Eastern League Player of the Week: 2B Garabez Rosa – Orioles

Just as the problems hit the International League this week with weather, same thing happened to the Eastern League.  So many games were postponed.  There was an attempt to make some up as double headers, but those were postponed to due to rain.  Luckily there was a little break in the misfortune of the forecast to get some games played.  It was and it wasn’t difficult to choose my first recipient of the weekly honors.  Some players produced at high levels and others did for the limited amount of games. When it was all said and done, Garabez Rosa of the Bowie Baysox prevailed as Legend on Deck Eastern League Player of the Week for the games played May 2nd – May 8th.

Rosa, 27, had a very impressive week for the Bowie Baysox.  He ended it going 15-for-35, with five runs scored, a double, two home runs, and 10 RBI.  With Rosa’s help, the Baysox went .500 this past week and remained just 2.5 games out of first in the Eastern League’s Western Division.

The Baltimore Orioles signed Garabez out of the Dominican Republic as a 17-year old.  He has played at every level you can in the minor leagues, but has yet to make his major league debut.  Rosa has also played in Winter and Fall leagues to get in extra work.

Rosa has a good strikeout rate this season at a little over 17% which is down from his career average.  He has played in over 1,000 minor league games in his 11 seasons.  He is a career .267 hitter, but this season so far he’s batting .358.  Garabez doesn’t hit for much power although he is four home runs away from last years total already.  He is working on a 9-game hitting streak entering play on Tuesday, and he’s recorded a hit in 14 of his last 15 games.

The ability to play every position on the field is certainly a plus for Rosa, but it is not known what will happen the rest of this season.  You’d have to think though another trip to Triple-A Norfolk could be a possibility as well as a late season call up to Baltimore?

HONORABLE MENTIONS

As I mentioned before, even with the postponements and fewer at-bats or innings pitched, there were still plenty of solid performances.

Connor Joe who plays for the Altoona Curve went 6-for-14 in limited action with a home run and five RBI.  His teammate Buddy Borden had some fin appearances on the rubber for the Curve.  He recorded four strikeouts in his two innings of work with a hold.  Tim Peterson and Alberto Baldonado certainly did their share on the mound for the Rumble Ponies this week.  Peterson with 2.2IP, 4K’s, and 2 holds, and Baldonado chipping in with three saves.

There were two  other players that were in the discussion for the award.  Portland Sea Dogs Rafael Devers, and Reading’s Jesen Therrien.  Devers spent the week going 10-for-23, scoring seven times, hitting three home runs, and driving in nine.  On the mound, Therrien went five innings recording seven strikeouts and earning three saves.

Congratulations to Garabez Rosa on an excellent week and to being named Legends on Deck Eastern League Player of the Week.