Offensive Players of the Week
Dusty Wathan, Buffalo
5 G, 19 AB, 6 R, 8 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.105 SLG, 0 SB
Twelve years into his Minor League career, Dusty Wathan had the game of his life June 2, when he swatted three home runs and knocked in nine runs in a 13-1 win over Toledo. The 31-year-old veteran catcher hit a two-run homer in the fourth, a three-run shot in the fifth and a grand slam in the eighth. Wathan's numbers could have been even gaudier, but when he came to the plate with the bases loaded in the sixth, a wild pitch allowed a run to score and left first base open, prompting the Mud Hens to walk him. The Blue Springs, Mo., native helped first-place Buffalo take three out of four games against Toledo as the Herd racked up 46 runs against the league's top pitching staff. After his explosion Thursday, Wathan turned around and went 2-for-4 in his next two games, adding another home run and two RBIs.
Pacific Coast League
Scott Hairston, Tucson
7 G, 32 AB, 9 R, 13 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 10 RBI, .406 AVG, 1.094 SLG, 0 SB
Scott Hairston hit in each of seven games for Tucson, including five multiple-hit efforts, and also added six home runs, including a pair of two-homer games. Fresh off his 25th birthday, the Sidewinders outfielder started the week by going 2-for-5 with a double and a triple in a 5-3 win over Las Vegas. He then went on a home run tear, clubbing long balls in each of his next two games, then going deep twice June 3 and June 5 for a total of six in six games. The Diamondbacks' third-round pick in 2001, Hairston saved his best for last, going 3-for-5 with two homers, three RBIs and a game-winning single in the bottom of the 12th inning in a 7-6 win over Colorado Springs on Sunday. On the season, the converted second baseman is tied for fourth in the PCL with 13 home runs.
Eastern League
Mike Jacobs, Binghamton
6 G, 23 AB, 4 R, 11 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 16 RBI, .478 AVG, .556 OBP, .913 SLG, 0 SB
Mets manager Jack Lind started Mike Jacobs at catcher, first base and designated hitter last week -- anything to keep his scorching bat in the lineup. The 24-year-old Californian looked much more like he did in 2003, when he hit .329 with 17 homers and 81 RBIs for Binghamton, than he did in 2004 when he hit just .177 in 27 games for Norfolk. Jacobs had two 4-for-4 performances -- both during his two starts at catcher -- and a pair of four-RBI games. He also hit two homers and drove in six runs in one of those 4-for-4 efforts. The 6-foot-2 left-handed swinger started and ended the week by driving in four runs and sandwiched in eight more RBIs for a whopping total of 16 on the week. His .478 average for the week was good for second in the Eastern League, raising his season mark to .309. Jacobs is tied for the league lead in RBIs (40) and is fifth in slugging percentage (.552).
Southern League
Russell Martin, Jacksonville
7 G, 22 AB, 9 R, 9 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .409 AVG, .536 OBP, .773 SLG, 1 SB
In a big week for the Jacksonville Suns, who took over first place in the South division of the Southern League by winning six of seven games, no one was bigger than Russell Martin. The 22-year-old catcher hit a three-run double to cap a five-run fifth inning in a 7-4 win over Mobile on May 30. After being given a day off against the BayBears the following night -- the only game the Suns lost during the week, fittingly -- Martin returned to the lineup and slammed a walk-off, three-run homer to give Jacksonville a 9-7 win. He homered again the next night and then drove in three runs in the last of eight straight games against Mobile. The 5-foot-11 backstop has hit safely in each of his last 15 starts, raising his average from .262 to .309.
Texas League
Nate Espy, San Antonio
7 G, 28 AB, 7 R, 12 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .429 AVG, .857 SLG, 1 SB
Espy broke out of a 5-for-44 slump by hitting in all seven games for the Missions last week, going 12-for-28 (.429) and ranking among the league leaders in nearly every offensive category. The 27-year-old first baseman and designated hitter led the league in doubles (four), extra-base hits (seven) and runs (seven), was second in slugging percentage (.857), and third in the league in average, hits and home runs (two). He capped off his week by hitting an 11th-inning home run to give San Antonio a 7-6 win over Wichita.
