*Top Hitter of the Day*

• Gareth Morgan, RF – Inland Empire 66ers – Los Angeles Angels –– 2-4, HR (17), R, RBi –– Right on cue for Inland Empire outfielder Morgan.
  • • – If you go back to the July 14 installment of my UTR HOD Morgan was selected as my “Top Hitter of the Day.” Anytime someone crushes two or more home runs in a game, they should be highlighted. However, what the 6’4″- 220 lb. Toronto, ON, Canada native is doing this season is pretty special. Morgan hit another home run last night. His seventeenth on the season, which ties him for third in the Cal League, but the bigger story (in a crooked number kind of way)  was “when” he hit the home run. I pointed out Tuesday the monumental pace in which Morgan is clearing outfield walls with baseballs and he was right on cue in the 66er’s 3-2 victory over Visalia last night. Morgan clubbed his last home run in the fifth inning of Inland Empire’s July 14 game versus Modesto. He followed with a double, then struck out in his next two at-bats (2). In his next game, Morgan logged an incredibly infamous 0-7 with 6 strikeouts, despite Inland Empire’s 14 inning 10-6 victory over his former team. (2+7). Then we have last night. After a clean 1-2-3 top of the first inning for 66er starter Travis Herrin, centerfielder Orlando Martinez opened IE’s half of the first with a solo homer. Shortstop Michael Stefanic flew out to center, then Morgan stepped to the plate, and proceeded to send a Shumpei Toshikawa 2-2 pitch over centerfielder Eduardo Diaz‘ head. In other words, in his tenth at-bat (2+7=9+1 = 10) since his last home run.  –  I love this job. 

California League: 

***Note on this weekend’s posts***

This weekend I will be celebrating my birthday. Actually, let me correct myself. My “family” will be celebrating my birthday. I’ve never been one to make a huge deal over it. In fact, I’d rather hole myself up in front of my laptop, turn on some baseball and do stat research, kind of like I do everyday for you guys. But, this time I was moderately (yet sarcastically) threatened that if I brought my Mac with me (heading out of town) and worked this weekend, I may find myself in “senor peligro.” That’s Spanish for “great danger.”  The family has scheduled a full weekend of plans for my sister and me (yes, I’m a twin), therefore, today will be my final post until Monday, when I bring you the best performances from Sunday July 21.

Thanks for your understanding, and thank you for sticking with Jim and me this season. Our appreciation cannot be measured.  Have a great weekend.

• Joseph Rosa, 2B – Modesto Nuts – Seattle Mariners –– 3-5, 3B, 2B, R, 2RBi, K –
• Donovan Casey, DH – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – Los Angeles Dodgers – – 3-6, 2 2B, 3R, 2RBi, K – – With three more hits last night (combined with collecting 12 hits over his last 13 games), the Dodgers twentieth rounder in 2017 out of Boston College takes  sole possession of first place in total bases (177) over Lancaster’s Luis Castro, whose last game action was July 15 versus San Jose where he went 1-4 with a run scored and three strikeouts. 
• Ryan Vilade, SS – Lancaster Jethawks – Colorado Rockies – – 2-4, HR (5), R, RBi – 

Carolina League: 

• Brewer Hicklen, DH – Wilmington Blue Rocks – Kansas City Royals – – 1-4, HR (5), R, RBi, 2K – 
• Mario Feliciano, DH – Carolina Mudcats – Milwaukee Brewers – – 2-4, HR (15), 2B, R, 2RBi – – The Puerto Rico-born Feliciano continues his breakout season clubbing his Carolina League leading fifteenth homer last night, a two run shot in the bottom half of the eighth, despite the Mudcats going down in defeat 5-2 to Myrtle Beach (CHC). 

Florida State League: 

• Calvin Mitchell, RF – Bradenton Marauders – Pittsburgh Pirates – – 2-4, HR (12), R, 4RBi, BB, K – Coming off an 0-10 min slump between July 6 through July 8, Pirates number six overall ranked prospect has reeled off a six game hit streak, highlighted by a a home run in consecutive games for the second time this season. 
• Ronaldo Hernandez, DH – Charlotte Stone Crabs – Tampa Bay Rays – – 3-5, 2RBi – 
• Demi Orimoloye, RF – Dunedin Blue Jays – Toronto Blue Jays – – 3-3, 2B, R, RBi – 

Midwest League: 

