Fort Wayne TinCaps Player and Pitcher of the Month: April

Pitcher of the month for the TinCaps would be easy for almost any casual observer of the minor league system or any Padres fan who listens to sports talk radio or follows on Twitter. Has anyone not heard about the month Keyvius Sampson had in April? I posted a profile of him not long ago and that tells you just about everything you need to know about his background with the Padres so I won’t regurgitate all of that here. But I will post his final numbers in April, just in case someone hasn’t looked them up yet.

In 4 games started and 21 IP he gave up 6 hits and 3 runs, 1 earned run with 8 BB and 28 SO for a 3-1 record and 1.29 ERA and .091 average against. And he has not slowed down for May either. I will be posting his progress with the weekly TinCap reviews so keep tuned in.

Player of the Month was between the two best players for the TinCaps in their young season. Veteran minor leaguer Jake Blackwood has been terrific for Fort Wayne but is playing below his experience level, which makes his accomplishments somewhat less impressive. At 25 yrs old and a veteran of 5 minor league or independent league seasons, Blackwood has not been above the high A level (in the Marlins system) and was not picked up as a minor league free agent in 2010 so he played a season of independent ball. The Padres signed him before this season for minor league depth and he is doing a terrific job leading the younger players on the team.

Catcher/1B/DH Tommy Medica is the other player profiled last month for the TinCaps. His final April numbers were only a little less than Blackwood but from a 23 yr old prospect in his first full season of pro ball and still recovering from a shoulder injury that threatened his career.

His .323/.397/.523 line included 21 games played and 65 AB with 12 runs scored, 21 hits, 10 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 7 BB and 10 SO for a .920 OPS.

He is my chosen sleeper of the year for the minor league system and has gotten off to a great start. Almost as important as his ability to put up offensive numbers is whether he can get back to being a highly regarded defensive backstop as well. He has not been able to play catcher consistently yet but that will also be a part of our weekly updates for the TinCaps during the 2011 season. A Sampson/Medica tandem for the 2011 Fort Wayne season would be a fun duo to watch as they progress.