While several Rice Baseball alums are producing at the highest level, others are working their way up the ladder. Here’s the latest on the MiLB Owls.
Triple-A
Jon Duplantier (Dodgers) began the month of July on the right foot, allowing just two earned runs and six hits in eight innings of work across two games. That lowered his season-long ERA to 4.26, his lowest in the minors since the 2018 season.
Tristan Gray (Rays) had a strong start to his summer and while his average has dipped, the power has remained. He leans the Durham Bulls with 19 home runs this season, buoying him to a .705 OPS despite a meager season-long .190 average. He has 51 RBI in 72 games.
Tristan Gray's team-leading 19th homer of the year puts us ahead 2-0! pic.twitter.com/FL6NKqSPnm
— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) July 17, 2022
Ford Proctor (Rays) owns an unimpressive .208 average for the season, but has produced some rather curious splits. He’s hitting .231 with runners in scoring position and .241 with two outs. Somehow, in the more pressure-packed situations, he’s been better at the plate. He’s also worked more than 400 innings behind the dish as the team’s primary catcher, where he has a .974 fielding percentage.
Double-A
Matt Canterino (Twins) hasn’t pitched since June 2, going on the injured list shortly afterward. Before his time off, though, he was fantastic. He owns a 1.83 ERA on the season with a 1.14 WHIP in 11 outings. Opposing batters are hitting .142 against Canterino this year.
Dane Myers (Tigers) has stayed put in AA after moving back and forth between that level and AAA in the earlier months of the season. Staying in one place has done him well. He hit .111 in May as he was shuttled back and forth. He’s hitting .289 or better in every other month in which he’s stayed at the AA level. For the season Myers is hitting .278 across all levels and owns a .803 OPS in AA compared to a .630 OPS in 13 AA appearances.
More on Rice Baseball: Latest from the MLB Owls
Ricky Salinas (Reds) has pivoted between strong and sour outings for the better portion of the 2022 season. He owns a 3-3 record with a 5.66 ERA in 21 appearances, all out of the bullpen. The ERA isn’t pretty, but opposing hitters are batting .243 against his this season, the lowest average against in his entire minor league career.
Single-A
Trei Cruz (Tigers, High-A) is in the midst of the best month of professional baseball in his young career. He’s slashing .273/.397/.418 in the month of July. That’s the best average and OPS he’s posted since joining the Tigers’ organization in 2021. He’s cut down on strikeouts this month and walked more. On the season he’s hitting .218 with 59 hits, 58 walks and 77 strikeouts.
Evan Kravetz (Reds, High-A) has made 16 appearances this season, saving his best for the month of July. He owns a 2.65 ERA in three starts this month, his best single-month ERA of the season to date. His season-long ERA sits at 4.17 with 74 strikeouts in 58.1 innings pitched.
