The Storm finished May with not only the best record in the Cal League, but in all of baseball.  The Friarhood will select an outstanding position player and pitcher each month this season from the Lake Elsinore Storm roster we selected the following players....drum roll please.

Drew Cumberland: Drew is part of last year’s championship Tin Caps team and is proving so far this season that last year was no fluke. While batting left and throwing right, the 5-10, 175 lb.   shortstop and sometime second baseman is second in the Cal League overall in batting. And not by much. This 21-yr-old was drafted by the Padres in the supplemental first round of the 2007 draft out of Pace High School in Florida. As a core member of last year’s championship squad Drew hit  .293/.386/.410 for the season.

This year, pacing the Lake Elsinore Storm attack as their usual leadoff man, Drew is hitting .381/.421/.584 so far this season thru 113 AB. He started the month of May hitting .383 and was the picture of consistency as the month went on. Not just a singles hitter, Drew possesses extra base power and has 18 RBI in this young season.

Mostly a shortstop through his minor league career with the Padres, he has also played second during his college career and recently began playing more games at that position for the Storm.

Drew started this year as the #11 prospect in the Padres organization, according to Baseball America. Don’t be surprised if you see that ranking go up.

Juan Oramas was signed by the Padres out of Mexico as a 17 yr old in 2007. He began his pro career playing for the Dominican Summer League Padres in 07-08. Pitching 54.1 innings in 07, Juan had a 3.81 ERA. As an 18 yr old in 08, Juan pitched 53 innings with a 1.02 ERA. He was loaned out to the Mexican Red Devils, a Mexican AAA level team, in 2009 pitching 89.2 innings with a 2.31 ERA.

Beginning the 2010 season with Fort Wayne, Juan started 5 games with 15 IP and a 1.02 ERA.  He was then called up to Lake Elsinore in an effort to challenge him. As a 20 yr old, fully 2 yrs younger than any other pitcher for the Storm, Juan, a lefty at 5-10  215 lb, has started 6 games with 32 IP, 24H, 11 R, 10 BB, 32 SO.  He has a 3-0 record and a 1.97 ERA. His crowning achievement of a young season happened in his home debut (May 17). Oramas pitched 8 1/3 innings of perfect baseball before a hit was recorded and he was removed for closer Brad Brach.

Juan throws a low 90’s fastball with good command, a plus plus curve and a changeup. At the beginning of the season he was rated in the group of prospects to watch for development. Given the small sample size so far it is too soon to move him up the prospect list but he will be fun to watch.