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A Look at OKC Comets Through June

I am going to be publishing a post on each of the 4 affiliates separately compiling their June numbers.  I will do a review of the ACL Dodgers at the conclusion of their season, July 24.  The first one is OKC Comets.

OKC was 50-31 through June.  They were 3.0 games behind the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) for first half champion.  The team has one top 50 prospect at OKC, SS Alex Freeland.  Freeland is MLB Pipeline’s #42 prospect (LAD #3), and his scouting report gives him a legit chance at sticking at SS.  I am not sure that I would be all that comfortable with giving him the SS job for LAD.  But I do think he has a chance at 3B for 2026.  Max Muncy is probably not going to go quietly, and a $10MM club option seems like a no-brainer.  However, Freeland could make an easier transition to MLB as a utility player; play some 3B, SS, 2B.  Yes he would be another one of those pesky infield utility players.

Freeland will be a better defensive 3B than Max, but he shows no ability to put up 35 HRs or even 20 at the MLB level.  He does show decent double power.  He is #3 in the PCL with 23 doubles at the end of June.  He got his 24th Tuesday night.  He walks at 16.1% rate and strikes out at 23.4%.  He plays for a team that likes to run, so I am not sure that his 13 SB is meaningful, since I doubt that he would be expected to run at the MLB level.

Other top PCL metrics for Freeland include #7 RBI (57), and #9 runs (55).

Two of the better OKC players this year have virtually no chance at playing with the Dodgers unless there are injuries.  James Outman is having another good year at AAA after a very rough start.  His PCL stats:

  • HR #2 – 19
  • RBI #2 – 66
  • Runs #6 – 56
  • SLG #4 – .589
  • OPS #5 – .957

Outman has an ISO of .306, good for #2 in the PCL.  “Isolated Power (ISO) is a sabermetric statistic that measures a hitter’s raw power, specifically their ability to hit for extra bases. It’s calculated by subtracting a player’s batting average (AVG) from their slugging percentage (SLG). A higher ISO indicates a greater frequency of extra-base hits (doubles, triples, and home runs).”

We know he is an exception defensive OF, who is playing more RF this year at OKC than in previous years.  He and Justin Dean have been sharing CF duties.  Dean is also a gifted defensive CF.

Outman has nothing left to prove in MiLB, and needs a change of scenery trade to get that MLB opportunity.  He will be out of options after this season, so he will have to stick on the 26 man next year or be DFA.  If he remains a Dodger through the season, he becomes a legit non tender option for the Dodgers.  What a waste.  Get a lottery ticket for him.

Ryan Ward has gotten the short end of the stick with the Dodgers.  All he has done is hit and hit with power since signing with the Dodgers. This figures to be his most productive year with LAD.  He is batting .299/.390/.566/.956.  His PCL stats:

  • HR #1 – 20 (Led PCL with 33 in 2024)
  • RBI #3 – 63 (#3 in PCL with 101 in 2024)
  • Hits #6 – 89
  • Runs #5 – 62
  • SLG #7 – .567
  • OPS #6 – .956

Ryan Ward holds two all-time MiLB OKC records in the Bricktown era: most career home runs (74) and most career RBIs (261).

He also has nothing left to prove in AAA.  He will be a MiLB free agent at the end of the 2025 season, and will obviously not re-sign with the Dodgers.  I am not predicting Ward becoming an All Star, but if he doesn’t warrant an opportunity to succeed or fail at the MLB level, who does?  He has no trade value, so if traded it would be for a rookie league lottery ticket, or for the proverbial PTBNL/Cash.

Hunter Feduccia is having another excellent year.  He is #8 in the PCL with a .407 OBP (at the end of June).  His slash line is .291/.400/.456/.856.  He was more than capable as a reserve backup catcher with the Dodgers in 2024.  He is another that needs an opportunity to stick at MLB.  He will have 1 option year remaining after this year.  I am guessing that AF/BG would rather keep Feduccia as insurance.  At 28, he does not have a lot of trade value.  Another one, who deserves the opportunity.

