Two Major One Minor 041415

Here is the first Two Major One Minor segment of 2015. This is my fifth year of doing this series where I feature two Major League players and one minor league player each week. Looking back at some of the minor league players touched on over the last four years I wrote about Paul Goldschmidt, Jose Altuve, Matt Adams, Jedd Gyorko, Yasiel Puig , Mike Zunino and Mookie Betts. The initial three to start off are Mark Canha, Joc Pederson and Kris Bryant. One thing all three have in common is they were in the top six in total bases in spring training and have continued to hit once the regular season started.

Canha is a rookie OF\1B with the Oakland Athletics who was tied for third with 47 total bases in spring training as he hit .297/.342/.635 with 6 HR, 13 RBI, 13 R, 0 SB in 29 games. That has carried over into the season as he has started out hitting .367/.367/.567 with 1 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R, 0 SB in 6 games. He was traded to the Athletics in December after playing in 2014 at Triple A New Orleans where he hit 303/.384/.505 with 20 HR, 82 RBI, 83 R, 3 SB in 127 games. He was originally drafted by the Marlins in the seventh round in 2010 and went to the Rockies in the 2014 Rule 5 draft. Canha turned 26 on February 15. 

Pederson is a rookie outfielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers who was sixth in total bases in spring training with 45 as he hit .338/.377/.692 with 6 HR, 13 RBI, 14 R, 3 SB in 26 games. He has started out 2015 hitting .280/.357/.520 with 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R, 1 SB in 7 games. He is trying to build on 2014 when he was the Pacific Coast League MVP as he hit .303/.435/.482 with 33 HR, 78 RBI, 106 R, 30 SB in 121 games. After a September call up he hit .143/.351/.143 with 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 R, 0 SB in 18 games. He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 11th round in 2010. Pederson turned 22 on April 21.

Bryant is a third baseman with the Chicago Cubs who was tied for third with 47 total bases in spring training as he hit .425/.475/1.175 with 9 HR, 15 RBI, 14 R, 0 SB in 14 games. The Cubs sent him down to start the season with Triple A Iowa where he has hit .381/.375/.714 with 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R, 2 SB in 5 games. Last season he hit .355/.458/.702 with 22 HR, 58 RBI, 61 R, 8 SB in 68 games at Double A Tennessee and .295/.418/.619 with 21 HR, 52 RBI, 57 R, 7 SB in 70 games at Iowa. He was originally drafted by the Cubs with the second pick of the first round in 2013. Bryant turned 23 on Januray 4th.