Happenings of Note

Arencibia On a Roll

J.P. Arencibia has had an impressive start for Las Vegas putting to rest any concern that his hitting had plateaud at AAA. With an average over .300 and 11 RBI the biggest surprise has been his improved patience at the plate and his .387 OBP. While nobody expects him to hit .300 in the majors, getting on base more often and striking out less were two prerequisites for his promotion to the big team.

An even bigger surprise is Brian Jerolman hitting .340 with a .444 OBP at New Hampshire. Everyone knows he already has major league defensive skills, but nobody expected his bat to light a fire. He still strikes out too much, but his improved bat could earn him a promotion to AAA before the season is over.

Overlooked Outfield Talent

Though most of the talk on the farm has been about Brett Wallace and his league leading 8 homers, Chris Lubanski has quiety put together a nice April of his own. Hitting a solid .273 belting 5 homers with a dozen RBI which translates to an impressive 30 homer season.

Eric Thames, a solid prospect taken in the 7th round of the 2008 draft has been injury prone so unable to fulfill his potential to date. He is quietly leading New Hampshire in RBI and hitting .288. Perhaps we have outfield potential we've overlooked.

More Bullpen Help On The Way

All of Daniel Farquhar, Trystan Magnuson, and Adrian Martin have been solid in support for New Hampshire starters so far. Any or all of them could warrant a promotion to Las Vegas anytime if there was a need. Tim Collins and his 16 strikeouts in 10 innings will remain in New Hampshire all season due to his young age, not turning 21 till August.