Down on the Farm: Weekly Review- June 5-11

Nick Buss– OF, Triple-A, El Paso Chihuahuas
9-17, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 10 TB

Nick Buss continues to be one of the hottest hitters in the entire Padres organization. Buss is now slashing .370/.428/.519 after yet another strong week, and could be next in line should the Padres need more Triple-A help later this season. With Jose Pirela showing what can happen when a player is given a big league opportunity, Buss may start hitting even better.

Bryan Rodriguez– RHP, Triple-A, El Paso Chihuahuas
6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

The only sure thing in El Paso is a lot of offense and a lot of mediocre pitching. Sometimes it’s hard to find a pitcher to highlight in El Paso given how bad that environment is for pitchers. However, Bryan Rodriguez had perhaps his best start of the season this week. Sure, he’s got an ERA just shy of 5.00 for the season, but a good start in the PCL is as good as a good start anywhere else.

Jose Rondon– SS, Double-A, San Antonio Missions
11-25, 3 2B, 5 RBI, 14 TB

Much has been said about Jose Rondon not being a big league -caliber shortstop. However, since returning from injury, Rondon is trying to prove the doubters wrong. Over the last 10 days, Rondon is slashing .488/.511/.674. Over his last 30, he is slashing a healthy .333/.387/.474. There is a long way to go before he brings himself back into relevance, but this is certainly a solid start.

Michael Kelly– RHP, Double-A, San Antonio Missions
13.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R (1 ER), 4 BB, 14 K

I don’t watch a lot of Padres minor league games, but when I do, it is to watch Michael Kelly pitch. Kelly had not one, but two, strong starts this week, as the right-hander racked up the strikeouts and prevented the runs. Kelly has perhaps been the most impressive pitcher in the entire Padres minor league system, as his ERA now stands at just 2.43 on the season.

Edwin Moreno– OF, High-A, Lake Elsinore Storm
9-25, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 11 TB

Jesse Scholtens/Jacob Nix– RHP, High-A, Lake Elsinore Storm
7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

The Lake Elsinore Storm have not only the best starting rotation of any Padres affiliate, but perhaps the best starting rotation of any minor league affiliate period. When Cal Quantrill, Joey Lucchesi, and Eric Lauer aren’t your best pitchers of the week, and all three had solid weeks, you know you are watching something special. Despite a 10-strikeout performance from Lucchesi on Sunday, Scholtens and Nix are the ones to note, as they combined for 14 innings, 15 strikeouts, and just one earned run between them this week. While Nix has looked strong since returning from injury, Scholtens has further impressed since earning a promotion from Fort Wayne earlier this season.

Brad Zunica– 1B, Low-A, Fort Wayne TinCaps
6-18, 3 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 12 TB

Mason Thompson/Reggie Lawson– RHP, Low-A, Fort Wayne TinCaps
5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

Speaking of pitching prospects that impressed this week, Mason Thompson and Reggie Lawson both had very encouraging starts. Both selected in the 2016 MLB draft, the start of the season was slow going for both guys. However, both guys showed what they are capable of with their outings this week. Given Thompson’s Tommy John surgery history, and Lawson’s rawness, both guys are more long-term projects, although both have shown some flashes of brilliance in small sample sizes this year.

Elvis Sabala– 1B, DSL Padres
8-19, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 10 TB

Martin Carrasco- RHP, DSL Padres
9 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K

Patrick Brewer

Editorial and Prospect Writer for East Village Times. Twenty-five years young, Patrick has lived in San Diego for his entire life and has been a Padres fan nearly as long. Patrick lives for baseball and is always looking to learn new things about the game he loves through advanced stats.