Padres Organization Players of the Week: June 10-16

Here’s a look at the best performers in the Padres organization over the last week.

Farm batter: Owen Miller (AA)

Miller is quickly developing into one of the best pure hitters in the Padres system. He hit safely in all six games he played this week for Double-A Amarillo. The 2018 third round pick is moving his way up the ranks quickly thanks to his advanced approach at the plate that has earned him a .317 average with a better-than-average 13.9 percent strikeout rate. In Saturday’s game, he went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. He collected nine total hits in his last three games of the week, which rounded out his week to an eye-popping .565 average.

Owen Miller was stepping up big for @sodpoodles again. The #Padres No. 23 prospect homered during a four-hit night at the dish.

📰: https://t.co/C9Y1pvJgQ3 pic.twitter.com/7CRWTnBfaS

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 16, 2019

Miller’s power is starting to develop as he has seven home runs this season, three more than he had all of last year in about a dozen fewer games this season. Miller adds to the long list of quality middle infielders the Padres have down on the farm. He leads the Texas League in hits (84), and his .317 average is good enough for third in the league. This is why Miller was one of the seven Sod Poodles named to the Texas League All-Star roster.

Farm pitcher: Elliot Ashbeck (A+)

With a Lake Elsinore Storm pitching staff that boasts MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patino, one might forget about Ashbeck. After the start he put together on Sunday, he can be ignored no longer. He tossed seven innings while allowing just one run and striking out a staggering 15 batters in the process, turning in one of the most dominant pitching performances of the season for the Padres farm system.

The National Weather Center declared #Padres prospect Elliot Ashbeck a 'Superstorm' on Sunday after the righty set the new high-water mark for punchouts in the Minors at 15 with Lake Elsinore ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

👀: https://t.co/Ju6tDUNcU4 pic.twitter.com/I6PWSgzXgD

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 17, 2019

Ashbeck was selected in the 16th round of the 2015 draft and has fought his way through the minor leagues, even having brief stints in Double-A last year and this season. He boasts a 2.15 ERA in 18 games for the Storm, three of which are starts. At 25 years old, he may get his chance soon if he can show these numbers and his Sunday start are not flukes.

MLB batter: Manny Machado 

A knee-jerk reaction might suggest Hunter Renfroe deserved this honor, and frankly, he did. However, since this is for players of the week and not players of the weekend, Machado actually had better overall numbers that could not be overlooked. Including the two games in San Francisco, Machado had a higher OPS, wRC+ and batting average than Renfroe. Padres fans have been waiting for an offensive explosion from Machado. Every time it seems like he is finally catching fire, the flame goes out again. This week, the flame became a roaring fire and Machado hit like vintage Machado.

Manny knocks his 3rd homer in 2 games out to right field!@Padres | #FriarFaithful pic.twitter.com/t2hnMG4YvV

— Bally Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) June 15, 2019

In the first three games of the series against the Rockies, Machado went 9-for-15 (.600) with three home runs, five RBI and two doubles. Of course, the fact that it was Coors Field helped a lot, but that could play into these Padres hitters gaining confidence. Machado does not lack confidence, but he seemed to look more comfortable at the plate, even when he went nuclear and got ejected. Machado needs to lead this team offensively, and this week, he did.

MLB pitcher: Luis Perdomo

In a week that saw the most runs scored ever in a four-game series, the pickings were slim for solid pitching performances. Amid all the mayhem, Perdomo quietly put together a solid week and was even a calming presence in the bullpen when all hell broke loose. He appeared in three of the four games in Denver and somehow, some way, came away without a scratch, tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Perhaps it is Perdomo fans need to thank for keeping the Rockies at bay just enough to mount the comeback on Sunday when the Padres erased a three-run ninth inning deficit to win after he threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

It's 9-8 after 3, but Luis Perdomo just hung a zero on the board with a 1-2-3 inning. Cannot confirm the reports that this automatically qualifies him for the All-Star Game.

— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) June 16, 2019

This week, every starting pitcher faltered for San Diego, one could even say just about every pitcher on the entire staff crumbled, except Perdomo. Perdomo deserves credit as he has fought his way back to the majors after struggling earlier in the year. And now, at least for this week, he was the most dependable pitcher on the roster.

Nick Lee

Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.