• Brendan Donovan, 2B – Peoria Chiefs – St. Louis Cardinals – – 2-4, HR (8), 2B, 2R, RBi, K – 
• Chris Roller, LF – Great Lakes Loons – Los Angeles Dodgers – – 2-4, 2B, R, 3RBi – 
• Parker Meadows, CF – West Michigan Whitecaps – Detroit Tigers – – 4-5, 2B, 3R, RBi – 
• Bryant Packard, DH – West Michigan Whitecaps – Detroit Tigers – – 3-5, HR (1/1), 2B, 2R, 3RBi, K – 
• Alek Thomas, CF – Kane County Cougars – Arizona Diamondbacks – – 3-4, 3B, 3R, 2RBi, SB (9) – – Thomas is riding a six game hit streak and is batting .463 over his last ten games thanks mostly in part to back-to-back games July 2-3 where he registered nine hits in 11 at-bats versus Peoria. A true stud prospect on both sides of the ball who deserves a promotion to HiA Visalia. 
• David Fry, C – Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – Milwaukee Brewers – – 2-3, HR (12), R, 2RBi, BB – – The Brewers 2018 round seven draft pick out of Northwestern State (LA) belted his first home run since June 23, but sits tied for first overall in the minors with 32 doubles with Hickory/Down East first baseman Curtis Terry, yet Fry maintains his total bases lead (164) in the Midwest League. 

South Atlantic League:

• Jack Herman, RF – Greensboro Grasshoppers – Pittsburgh Pirates – – 2-3, HR (9), 2R, 2RBi, 2BB – 
• Mark Vientos, 3B – Columbia Fireflies – New York Mets – – 3-4, HR (10), 2B, R, RBi – 
• Greg Cullen, 2B – Rome Braves – Atlanta Braves – – 3-4, R, 3RBi – 
• Miguel Aparicio, CF – Hickory Crawdads – Texas Rangers – – 2-3, HR (9), 3R, RBi, BB – 
• Frankie Tostado, 1B – Augusta GreenJackets – San Francisco Giants – – 2-3, 3B, 2R, RBi, BB, K – 

New York-Penn League: 

• Pedro Pages, DH – State College Spikes – St. Louis Cardinals – – 2-3, 3B, RBi, BB – 
• David Vinsky, CF – State College Spikes – St. Louis Cardinals – – 2-4, 2B – 
• J.D. Orr, CF – Batavia Muckdogs – Miami Marlins – – 2-4, 3B, 2B, 3R, 2RBi, BB, SB (15) – Orr’s two hits hast night versus Auburn (WAS) helped pad his New York-Penn League leading .471 on-base percentage. Also, the 2019 Wright State draftee’s steal of third base in the bottom of the first placed him second in the NYPL behind only Williamsport’s Corbin Williams, who has 16 heading into Thursday’s games. 

Northwest League: 

• Hunter Bishop, CF – Salem-Keizer Volcanoes – San Francisco Giants – – 2-4, HR (1/2), 2R, RBi, BB, K – 
• Steven Leyton, 2B – Hillsboro Hops – Arizona Diamonsbacks – – 1-4, HR (4), R, 2RBi, BB, K – 

Appalachian League:

• Chandler Redmond, 3B – Johnson City Cardinals – St. Louis Cardinals – – 1-4, HR (6), R, 3RBi – 
• Fernando Villegas, LF – Bristol Pirates – Pittsburgh Pirates – – 3-4, R, RBi, BB – 
• Luis Leon, C – Princeton Rays – Tampa Bay Rays – – 1-4, HR (1), R, 2RBi, K – 
• Yunior Martinez, LF – Princeton Rays – Tampa Bay Rays – – 2-4, 2 HR (3,4), 2R, 2RBi, 2K – 
• Ryan Sloniger, C – Bluefield Blue Jays – Toronto Blue Jays – – 3-4, 3B, R, RBi – 
• Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B – Burlington Royals – Kansas City Royals – – 2-4, HR (6), 2R, 2RBi – 
• Ruben Santana, DH – Elizabethton Twins – Minnesota Twins – – 3-6, 3B, 2R, 3RBi, 2K – 
• Seth Gray, SS – Elizabethton Twins – Minnesota Twins – – 3-5, 2B, R, 3RBi, BB – 
• Willie Joe Garry Jr., CF – Elizabethton Twins – Minnesota Twins – – 3-3, 3B, 2R, 3RBi, 2BB – 

Pioneer League: 

• Harvin Mendoza, 1B – Great Falls Voyagers – Chicago White Sox – 2-4, 2 3B, R – 
• Nick Kahle, C – Rocky Mountain Vibes – Milwaukee Brewers – – 2-4, HR (3), 2R, 4RBi, K – 
• James Free, DH – Billings Mustangs – Cincinnati Reds – – 4-4, 2B, 2R, RBi, BB – 
• Colin Simpson, C – Grand Junction Rockies – Colorado Rockies – – 4-5, 2 HR (6,7), 3B, 2B, 3R, 5RBi, K – – The Rockies twenty-ninth rounder last month out of Oklahoma State fell a single shy of hitting for the cycle, but instead, clubbed two homers in Grand Junction’s 9-4 win over Billings. Simpson’s four hit effort was also his fourth consecutive multi-hit game, and the stout 5’9″- 225 lb. lefty has also registered a hit in 18 out of his last 20 games leading him to the top of the Pioneer League leaderboard in batting (.382). 
• Todd Isaacs, CF – Grand Junction Rockies – Colorado Rockies – – 4-5, 3B, 2B, R, RBi, K – 
• Jimmy Titus, DH – Ogden Raptors – Los Angeles Dodgers – – 2-5, HR (3), R, 2RBi, K – 
• Anthony Mulrine, C – Orem Owlz – Los Angeles Angels – – 2-4, HR (1), 3B, 2R, 3RBi – 
• Isaiah Henry, CF – Idaho Falls Chukars – Kansas City Royals – – 2-4, HR (2), 3B, 2R, RBi, K – 

