he went an incredible 11 for 13 for Las Vegas.
Shortstop Jorge Mateo
It was recently announced that, for the second time in his career, Mateo has been named to the MLB Futures Game roster. After turning in a torrid April and May, his .801 OPS in June actually represented something of a drop-off for the dynamic Dominican infielder. Mateo collected 15 extra-base hits in June while putting up a .504 slugging percentage for the month. The talented 24-year-old is currently slashing .308/.343/.537 on the season and leads the PCL in hits (113), triples (13) and total bases (197) while leading the team with 18 stolen bases. On the flip side, Mateo has been caught stealing 9 times and also leads the team in strikeouts with 93. And in June, his strikeout rate was a worrisome 28.5%.
Pitcher Jesus Luzardo
Before his recent lat injury, Luzardo made two strong appearances for Stockton and then turned in two solid starts for Las Vegas in June. In a total of 8 1/3 innings in June, Luzardo gave up 4 runs on 9 hits while walking 2 and striking out 9 for Las Vegas. Unfortunately, Luzardo strained his left lat in his last start on July 2 and there is currently no timetable for his return.
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