A’s Farm Report: Mid-Season Minor League Stat Leaders

by Bill Moriarity / A’s Farm Editor
June 19, 2023

Now that we’re almost halfway through the minor league season, it’s a good time to take a look at some of the A’s minor league statistical leaders. It’s one thing to put up solid numbers that appear impressive in the abstract, but it’s another thing to actually outpace all your peers. So, it’s worth taking a quick look at who’s been performing well above the competition this season.

All stats listed are through games of Sunday, June 18. A minimum of 175 at-bats are required for hitters to qualify, and a minimum of 40 innings pitched are required for pitchers to qualify.

 

–BATTING AVERAGE–

SS Darell Hernaiz / Midland RockHounds / .326 AVG

Acquired from the Orioles in the offseason, the 21-year-old Hernaiz is currently the youngest position player on the Double-A RockHounds roster, yet he’s been one of the best hitters in the A’s system so far this season. In addition to his .326 batting average, Hernaiz has also posted an on-base percentage of .383 and a slugging percentage of .477 over 55 games and is second on the team in doubles (14) and extra-base hits (21). There’s a question as to whether he’ll remain at shortstop or ultimately end up making the move to second base but, either way, a middle infielder with an above-average ability to hit would undoubtedly be a welcome addition to the big league squad whenever he’s ready to arrive.

 

–ON-BASE PERCENTAGE–

INF Brennan Milone / Stockton Ports / .413 OBP

The A’s 6^th-round draft pick last year, Milone was mainly a third baseman in college, but he’s primarily been playing first base and second base in Stockton. Wherever he ends up landing defensively, Milone’s main calling card is his ability to get on base. Not only does the 22-year-old infielder boast the best on-base percentage in the organization (.413), but he’s also tied for second in the system in walks (35) and leads the Stockton squad in home runs (7), slugging percentage (.495) and OPS (.908). As a versatile infielder who can get on base and handle the bat well, Milone may move up the ladder fairly quickly. Aviators Max Schuemann (.408) and Zack Gelof (.407) are two other A’s minor league hitters currently sporting on-base percentages over .400 this season.

 

–SLUGGING PERCENTAGE–

OF Cody Thomas / Las Vegas Aviators / .609 SLG

Perhaps the most productive hitter in the A’s minor league system so far this season, Thomas has served as a one-man wrecking crew at Las Vegas in the first half. In addition to sporting the best slugging percentage (.609) and OPS (.988) in the organization, the 28-year-old outfielder, who was acquired from the Dodgers before the 2021 season, also has the most hits (81) and RBIs (69) in the Pacific Coast League and leads the organization in extra-base hits (37) while tying for the system lead in both home runs (15) and triples (6) and posting a batting average of .320 and an on-base percentage of .379 for the Aviators. While not currently on the A’s 40-man roster, it’d be great to see the veteran minor league slugger get a chance to show what he can in the big leagues before the season’s through.

 

–ERA–

RHP Jack Perkins / Lansing Lugnuts-Midland RockHounds / 2.78 ERA

As the A’s 5^th-round draft pick last year, Perkins flew a bit under the radar and threw just 10 innings after being drafted last season. But he started this season off with a bang in Lansing, allowing just a single run over his first trio of starts for the Lugnuts. And the 23-year-old Indiana native ended up posting a 2.52 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP in 10 appearances in the Midwest League before recently receiving a promotion to Midland. Perkins’ mid-90s fastball enables him to miss a lot of bats, and he could be a fast-riser if he continues to show the kind of command he has in the early stages of his pro career.

 

–WHIP–

RHP Jose Dicochea / Stockton Ports-Lansing Lugnuts / 1.03 WHIP

The A’s 8^th-round draft pick out of high school in 2019, Dicochea’s progress was delayed by Tommy John surgery, which led to him throwing a total of just 24 innings over the past two seasons. But the 22-year-old righty has been hard to hit this season since returning from surgery, allowing just 26 hits and notching 49 strikeouts over 43 2/3 frames while posting a paltry 1.03 WHIP and averaging 10.1 K/9. Dicochea tossed a no-hitter in high school, and with a mid-90s fastball and improved command this season, the Arizona native could be ready to live up to expectations now that he’s healthy and able to show what he can do.

 

–K/9–

RHP Royber Salinas / Midland RockHounds / 12.4 K/9

Acquired from Atlanta in the Sean Murphy deal, the 22-year-old hurler is one of the youngest pitchers on the RockHounds roster, but that hasn’t kept him from averaging an impressive 12.4 K/9 in his first season in Double-A. And over his minor league career, the Venezuelan righty has averaged 13.6 K/9. Salinas started out the season by compiling a 3.44 ERA in April before struggling in May, posting a 9.33 ERA in the month. Salinas righted the ship by allowing just a single hit and a single run while striking out 11 over 6 innings in his only June start before landing on the injured list. But with a high-90s fastball and a power slider, Salinas clearly possesses big stuff and big potential for the A’s.

*          *          *

Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm.