By Scott Stedman - AngelsWin.com Minor League Reporter
Salt Lake - The Bees lost 2 of 3 over the weekend but not all was lost as some players continued to shine. Jerome Williams just keeps throwing great start after another. On Sunday he tossed a complete game while just allowing 1 run and striking out 8. He was pounding the zone, as 73 of his 99 pitches were strikes, and his last pitch of the night was clocked at 94 MPH. The former 1st round pick is dominating AAA lately and in my opinion, should get the call to the bigs either as a starter to fill in for the injured Richards or as a long reliever. As he put it in his interview with AngelsWin.com "It don't matter [as long as] I'm in the bigs." Jeremy Moore was another star for the Bees and now has his average up to .299 with an OPS of .878. His speed is just a notch below that of Trout and Bourjos and would improve the Angels bench. Michael Kohn was demolished for 4 ER in just 1 inning on Monday.
Arkansas - This just in: Mike Trout can hit. 4 more knocks over the last 3 games, moving his average to .329 with 33 stolen bases. Lucho Jimenez has also begun hitting again raising his average to .300 with an astounding 83 RBIs and 37 doubles. The Travs pitching has also been extremely good lately. Christian Scholl tossed 5 no-hit innings on Sunday starting for Garrett Richards. The plan for Scholl is to start the rest of the year, and re-evaluate whether he is a starter or a reliever at the beginning of next year. Loek Van Mil lowered his ERA to 2.05 in relief for Arkansas. The 7'1" righty features a fastball, slider and change up, and would help out the Angels bullpen tremendously if they decide to dip down to Double-A once again. Lefty Robert Fish also deserves a mention, perfect since his return from the DL. He has an amazing 38 K's to 9 BBs this season with triple digit heat.
Inland Empire - Not much to report out of Single-A over the weekend. Kole Calhoun has cooled down slightly. Carlos Ramirez, however continues to hit very very well. Next year could be the real test for Carlos as he will most likely visit Spring Training with the Angels and work with Sosh. For now, however, he is the best catching prospect in the system until Abel Baker and Jett Bandy move to higher levels. John Hellweg took a small step forward lowering his ERA to 4.05. However he did walk 3 more hitters which has been the killer for him thus far. Still, his improvement is great. Still no sign of Jean Segura...
Cedar Rapids - Frustrating weekend for the Kernels. Randal Grichuk continues to hover around the Mendoza line, but his potential is still there being only 20 years old. I guess the only thing to really report is that Daniel Tillman continues to be great as the closer. His ERA is now almost in the 1.00's, with a ridiculous 70Ks in 66 innings. The Angels plan to be more aggressive with Tillman next year where he should see time in Arkansas. 145 pound Rolando Gomez is hitting .280 for the Kernels.
Orem - Top prospects in Orem, Taylor Lindsey and Kaleb Cowart continue to mash. Taylor Lindsey is hitting .363 with an OPS still over 1.000, and let's not forget he is playing great defense, and is only 19 years old. Another 19 year old, Kaleb Cowart blasted his 7th home run of the year on Monday. Cowart and Lindsey both figure to be in the upper portion of the 2012 top Angels prospect list. Frazier Hall's average has plummeted! He is now hitting a measly .390 for the Owlz. Also, congratulations to Jerod Yakubik for hitting for the cycle in order, which makes it way more cool.
AZL Angels - Jackson Whitley the lefty hitting first baseman with huge potential is now up to .254 on year after a horrible start. His .361 OBP shows how advanced of an approach he has for such a young age. Whitley should be in Orem next year. 2010 supplemental pick Ryan Bolden has reached a new low. His .143 average is now as low it has ever been. If he doesn't turn his career around soon, he may find himself sputtering in the AZL forever. 2011 draftee Jett Bandy is still hitting above .300 and has huge potential as a catcher. Aside from his awesome name, his 6'4" 210 frame projects very well long-term.
DSL Angels - The Angels only played 1 game over the weekend. 20 year old Gabriel Perez dominated once again. 6 shutout innings with 8 punch outs. He has 72 K's in 69 innings with a 1.55 ERA, and if he is adapting to American life well, he should be pitching in the AZL next year. 18 year old Jose Reyes, who was signed out of Venezuela last year, has a 1.15 ERA as a reliever. Despite his success, he figures to pitch 1 if not 2 more seasons in the DSL before progressing in the system.
