April in Review: New Hampshire Fisher Cats
By: Jay Blue
Canadian Baseball Network
We continue our monthly review of the Blue Jays’ minor leagues with the Jays’ Double-A club in Manchester, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, taking a look at how the club is doing, where they stand and who’s hot and who’s not.
April Record
The Fisher Cats were 7-13 in April and had scored 67 runs and allowed 81. At the time of this writing (May 2, after one game in May), the Fisher Cats were in fifth place in the Eastern League Eastern Division, 9 1/2 games back of the leaders, the Hartford Yard Goats (who, despite not having their home stadium ready yet, are an incredible 18-4).
New Hampshire is dead last in the league in offence (runs scored) while having good pitching, ranking fourth in the league in runs allowed.
Leaderboard
Jeremy Gabryszwski
Jeremy Gabryszwski is second in the Eastern League with 30 innings pitched while Luis Santos, despite fewer starts and innings, is 11th in strikeouts with 22.
Jon Berti is currently third in the league in batting average, fourth in OBP and second in the league in stolen bases (and has since been promoted to Buffalo). Roemon Fields is sixth with seven stolen bases.
Who’s Hot?
Rotation
Casey Lawrence had a great start in his return to New Hampshire, allowing one run on four hits and two walks in seven innings.
Shane Dawson, before going on the DL, had a 2.40 ERA in three starts.
Bullpen
The bullpen has been the strongest part of the Fisher Cats this year. Murphy Smithhas allowed just one earned run with 17 strikeouts and five walks in 12 2/3 innings. Wil Browning has given up just seven base runners and one run in 8 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts.
Colt Hynes has also given up one run in 8 1/3 innings with 11 strikeouts. Danny Barnes and John Stilson both have ERAs under 2.00 with Barnes striking out 13 batters and walking just two in 12 1/3 innings.
Hitters
It’s really just Jon Berti who was hitting .309/.420/.441 in 81 plate appearances, walking 10 times and stealing 10 bases.
Who’s Not?
Rotation
Jason Berken has walked almost as many as he’s struck out (11 BBs, 12 Ks).
John Anderson has had a couple of rough outings after giving up just one run in his first two starts combined.
Bullpen
Daniel Schlereth has allowed four earned runs (but six runs total) in 6 2/3 innings.
Hitters
Dwight Smith is hitting just .138/.212/.172 in 66 plate appearances while Shane Opitz‘s .432 OPS is not very pretty either.