Salt Lake Bees Return Home this Week

The Salt Lake Bees (11-16) return home this week for a six-game series with the Tacoma Rainiers (14-12) at Smith’s Ballpark. Games on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday will begin at 6:35 pm., with Wednesday and Sunday’s games commencing at 1:05 p.m.

After a rough stretch in late April, the Bees snapped a six-game losing streak with two weekend victories over the El Paso Chihuahuas on Saturday (4/29) and Sunday (4/30). Minor League Baseball announced Monday morning that Salt Lake Bees outfielder Mickey Moniak has been named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for the April 24-30 awards window. During the stretch, Moniak batted .500 (11-for-22) with five home runs and nine RBIs. This is the first PCL Player of the Week award for Moniak and the third of the season for Salt Lake. Left-handed pitcher and Bees strikeout leader Kenny Rosenberg, gets the start in Tuesday’s series opener, followed by Cesar Valdez, Jake Lee, Jake Kalish, Luis Ledo and Rosenberg again to close out the series on Sunday.

Despite their record, the Bees are one of minor league baseball's most explosive offensive squads. Four players, Jordyn Adams, Jo Adell, Trey Cabbage, and Mickey Moniak, are all tied for the team lead with 21 RBIs; no other team has more than two players with 20+ RBIs. Salt Lake enters the series leading the Pacific Coast League in home runs, with Adell (10), Cabbage (9), and Moniak (8) all ranking in the top five of the PCL. Trey Cabbage has shown all-world power to start the season, hitting the longest home run in all of professional baseball (487 feet) in a game against the Reno Aces and another long shot (469 feet) on Wednesday in El Paso. Salt Lake hitters have combined for four of the 10 longest home runs hit in the PCL in 2023. A fan favorite, Cabbage also leads the team in batting average (.340), hits (32), and OPS (1.105).

Under the stewardship of noted baserunning guru, Manager Keith Johnson, Salt Lake is one of the best baserunning teams in minor league baseball, only having been caught stealing three times in 35 attempts (92% success rate) but has limited opposing teams to a 57% success rate. Salt Lake’s roster has proven worthy of recognition from the top flight of professional baseball, as four players on the Opening Day roster have been called up to the Los Angeles Angels - Chris Devenski, Chase Silseth, Chad Wallach, and Austin Warren.

Tacoma comes to Salt Lake after going 2-4 in their last six games. They are led by veteran first baseman Mike Ford, who enters the series leading the PCL in RBIs (35), slugging (.730), and is tied for third in home runs (9). The Rainiers also bring a couple of exciting prospects to the series - right-handed pitcher Mike Dollard is the Mariners’ fifth-ranked pitching prospect and the ninth overall in the organization. He’s posted a 7.56 ERA in three starts so far this season, striking out eight. Tacoma also has outfielder Cade Marlowe on the roster, the Mariners’ 16th-ranked prospect, who has impressed so far in the 2023 campaign, batting .347 with ten extra-base hits and an OPS over one.

Fans who can’t attend can follow along with the Bees by listening to the KSL Sports Zone with Steve Klauke on the broadcast or watching the Bally Sports app and MLB.tv. Following the series, Salt Lake embarks on a six-game road trip to Sacramento beginning on Tuesday, May 9.

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