Second Half Record: 13-13
The Naturals find themselves back at .500 after a strong showing against their neighbors, the Arkansas Travelers. 33 runs over six games helped lift the team over the 24 scored by the Travelers over the week. While pitching looked rocky at times, they held their opponents under three runs in three of their games. The unusual suspects showed up at the plate for the Naturals to help boost the offense. Shortstops Leonel Valera and Tyler Toblert topped the squad in batting average while Josh Lester led a power-hungry offense at the plate.
Pitcher of the Week
Mason Barnett has finally found his stride again, after struggling to reacquaint himself with his success from the 2023 campaign. Making an extra start, Barnett threw 12.0 innings of ball while allowing just one earned run. More impressively Barnett struck out 16 over that span with a WHIP of just 0.83. Barnett avoided allowing regular base runners and gave up only four hits on an opponent average of .103. Barnett stood out in a week where many pitchers excelled in the strikeout category. He managed to avoid bats while gathering his outs in a way he had yet to do this season.
After being widely regarded as one of the best prospects in the system last season, Barnett struggled to reestablish that reputation. With a 4.91 ERA and 1.36 WHIP, this season looked to be a long drought for Barnett. He can build on these impressive starts to try and turn this season around, putting himself back in the conversation for best pitching prospect in the system.
Hitter of the Week
Josh Lester surprises again by combining power and average to propel the offense this week. Slashing .316/.350/.737, Lester swatted two home runs and two doubles. Lester edges Leonel Valera for this title as he played in more games and maintained his production throughout the series. His 1.087 OPS proves that when he can put it all together, the 29-year-old could be one of the best hitters at this level.
He’s had a quietly productive season, slashing .283/.350/.799. It’s been the best season of his career and it could point toward some decent depth at the corners. He is older than your typical AA prospect and it hurts his upside quite a bit. At the very least there is a cornerstone for this team to continue to grow young players without the need to do it all themselves.
Other Notables
Anthony Simonelli nixed 8 batters at the plate over 3.0 IP. He continues to be the biggest surprise arm in AA this season.
Leonel Valera slashed .545/.545/.909 in three games. He pieced 2 doubles and 1 triple in 11 at-bats.
Tyler Tolbert smacked 2 doubles in 7 hits this week. He slashed .412/.444/.529 over 5 games.
What’s next
The Naturals travel to Wichita for six games against the Wind Surge. The Wind Surge has struggled this season and sit in last place for the second half. It’s a good opportunity to continue their offensive prowess at the plate. The only question: can the pitchers figure it out and provide some relief for the offense?
Image credit: David McLelland/Northwest Arkansas Naturals