Arizona League:

• Nolan Perez, 3B – AZL Mariners – Seattle Mariners – – 3-4, 2B, 2RBi, BB, K – 
• George Bell, CF – AZL Giants Black – San Francisco Giants – – 3-5, 2B, 3R, 2RBi, K, SB (2) – 
• Xavier Fernandez, DH – AZL Royals – Kansas City Royals – – 2-4, 2B, R, 3RBi, SB (1) – 
• Joshwan Wright, 3B – AZL Athletics Gold – Oakland Athletics – – 3-5, 3B, R, 3RBi – 
• Jhoan Paulino, SS – AZL Athletics Green – Oakland Athletics – – 3-5, HR (1), 2B, 2R, 3RBi, 2K – 
• Junior Perez, CF – AZL Padres 2 – San Diego Padres – – 5-6, HR (2), 3B, 4R, 2RBi, K, SB (3) – 
• Arbert Cipion, CF- AZL Brewers Blue – Milwaukee Brewers – – 3-5, 2 2B, 2R, K, SB (8) – 
• Connor Cannon, 1B – AZL Giants Orange – San Francisco Giants – – 2-4, HR (8), 2B, 2R, RBi, K – 

Gulf Coast League:

• Jimmy Kerr, 1B – GCL Tigers West – Detroit Tigers – – 3-5, HR (2), 2R, 3RBi – 
• Johan Rojas, CF – GCL Phillies West – Philadelphia Phillies – – 2-5, 2 3B, R, BB – 
• Edgar Made, 3B – GCL Phillies West – Philadelphia Phillies – – 3-5, 3R, 3RBi, BB – 
• Rixon Wingrove, 1B – GCL Phillies West – Philadelphia Phillies – – 3-4, 3B, 2B, 2R, 6RBi, BB – 
• Francisco Hernandez, 3B – GCL Cardinals – St. Louis Cardinals – – 2-4, HR (3), R, 4RBi, BB, K – 

Dominican Summer League:

• Gabriel Martinez, RF – DSL Blue Jays – Toronto Blue Jays –– 4-5, 2 2B, 2R, 3RBi –
• Thomas Lora, 2B – DSL Reds – Cincinnati Reds –– 3-6, 3 2B, 3R, 2RBi, K –
• Jose Acosta, 3B – DSL Reds – Cincinnati Reds –– 3-4, 2R, 2RBi, 2BB, SB (13) –– After starting the season 4-14 (.285) in his first five games, the 5’10”- 170 lb. switch-hitter out of Santo Domingo, DR has collected a hit in 20 out of his last 21 games and is currently riding an 11-game hit streak; and despite playing only 26 games of the DSL’s 39 game schedule thus far, Acosta has sustained some of the most productive pound-for-pound per game results in the entire league.
• Maikol Escotto, 2B – DSL Yankees – New York Yankees –– 1-4, HR (6), 2R, 2RBi, BB, 3K –
• Agustin Ramirez, DH – DSL Yankees – New York Yankees –– 2-4, HR (4), 2B, R, 3RBi, K
• Claudio Ramirez, DH – DSL Cardinals Red – St. Louis Cardinals –– 3-6, 2B, 2R, 3RBi, 2K –
• Diowill Burgos, LF – DSL Cardinals Red – St. Louis Cardinals –– 4-5, 2B, 3R, 2RBi, BB –– With a Dominican Summer League leading 92 total bases, 42 runs batted in and .742 slugging percentage, it may not be long before the Cardinals pull the trigger and promote the 18-year-old lefty swinger to either to the Gulf Coast League or even Johnson City of the Appalachian League. 
• Edward Barboza, C – DSL Phillies White – Philadelphia Phillies –– 4-6, HR (2), 3B, 2R, 6RBi –
• Adonis Figuereo, LF – DSL Tigers1 – Detroit Tigers –– 2-4, HR (2), 2B, R, 2RBi, BB –
• Jean Ramirez, CF – DSL Royals1 – Kansas City Royals – 3-4, 2B, 2R, K, 2 SB (11,12) – 
• Darel Belen, RF – DSL Red Sox1 – Boston Red Sox – – 2-3, 3B, R, 3RBi, K, 2 SB (9,10) – 
• Jose De La Cruz, DH – DSL Tigers2 – Detroit Tigers – – 3-5, 2 2B, 2R, RBi, K – 
• Luis Matos, CF – DSL Giants – San Francisco Giants – – 4-6, 2 2B, 3RBi, K, SB (11) –