Edward Salcedo, Felix Marte, and Aris Alcantara did some big league slugging this week, while Cody Martin and Sean Gilmartin excelled on the mound. Julio Teheran, Ryan Weber, and Rafael Briceno continued their struggles, while David Hale remained maddeningly inconsistent.
Who's Hot?
Edward Salcedo 3B, Lynchburg Hillcats -10-18, 4 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, SB - Salcedo missed a few games at the beginning of the week after he had to head back to the Dominican to deal with a family emergency, but he came back slugging, rapping out a .556 batting average and a 1.563 OPS in 4 games this week. After hitting .264 with a .719 OPS in 252 at bats before the All-Star break, the 20 year old is hitting .357 with a 1.021 OPS in 42 at bats after the break.
Felix Marte OF, Danville Braves -12-30, 2B, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 9 K - Marte went off this week, with 5 mult-hit games that helped him to a .400 average and a 1.233 OPS for the week. After hitting .231 with a .553 OPS in 121 at bats with Rome, the 21 year old Dominican has been on fire for Danville, hitting .394 with a 1.109 OPS in 66 at bats. He's still striking out too much, fanning in 33% of his at bats for the D-Braves after striking out in 41% of his at bats for the R-Braves.
Aris Alcantara 1B, Danville Braves -8-23, 4 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI - Marte's teammate Alcantara was just as hot this week, putting up a .348 batting average and a 1.131 OPS while nearly doubling his RBI total. The 22 year old Alcantara has hit .344 with a 1.042 OPS, 7 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 19 RBI, and 4 steals in 61 at bats for Danville this year after hitting .258 with a .719 OPS in 178 at bats in the GCL last year.
Cody Martin RHP, Lynchburg Hillcats -2-0, 12 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 16 K - Martin won both of his starts this week, allowing 1 run over 5 innings on Monday before allowing 1 run over 7 innings on Saturday. Since the start of June, the 22 year old has a 1.95 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, 5 walks, and 33 strikeouts in 27.2 innings over 7 appearances. He currently leads the Carolina League with 9 wins, and is fifth in the league with 87 strikeouts.
Sean Gilmartin LHP, Mississippi Braves - 9 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 7 K - Gilmartin didn't get a decision in his lone start, a game that took extra innings to finish, but he was masterful, striking out 7 and allowing just 4 hits and 1 earned run over 9 innings. It was a nice comeback after allowing 9 earned runs in 11 innings over his previous 2 starts.
Honorable Mention: Jaye Chapman, Tyler Pastornicky, Jose Constanza, Ernesto Mejia, Stefan Gartrell, Gwinnett Braves; Cory Rasmus, Zeke Spruill, Mississippi Braves; Ryne Harper, Aaron Northcraft, Tommy La Stella, Nick Ahmed, Chris Garcia, Adam Milligan, David Rohm, Lynchburg Hillcats; Ross Heffley, William Beckwith, Brandon Drury, Gerardo Reyes, Rome Braves; Josh Elander, Carlos Franco, Edison Sanchez, Ernesto Silva, Clint Wright, Casey Kalenkosky, Ronald Luna, Danville Braves; Lucas Sims, Robinson Arno, Luis Merejo, GCL Braves
Who's Not?
Ryan Weber RHP, Rome Braves - 1-1, 11.2 IP, 12 ER, 19 H, 4 BB, 6 K - Weber won his first start of the week, allowing 2 runs over 7 innings on Tuesday, but he was absolutely hammered in his second start on Sunday, allowing 10 earned runs over just 4.2 innings. After starting the year with Lynchburg, where he posted a 2.70 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP in 10 innings, he's struggled with Rome, posting a 5.73 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP in 66 innings.
Julio Teheran RHP, Gwinnett Braves - 1-0, 7 IP, 7 ER, 9 H, 3 BB, 2 K - Teheran got his week off to a great start, tossing 2 shutout innings on Tuesday, but rain forced that game's suspension. He took the mound again Sunday and things didn't go well, as he allowed 7 earned runs over 5 innings, but still managed to pick up a win thanks to his offense. In his last 4 starts, he's allowed 20 earned runs in 16.2 innings, raising his season ERA from 3.24 to 4.92. After being the International League Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year in 2011 by going 15-3 with a 2.55 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 144.2 innings, the 21 year old has struggled to a 4.92 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP in 75 innings this season.
Rafael Briceno RHP, Danville Braves - 0-1, 2 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 1 K - Briceno's season long struggled continued on Monday, as the 21 year old Venezuelan allowed 6 earned runs in just 2 innings of work. His turn in the rotation was skipped later in the week, just the latest down moment in a season that's seen him combine for a 7.03 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP in 80.2 innings between Rome and Danville.
Tony Mueller OF, Rome Braves - 4-23, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, SB - Mueller looked to be turning his season around with a strong June that saw him hit .348 with a .763 OPS, 18 runs scored, and 7 stolen bases, but he slumped again this week, hitting just .174 with a .457 OPS. The 22 year old has been Rome's primary leadoff hitter this year, but his season OBP is just .332.
David Hale RHP, Mississippi Braves - 0-1, 5 IP, 9 ER, 10 H, 1 BB, 7 K - Hale looked to be finally gaining some consistency, posting a 1.07 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP in 33.2 innings over his previous 5 starts before this week, but he gave up 9 earned runs in 5 innings in his lone start this week. The 24 year old continues to be an intriguing but frustrating prospect.
Dishonorable Mention: Billy Bullock, Gwinnett Braves; Andrew Wilson, Keenan Wiley, Phil Gosselin, Mississippi Braves; Caleb Brewer, Chasen Shreve, Ian Marshall, Juan Jaime, Lynchburg Hillcats; KC Clabough, Will Skinner, Rome Braves; Gerardo Reyes, Danville Braves