MLB

Jeff Baker, UTIL, Miami Marlins

Season: 38 GP (14 GS), .209/.293/.388, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 11 R, 8 BB, 22 K, 0.0 WAR

June: 17 GP (9 GS), .158/.200/.342, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 12 K

Baker earned a bunch of starts at first base for the Marlins in May. He started the month off well, but he ended June hitless in his final 13 at-bats. It doesn’t seem like the Marlins are eager to hold Baker’s feet to the fire, as his corner infield proficiency and right-handed power bat are valuable off the bench. The only way he might change addresses is if a contender wanted to add him as a bench piece, but even that seems like a long shot.

Brad Miller, SS, Seattle Mariners

Season: 73 GP (67 GS), .237/.316/.404, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 23 R, 6-7 SB, 26 BB, 55 K, 1.5 WAR

June: 26 GP (24 GS), .253/.326/.386, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R, 2-2 SB, 9 BB, 18 K

It wasn’t quite as good as his magnificent May, but Miller had a solid month for Seattle. His rates remained fairly stable, and he ended with three multi-hit games in his last four appearances. Miller’s major improvements have come defensively, which has allowed him to make more appearances and get more at-bats. He is quietly putting together a solid campaign at a shallow position in the American League.

Ben Paulsen, 1B/LF, Colorado Rockies

Season: 40 GP (30 GS), .291/.352/.513, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 17 R, 11 BB, 28 K, 0.8 WAR

June: 27 GP (19 GS), .350/.409/.650, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R, 7 BB, 20 K

AAA: 36 GP, .256/.340/.424, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 19 R, 1-1 SB, 15 BB, 34 K

There’s no way Paulsen will be sent down now. He’s become a mainstay in a Rockies lineup that rakes from top to bottom. Playing a bunch of games at Coors Field is sure to bloat his numbers, but Paulsen’s home/road splits are fairly consistent. His presence in the lineup could be an issue whenever Justin Morneau returns to full health, but it appears Colorado wouldn’t mind sticking with him for the long haul.

Tony Sipp, LHP, Houston Astros

Season: 31 GP, 28.1 IP, 2-3, 8 HD, 2.86 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 1.9 BB/9, 9.5 K/9, 0.5 WAR

June: 11 GP, 9.2 IP, 0-1, 2 HD, 3.72 ERA, 1.14 WHIP

Sipp wasn’t great in June, but his numbers were solid, at least compared to a subpar May line. The lefty specialist isn’t acquiring a ton of holds, but he’s still being utilized as a high-leverage reliever more often than not. That’s the ultimate gauge of value, and on an overachieving Astros team, Sipp will continue to get chances to pitch out of the bullpen at critical times as the summer wears on.

AAA

Jason Berken, RHP, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies)

Season: 11 GP (7 GS), 64.1 IP, 4-5, 3.50 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 2.7 BB/9, 6.4 K/9

June: 5 GP (3 GS), 22 IP, 1-3, 2.78 ERA, 1.28 WHIP

Not much has changed here. The 31-year-old Berken is considered a spot starter at the AAA level, albeit an effective one. He is also a low-strikeout guy who struggles to miss bats, making him even more of a promotion risk. I’d be shocked if Berken got a shot in the big leagues this season given recent trends, even for a Philly club that finally seems ready to strip down the big league roster and rebuild.

Tyler Colvin, OF, Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox)

Season: 38 GP, .256/.298/.391, HR, 9 RBI, 11 R, 8 BB, 33 K

June: 22 GP, .276/.329/.421, 5 RBI, 5 R, 6 BB, 18 K

Colvin has been steady since joining the Knights, but his stat line has been unspectacular to this point. His combination of little power and a low walk rate isn’t necessarily endearing, and that’s coupled with a higher strikeout rate than one would prefer. There are opportunities in a putrid White Sox lineup, but it doesn’t look like Colvin will be a high priority.

