Pitchers of the Week

Here's a look at the top pitching performers in each league for the week ending July 13:

International League
Steven Wright, Pawtucket
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 3 BB, 8 K)
The Pawtucket rotation contains several promising young arms, but it's the 29-year-old knuckleballer that has performed the best of late. Wright matched his longest outing of the season with eight strong innings Wednesday against Columbus and, in so doing, improved to 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA in eight starts. Since May 31 -- when he returned to Pawtucket following offseason hernia surgery -- his ERA ranks second among qualified hurlers in the IL, behind only Nick Kingham's 1.62 for Indianapolis. He's struck out 48 and walked 12 in 53 innings while holding opponents to a devastatingly low .194 average.

Pacific Coast League
Arquimedes Caminero, New Orleans
(0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 G, 3 SV, 5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 7 K)
Caminero has made the trek from New Orleans to Miami twice already this season, and with the way he's been pitching lately for the Zephyrs he might be headed that way again in the not-too-distant future. After last week's four dominant appearances, the 6-foot-4 right-hander has allowed only one run in 8 1/3 innings this month for a July ERA of 1.08. He hasn't walked a batter in that span while striking out 11. That's a big improvement for a hurler who issued 15 free passes in 21 1/3 innings at New Orleans during May and June. The Zephyrs have noticed, as well, and gave him the chance to earn three straight saves last week, each of which he converted.

Eastern League
Virgil Vasquez, New Britain
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 8 K)
Vasquez has tossed two straight complete games for the Rock Cats. He'd probably rather have more of the second result, however. The 32-year-old right-hander took the loss after giving up four runs over six innings on July 5 in a complete game by doubleheader standards and followed it up with nine innings of scoreless ball Thursday at New Hampshire. He gave the most credit to his recent success to the doughnut in the walk column. The former Tigers and Pirates hurler entered the day averaging three free passes per nine innings but was able to drop that season stat to 2.7 following the shutout.

Southern League
Victor Sanchez, Jackson
(1-0, 1.13 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 HBP, 1 BB, 9 K)
At only 19, Sanchez is the youngest hurler in the Southern League, two years younger than second-youngest Robert Stephenson and almost 5 1/2 years the junior of the average player in the circuit. And despite the aggressive approach by the Mariners to keep him away from dangerous Class A Advanced High Desert, the organization's No. 6 prospect is certainly holding his own and even thriving recently. His nine strikeouts Saturday were a career high, and in three July starts, the 6-foot, 255-pound right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA, 15 strikeouts and five walks across 19 innings. "He's doing what he's supposed to be doing -- let's just put it that way," Jackson manager Jim Horner told MiLB.com. "He's always had the fastball command and the changeup. His breaking ball is coming. Tonight, he had a little bit more velo. So it's something to build on. It's definitely something to build on and keep after it."

Texas League
Jason Adam, Northwest Arkansas
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 2 BB, 7 K)
The Royals' No. 8 prospect was unlucky by any measure during his first Texas League go-round in 2013. His 5.19 ERA was far higher than his 3.83 FIP indicated it should have been, and his .328 BABIP showed that more balls than average were squeaking through his defense for hits. He's been even unluckier for the Naturals in 2014 (5.14 ERA, 3.51 FIP, .337 BABIP) while his strikeout (8.1 K/9) and walk (2.8 BB/9) numbers continue to improve. It seemed like the numbers finally caught up to him in a good way Friday with seven scoreless frames at Springfield. "It's all about learning in the Minor Leagues, as frustrating as that is as a competitor," Adam told MiLB.com. "I want to dominate every single batter I face in my career, but I know there will be good games and bad games and everything in between. But it's all about learning how to compete so that one day I can dominate at the Major League level. The goal is to minimize those struggles."

California League
Lindsey Caughel, Rancho Cucamonga
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 9 K)
Of his four outings he's made since returning from a month-and-a-half-long absence, Caughel has piggybacked with Dodgers top pitching prospect Julio Urias in three of them, but it's the 23-year-old right-hander that's still grabbing the bulk of the headlines. This is his second Cal League Pitcher of the Week honor over the last three weeks. In his four outings since June 22, Caughel is 4-0 with a 0.35 ERA, 28 strikeouts and only four walks in 26 innings.

