Texas League playoff preview

Northwest Arkansas reached the playoffs with brawn, while Corpus Christi did it with stars. And though neither team will look much like those that won first-half division titles, both may be just as dangerous.

Northwest Arkansas led the league in home runs this season with help from Balbino Fuenmayor and Mike Bianucci, both of whom have not played in the Texas League for the last two months. The Naturals struggled a bit in the second half but rallied over the final month with solid starting pitching and a more versatile lineup.

Corpus Christi, meanwhile, streaked to a league-high 48 first-half victories with help from current Astros Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers and Vincent Velasquez as well as Tony Kemp, who is now at Triple-A Fresno.

The Hooks, who lost in the first round in 2012 and 2013, last won a title in 2006. Their first-round opponent is Midland, which is trying to become the league's first repeat champion since San Antonio in 2002-03. 

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (69-70, North Division first-half champion) vs.
Arkansas Travelers (71-68 North Division, second-half champion)

Northwest Arkansas won the season series, 17-10

Game 1 at Northwest Arkansas, Sept. 9, 8:05 p.m. ET
Game 2 at Northwest Arkansas, Sept. 10, 8:05 p.m. ET
Game 3 at Arkansas, Sept. 11, 7:05 p.m. ET
Game 4 at Arkansas, Sept. 12, TBD ET
Game 5 at Arkansas, Sept. 13, TBD ET

The Naturals hit a league-best 127 home runs during the regular season, but manager Vance Wilson doesn't consider them a power-hitting team -- at least not anymore. With Fuenmayor on the DL following a promotion to Triple-A and Bianucci serving a drug suspension, Wilson said the team's identity has shifted.

"The one thing with Fuenmayor and Bianucci is you didn't have any kind of base presence," Wilson said. "I think we've added stolen bases, firsts to thirds, things like that -- pitching, defense and aggressiveness on the bases."

The Naturals' 3.12 team ERA in August was the best in the league as Jonathan Dziedzic had a 1.29 ERA, Luke Farrell compiled an ERA of 2.72 and Kyle Zimmer, the No. 5 overall pick in 2012, had a 2.89 ERA over six appearances for the month.

"Our starters have been great, up and down," Wilson said. "You could go any route. Any of those five could fill in one through five."

In-state rivals Naturals and Arkansas Travelers met in the playoffs in 2008 and 2011 with the Travelers winning both series. Arkansas earned its spot in the postseason by winning on the season's final day over the Naturals. The win allowed the Travs to edge Springfield for the second-half title.

Corpus Christi Hooks (88-51 South Division first-half champion) vs.
Midland RockHounds (83-57 South Division second-half champion)

Corpus Christi won the season series, 18-14

Game 1 at Corpus Christi, Sept. 9, 8:05 p.m. ET
Game 2 at Corpus Christi, Sept. 10, 8:05 p.m. ET
Game 3 at Midland, Sept. 11, 8 p.m. ET
Game 4 at Midland (if necessary), Sept. 12, 8 p.m. ET
Game 5 at Midland (if necessary), Sept. 13, 3 p.m. ET

Corpus Christi won the first-half title by 13 games, but Midland was easily the league's best team in the second half. The RockHounds boasted a 20-8 record in August, paced by Texas League Player of the Year Chad Pinder, who hit .317 with 15 home runs and 86 RBIs for the season.

The Hooks have plenty of fire power, too, despite losing some of the league's top prospects. A.J. Reed joined from Class A Advanced Lancaster in July and hit .332 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs in 53 games for the Hooks. Jon Kemmer led the Texas League with a .327 average to go along with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs.

"Kemmer has been a surprise to pretty much everybody except for the staff," manager Rodney Linares said.

Chris Devenski has enjoyed the best year of his career with a 7-4 record and a league-best 3.01 ERA. He's struck out 104 and walked 33 in 119 2/3 innings for the Hooks. Linares said a deep pitching staff is one reason to be optimistic about the playoffs, but that staff took a hit last month when starter Joe Musgrove was placed on the disabled list and Michael Feliz was promoted to the Houston Astros.

Devenski went on the DL in early August, which Linares said was to give him a little rest. He's held teams to two runs or fewer in three of his four starts since.

"We were concerned about his work load because of the way he works," Linares said. "We were giving him an opportunity to rest and he's done a pretty good job."

In addition to Pinder, Midland's lineup also includes Matt Olson, Renato Nunez, Colin Walsh and Ryon Healy. Walsh and Healy hit .302, while Walsh belted 13 home runs with 49 RBIs and Healy had 10 home runs and 62 RBIs. Nunez slugged 18 home runs and Olson scored 82 runs with 54 extra-base hits.

In brief

Tops around: Corpus Christi first baseman A.J. Reed finished his first full season in the Houston Astros organization with a Minor League-best 34 home runs and 127 RBIs. Reed hit 23 homers with 81 RBIs at Class A Advanced Lancaster before moving to the Hooks in July and hitting 11 homers with 46 RBIs.

Just short: Albert Suarez helped pitch the Travelers into the playoffs by holding Northwest Arkansas to one run over six innings in a victory Monday, and he almost finished with the Texas League pitching triple crown. The right-hander ended up with the leagu lead in ERA (2.98) and tied for the league lead in victories (11), but his 121 strikeouts were four shy of teammate Kyle McGowin.

Twice as grand: There were 20 grand slams in the Texas League this season -- two were hit in the final weekend by Midland's Renato Nunez. Midland's third baseman hit a grand slam off Frisco's Jefri Hernandez on Sept. 5 and another off the RoughRiders' Jose Leclerc the next day. Midland belted seven grand slams this year, and Nunez hit .278 with 18 home runs and 61 RBIs this season.