New York Penn League Baseball Notes: The Playoffs are near

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New York Penn League Baseball Notes

The final month of the regular season is here. There is plenty still to play for as players and coaches try to put themselves in position to be called up to a higher level. Or in some cases, looking for a playoff spot in the New York Penn League playoffs which start right after Labor Day. Lots to do in a short period of time, so let’s see how things are shaping up.

The Aberdeen IronBirds sit atop the McNamara Division with a 24-16 record, which is second-best behind the Lowell Spinners. This weekend the IronBirds are expecting to get some big-time help for the final month’s push towards the playoff. The Baltimore Orioles number one pick, and the overall number one pick, Adley Rutschman is slated to make his long-awaited start in Aberdeen on Saturday night when they play host to Hudson Valley. The debut has been a bit sidetracked because of a bout with mononucleosis, but Rutschman is 100% ready to go. After playing in five games for the Gulf Coast Orioles, he went 3-for-14 with a HR, three RBI, two walks, two strikeouts, and one stolen base.

There was a no-hitter thrown in the league and it happened last Sunday when the Connecticut Tigers blanked the Tri-City Astros 3-0. Jack O’Loughlin (2-2, 3.38 ERA) and three relief pitchers ( Michael Biemliem, Kyle Thomas, Kory Behenna) combined to throw the first no-no in Tigers history, and the first in the league since July 29, 2017. Staten Island did the trick also vs Tri-City. O’Loughlin went the first six innings and he walked five hitters but was aided by two double plays turned by his defense. The three hurlers out of the Tigers pen each tossed one inning to complete the no-hitter.

The Williamson Cubs have both the leading hitter in the league and the number one stolen base guy. The hitter is Catcher Juan Aparicio, who leads the NYPL with a .374 average. In his last ten games, Aparicio was smacking the baseball around at a .425 clip (15-for-35) He also had five straight games with more than one hit (July 20-27). The leader in stolen bases is OF Corbin Williams who has 22 steals and has been caught only five times in 36 games. Williams has five steals in his last ten games despite hitting only .167 (6-for-36). For the season, Corbin is batting .249.