TWitM: All aboard the Carter Jensen train

This Week in the Minors is our weekly look at notable performances from all over the system, from big-name prospects and less-heralded guys alike. The mission is to answer this simple question: “Who had a good week?”

Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (4-8, 5 games back)

The Storm Chasers struggled against the Iowa Cubs this week, dropping four of their six games, falling to 4-8. The offense got off to a hot start, scoring 10 runs in game one, four of which came from Carter Jensen’s home runs. Michael Massey was removed from his rehab in Omaha after an illness and a hand bruise caused him some trouble in the middle of the week. Through the rest of the week, the Omaha pitching unit struggled, allowing 39 runs over their six-game stretch and allowing more than seven runs every night but Saturday.

Jensen slashed .389/.476/1.222 over his 21 plate appearances this week, a great sign of what’s to come for one of the Royals’ top prospects. Cam Devanney also caught fire, hitting .368/.429/.947 last week as well as popping three homers. Dairon Blanco also played well, posting a 1.170 OPS this week as he builds his case to come back to the major league team. Thomas Hatch and John Gant looked good in their starts, but that is about all the good news there is for pitchers in Omaha this week.

Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals (4-8, 4 games back)

The Naturals struggled mightily this week, dropping their first four games in Springfield and only taking one game in the series. The offense struggled to score runs, posting just 11 total in their first four games. They bounced back in game five, where they were able to put up 8, but returned to their old ways, scoring just three in game six.

Despite the losses, NWA saw some good news, especially from struggling top prospect Gavin Cross. Cross slashed .529/.500/.647 this week, showing much better bat-to-ball skills than he showed before his earlier injury. Justin Johnson had a good week at the plate, and Javier Vaz appeared to be getting back to his old self. Vaz did hit a home run, but the real headline was his .417 OBP this week, exactly what has made him one of the top prospects in the Royals organization.

Pitching-wise, several top prospects put on impressive performances. Ben Kudrna went 6.2 innings, getting eight punchouts, allowing just four hits, and did not get charged with an earned run. Frank Mozzicatto pitched three scoreless innings, only allowing one hit and getting five punchouts. Oscar Rayo and Henry Williams also did not allow a run with at least five innings pitched. Steven Zobac struggled in his start, allowing 6 ER over his 3.2 innings pitched, but despite their record, there is a lot to like in NWA right now for Royals fans.

High-A Quad Cities River Bandits (9-5, First place)

The River Bandits put on a thrilling series with Cedar Rapids, splitting their first four games 2-2 on the backs of a 10-run performance in game one. A rain delay canceled game five, and a win on Sunday gave the River Bandits a series win. They are now 9-5 and are in sole possession of first place for the Midwest League West.

Offensively for Quad Cities, you can’t get far without mentioning the stellar performance of top prospect Carson Roccaforte. This week Roccaforte tooted a 1.347 OPS with three home runs and two stolen bases, a great sign for someone many consider one of the best defensive players in the organization. Similarly, Canyon Brown hit his first home run of his professional career, another great sign for a catcher who is widely considered an elite defensive catcher.

On the pitchers’ side of things, Felix Arronde won High-A pitcher of the week after his five-inning gem on the third. AJ Causey, the Royals’ fifth-round pick last year, has also looked great, throwing 3.1 scoreless innings with five punchouts. Causey has had a sneaky good year with an ERA of just 1.56 with no home runs allowed this year, earning his AA promotion. Dennis Colleran also looked solid, allowing just one hit in his four innings pitched this week. Drew Beam had a rough game, allowing 6 runs in 3.2 innings, and will look to bounce back this week.

Low-A Columbia Fireflies (5-10, 6.5 games back)

The Fireflies got off to a great start, winning 3 of their first four against Augusta, but dropped their last two games and split the series 3-3. The team falls to 5-10 with the offense struggling in their recent games. Columbia only scored more than three runs in one of their six games this week, but were able to come away with wins on the backs of some impressive pitching performances.

Royals catchers continued to impress, even as far down as low A. Stone Russell flashed an OBP above .500 and an OPS just over 1.000 last week, taking a big step up at the plate this year. The rest of the offense struggled some, but small flashes by Gabriel Silva, Henry Ramos, and Milo Rushford helped them come away with a few wins.

Columbia pitchers impressed, with several guys putting up very impressive outings. Yunior Marte and David Shields are both top prospects who went four scoreless innings this week. Emmanuel Reyes gave two starts, only allowing two runs combined over eight combined innings. Another top prospect, Hiro Wyatt, gave a solid outing where his slider was really working, and he came away with 3.2 innings and just one run allowed.