Cal notes: Blaze's Grandal going strong

Bakersfield catcher Yasmani Grandal earned a Major League contract from the Cincinnati Reds for the power-hitting skills he showed at the University of Miami. Grandal slugged 31 home runs over his last two seasons with the Hurricanes and is a power threat for the Blaze with a .298 batting average and eight homers in 37 games.

Grandal's path to the Majors began long before the Reds made him the 12th overall pick in last year's Draft. He was born in Cuba and came to the United States with his mother when he was a child.

"It was an experience I won't forget," he said. "It was tough getting here and not knowing anybody. Once you look back, everything plays out."

Grandal had to leave most of his family behind to have a shot at better opportunities in Miami. His father still lives in Cuba and he calls his relatives there when he can.

The Reds have a recent Cuban connection. Four of their top 30 prospects were born in Cuba. Pitcher Aroldis Chapman and outfielder Felix Perez defected from Cuba and guys like Grandal and Triple-A Louisville first baseman Yonder Alonso came from Havana to Miami as children.

Grandal and Alonso were college teammates and Grandal is looking forward to playing alongside Alonso again in Cincinnati.

The Reds have another top-rated catching prospect ahead of Grandal. Devin Mesoraco was the team's 15th overall pick in 2007 and is the immediate future behind the plate.

Grandal is used to competition at his position. Jason Hagerty was a star catcher at Miami when Grandal joined the Hurricanes. Grandal played so well that he pushed Hagerty to first base.

"I had to fight to get that spot," he recalled.

Grandal has high praise for Mesoraco, adding, "I think competition within the organization is even better."

The 22-year-old is developing his skills behind the plate in Bakersfield, focusing on working with a staff of pitchers he'd never seen before this season.

"[I'm] trying to call pitches better and trying to get a feel for that," he said. "So far, it's going well, especially with the starters."

Grandal sees competition from college as well as from his Team USA days. Last week, he went up against Stockton outfielder Michael Choice, who went 10th overall to Oakland in last year's Draft. Both played for Team USA in 2009.

The Reds surprised Grandal with their Major League contract offer.

"I was just trying to get drafted in the first place," he said. That focus has allowed him to hone his game without giving in to the pressure that accompanies high expectations.

"I think every first-rounder is going to feel pressure because they're expected to put up numbers and develop quickly," he said. "Just because they offered me a MLB contract, it doesn't mean they're going to put more pressure on me. If you play ball under pressure, you're not going to get too far."

Can't stop the little Giants: San Jose C Hector Sanchez and RHP Craig Westcott helped propel the Giants to a five-game winning streak. On May 22, Westcott threw seven no-hit innings against Stockton, walking three and striking out five. The next day, Sanchez hit three homers and drove in six runs. Sanchez has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games and the Giants hold a five-game lead in the North Division with the league's best record at 30-15. They also have three five-game winners in their rotation: Jake Dunning, Chris Heston, and Wesctott are tied for the top spot in the league in wins with Rancho Cucamonga's Allen Webster.

Triple Crown threat: Lake Elsinore DH Jedd Gyorko is gunning for the Storm's Triple Crown title. He leads all categories with a .398 batting average, 11 homers and 45 RBIs. Gyorko is second in the league in hitting and homers and tops in RBIs. This week, he did his best to stay in the batting race by hitting two homers and driving in nine runs while scoring eight times. Those numbers earned him Player of the Week honors.

One good Nut: Modesto RHP Coty Woods hasn't allowed a run since April 21 and was a workhorse out of the bullpen in the last week, tossing 7 1/3 innings over two appearances. He logged six strikeouts in three innings on May 23 against Bakersfield, giving him 40 punchouts in 31 innings. This could be his breakout year, after spending the last two seasons at Rookie-level Casper.