Tigers' prospects among league leaders in pitching

This is the second post in this vein. The first one covered the hitters who were in the top ten of their respective leagues in the statistical categories listed at MiLB.com. Today's post is the same thing except with the pitchers. I didn't waste anybody's time (especially mine) by including Games, Games Started, Holds or Games Finished. 

Toledo

Charlie Furbush: Wins, T-10th (4); Complete Games, T-1st (2); Shutouts, T-1st (1); Strikeouts, T-6th (55); WHIP, 1st (0.93)

We get a glimpse here of why Furbush is now pitching for the Tigers. His stuff doesn't blow you away, but he keeps getting results.

Andrew Oliver: Wins, T-10th (4)

Being 10th in the International League in Wins tells us just about nothing about his chance for success in the majors. He'd have more categories if he'd spent the whole season with the Hens. 

Adam Wilk: Wins, T-10th (4); Home Runs, T-8th (9); WHIP, T-10th (1.16)

I like when these little snapshots tell us something about the type of player we're looking at and I think this is one of those instances. When Wilk misses with his fastballs in the 80s, they are often going to leave the yard. When he's hitting his spots within the zone, though, he can be quite an effective pitcher.

Duane Below: Wins, T-10th (4); Innings, 10th (61.1); Home Runs, T-8th (9)

Yet another Hen starter with four wins and as the only one of the lefties not to go to Detroit, he's among the league leaders in Innings as well. Home runs have just about always been a problem for Below, but he's made a lot of progress in the other aspects of his game these past couple years.

Thad Weber: Losses, T-5th (5); Innings, 10th (61.1); Hits, T-2nd (75); Runs, T-2nd (42); Earned Runs, T-2nd (41); Home Runs, T-3rd (11)

The rotation's sole right-handed pitcher at the beginning of the season shows up high on a lot of the lists he doesn't want to be on. He was hittable last season in Erie, but not quite like this.

Enrique Gonzalez: Saves, T-7th (6)

The Tigers tried putting him in the Hens' high leverage closer role and while he picked up some saves, there have been rough spots.

Robbie Weinhardt: Hit Batters, T-10th (4)

Just another sign it's been a rough season for Weinhardt.

Erie

Mark Sorensen: Wins, T-4th (5); Complete Games, T-2nd (1); Innings, 8th (61); Hits, 5th (67); Runs, T-10th (34)

The hits aren't surprising from Sorensen, who's always been a contact guy. With hits, runs will come but aside from the occasional implosion, he's given the Wolves good innings.

Luke Putkonen: Losses, T-1st (7); Hits, T-8 (64); Runs, 1st (50); Earned Runs, 1st (44); Home Runs, T-3rd (8)

This exercise is most unkind to Putkonen, who is obviously getting drubbed in the Eastern League at this point. If you're in the league leaders for hits, runs and home runs, you at least hope to show up in innings as well. Putkonen, though, has suffered this damage in about 45 innings.

L.J. Gagnier: Complete Games, T-2nd (1); Shutouts, T-1st (1); Hit Batters, T-3rd (6); WHIP, 10th (1.15)

We don't see anything all that telling here until we get to WHIP. Gagnier has tapered off after a brilliant start to the season, but he's still been bumped up to Toledo to fill in while the Tigers pillage the Hens' rotation.

Chance Ruffin: Saves, T-10th (5)

If you yawn at saves, I'm right there with you. Aside from some control problems last week and an awful outing that saw him give up half his runs allowed on the season, he's looked like a good addition to some future Tiger bullpen. I'll be curious to see if that future is August or September.

Jacob Turner: Innings, 1st (67.2); Hit Batters, T-5th (5); Strikeouts, 9th (57); WHIP, 6th (1.05)

The kid is pretty good, don't you think? It's very encouraging that he's hanging around for nearly seven innings a start and still racking up a good number of strikeouts. 

Casey Crosby: Walks, T-2nd (32)

Crosby just had his second six-walk game of the season, so it's not all that surprising he popped up here. Hitters are still having trouble squaring up on him, so we'll see if that is still the case when he finds the zone with regularity.

Lakeland

Jared Wesson: Wins, 1st (7); Earned Runs, T-8th (30); Walks, T-6th (26)

Pretty odd that Wesson has such a good nose for wins considering his other numbers don't suggest a lockdown pitcher.

Victor Larez: Wins, T-10th (4); Hits, T-8th (70); Home Runs, T-8th (6)

Larez is doing some good work for Lakeland, but he's a low strikeout guy so contact and damage will follow.

Trevor Feeney: Wins, T-10th (4); Losses, T-5th (5); Innings, 5th (65.2); Hits, 1st (80); Runs, 3rd (38); Earned Runs, 3rd (37); Home Runs, 1st (8)

Feeney is playing the role of the workhorse here, and he's being beaten like a draft horse.

Cole Nelson: Losses, T-3rd (6); Hits, T-6th (71); Runs, 5th (35); Earned Runs, 5th (33); Walks, 3rd (32)

Nelson is still trying to learn some things and school can be hard.

Kenny Faulk: Saves, 3rd (15)

Minor league saves are pretty useless, but Faulk has been a legit lights out guy for the Flying Tigers.

West Michigan

Josue Carreno: Losses, T-3rd (6); Complete Games, T-2nd (1); Shutouts, T-1st (1); Earned Runs, T-4th (31)

The complete game was a seven-inning version, but let's hope it was the beginning of a turnaround for the youngster. His strikeout-to-walk numbers have typically been good even when he's struggling.

Kyle Ryan: Losses, T-10th (5); Innings, 10th (61); Hits, 2nd (71); Hit Batters, T-8th (6)

Ryan is another young pitcher taking some hits as he tries to figure out a tough assignment. Averaging over six innings per start isn't a bad sign.

Antonio Cruz: Losses, T-10th (5)

Another teenager in the Midwest League, Cruz is also working his way back into starting after having a relief role in 2010.

Brennan Smith: Complete Games, T-2nd (1)

Smith was a late addition to the Caps, but has made a good case for sticking around. Not that his having thrown a complete game (8-inning loss) tells us much about that.

Kevin Eichhorn: Complete Games, T-2nd (1)

Throwing a complete game doesn't say much, but his being on just one list hides the fact that Eichhorn has been a solid part of the Caps' rotation this season.

Bruce Rondon: Saves, T-6th (7)

Rondon throws the hell out of the ball and hitters don't hit him. He's just susceptible to walks and I'm sure it drives Caps fans crazy to see him try to sew up these saves.