#DownontheSDFarm Week Four: These Bats Were Made for Swinging
By Bill Center
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By Bill Center
This week Down on the Farm, it’s all about the lumber. Two Padres prospects were named players of the week in their respective leagues and it seems hitting is contagious top to bottom in the organization.
Infielder-outfielder Ryan Schimpf (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) and left fielder Nick Torres (Double-A Texas League) won Player of the Week honors in their respective leagues last week, while four Padres outfield prospects have active hitting streaks of eight or more games.
El Paso center fielder Manuel Margot, Torres and low Single-A Fort Wayne right fielder Jhonatan Pena all finished the week riding eight-game hitting streaks. Right fielder Franmil Reyes finished the week with an active 10-game hitting streak with high Single-A Lake Elsinore.
Schimpf, 28, who has played both the infield and outfield for El Paso, led all of Triple-A in six offensive categories last week — home runs (five), extra-base hits (nine), total bases (31), on-base percentage (.586), slugging percentage (1.292) and OPS (1.878) last week while going 12-for-24 with 11 RBIs and nine runs scored.
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Torres, 22, the Padres’ fourth-round pick in the 2014 draft, was 12-for-22 last week with five doubles, a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored. He had a .583 on-base percentage and a .909 slugging percentage for a 1.392 OPS. He led the Texas League in five offensive categories for the week — hits, doubles, extra-base hits (six), total bases (20), and slugging percentage.
EL PASO CHIHUAHUAS (AAA)
Center fielder Manuel Margot, acquired from Boston in the Craig Kimbrel trade and ranked by many as the top prospect in the Padres’ system, is 17-for-38 during his eight-game hitting streak with 4 RBIs and 11 runs scored. He leads the PCL in runs scored (47) and has raised his batting average 30 points to .305 during the streak. El Paso has won seven straight and 13 of the last 14 to lead the PCL Pacific Southern Division.
Insider’s Notes: Manuel is a premium defender in CF that has the potential to impact the game on both sides of the ball. Exciting young player.
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Ryan Schimpf was signed by the Padres as a minor league free agent last Nov. 25 after spending seven seasons in Toronto’s minor league system. He is hitting .333 for El Paso with 12 homers, 43 RBIs and 31 runs scored. He is tied for fourth in homers (12) and fifth in RBIs (43) in the PCL with teammate Hunter Renfroe.
Insider’s Notes: Schimpf is a valuable player that can bounce around the entire infield defensively. He has been a game changer at the plate offensively as of late. He is the key to the game and the one driving in the runs in big situations.
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SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS (AA)
Nick Torres is 17-for-31 (.548) during his eight-game hitting streak to raise his batting average from .261 to .306. He led the Texas League in hits, doubles and total bases.
Right-handed starting pitcher Bryan Rodriguez, 24, allowed seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts in six shutout innings Saturday night for the Missions.
Insider’s Notes: The Padres named Torres MiLB player of the year last year and he has been heating back up this summer. Shows good power at the plate and ability to hit to all fields.
LAKE ELSINORE STORM (HIGH-A)
Franmil Reyes, 20, was 11-for-26 (.403) last week with six doubles, a homer, seven RBIs and six runs scored. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Reyes, who missed all last season due to injury, is 17-for-41 during his 10-game hitting streak while boosting his batting average 50 points to .234.
Insider’s Notes: Reyes has HUGE power potential and is really looking athletic and comfortable in the box right now. He is a dangerous hitter when he is hot.
FORT WAYNE TINCAPS (LOW-A)
Native of the Dominican Republic, the 21-year-old Jhonatan Peña is 13-for-31 during his eight-game hitting streak with two doubles and a triple for four RBIs and four runs scored. Peña, who is in his first year of full-season professional baseball, raised his batting average 50 points to .243 during the streak. He has had two, three-hit games during the streak.
Insider’s Notes: Peña is a young player that has made big strides defensively in the OF this summer. He had a game-winning 2 run HR this summer that helped start the hot streak that Fort Wayne has been on.
