After a week of all affiliates playing, we have some extremely exciting players to watch. The Omaha Stormchasers have been playing for a bit longer, but the lower teams have shown off plenty to match. In these segments, we will highlight the best hitter and pitcher from each level week by week. With a little extra time, we may even be able to dive into what’s working or failing for each as well.
Omaha Storm Chasers
Record: 7-7
Hitter of the Week: SS Cam Devanney – .375/.457/.775
Cam Devanney has entered 2025 red hot, leading the team in home runs (4) and tied for the team lead in doubles (4). In just 12 games, he has driven in 10 and scored nine, easily making him the most valuable bat for the team to start. His unsustainable 233 wRC+ is gigantic and supported by the power pop we’ve seen so far. Fangraphs has his contact as his lowest tool, coming in at 35. If his 50-grade raw power can continue to flash, he could be an option for a Royals team a tad low on third basemen.
Pitcher of the Week: LHP Noah Cameron – 1.65 ERA
Cameron picked up right where he left off in 2024. With three starts in his pocket, he has thrown 16.1 innings with a 0.92 WHIP and .161 opponent average. Noah Cameron currently keeps the ball on the ground 63.2% of the time. The lefty has a solid arsenal and can acquire outs at the plate when needed. With the ball staying out of the air most of the time, hits will be hard to come by. He hasn’t been perfect, but 18 strikeouts and only nine hits in three starts is a great start.
Northwest Arkansas Naturals
Record: 5-4
Hitter of the Week: 2B/UTL Peyton Wilson – .464/.605/.821
I know who you all want to see here… What is stopping that from happening is a 1.426 OPS with three doubles, two triples, and one home run. Peyton Wilson was someone I thought could look great entering 2025 if he learned from some shortcomings last season. The average was an area he needed to improve upon, and he seems to have done so. What isn’t apparent from the slash is his play as a teammate. He has more walks than strikeouts with an 8:5 ratio and 11 RBI to help the team’s offense explode in the first 10 games. There are plenty of players performing to start 2025 in Arkansas. They’re all likely to make appearances eventually, which makes Wilson’s nod in week one that much more impressive.
Pitcher of the Week: RHP Henry Williams – 2.45 ERA
Henry Williams highlights a raw rotation at AA that has a massive ceiling but some stuff to work through. In his first two starts, he’s struck out 12 with only three walks to pair. A .100 WHIP is the number that stands out amongst a rotation that’s struggled to keep runners off. It’s been 11 inning,s and Williams has utilized a 97.6% left-on-base rate to minimize damage. Damage that was imminent with two home runs already in this short season.
Quad Cities River Bandits
Record: 6-3
Hitter of the Week: OF Erick Torres – .429/.500/.524
20-year-old Erick Torres was rough last season at Low-A, which wasn’t enough to keep him out of Quad Cities in 2025. In six games, Torres has nine hits with two doubles and two walks. It’s all been slashing the gaps, but the start has been promising. The power hasn’t developed, but a healthy contact approach at 20 years old is more than enough to put this kid on some radars. Even with just two doubles to help boost his numbers, Torres has given himself a launchpad in his 1.024 OPS.
Pitcher of the Week: LHP Hunter Patteson – 0.84 ERA
Forgive me for not knowing who Patteson was before this article. The 6’4” lefty was a fifth-round pick in 2022 but never played an inning until 2023. He’s slowly worked his way to a starter role with Quad Cities and has made the most of it. Through two starts, he has accumulated 10.2 innings, 10 strikeouts, and just one earned run. He has struggled with allowing baserunners, with five walks in his two starts and a 1.31 WHIP. A little luck has afforded Patteson a great start to the season. Perhaps it’s the start he needed to put it all together.
Columbia Fireflies
Record: 5-4
Hitter of the Week: 1B Derlin Figueroa – .382/.450/.676
Power? Average? Walks? RBI? This was the best opening week a player like Derlin Figueria could ask for. He struggled mightily in 2024 with most of his power sacrificing his contact and on-base ability. Now entering 2025, Figueroa has locked into insane pop that carries over into a 5:5 BB:K ratio and .382 average. He’s going to regress down the stretch, but it’s a fantastic start highlighted by an ISO of a whopping .294. Not to mention a knack for the big moment with 12 RBI in nine games.
Pitcher of the Week: LHP Jordan Woods – 0.00 ERA
A 0.50 WHIP and .071 opponent average are the reasons reliever Jordan Woods has topped all pitchers in Columbia’s first week of games. In 4.0 innings of work over just one outing, Woods has allowed zero runs and struck out six. The rotation is wide open for someone who wants to produce, with most of the top pitching prospects being promoted in unison last year. Fangraphs ranked Jordan Woods as the ninth-best prospect in the Royals’ 2024 system. With that status, he will continue seeing more outings like this in Colombia.
It was an exciting week for the Royals’ system. Sure, it wasn’t all rainbows, but some players opened eyes. With a major league roster that has its foundational pieces, it’s fun to see who could emerge as the supporting cast from our minor leagues.
Image Credit: Omaha Storm Chasers on X
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