May 2011 Home Players of the Month

It was another 7-7 month for the California Roadrunners at home in May, matching their 7-7 home record for April.

Overall, the offense continued to carry the team, batting .283 with 13 home runs. The middle of the Roadrunner lineup struggled at the plate this month. Jose Bautista, Carlos Lee, and Aramis Ramirez combined to hit only .212 with 6 home runs in 132 at-bats. Wilson Valdez (.364), Ronny Cedeno (.333), and Mark Aviles (.314) picked up the slack at the top and bottom of the order.

The pitching staff was decent, posting a 4.32 ERA. Two complete games were thrown, including a shutout by Ian Kennedy. Despite his first loss (and the team's first loss in extra innings), Brandon Lyon continued his stellar season as the team's closer going 3-for-3 in save opportunities. John Lackey rebounded a bit this month, with two victories and 15 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched. Nate Robertson did not allow an earned run in 6 1/3 relief innings.

Home Hitter of the Month - Josh Hamilton
Josh Hamilton missed 3 games at home, but still managed to carry the team's offense. He posted an impressive .606 average, with two home runs and 6 RBI in 11 games. Both of his home runs came in one game against right-handed pitching. In 29 at-bats against RHP, Hamilton hit .621 with an .862 slugging percentage. At one point during the May homestand, he had a hit in seven consecutive at-bats. Hamilton is now starting to put up MVP-like numbers, boosting his offensive totals to .376-12-36 with an OPS of 1.044 in 53 games.

Home Pitcher of the Month - Chris Volstad
The surprise pitcher of the month was Chris Volstad, edging out John Lackey and Brandon Lyon. Volstad was undefeated at home in three starts, including one complete game, and 8 1/3 innings pitched in another start. While he did walk 10 batters in 25 2/3 innings, he managed to keep those runners on base somehow. Volstad's 1.75 ERA was unexpected considering his card, as was his one home run allowed. Volstad has now emerged as the club's top starting pitcher, improving his overall record to 5-3, while lowering his ERA to 2.51.

Prospect Preview: Tony Sanchez, C

Tony Sanchez is part of the California Roadrunners' amateur system, but could be called on to make an impact behind the plate sooner than later. Sanchez was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round (fourth overall) back in 2009. In 2010, he was selected to the Futures Game All-Star team, but had his season shortened when he was hit in the face with a fastball in June.

Now having gone through a full recovery of a broken jaw, and some LASIK surgery in January of this year, Sanchez is back and ready to prove that he belongs with the big league club.

Sanchez was invited to spring training in 2011, but was only able to get one hit (a double) in two at-bats before being sent down to AA Altoona. He is currently hitting .299-1-9 overall, but is hitting .344 with an OBP of .500 in his last 10 games. In 2009, Sanchez hit .309 with 7 home runs in 178 at-bats. Prior to his facial injury in 2010, Sanchez was hitting .314 in 250 at-bats.

Projected to be a great defender behind the plate, Sanchez would be a great candidate to handle a young pitching staff. He has great framing technique, and a "borderline" plus arm. It will be his offense, though, that will make or break his chances at becoming a perennial all-star. His power numbers are there, and is projected to hit 10-15 home runs per season if he can remain healthy.

Sanchez is currently targeted to make the Pirates' roster in 2012. Looking at the current catching situation for Pittsburgh, it is likely that they will trade one or both of the catchers they currently have on their roster (Chris Snyder and Ryan Doumit), and hope that Sanchez can open next season behind the dish.

Tony Sanchez is the catcher of the future for the California Roadrunners. There's no question that he will be getting regular at-bats for us within a year or two. However, the team has pressing needs at that position with Rod Barajas playing in the last year of his contract, and Bengie Molina sitting at home on his couch waiting for the Red Sox to dial his number. This will push up Sanchez's timetable, but the Roadrunners hope to acquire a catcher or three through some other means so that Sanchez is not rushed.

Official 2011 Outlook
Remain under contract in the CAL Amateur League System.