Tigers minor-league report: Stewart flashes pop at Erie
Triple-A Toledo
Who’s hot …
Matthew Boyd, LH starter: Boyd is 3-0 since returning to Toledo following a couple of months in the Tigers rotation. In four starts, he has a 3.33 ERA, having been tapped for 19 hits in 24.1 innings, with 26 strikeouts and eight walks.
Logan Kensing, RH reliever: Kensing has quite a 10-game string: no runs in 12.2 innings, five hits, eight strikeouts, four walks. Kensing pitched with the Tigers briefly last season. He’s also pitched for the Mariners, Marlins, Rockies, and Nationals.
Jeff Ferrell, RH reliever: He pitched for the Tigers in 2016 and seems destined for a Comerica Park return — quickly. His last 10 games: 2.45 ERA, 11 innings, six hits, 14 strikeouts, three walks. He is 26, was a 26th-round Tigers pick in 2015.
Double-A Erie
Who’s hot ...
Christin Stewart, LF: Socked his 17th and 18th home runs of the year Sunday, which is how you have a season OPS of .900 when the batting average is .262. He was taken in the first round in 2015 after wrapping up his three-year career at the University of Tennessee. Stewart (6-foot, 205) is 23.
Grayson Greiner, C: Finally heating up after a couple of forgettable months. Greiner is sticking the ball at a .323 clip the past 10 games – with four home runs. He was a third-round grab by the Tigers in 2014 (University of South Carolina). He’s a big lad: 6-6, 220. Bats right-handed and is 24 years old.
Jairo Labourt, LH reliever: Labourt, 23, hadn’t allowed a run in his last 10 games until giving up a run on Sunday. For the season (25 games for Erie and Lakeland), he has a 1.33 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and .180 opposing batting average. Definitely one to watch.
Adam Ravenelle, RH reliever: Hasn’t allowed a run in his last four appearances, with only one walk. Has struck out six in those 5.2 innings, including four in his last stint. Has a fastball that can hit 100 mph. He was a fourth-round pick in 2014 when he helped Vanderbilt win the NCAA World Series.
Ruben Alaniz, RH reliever: He is one-time Astros property who is only 26 and who signed with the Tigers last autumn as a minor-league free agent. Has pitched well at Erie (2.17 on the year with a 25-game WHIP of 1.18) and is now in Toledo. On the year: 37.1 innings, 34 hits, 39 strikeouts, eight unintentional walks. He is 6-4, 219.
And who’s not …
Tyler Alexander, LH starter: Hasn’t been the most gratifying of seasons for Alexander, a second-round pick (Texas Christian, 2015) whose last 10 games offer these numbers: 5.36 ERA, with 63 hits and 10 walks in 47 innings.
Tigers C prospect Austin Athmann ‘on fire’ after second cold start
Single-A Lakeland
Who’s hot …
Dustin Frailey, LF: He’s a 19th-round pick in 2016 (Cal-State Bakersfield) and is batting .342 in the 22 games since he slid into Lakeland’s lineup. Frailey is a right-handed batter, 5-10 and 180. He has a .473 on-base percentage at Lakeland.
Sandy Baez, RH starter: Baez’s last four starts: 23.2 innings, 13 hits, four earned runs, 35 strikeoouts, nine walks. He has 100-mph heat and one of the biggest arms in the Tigers system. Baez (6-2, 180) is 23 and was signed out of Juan Baron, Dominican Republic.
Mark Ecker, RH reliever:Ecker in his last eight games hasn’t allowed a run, has conceded six hits, has struck out 15 and walked four. Not real big (6-foot, 180) but throws gas.
And who’s not …
Jose Azocar, RF: Coaching staff can’t get him to lay off bad pitches, which is one way to bat .161 in your last 10 games and .216 (.547 OPS) for the year. Azocar turned 21 in May.
Single-A West Michigan
Who’s hot …
Danny Woodrow, OF: He wasn’t among last week’s Lakeland promotions that sent Cam Gibson, Jake Robson and others to the Flying Tigers. But Woodrow’s batting .410 in his last 10 games and .299 for the year at West Michigan. The Tigers got him last year in the 12th round (Creighton). He’s 5-10, 155, and bats left-handed.
Cole Baumi, RF: Also helping ease some of the sting when Gibson and Robson departed, Baumi is hitting .324 in his last 10 games. The Tigers got him out of Northern Kentucky in 2015 (10th round). He’s 6-3, 205, and bats left-handed.
Anthony Pereira, 2B: One of the guys Whitecaps manager Mike Rabelo has been high on, Pereira is hitting .333 in his last 10 games. He’s only 20, bats right-handed, is 6-foot, 170, and was signed by the Tigers out of Tocuyito, Venezuela.
Anthony Castro, RH starter: Strong year for Castro, 22, whom the Tigers signed as a teen out of Caracas, Venezuela. He’s 6-1 for 2017, with a 2.29 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and .203 opposing batting average, with 56 strikeouts in 59 innings.
Zac Houston, RH reliever: He was an 11th-rounder (Mississippi State) in 2016 and has done nice work for the Whitecaps: one earned run in his last six stints, one hit, 13 strikeouts, three walks. Houston is 6-5, 250.
Lynn.henning@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Lynn_Henning