By George Farelli
Canadian Baseball Network
The minor-league season is dwindling down to its final weeks.

Yet, for Josh Naylor he is peaking at the right time as he has a late in-season promotion.

Right now Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) selected 12th over-all in North American in June as the highest position player ever drafted is with the Miami Marlins rookie-class Gulf Coast League Marlins.

They bus down and back to games, maybe two hours tops.

They play games in the noon sun.

It is more like boot camp than being realistic of minor-league life.

The Marlins play the entry level affiliates from the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets and Washington Nationals.

Soon with the minor league season ending Sept. 7, the Ontario Blue Jays grad, takes off to re-join the Canadian Junior National Team, currently in Australia, when it reaches World U-18 championship.

Naylor had the most hits of any Canuck to earn the first honor as Canadian Baseball Network minor league Player of the Week ... the best of the 89 Canadians in the minors this week. He hit .375 (9-for-24) the highest average of any Canadian with 10 at-bats this week, with a homer and five RBIs.

How the week that was went for Naylor as he:

_ Hitting third in his first game back after missing a week, he doubled in four at-bats in a 4-0 win over the GCL Mets at Port St. Lucie. Kurtis Horne (Sooke, BC) pitched two innings allowing two hits and one run working in relief for the Mets.

_ Singled in three at-bats in a 2-0 win over the GCL Nationals at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. Philip Diedrick (Ajax, Ont.) was hitless in two at-bats for the Nationals.

_ Singled and knocked in a run in a 2-0 win over the Nationals at the Carl Bargar Complex.

_ Hit a second-inning grand slam to left field and singled in four trips in a 5-3 win over the Nationals. It was Naylor’s first homer as a pro. Diedrick singled in three at-bats.

_ Doubled in four at-bats in a 4-0 win over the Mets at Roger Dean Stadium. 

_ As the DH was 3-for-6 in a 10-4 win over the Mets at St. Lucie Sports Complex.

On the season Naylor is hitting ,353 with three doubles, a triple a homer and 12 RBIs in 22 games with an .827 OPS.     
 
BEST OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCES
Player / Class / Team    AB    R    H    HR    RBI    AVG
Josh Naylor - Rkie Gulf Coast Marlins    24    3    9    1    5    .375
Eric Wood - AA Altoona    15    1    5    -    3    .333
Stephen Wickens - AA Chattanooga    26    3    8    -    -    .308
Pete Orr - AAA Colorado Springs    21    2    6    -    3    .286
Gareth Morgan - Rkie AZL Mariners    25    4    7    -    2    .280
Trevor Gretzky - A Burlington    22    3    6    -    1    .273
                               
Brock Kjeldgaard - IND Sioux City    25    6    8    1    4    .320
Mike Blanke - IND Long Island    22    4    7    1    7    .318
Sebastien Boucher - IND Ottawa    19    3    5    -    6    .263
(Minimum 10 AB’s required)    

BEST PITCHING PERFORMANCES
DYLAN BROOKS  RHP -  ROOKIE CLASS ARIZONA GIANTS
AP   IP   H   R  ER  BB  K   W-L   SV  WHIP  WK ERA
1   4.0   2   -   -    1   2    -     2    0.75   0.00
Since being activated with the Rookie Class AZL Giants Dylan Brooks has been very effective working out of the bullpen, and this week he had three very good outings. On Aug. 13th in a 3-2 win over AZL Cubs he pitched a scoreless inning, gave up only one base hit, to earn his second save of the season.  On Aug. 16th in a 4-3 victory over AZL Brewers he pitched two scoreless innings, surrendering just one base hit while striking out one Brewers hitter for his second save of the week. His final appearance was on Aug. 18th in a 10-4 win over the AZL White Sox, in which he tossed a scoreless inning and gave up no hits and no runs, but was not involved in the decision. These three outings improved his overall record with the AZL Giants to 0-2, three saves and a 3.46 ERA.
 
BROCK DYKXHOORN  RHP  -  A QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS
AP  IP   H   R  ER  BB  K   W-L   SV  WHIP  WK ERA
1  5.1   3   2   2   2   3   1-0    -    0.98    3.53
Brock Dykxhoorn has been a very consistent pitcher for Quad Cities this season, and has been effective in either role as a starter or a reliever. This week on Aug. 16th he made the start in a 6-2 win over Lake County Captains and pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up three base hits and two earned runs while striking out three Lake County batters, to earn his seventh win of the season. This outing improved his Single A Midwest League record to 7-4 with a 3.42 ERA.

 
SCOTT RICHMOND  RHP  -  IND  WICHITA WINGNUTS
AP  IP   H   R  ER  BB  K   W-L   SV  WHIP  WK ERA
2 13.0  7   1   1    2  12   1-0    -    0.64    1.05
Coming off his successful stint as a veteran presence with Team Canada, Gold Medal winners at the recent Pan Am games held in Ontario, Scott Richmond has continued to pitch well for Wichita in the IND American Association.  This week he made two starts, the first of which was on Aug. 13th in a 4-3 win over Grand Prairie Air Hogs, he pitched seven innings gave up five base hits and one earned run while striking out six batters, but was not involved in the decision. He followed that up on Aug. 18th in a 2-0 win over Grand Prairie and this time tossed six scoreless, surrendering only two base hits and one earned run, again striking out six Grand Prairie hitters to earn his fourth win of the season, His overall record with Wichita now stands at 4-1 with a 1.60 ERA.

PLAYER MOVES AND TRANSACTIONS
3B Jamie Romak (London, Ont.) - Optioned by Arizona Diamondbacks to Triple A Reno Aces.
 
1B Freddie Freeman (Fountain Valley, Calif.) - Sent out on a Re hab assignment by Atlanta Braves to Rookie Class Gulf Coast Braves, appeared in one game and moved to Triple A Gwinnett Braves.
 
INF Skyler Stromsmoe (Etzikom, Alta.) - Moved by San Francisco Giants to Single A San Jose Giants from Triple A Sacramento River Cats.
 
LHP Jeff Degano (Surrey, BC) - Moved by the New York Yankees to Single A Staten Island Yankees from Rookie Class Gulf Coast Yankees-II.
 
3B Terrence Dayleg (Burnaby, BC) - Activated from the Disabled List by Miami Marlins at Double A Jacksonville Suns.
 

3B Jesse Hodges (Victoria, BC) - Activated from the Disabled List by Chicago Cubs at Single A South Bend Cubs.
 
RHP Dustin Molleken (Regina, Sask.) - Placed on the Disabled List by Cleveland Indians at Triple A Columbus Clippers.
 
LHP Ethan Stewart (Campbell River, BC) - Released by Philadelphia Phillies at Single A Clearwater Threshers.
 
 
INF Carter Bell (Courtenay, BC) - Traded to Joliet Slammers IND Frontier League from Washington Wild Things IND Frontier League.
 
RHP Karl Gelinas (Iberville, Que.) - Placed on the Disabled List by Quebec Capitales IND Can Am League.
 
C Nicholas Lecompte (Gatineau, Que.) - Released by Ottawa Champions IND Can Am League.
 
C Chris Robinson (Uxbridge, Ont.) - Released by the Winnipeg Goldeyes IND American Association.