Hellickson emerging as Rays' top arm
News and notes from Tuesday in the minors
Rolling, rolling, rolling …
Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, Rays (Triple-A Durham)
Tuesday's stats: 7 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 10 K
The Rays' top pitching prospect (yeah, I went there) actually pitched better than the line indicated, as he was absolutely dominant until a rough seventh inning. In seven starts for Triple-A Durham, the 22-year-old now has 49 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings while limiting International League hitters to a .181 batting average. With well-above-average stuff and command, he could be in line for the call when the Rays need an extra starter in September.
Again, sometimes date of birth is an important statistic
Martin Perez, LHP, Rangers (Double-A Frisco)
Tuesday's stats: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
It was a big surprise to see the Rangers move Perez up to the Texas League earlier this month. Not that his performance at Low-A Hickory wasn't impressive, but the Venezuelan southpaw is only 18 years old. What wasn't surprising was to see him struggle in his first two starts, but he put everything together Tuesday with five scoreless frames. How crazy is it to have this guy this year in Double-A? Research done by Rangers minor league expert Scott Lucas of The Newberg Report found that the second youngest player in the Texas League is Angels lefty Trevor Reckling, who is nearly two years Perez's senior.
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