Michael Chavis and Esteury Ruiz have found some success at the MLB level, but seen to have fallen to the AAAA player range.  28 year old CF, Justin Dean is having a good season, but he is another at the AAAA level.  But I would at least hope he gets a MLB chance.

  • Justin Dean – #2 in PCL with 5 triples
  • Esteury Ruiz – #1 in PCL with 39 SB (leads by 12)
  • Michael Chavis – #8 in PCL with .547 SLG.

Kody Hoese’s run with the Dodgers will be over after this season as he will become a MiLB free agent as well.

None of the OKC pitchers had enough IP to be considered qualified (65).  Bobby Miller was the closest at 54.

Emmet Sheehan is the best OKC pitcher with a legit chance to succeed in the LAD rotation.  Other MLB starting pitchers at OKC include Landon Knack and Bobby Miller.  Both are potential trade tickets at the deadline. IMO, Knack can stick with a non-contender at the back of the rotation.  Miller as a reliever is intriguing enough that I want to see more.  Matt Sauer starts, but he is a AAAA pitcher, and is running out of 2025 options.  He can be recalled and optioned once more before he has to be DFA if recalled for a 6th time.

LAD Top 30 prospects who are relievers include:

  • Edgardo Hernandez – Off IL, and is now officially optioned to OKC. When will he be recalled to LAD? When he becomes more consistent.
  • Nick Frasso – He is in the middle of his conversion to relief. It is very unlikely that he will be recalled this year, and should continue to perfect the transition.
  • José Rodríguez – I am unsure what to make of him. He is a top 30 prospect with a plus-plus change.  He has not pitched all that well this year.  He has a 5.82 ERA in 21.2 IP while also being 0-3 in save opportunities.  But he is highly regarded by multiple publications.

Other RP’s on the LAD 40 man that might have an impact at some point:

  • Alexis Díaz – Former closer for Cincinnati is someone to watch as a potential reclamation project. He has had 3 good outings and 2 not so good.  He walks too many, but command is the last to return.  Potential low risk/high reward signing.  But I am not holding my b
  • Jack Little – Little was one of my favorite 2019 draft picks. He was a lockdown All American closer for Stanford.  It is not common for College closers to get drafted so high.  His good 2025 AAA season did not transfer well to MLB.  He should get another opportunity.  While he is the OKC closer, he is not expected to be a high leverage reliever this year for LAD.

 One other reliever to monitor is LHRP Garrett McDaniels.  He was a Rule 5 pickup by LAA, but was returned to LAD on June 14.  He is still 25.

As a team, the Comets were arguably one of the better offensive teams in a 10 team league.

  • #1 – HR (108), BB (416), SB (124)
  • #2 – Runs (526), OBP (.375), OPS (.845)
  • #3 – Hits (772), BA (.278), SLG (.470)
  • #4 – Strikeouts (725)

Pitching?  Not bad.

  • ERA #4 – 5.17
  • WHIP #4 – 1.53
  • Saves #2 – 23
  • BAA – #3 – .254
  • Hits Allowed #3 – 696
  • Runs Allowed #4 – 435
  • HR Allowed #2 – 80
  • Strikeouts #2 – 736
  • Most Walks #1 – 401 – Now 410 and 20 more than #2

 

MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS

 

OKC Comets 9 – Las Vegas Aviators (A’s)

Three-run home runs by both Ryan Ward and Hunter Feduccia fueled the Oklahoma City Comets’ offense to a 9-5 win against the Las Vegas Aviators Thursday night at Las Vegas Ballpark.

Tyler Glasnow started for the Comets and pitched 4.1 innings as he continued his Major League Rehab Assignment. He allowed three runs on a home run in the third inning and allowed a total of six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. The outing was his longest of his three appearances with the Comets and he faced 19 batters, throwing 78 pitches (51 strikes).

