Pitchers of the Week
Here's a look at the top pitching performers in each league for the week ending May 26:
International League
Tim Corcoran, Gwinnett
(2-0, 0.79 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 11 1/3 IP, 12 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 7 BB, 9 K)
Corcoran hadn't pitched in the International League since 2007 before joining the G-Braves this spring. The 35-year-old right-hander has made himself right at home, winning a pair of games this week to even his record at 3-3 with a 3.19 ERA in nine starts. Corcoran scattered eight hits over 5 1/3 innings against Louisville on Monday, allowing one run while fanning seven and walking three, before holding Toledo scoreless over six frames Sunday afternoon. The veteran is playing with fire, however, as he ranks third in the league with 28 walks and has allowed a .280 batting average against.
Pacific Coast League
Martin Perez, Round Rock
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 7 K)
Perez came into Spring Training with a shot at making the Rangers rotation, but a comebacker off the bat of Mariners prospect Brad Miller broke the left-hander's pitching arm on March 3. Now working his way back, the 22-year-old Perez had his strongest outing of the season against Reno on Tuesday. He held the visiting Aces to three hits while striking out seven over seven scoreless frames in the Express' 6-0 victory. Perez thinks he's ready to return to Arlington and the Rangers agree -- they recalled him to the Majors on Monday.
Eastern League
Seth Rosin, Reading
(2-0, 1.29 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 14 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 0 HBP, 2 BB, 13 K)
After giving up five runs on five hits and five walks in just four frames in a 7-6 win over Erie on May 15, the 6-foot-6 right-hander, who is in working in his first full season as a starter, settled down nicely in his most recent two starts. His 13 strikeouts -- eight of which came in an eight-inning outing against Altoona last Monday -- surpassed his 12-K total from his previous four starts combined entering the week. On the season, he ranks sixth in the Eastern League with a 1.08 WHIP.
Reading's Rosin strikes out Hague
Southern League
Nick McCully, Birmingham
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 7 K)
The 25-year-old right-hander started the year coming out of the bullpen but seems to have found his own as a starter for the Barons. His dominant performance against Jacksonville on Sunday was just the most recent feather in his cap since making the move. He hasn't allowed a run in his last three starts, spanning 14 innings, and is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 0.61 WHIP since making his first start on May 9.
Barons' Nick McCully records a strikeout
Texas League
Carlos Pimentel, Frisco
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 2 BB, 8 K)
Spending his fourth straight year in Texas, Pimentel has been good in his latest go-round with the RoughRiders, but he turned in something special Thursday against Springfield. The 23-year-old right-hander took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before concluding a strong seven-inning performance in Frisco's one-hitter. He ranks second in the circuit in WHIP (0.92) and strikeouts (65) and fifth in ERA (2.55) through 10 appearances.
California League
Ty Blach, San Jose
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 1 BB, 11 K)
The Giants' fifth-round pick from last year's Draft hadn't been known for striking out many batters entering the week. He had racked up 33 in the first seven starts (39 2/3 innings) of his Minor League career. Those numbers aren't bad by any means, but they couldn't have predicted his 11-strikeout night against Inland Empire last Tuesday. The performance was also his second scoreless outing through eight appearances and lowered his season ERA to 1.89, although that number has since grown to 2.73, third-best in the Cal League.
Carolina League
John Lamb, Wilmington
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 1 BB, 8 K)
The Royals' No. 5 prospect had struggled with the Blue Rocks in his full-season return from 2011 Tommy John surgery, going 2-4 with a 6.35 ERA in his first seven starts back. But he put together his first scoreless outing of the season Thursday in a sign that perhaps the 22-year-old left-hander is about to turn a corner. His eight strikeouts in the outing matched a season high and gives him 16 total in his last two starts.
Florida State League
Angel Cuan, St. Lucie
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 9 K)
The left-hander, who turns 24 on Wednesday, is making a habit out of not allowing a run through seven innings. A week after doing just that, he repeated the performance Saturday for the Mets' Class A Advanced affiliate. But at the same time, he improved by increasing his strikeout total (6 to 9) while lowering his hits (3 to 2) and walks allowed (1 to 0). In fact, St. Lucie manager Ryan Ellis told MiLB.com, "The way he was going, I have no question he could have possibly gone nine tonight," had it not been necessary to get rehabbing hurlers Jeurys Familia and Scott Atchison an inning each.
Midwest League
Robert Coe, South Bend
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 1 BB, 6 K)
Since signing with the D-backs out of the independent American Association last winter, Coe has already bounced between South Bend and Class A Advanced Visalia, but he's made a good impression with the Silver Hawks thus far. He set a career high with six strikeouts in his second start with the team. He's 1-1 and has allowed three runs on eight hits and three walks in 16 innings through three appearances thus far in the Midwest League.
South Atlantic League
Dietrich Enns, Charleston
(2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 0 HBP, 0 BB, 11 K)
Enns, a 19th-round pick from the 2012 Draft, is the only reliever on this week's list, but he certainly earned the honor with a pair of strong, three-inning appearances for the RiverDogs. The southpaw struck out six and allowed three hits in a trio of frames Wednesday and fanned five in three perfect innings Sunday. With 48 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings, he ranks second among Sally League relievers with a 15.4 strikeouts-per-nine-innings rate.