Down on the Farm: Weekly Review May 29-June 4
Jose Pirela– OF/IF, Triple-A, El Paso Chihuahuas
11-24, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 23 TB
No hitter in the San Diego Padres’ organization has been as hot lately as Jose Pirela. Not only does Pirela have 11 home runs over the last 30 days, but he has also belted four over the last ten days. With his hot stretch, Pirela is now slashing .335/.392/.642 on the season. Pirela still lacks a true defensive home, but he’s gotta be earning himself consideration for a call-up at some point in the future.
Franmil Reyes– OF, Double-A, San Antonio Missions
6-18, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 12 TB
After another solid week of offensive performance, outfielder Franmil Reyes is quietly having himself a really solid season. Reyes not only went deep twice during the week but he also got on base six times via the walk. For Reyes, plate discipline has been a bit of a struggle in the past, but the big right-hander has shown some improvement over the last month or so. He is still striking out a good amount, but he is accessing in-game power more than he has at any time in the past.
Enyel De Los Santos– RHP, Double-A, San Antonio Missions
6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
For Enyel De Los Santos, the up and down 2017 season continued this week. After perhaps his best start of the season, in which he went eight innings, De Los Santos had yet another strong outing, this time only going six innings but giving up just one earned run. That marks two strong starts in a row for De Los Santos after giving up seven earned runs on May 21. It remains to be seen whether De Los Santos can string together a couple more solid starts, but he has shown a lot to like recently.
Michael Gettys– OF, High-A, Lake Elsinore Storm
11-23, 3 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 26 TB
Michael Gettys has really been catching fire as of late. There have always been some concerns about whether he can hit enough to be a major league-caliber player, but he is putting those doubts to rest in recent weeks. Not only did Gettys belt four home runs in two games on Friday and Saturday, but he also collected 11 hits on the week, including nine during the weekend. Gettys still has a lot to prove, especially considering he still has a few important developmental hurdles to cross, but this strong week represents a huge step forward for the young center fielder.
Zech Lemond– RHP, High-A, Lake Elsinore Storm
4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Zech Lemond has very quietly been one of the most effective relievers in the entire Padres’ minor league system this season. Sure, he has the company of Colby Blueberg and Gerardo Reyes in Lake Elsinore, both of whom have been very solid, but he has made a name for himself just the same. After struggling through his first few professional seasons as a starter, Lemond has found a whole new gear out of the bullpen. Over his 31 innings this season, Lemond has given up just nine earned runs while striking out 34 batters. As a starter, his K-rate hovered around 15 percent. Out of the bullpen, his K-rate has played up to 26 percent this season. Not only did Lemond not give up a run in his four innings this week, but he has only given up five earned runs since May began. He may have finally found where he belongs in the Padres’ organization.
G.K. Young– 1B, Low-A, Fort Wayne TinCaps
6-21, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 15 TB
G.K. Young got off to a bit of a slow start this season. But over the last ten days, he has truly been on fire, as he is slashing .355/.375/.677 with three long balls. More importantly for Young, he has gotten his strikeout rate for the year down below 30 percent. There is still a lot of swing and miss in his game, but if he can cut down on the strikeouts and drive the ball for extra bases, he could be yet another interesting offensive weapon in an already intriguing TinCaps lineup.
Logan Allen– LHP, Low-A, Fort Wayne TinCaps
10.1 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 13 K
Another week, another strong pair of outings for left-hander Logan Allen. It seems like I write the same thing every week, or at least every time Allen takes the mound, but somehow he is still pitching for the TinCaps in Fort Wayne. Considering how close I live to Lake Elsinore, I have been waiting very patiently for a chance to go watch Allen pitch live and in person. Hopefully that’s only a matter of time now.
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.