Life on the Farm: Diamondbacks Minor League Weekly Report

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May 31, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Yasmany Tomas (24) scores on a base hit by second baseman Chris Owings (not pictured) as Milwaukee Brewers catcher Martin Maldonado (12) waits for the ball in the second inning at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

After going 6-1 two weeks ago, the Diamondbacks took a step back this week, getting swept by the St. Louis Cardinals and going 2-4 on the week. Although the play on the field was solid, it did not yield the results necessary of a team looking to climb to a winning record after being the worst team in baseball last season. Sitting at 23-26, the Diamondbacks are one great week away from .500 and a few good weeks away from a sustained winning record. There have been some positives, but the pitching has just been too inconsistent. Maybe some of the continued success from some of the minor league players could help?

OK, here’s how the rookies fared last week:

Yasmany Tomas, 3B

5 GP, 7-26 with 1 R, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K (.269/.296/.346, .642 OPS)

Nick Ahmed, SS

6 GP, 6-23 with 4 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K (.261/.292/.609, .900 OPS)

Archie Bradley, SP

1 GS, 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 6 ER (14.73 ERA, 2.18 WHIP)

Andrew Chafin, RP

1 G, 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 0 ER (0.00 ERA, 1.20 WHIP)

Enrique Burgos, RP

DL – Shoulder Tendonitis

There are some trends starting to show with this group. First, the rookie hitters are making solid contact with a little pop, but they are striking out at rates much higher than the team would want.

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Archie Bradley has been, at best, poor since returning from the DL after getting hit in the face. The knock on Bradley before the injury was that his control was lackluster and he had been successful before the injury living on the edge. It’s that old adage “effectively wild.” Anyone of you who read my thoughts on his return from the injury knows I did not expect any issues mentally or physically from the injury, but worried about how long he could last with his control issues. The answer appears to be “not long.” So, the question is, “when does Aaron Blair take Archie’s spot?”

A few thoughts on these guys…Tomas is playing like a guy who wants to stay up when the guy he replaced returns from injury. With Jake Lamb returning in the near future, it’ll be interesting to see how Dave Stewart handles this. Chris Owings, Aaron Hill, and Nick Ahmed are turning into an interesting 2-headed middle infield monster. Manager Chip Hale has been successful of late playing the guy who is hot that particular day, but eventually, one of these guys is going to have to supplant themselves as the every day starter at one of the spots. Finally, I can honestly say, I miss Burgos. Watching him throw was a delight. There aren’t many guys who throw as hard as he does; can’t wait to see him back.