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The Sim: 4-2: 2-1 vs. SFB, 2-1 @ YS9 - Tied for 1st in the Heartland
The Good: After a slow start to his BBA career, super-utility Sonny Bigalow is currently the Kernel's best producing hitter. The 25-year-old is hitting .326 on the season with a 1.068 OPS. In 12 games this year he has starts at 2B, LF, RF and CF. While last season was his true "break out" year, it looks like he has much higher goals for this season. Due to some recent injuries, more on that below, Bigalow will roam CF for the foreseeable future. The Canadian-born OF struggled through Spring Training so it's nice to see him carrying such a huge load the first two weeks of the regular season.
The Bad: Through two weeks of baseball the Kernels are dead last in base running at -0.6 and again, through 13 games have yet to steal a base. While this team isn't a bunch of speedsters and the team philosophy discourages aggressiveness on the base paths, that is a bit of a surprise. Last season Bigelow, Makin and Parreno all had 14+ SB. Something to keep an eye on be sure.
The Ugly: And now for the biggest news of the sim, CF Hector Cano Jr. hurt his back and will miss five weeks, at least. The 30-year-old outfielder was hitting .360/.987 through eight games. In what many believed would be a bounce back year after a 2056 which saw his OPS a full .100 below his career average, this is a bit of a troubling sign. Due to his cleanup bat and his elite defense in center, one can argue that the Kernel's will be without their best, and most important player for over a month. Look for Bigelow to roam CF and the team to make a roster addition, as no one else on the 27-man roster really is capable.
The Minors: A .500 or better record at all three levels is a very encouraging start.
Two prospects to keep an eye on: SP Dave Lachance and 1B Bane McCoy. Lachance, 23, starts the year in Triple-A after performing well in Spring Training. A surprise early season call up to the BBA last year, Lachance is rounding out his development before a permanent slot a the major league level. Through three Triple-A starts, the youngster is boasting a 0.98 ERA and 0.60 WHIP. He's probably ready for the show but the Kernel's are keeping him down for a bit longer.
McCoy, due to Rule 5 eligibility, was a Spring Training call up as he was placed on the secondary roster. The 21-year-old hit .286/.730 in the exhibitions but was sent to Double-A to start the year. There, he's back to his slow start tradition of hitting .205 through 12 games. He's arguably the best hitting prospect in the organization and could make the majors this year but he's going to have to figure out Double-A first.