Chris Dwyer, LHP, Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals)

Season: 19 GP (2 GS), 36.1 IP, 2-0, 3.22 ERA, 1,84 WHIP, 7.7 BB/9, 6.9 K/9

June: 7 GP (0 GS), 12.1 IP, 2-0, 1.46 ERA, 1.38 WHIP

In only a few appearances, Dwyer had a nice month in Omaha. Much like Berken, he is getting old for a AAA player, but he only gave up a run once in seven June outings. His walk and strikeout rates are wonky, but Dwyer has shown he can navigate relief appearances without allowing runners to cross the plate. That’s a valuable commodity, but unfortunately for Dwyer, the Royals have that covered at the big league level.

Mike Freeman, UTIL, Reno Aces (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Season: 69 GP, .330/.384/.442, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 43 R, 6-6 SB, 20 BB, 32 K

June: 27 GP, .341/.404/.471, HR, 7 RBI, 12 R, 1-1 SB, 9 BB, 8 K

At some point, Freeman will force the Diamondbacks to give him a shot. He sported a positive walk-to-strikeout ratio for the month of June and continues to perform at a high level at the plate. Freeman’s build and lack of pop could be an issue that keeps him down at Reno, but that slash line doesn’t lie. Freeman might get a shot after the trade deadline, or at least after rosters expand in September.

Will Lamb, LHP, Round Rock Express (Texas Rangers)

Season: 3 GP, 3.1 IP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 2.7 BB/9, 8.1 K/9

June: 3 GP, 3.1 IP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.90 WHIP

AA: 22 GP, 26 IP, 1-1, 3.12 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 3.8 BB/9, 8.3 K/9

Lamb made his AAA debut on June 16, so he only has a couple of weeks under his belt at that level. The promotion was well-earned after a great start to the year out of the Frisco bullpen. Spanning both levels, Lamb has ten scoreless appearances in his last 11. He’s still a long way away from the big leagues, but Lamb has made a strong first impression at Round Rock.

Kyle Parker, 1B/OF, Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado Rockies)

Season: 67 GP, .268/.312/.405, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 37 R, 5-8 SB, 16 BB, 74 K

June: 22 GP, .307/.351/.398, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 14 R, 1-3 SB, 6 BB, 24 K

MLB: GP, 1-1

Parker was briefly called up to the big league club on June 10 before being shipped right back to Albuquerque. After a disastrous beginning to the 2015 campaign, he continues to see his peripherals rise, although he still strikes out too much and doesn’t walk enough. Parker appears to be right on the cusp of the big leagues, and a trade of Carlos Gonzalez—certainly possible in a few weeks—could be the big break he’s been looking for.

Richie Shaffer, 3B, Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays)

Season: 29 GP, .297/.385/.673, 10 HR, 19 RBI, 13 BB, 32 K

June: 22 GP, .288/.380/.638, 7 HR, 14 RBI, 12 R, 10 BB, 25 K

AA: 39 GP, .262/.362/.470, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 22 R, 3-3 SB, 23 BB, 49 K

A late-May promotion to AAA was great news for Shaffer. However, another one might be coming up soon if he continues to hit like this. A whopping ten homers in 29 games for the Bulls has the attention of the front office, and that’s not all. Shaffer’s entire stat line has seen an upgrade since the promotion, buoyed by some gaudy numbers at home. Shaffer’s last few weeks have put him right in the conversation for a call-up in short order, even though Evan Longoria blocks him at the big league level.

AA

Dominic Leone, RHP, Mobile BayBears (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Season: 5 GP, 7 IP, 0-1, 9.00 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9, 9.0 K/9

June: 5 GP, 7 IP, 0-1, 9.00 ERA, 2.14 WHIP

MLB: 11 GP, 12.1 IP, 0-5, 8.03 ERA, 1.95 WHIP, 6.6 BB/9, 5.1 K/9

AAA: 8 GP, 9.1 IP, 1-1, 7.71 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 4.8 BB/9, 7.7 K/9

Leone was traded from Seattle to Arizona in a massive deal involving a slew of players. After a bad outing in which he gave up three runs, Leone was sent down to AA. So far, in Mobile, the struggles have continued for the righthander. It has been tough for Leone to get anything going this season, and it doesn’t seem like solutions are on the horizon for his issues.

