Second Half Record: 20-18
The Naturals kept themselves two games above .500 with a 3-3 week down in Amarillo. Four of the six games were decided by one run. Pitching was the difference between a losing week and an even split. The bats were pretty silent with the exception of a power surge amongst the players. The Naturals hit 12 home runs as a squad in their six games with three guys tallying multi-homer weeks. A 4-0 and 6-4 win were the only two games decided by more than a run. This signals that the series was within reach if the bats were a bit more active. In a down week at the plate, the team can only ask for so much and a split series is one of those things.
Recent promotions have emptied the rotation alongside a currently injured Luinder Avila. Two pitchers that struggled the most this week were starters looking to fill empty spots. The bullpen pitched well, however, racking up plenty of strikeouts and limiting runs. WHIPs across the board were fantastic and the pitchers that struggled were effectively bailed out by the bullpen. It had been a rough season for the pen, leading all of AA in blown saves with 24. They sit third in the entire MiLB.
Pitcher of the Week
Steven Zobac came into this week quietly having a great season. His WHIP is near 1.00 and his ERA at 3.60 showcased a great ability to limit base runners and keep his team in the game. He beefed those numbers by throwing the best start by a Natural in 2024. Seven innings pitched, two hits allowed, zero walks, zero runs, and 12 (!!!) strikeouts. Rarely have pitchers seen seven full innings in AA this season. Even rarer is a guy tallying strikeouts in the double digits. Zobac was unconscious, leaving hitters to their own devices against him as he carved them up.
Zobac pushed the Naturals over the 1,000 strikeout mark for the 2024 season, the first in all of AA to reach that mark. Thanks to guys like Steven, the Naturals have accrued even more strikeouts than the big league club in Kansas City. With the bullpen looking ripe for competition next season, some guys in Arkansas may compete for those spots soon.
Hitter of the Week
Josh Lester has forced my hand once again. The 29-year-old swatted four home runs this week, and a double, on his way to a 1.218 OPS and eight RBI. He led the charge in a week where the team couldn’t help but mash some bombs. Lester only hit .250, which was still good enough for one of the better averages on the team. His .900 slugging percentage dwarfs anyone else on the squad thanks to all five of his knocks going for extra bases.
It’s the best year Lester has had since 2021 when he posted a .911 OPS over 109 games in the Orioles system. He’s too old to project much for the Royals but he’s consistently put up power numbers and he won’t be expected to play great defense at the corners. If he makes his way up, he could fill in the DH role at times and serve as an interesting power bat for pinch-hit situations.
Other Notables
Tyson Guerrero threw his fourth straight quality start. He threw 6 IP, giving up 1 run, 4 hits, and striking out 5.
Dillan Shrum (3) and Gavin Cross (2) both homered multiple times this week. Both were hurt by strikeouts while posting an OPS over .800.
What’s Next
The Naturals head back home to face the Corpus Christi Hooks. Something is going on every night at Arvest Ballpark, highlighted by a pretty sick Vinnie Pasquantino and Strike the Sasquatch bobblehead. The squad has hovered above .500 for two weeks now but is hoping to increase their win total and climb their way up in a tight race for the Texas League North.
Image credit: Naturals PR Department