Royals Rookie Ball Bi-Weekly Recap

It was a very successful two weeks for the Burlington Royals. How about a ten-game winning streak that came to an end on Saturday. Over the two week span, the Royals won 10-of-11. That success has pushed them to a seven game lead in the Appalachian League’s East Division (25-9).

Despite the successful week, the Royals do not have a .300 hitter. They do, however, hit homeruns. Patrick Leonard leads the league with 11. He also has 29 RBIs, which ranks him sixth in the league. Teammate Fred Ford is second with ten homeruns. Kenny Diekroeger is fourth with seven. Terrance Gore gives the team some speed, as he leads the league with 18 stolen bases (he has been caught twice). That speed has led to him leading the league in runs scored (31).

Daniel Hernandez and Patrick Conroy have anchored the starting rotation (they are a combined 5-0). Hernandez is 8th in the league in ERA (2.70 in seven starts). Conroy carries a 3.27 ERA in five starts (seven appearances). The two have combined for 59 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 69.2 innings.

In 12 relief appearances, John Walter is tied for second in the league in saves with six. He is also 3-0 with a 2.35 ERA. Walter has struck out 22 in 15.1 innings.

And for all of you out there who want to know how THE prospect is doing, Bubba Starling is hitting .292 with four doubles, two triples, four homeruns, 20 runs scored, and 18 RBIs. The strikeouts have been a bit of an issue (29 in 96 at-bats compared to 15 walks).

Idaho Falls wasn’t as successful as Burlington, but they ended up with a 6-6 record. The Chukars finished the first half with a 17-21 record (third place). The second half in the Pioneer League has just begun and the Chukars are 1-0, good for a tie of first place in the South Division.

Ethan Chapman is the Chukars top hitter, as he ranks eighth in the league in hitting (.342). The outfielder brings the speed: he has five triples, 30 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases. His strikeout to walk ratio is also good (17 walks to 21 strikeouts). He is in the midst of a nine-game hitting streak.

Their catching combination of Parker Morin and Jin-Ho Shin have been putting up respectable numbers. Morin is hitting .280 in 28 games, while Shin is hitting .279 in 34 games. Shin leads the team in homeruns (four) and doubles (ten).

On the pitching side, 2012 second round pick Sam Selman has led the way. He leads the league with a 1.67 ERA in six starts (seven appearances). In 32.1 innings, he has struck out 44 compared to just eight walks. Selman has allowed just 24 hits. He made two starts in the last two weeks and allowed just one run on five hits and three walks over 12 innings. He struck out 19.