The Scrapperbook: Week One

The first week of the New York-Penn League is in the book and it's time for the Scrapperbook to get underway!

Where We Stand in Week One:

Overall Record: 5-3, Third place, 1 game behind Auburn.

Week One Games:

17 vs. Jamestown, L 3-9 (WP: J. Hodges; LP: J. Colon)
18 vs. Jamestown, W 4-3 (WP: H. Guerrero; LP: J. Urena; SV: K. Petter)
19 vs. Jamestown, W 5-2 (WP: K. Wetmore; LP: H. Reyes)
20 vs. Batavia, L 7-10 (WP: J. Almarante; LP: R. Nixon; SV: D. Miranda)
21 vs. Batavia, W 2-0 (WP: C. Allen; LP: I. Nazario; SV: B. Stowell)
22 vs. Batavia, W 4-3 (WP: K. Petter; LP: R. Martinez)
23 @ Auburn, L 2-7 (WP: W. Estevez; LP: H. Guerrero)
24 @ Auburn, W 9-3 (WP: K. Wetmore; LP: P. Encarnacion)

The Transactions:

6/20: Bryce Stowell assigned to Mahoning Valley Scrappers from Lake County Captains.
6/21: Mason Radeke assigned to Mahoning Valley Scrappers from Cleveland Indians.
6/21: Jordan Smith assigned to Mahoning Valley Scrappers from Cleveland Indians.
6/24: Bryce Stowell assigned to Lake County Captains from Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
6/24: C Moises Montero assigned to Lake County Captains from Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

Week 1 Offense:

All of last season, the offense really struggled and ranked near the bottom in every offensive category. It was a miracle that the team didn't finish last in every offensive category. It was that bad. With fresh faces this season, the tide has turned. This week, they scored 36 runs, 32 of which were earned, while slamming 66 hits along the way. They rank sixth in the league in batting average (.240), third in the league in runs (36), third in the league in hits (66), tied for fifth in doubles (12), tied for second in triples (3), second in home runs (5), second in runs batted in (32), third in total bases (99), tied for fifth in walks (26), and have the fourth fewest strikeouts (51). They also rank tied for eighth in the league in stolen bases (7), eighth in the league in OBP (.317), third in SLG (.360), and tied for fifth in the league in OPS (.677).

Week 1 Offensive Player of the Week: Jake Lowery

This was somewhat of a no brainer. Lowery was the heart and soul of the offense, hitting .313 (10-32) for the week with 3 doubles, 2 home runs, and driving in 8. He walked 4 times and struck out 4 times. He also managed to steal a base. He also possessed a .389 OBP/.594 SLG/.983 OPS. It's certainly encouraging to see Lowery hit the ground running and pick up where he left off in college. If his hot bat can continue, he can develop into a serious prospect.

Week 1 Pitching:

Last year, for the most part, the pitching managed to keep the team in ball games. It wasn't awful and it wasn't impressive. Basically, they did just enough to get by. This season, with so few legitimate pitching prospects, they've already struggled coming out of the gate. The pitching staff has a 4.19 ERA (4th highest in the league), allowing 64 hits (3rd highest in the league), 34 ER/37 R (2nd highest in the league), 5 home runs (tied for highest in the league), while waking 25 (7th fewest) and striking out 72 (3rd in the league).

Week 1 Pitcher of the Week: Kirk Wetmore

This was also a no brainer. The "veteran" of the staff dominated his opponents, starting two games this week, going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He went 10 innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 walks, and striking out 9. Opposing hitters hit a mere .118 against him. With the bases empty, hitters had a .136 average against him, which lowered to .083 with runners on base. Even more impressive, he held hitters to a .000 average with runners in scoring position, striking out three.

Looking Ahead to Week 2:

25 @ Auburn, 7:05 PM
26 vs. State College, 5:05 PM
27 vs. State College, 7:05 PM
28 vs. State College, 7:05 PM
29 @ State College, 7:05 PM
30 @ State College, 7:05 PM
1 @ State College, 7:05 PM

Week 2 Promotions:

Sun, Jun 26: "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase Appearance, Family Fun Day, Keystone State Community Day
Mon, Jun 27: Scrappy's Birthday Bash, Mascot Mania, Warren Community Day
Tue, Jun 28: Tribute to "Wild Thing" and Major League the Movie, $2 Tuesday, KRAFT Singles Tuesday Night Tickets, McDonald's McFamily Pack Night, Boardman/Canfield Community Day

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

Posted in: Mahoning Valley