Minor League Mash-Up: IronPigs clinch first ever division title

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are IL North division champions. (Cheryl Pursell)

As we enter the final full week of the 2018 minor league regular season, we take a look at how players are fairing this season and which teams may be rearing up for a postseason run.

Records

Lehigh Valley IronPigs: 79-53, clinched IL North title
Reading Fightin’ Phils: 62-68, will miss playoffs
Clearwater Threshers: 72-58, 40-22 in the second half, first in FSL North division
Lakewood Blueclaws: 81-49, 40-21 in the second half, first in the SAL North division
Williamsport Crosscutters: 29-39, will miss playoffs

Notable Performances

The IronPigs clinched their first ever International League North division title Saturday on a walk-off hit by J.P. Crawford. They also did so while wearing Philly Special jerseys.
Our first individual notable performer is a familiar name, Cole Irvin. The Lehigh Valley ace was at it again, going six innings, while allowing one run on five hits and one walk. He also struck out four.
This seems to be a weekly occurrence, but fellow IronPigs ace Enyel De Los Santos was equally as good. He went six innings, allowing no earned runs on three hits and two walks. De Los Santos struck out three.
Another IronPigs starter, Ranger Suarez, who was roughed up last time we saw him in Philadelphia, had a solid start too. He also went six innings, allowing one run on six hits with no walks. He struck out three.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Adam Haseley had a good game for Reading. On Wednesday, he went 3-4 with a home run and three runs scored.
The doubles machine that is Mickey Moniak was back at it on Sunday. The former No. 1 overall pick went 2-4 with two doubles and two RBIs.
Spencer Howard had a nice outing on Sunday, going six innings, while allowing one run on four hits for Lakewood. He walked none and struck out seven.
Welcome back, Alec Bohm. The 2018 first-rounder returned from injury and had a big impact on Sunday, going 2-5 with a triple and three RBIs.

Had a Good Year

Top prospect Sixto Sanchez missed three months this year, but when he was healthy, he was very good. He had a 2.51 ERA in eight starts with a WHIP of 1.07 for Single-A Clearwater. He allowed only one home run in 46.2 innings.
No. 4 prospect Adam Haseley has showed a lot of promise this year. Between Clearwater and Reading, he’s hit .307 with 11 home runs, 17 doubles and five triples.
No. 6 prospect Mickey Moniak struggled for most of the first half of the 2018 season, but his second half was very encouraging. He hit .271 since the All-Star Break and .287 in August. Moniak has added 28 doubles, three triples and five home runs this year. Remember – he’s only 20 years old.
No. 8 prospect Ranger Suarez hasn’t fared too well with the Phillies, but his minor league stats this year have been quite good. He has a 2.81 ERA in 19 starts between Reading and Lehigh Valley. He’s given up three home runs in nine innings in the majors, compared to four home runs in 112 innings in the minors.
No. 9 prospect Enyel De Los Santos is in a similar situation. He has a 2.43 ERA in the minors this year, but a 6.00 ERA with the Phillies. At just 22 years old, experience should help him become a solid starter at the major league level.

A guy I hope we get to see in September is No. 10 prospect Cole Irvin. Irvin has a 2.67 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in 25 games for Lehigh Valley.
No. 14 prospect Luis Garcia is showing a lot of promise. The 17-year-old in hitting .369 with 33 runs scored and 12 stolen bases in 46 games in Rookie Ball.
No. 18 prospect Kyle Young has been sharp, when healthy. In eight starts with Lakewood, he has a 2.98 ERA and a WHIP of .99. He is currently on a rehab assignment in Rookie Ball.
No. 20 prospect David Parkinson has been excellent this year. Between Lakewood and Clearwater, he has a 1.45 ERA and a WHIP of 1.02. Opponents are hitting .203 against him.

A Rough Year

No. 11 prospect Arquimedes Gamboa hasn’t had a lot of success at the plate. He’s hitting .211 with 104 strikeouts in 108 games this year. He’s slugging just .277.
No. 17 prospect Jose Gomez is hitting .220 with a slugging percentage of .259 this year.
No. 28 prospect Tom Eshelman has a 5.83 ERA for Lehigh Valley this year. He’s given up 19 home runs in 134.1 innings and opponents are hitting .322 against him.

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