California League
Adam Keim, High Desert
7 G, 33 AB, 10 R, 15 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 15 RBI, .455 AVG, .970 SLG, 0 SB
Typically players are demoted a level to work on their stroke, but a recent promotion seems to have straightened out Adam Keim. The 5-foot-11 infielder was hitting just .247 for High Desert when he was sent to Double-A Wichita to fill in for the injured Donnie Murphy. Keim hit .333 with four homers and 18 RBIs during his 17-game stint with the Wranglers, returning to Adelanto with a .285 season average. And his hot hitting has carried over, as Keim has hit in all eight games since his return, including the seven Mavericks games last week. The pinnacle of his week was certainly on May 31 when the 24-year-old went 4-for-5 with three home runs and five RBIs in a 13-6 rout of Lancaster. But his performance on June 4 wasn't far behind, as Keim went 4-for-6 with a double, a home run and four more RBIs in a 15-5 win over Modesto. Keim drove in at least one run in every game of the week for a total of 15.
Carolina League
Leo Daigle, Winston-Salem
7 G, 24 AB, 7 R, 14 H, 3 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, .583 AVG, .645 OBP, 1.083 SLG, 2 SB
Daigle hit safely in all seven Warthogs games to join Kinston's Kevin Kouzmanoff as the only players to earn two Carolina League Offensive Player of the Week awards this season. The 6-foot-3 corner infielder got off to a fast start, going 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs and five RBIs in Winston-Salem's 10-9 win over Myrtle Beach on May 30. In a four-game series against Lynchburg to wrap up the week, Daigle could hardly be retired, going 9-for-14 with two or more hits in each game. For the week, he hit over 100 points higher than anyone else in the league (.583) and also led the league in hits (14), RBIs (10), on-base percentage (.645) and slugging percentage (1.083). Daigle is positioning himself for a run at the Triple Crown, as he currently leads the league in average (.347) and RBIs (53) and is one home run off the pace with 13. In addition, he ranks first in hits (77), extra-base hits (33) and runs (39).
Florida State League
Jonathan Johnson, Daytona
4 G, 11 AB, 3 R, 8 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .727 AVG, .800 OBP, 1.182 SLG, 1 SB
Not often, if ever, will a player win his league's Offensive Player of the Week award having played only two days that week, but that's exactly what happened to Jonathan Johnson of Daytona. The Florida State League was ravaged by rain last week, especially the Cubs, who were rained out on four different days, including a pair of doubleheaders. But when the rain let up enough to play, Johnson was hitting. J.J. played both ends of both Cubs doubleheaders June 2 and June 4, reaching base in 12 out of 15 plate appearances for an on-base percentage of .800. He was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in the first game of the first twinbill and followed that up with a 4-for-4 performance in the nightcap. Two days later, Johnson went 0-for-1 with a pair of walks in the first of two against Brevard County, then went 2-for-3 with another walk in the second game. For the week, the Cubs' former sixth-round draft choice led the FSL in average (.727), hits (eight), slugging percentage (1.182) and on-base percentage.
Midwest League
Carlos Gonzales, South Bend
7 G, 28 AB, 5 R, 11 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, .393 AVG, .893 SLG, 0 SB
An uncharacteristic power surge netted Carlos Gonzales the Midwest League's Offensive Player of the Week honors. The Silverhawks' 170-pound outfielder hit four home runs in 28 at-bats after managing just two in his first 190 trips to the plate this season. The 19-year-old Venezuelan went deep every other day, beginning May 30, when he drove in half of his team's runs in a 6-4 win over Cedar Rapids. Gonzales, who has a career .415 slugging percentage in his first two professional seasons, led the Midwest League in home runs, RBIs (10) and extra-base hits (six) last week, while putting up a slugging percentage of .893. And despite his general lack of power, Gonzales is leading the league in RBIs with 40.
South Atlantic League
Hunter Pence, Lexington
7 G, 26 AB, 6 R, 9 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 9 RBI, .346 AVG, .923 SLG, 1 SB
Pence had another five-home run week, just as he did the first time he was named the South Atlantic League Offensive Player of the Week. The Astros' 2004 second-round pick homered in five of his last six games to give him a Minor League-leading 21 on the season. Pence hit in each of his last six games, including two-hit games in the final three games of the week, and is the Sally's fifth-leading hitter at .343. He leads the league in slugging percentage (.721) and extra-base hits (33), is second in the league in RBIs (46), third in hits (70) and fourth in runs (42). The 6-foot-4 outfielder also stole his sixth base last week.