Pitchers of the Week

Here's a look at the top pitching performers in each league for the week ending Aug. 23:

International League
Pat Dean, Rochester (MIN)
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 9 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 6 K)
Ten shutouts have been thrown by individual pitchers in the IL this season; three now have come from Dean. The latest such gem from the 26-year-old left-hander came Wednesday at home against Buffalo, during which he threw 86 of his 114 pitches for strikes. The outing also gave Dean three complete games in his last five outings for the Red Wings and four overall on the season in 24 total starts. The Boston College product, who has a career 1.7 BB/9, relies on his impressive control to work his way deep into games, and to that end, it's no surprise he ranks fifth in the IL with a 1.9 BB/9 this season among qualified hurlers. Dean is 10-10 with a 2.92 ERA in 157 innings in his first season at Triple-A.

Pacific Coast League
Ty Blach, Sacramento (SF)
(1-0, 0.53 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 17 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 3 BB, 10 K)
Blach must really enjoy pitching at Sacramento's Raley Field, and you certainly can't blame him. The home of the River Cats is one of the more pitcher-friendly parks in the offensively tilted PCL, and the Giants' No. 20 prospect has taken full advantage. Following his two starts last week -- which included his first career nine-inning complete game Monday -- Blach owns a 3.02 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 80 1/3 innings at home, compared to a 5.14 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 75 1/3 frames on the road. 

Eastern League
Aaron Wilkerson, Portland (BOS)
(2-0, 0.64 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 14 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 2 BB, 11 K)
Wilkerson was signed by the Red Sox in August 2014 when he was playing for the Grand Prairie Air Hogs in the independent American Association and started out in the bullpen at Class A Greenville to begin his first full Minor League season this spring. (Age was a factor in that decision, the 26-year-old right-hander told MiLB.com in June.) One year after making the jump to pro ball, Wilkerson is a Pitcher of the Week at a Double-A level. His best start of the season came Sunday, when he struck out seven and scattered two hits and two walks over seven scoreless innings at Harrisburg. He is 9-3 with a 3.36 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 123 strikeouts and 32 walks in 120 2/3 innings this season.

Southern League
Lucas Sims, Mississippi (ATL)
(2-0, 0.79 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 11 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 HR, 1 HBP, 6 BB, 15 K)
Sims has had his problems in 2015, most notably in the control department, but in his last four starts, he's been close to stellar. Following last week's starts, the Braves' No. 7 prospect is 3-0 with a 1.99 ERA, 29 strikeouts and 13 walks in 22 2/3 innings over his last four Southern League outings. Armed with an impressive fastball and curveball, Sims has improved to 3-2 with a 4.19 ERA and 44 strikeouts while holding Double-A hitters to a .179 average in 34 1/3 innings with Mississippi. The effects of his late-season turnaround haven't been lost on the right-hander. "The final month especially, that's your most recent memories going into the offseason," Sims told MiLB.com on Sunday. "You always want to finish strong and head into the offseason on a positive note and take that and hopefully roll with it into the next year."

Texas League
Ronald Herrera, San Antonio (SD)
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 11 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 1 HBP, 2 BB, 10 K)
Herrera was a top-20 prospect in the A's system when the Padres acquired him as a player-to-be-named-later in May 2014 as part of the Kyle Blanks trade that month, but by failing to impress at Class A Fort Wayne and Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore, he's no longer in the Padres' top 30. Despite that, the 20-year-old right-hander, who is only one of three (Julio Urias and Alex Reyes being the others) pitchers to pitch in the Texas League in 2015 during their age-20 (or younger) seasons or below, is showing why we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss him following his jump to Double-A. On Tuesday, he tossed a three-hitter against Northwest Arkansas for his first career shutout and kept Arkansas scoreless for two frames before an innings limit cut his day short Sunday. The Venezuela native is 8-6 with a 3.80 ERA and 96 strikeouts in a career-high 135 innings between Lake Elsinore and San Antonio this season.

California League
Francis Martes, Lancaster (HOU)
(2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 14 IP, 10 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 1 BB, 12 K)
Four. Three. Two. Zero. Zero. Zero. Those are the number of earned runs the Astros' No. 8 prospect has allowed in each of his six starts, in order, since making his Cal League debut July 24. Just 19, Martes is enjoying a breakout season in 2015, his first full campaign both in the Minors and in the Astros system following last year's trade from the Marlins in the Jarred Cosart deal. Between Lancaster and Quad Cities, the right-hander, who has a plus fastball and curve, is 7-3 with a 1.55 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 82 strikeouts in 87 innings. If there's one thing to watch the rest of the way with Martes, it's how he fares against Cal League opponents that don't hail from Inland Empire. All three of his scoreless outings in the Golden State have come against the 66ers.

