It Wasn’t Just Cozy Confines For Christin Stewart

Best Player: Outfielder Christin Stewart bashed his way through the high Class A Florida State League. His gaudy numbers there weren’t all built in the cozy confines of Lakeland’s temporary home at Henley Field.

Stewart’s numbers were just as good on the road as they were at home with Lakeland. In 49 home games in the FSL, Stewart batted .260/.413/.521 with 12 home runs. In 55 road games, Stewart’s OPS was four points higher, as he batted .267/.393/.545 with 12 homers.

Overall with Lakeland, Stewart hit .264/.403/.534 with 24 home runs and 68 RBIs in 442 plate appearances before being promoted to Double-A Erie.

Stewart, a first-round pick in 2015 out of Tennessee, didn’t fare as well at Erie, where he batted .218/.310/.448 in 24 games. He still totaled 30 home runs and 86 walks in 128 games, tying him for fifth in the minors in home runs and ranking sixth in walks.

Best Pitcher: Righthander Joe Jimenez did not dominate at Triple-A Toledo like he did in the lower levels of the minors. But his 2016 numbers—and the speed at which he advanced up the ladder—are impressive.

Jimenez, who started the season in Lakeland, had a 1.51 ERA and 30 saves at three levels of the minors, tying him for second in the minors in saves. He struck out 78 and walked 17 in 53.2 innings pitched, pitching off a mid-to-upper 90s fastball.

Jimenez did not allow an earned run and had a 0.577 WHIP for Lakeland to start the season and had almost as much success at Double-A before being promoted to Triple-A Toledo.

Keep An Eye On: Tyler Alexander didn’t get the fanfare that Stewart and Jimenez received in 2016. But his superior command and his ability to throw four pitches effectively could have him pitching in the majors sooner than some might expect.

“A strength for Tyler is he knows who he is as a pitcher,” farm director Dave Owen said. “He has shown the ability to pitch inside with his fastball and continues to develop his secondary stuff.”

Alexander, a second-round pick of the Tigers in 2015 from Texas Christian, was a combined 8-8, 2.44 with a 1.05 WHIP in 25 appearances—including 24 starts—at Lakeland and Erie. He struck out 105 and walked just 20 in 136.1 innings.