 

 

 

The Comets answered in their next at-bat, tying the score at 3-3, including a sacrifice fly by Nick Senzel, Feduccia stealing home and a RBI single by Chuckie Robinson.

In the fifth inning, the Comets took the lead when Ward sent a three-run homer out to left-center field. Las Vegas chipped away at OKC’s lead with runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Then in the eighth inning, the Aviators advanced the potential game-tying run to third base with no outs, but Comets pitcher Julian Fernández retired the next three Las Vegas batters to keep the Comets in the lead.

In the ninth inning, Feduccia sent a three-run home run out to right-center field to extend the Comets’ lead to four runs, 9-5.

Ryan Ward homered in a second straight game and hit his league-leading 22nd home run of the season. He went 3-for-4, finishing a double shy of the cycle, scored three runs and finished with three RBI as he reached base four times. With his three-RBI night, Ward took over the league lead with 71 RBI this season. He has recorded back-to-back games with three RBI and has nine RBI over his last four games.

Hunter Feduccia went 1-for-3 with his seventh home run of the season, three RBI, two walks, scored two runs and stole home. He has now hit two home runs in his past four games.

James Outman went 1-for-3 with two walks, scored two runs and had two stolen bases. He has now hit safely in nine of his last 10 games (16×41), scored at least one run in 14 of the last 15 games and has reached base in 15 straight games.

 

Box Score

 

 

Wichita Wind Surge (Twins) 10 – Tulsa Drillers 6 (10 innings)

Why can’t the so called pitching development gurus figure out a way to curtail the massive number of walks made by the LAD MiLB pitchers.  They also have no idea whatsoever how to hold runners on.  LHSP Jackson Ferris a top 100 pitcher completed 5.0 innings.  He walked five in the game, and all three runs he allowed were a direct result of a walk and stolen bases. Ferris allowed 7 stolen bases.  The Wind Surge stole a 8th off Kelvin Ramirez.

The Tulsa Drillers and Wichita Wind Surge went back and forth for nine innings on Thursday night before things unraveled for the Drillers in the tenth. The Wind Surge broke a tie game with six runs in their half of the tenth on only two hits and defeated the Drillers 10-6.

The Wind Surge scored the game’s first run thanks to a defensive miscue from the Drillers. With runners at first and third and two outs in the top of the second inning, the runner on first, Nate Baez, successfully stole second base. Tulsa second baseman Yeiner Fernandez, came off the bag on the throw down and had the lead runner, Ricardo Olivar, trapped between third and home. Fernandez’s off-balance throw to third was off target, allowing Olivar to jog home and give the Wind Surge a 1-0 lead.

A leadoff walk in the top of the fifth allowed Wichita to double the margin. Jose Salas walked on four straight pitches, stole second and scored on a single by Kaelen Culpepper.

The Drillers took their first lead with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth. Sean McLain drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on a base hit from Kole Myers. A wild pitch allowed McLain to score before a single by Yeiner Fernandez again put runners at the corners.

Kendall Simmons grounded to third for the second out of the inning, but Myers scored on the play and Fernandez moved to second. Griffin Lockwood-Powell delivered a two-out hit with a single into left that brought Fernandez home to give Tulsa a 3-2 lead.

The Wind Surge quickly responded when Kyler Fedko drew another leadoff walk to open the sixth. After stealing both second and third, Fedko scored on another defensive miscue from the Drillers. With one out, Ben Ross hit a fly ball into shallow right field. Right fielder Damon Keith and second baseman Fernandez arrived in plenty of time to make the catch, but it was Fernandez who did. Even though he made the catch, his momentum was carrying him away from home plate, allowing Fedko to tag and score the tying run.

Tulsa took its second lead in the bottom half of the sixth. Taylor Young worked a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on a ground ball to center by Sean McLain.

The back-and-forth nature of the game continued as Wichita again tied the score in the seventh. Jorel Ortega greeted reliever Jerming Rosario with a leadoff double. After moving to third on a ground out, Ortega raced home on a wild pitch from Rosario, tying the score at 4-4.

