Below are the top Runs Created* totals in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ farm system from the last week. The rankings include every hitter who had an at-bat for a Pirates’ minor league affiliate, not including DSL teams, and with no limitations on whether the hitter has prospect eligibility. Players who spent time at different levels are counted multiple times, once for each level, rather than combining their stats. Notes on the top ten players from the last week can be found below the chart.
*Runs Created is a stat created by Bill James used to estimate how many runs an individual contributes to his team. There are many formulas for runs created. For these purposes the basic formula is used. That formula is ((H + BB) * (1B + (2*2B) + (3*3B) + (4*HR))) / (AB + BB).
The Jamestown Jammers had a huge weekend, scoring 39 runs in their last three games. Surprisingly none of those runs came on home runs, which might make the feat more impressive. As a result, three of the Jamestown hitters were in the top ten this week, with another three finishing in the top 15. Harold Ramirez led the way, going 10-for-24 with four doubles, a triple, and a homer earlier in the week. Ramirez is the top prospect in Jamestown, and finally turned things on this week, hitting for a .417 average and a 1.325 OPS. On the season he has a .290 average and an .871 OPS in 69 at-bats.
Danny Collins and JaCoby Jones were also in the top ten this week. Collins had the third best runs created, going 9-for-26 with four doubles, a triple, and a homer. Collins has been crushing the ball since turning pro. He had a .289 average and a .977 OPS in 45 at-bats in June, and has a .346 average and a 1.126 OPS in 26 at-bats in July so far. Jones started his pro career this week, and got off to a hot start, going 6-for-20 with two doubles and a triple. That was good enough for the sixth best spot on the list this week.
Another player who got off to a hot start in his pro career is Reese McGuire. The first round pick went 7-for-11 with two doubles in his first three pro games, which was the fifth best score this week.
Jamestown had a big weekend, but on the week it was Indianapolis that dominated the hitting ranks. Ivan De Jesus and Matt Hague both finished in the top five. De Jesus went 11-for-25 with three doubles and a triple for the second best score in the system. Hague went 10-for-25 with four doubles. Neither player is on the 40-man roster, but both could provide some value to the team in September as depth options. De Jesus would provide a middle infield bat, while Hague hits lefties well and can play first or third base.
Felix Pie and Alex Presley both finished in the top ten as well for Indianapolis, finishing seventh and eighth respectively. Pie went 6-for-19 with three doubles and two homers. Presley went 10-for-31 with two doubles and two triples.
Taylor Lewis didn’t get much time in Bradenton this week after coming off the disabled list, but he was effective in the limited time he saw. He went 4-for-8 with two doubles and a triple for the ninth best score this week. Lewis should get more playing time in the second half with Gregory Polanco in Altoona.
Speaking of Gregory Polanco, he had the tenth best score this week, going 8-for-23 with a double and a homer. Polanco now has a .301 average and an .824 OPS in Altoona, which is similar to his numbers in Bradenton.