Phil Pohl, C, Midland RockHounds (Oakland Athletics)

Season: 5 GP, .250 (2-8)/.333/.375, 2 RBI, R, 2 K

June: GP

Pohl is still the third catcher for Midland, and that meant only a single appearance in the month of June. This isn’t a good situation for him at the moment, obviously.

Marquez Smith, 1B, Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Cincinnati Reds)

Season: 64 GP, .263/.350/.371, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 27 R, 3-7 SB, 25 BB, 46 K

June: 23 GP, .312/.384/.494, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 11 R, 2-3 SB, 9 BB, 15 K

Smith did a fine job of making up for lost time in June, as the veteran minor leaguer had his best month of the season by leaps and bounds. He finally hit some home runs during the month and managed to increase each of his averages while maintaining proper plate discipline. This is probably where Smith’s career will end, but at least he’s making the most of his opportunities.

A+

Jay Baum, 3B, Bakersfield Blaze (Seattle Mariners)

Season: 58 GP, .187/.256/.241, HR, 12 RBI, 18 R, 7-10 SB, 18 BB, 52 K

June: 18 GP, .254/.290/.373, HR, 7 RBI, 8 R, 3-3 SB, 3 BB, 13 K

It speaks to how bad things have been for Baum that June was considered far and away his best month of the season. He left the yard for the first time and cut way down on his strikeouts. Baum is going nowhere until he shows significant improvement over a longer period of time.

Spencer Kieboom, C, Potomac Nationals (Washington Nationals)

Season: 54 GP, .267/.371/.392, HR, 18 RBI, 23 R, 1-1 SB, 29 BB, 21 K

June: 18 GP, .254/.333/.299, 3 RBI, 7 R, 8 BB, 4 K

Kieboom’s statistics would suggest he is a slap hitter struggling to find holes in the defense. Alas, as a catcher, he needs to showcase more power and a higher BABIP. His walk-to-strikeout ratio has been absurdly good, but Kieboom doesn’t have the speed to justify such a low power output to this point. It’s not all doom and gloom for Kieboom, but he needs to do some more to raise his profile.

A

Garrett Boulware, C, Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds)

Season: 41 GP, .248/.350/.362, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 15 R, 1-2 SB, 13 BB, 23 K

June: 14 GP, .176/.276/.196, 2 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 10 K

Boulware took a step backwards in June after a red-hot start. He struggled to produce runs and saw a slight uptick in strikeouts without a corresponding power surge. Boulware probably wasn’t going to keep up the pace all season, but a dip well below a .200 batting average is at least slightly concerning.

Scott Firth, RHP, Asheville Tourists (Colorado Rockies)

Season: 20 GP, 24.2 IP, 0-1, 4.01 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.6 BB/9, 7.3 K/9

June: 3 GP, 2.1 IP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.43 WHIP

Firth had a 19-day hiatus from June 1 to June 20. That’s why he only appeared in three games over the course of the entire month. Even when he returned, Firth was utilized sparingly by the Tourists in June. The results have been good, and if that trend continues, Firth’s volume of innings should increase in a significant way.

Daniel Gossett, RHP, Beloit Snappers (Oakland Athletics)

Season: 15 GP (15 GS), 76.1 IP, 3-7, 5.42 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 4.4 BB/9, 7.7 K/9

June: 5 GP (5 GS), 27 IP, 1-2, 4.67 ERA, 1.52 WHIP

Gossett had a solid month of June. He didn’t make waves necessarily, but his numbers were better than they have been for much of the season. He’s not going very deep into games right now, but he did throw seven innings in his most recent start on June 30. Goose’s development continues with plenty of time for him to refine his game.

Steve Wilkerson, 2B, Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles)

Season: 49 GP, .296/.390/.380, 14 RBI, 31 R, 8-12 SB, 25 BB, 39 K

June: 18 GP, .275/.346/.362, 6 RBI, 10 R, 2-4 SB, 7 BB, 13 K

Wilkerson isn’t contributing much in the power department, but the rest of his numbers have been very good thus far. His OPS is a shade over .700, which is just fine for a second baseman known more as a pesky offensive player than a power guy. Wilkerson is in a good place, and he is taking full advantage of his platform at the moment.