Farm System Report: Tulsa Drillers
The Drillers set a team record with 17 wins in the month of April and currently own the best record in the Texas League. The Tulsa pitching staff has been a major strength to the Drillers hot start, allowing the least amount of hits at 211, the least amount of runs at 87 and the least walks at 57, the only team in the Texas League under 80 walks so far this season. Drillers pitchers have posted the best WHIP in the league at 1.12, the most saves with 11 and the second best ERA at 3.17.
Tulsa has already sent one player up to the Sky Sox this season, infielder Jimmy Cesario, so Colorado Springs fans should familiarize themselves with the Drillers' standout players because there is a possibility they may suit up for the Sky Sox later this season. Colorado's top prospects have been key to the 19-8 start, and here are the stats (as of May 4) and storylines to follow from the top position players and pitchers for the Drillers so far in 2012.
Nolan Arenado, Third Baseman: After leading the entire Minor Leagues in RBI in 2011 for the Modesto Nuts and winning the Arizona Fall League MVP, the Rockies number one overall prospect has not shown any signs that the move to Double-A has affected his swing. Arenado collected a hit in 18 of the first 21 games of the 2012 season, and currently leads the Drillers in RBI at 14, doubles at nine and has posted the best batting average among players with double-digit games played for Tulsa at .299. He has totaled the second most hits at 29 as well as the second most total bases at 41, and Arenado is the only Drillers player to string together two hitting streaks of six games or more this season.
Josh Rutledge, Shortstop: Rutledge was ranked as the 16th best prospect in the Rockies system entering the season and the shortstop who played along side Arenado last year in Modesto has displayed power numbers that most might not have expected coming in to this season. Rutledge leads the team in home runs at five through 27 games, where he totaled only nine in his 113 games with the Nuts in 2011. Rutledge has totaled the most hits on the team with 30, and is the only player on the Drillers to total more than 50 bases by amassing a team-leading 12 extra-base hits so far in the 2012 season. He is one RBI behind Arenado for the team lead in RBI, as well as ranking second on the team in doubles, runs scored and stolen bases.
Edwar Cabrera, Starting Pitcher: Cabrera led the entire Minor Leagues in strikeouts last year with 217 with the Asheville Tourists and Modesto Nuts, earning him a ranking of 19th on the Rockies top prospect list entering the 2012 season, and so far Cabrera has naturally led the Drillers in strikeouts with 31 through his first six starts this season, good for fifth best in the Texas League. Cabrera is the only Tulsa starting pitcher with a sub-1.00 WHIP at 0.80 and a sub-.200 opponent batting average at .182, both ranking him first among all Drillers pitchers and second in the entire Texas League. The left-hander was three outs away from throwing a nine-inning perfect game on April 17, only his third Double-A start of his career, but surrendered a hit to the first batter in the ninth inning and was taken out of the game. Cabrera has the lowest walks to nine innings pitched ratio in the league at 1.19, and has pitched the second most innings in all of Double-A at 37.2 innings.
Coty Woods, Relief Pitcher: The right-handed Woods has totaled 12 innings in his team-leading twelve appearances this season and in those games he has yet to allow a run, the only player on the Drillers staff that is yet to be scored upon. Woods has only walked one batter so far this season, one of only five relievers in the Texas League with only one walk, and ranks fourth in walks per nine innings pitched. Woods is second in saves behind Josh Sullivan, who leads the Texas League with six saves so far in 2012, and is tied with Sullivan for the team lead in games finished with nine in his twelve appearances.