Offensive Players of the Week
Here's a look at the top offensive performers in each league for the week ending June 2:
International League
Wil Myers, Durham
(.423/.464/1.038, 6 G, 11-for-26, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 7 R, 2 BB, 7 K)
Following a lull at the beginning of last month, Myers really turned it on in the final week of May. He homered and tallied five RBIs on Monday and followed that up with a two-homer performance a day later. He drove in multiple runs in four of his six games last week and is now second in the IL with 46 RBIs -- nearly a third of which came in those half-dozen contests last week.
Pacific Coast League
Kole Calhoun, Salt Lake
(.407/.485/.667, 7 G, 11-for-27, 1 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R, 5 BB, 1 , 3 SB, 1 CS)
Calhoun broke a bone in his right hand in his very first game this season and was forced to miss six weeks before returning on May 19, but he looked to be in midseason form last week. He collected multiple hits in five of his seven games and also homered and drove in three on both Monday and Saturday. The Angels' No. 5 prospect, who split the year between the Bees and the Angels last year, owns a .387/.466/.581 slash line through his first 15 games in the PCL this season.
Eastern League
Brandon Waring, Bowie
(.417/.548/1.083, 7 G, 10-for-24, 1 2B, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R, 7 BB, 7 K)
The 27-year-old third baseman entered the week with a paltry .141/.262/.261 slash line in his first 26 games of the season with the Baysox. But after his monster seven games, those three numbers jumped to .198/.326/.431. Waring, who also had only nine RBIs before the week began, homered in five of the seven contests and drove in runs during six of those games. The highlight came on a walk-off single against Reading on Thursday.
Southern League
Keith Castillo, Montgomery
(.526/.591/.842, 5 G, 10-for-19, 3 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K)
The 25-year-old catcher was only just added to the Biscuits lineup on May 20, but he's certainly made up for lost time ever since. He went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs in a 10-0 win over Mississippi on Wednesday and added his first home run since 2011 in a 4-for-5 performance against Pensacola on Sunday, all the while missing the cycle by just a triple. His five RBIs this week have already matched his 2012 output in 24 games between Class A Bowling Green and Class A Advanced Montgomery.
Biscuits' Castillo homers off Rogers
Texas League
George Springer, Corpus Christi
(.400/.424/.933, 7 G, 12-for-30, 4 2B, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 8 R, 2 BB, 8 K, 2 SB)
The Astros' No. 3 prospect was already putting together one of the best offensive seasons in the Minors before he broke out again this past week. He started by homering twice and bringing home five against Arkansas on Monday and concluded with another five-RBI output -- all in the first inning -- against the Travelers on Sunday. His 17 homers lead all Minor Leaguers while his 47 RBIs, .640 slugging percentage and 1.057 OPS lead the Texas League through the first two months of the season.
Springer hits 17th homer of 2013
California League
Preston Tucker, Lancaster
(.440/.571/.960, 7 G, 11-for-25, 4 2B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 12 R, 8 BB, 3 K)
A seventh-round pick in last June's Draft out of the University of Florida, Tucker has thrived in his first full professional season within the Astros organization. His 17-game hitting streak is the second longest active streak, behind only Chris Owings' 21-gamer for Triple-A Reno. Speaking of streaks, he tallied multiple RBIs in six straight games to close out the week, a run started by a six-RBI night in a 10-2 win over Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday. In total, his 57 RBIs stand 12 clear of his nearest competitor in the category for the Cal League.
Carolina League
Robby Hefflinger, Lynchburg
(.400/.483/1.080, 7 G, 10-for-25, 2 2B, 5 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R, 4 BB, 8 K)
Hefflinger hadn't developed much of a reputation as a power hitter, having never hit more than 16 home runs in any of his previous four professional seasons in the Braves system. But after going deep five times last week, he's already matched that total -- achieved in 121 games last season between Class A Rome and Lynchburg -- in 68 fewer contests and 213 fewer at-bats. Most of that power came in the middle of the week, when he homered four times in a three-game stretch against Myrtle Beach from Tuesday to Thursday. He is tied with West Virginia's Stetson Allie and free agent Kila Ka'aihue (previously of Reno) for the No. 2 spot in home runs among Minor Leaguers.
Florida State League
Travis Taijeron, St. Lucie
(.500/.571/1.333, 6 G, 9-for-18, 3 2B, 4 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K)
The 24-year-old outfielder has completed a 180-degree turn since putting together a .203/.304/.373 line in 48 games for the Mets' Class A Advanced club following a June promotion last year. After stumbling out of the gate (.228/.347/.380) in April, those numbers are up to .303/.398/.562 after a stellar finish to May/beginning to June. His four homers in his last four games -- including three in a Sunday doubleheader against Charlotte -- doubled his output in the category to eight on the season.
Midwest League
Brandon Drury, South Bend
(.452/.485/1.161, 7 G, 14-for-31, 5 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 9 R, 1 BB, 3 K)
Drury, who was acquired by the D-backs in the Justin Upton trade with the Braves, has flourished in his new environment thus far with the Silver Hawks. The 2011 Appalachian League Player of the Year batted just .229 with a .603 OPS for Class A Rome in 2012 but is putting up much better numbers (.327, .914) in the Midwest League, where he ranks third in both average and OPS. With five home runs in his last five games pushing his total to seven, he has already surpassed his 2012 output (six) and sits one shy of his career high.
Silver Hawks' Drury homers off Amezcua
South Atlantic League
Rosell Herrera, Asheville
(.423/.483/.846, 6 G, 11-for-26, 2 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 7 K, 2 SB, 1 CS)
After his first shot with the Tourists ended in a demotion last season, the Rockies' No. 12 prospect has begun to show his true potential at the plate in his second go-round with the club. He started last week with homers in three straight games and finished it with two hits in four consecutive contests. The shortstop ranks second in the Sally League with a .343 average through 52 games and leads the circuit with a .435 OBP.