Carolina League
Mikey O'Brien, Frederick (BAL)
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 7 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 1 BB, 9 K)
The 23rd no-hitter of the Minor League season and second in the Carolina League this summer? Yeah, that'll earn you a spot in the Pitchers of the Week. That's precisely what O'Brien accomplished Thursday at Lynchburg. What's interesting is that the Salem, Virginia native had "my mom and dad and brother, two high school teammates and three coaches" in attendance for the feat. Now in his fourth organization since being taken in the ninth round of the 2008 Draft by the Yankees, the 25-year-old right-hander is in Class A Advanced after earlier struggles at Double-A clubs Bowie (4.88 ERA) and Montgomery (5.68), but for one night, none of that mattered. "It's been a crazy couple of years, but that's the game of baseball and the Minor Leagues -- you never know where you'll be or what's going to happen," O'Brien told MiLB.com. "You just go out and pitch and perform and do your job. It's something I love to do, I'm glad I'm healthy and able to still pitch."

Florida State League
Chaz Hebert, Tampa (NYY)
(1-0, 0.69 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 13 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 1 HBP, 17 K)
It's not often that you see a Class A Advanced pitcher make the jump to Triple-A for a spot start, but that's what the Yankees had Hebert do July 30 for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He held his own, giving up a run on four hits in five innings, and has been quite impressive since returning to Tampa. The 22-year-old left-hander has a 0.84 ERA with 21 strikeouts and only one walk in 21 1/3 innings this month in the FSL. Across three levels this season, he has a 2.73 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP over a career-best 122 innings. "Going to Triple-A, I just tried to pitch to my strengths, work in and out," Hebert told MiLB.com after a seven-inning shutout last Monday. "I had success, and that also gave me a boost of confidence. If I can pitch to these guys, I can definitely pitch to high-A guys."

Midwest League
Sam Gibbons, Cedar Rapids (MIN)
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 12 K)
Pitching in his first full season in the Minors, Gibbons has seen his ERA by month drop with each flip of the calendar. By that rule, August has been his best month yet, and by anyone's standard, it's been an incredible couple of weeks. The Australian right-hander had his best outing yet Saturday, when he produced the above line at Clinton, and he's now 3-1 with a 1.16 ERA with 31 strikeouts and four walks in 31 innings in August. Thanks to that, Gibbons is 7-3 with a 2.72 ERA for Cedar Rapids. 

South Atlantic League
Chris Flexen, Savannah (NYM)
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 10 K)
You may have heard about Savannah's 18-game winning streak that technically came to an end Sunday when the Sand Gnats tied Kannapolis, 1-1, in a rain-shortened, five-inning contest. (Yes, we know that story opens with manager Jose Leger saying the streak isn't over, but we deal in technicalities here.) In any event, Flexen was the pitcher to get them to 17 on Saturday, when he produced the line above against the Intimidators. The 21-year-old right-hander missed the first three months of the season following triceps surgery and didn't make his return to Savannah until Aug. 8, but he's been masterful ever since, giving up just one earned run while striking out 20 in three starts (20 1/3 innings).

New York-Penn League
Domingo Acevedo, Staten Island (NYY)
(0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 2 BB, 10 K)
You may not have heard much about Acevedo -- outside of his status as the Yankees' No. 29 prospect and the fact he's 6-foot-7 -- but he is giving you plenty of reasons to pay attention. The 21-year-old right-hander matched a career high with 10 strikeouts Saturday at Lowell and continued to tear up the NYPL. Since July 28, his 0.78 ERA is lowest among all Class A Short Season pitchers while his 29 punchouts in 23 innings rank second. In nine starts for Staten Island, the Domincan Republic native, who can sit in the high 90s with his fastball, is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA, 41 strikeouts and 11 walks over 36 innings.

Northwest League
Joseph Pistorese, Everett (SEA)
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 7 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 1 BB, 9 K)
Pistorese posted a 2.41 ERA with 67 strikeouts and 24 walks in 104 2/3 innings in his final season as a senior at Washington State. Solid numbers to be sure, but nothing that would guarantee a decently high Draft selection. However on May 15, he tossed a shutout against No. 12 Arizona State with Mariners scouting director Tom McNamara in attendance, and that was enough to get Seattle to take the Cougars left-hander in the 17th round. He's been used exclusively as an innings-eating reliever with Everett (likely as a way to control his innings in his first pro season) and has been fantastic in the role. The southpaw is 6-0 with a 1.43 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 40 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings with the AquaSox.

Appalachian League
Jhonatan Escudero, Johnson City (STL)
(0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 1 SV, 5 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 6 K)
If you're a batter in the Appalachian League, you might want to avoid Escudero this month. The 22-year-old right-hander was perfect last week in his pair of appearances against Danville and Greeneville and has now allowed just two earned runs on two hits and five walks in 14 August innings (1.29 ERA, 0.50 WHIP) while holding opposing batters to a .048 average. The Cardinals have sent the Colombia native to four different levels in 2015 -- from the Gulf Coast League to Class A Advanced Palm Beach -- but if he can keep up his August form, that should provide him with momentum going into the offseason and the start of 2016.

Pioneer League
Jacob Constante, Billings (CIN)
(0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 1 HBP, 2 BB, 6 K)
When Constante's Pioneer League ERA ballooned to 7.65 after his fifth start in the circuit July 12, it didn't look like the Reds prospect would be a likely Player of the Week candidate the rest of the season. Just more than one month later, the tables have most certainly turned. The 21-year-old right-hander has put up a 2.37 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 29 strikeouts and 12 walks in his last six games (30 1/3 innings) with the Mustangs. For the season, Constante is 2-2 with a 4.47 ERA in 50 1/3 frames.