Neither team could score in the eighth or ninth innings, sending the game into extra innings.

Wichita put the game away in the top of the tenth with its six runs. Reliever Christian Suarez did not retire a batter, giving up two hits and three walks to the first five batters in the inning.

Jorge Benitez walked another batter and hit another. When the inning ended, the Wind Surge owned a 10-4 lead.

The Drillers attempted a comeback in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs, but it was too little, too late.

Lockwood-Powell’s two-hit game extended his on-base streak to 33 straight games. The 33-game streak is the longest in the Texas League this season and the second longest for a Tulsa player in at least the last 17 seasons. It was April 19 the last time that Griffin-Powell did not reach base safely in a game that he played.

Tulsa reliever Ronan Kopp delivered another scoreless outing. Kopp worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to extend his scoreless streak to 18.1 straight innings. The lefthander has not allowed a run in his last 14 games, dating to May 16.

Jackson Ferris started on the mound for the Drillers and was charged with three runs on three hits in five innings. He was undone by five walks. It was a season high for walks for the lefthander who has now walked 12 batters in his last 14.2 innings.

  • Griffin Lockwood-Powell – 2-5, 1 RBI
  • John Rhodes – 2-5, 1 RBI, double (10)
  • Sean McLain – 2-3, 2 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI
  • Taylor Young – 1-3, 2 BB, 2 runs, double (12)

 

Box Score

 

West Michigan White Caps (Detroit) 2 – Great Lakes Loons 1 (10 innings)

Sean Linan started for the Loons and completed 5.0 scoreless innings.  He allowed 2 hits, 2 BB, and recorded 5 K.  He threw 75 pitches.

 

Zyhir Hope slugged his 8th HR in the 4th to open the scoring.

Evan Shaw and Reynaldo Yean pitched a scoreless 6th and 7th inning.  Yean went back out in the 8th and walked the leadoff batter.  Joel Ibarra relieved Yean and got the 1st batter he faced.  Then he hit a batter, walked a batter to load the bases, and then hit a second batter to force in the tying run.

Joseilyn Gonzalez pitched a scoreless 9th, but the 10th was different.  With a placed runner on 2nd, Gonzalez walked the first batter in the 10th, and the second batter got an infield single, and the placed runner scored on an errant throw.

The Loons had 2 singles and the Hope HR.

 

Box Score

 

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 4 – Visalia Rawhide (Arizona) 3

The Quakes rallied for two in the seventh and came from behind for a 4-3 win over the Visalia Rawhide.

In front of a sold-out crowd of 4,700 fans, the Quakes used back-to-back sacrifice flies in the seventh, taking the lead for good to secure two of three and a series-win over the Rawhide.

Eduardo Quintero and Jaron Elkins did the damage, as each was credited with a sac fly off Visalia reliever Braden Quinn in the seventh, as the Quakes took a 4-3 lead.

Connor Godwin got into a little trouble in the eighth, as he surrendered back-to-back singles with one out. Myles Caba was called upon out of the bullpen, as he got the final two outs to preserve the lead. Caba then worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his third save of the year.

Rancho finished with just three hits (all singles) on the night, getting out-hit, 9-3.

Rancho will head to Valley Strong Ballpark in Visalia on Friday, continuing their series with the Rawhide. On Friday, Jholbran Herder will take on Junior Sanchez at 6:30pm.

 

Box Score

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff Dominique

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Dionysus
Dionysus
4 hours ago

Thanks for minor league reports.

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dodgerram
dodgerram
4 hours ago

May with a strong performance .
Pleasantly surprised Max has no structural damage in his knee. Looking at the video and own experience with something like that I thought ACL for sure.
Good for Max and the Dodgers. 6 weeks is a long time and MM is known to take some time to get back to full game speed but he could be good to go by early/mid SEptember.
Will the Dodgers still trade for a 3b ?
Who could that be ?

Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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