1. Casey Kelly, RHP
Here are Kelly’s strikeout totals by game this year: 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 7. Now much of that has to do with the fact that he is slowly getting stretched out, but he is improving his strikeout rate as well. The seven Ks came in a loss to Binghamton on Monday. In the outing, the 20-year-old allowed three runs on five hits in five innings. Kelly has struggled slightly out of the stretch, allowing opponents to .300 against him with runners on.
Last week: No. 1
2. Ryan Kalish, OF
Kalish continues to impress at Double-A Portland. Entering Friday, he ranked in the top 10 in the Eastern League in runs, stolen bases and home runs. Additionally, his 21-to-13 walk-to-strikeout ratio is outstanding. Last year, at the same level, he had 42 walks and 87 strikeouts.
Last week: No. 3
3. Lars Anderson, 1B
Anderson had hits in seven of his first eight starts for Pawtucket before an 0-for-4 effort on Thursday. Between Portland and Pawtucket, Anderson already has 27 doubles and 10 home runs. He is back on the radar and climbing the charts.
Last week: No. 4
4. Josh Reddick, OF
After his first week back in Triple-A Pawtucket featured a series of extra-base hits, Reddick’s second week since being sent down has resulted in little of anything. In his last six games entering Friday, the 23-year-old is 4-for-25 (.160) with four singles and seven strikeouts. He has just six walks against 25 strikeouts this season, a slight sign that the plate discipline the organization is hoping to see is slow to come.
Last week: No. 2
5. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
The big promotion of the week came for Rizzo, who took the spot vacated when Anderson was moved up to Pawtucket. Rizzo, who had 20 RBIs in just 29 games for Single-A Salem, has continued to rake. In his first three games with Portland, the 20-year-old has gone 3-for-8 with a home run and four RBIs. Not a bad Double-A debut.
Last week: No. 5
6. Jose Iglesias, SS
Before an 0-for-4 performance against Binghamton on Wednesday, Iglesias had been on fire. During a five-game hitting streak, the standout shortstop went 11-for-23 with a double, a triple and six RBIs. Included in the run were back-to-back games in which he was 7-for-9 and recorded all six of those RBIs. The strikeouts were coming at a more rapid rate, but the 20-year-old has whiffed only once in his last six games entering Friday.
Last week: No. 6
7. Luis Exposito, C
The organization’s best backstop cooled off at the plate after a bit of a hot stretch, but continues to rank among the team leaders in doubles, RBIs and walks. Perhaps more importantly, he is guiding a pitching staff which has shaken off some early struggles to rise up the rankings in the Eastern League. The Sea Dogs’ 4.11 ERA ranks seventh out of 12 teams in the league, but they were near the bottom after a few weeks. The staff ranks fourth in strikeouts, yet has allowed the ninth-most walks.
Last week: No. 7
8. Felix Doubront, LHP
After recording a season high in strikeouts with nine in a May 7 start, Doubront put forth another solid effort five days later against Binghamton. In six innings he allowed just a run on five hits, improving to 3-0. Unlike Kelly, Doubront has been able to buckle down with runners on, holding opponents to just a .197 average in such situations.
Last week: No. 9
9. Stolmy Pimentel, RHP
It’s been a bit of a rough stretch for Pimentel, who has given up 14 runs — 11 earned — in 13 innings over his last three starts. Opponents are hitting .298 against the 20-year-old, and after walking one man every four-plus innings in 2009, he has walked better than one in three this year.
Last week: No. 8
10. Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Middlebrooks has cooled off just slightly after a scorching April, but he remains an intriguing prospect. Entering Friday’s play, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound third baseman ranked among the top 10 in the South Atlantic League in nearly every major offensive category. He also continues to limit the strikeouts, which plagued him in the past.
Last week: No. 10
