Former Vaquero Jason Botts shows power surge in minors
The following are updates on local baseball players at the minor league level.
Jason Botts (Glendale Community College, 2000) outfielder, Piratas de Campeche: The former Texas Ranger appears to be adjusting well to life in the triple-A Mexican League. He’s continued to sizzle at the plate since joining the league June 13, slugging five home runs and hitting safely in nine of his first 10 games with Campeche.
Botts hit .350 (14 for 40) with two doubles and nine runs batted in through Sunday. He’s scored eight runs and has a .775 slugging percentage.
Botts’ latest home run came Friday during Campeche’s 4-3 road victory against Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz. Botts hit a two-run home run in the first inning to give the Piratas a 2-0 lead.
In a 4-2 loss against visiting Guerreros de Oaxaca on June 19, Botts hit a solo home run in the third to give Campeche a 1-0 advantage.
On Sunday, Botts had two hits, walked once and scored a run in Campeche’s 6-4 win against Veracruz.
Campeche is 39-42 and in sixth place in the Sur Division.
Fernando Valenzuela, Jr. (St. Francis High, 2000) designated hitter/first baseman, Leones de Yucatan: Valenzuela, who also played at Glendale Community College and UNLV, has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games with Yucatan of the triple-A Mexican League. In that stretch, Valenzuela is batting .324 (11-34) with one home run, four doubles and 11 RBI.
Overall, Valenzuela is batting .318 (89 for 280) with six home runs and 38 RBI through Sunday.
Valenzuela drove in three runs in Yucatan’s 5-4 loss against Petroleros de Minatitlan on Saturday. He had a two-run single in the fourth and then notched a run-scoring double in the sixth.
Yucatan is 31-51 and in seventh place in the league’s Sur Division.
Ryan Sherriff (Glendale Community College, 2011) starting pitcher, Palm Beach Cardinals: The former Glendale Angeleno turned in another impressive performance during his last start Thursday for Palm Beach, a Class-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals of the Florida State League. Though he didn’t figure in the decision, Sherriff, a left-hander who helped Glendale college advance to the state tournament in 2011, allowed one run on four hits and struck out three on Thursday in Palm Beach’s 3-2 victory against the visiting Jupiter Hammerheads.
Sherriff faced 26 batters en route to lowering his earned-run average to 2.18 in five appearances with the Cardinals. Sherriff (4-0) and has allowed 10 runs (eight earned) and struck out 18 in 33 innings.