Carolina League
Austin Voth, Potomac
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 1 BB, 8 K)
The Nationals took Voth in the fifth round last year out of the University of Washington, and he's been nothing but dominant ever since. After sporting a 2.45 ERA in 13 starts with Class A Hagerstown, the 22-year-old right-hander was moved to Potomac, where he's 2-0 and has allowed only one run in 26 innings (0.35 ERA) thus far. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning Friday and finished with a season-high eight strikeouts. "I've finally gotten in that groove where I want to be in that rotation every five days and I look forward to coming into the ballpark and competing for my team," he told MiLB.com.

Florida State League
Miguel Sulbaran, Tampa
(0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 8 K)
Sulbaran, formerly of the Dodgers and Twins organizations, is on his third organization after being traded for Eduardo Nunez earlier this season, and he's proving to be pretty good at first impressions. With seven scoreless innings Wednesday, he lowered his FSL ERA to 2.36 during his first campaign in the the Yankees system. That low number has dropped like a rock in the ocean over the last two months. Since June 1, the 20-year-old left-hander owns a 0.83 ERA and has held opponents to a .170 average in eight appearances. "I'm sure it was hard for him to go into a new organization, not only have to make new friends and meet new coaches, but win ballgames," Tampa pitching coach Danny Borrell told MiLB.com. "It's just an adjustment, but he's a great kid, very lively … fitting in just fine. It's pretty amazing how, when you put on a baseball uniform, it's all the same. Once you're on the field, everyone speaks the same language."

Midwest League
Blayne Weller, South Bend
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 1 CG, 9 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 2 BB, 12 K)
Weller ticked all of the boxes that will get you a Pitcher of the Week award when he took the mound Thursday at Daytona. Complete game? Check. No earned runs? Check. Double-digit strikeouts? Check. Oh, no hits? Check! The 24-year-old right-hander tossed the 10th Minor League no-hitter of the season and sixth in the Silver Hawks' history. "I'm ecstatic. This doesn't come every day," Weller told MiLB.com. "It was more about not what worked, but what I could do to get through each hitter. I threw strikes, and my changeup was really good. It was just about the right pitch at the right time, getting in there and pitching. Every great experience in pro baseball stays with you -- this is another one."

South Atlantic League
Buddy Borden, West Virginia
(2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 11 2/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 1 HBP, 3 BB, 8 K)
Borden started the week by scattering two hits over five scoreless innings Monday at Delmarva and then one-upped himself by giving up only one hit in 6 2/3 scoreless frames five days later versus Greensboro. After going 1-2 with a 6.63 ERA across five appearances in June, the 22-year-old right-hander is 2-1 with a 1.62 mark through his first three starts of July.

New York-Penn League
Matt Imhof, Williamsport
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 1 HBP, 2 BB, 8 K)
MLB.com ranked Imhof as the No. 44 Draft prospect as he was coming out of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, and the Phillies scooped him up with the No. 47 pick and signed him to a $1.2 million bonus. He's hit the ground running in Class A Short Season Williamsport with only one run allowed on six hits and four walks to go with 11 strikeouts in his first 12 innings. He was technically credited with the first shutout and complete game of his career when he tossed five scoreless innings Sunday in a rain-shortened 5-0 win over Tri-City.

Northwest League
Helmis Rodriguez, Tri-City
(1-0, 1.13 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 8 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 1 K)
Short-season ball is usually filled with young arms that need protecting, thus you don't often see outings go deep into games. But the Dust Devils allowed Rodriguez to go eight frames Wednesday, matching his season high for innings that he met twice back in 2012 in the Dominican Summer League. Rodriguez holds a healthy margin atop the Northwest League leaderboard with a 1.67 ERA through his first six starts. His 1.06 WHIP ranks sixth.

Appalachian League
Oscar Cabrera, Bluefield
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 1 HBP, 1 BB, 6 K)
Cabrera, the rare reliever to appear in this space, has been as lights-out as one can be out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays' Rookie-level affiliate. The 20-year-old left-hander allowed one hit in both of his three-inning outings last week and gave up only one free pass in that time. In 15 2/3 innings, he's given up only one run (0.57 ERA) on six hits and six walks while fanning 15. Appalachian League hitters are batting just .115 off the Dominican Republic native.

Pioneer League
Dane Stone, Great Falls
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 3 BB, 7 K)
Stone, who had spent the past two seasons in the Marlins organization, started the year in the independent Frontier League before signing with the White Sox in June. Five starts later, he's a Pitcher of the Week. In his only start last week, the 6-foot-7 right-hander fanned seven and scattered two hits and three walks in seven innings against Ogden. He's 2-0 with a 1.53 ERA, 31 strikeouts and only seven walks in 29 1/3 innings for the Voyagers.