Second Half Record: 23-21
The winning team only scored less than five runs once this series. It was an odd series overall, with the second half of Friday’s game being delayed into Saturday. The impromptu ‘one-and-a-half-header” led to the only low-scoring affair of the week. It was an offensive explosion for the Naturals, with five batters finishing the week with an OPS over 1.000. Beyond that, there were another four batters with an OPS over .800 and seven batters with a home run. Rest in peace Corpus Christ Hooks pitching staff…
Pitcher of the Week
Yet again Steven Zobac is taking the honors. He pitched 10 frames over two starts this week, allowing just two solo shots. He finished the week with an opponent batting average of .118 and a WHIP of 0.80. Burying the lede a bit here, Zobac also amassed 12 strikeouts between the starts. He continues his torrid streak by ruining hitters’ nights and keeping runs off the board. Quite frankly, Zobac is having the best stretch of games by any pitcher for the Naturals this season. He will be the next man up at this rate, joining recent AA-AAA promotions Noah Cameron and Chandler Champlain.
Hitter of the Week
Javier Vaz, the contact man that he is, managed to get on base enough to earn this spot over a blazing Gavin Cross. Vaz walked five times, hit four doubles, and batted 9-18 on the week. His .500 batting average was outmatched by a .609 OBP, which was overshadowed by an impressive .722 slugging percentage. Vaz showed just how dangerous he is if he’s firing on all cylinders, swapping traditional home run pop for gap-to-gap power and incredible on-base ability. Buried in the stat line are two stolen bases and surprisingly only two runs batted in. It was an ideal week for the utility man who has managed to open some eyes as of late. Oh, and he also earned MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Team of the Week honors to top it all off.
Other Notables
Gavin Cross walloped 3 home runs and plated 7 runs this week. He slashed .280/.357/.680 while playing in all six games.
Tyler Tolbert slashed .450/.500/.550 in all six games. The defense-first shortstop showed an offensive surge with a contact focus.
Jacob Wallace threw 3 hitless innings of relief this week. He walked one and struck out 4 in his two outings.
Tyson Guererro threw yet another quality start this week. 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER with 4 strikeouts in his lone start. It’s been a parade of starts like this for Guerrero recently.
What’s Next
The Naturals travel to their in-state companions, the Arkansas Travelers, for a six-game series. The Travelers currently sit 2.5 games ahead of the Naturals in the Texas League North. It’s a fantastic opportunity for the Naturals to earn some games back and potentially find their way up to second in the division.
